ROAD SCHOLAR
Adventures in Lifelong Learning

Upcoming Road Scholar Programs

 

Birding Boston's North Shore

Spring on the North Shore of Massachusetts is a birder's delight - find out why this charming area has several habitats dubbed "Important Bird Areas" by the Mass Audubon. Enjoy scenic coastal vistas, walk trails through mixed deciduous and evergreen woodlands, and scan for shorebirds in salt marsh mudflats. Learn how to differentiate the numerous warbler species previously spotted, including the Nashville, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Cape May, Bay-Breasted, and others. (Newburyport, MA)

Dates: May 1 - 5, 2012
Price: $827 | Registration Information

 

Walks Along Boston's North Shore: Nature and Colonial History

Discover the natural beauty and historic charm of quaint New England towns -- including Gloucester, Ipswich, Newburyport, Salem -- and the Atlantic Coast. Take daily walks through the most beautiful areas of Boston’s North Shore region with historians and naturalists. Stroll through historic 17th- and 18th-century colonial villages and enjoy nature walks with an experienced ecologist. Explore spectacular rocky shorelines, sandy dune trails, salt marsh and river landscapes, an ancient quarry, and hilly trails overlooking the ocean. Walk paths trod by Native Americans 10,000 years ago, by the first white settlers, and America’s earliest Impressionist artists who were inspired by the timeless beauty of the coast. (Gloucester, MA)

Dates: May 20 - 25, 2012 / Oct 7 - 12, 2012
Price: $989 | Registration Information

 

Cycling Along Massachusetts' North Shore

Based in historic Ipswich, this program offers beautiful challenging cycling along the rocky shores, estuaries, old stone-walled roads and deep woods of the North Shore region of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. The rides are up to 45 miles, with shorter loops and van support available. Explore the Parker River Wildlife Sanctuary, the Essex County Greenbelt, Plum Island, The Ipswich River Sanctuary and Trustees of Reservations lands. The rural setting provides for exceptional river and ocean views. Evening lectures by a naturalist and consultant for the NOVA Science series will recap that day's adventures. A great get-away for cyclists. (Ipswich, MA)

Dates: Jun 17 - 22, 2012 / Sep 23 - 28, 2012
Price: $999 | Registration Information

 

Maritime in New England

Come to Cape Ann, the "Whale Watching Capital of the World" and enjoy a different boating experience each day! Sail on a 90-foot schooner, cruise down the Essex River and view six lighthouses of Cape Ann along the granite coastline. Look for Humpback, Finback and Right whales, dolphins and schools of cod on a whale watch. Learn about this beautiful Atlantic setting with ecologists, naturalists, historians, lobstermen, fishermen and ship builders. This historic and picturesque coast north of Boston is known as America's Oldest Seaport, established in 1623, and has brought artists, fishermen and beach goers to the area for hundreds of years. Enjoy New England's wonderful summer weather on land and sea! (Gloucester, MA)

Dates: Jul 8 - 13, 2012 / Jul 29 - Aug 3, 2012 / Aug 12 - 17, 2012
Price: $1,019 | Registration Information

 

New England Seafood: Cook It! Eat It!

Study New England's most flavorful industry as you learn how the bounty of the cold Atlantic makes it from the sea to the dinner table. Local professionals show how fish are processed and prepared, and you participate in every step of the process. Go clamming in Ipswich to get your feet wet before learning to prepare this delicious shellfish. Ipswich’s clams are said to be the sweetest in the entire world! Gourmet cooking classes teach the secrets of expert seafood preparation and allow you to savor the results. Hear from real fishermen about the conditions they endure to bring their catch to shore, and, most importantly, enjoy the best of New England's freshly caught local seafood! (Ipswich, MA)

Dates: Jul 8 - 13, 2012 / Sep 2 - 7, 2012
Price: $1,039 | Registration Information

 

Historic Salem and the Peabody Essex Museum

Discover the remarkable historical, architectural, and cultural heritage of one of America's oldest communities. Through lively illustrated lectures, walking tours and visits to historic sites, relive the excitement of Salem's lucrative maritime trade and its infamous witch trials, and enjoy the grace and beauty of its magnificent mansions. Learn about the 1692 Witch Trials and today's theories of how this blight on American history was allowed to occur. Follow the footsteps of Nathaniel Hawthorne on a Salem Literary Trail. Visit the world renowned Peabody Essex Museum to see Yin Yu Tang, an authentic 17th century Chinese house, reassembled inside the museum, and enjoy the museum's outstanding collection of art and antiques. (Salem, MA)

Dates: Jul 15 - 20, 2012 / Sep 9 - 14, 2012
Price: $945 | Registration Information

 

Newburyport Discovery: Bike! Hike! Kayak!

Be enchanted by the history, ecology and beauty of Newburyport while increasing your physical fitness through professionally led biking, hiking and kayaking excursions. Daily bike rides to sites in Newburyport expose you to some of the finest Federal, Georgian and Victorian architecture in New England, as well as to first and second period pre-revolutionary homes in neighboring Newbury. Go birdwatching on the world-class natural history destination of Plum Island, known for its diversity of habitats and species as one of the Northeast's best areas for birders. Explore the freshwater marsh trail and dunes trail of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and learn about the ecology of tidal creeks and salt marshes with an expert naturalist. (Newburyport, MA)

Dates: Jul 22 - 27, 2012 / Aug 19 - 24, 2012
Price: $995 | Registration Information