Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Available from 3:00pm. REGISTRATION & ORIENTATION: 4:30pm in Skyline conference room on the 2nd floor. Pick up your Road Scholar arrival packet containing your name tag, up-to-date schedule, list of participants, maps, and other important information we will review. The on-site coordinator will greet you with a warm Texas welcome, introduce everyone, and provide key staff contact names and emergency phone numbers. We will review the up-to-date daily schedule, discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. If you arrive late, pick up your packet at the hotel front desk. Breakfast each day is in the hotel with lunch and dinner at Austin area restaurants. This Road Scholar program provides opportunities to learn how history, culture, art and music all converge at the Lone Star State's capital, Austin. Challenge the myth of the stereotypical Texan, hear of controversial politics from Ma and Pa Ferguson to LBJ and learn why Austin is called "The Live Music Capital of the World." At Austin museums review the life of our 36th President, tour the largest university art collection in the country, survey Texas history and top off the week with a Texas BBQ. Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to weather and other local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible.

Dinner: A nearby restaurant offers multiple entrée choices and continuing opportunities to become acquainted with your fellow participants and program staff.

Lodging: Radisson Hotel

Meals Included: Dinner

Discover Austin: Texan Stereotypes, Live Music Performance, Guided Tour of City Hall, Backstage tour of Austin City Limits Studio

Note: Activity Notes: Walking up to two miles a day with rest stops. Standing in museums for 1-2 hours and use of public transportation.

Breakfast: Full hot breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: PRESENTATION: “Texas Stereotypes”- Find out all about Texas through this informative overview. You’ll learn about regional differences in geography, people, food, music, and get a new perspective about the traditions of the Lone Star State. PERFORMANCE: Enjoy a live music performance from a Grammy award winning piano player. Enjoy the boogie-woogie keyboard stylings of Floyd Domino, who has recorded and performed with Asleep at the Wheel, Merle Haggard, George Strait and Kelly Willis. Domino shares anecdotes about life as a performer on the road, with a humorous edge.

Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP:Guided Tour of City Hall: The new Austin City Hall and Public Plaza is located at the edge of the dynamic Warehouse district on the shores of Downtown Austin’s Town Lake. The project is dominated by landscape and incorporates limestone, copper, glass, water and shade to create the city’s living room. The building is filled with an amazing collection of art, submitted and selected each year by citizens. Learn about the city’s energy conservation efforts by viewing the rooftop surfaces on the tops of the parking garage and each level of the building that use native and adaptive plants to conserve water and reduce energy costs. FIELD TRIP: Backstage Tour of Austin City Limits Studio: Tour the Moody Theater, home of the longest-running television show in music history, the Austin City Limits (ACL). The show features a wide variety of musical styles and genres, and has run on PBS stations for almost 30 years. In 2011, ACL moved to its current venue, a state-of-the-art production facility with seating capacity of 2700. Guides will take you inside the studio and beyone and show you how both large and small shows are produced. You’ll marvel at the collection of custom posters, made for each show, lovingly preserved throughout the building. Take a trip back in time as you enjoy the vast collection of candid photographs of your favorite musicians, dating from the 1960s to the present.

Dinner: Dinner at local restaurant.

Evening: Free evening to explore downtown Austin.

Lodging: Radisson Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Discover Texas Politics: Texas State History Museum; Texas State Capitol; Texas Political Tradition & Texas Rhythm, Texas Rhyme

Note: Walking up to two miles a day with rest stops. Standing in museums for 1-2 hours and use of public transportation.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: PRESENTATION: “The Texas Political Traditions”- Explore the colorful history of Texas’ political past and present with a university professor whose Texas history textbooks are used in public schools throughout the state. From the founders of the Republic of Texas, through the scandal-plagued years of the early 20th century to the politicians of our time, get the full story about those who were elected to office in Texas, for better or worse. FIELD TRIP: Immerse yourself in the “Story of Texas” through a visit to the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Take a guided tour of one of the city’s most popular attractions. With a docent, tour the three-story museum, moving through the themes of land, identity and opportunity, with some time on your own to explore the artifacts and multi-media exhibits that reflect the state’s history and culture.

Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: With a guide, tour the largest state capitol in the country. Admire the Renaissance Revival architecture and granite masonry as you hear more about Texas history and the politics that shaped the state’s identity. Learn how Texans used inmate labor and massive land trades to finance construction of the magnificent building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After your tour, you will have some free time to discover other sites in downtown Austin, including the historic Driskill Hotel, as you return to the hotel.

Dinner: Dinner at local restaurant.

Evening: PRESENTATION: “Texas Rhythm, Texas Rhyme”- An informative look into the city’s music scene, led by a university professor. Learn why Austin is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World”.

Lodging: Radisson Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A Time with Barbara Jordan presentation; UT Campus; Nettie Benson Latin American Studies Collection; LBJ Presidential Library and Archives

Note: Walking up to two miles a day with rest stops. Standing in museums for 1-2 hours and use of public transportation.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: PRESENTATION: “A Time with Barbara Jordan" by Max Sherman, editor of book, Barbara Jordan: Speaking the Truth with Eloquent Thunder by Barbara Jordan. Sherman, the former Dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs and a former state senator recognized as one of the best legislators in Texas, shares his passionate interest in former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. Through thoughtful analysis of her great speeches and her public works, Sherman will enlighten you about the impact made by Jordan, a Texas trailblazer and one of the most eloquent politicians of the 20th century. FIELD TRIP: Explore the University of Texas’ vast collection of materials in the field of Latin American Studies. Get an inside look at the largest university collection in the United States of books, periodicals, manuscripts, photographs, maps and other media related to Latin American countries and their peoples. Marvel at colorful, detailed hand-drawn maps from the 16th century, along with correspondence from early Spanish rulers to Mexican officials. Examine documentation of early Spanish colonization efforts and some of the earliest publications from the New World, some containing music and liturgical texts.

Lunch: Lunch at Thompson Conference Center on UT Campus.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Visit the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum located on The University of Texas at Austin campus. Enjoy a behind-the scenes, private tour of archives and presidential papers from the Johnson administration. With an archivist, learn the history of presidential museums and libraries in the United States, as well as the origins of the LBJ museum, the first to be located on a university campus. Listen to recordings made during Johnson’s administration that reveal much about his personality and style and illustrate why he was able to rise to power and accomplish what he did during his career.

Dinner: Dinner unscheduled.

Evening: Evening unscheduled to explore the city or attend live music performances on your own.

Lodging: Radisson Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Texas State Cemetery; Blanton Art Museum; Umlauf Sculpture Garden; Mt. Bonnell

Note: Walking up to two miles a day with rest stops. Standing in museums for 1-2 hours and use of public transportation. Viewing top of Mount Bonnell requires climbing 4-5 flights of outdoor stairs. Alternate views are available from non-summit locations near the bus.

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Continue your exploration of Texas and its history with a visit to the Texas State Cemetery, the final resting place of Governors, Senators, Legislators, Congressmen, Judges and other legendary Texans who have made the state what it is today. Enjoy a guided tour through the recently renovated cemetery grounds to hear stories about historical figures, Commanches, sports figures and others who have influenced the Texas mystique. FIELD TRIP: Art enthusiasts will delight in a visit to the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. The Blanton is one of the foremost university art museums in the country. The Blanton's permanent collection of more than 17,000 works is recognized for its European paintings, modern and contemporary American and Latin American art, and an encyclopedic collection of prints and drawings.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Enjoy the peaceful grounds of the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, a natural oasis dedicated to the work of 20th century American sculptor Charles Umlauf. With a docent, tour the gardens and museum, located next to Austin’s Zilker Park. Continue your exploration of what keeps Austin weird as you drive down South Congress Avenue, home to eclectic shops, food trailers and nightclubs. EXCURSION: Complete your week of discovery by ascending to the city’s highest point, Mount Bonnell. Enjoy the view from the majestic vista atop the area’s highest hill, overlooking the Colorado River, downtown and the hill country to the west of town.

Dinner: Say goodbye to Austin and the other participants during a festive farewell dinner.

Lodging: Radisson Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast and departures.

Meals Included: Breakfast