Amazing Animal Encounters in Oregon With Your Grandchild

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. 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.

At the hotel.

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.

At the hotel.

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.

At the farm, we will have boxed lunches.

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.

We'll enjoy a pizza party at the hotel.

Prepare for our 2-day field trip to the coast and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

We will check out of the hotel, board our motorcoach, and begin the ride to Newport, Oregon. On our way, we will stop at Chintimini Wildlife Center in Corvallis and a local park. The wildlife center cares for more than 1,000 injured and orphaned wildlife each year, from baby skunks to bald eagles. Their goal is to return these animals to their natural habitat. The center also conducts education programs to promote connections between people and wildlife. With expert Chintimini staff, we’ll engage in hands-on activities and learn about the fantastic diversity of creatures that live in this region.

At the Wildlife Center, we will have boxed lunches.

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.

At a popular restaurant in Newport.

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

At the hotel.

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.

At the aquarium, we’ll have boxed lunches.

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.

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.

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.

At the hotel.

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 where we will meet with an Oregon State Police officer to learn about K-9 working dogs.

We’ll enjoy boxed lunches outside at the Oregon Garden.

On our way back to Portland we will stop for a field trip at the Oregon Garden, an 80-acre botanical garden highlighting the diverse ecological beauty of the PNW. We will experience a hands-on, experiential workshop about Oregon's forests and wildlife. We will explore animal tracking and signs of animals in the ecosystem through their Natural Resource Education Program. After an afternoon exploring the woods we will depart for the drive back to Portland. We will check into the hotel and then enjoy some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

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

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.

At 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!