Grand Canyon Odyssey: River Journeys and Canyon Vistas

Program Registration: 5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the hotel lobby 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: 5:30 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 applicable COVID-19 guidelines and requirements throughout the program. Field trips will be led by our Group Leader, a seasoned and experienced naturalist, unless specified otherwise. Transportation will be via commercial bus or vans, involving several steps up/down, unless specified otherwise. 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/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At the hotel.

Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

We will check out of the hotel, board our transportation, and head Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) in Flagstaff. A museum docent will lead our exploration of the regional center’s collections, exhibits, and research projects that earned its reputation as the premier museum of the Colorado Plateau’s natural and cultural history. The museum was founded in 1928 to honor the natural and cultural heritage of northern Arizona and the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau. We will have some time to explore independently. Following our visit to MNA begin our transfer to Page, Arizona, via Cameron. Our Group Leaders provide expert commentary throughout the ride. As we ride, our expert naturalist will introduce us to the regional geography and natural history. We’ll stop at Cameron Trading Post on the western edge of the Navajo Reservation. Set on the banks of the Little Colorado River, the Trading Post is a welcome stop.

At Cameron Trading Post, we will have an opportunity to enjoy an authentic “Navajo Taco.” Alcohol is not served on the Navajo reservation.

Upon arrival at the historic 1916 Cameron Trading Post, the Group Leader will give us an overview, followed some time for independent exploration. The Trading Post features a Native American Fine Art Gallery, a beautiful hidden garden, an in-house Navajo rug weaver, and interesting stone architecture. Reboarding the motorcoach, we will continue our ride to Page, Arizona, via the dramatic Vermilion Cliffs, where we’ll gaze at the incredible red rock vistas and features at every turn. Our next stops will be the Carl Hayden Visitor Center and Glen Canyon Dam. We’ll get our geographical bearings around a large regional area map with a natural history association expert who will point out significant features and landmarks. We’ll then have some time for independent exploration of the Visitor Center displays, videos, and views of Glen Canyon Dam at the head of 275-mile-long Lake Powell. Completed in 1963, this engineering marvel was one of the Bureau of Reclamation’s crowning achievements. Controversy has never been far behind its completion because the effects of its operation have been determined to have had adverse effects on the downstream Grand Canyon environment, and on the flooding of the spectacular Glen Canyon upstream. We’ll complete our transfer to Page in the mid-afternoon and check in to our hotel.

At the hotel.

Evening We will be joined by a regional expert for a presentation on a topic related to regional ecology, history, or natural history. Among the topics we may learn about are the California Condor reintroduction project, other wildlife, or the nature and history of the Colorado River.

At the hotel.

After a short drive to the trailhead, our first field trip of the day will be a hike from the trailhead to the Horseshoe Bend Overlook. This 1.5 mile round-trip hike goes up and over a small hill to the edge of a 1,000-foot cliff looking down on a meander of the Colorado River in a section of Glen Canyon that we will float through later. Then we’ll board our vehicle(s) and transfer to begin our Glen Canyon float field trip. Upon arrival to the rafting company headquarters and checking in, we’ll descend via the rafting company’s bus through the tunnel and down to the base of the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. We’ll have a safety orientation after meeting our boatmen, then board our rafts. As we float downstream watching the walls of the Canyon rise above us, we’ll look for fly fishermen casting for rainbow trout. The water is so clear, we may see them swimming!

Aboard the raft, we’ll have sack lunches.

As we continue floating downstream gazing up at the high cliffs, keep watch for golden eagles, California condors – North America's largest flying bird – hawks, and turkey vultures. We’ll stop along the way and take a short walk led by our boatmen to see the amazing petroglyphs, estimated to be approximately 1,000 years old. We may even catch sight of a chuckwalla lizard sunning itself nearby. Before reboarding the rafts for our spectacular trip around Horseshoe Bend, we may wish to jump into the 48 degree water of the Colorado River! After rounding Horseshoe Bend, we’ll wind up at Lee's Ferry where the Grand Canyon officially begins. As we finish up our journey, we may see other boatmen readying their rafts for their exciting trips through the Grand Canyon and its many rapids. We’ll then get off our rafts and board a motorcoach for transfer back to our Page hotel, arriving in the mid-afternoon with some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and our transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

Checking out of the hotel, we’ll board the motorcoach and begin our transfer to Grand Canyon National Park. We’ll retrace our route to Cameron, turn west, and then continue up the Coconino Plateau to the eastern entrance of Grand Canyon National Park. Our first stop will be the Desert View overlook, the location of Mary Jane Colter’s famous Watchtower and some of the best views of the Colorado River. Known for her many works for the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad, Mary Jane Coulter was a female architect in the early 20th century and helped blend Spanish Colonial and Mission Revival architecture with Native American motifs. The Watchtower is an interpretation of a prehistoric “tower kiva’ with lavishly painted interior walls by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie. We will explore the watchtower with our Group Leader who will answer questions.

At Desert View, we will have sack lunches while enjoying our first views of the South Rim.

Next, we will ride west along the East Rim Drive and make stops to see diverse and unforgettable canyon views at Mather Point and the Canyon View Information Plaza (CVIP). Our Group Leader will point the out many interesting and significant features visible including Phantom Ranch, the South Kaibab Trail, and numerous named spires, buttes, and temples. We’ll learn about geology, the history of the Colorado River, and trail history. We’ll then ride on to Yavapai Lodge and check in.

In the lodge dining facility.

At leisure. Those who wish to participate can go to a park location for an engaging elective program led by National Park Service Rangers. Programs will cover a Grand Canyon topic of interest and change nightly. Note: This activity is dependent on national park scheduling and current COVID restrictions. You might like to take the park’s shuttle to a viewpoint for a Grand Canyon sunset or just relax at the lodge.

At the lodge.

We will set out with a local expert on a walking field trip to explore Grand Canyon Village. Our expert will discuss the many characters that help develop the rim facilities and point out famous village landmarks. The historic district is home to the Kolb Brothers Photo Studio and many buildings designed by Fred Harvey designer Mary Jane Colter, including the Bright Angel Lodge, Lookout Studio, and the Hopi House. We’ll stop in front of each building for interpretation and to hear stories before moving on. To the east, we’ll walk to and explore the El Tovar Hotel, one of the great lodges in the National Park system. Constructed for the wealthy elite of the early 20th century, it is a National Historic Landmark and was once considered the most elegant hotel west of the Mississippi. At the conclusion of our rim walk and before going our separate ways, we will have a discussion and distribute handouts on available free time opportunities and activities. The South Rim offers a number of opportunities and sites to visit. Some popular activities include exploring more of Grand Canyon Village, using Hermit’s Rest West shuttle, visiting Yavapai Point, and going on rim walks. The free park shuttle provides access to various points on the South Rim. For those with the interest and stamina, famed Bright Angel Trail offers access all the way from the South Rim to the Colorado River with spectacular views accompanying every step you take.

At a food court near Grand Canyon Village.

Free time. This period of 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. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.

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. There are a number of dining venues to choose from in the park. If you are interested in eating at the El Tovar Lodge for dinner note that this is the one restaurant that requires reservations for dinner. Call 928-638-2631 and ask for El Tovar dining room.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the lodge.

We will load luggage onto the motorcoach, check out of the lodge, and spend the morning at the Grand Canyon South Rim before beginning our transfer to Peach Springs located on Historic Route 66.

Sack Lunch

Setting out from South Rim, we’ll make our way to the Peach Springs, AZ along a historic stretch of the famous Route 66. En route, keep a look out for Burma Shave signs and enjoy wide open views as we ride through a classic site of Route 66 nostalgia – Seligman, Arizona – with its focus on American road touring in the 1950s. Seligman is the town that Radiator Springs in the Pixar movie “Cars” was based on. We expect to arrive at the Hualapai Lodge for check-in mid-afternoon.

At the Hualapai Lodge, Diamond Creek Restaurant.

We’ll gather for a presentation on a subject of local interest such as Arizona ranching history, Native American culture, Hualapai Ethnobotany, Colorado River history, and other issues.

At the Caverns Inn.

We will meet in the lobby of the Hualapai Lodge for our rafting company check in. We’ll then board a Hualapai River Runner bus and ride down the bumpy Diamond Creek Road — the only road to the bottom of the canyon — to the Colorado River. Once at the river beach, our river experts will give us a safety orientation and life vest fitting. We’ll then get onto inflatable, motorized pontoon rafts and head downstream on the mighty Colorado! The “Diamond Down” Colorado River field trip is about 37 miles in length. During the first 16 miles, we will encounter about 10 sections of whitewater rapids. Some of these are large (5, 6 and 7 on a 1 to 10 scale). We will get wet! The air temperature at the bottom of the canyon will likely be around 80°-90°F so the splashing will be a welcome relief and keep everyone cool. Note: The weather can do strange things so in the event of cooler temps, be prepared by having adequate rain gear for warmth. We’ll pull our rafts onto the riverside to see a couple of attractions en route including the beautiful, hidden Travertine Grotto where we’ll have an elective opportunity to climb up on a series of rope ladders on the rocks and splash in the flowing waterfall. This is for the adventurous! All stops are elective depending on comfort and ability. After 16 miles the rapids flatten out, but the scenery remains “grand” in all regards.

On a bank of the Colorado River, we’ll have sack lunches.

Continuing downriver, we’ll reach Quartermaster Landing where we will get off our rafts and climb up several flights of stairs to the landing pad in order to board the helicopter that will fly us out of the canyon on a quick but spectacular ride. Have your cameras ready! The helicopter will drop us off at Quartermaster Point where we will board our transportation and transfer back to the lodge in Peach Springs. On our way we’ll travel through a landscape of Joshua Trees and creosote bush as we cross the beautiful basin and range landscape of the Mohave Desert. Note: Helicopters cannot fly in excessively hot and/or windy conditions for safety reasons. Although this happens very infrequently, it remains a possibility. In that event, the raft trip will be extended downriver to a location where ground transportation can reach the group.

At the Hualapai Lodge, Diamond Creek Restaurant. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

We’ll then gather for a program wrap-up to share some of our favorite memories from our program together with new Road Scholar friends. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departures in the morning.

At the lodge.

After checking out of the hotel, we’ll load our luggage and depart for Flagstaff. The program concludes with drop-offs at the starting hotel, Flagstaff airport, or the Flagstaff Amtrak visitor center if taking Groome Transportation. The program concludes with drop-offs at at the starting hotel, Flagstaff airport, or the Flagstaff Amtrak visitor center if taking Groome Transportation. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Happy Trails!