Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration: 3:00-4:30 p.m. After checking in at the hotel, walk next door to the Museum of Chincoteague Island between 3:00-4:30 p.m. 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.

Dinner: We’ll take a bus to a local waterfront restaurant where we’ll have a plated meal with beverage choices of soft drinks, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: Orientation: In the museum pavilion, 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. To enjoy a “taste of the island” we will dine out at different venues, each known for its local cuisine and friendly service. 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 change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We will end the evening with a presentation by our Group Leader about the famous Chincoteague pony herd, from when they first landed on our shores to their current existence on Assateague. We’ll also learn about the care they receive from the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and the mutual benefit reaped by the town. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Activity note: Getting on/off a bus. Walking up to 1/2 mile; sandy terrain.

Breakfast: At the Best Western, have what you like from the breakfast buffet that offers choices such as eggs, sausage, bacon, Belgian waffles, oatmeal, cereal, fruit, biscuits, bagels, Danish pastries, muffins, toast, milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: We'll hop aboard a bus and set out on a field trip to explore Chincoteague Island. At Beebe Ranch, home of some of Misty's descendants, we'll meet a member of the Beebe family who will tell us what it was like growing up with Misty. We'll then arrive at the pristine Assateague National Seashore, at 37 miles the longest stretch of wild undeveloped beach on the mid-Atlantic coast. Bring a swimsuit and towel as there will be plenty of time to go in the water in the lifeguarded area. As we walk on the sandy shore, look for shells as our Group Leader discusses dune ecology. We’ll then head to Merritt Harbor and board a pontoon boat for an island cruise.

Lunch: Aboard the boat, we’ll have boxed lunches.

Afternoon: On our afternoon cruise, we will observe the NASA rocket launch sites at Wallops Island, look for eagles, ospreys and other waterfowl and aquatic wildlife, and view Assateague Island as it appeared to mariners and pirates of long ago. We will look for wild ponies who roam the areas and marshes surrounding the historic Assateague lighthouse - often a major photo opportunity. We will learn about island aquaculture and see how clams are grown and harvested.

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 explore Chincoteague's picturesque water-side village on your own or relax by the hotel pool.

Activity note: Getting on/off a bus.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Aboard the bus, we will ride to the interior of the Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge and look for wild ponies, petite Sika elk, nesting terrapin, otters, bald eagles, Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel and other wildlife. A local wildlife expert with more than 30 years of experience will be our instructor. We will be going into an area normally closed to the public so be sure to bring your camera for this trip. Also, carry along your binoculars if you have them.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated lunch.

Afternoon: Next, we’ll board the bus and travel to Assateague Island where we’ll visit the Bateman Educational Center in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge to learn about wildlife in this area and local and federal conservation efforts. The National Wildlife Refuge System, the most comprehensive in the world, is a vast network of lands and waters. The Chincoteague Refuge, established in 1943, includes more than 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh, and maritime forest providing habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds, and other species of wildlife and plants.

Dinner: Kids will have pizza at the Museum of Chincoteague, learn about the exhibits, and complete a craft project while the adults take the bus to a local restaurant to have crab cakes with beverage choices of coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: We’ll hop on the bus and ride to the Island Theatre Annex where our Group Leader will tell us all about the Chincoteague wild pony herds, their origins, and how they have survived storms and hurricanes. We will learn more about Misty, the most famous Chincoteague pony, and hear stories about other remarkable ponies.

Activity note: Getting on/off a bus. Working in wet, muddy conditions.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We will board the bus and ride to the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Established in 1945, Wallops is now NASA's principal suborbital research facility. The Visitor Center features exhibits about the history of the facility, aeronautics, rockets, scientific balloons, and current missions. We’ll learn about the amazing science and rocket launches that are conducted on Wallops Island. After exploring the hands-on exhibits with your Group Leader and facility staff, grandkids and grandparents will have an opportunity to make a model rocket together.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated lunch.

Afternoon: Put on old shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting wet and dirty. We’ll take a field trip to Tom's Cove Park where National Park Service rangers will lead us on an exploration of the marsh and cove as we look for clams, oysters, crabs, and other assorted crustaceans. We’ll try our hands at seine fishing or mud mucking — it all depends on the tides and the weather!

Dinner: Kids will have pizza at the Museum of Chincoteague, learn about the exhibits from our Group Leader and museum staff, and complete a craft project while the adults take the bus to a local restaurant and have crab cakes with beverage choices of coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: Kids will be "junior docents" and lead their adults through the Museum, highlighting their favorite exhibits. We’ll then have a scavenger hunt involving everyone.

Activity note: Getting on/off bicycles; riding about 5 miles; paved and unpaved surfaces, back trails, secluded beaches.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We'll go to the bike depot to get fitted for bikes and take them to the Museum. Then we'll get on the bus and head to the Island Theatre to relax and enjoy watching the original movie of Misty of Chincoteague in the theater where it premiered. See Misty's hoof prints in the sidewalk outside the newly restored theater.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated lunch.

Afternoon: We’ll return to the museum to get our bikes and ride out to the refuge for an Assateague Island field trip with local experts. We will be riding about 5 miles over paved and unpaved surfaces. This might include back trails or secluded beaches.

Dinner: We'll walk to the museum pavilion and have a traditional island crab feast with steamed crabs, burgers, corn, watermelon, and water. Island experts will show us how to pick the delicious crab meat.

Evening: In the pavilion, we’ll enjoy a musical performance featuring local musicians. Returning to the hotel, prepare for check-out and departure after our final event tomorrow.

Activity note: Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We'll joined in the pavilion by a “saltwater cowboy” — a member of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company— who will tell us why and how Chincoteague’s wild ponies are rounded up three times a year, and how the fire company ensures that the ponies are protected and cared for. She will answer all our pony questions. 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!