Oregon

Amazing Animal Encounters in Oregon With Your Grandchild

Program No. 17282RJ
Meet an array of animals at a zoo, aquarium and sanctuaries, and get your hands dirty as you dissect owl pellets, track animal prints and more on an animal adventure with your grandkid.

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Protecting the Environment

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At a Glance

On this adventure, you and your grandchild will meet fantastic creatures, from engaging owls to lovable llamas! Get up close with some of these animals during live demonstrations at marine centers and sanctuaries. Learn about marine critters during a marine lab activity, and meet a working animal that assists police in their daily jobs. Go on an adventurous sea-life cruise to learn about local creatures such as crabs, sea lions, eagles and more.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Short but frequent daily walks; terrain varies from pavement to dirt roads.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Get outside and learn about local animals in Oregon during an animal tracking lesson.
  • At the Hatfield Marine Science Center, meet the resident octopus, and get hands-on with snails, barnacles and crabs.
  • On a sea-life cruise with local experts, learn about crabs, sea-lions, whales and marine birds.

General Notes

Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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Terry Clifford
A native Oregonian, Terry is a veteran elementary school teacher. She enjoys learning through travel and nature, whether on a local outing, road tripping through the Pacific Northwest or visiting family in Australia. Terry has coauthored a textbook on local history. She has explored the ruts and swales of the Oregon Trail, helped with archaeological digs at Ft. Vancouver and studied the Lewis and Clark trail while cruising the Columbia and Snake Rivers. She looks forward to sharing her next Road Scholar adventure with you!

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Terry Clifford
Terry Clifford View biography
A native Oregonian, Terry is a veteran elementary school teacher. She enjoys learning through travel and nature, whether on a local outing, road tripping through the Pacific Northwest or visiting family in Australia. Terry has coauthored a textbook on local history. She has explored the ruts and swales of the Oregon Trail, helped with archaeological digs at Ft. Vancouver and studied the Lewis and Clark trail while cruising the Columbia and Snake Rivers. She looks forward to sharing her next Road Scholar adventure with you!
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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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6 days
5 nights
13 meals
5 B 4 L 4 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner, Raptors
Portland, Oregon
D
DoubleTree by Hilton Portland

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your name tag (sent previously).

Afternoon: Program Registration: 4:30 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:00 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. We will review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and requirements throughout the program. This is a Road Scholar Grandparent program. Grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren. If/when separate age group activities are conducted concurrently, program staff will supervise. Minors are never to be left unsupervised. 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.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: Following dinner, we will will be joined by a local expert for an educational presentation on raptors. We will learn about the various species of raptors and the role they play in the local environment. We will even have the chance to see one of these amazing birds up-close.

DAY
2
Local Farm, Nature Walk, Oregon Zoo
Portland, Oregon
B,L,D
DoubleTree by Hilton Portland

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 50 miles throughout the day, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; unpaved, uneven surfaces, variable terrain, trails that may be wet/muddy; paved paths, stairs, uneven terrain at zoo. Wear comfortable outdoor clothing, closed-toe shoes are required for the farm visit.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will hop aboard a motorcoach and ride to a local farm where we’ll learn about the importance of animals in Oregon. We’ll also interact with some of the animals that call the farm home before returning to the hotel.

Lunch: At the farm, we will have boxed lunches.

Afternoon: Back aboard the motorcoach, we will ride to the Oregon Zoo for a self-directed field trip and independent animal encounters. The 64-acre zoo lies amid the traditional homeland of the region’s fishing and gathering tribes who protected and provided stewardship for these resources over thousands of years. The collection of 2,585 individual animals includes representatives of 215 species or subspecies of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates including 15 endangered species.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: Returning to the hotel, prepare for our 2-day field trip to the coast and transfer in the morning.

DAY
3
Animal Tracking, Sea Life Cruise
Newport, OR
B,L,D
Elizabeth Oceanfront Suites

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 170 miles, approximately 4 hours riding time with stops. Walking up to 1 mile throughout the day, standing for extended periods; limited seating; unpaved and uneven surfaces. Wear comfortable clothing for the outdoors and closed-toe shoes; getting on/off a boat.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will check out of the hotel, board our motorcoach and ride to a local park, where a naturalist will lead an interactive, hands-on, animal tracking workshop. We’ll learn how to use claw marks, toes, heel pads, and webbing to identify animals in the wild. We’ll then apply our newly acquired skills of animal tracking on a nature walk. We’ll gain insights into mammal and bird behavior in the wild and see how many animal prints we can identify.

Lunch: At the local park, we will have boxed lunches.

Afternoon: Next, we will reboard our motorcoach and begin the ride to Newport, Oregon. After arriving in Newport, we will travel to a local dock where we will board the "Discovery," for an adventurous sea life cruise. We will be joined by local experts who will introduce us to a variety of local creatures such as crabs, sea lions, eagles and marine birds.

Dinner: At a popular restaurant in Newport.

Evening: We will check in to our hotel in Newport where we will spend two nights. The remainder of the evening is at leisure.

DAY
4
Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon Coast Aquarium
Newport, OR
B,L
Elizabeth Oceanfront Suites

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 5 miles, approximately 1/2 hour. Walking and standing at Marine Science Center and Aquarium, possibly getting wet; unpaved, uneven surfaces.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board our motorcoach and ride to the Hatfield Marine Science Center for a field trip to explore the rocky intertidal habitat, see some of the creatures that live there, and learn about environmental forces that make this ever-changing habitat a challenging place. We’ll have an opportunity to handle and observe critters that may be there such as snails, sea urchins, barnacles, crabs, and sea anemones. We’ll also learn about each animal’s habitat, anatomy, diet, and more from a marine science educator. From the Marine Science Center, we’ll ride to the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Lunch: At the aquarium, we’ll have boxed lunches.

Afternoon: We will have time for independent exploration at the Oregon Coast Aquarium to learn more about marine life on the Oregon Coast. Returning to the hotel in Newport, the remainder of the afternoon is free.

Dinner: 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.

Evening: At leisure. You might like to take a swim in the pool, walk down to the tide pools, watch the sunset, or gather around a bonfire on the beach. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

DAY
5
Small Animal Presentation, Therapy Animals, Portland
Portland, Oregon
B,L,D
DoubleTree by Hilton Portland

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 155 miles, approximately 3.5 hours riding time plus stops. Walking about 1 mile; unpaved, uneven surfaces.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: After checking out of our hotel in Newport, we will board our motorcoach and begin our journey back to Portland. On the way, we will stop at a local community center.

Lunch: At the community center, we’ll have boxed lunches.

Afternoon: We will be joined at the community center by a local expert who will introduce some special creatures and help us get acquainted with incredible mammals and reptiles as we learn about their lives, diet, and habits. We will then ride to a center for therapy animals and learn from the staff about the roles they play in our lives. Returning to Portland, we will check back in to our Portland hotel with some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: We will meet a therapy llama and/or alpaca. Their “llama mama” trainer will tell us how they became certified therapy animals and how this animal therapy team uses their special bond to make a difference in the community. We’ll have lots of opportunity for contact with these furry friends. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
6
Program Concludes
Portland, Oregon
B

Activity note: Hotel check-out 12:00 Noon.

Breakfast: At the hotel. This concludes our program.

Morning: 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!






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