Afternoon: 3 p.m. hotel check-in; 3 – 4:30 p.m. Program Registration; 5 – 6 p.m. Welcome Briefing; 6:30 p.m. Dinner in the hotel.

Dinner: 6:30 p.m. Welcome Dinner in the hotel.

Evening: A neighborhood walk introduces you to the area around the hotel.

Lodging: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center

Meals Included: Dinner

Note: Walk from the hotel to Boott Cotton Mills, about 6 minutes. Walk from the museum to the Visitor Center, .7 miles (about 15 minutes). Step on and off a 19th century trolley with 3 steps. Embark and disembark a canal boat with 2 steps. Return walk from the Visitor Center to the hotel, .7 miles.

Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.

Morning: Depart on foot to the historic Boott Mills museum complex, the headquarters of UMASS Lowell’s Tsongas Industrial History Center and the Lowell National Historic Park. In an exclusive Road Scholar educational program, learn about the development of America’s Textile industry and the changes effected upon our nation with industrialization. In a hands-on activity, learn how time-consuming making cloth by hand was, compared to a machine. View the museum’s film, and observe original 19th century power looms that are still maintained and operated today. Examine the relationship between regions: the northern mill economy that relied upon cotton grown by enslaved people on southern plantations. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of industrialization and examine the changes in technology, economics, and work roles and how the lives of Americans were affected – a discussion that is oddly reminiscent of the changes in our economic landscape, today. Learn how the “mill girls” lived and the social changes brought to those who left the farm and other parts of the world to come to work in the mills.

Lunch: In a local restaurant.

Afternoon: At the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, view the film and exhibits on Lowell’s place in the industrial revolution and on author Jack Kerouac, Lowell’s native son. Ride the historic trolley to the boat landing, to board a canal boat. Learn why Lowell was chosen as the site of New England’s first mills as you travel the canals once used to transport goods. At Francis Gate, visit the interior of the gate house and learn how the locks and gates were designed and operate, even today. Take the trolley back to the center of the historic district and return to the hotel on foot.

Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Walking and standing up to 1 mile over the course of the day. Step on and off a 19th century trolley with 3 steps.

Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.

Morning: Examine the ethnic heritage of Lowell through its food.

Lunch: In a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Board a trolley to ride to the Wannalancit Mill building, a former mill factory now repurposed as offices. A TIHC educator leads you on a private visit to the Suffolk Mills Turbine Exhibit. Learn how water provided power for the mills and discuss the changes in waterpower technology. Discover the important work of Lowell’s nationally- renowned engineers, whose turbine designs are still used today. While at the mill complex, visit with your Road Scholar Advisors at the Call Center, located in the mill. Return to the hotel by trolley and a short walk.

Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Travel from hotel to American History Textile Museum via public bus transportation. Walking and standing in the museum for up to 2 hours. Riding on a private motorcoach with stops and visits en route for 4 hours.

Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.

Morning: The American Textile History Museum documents the development of the woolen, cotton, flax and silk industries in New England and beyond. It houses one of the nation’s most comprehensive collections of pre-industrial tools and powered industrial-era machinery. Arriving at the museum before it opens to the public, exclusive Road Scholar behind-the-scenes access includes the rich collections of the Osborne Library, to view 19th century illustrated insurance maps, early images of mills and textile workers, and original mill girl letters. Continue this special access with a private tour through the extensive costume storage area containing more than 6,000 pieces of cloting and accessories. On a docent-led visit through the main museum exhibit, view more than 500 artifacts from the museum’s collections that are used to tell America’s story through the art, science and history of textiles. Get a close-up look at the world’s first “computer” – a Jacquard loom that was an important precursor to modern computer programming because of its ability to change the pattern of the loom's intricate weave through the use of punch cards. Spend some time independently viewing the museum’s temporary special exhibits.

Lunch: A box lunch is provided to eat at the museum café.

Afternoon: Embark on a motorcoach excursion, following the Merrimack River where it meets the Atlantic ocean in historic Newburyport. Return to Lowell.

Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

THE LOWELL QUILT FESTIVAL and IMAGES New England's Premier Judged & Juried Quilt Show

Note: The walk from the hotel to the Quilt Museum is approximately .5 mile, on paved and cobblestone streets. Walking and standing in the museum for 45 – 60 minutes. The walk from the New England Quilt Museum to the Lowell Quilt Festival is .4 mile. The walk from the Quilt Festival to the hotel is about 5 minutes, via a pedestrian footbridge and footpath.

Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.

Morning: Depart on foot with a TIHC educator, who describes the canals and architecture as you walk through the historic district to the New England Quilt Museum. A docent-led visit of the museum will show you how to examine the art and technical details of quilts.

Lunch: A box lunch is provided while you attend the quilt festival “Lunch and Learn” lecture by a nationally-known quilter.

Afternoon: Start your Quilt Festival experience with a guided overview of the festival quilts, then examine these amazing textile works of art at your own pace. IMAGES is the heart of the Lowell Quilt Festival, exhibiting entries from hundreds of local, national and international quilters; a broader range of top quality quilts than can be seen anywhere on the eastern seaboard. Participation is open to all quilters, from seasoned masters to talented newcomers. View textile masterpieces that range from traditional quilts to contemporary works of art. IMAGES is a judged and juried show, adjudicated by National Quilt Association (NQA) certified judges. Enjoy special insights during an exclusive Road Scholar presentation and discussion with artist Beatriz Grayson, whose work is featured at this year's festival.

Dinner: Farewell Dinner.

Evening: At leisure.

Lodging: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.

Morning: Program ends. Independent departures. Check out of the hotel by 12 noon.

Meals Included: Breakfast