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Program No.
Ages
Length
days
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Activity Level — Varies
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ROOMING OPTION PRICING
The figures below indicate the rooming options available.
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| DATES | ||||
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Jun 18 - Jun 23, 2023
1,399
749
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Jun 18 - Jun 23, 2023
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1,399 / Adult
749 / Child
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1,399 / Adult
749 / Child
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1,999 / Adult
749 / Child
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Aug 20 - Aug 25, 2023
1,399
749
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Aug 20 - Aug 25, 2023
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1,399 / Adult
749 / Child
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1,399 / Adult
749 / Child
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1,999 / Adult
749 / Child
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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously). Getting on/off a bus.
Afternoon: Program Registration: 3:00-4:30 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, walk next door to the Museum of Chincoteague Island’s pavilion and the Road Scholar table inside 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.
Dinner: Catered in the Museum Pavilion
Evening: Orientation: 7:00 p.m. Back 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. We will review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to applicable requirements and guidelines throughout the program. This is a Road Scholar Grandparent program. Grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren at all times. If/when separate age group activities are conducted concurrently, program staff will supervise. 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. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Getting on/off a bus. Getting on/off a pontoon boat; ride is approximately 2 hours.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: Taking the bus to Curtis Merritt Harbor, we’ll board a pontoon boat to cruise along island waters as we look for ponies, eagles, migrating birds, porpoises, and other marine life. Our boat captain and first mate will explain the marsh and shoreline habitats and regale us with stories of life on the water. We'll pass clam beds, learn about aquaculture, and see the site of the Annual Pony Swim, which we will learn about from various experts throughout our trip.
Lunch: At the Museum.
Afternoon: We will explore the Museum of Chincoteague Island, with its rare First Order Fresnel Lens and see Misty of Chincoteague and her daughter Stormy. Later in the afternoon, we will be joined in the museum pavilion by a local expert, who will share her passion for the local wild ponies. She will discuss all aspects of wild pony life.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: We will gather in the Museum Pavilion, where we will hear from a local expert all about the events that occur during Chincoteague’s Annual Pony Penning Week the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, and explain why the ponies are so valued by the community and visitors to the island.
Activity note: Getting on/off a bus; morning safari: driving 15 miles round trip, about 2 hours riding time; afternoon driving: about 46 miles round trip, about 1.5 hours driving time. Elective swimming and/or beach walking according to personal preference.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board our bus and ride to the Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge on Assateague to look for and learn about wild ponies, petite Sika elk, nesting terrapin, otters, bald eagles, Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel, and other wildlife. A local wildlife expert with years of experience will be our instructor. We will be going into an area closed to public vehicle access, so be sure to bring your camera for this trip since it is a rare treat. After the Safari, we will head to the beach! Children as well as adults will be given the opportunity to swim in the ocean, as long as it is marked safe by the lifeguards. Children must be watched over by their grandparents. If you are not up for swimming, you are more than welcome to search for shells, build sand castles, or relax next to the calming waves.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We will hop aboard our bus and drive to the Delmarva Discovery Center for hands-on activities to learn about both otters and sharks.
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.
Activity note: Getting on/off a bus. Walking under 1 mile on wet sand. Working in wet/muddy conditions.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will put on old shoes and clothes we don’t mind getting wet and take a field trip to Tom's Cove on Assateague, where National Park Service rangers will lead us on an exploration of the cove waters as we look for clams, oysters, crabs, shrimp, and other shoreline critters.
Lunch: Boxed lunch in the Museum Pavilion.
Afternoon: We will return to the hotel and tidy up before heading out by bus to the Island Theater’s Annex on Main Street. Here we will watch “Misty” — the classic movie based on Marguerite Henry’s beloved book “Misty of Chincoteague” that was inspired by real life. The movie premiered here in 1961. Misty left her hoof prints in cement on the sidewalk and Marguerite Henry herself wrote Misty’s name. Be sure to snap a photo of this iconic landmark!
Dinner: Kids will have a dinner party at the Museum of Chincoteague, while adults will take the bus to a local seafood restaurant.
Evening: While at the museum, kids will learn about the exhibits with a scavenger hunt, and participate in group activities, with the help of two Road Scholar assistants. After dinner, grandparents will return to the museum by bus, where grandchildren will have the opportunity to show their grandparents what they learned at the museum.
Activity note: Getting on/off a bus; driving 13 miles roundtrip, under 1 hour riding time. Walking 2 miles total on flat surfaces. Extent of walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board the bus and ride to the NASA Wallops Visitor Center on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Established in 1945, Wallops is now NASA's principal suborbital research facility. Current NASA policies permitting, we will have the opportunity to enjoy a self-led exploration of the visitor center’s featured exhibits about the history of the facility, aeronautics, rockets, scientific balloons, and current missions.
Lunch: Upon our return from Wallops, we will pick up to-go lunches from the museum pavilion and enjoy our meal where we please.
Afternoon: Free time. This time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner: Regrouping at the museum, we will have a traditional island picnic in the pavilion featuring regional favorites with live music. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity note: Walking over to the Museum Pavilion and back to the hotel (the pavilion is across the parking lot from the hotel). Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will gather in the Museum Pavilion, where we will hear from a local expert all about the pirates and treasures associated with the area and the island. We’ll then return to the hotel. 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!