Jul 13 - Jul 18, 2025
2,699
1,699
California
Explore the Channel Islands With Your Grandchild
Program No. 22313RJ
Explore Channel Islands National Park, learn watersport techniques, experience marine life up close with an expert and snorkel in the kelp forest.
Enroll with Confidence
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
800-454-5768
Age 9 - 12
ROOMING OPTION PRICING
The figures below indicate the rooming options available.
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| DATES | ||||
Jul 13 - Jul 18, 2025
| 2,699 / Adult
1,699 / Child
| 2,699 / Adult
1,699 / Child
| 3,649 / Adult
1,699 / Child
| |
Full Inventory Jul 20 - Jul 25, 20252,699 1,699 | ||||
Jul 20 - Jul 25, 2025
| 2,699 / Adult
1,699 / Child
| 2,699 / Adult
1,699 / Child
| 3,649 / Adult
1,699 / Child
| |
Aug 3 - Aug 8, 2025
2,699 1,699 | ||||
Aug 3 - Aug 8, 2025
| 2,699 / Adult
1,699 / Child
| 2,699 / Adult
1,699 / Child
| 3,649 / Adult
1,699 / Child
| |
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6 days
5 nights
11 meals
5B 3L 3D
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Ventura, California
2
Carpinteria State Beach and Salt Marsh Nature Park
Ventura, California
3
Channel Island National Park Visitor Center
Ventura, California
4
Island Orientation, Snorkeling Class, Beach Play
Ventura, California
5
Santa Cruz Island, Nature Hike
Ventura, California
6
Program Concludes
Ventura, California
At a Glance
On this adventure with your grandchild, explore the waters around the Channel Islands and learn about the Chumash that live in Southern California. Go snorkeling in a protected cove with a kelp forest and see pelicans, whales, dolphins and marine life in the wild! Experience the restored coastline of Santa Cruz Island and get an idea of what Southern California was like centuries ago.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Stand for extended periods, hike up to 1 mile on uneven terrain, wear a wet suit, snorkel in open waters.
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.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Explore California habitats with a walk in the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park and learn about the plants and animals that call this ecosystem home.
- Travel by boat to Santa Cruz Island, within Channel Islands National Park, submerge yourself in the protected waters while you swim in a kelp forest.
- Learn watersport techniques as you experience the thrill of ocean waves and learn how to snorkel.
General Notes
Program is for grandchildren ages 9-12. Wet suits and snorkel gear provided; personal wet suits or snorkel gear welcome.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Margery Spielman
Margery Spielman is an accomplished environmental artist, lecturer, naturalist and professional diver. As a scuba instructor and stunt diver, she worked underwater on numerous television productions and for many years, worked on freelance assignments for The Cousteau Society, doing research, logistics, diving, speaking and illustrating. Described as a visionary realist, she’s exhibited her artwork in major Marine Art Expos from Hawaii to Paris. For over 25 years, Margery’s been the leading Naturalist in Road Scholar’s Channel Islands programs.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Margery Spielman
View biography
Margery Spielman is an accomplished environmental artist, lecturer, naturalist and professional diver. As a scuba instructor and stunt diver, she worked underwater on numerous television productions and for many years, worked on freelance assignments for The Cousteau Society, doing research, logistics, diving, speaking and illustrating. Described as a visionary realist, she’s exhibited her artwork in major Marine Art Expos from Hawaii to Paris. For over 25 years, Margery’s been the leading Naturalist in Road Scholar’s Channel Islands programs.
Julie Tumamait-Stenslie
View biography
Julie Tumamait-Stenslie traces her Chumash ancestry through her father, a leader or “paha” among the Chumash. She proudly carries on the traditions of her ancestors as she educates about Chumash culture, history and song. Julie has worked with the Park Service and Hunter College in genealogical research, cataloging materials from area Mission archives. She was selected by the governor of California to sit on the North American Heritage Commission, which helps tribes to protect sacred native sites.
Alicia Stratton
View biography
Alicia Stratton grew up as an Air Force “brat,” living in Japan, Texas, and West Virginia, then settling in Ventura. She is a licensed boat captain and certified SCUBA diver, and holds a teaching credential. She worked for The Nature Conservancy, Island Packers as a naturalist/boat captain, and was the research and education coordinator for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Alicia served on the committee that established marine reserves around the Channel Islands. She has a bachelor's degree in environmental biology.
Susan Morris
View biography
Susan Morris has been conducting historical research involving the Channel Islands since 1987. With a bachelor’s in journalism and a certificate in archaeology, she has participated in field studies on seven of the eight Channel Islands. She was the principal investigator of a cave-associated archaeology survey on Santa Rosa Island. Passionate about solving historical mysteries, her focus of the past eight years has been historical research for the Island of the Blue Dolphins website, hosted by Channel Islands National Park.
Dawn Brooks
View biography
Dawn Brooks has three decades of experience leading group travel wilderness adventures. In 2002, Dawn joined the Channel Islands Naturalist Corps, volunteering on local whale watching boats to educate the public about marine wildlife. Dawn is an experienced kayak expert on Anacapa Island and Santa Cruz Island. She leads multi-day group camping trips on Santa Cruz Island and sails to remote anchorages on all five islands of the Channel Islands National Park.
Suggested Reading List
(15 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Explore the Channel Islands With Your Grandchild
Program Number: 22313
Zia
In this sequel to the beloved Newbery Medal-winning classic Island of the Blue Dolphins, readers can learn what happened to Karana after she left the island.
The Secrets of Kelp Forests: Life's Ebb and Flow in the Sea's Richest Habitat
The Secrets of Kelp Forests, from the Jean-Michel Cousteau Presents series, brings this amazingly rich wilderness to life.
Images of America: The California Channel Islands
This Images of America installment introduces all eight of the Channel Islands, located off the coast of Southern California. Features archival photographs.
Channel Islands National Park
The five remarkable islands of Channel Islands National Park preserve a part of California many visitors thought had long vanished. This isolated maritime sanctuary of natural and human history is a short boat ride from the urban areas of Southern California. The environment provides a serene habitat for many species of birds, marine mammals, wildlife, and plants - plus archeological sites that mark nearly 13,000 years of human presence.
The Life and Adventures of George Nidever
The Life Story Of A Remarkable California Pioneer Told In His Own Words, And None Wasted.
Coyote Rescues Hawk
A Chumash Story & History of the Tomol-an Ocean Plank Canoe
Ocean: A Visual Encyclopedia
Full of fun facts, beautiful photos and colorful graphics, this encyclopedic introduction covers everything from sea creatures and birds to the Great Barrier Reef, from the Arctic to the Caribbean. Perfect for curious children ages 8 through 12.
Island of the Blue Dolphins: The Complete Reader's Edition
This special edition includes two excised chapters, published here for the first time, as well as a critical introduction and essays that offer new background on the archaeological, legal, and colonial histories of Native peoples in California
Island of the Blue Dolphins
The gripping story of a courageous American Indian girl left abandoned by her tribe on an island off the California coast. Recommended for children ages 12 and up. Karana's struggle to survive is riveting.
Justinian Caire and Santa Cruz Island: The Rise and Fall of a California Dynasty
This history of one of California’s Channel Islands covers everything from the island’s original Chumash population to its acquisition by the Nature Conservancy. Special attention is paid to the 50 years when the island was owned by Justinian Caire and family. The author, a descendant of the Caire family, uses family archives to flesh out his tale.
Field Guide to Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
This outstanding new field guide to whales, dolphins and porpoises is the most comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date guide to these popular mammals.
Santa Cruz Island: A History of Conflict and Diversity
In this thorough history of the largest Channel Island, Gherini introduces the Chumash Indians who lived on the island in pre-Columbian times and details early European explorers and the Spanish-Mexican period, when the island became a haven for smugglers.
Islands Apart: A Year on the Edge of Civilization
McAlpine travels solo through Channel Islands National Park in California for week-long stretches while returning to the mainland intermittently. He mixes both experiences in this meditation on contemporary American life.
Channel Islands National Park
A National Geographic Trails Illustrated map of the Channel Islands at a scale of 1:50,000. Waterproof, durable and tear-resistant, it is the perfect map to take along to the islands.
Diary of a Sea Captain's Wife: Tales of Santa Cruz Island
Margaret Eaton and her husband Ira were well known to Santa Barbarans in the early part of this century as operators of the Pelican Bay Camp on Santa Cruz Island. Beginning humbly with small-scale commercial fishing, seal hunting and passenger charters, the Eatons gradually developed a unique resort that came to be popular among writers, film companies and people from all over the country. Working from her diary and her memories, Mrs. Eaton wrote this extraordinary story of her life over a period of many years.
Program No.
22313
Duration
6 days
Program Begins
Ventura, California
Program Concludes
Ventura, California
Group Type
Small Group
Activity Level
At a Glance
On this adventure with your grandchild, explore the waters around the Channel Islands and learn about the Chumash that live in Southern California. Go snorkeling in a protected cove with a kelp forest and see pelicans, whales, dolphins and marine life in the wild! Experience the restored coastline of Santa Cruz Island and get an idea of what Southern California was like centuries ago.
Best of all, you'll...
- Explore California habitats with a walk in the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park and learn about the plants and animals that call this ecosystem home.
- Travel by boat to Santa Cruz Island, within Channel Islands National Park, submerge yourself in the protected waters while you swim in a kelp forest.
- Learn watersport techniques as you experience the thrill of ocean waves and learn how to snorkel.
General Notes
Program is for grandchildren ages 9-12. Wet suits and snorkel gear provided; personal wet suits or snorkel gear welcome.
Featured Expert
Margery Spielman
Margery Spielman is an accomplished environmental artist, lecturer, naturalist and professional diver. As a scuba instructor and stunt diver, she worked underwater on numerous television productions and for many years, worked on freelance assignments for The Cousteau Society, doing research, logistics, diving, speaking and illustrating. Described as a visionary realist, she’s exhibited her artwork in major Marine Art Expos from Hawaii to Paris. For over 25 years, Margery’s been the leading Naturalist in Road Scholar’s Channel Islands programs.
Please Note:
This expert may not be available for every date of the program
Julie Tumamait-Stenslie
Julie Tumamait-Stenslie traces her Chumash ancestry through her father, a leader or “paha” among the Chumash. She proudly carries on the traditions of her ancestors as she educates about Chumash culture, history and song. Julie has worked with the Park Service and Hunter College in genealogical research, cataloging materials from area Mission archives. She was selected by the governor of California to sit on the North American Heritage Commission, which helps tribes to protect sacred native sites.
Alicia Stratton
Alicia Stratton grew up as an Air Force “brat,” living in Japan, Texas, and West Virginia, then settling in Ventura. She is a licensed boat captain and certified SCUBA diver, and holds a teaching credential. She worked for The Nature Conservancy, Island Packers as a naturalist/boat captain, and was the research and education coordinator for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Alicia served on the committee that established marine reserves around the Channel Islands. She has a bachelor's degree in environmental biology.
Susan Morris
Susan Morris has been conducting historical research involving the Channel Islands since 1987. With a bachelor’s in journalism and a certificate in archaeology, she has participated in field studies on seven of the eight Channel Islands. She was the principal investigator of a cave-associated archaeology survey on Santa Rosa Island. Passionate about solving historical mysteries, her focus of the past eight years has been historical research for the Island of the Blue Dolphins website, hosted by Channel Islands National Park.
Dawn Brooks
Dawn Brooks has three decades of experience leading group travel wilderness adventures. In 2002, Dawn joined the Channel Islands Naturalist Corps, volunteering on local whale watching boats to educate the public about marine wildlife. Dawn is an experienced kayak expert on Anacapa Island and Santa Cruz Island. She leads multi-day group camping trips on Santa Cruz Island and sails to remote anchorages on all five islands of the Channel Islands National Park.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Stand for extended periods, hike up to 1 mile on uneven terrain, wear a wet suit, snorkel in open waters.
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.
Suggested Reading List
View Full List: 15 Books
You can also find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
We can help. Give us a call, and we can answer all of your questions!
Call
800-454-5768
