Note: Check in and Orientation Welcome Dinner at Hotel

Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Available from 4:00pm.

PROGRAM REGISTRATION: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar desk in the lobby to pick up your arrival packet containing your name tag, the up-to-date schedule, and to confirm the time of the orientation session. Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: Dinner will be held at the hotel.

Evening: ORIENTATION : We'll review the schedule and any changes; discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures; and answer any questions you may have. You'll also have an opportunity to meet the program staff and your fellow participants.

Lodging: Courtyard Marriott Coral Gables

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: At Hotel

Morning: Coconut Grove Excursion: Travel through the quaint, colorful, bohemian settlement of Coconut Grove for a peek behind the angled roads, charming shops and graceful canopies of storm-tempered trees that characterize the area today. Step into the past where an erroneously labeled post office turns a dense hardwood hammock into the semi-tropical paradisiacal town of Cocoanut Grove. See the historic site of the first hotel in the area - "The Peacock Inn." Hear the inspiring story of Ralph Munroe while touring his unusual home, "The Barnacle" the oldest house in Miami-Dade County still in its original location. Recount the tales of hardship and success as experienced by former slaves and Bahamian immigrants who founded the area now known as the "Black Grove". As you envision the punishing battles with mosquitoes, swamp-lands, and hurricanes, it will not be hard to empathize with the pioneer women who created the "House Keepers Club" in order to make a place of their own in this once foreboding wilderness.

Lunch: At Local Restaurant

Afternoon: Join us on a tour of one of South Florida's historical treasures - Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. Stroll the impressive formal gardens of this National Landmark. A guided tour of the residence will reveal an era of Miami that has long passed. Industrialist James Deering built this luxurious e state as a “winter residence” in 1916 employing almost a tenth of Miami’s population for its construction.

Dinner: At a local restaurant

Lodging: Courtyard Marriott Coral Gables

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: At Hotel

Morning: Lecture: South Florida Pioneers

Lunch: Lunch in Coral Gables

Afternoon: Coral Gables - The City Beautiful: Take an amazing journey through one of America's most beautiful historic cities: Coral Gables, George Merrick's vision realized. Learn the history of his dream as we witness the tree-lined avenues and stunning Mediterranean-influenced architecture that would eventually become his legacy. Explore the historic halls of one of South Florida's most architecturally important landmarks, the Biltmore Hotel. Learn of the building's many colorful stories and how she was resurrected into the legendary beauty she is today. Allow us to filter through the truths and untruths, ghosts and glamour that capture the essence of South Florida style and history in this truly amazing landmark. Sit back and let our guides bring to life Merrick's vision while they uncover the city's hidden wonders. What you'll discover along our less traveled path will enrich and engage you and leave you with something most visitors and even locals never experience . . . a true sense of place.

Dinner: On your own to explore the area. Local suggestions will be given.

Lodging: Courtyard Marriott Coral Gables

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: At Hotel

Morning: Lecture: The History of Cuban Exiles

Lunch: Lunch at traditional Cuban restaurant.

Afternoon: It was not long ago that Miami was a rather large but quiet Southern city. The Castro revolution in Cuba in 1959 changed Miami forever. Wave after wave of Cuban refugees have transformed Miami into the Capital of the Americas, a fast-paced, internationally-connected, commercial and entertainment hub with a racy Latin image. From the food, to the accents on the street, to the fashion scene and artist’s studio, Miami now pulses with an original blended culture. Come with us on a journey through Take in the smells, sights, sounds and colors of a street that launched the dramatic transformation of Miami over four decades ago.

Dinner: On your own to explore the area. Local suggestions will be given.

Lodging: Courtyard Marriott Coral Gables

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: At Hotel

Morning: Today we will start with a driving excursion with Lecture (Old Miami) that will take you through the Miami River, downtown Miami and finally to South Beach. On this field trip (with lecture) learn about the origins of Miami and how it has now culminated to the vibrant and modern lifestyle that is highlighted by the famous destination that is now South Beach. Once in South Beach you will experience an Art Deco excursion.

Lunch: On your own

Afternoon: Continue exploring South Beach. Transfer back to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Dinner: Farewell dinner at hotel

Lodging: Courtyard Marriott Coral Gables

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: At Hotel

Morning: Program Wrap-Up

Meals Included: Breakfast