Why have a normal vacation?

Have a TruAdventure.

TruAdventure is a summer excursion like no other - combining a great wilderness experience with wonderful learning and social opportunities. This seven-day program will reinvigorate your passion for the outdoors, your love of learning, and your sense of adventure as you visit breathtaking sites in the rugged parks of Colorado and Utah. Based on a wildly popular travel course designed for Truman undergraduates, TruAdventure has been adapted to meet the needs and interests of the adult traveler interested in a vacation that's just a little off the beaten path. Tour Summary Participants converge on Denver, Colorado for a Saturday night stay and Sunday morning departure by motor coach to Moab, Utah, where they spend two days and three nights visiting the sites surrounding Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. On Wednesday participants arrive in the Cortez, Colorado area where they explore the Anasazi Heritage Center, the Lowry Pueblo Ruins, and the Howenweep National Monument. Thursday the tour continues to the Ute Mountain Tribal Park before transitioning to Salida, Colorado. Friday morning adventurers arrive in Buena Vista, Colorado for a refreshing whitewater rafting adventure on the Arkansas River. The journey concludes in Denver Friday night with time to relax and contemplate a return to our normal, less adventurous lives.

SaTurday, June 9, 2012Time Varies Arrival in Denver6:00 pm Group Orientation for all whose flights permit)*Evening Opt-In Group Dinner or Dinner on Your Own

Sunday , June 10, 20128:00 am – 12:30 pm Depart from Denver Hotel for Grand Junction, CO12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Stop for Lunch in Grand Junction, CO1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Depart Grand Junction for Moab, UT3:00 pm Check-in at Hotel4:00 pm Depart for Hike to Morning Glory Bridge in Negro Bill Canyon 7:30 pm Pick up at Negro Bill Canyon and return to HotelEvening Dinner on your own in Moab, UT

monday, June 11, 20127:30 am – 7:45 am Depart from Hotel to Arches National Park Visitors’ Center 8:15 am – 8:40 am Leave Visitors’ Center for Double Arch 8:40 am – 9:20 am Explore Double Arch Area10:00 am – 1:00 pm Fiery Furnace Tour1:15 pm – 2:00 pm Lunch in Devil’s Garden Picnic Area2:00 pm – 6:00 pm Explore the Devil’s Garden Area6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Return to Moab Hotel Evening Dinner in Moab on Your Own

TueSday, June 12, 20128:30am – 9:15am Departure from Hotel for Canyonlands Islands in the Sky District9:45am – 10:00am Leave Visitors’ Center and Drive to Mesa Arch10:00am – 10:45am Hike Mesa Arch11:00am - 12:30pm Aztec Butte Hike – 2.0 miles1:15pm – 3:15pm Have Lunch and explore Upheaval Dome3:45pm – 5:45pm Murphy’s Point Trail Hike – 3.6 miles5:45pm – 7:00pm Leave Canyonlands National Park and Return to Moab HotelEvening Dinner in Moab on Your Own

WedneSday, June 13, 20128:00am Check Out and Depart Moab10:00am - 12:00pm Explore and tour Anasazi Heritage Center12:00pm – 12:45pm Depart Anasazi Heritage Center for Lowry Pueblo Ruins

Eat Sack lunches in the bus on the way1:00pm – 2:30pm Explore and Tour Lowry Pueblo Ruins3:30pm – 5:00pm Ranger guided Tour of Hovenweep National Monument5:00pm – 6:15pm Check-In at Cortez HotelEvening Dinner on Your Own in Cortez

ThurSday, June 14, 20128:15am Check Out of Hotel and Departure9:00am – 3:30pm Full-day Tour of Ute Mountain Tribal Park3:30pm – 9:00pm Drive to Salida, CO

Stop for Dinner Along the Way

Friday, June 15, 20128:00am Check out of Hotel and Departure9:00am – 1:00pm Whitewater Rafting on the Arkansas River1:00pm – 2:00pm Lunch in Buena Vista, CO2:00pm – 5:30pm Drive to Denver, CO Hotel for Final Drop-offEvening Final Dinner in Denver, CO

SaTurday , June 16, 2012 Time Varies Participants Depart on Their Own.

Itinerary

*We realize some flight itineraries will make a common arrival time challenging. If possible, we’d prefer to have everyone on-site by 6 PM to facilitate a basic orientation to the program. The location for this first meeting will be sent to participants in advance, but will be at or near the hotel.

CanyonlandS naTional Park

Part of the United States national park system, Canyonlands is located near Moab, Utah. The geography of the park is defined by the erosion work of the Colorado and Green rivers which has created breathtaking rock formations. Visiting participants will explore the Islands in the Sky, Mesa Arch, Aztec Butte, Upheaval Dome, and Murphy's Point. Geology enthusiasts will marvel at the range of canyons, mesas, and buttes in the area, while everyone's eyes will be dazzled by the vibrant colors and shifts of light created by the powerful desert landscape.

arCheS naTional Park

Like Canyonlands, Arches National Park never disappoints. Its unique landscape features the effects of wind and water on the sandstone that defines the territory. Delicate and seemingly precarious arch structures, natural bridges, and bizarre rock formations dot the landscape. Participants will explore the Fiery Furnace, the Double Arch, and the Devil's Garden.

aCquired TaSTeS raFTing ComPany

Hiking through the desert can be exciting, but nothing is quite as refreshing as a big splash of water. With the help of the Acquired Tastes Rafting Company, participants will enjoy a white water rafting experience down the Arkansas River. Our four-hour rafting adventure will be sure to leave your heart racing and your body refreshed.

The SitesanaSazi heriTage CenTer and The loWry Pueblo ruinS

Most Americans quickly recognize pictures of Mesa Verde and the cliff dwellings there. These dwellings draw hundreds of visitors a day and, while beautiful, visits can sometimes seem like a rushed experience. The Anasazi Heritage Center, is the start to a no less magnificent, but somewhat less-known, series of fascinating native sites. The Anasazi Heritage Center starts participants' exploration of archeological sites and the history of the pueblo people.

Part of the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, a self-guided tour of the Lowry Pueblo takes participants back to the 11th century and the life of roughly 100 native people who made their home in stone structures. The Pueblo includes the remnants of a Kiva that once housed an elaborate mural that has since been swept away by time and the elements.

hovenWeeP naTional monumenT and The uTe mounTain Tribal Park

This National Monument is home to six separate prehistoric villages built in the Puebloan style. Stone towers of multiple stories stand as a testament to the creativity and engineering skills of these early American communities.

The Ute Mountain Tribal Park exhibits ancient cliff dwellings and is notable for the fact that fragments of ancient life remain untouched within the dwellings - just as one might have found them hundreds of years ago. Its annual number of visitors is also substantially less than that of Mesa Verde, allowing it to hold the distinction of one of the best kept secrets of the southwest. Ute Tribal guide ensure visitors have much more personal access to this historic site.

A flat fee of $1600 covers all listed meals (except meals identified as "on your own"), transportation throughout the program, originating and ending in Denver, with all intermediate stops in Colorado and Utah. All transportation to Denver from the participant's place of residence, and transportation back home after the conclusion of the week's events is solely the responsibility of the participant. All park entry fees and site ticket fees are included Souvenirs, optional excursions, evening recreation, and other non-scheduled event expenses are not included. Early arrivals and late departures from Denver must be booked independently by the participant and are at their own expense. Breakfasts are included in the cost of each hotel stay. Lunches (unless otherwise indicated in the itinerary) are provided to the group. Dinners are "on your own" as you explore each town on our stay.

A limited number of single-occupancy accommodations may be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Single occupancy fees total $2000. Individuals in double-occupancy rooms may request a specific roommate or one will be assigned to them.

Participants registering on or before February 1 will receive a discounted rate of $1500 (double occupancy) or $1800 (single occupancy).

Registration will be available November 1 at http://institute.truman.edu/truadvregister.asp

Fees and Registration