Oregon Solar Eclipse
On Monday, August 21, North America will be treated to one of nature’s most awe inspiring sights - a total solar eclipse. The path of totality, where the moon will completely cover the sun, will be seen from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. The last solar eclipse that crossed the contiguous United States was in 1979 - nearly forty years ago!
Join author Mary Roach and astronomer Dr. Steven Beckwith on a 4-night/5-day trip to Oregon for this historic event. Spend one night in Portland, then continue to Salem for three nights. Explore the state's capital, enjoy winery visits and hear lectures and discussions about the magic of our skies. On the morning of August 21, from our private viewing area at Eola Hills Winery, experience the total solar eclipse.
Itinerary
Arrive independently to Portland, Oregon and make your way downtown to our hotel. This evening, gather for a welcome reception at our hotel, and a festive dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront (R,D)
This morning visit the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry. After lunch in town we proceed to Salem, nicknamed the Historic Heart of Oregon. Upon arrival, we will visit Deepwood Museum & Gardens, whose heritage house museum offers a glimpse into early Salem history. Salem is the first of five state capitals directly in the path of the total solar eclipse. Check into our hotel, our base for the next three nights. After some time to relax, gather for a talk by our guest speaker Mary Roach. Enjoy dinner on your own at one of the city’s many restaurants.
Salem DoubleTree (B,L)
This morning we explore the State Capitol for a tower tour and to learn more about the history of Oregon and the state’s legislative process. Then discover the world of wine that serves as a backbone to the Willamette Valley. We visit a few award-winning wineries, sample some classic Oregon varietals and engage in discussions with winemakers. There’s going to be a growing amount of excitement today as many travelers from across the U.S. and beyond begin to settle in for tomorrow’s big event. This evening gather for a lecture from Professor Steven Beckwith, who will discuss the solar eclipse. Enjoy dinner together in town.
Salem DoubleTree (B,L,D)
The moment we’ve all been waiting for is upon us. Today we head out to enjoy the solar eclipse, the first of its kind over the U.S. since 1979. Our visit to a local winery, Eola Hills, will offer up a perfect viewing setting with live music, food, and drink to accompany this phenomenal spectacle in the sky. After we witness this awe-inspiring astronomical event, we return to Salem for free time this afternoon. Enjoy a fun “in conversation” with our guest speakers followed by a farewell dinner to round out our eclipse celebration.
Salem DoubleTree (B,L,D)
After breakfast, transfer back to Portland, where you can continue your travels independently or head home from the Portland International Airport. (B)
Cost and Details
$3,995 per person, double occupancy
$1,195 single room supplement
Given exceedingly high demand for hotel space, all reservations must be received by June 19.
Group Size: Minimum 12, Maximum 30 (not including staff )
Included
4 nights’ accommodations as specified (or similar); 4 breakfast s, 3 lunches, 3 dinners; wine and beer with welcome and farewell events; eclipse viewing event at Eola Hills winery; tour managing team; guest speakers and discussions; activities as specified in the itinerary; transportation throughout; airport transfers on designated group dates and times; Commonwealth Club tour manager with 16 or more participants; gratuities to guides, drivers, restaurant staff for all included group activities; pre-departure
materials and eclipse viewing glasses.
Not included
Airfare to Portland; meals not specified as included; optional outings and gratuities for
those outings; alcoholic beverages beyond welcome and farewell events; travel insurance (recommended, information will be sent upon registration); items of a purely personal nature.
Educational Highlights
Steven Beckwith is a Professor of Astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. His 40-year research career spans many interests including the formation and early evolution of extra-solar planetary systems, the evolution of young stars, and the birth of galaxies in the early universe. I n 2004, he led the team that created the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, the deepest visual image of the universe, resulting in the discovery of the most distant galaxies ever seen. He has published approximately 200 articles and won several international awards for his work. Professor Beckwith is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences. He has served as Director of the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (Heidelberg, Germany), the Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (Baltimore, Maryland), and most recently as the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies for the ten-campus University of California system (Oakland, California). He has been on the faculties of Cornell University and Johns Hopkins University prior to coming to Berkeley in 2008.
Mary Roach is the author of the New York Times bestsellers STIFF: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers; GRUNT: The Curious Science of Humans at War; GULP: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, PACKING FOR MARS: The Curious Science of Life in the Void; and BONK: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. Mary has written for National Geographic, Wired, Discover, New Scientist, the Journal of Clinical Anatomy, and Outside, among others. She serves as a member of the Mars Institute’s Advisory Board and the Usage Panel of American Heritage Dictionary. Her 2009 TED talk made the organization’s 2011 Twenty Most-Watched To Date list. She was the guest editor of the 2011 Best American Science and Nature Writing, a finalist for the 2014 Royal Society Winton Prize, and a winner of the American Engineering Societies’ Engineering Journalism Award, in a category for which, let’s be honest, she was the sole entrant.
Terms and Conditions
Salem is along the path of totality for the upcoming solar eclipse. However, atmospheric, environmental and other factors may impede visibility. Neither the Commonwealth Club, nor our tour operator Black Sheep Adventures can guarantee that the eclipse will be visible.
Deposits and Payments
To make a reservation, a deposit of $2,000 per person is required by check or credit card. Please mail your check (payable to “Black Sheep Adventures, Inc”) or charge instructions, with your completed reservation form to the address on the reservation form. You may also fax in your reservation form or call our office or call (415) 597-6720. Final payment is due no later than June 18, 2017. For those who pay by credit card, BSA will charge your card the balance due at 60 days prior if no other payment has been made. Charges will appear on your credit card statement as “BSA Tour 866-6474337” or “Stripe”.
Cancellations and Refunds
Your deposit and payments are refundable, less the following cancel fees:
• 61-90 days prior to trip start, $2,000 deposit
• 0-60 days prior to trip start, No refund
We recommend trip-cancellation insurance; applications will be sent to you. Tour can also be cancelled due to low enrollment. Neither CWC nor Black Sheep Adventures accepts liability for cancellation penalties related to domestic or international airline tickets purchased in conjunction with the tour.
Medical Information
Participation in this program requires that you be in good health. It is essential that persons with any medical problems and related dietary restrictions make them known to us well before departure.
Eligibility
We require membership to the Commonwealth Club to travel with us. People who live outside of the Bay Area may purchase a national membership. To learn about membership types and to purchase a membership, visit our membership page or call (415)597-6720.
Insurance
We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance, which is available for coverage of expenses in conjunction with cancellation due to illness or accident. Baggage insurance is also recommended. In the event you must cancel your participation in the travel program, trip cancellation insurance may be the only source of reimbursement. Information will be sent upon registration and can be viewed Travel Insurance Services website.
Responsibility
The Commonwealth Club of California and our ground operators and suppliers act only as agents for the travelers with respect to transportation and arrangements, and exercise every care possible in doing so. However, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity in connection with the service of any automobile, motorcoach, or any other conveyance used in carrying out this program or for the acts or defaults of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the program. We cannot accept any responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, force majeure or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger as tour rates provide arrangements only for the time stated. We reserve the right to make such alterations to this published itinerary as may be deemed necessary. The right is reserved to cancel any program prior to departure in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. No refund will be made for an unused portion of any tour unless arrangements are made in sufficient time to avoid penalties. The Commonwealth Club of California accepts no liability for any carrier’s cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a nonrefundable ticket in connection with the tour.
