Afternoon: 3pm: REGISTRATION: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and pick up your arrival packet which we'll review during ORIENTATION: We'll have an overview of the program ahead and review the up-to-date schedule, responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, any other administrative issues and answer your questions. Any portion of the program is subject to change which we will notify you about as soon as possible.

Dinner: Dinner will be in the hotel restaurant. Menus are contracted for the program and are designed to offer balanced, healthy meals for the participants.

Evening: INTRODUCTIONS: Enjoy the remainder of the evening getting to know your fellow participants and discovering what you share beyond a love of lifelong learning.

Lodging: Hotel Carlton

Meals Included: Dinner

San Francisco history, bus trip to highlights of "The City by the Bay."

Breakfast: A full American breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant. In addition to good standard breakfast fare, there are also some interesting egg dishes that reflect the Yemeni roots of the Chef. You will receive a voucher for each morning's breakfast.

Morning: Enjoy a slide illustrated lecture by James Dalessandro, a college professor, writer and filmmaker. His command of factual details is only exceeded by his entertaining and engaging lecture style peppered with fascinating anecdotes about the characters that made San Francisco the city that it is. Learn about the tumultuous history of the San Francisco Bay area.

Lunch: We will enjoy lunch together at a colorful local eatery.

Afternoon: 1-5pm: Narrated bus trip to highlights of San Francisco.

Dinner: Group dinner will be at a local restaurant.

Evening: Lecture will cover San Francisco's devastation and rebuilding after the 1906 earthquake and fire, as well as the rapid growth of the various neighborhoods and architecture that developed around this time in history.

Lodging: Hotel Carlton

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Two hour walk along the Barbary Coast Trail and through Chinatown covers about two miles over both flat and slightly elevated territory. After lunch in Chinatown, a public bus is taken to board the ferry at Pier 33 for the 20 minute ride to Alcatraz Much of Alcatraz is steep and hilly; the walking distance from the dock to the cell house at the top of the island is about 1/4 mile and the elevation change is 130 feet. A tram is available for people who do not wish to climb the hill.

Breakfast: A full American breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant. In addition to good standard breakfast fare, there are also some interesting egg dishes that reflect the Yemeni roots of the Chef. You will receive a voucher for each morning's breakfast.

Morning: Walking exploration of the Barbary Coast and Chinatown. In San Francisco's early days after the Gold Rush of 1849, the Barbary Coast was the seedy red-light district where anything and everything went. Now the narrow streets are a walker's paradise, filled with beautiful architecture that belies the history of the area. Chinatown is the oldest Chinese settlement in North America and one of the largest outside of Asia. Stroll the crowded streets filled with locals, tourists, smells, sights and sounds that will overwhelm your senses. It's an experience not to be missed.

Lunch: After a morning of walking, the group will dine together in a mouthwatering Chinese eatery. Sihk faahn!

Afternoon: The history of Alcatraz--The Rock-- includes a Civil War fortress, federal prison, bird sanctuary, first lighthouse on the West Coast, and the birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement. Visiting Alcatraz is a self guided experience which you can do at your own pace. Park Service staff offer free programs throughout the day on a variety of topics: escapes, military history, American Indian occupation, natural history, etc. Once on the island you can stay as long or as short as you wish - there is a ferry departing about every half hour and you can return to San Francisco on any ferry. The group leader will let you know which ferry she will be taking back. There are numerous videos and exhibits on the island, as well as a complimentary cell house audio tour which covers the penitentiary era (1934 - 1963). On arriving at the Alcatraz dock, you will be greeted by a park ranger who will give you a brief orientation including information on any special activities available that day. The weather on Alcatraz can be some what unpredictable and can change quickly - it may be warm and sunny in the city and very windy and cool on the island. Summer days can sometimes be as cool as winter due to thick fog and strong winds. We recommend dressing in layers. There is no food service available on the island - only water is available on site. Eating, drinking and smoking are only allowed at the dock level. (Alcatraz Island information courtesy of the National Park Service) .

Dinner: Participants are free to make their own dining arrangements.

Evening: Independent evening to explore "Baghdad by the Bay."

Lodging: Hotel Carlton

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Two hours at the Legion of Honor: one hour docent-led visit and one hour free time; two hours of independent exploration in Muir Woods. There are six miles of trails. You can choose to walk a 30 minute loop, a 60 minute loop or a 90 minute loop. The trails in Muir Woods are asphalted or boadwalked and over flat territory. There is a gift shop and cafe on site. Food is not permitted on the trails.

Breakfast: A full American breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant. In addition to good standard breakfast fare, there are also some interesting egg dishes that reflect the Yemeni roots of the Chef. You will receive a voucher for each morning's breakfast.

Morning: Docent-led visit of the highlights of the Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum followed by one hour of free time in the museum.

Lunch: Group lunch in Palace cafe.

Afternoon: Cross San Francisco's most iconic landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge. Proceed to the majesty of the old-growth redwoods of Muir Woods in Mill Valley, Marin County. You will be awed and humbled by their towering beauty. The line "I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree" by Joyce Kilmer now takes on a whole new meaning. On the way back to San Francisco, stop for a breathtaking view of Pacific Ocean.

Dinner: Dinner will be on your own to explore the many cuisines available in San Francisco.

Evening: Independent evening to explore "The Golden Gate City."

Lodging: Hotel Carlton

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: One hour docent-led visit through Haas Lilienthal House.

Breakfast: OPTIONAL: April 18 is the 107th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake. For those of you wishing to partake in the memorial activities, you are in for a real San Francisco treat! The festivities begin at 5am on Market Street at Geary at Lotta's Fountain, the gathering spot for people to find each other after the earthquake hit. You can either take a taxi from the hotel to Lotta's which will take about five minutes or you can walk the 1.25 mile distance which should take about 15 minutes. At 5am, a small parade will arrive at the fountain where a wreath will be laid, honoring the thousands that were killed in the 7.5 magnitude earthquake. At 5:11am, there will be a minute of silence. At 5:12am, sirens will go off marking the moment the earthquake struck on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. At 5:40am, the fire hydrant that saved the Mission District will be painted. The hydrant is located at Church and 20th Street, about three miles from Lotta's Fountain. A taxi ride will take about ten minutes; walking is not recommended because you would not get there in time. Finally, at 6am, Lefty O'Doul's Annual Survivor Bloody Mary Breakfast takes place at Lefty O'Doul's Restaurant, 333 Geary Street. Cost: $10. The restaurant is a five minute walk from the fountain. From Lefty's, the return walk to the hotel is a little over a half mile and should take no more than ten minutes. If you are interested in taking part in this very unique San Francisco tradition, please refer to the Notes section for directions to the various places mentioned above. HOTEL BREAKFAST: A full American breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant. In addition to good standard breakfast fare, there are also some interesting egg dishes that reflect the Yemeni roots of the Chef. You will receive a voucher for each morning's breakfast.

Morning: Marie McNaughton is a lecturer at San Francisco State University. This morning she will deliver a lecture on Victorian Architecture, for which San Francisco is so famous. Following the lecture, there is a visit to the interior of the Haas Lilienthal House, a Victorian mansion furnished with period pieces. Your guide will talk about the furnishing and art as well as the history of the house, including ghost stories.

Lunch: Group lunch at colorful local eatery.

Afternoon: Independent exploration of "Everybody's Favorite City."

Dinner: Group dinner at one of San Francisco's signature restaurants.

Evening: Spend the evening with your fellow participants, savoring the week you have spent together, or go out and enjoy one final night in everyone's second hometown, San Francisco.

Lodging: Hotel Carlton

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: A full American breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant. In addition to good standard breakfast fare, there are also some interesting egg dishes that reflect the Yemeni roots of the Chef. You will receive a voucher for each morning's breakfast.

Morning: James Dalessandro will present a final lecture expanding on your knowledge of San Francisco as well as providing a recap of the program.

Lunch: Our program will conclude by 11:00AM. On this final day, you will truly appreciate why Tony Bennett and millions of other visitors leave their hearts in San Francisco.

Meals Included: Breakfast