Good Works and the Grand Canyon - Itinerary

Day 1 Tuesday
Arrive at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) between 11am and 4pm to meet with your group and your guides. Settle in to the hotel and go out for dinner with the group followed by orientation and a group discussion. Travel days are long, so get some rest for a big two weeks ahead! 

Day 2 Wednesday
Don’t waste any time – we begin our community service work today!  Partner with an urban garden and learn the basics about sustainable food production and urban land use. Spend the morning working before it gets too hot, and the afternoon will be spent cooling down at some fun local attractions. Dinner is out – fry bread and Native specialties, and then get out and play with the group when it’s nice and cool in Phoenix, after the sun sets!

Day 3 Thursday
Pick back up where we left off Wednesday, doing community service and learning more about this fun desert town. Then head up towards Arcosanti, an experimental urban desert community where you will learn about some of the ways people are using the desert to their advantage! Out here in the desert many plants and animals thrive and there are some special ways these creatures have adapted way before humans set foot in North America. See what’s possible in this type of community and learn how their food grows in such a harsh, dry environment. Spend the evening stargazing and cooling off under the big Arizona sky.

Day 4 Friday
Wake up early to do farming service in the community gardens, eat lunch (grown in-house!) and head out for your next adventure: Flagstaff! This funky town is known for its international vibe since people come from all over the world and use “Flag” as a jump-off for their Canyon exploration. Flagstaff is a nature lover’s paradise, surrounded by great hiking, city parks, and close-by adventures. Have dinner at one of the town’s many international restaurants and catch a movie under the stars.

Day 5 Saturday                 
Start your service today at a soup kitchen, prepping food for the weekend and using donated goods to create a nourishing, hearty meal for those who visit every day. Hone your cooking skills while chatting with other volunteers and learning where the food comes from, who eats there, and the other ways the soup kitchen acts as a community center for people living in the area. As a town known for its tourism, many people forget about the thousands of people who work in the hotels, restaurants, and supporting services who may not be able to support themselves or their families – a strange dichotomy. Have dinner with Flag residents and take the night off to play Frisbee and soccer in the park before the sun sets. Cool off in a coffee shop, catching some live music, and head to bed.

Day 6 Sunday
Another day of service, this time in the afternoon! The morning will be spent exploring this funky town, shopping in stores along the historic Route 66 and getting to know why so many people live here year-round. Serve food in the evening and watch a documentary at night with your group back at the hostel.

Day 7 Monday
Monday through Thursday will be spent at a community center, helping teach kids to read and learn about healthy eating habits. Hikes in the afternoon followed by a dinner cook-off and an evening at the observatory!   

Day 8 Tuesday
Morning service, then explore some caves and waterfalls with your team. Play a round of Frisbee golf into the evening and

Day 9 Wednesday
Afternoon service today, taking a morning trip to some Native American ruins just south of the city. Live music at night and Thai food, yum!

Day 10 Thursday
Service all morning, and a day trip to Sedona for some shopping and beautiful views!

Day 11 Friday
Grand Canyon Day!  Wake up early for the ride up to the Canyon, and jump on bikes for a gorgeous view of the famous South Rim. Check out the tiny Colorado River below, the water that carved this huge crater millions of years ago. The ride isn’t long, about 6 miles so you’ll have plenty of time for lunch and photos with your friends. When the bikes are back, take a little walk around the edge and imagine what it would have been like to stumble upon this ledge thousands of years ago, what a breathtaking sight!

Day 12 Saturday
Last morning Flagstaff, head back towards Southern Arizona for new service projects – spending time with people who are reclaiming their food culture one meal at a time! Check out some restaurants that are created to fight the diabetes epidemic that is becoming more prevalent in the US, and learn what it takes to reverse it. Get to know Southern Arizona, see how it differs from bustling Flagstaff and Phoenix – it’s much slower down here! Spend the night at a local community center, falling asleep to stories of the Wild West.

Day 13 Sunday
Take a morning of community service in the depressed garden beds of the desert, see what grows here, and taste the yummy food of the REAL American West – cholla buds, cactus, berries… the desert has so much to offer if you look hard enough! Say goodbye to the friends you made in the South and make your way back up to Phoenix for your last day in beautiful Arizona.

Day 14 Monday
One last morning of volunteering, an afternoon in Scottsdale’s beautiful parks, and an evening out with your friends – notice how different this place is from your own home and what part of Arizona you can take home with you…

Day 15 Tuesday
Spend the morning with the friends that you’ve made in the neighborhood where you’re staying and enjoy one last Arizona breakfast before you return home and share your experiences and photos with your friends and family, remembering the adventures and the beautiful Grand Canyon.

An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

Pack the following items in your carry-on luggage:

• Airline Tickets
• Identification (license, passport)
• Health Insurance Card
• Wallet with about $100 (Emergency Cash)
• Sunglasses, Hat
• Toothpaste, Toothbrush
• Journal and Pen
• Snacks
• Camera (and extra memory cards if needed)
• Carry-on bag should serve also as a daypack – small backpack or purse works best

 

Pack the following items in your checked luggage:

• Refillable, durable water bottle (VERY IMPORTANT!)
• Pillow
• Light sleeping bag
• Lightweight long pants or jeans that can get dirty (2 pairs)
• Underwear and Socks (8 pairs each)
• T-shirts or tank tops (5 per week)
• Two long-sleeve shirts or sweatshirts
• One nice outfit for city excursions
• Lightweight rain jacket
• Shorts (2 pairs)
• Tennis shoes (one pair)
• Shoes for service projects (any hard-soled shoes, work boots, old sneakers that can get dirty)
• Sandals or flip-flops (one pair)
• Toiletries (soap/bodywash, shampoo, contact lenses, deodorant, razors, etc)
• Personal first-aid items (students may want to bring ibuprofen, Band-Aids, ets)
• Sunscreen, insect repellant, lip balm with SPF, aloe vera gel (in a zip-lock  bag)
• Towel
• Laundry bag or pillowcase
• Medications (all meds must be checked in with staff upon arrival and recorded in Medical Hot Sheet)

Musical instruments are always appreciated if they can be easily carried. They can be left at the Base House during the day while students are on projects. (Rustic Pathways is not responsible for instruments lost or damaged while on program.)

 

1 – How well will the students be supervised?
Students will be in a mix of locations with the group, and will stay with the group the entire time. There are times they will be in urban areas for shopping or educational excursions or rural areas during service and activities, when they will be allowed into stores or markets by themselves, or will be part of a smaller group for service reasons. The students will be completely supervised during the program by our Rustic Pathways staff.

2 - What costs are not included on this trip? 
Snacks, souvenirs, and other shopping excursions are not included, but all meals will be offered.

3 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
They will be taking meals at a variety of places.  Breakfast is usually cereal or bagels, and students will pack their own sandwiches for lunch in the mornings.  Dinner will consist of local specialties and American favorites.  Groups occasionally go out to restaurants to experience local cuisine, which is covered in the trip cost.  Meals overall are high-energy and nutritious, many times made with locally grown vegetables and regional ingredients.

4 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water? 
The Rustic Pathways students will be able to drink water from the tap during this program, but they will have the option to buy bottle water if they prefer. As New Orleans is in a hot climate, we require that every student has a refillable water bottle on hand at all times to stay hydrated.

5 - What will the accommodation on this trip be like? 
Students will be staying at a mix of hotels and hostels throughout the duration of the trip. They will be divided into

6 - How often (if at all) will students be able to do laundry on this program and what will it cost? 
Students will not be able to do laundry during the programs.

7 – Should I bring my musical instrument? 
Although we keep pretty busy during the trip, we do have down time.  Feel free to bring your instrument if it is small and easy to carry.  Rustic Pathways is not responsible for lost or stolen instruments.