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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. Dinner and orientation to follow.
Afternoon: Program Registration 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, other important information, and to confirm when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: Orientation. 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. This program will be led by both the Group Leader and an instructor, who is an expert naturalist and will lead the educational portion of the program. Unless specified otherwise, all transportation will be provided via private motorcoach, requiring the ascending/descending of a few steps when getting on/off. Remember to bring your own water bottle. Ice water will be available in coolers on the bus during travel, from which you may fill your water bottle; disposable cups will not be available. Expect to walk an average of 2 miles per day. The Greater Yellowstone area is considered high desert, very dry. At high altitudes you are more susceptible to dehydration and altitude sickness. Periods in the daily 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 change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Walking about 2 miles total over several moderate walks throughout the day; established trails, asphalt paths, boardwalks and down several hundred stairs at Mammoth Terraces. Getting on/off motor coach; driving approx. 130 miles; about 4 hours.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Enjoy an introductory lecture given by our instructor. During our morning class time our instructor will put Yellowstone into perspective as we hit the road and discuss some of the geologic processes that have shaped Yellowstone's landscape through the ages. We’ll consider tectonic plate movement, the Yellowstone hot spot, and how the Park's unique ecosystem and diverse habitats are a direct result of glaciations, as well as tectonic and volcanic activity. We will check out of our hotel, meet our motorcoach, and transfer to Yellowstone Park via the beautiful Gallatin Canyon.
Lunch: Sack lunches in the park.
Afternoon: After lunch, we will board our motor coach and continue the day's discovery. Our instructor will offer commentary as we travel north through a magnificent landscape. . As we go toward Gardiner breathtaking vistas of seemingly endless countryside roll out. We'll travel to the Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District where we’ll walk the Mammoth Terraces to observe the ever-changing, graceful travertine beauty. About two tons of travertine, a type of limestone, are deposited daily as hot, mineral-laden water wells up from beneath the earth's crust to add to terraces that began building thousands of years ago. If time allows you may want to visit the Albright Visitor Center and Museum and/or Fort Yellowstone independently. Check into hotel upon arriving in Gardiner.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking about 2 miles total on several walks throughout the day; pavement, boardwalks, rocky and uneven terrain; Driving approx. 84 miles total; about 3 hours, with stops.
Breakfast: At a local restaurant.
Morning: We'll board the motorcoach for a field trip to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Lunch: Sack lunches in the park.
Afternoon: Next, we’ll take a field trip to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone for an interpretive walk led by our instructor. Along the way, we’ll learn the Canyon’s geologic story of ice and fire – glaciers and eruptions – which created its beautifully tinted canyon walls. While on the lookout for osprey and waterfowl, we’ll experience the roar of the 109-foot Upper Falls and see the mighty Lower Fall's 309-foot plunge into its Canyon depths. We’ll then board our motorcoach and transfer to the Canyon Visitor Education Center, which reveals more of Yellowstone’s violent geologic past. While here, we will enjoy some time for independent exploration of the numerous unique exhibits, discover the processes by which Yellowstone was formed, and learn about the influence it has had on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Dinner: At a restaurant in Canyon Village.
Evening: We’ll then return to our accommodation and, on our way back, we will have the opportunity to take advantage of the crepuscular hour for some great wildlife viewing opportunities. The remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Activity note: Walking about 2 miles total on several walks throughout the day. Driving approx. 65 miles total; about 2.5 hours with stops.
Breakfast: Local restaurant plated meal.
Morning: We will board the motorcoach and ride to our first stop of the day: the Yellowstone National Park Heritage and Research Center where a docent will lead our exploration. The center houses the Yellowstone Archive, a 5.3 million-item collection that is the only national park collection affiliated with the National Archives. From the National Park Service: “Yellowstone’s collections document the cultural and natural history of the world’s first national park and the conditions of its resources. The historic collections document the park from pre-history through the present. The collections include objects and written records that document the history and science of the park, changes in perception and meaning over time, and the interaction between people and nature. Specimens range from geologic and natural history to Native American and European American cultural materials.”
Lunch: Sack lunches in the park.
Afternoon: Our exploration will continue amongst the park's many thermal areas. Listening to enlightening commentary given by our instructor about the Great Caldera and its underground “plumbing system”. We’ll make various stops throughout the day to see some of Yellowstone National Park’s 10,000 thermal features – hot springs, mudpots and fumaroles – and over 300 geysers. They’re all a reminder of the area’s recent volcanic past, which laid the foundation for the world’s most diverse and intact collection of thermal activity in the world.<
Dinner: Catered by a local restaurant.
Evening: Evening at leisure
Activity note: Walking up to a possible 2 miles total on several walks throughout the day, more dependent on personal preference; boardwalks, paved trails, some hilly areas. Those who would rather not walk may enjoy the Old Faithful Visitor Center. Getting on/off the motor coach; driving approx. 114 miles total; about 4 hours with stops.
Breakfast: From a local restaurant.
Morning: We’ll begin our day’s journey aboard our motorcoach listening to enlightening commentary given by our instructor as we journey down to the heart of Yellowstone - Old Faithful.
Lunch: Sack lunches in the park.
Afternoon: Our next destination will be Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin where the hot water beneath the surface is over 400 degrees F; it cools to around 200 degrees F as it surges from the geysers. Old Faithful's eruption discharges about 8,500 gallons of hot water as it erupts to heights between 100 and 180 feet every 80 minutes or so. We’ll follow our instructor’s lead and commentary as we walk and revel in the spectacle of Old Faithful before walking a portion of Geyser Hill's meandering boardwalk to view more geysers and hot springs including Giantess, Lioness and Grotto.
Dinner: At the Old Faithful cafeteria.
Evening: Travelling back to Gardiner during the evening. Prepare for checkout in the morning.
Activity note: Walking about 1 mile total on several walks throughout the day. Getting on/off the motor coach; driving approx. 130 miles; about 5 hours with stops.
Breakfast: From a local restaurant.
Morning: Setting out from the hotel, we’ll journey into the Lamar Valley, an expansive valley along the Lamar River in Yellowstone’s northern range, which is a wide-open haven for wildlife. Our instructor will offer onboard commentary as we soak in the expanses of open space with possible sightings of bison, elk, waterfowl, coyotes and more. As we drive and during stops along the way, we’ll consider the magnificent ecosystem and how all its aspects intersect to create a tapestry of life not to be found anywhere else in the nation.
Lunch: Sack lunches in the park.
Afternoon: As we continue to travel back through the Lamar Valley to Bozeman, our instructor will continue to offer commentary concerning the wildlife populations, wolf reintroduction, predator and prey dynamics, and more. After a beautiful drive through Paradise Valley and the Bozeman Pass, Check into Springhill Suites upon arrival.
Dinner: At the hotel.
Evening: We’ll gather for a wrap-up presentation in our meeting room for a closing presentation by our instructor on the natural history of Yellowstone and to review what we have learned and seen during our Yellowstone adventure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departures in the morning.
Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!