Minnesota
Rafting & Raptors: Northwoods Minnesota With Your Grandchild
Program No. 23100RJ
Experience the great outdoors in Minnesota’s Northwoods. Try a variety of different sports while learning about the wildlife that also plays in this dense, green forest.
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date.
Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
14 meals (
5B, 4L, 5D
)
2 expert-led lectures
5 expert-led field trips
8 hands-on experiences
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Location:
Sandstone, MN
Meals:
D
Stay:
Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center
Activity Note
Center check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
Program Registration. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing an up-to-date schedule that reflects any changes, other important information, and to confirm when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. After arriving and checking into our rooms at Crosby Lodge, we will have a walk of the property. We’ll view buildings and grounds and become acquainted with the facilities, while learning about the history of Osprey Wilds.
Dinner:
Blandin Dining Hall Enjoy scratch-made meals at our Dining Hall with produce and meat from our very own regenerative farm! All lunches and dinners always come with a fabulous salad bar. The coffee is always on, and there are always many options for tea.
Evening:
Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We'll enjoy a campfire and get to know the group a bit better.
Day
2
Raptors, Indoor Rock Climbing, Archery, Live animal program
Location:
Sandstone, MN
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center
Activity Note
This will be an active day of rock climbing on our indoor wall, and using a bow and arrow. Opportunity of swimming before supper.
Breakfast:
Blandin dining hall.
Morning:
This morning, we will explore Osprey Wilds campus in search of raptors and signs of raptors. We will also meet our raptor wildlife animal ambassadors
Lunch:
Blandin dining hall.
Afternoon:
This afternoon will be busy, first with learning archery skills at our archery range. We’ll practice using a compound bow at our targets in a safe environment. Afterward, we will be rock climbing at our indoor wall in the loft of our barn. Our 33-foot high walls offer a number of options from relatively easy to challenging. This will be a good warm-up for our outdoor rock climbing day later in the week. After rock climbing, we’ll cool off before dinner—try the swimming beach at Grindstone Lake.
Dinner:
Blandin dining hall.
Evening:
Tonight's presentation in the barn loft will be about our “Wild Staff” of owls, snakes, frogs, toads, salamanders and a rabbit. During this exciting lecture, we’ll learn all about what makes these animals successful in their habitats, and their amazing features and adaptations.
Day
3
Rock Climbing at Robinson Park, Hiking at Banning St. Park
Location:
Sandstone, MN
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center
Activity Note
Note: Rock climbing on the 100-foot cliffs of the Sandstone Rock Quarry. Hiking up to 3 miles, optional swim in the spring- fed pool.
Breakfast:
Blandin dining hall.
Morning:
Today, we will head to Robinson Park, the Old Sandstone Rock Quarry, or Ely's Peak, both favorite spots for climbers, to outdoor rock climb on the 100 ft. cliffs of the old Sandstone Rock Quarry. Osprey Wilds will coordinate with outfitters for this fun and scenic activity.
Lunch:
Bag lunch
Afternoon:
In the afternoon, we will hike around picturesque Banning State Park, and possibly take a dip in a spring-fed pool near the Wild and Scenic Kettle River.
Dinner:
Blandin dining hall.
Evening:
We will have an evening program that explores the history and tragedy of the Hinckley Fire; a fire that burned more than 250,000 acres in four hours. Some trees at our site survived this devastating fire in 1894.
Day
4
Canoeing, High Ropes Course, Orienteering, Swimming
Location:
Sandstone, MN
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center
Activity Note
This will be an active day of hiking, canoeing, and traversing our outdoor high ropes course.
Breakfast:
Blandin dining hall.
Morning:
This morning, we will learn canoeing skills and techniques on beautiful Grindstone Lake. We will cover bow and stern strokes, how to stay stable, communicate, and effectively move.
Lunch:
Blandin dining hall.
Afternoon:
This afternoon, we'll conquer the high ropes course. There will be climbing, and traversing and ziplining...oh my! We will also learn about the essence of survival and orienteering in our Wild Adventure program. We'll navigate our way through the woods of Osprey Wilds and try our hand at building shelters and fire with no matches.
Dinner:
Blandin dining hall.
Evening:
Tonight, at the wildlife barn, we’ll get the chance to meet more of our live animals as we learn about their amazing animal adaptations.
Day
5
Jay Cooke State Park, whitewater rafting
Location:
Sandstone, MN
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center
Activity Note
Hiking, whitewater rafting
Breakfast:
Blandin dining hall.
Morning:
We will drive to Jay Cooke State Park near Duluth, MN. We will spend some time hiking and exploring the park and the amazing St. Louis River gorge that cuts through the land as the river makes its way to Lake Superior
Lunch:
Bag lunch in Jay Cooke.
Afternoon:
This afternoon, we will embark on a whitewater adventure down the St. Louis River. After the opportunity to dry off and change clothing, we will then make our way back to Osprey Wilds.
Dinner:
Blandin dining hall.
Evening:
We will have a group campfire with s'mores and stories and reflections on the week together. A great way to spend the last evening!
Day
6
Program Concludes
Location:
Sandstone, MN
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Check-out by 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
Blandin dining hall. This concludes our program.
Morning:
We hope you enjoyed Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/ospreywilds and www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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