Afternoon: Program registration 4:00-5:00 PM. Welcome reception and orientation program begins at 5:00 PM.

Dinner: Dinner served in hotel conference room.

Evening: Welcome, get acquainted activities, and "Seattle Beat" introduction.

Lodging: Red Lion Hotel on 5th Avenue

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast in hotel conference room.

Morning: Our morning begins with a field trip to the Hiram Chittenden Locks. The Locks in Ballard are a complex of locks that sit in the middle of Salmon Bay, part of Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal. They are known locally as the Ballard Locks after the neighborhood to their north. The locks and associated facilities serve three purposes: to maintain the water level of the fresh water Lake Washington and Lake Union; to prevent the mixing of sea water from Puget Sound with the fresh water of the lakes (saltwater intrusion); to move boats from the water level of the lakes to the water level of Puget Sound, and vice versa.

Lunch: Special seafood lunch out on the Seattle waterfront.

Afternoon: City excursion continues to points of historical and cultural interest, including the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture an official state museum and is located at the University of Washington campus. It was founded in 1899 and is the only major natural history museum in the Pacific Northwest and the state's oldest museum. The Burke Museum's permanent collection numbers over 12 million artifacts and specimens, including totem poles, gemstones, and dinosaur fossils.

Dinner: Dinner in hotel conference room.

Evening: Presentation on Northwest History

Lodging: Red Lion Hotel on 5th Avenue

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Pike Place Market / Pioneer Square / Klondike Gold Rush Museum and National Park

Breakfast: Breakfast in hotel conference room.

Morning: Presentation on the history of Pike Place Market. Following, enjoy a walking field trip to experience and explore the market. Our guided walk will include “seldom seen spots” along the way, as we take in the aromas, the sights, the culture and creativity, and of course the “flying fish” that have made Pike Place one of the nation’s most popular market sites.

Lunch: Enjoy lunch on your own. With over 40 restaurants to choose from at Pike Place Market, there’s something for every palate!

Afternoon: Field trip continues to explore Historic Pioneer Square. Pioneer Square takes its name from a small triangular plaza near the corner of First Avenue and Yesler Way, originally known as Pioneer Place. The Pioneer Square-Skid Road Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Pioneer Square is home to art galleries, internet companies, cafés, sports bars, nightclubs, bookstores, and a unit of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (one of the smallest National Parks in the Nation). Late afternoon provides some free time to explore on your own. Nearby free time possibilities include: Space Needle, EMP Project Music Experience, Gates Visitor’s Center, Century 21 Exhibit, and the Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit.

Dinner: Enjoy family-style Japanese cuisine at dinner out at a nearby local restaurant that has been a landmark in Seattle for 30 years.

Lodging: Red Lion Hotel on 5th Avenue

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: We’ll start early by packing our breakfast boxes to go, and enjoy breakfast aboard the Victoria Clipper.

Morning: Travel to Victoria, BC aboard the Victoria Clipper passenger ferry. Our three hour cruise will provide ample opportunity for wonderful water vistas along the way.

Lunch: Lunch upon arrival at "Samuels by the Park" overlooking Thunderbird park in the Queen Victoria Hotel and Suites.

Afternoon: Guided exploration of the Parliament Building. The capital city of Victoria is where the BC Provincial Government assembles to make the laws and decisions of our province and it is also where the legislation assemblies are held. Your guide will take you behind the scenes of the rich history that this spectacular building holds. Walk back to the Queen Victoria Hotel to check-in.

Dinner: Dinner at "Samuels by the Park" restaurant in the Queen Victoria Hotel.

Evening: Join the group leader for an optional city walk around the Inner Harbour.

Lodging: Queen Victoria Hotel & Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at "Samuels by the Park" restaurant in the hotel.

Morning: Lectures at St. Ann's Academy Auditorium, an Edwardian-style auditorium with neo-classical architecture surrounded by large windows with colored art-glass panes. Learn about Victoria's history and gain an insider's view of seasonal highlights to come at Butcharts Gardens.

Lunch: Lunch at “Samuel’s by the Park” restaurant in the Queen Victoria Hotel.

Afternoon: Field trip on foot to the Royal BC Provincial Museum follows. Explore the museum's treasures through its unique galleries. The Museum showcases the human and natural history of British Columbia, and features periodic exhibitions of international renown. Highly realistic and inviting displays, such as the Ice Age and Coastal Forest dioramas, provide visitors with a sense of having truly experienced the authentic settings of many exhibits.

Dinner: Join the group leader for an optional walk in Beacon Hill Park

Evening: Take an optional guided city walk around the Inner Harbour.

Lodging: Queen Victoria Hotel & Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ft. Rodd Hill / Fisgard Lighthouse / Afternoon - Evening Free Time Explorations

Breakfast: Breakfast at "Samuels by the Park" restaurant in the hotel.

Morning: Board the bus to Fisgard Lighthouse at Fort Rodd Hill for a guided walk of this National Historic Site.

Lunch: Enjoy a picnic lunch with views of the Fisgard Lighthouse, Strait of Juan de Fuca and Washington’s Olympic Mountains.

Afternoon: Take time to explore Victoria or relax at the hotel pool during this free afternoon. Ample free time activities abound within easy walking distance.

Dinner: Dinner on own to experience Victoria's rich dining options!

Evening: Free Time

Lodging: Queen Victoria Hotel & Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Mt. Tolmie Vista / Butchart Gardens / "Afternoon Tea" at Butchart Gardens / Washington State Ferry from Sidney BC to San Juan Island

Breakfast: Breakfast at "Samuels by the Park" restaurant in the hotel.

Morning: Board motor coach for a field trip via the Peninsula Loop / Marine Drive and Mt. Tolmie where you can see panoramic views of Saanich and Victoria across to the Olympic Mountain Range and to Mt. Baker in the Cascades. Your next stop will be the famous Butchart Gardens, home to 55 acres of beautiful floral displays divided into four main gardens.

Lunch: Indulge in the traditional midday gathering "Afternoon Tea" hosted in the original Butchart family residence. From the Dining Room, enjoy spectacular views of the Private Garden, the Italian Garden and Tod Inlet. Your "Afternoon Tea" features savory tea sandwiches; traditional delicacies such as sausage rolls and quiche; berry trifle; numerous house-made sweets; scones; and choice of tea or coffee.

Afternoon: Board motor coach for Sidney, BC and the ferry dock where you will clear customs/immigration and board the ferry bound for San Juan Island. Then, board the Washington State Ferry for Scenic trip across the Haro Strait into the San Juan Archipelago and arrive to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.

Dinner: In Conference Dining Room featuring healthy & delicious home-style meals served buffet-style. Meals are prepared by our private caterer and proudly served with enthusiasm!

Evening: Free evening to explore Friday Harbor.

Lodging: Best Western Friday Harbor Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Whale Museum / San Juan Island North Excursion - British Camp National Park; Roche Harbor Sculpture Park; Limekiln Lighthouse

Breakfast: In Conference Dining Room featuring healthy & delicious home-style meals served buffet-style. Meals are prepared by our private caterer and proudly served with enthusiasm!

Morning: Begin the morning with a lecture by local expert with perspective on Coast Salish Native History in the Islands. A walking field trip follows. The group will divide in two, with half of the group going to the Whale Museum, and half going to the San Juan Historical Museum.

Lunch: In Conference Dining Room featuring healthy & delicious home-style meals served buffet-style. Meals are prepared by our private caterer and proudly served with enthusiasm!

Afternoon: Field Trip to Lime Kiln Point State Park, one of the best places in the world to view whales from a land and home to Orca research outpost and lighthouse. We'll continue on to San Juan Island National Historic Park- British Camp with historical, cultural and scenic interest. Our afternoon excursion will end in Roche Harbor Village, with options of a visit to Roche Harbor Sculpture Park or a visit to the Resort marina, shops, and gardens.

Dinner: In Conference Dining Room featuring healthy & delicious home-style meals served buffet-style. Meals are prepared by our private caterer and proudly served with enthusiasm!

Evening: Rousing lecture on regional exploration and island history.

Lodging: Best Western Friday Harbor Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

San Juan Island South Excursion / San Juan Historical Museum / Farewell Music Program

Breakfast: In Conference Dining Room featuring healthy & delicious home-style meals served buffet-style. Meals are prepared by our private caterer and proudly served with enthusiasm!

Morning: Morning activity features a guest artist appearance during a lecture showcasing the creative and artistic spirits that grace these islands. Then enjoy a field study excursion around the south end of San Juan Island to points of historical, cultural, and natural significance including behind-the-scenes look at a unique lavender farm and American Camp National Park.

Lunch: Picnic Lunch with water views of Haro Strait, Olympic Mountains, and Vancouver Island (weather permitting).

Afternoon: Continuation of San Juan Island excursion with a visit to island Lavender Farm; followed by late afternoon field trips to San Juan Island Historical Museum for half of the group and to the unique Whale Museum for the other half of the group.

Dinner: In Conference Dining Room featuring healthy & delicious home-style meals served buffet-style. Meals are prepared by our private caterer and proudly served with enthusiasm!

Evening: Special farewell music program; live historic folk music featuring homespun songs and stories from people who built America while living a simpler life. This unusual and irreverent collection of songs conveys remote history through toe-tapping music.

Lodging: Best Western Friday Harbor Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: In Conference Dining Room featuring healthy & delicious home-style meals served buffet-style. Meals are prepared by our private caterer and proudly served with enthusiasm! Early Breakfast prior to ferry departure.

Morning: Depart Friday Harbor, San Juan Island via the Washington State ferry and chartered motor coach. Program concludes in Seattle with drop off at SeaTac International airport(approximately 12:30pm) or the Red Lion Hotel on 5th Avenue,Seattle mid-day on final day of the program. We recommend scheduling outbound flights after 2:30 pm.

Meals Included: Breakfast