On the Road: Saguaro, Joshua Tree & Death Valley National Parks

Program Registration: 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in the hotel meeting room to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing the up-to-date schedule that reflects any changes, other important information, and to confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation: 5:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. All field trips will be led by our Group Leader, a seasoned and experienced naturalist unless specified otherwise. All transportation will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. On the Road programs are journeys that take participants to multiple study sites in a region with a number of overnight stays. Lectures, talks, discussions, field trips, and on-board commentary amplify the program theme. Some journeys involve great distances and may take hours, others are much shorter. Long or short, On the Road journeys are learning experiences that make the most of our time together. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may be changed due to local conditions/circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

In the conference room at the hotel.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the hotel restaurant.

Setting out from the hotel, we’ll travel to Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. As our first exposure to the Sonoran Desert, we’ll learn from our Group Leader about desert adaptations and diversity. The Group Leader will conduct a brief introductory session upon arrival to the Sonoran Desert Museum, during which we’ll receive a museum map, and hear about some of the fascinating exhibits on premises. We will have ample time to explore the museum independently and see the galleries, special events, natural features, docent demonstration areas, and trails. Additionally, stunning and often odd desert flora and fauna are on display throughout the museum.

At the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

After lunch, we will visit the Saguaro National Park Visitor Center, which is home to (and named after) the world’s most recognized cactus, the majestic saguaro. Afterwards, our naturalist Group Leader will lead us on a walk among the desert vegetation while identifying and describing the myriad different species of plants that are found in the Sonoran Desert.

At a local Mexican restaurant.

En route back to the hotel, our Group Leader will then discuss travel plans and logistics for the next day's travel. The remainder of the evening will be at leisure upon arrival. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel restaurant.

Once checked out of the hotel, we’ll begin our transfer to Yuma, Arizona. Along the way, we’ll travel through the Sonoran Desert National Monument and follow the course of the Gila River on its route to the Colorado River. We’ll witness dramatic changes in the desert landscape as we journey from the relatively lush Tucson portion of the Sonoran Desert to the dry lower Colorado River portion. Our Group Leader will point out and discuss unique landscape features and stories of historic and regional significance during our transfer.

At Lute’s “Casino,” a local Yuma landmark for generations and full of interesting and zany trappings.

After lunch, we will walk along the Colorado River through the Yuma Gateway Park to the famous Yuma Territorial Prison Historic Park for a docent-led exploration of the area. On our walk through the park museum and the prison grounds, we’ll steep ourselves in the history of the old west while we enjoy sweeping views of the Colorado River and Yuma in the distance. Completing our transfer, we’ll check in to our hotel for the evening.

At a local restaurant.

Enjoy an evening at your leisure.

At the hotel.

Upon checking out, we’ll load our luggage and travel to Palm Springs via the Imperial Valley, which lies mostly below sea level and is one of the richest agricultural areas in the U.S. En route, we will stop at the Algodones Sand Dune Field to take in sweeping views of the Saharan like landscape, discuss dune formation and take the opportunity to wander a bit on the dunes themselves. Continuing, we will pass through the Imperial hydrothermal area to the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea was created in 1905 when Imperial Valley water suppliers breached a levee and allowed the Colorado River to overflow its banks and fill this below sea level basin. Our Group Leader will provide commentary aboard the motor coach and in the field during stops to view these distinctive locations.

On the shore of the Salton Sea at Salton Sea State Park, we’ll have boxed lunches.

After lunch there will be time to check out the Salton Sea State Park environs. Continuing, we’ll travel to Palm Springs via Coachella Valley, the “Date Palm Capital” of the world. En route, we’ll stop at a Date Garden. If you are adventurous you can treat yourself to a date milk shake! Upon arrival in Palm Springs, we’ll check in to our hotel.

In the hotel meeting room.

In the hotel meeting room we'll enjoy a presentation on a topic of regional significance by a local expert.

In the hotel meeting room.

After breakfast, we’ll begin our field trip to Joshua Tree National Park. In the park we will stop at points of interest where we will encounter the famous indicator species of the Mojave Desert itself - the Joshua Tree and marvel at the whimsical and imposing boulder fields. We will continue to Keyes View located at 5,185 feet above sea level. We’ll enjoy commentary provided by our Group Leader while looking across the Coachella Valley. Unique features include the Salton Sea, the San Andreas Fault Zone and Mt. San Jacinto in the distance. Two deserts whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation, come together at Joshua Tree National Park. Below 3,000 feet, the Sonoran Desert (dubbed the "Colorado Desert" locally) encompasses the eastern part of the park and features creosote bush, ocotillo, and cholla cactus. The higher and slightly cooler Mojave Desert is the habitat of the Joshua tree. The park also contains many fantastic geologic formations.

At the spectacular Hidden Valley picnic area among the whimsical and dramatic boulders, we’ll have boxed lunches.

We’ll continue our Joshua Tree National Park visit with a hike into Hidden Valley on a rough unpaved trail that winds between unique desert plants, including Joshua trees, and spectacular granite boulders. Led by our Group Leader, we’ll make our way to a legendary cattle rustlers’ hideout at the end of the trail. We’ll then return to the hotel.

In the evening we will gather and walk to a local restaurant in downtown Palm Springs.

After dinner, stroll through downtown Palm Springs back to the hotel at your leisure.

In the hotel meeting room.

Traveling from the hotel, we’ll make our way to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Truly an engineering marvel and a breathtaking experience, we’ll board at an elevation of 2,643 feet at the Valley Station before the tram transports us to the Mountain Station at an elevation of 8,516 feet. At the Mountain Station, we’ll enjoy sweeping views of Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea, and Joshua Tree National Park. At the top, our Group Leader will lead a beautiful nature walk loop to Long Valley Nature Trail - winter weather permitting. Alternatively, you may wish to explore the Mountain Station complex independently, with its small museum and theater offering informative exhibits and videos.

At the Top of the Tram Café.

We’ll then return to the hotel in the mid-afternoon and enjoy free time to relax and explore Palm Springs. Note: On Thursdays, in conjunction with the Palm Spring Street Fest the Palm Springs Art Museum offers a "Free Thursday Night" from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Check out their website (www.psmuseum.org) for details.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

In the hotel meeting room.

Checking out of the hotel, this will be our longest travel day but we will break up the miles by taking the scenic back roads through the Mojave Desert en route to Death Valley National Park. Onboard commentary will be provided by our Group Leader and we’ll make stops to view some of the region’s interesting features. Our morning travels will take us first to Joshua Tree National Park's Oasis of Mara Visitor Center. Here we will have an opportunity to stretch our legs amongst the native Fan Palm grove, check out natural history exhibits and acquire souvenirs of our time in the park. We may even catch a glimpse of the resident roadrunner birds. We will then continue our journey past the Amboy Crater Volcanic Field and through the spectacular Mojave National Preserve to the picturesque Kelso Train Depot. Before lunch we will have an opportunity to explore the grounds of the historic Kelso Train Depot while keeping an ear our for an approaching freight train.

On the grounds of the historic Kelso Depot, we’ll have boxed lunches.

After lunch, we’ll board our motorcoach and continue our journey. Concluding our transfer, we’ll arrive in Death Valley National Park by late afternoon and check in to the hotel with time to settle in and relax before dinner.

At a restaurant on-site of the hotel with about a 5-10 minute walk from the rooms.

At leisure.

At a restaurant on-site of the hotel

Setting out aboard the motorcoach, we’ll explore the park with onboard commentary provided by our Group Leader. For a unique experience, we will drive to and explore Bad Water, a salt flat lake which encompasses the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level and is the driest place in North America with an average rainfall of only 1.96 inches a year. This first field trip into the park will serve as an ideal introduction to Death Valley’s many and varied landscapes. We’ll continue with a stop at Zabriskie Point, an otherworldly "naked earth" scene of dazzling surrealism and colors. In the past, the view has both inspired and struck fear into the hearts of hapless travelers. For many, a trip to Zabriskie Point is the highlight of the trip. Before lunch, we’ll make a stop for independent exploration at the Death Valley Visitor Center, which features a park video and exhibits focused on the natural and cultural history of the area.

At the Oasis at Death Valley - Ranch 1849. The spread offers a wide variety of entree' choices including sides, salad bar and desserts. Coffee, tea, sodas and water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Led by our Group Leader, take an elective short ride to the trailhead and set out on the Golden Canyon Trail. This trail provides a beautiful window into the heart of Death Valley. At the entrance to Golden Canyon we’ll have a sweeping view across Death Valley toward the Panamint Mountains. The narrow, deep shape of the side canyons of Death Valley, such as Golden Canyon, indicate that the uplift of the mountains is relatively recent, consistent with other evidence that the landscape of Death Valley is quite young. Upon our return to the hotel, we’ll have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At a restaurant on-site of the hotel

After dinner, our Group Leader will offer a short walk into the desert, adjacent to our lodging, for a night sky viewing opportunity.

At a restaurant on-site of the hotel

Our first stop of the day will take us by motorcoach to the majestic Mesquite Sand Dunes where we’ll go on a short exploratory walk on the dunes. Perfect for photos! Take some time to frolic and be kids again in the otherworldly sand dunes. Continuing, we’ll go to the mining ghost town of Rhyolite where a Bureau of Land Management Ranger will conduct a walk of the "town," bringing to life the past glory of this silver producing mining district. Picturesque old buildings and artifacts help set the scene for stories and historic commentary throughout our walk. At the conclusion of our walking expedition we will depart Rhyolite and return to our hotel where we will distribute boxed lunches for leisurely dining on our patios!

Boxed lunch with sandwich, chips, cookie and fruit provided by the resort dining facility.

After lunch, your Group Leader will offer a field trip on motorcoach to the Harmony Borax Works. This site chronicles the era of the Borax mining era in Death Valley with original equipment used in the processing of the raw material on display. The Harmony Borax Works is also steeped in the history of the 20 Mule Team transport of Borax to the rail head at Mojave 165 mile away and inspiration for the famous advertising brand. A 20 Mule Team wagon is prominently on display to help spark one's imagination of an era gone by.

At a restaurant on-site of the hotel

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departures in the morning.

At the resort.

After checking out of the hotel and transferring to Las Vegas, we’ll arrive at the airport for drop-offs. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!