FAMILY DINOSAUR ADVENTURE ITINERARY:
Day 1 — Grand Junction
Arrive in Grand Junction, Colorado, in time for a welcome
dinner and orientation.
Holiday Inn Grand Junction (D)
Day 2 — Split Rock
Spend the morning hiking the "boneyard" at the Split Rock
dinosaur area. Learn to distinguish bone from rock in this
pre-historic landscape. Enjoy lunch at the Museum of Western
Colorado's Dinosaur Journey Museum, and spend the afternoon
encountering its life-size robotic dinosaurs and exploring
hands-on exhibits. Finally, tour the spectacular red-rock
canyons of the Colorado National Monument. (B, L)
Day 3 — Grand Valley/Unaweep Canyon
Take a horseback or wagon ride to the base of the sandstone
cliffs forming the edge of the 10,000-foot Uncompahgre Plateau.
Visit a dinosaur track site where you will make track rubbings
and learn about dinosaur locomotion. Picnic on the banks of West
Creek in Unaweep Canyon, and afterward enjoy a swim in the
creek's cool, flowing waters. Later, stop at the "bone boulder"
to see perfect molds of bones from another species of dinosaur.
(B, L)
Day 4 — Mygatt-Moore Quarry
Excavate with paleontologists in the Mygatt-Moore Quarry where
eight distinct species of dinosaurs have been discovered. Then
hike the "trail through time," on which we"ll identify large
fragments of dinosaur skeletons embedded in sediments for more
than 145 million years. Tonight, cheer on the wranglers at the
local rodeo. (B, L)
Day 5 — Douglas Pass
In a private paleontology lab, learn how fossils are made ready
for museum curation and display. Then continue to an artist's
studio to watch how casts of fossils are prepared. Depart the
Grand Valley and journey up the 9,000-foot Douglas Pass. Hunt
for plant and insect fossils in a high-alpine forest. (B, L)
Day 6 — Ruby and Horsethief Canyons
Raft the Colorado River as it twists and turns through the
red-rock country of Ruby and Horsethief Canyons. A festive
farewell dinner is served by the river to celebrate our
pre-historic adventure and new friends. (B, L, D)
Day 7 — Grand Junction
Depart for your return flight home.
Note: Portions of this program take place on land managed
by the Bureau of Land Management.
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