Sample Itinerary From Summer 2011
| Stop #1 | Ropes & Challenge Course at Camp Namanu The purpose of the first stop of every Xploregon road trip at Camp Namanu is to inspire participants to become an integrated team. Through Problem Solving exercises, Ropes Course challenges, and Games designed to get teens comfortable with one another and themselves in their new living environment, a group of individuals soon becomes a team of friends. |
| Stop #2 | Sea Kayaking & Beach Clean-up at Salmon Estuary, Otis, OR From Namanu, Xploregon will travel to the coast to explore where the Pacific Ocean meets Oregon. Salmon Estuary is a great place for beginning sea kayakers and offers a diverse and rugged coastline. Participants will learn the basics of kayaking and then tour some of the coast’s most beautiful scenery. Afterwards they will help maintain that beauty through a beach clean-up. |
| Stop #3 | Visiting the University of Oregon and volunteering at Cascades Raptor Center, Eugene, OR Located just south of Eugene and tucked inside a hillside park, the Raptor Center focuses on rehabilitation and public education about birds of prey. Participants will work with CRC to ensure the birds’ habitats are cleaned and maintained. Following the service project, participants will tour the University of Oregon to learn more about it. |
| Stop #4 | Volunteering at HomeLife, Inc. in Corvallis, OR Xploregon has worked with HomeLife for three consecutive summers and the youth continue to ask to go back. In this service project, participants will work to restore housing for adults with developmental challenges. Afterwards, participants will get to meet the people they helped by celebrating with an afternoon BBQ with the residents of HomeLife Inc. |
| Stop #5 | Volunteering and Whitewater Rafting in the Mt. Hood National Forest, OR Getting out into the woods, camping, and helping maintain the natural beauty of Mt. Hood National Forest is an excellent way for teens to get in touch with one of America’s great landscapes. Xploregon’s team will help restore and maintain sites and trails so that Oregonians can continue to camp and hike in the beautiful Cascade Mountain Range. Prior to this the group will go whitewater rafting on the North Santiam! |
| Stop #6 | Rock Climbing and Hiking at French’s Dome, Mt. Hood, OR French’s Dome is considered a rock climber’s secret. Not too far from Portland the area offers an assortment of bouldering and single pitch climbs without the summer crowds of Smith Rock. Participants will have the opportunity to try multiple routes while also getting to explore the area through various hikes. |
| Stop #7 | Reflection, Decompression, & Celebration at Camp Namanu After all of their time on the road, it is important to take the time to discuss with participants what they have experienced and learned. To do this, Xploregon will return to Camp Namanu to reflect on all of their experiences and celebrate their accomplishments. |