The hotel now incorporates today's desired amenities and services for its guests, but it retains all of its Victorian charm and elegance.
Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of any changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.Afternoon: RECEPTION: Local residents will welcome you to Las Vegas NM during a short reception at the hotel from 5:30-6:00 PM.Dinner: Opening night dinner in the hotel's dining room from 6:00-7:00 PM. The Landmark Grill is a place where all of Las Vegas loves to eat. Bright, friendly and with a welcoming atmosphere, the chefs will prepare a great dinner for you.Evening: ORIENTATION: From approximately 7:00-8:30 PM, we will gather in our meeting room for an informative overview of the program to come plus an opportunity to meet the program staff and your fellow participants during an introductory get-acquainted session. W will review the updated schedule, answer any questions you may have, and cover responsibilities, safety guidelines, and emergency procedures. (If you arrive late, please pick up your packet at the hotel front desk.)
To round out the evening, we will view a short film starring Tom Mix, depicting the Wild West and made by the star himself in northern New Mexico.Lodging: The Plaza HotelMeals Included: Dinner
You'll learn about the 900 structures in Las Vegas that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Citizens' Committee's role in the maintenance and preservation of these structures.
Following the walk, there will be presentations by local experts that will take you from prehistory and the time of the first Native Americans as early as 8,000 B.C through 16th-Century Spanish explorers, the Santa Fe Trail, and subsequent economic growth. By the end of the morning, you'll have a pretty good idea of the area's amazing history.Lunch: We’ll have lunch out at a favorite local restaurant. The bus departs at 11:30am to take you to Charlie's Spic and Span for a taste of authentic Southwestern flavor.Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: An expert guide will lead a bus exploration of the city’s nine different historic districts and you will visit an historic home.
From there, we’ll travel to Fort Union National Monument for a presentation by Park Service personnel and to learn more about the Santa Fe Trail (you'll be able to see some remnants of the original trail). We’ll return to the hotel by approximately 5:30pm.Dinner: Dinner is a celebratory event in your honor. Depending on the weather, you'll have a Buffalo Barbecue in the hotel dining area, complete with cowboys!Evening: ENTERTAINMENT: After dinner, a cowboy will read poetry and show you cowboy art. Then participate in a cowboy sing-along. You may already know some of these great songs and you’ll learn others for a joyful Wild West evening.Lodging: The Plaza HotelMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You'll also learn about Spanish Land Grant farmers (c. 1836) in Las Vegas and the surrounding countryside, and how local farmers took up the new art forms that became traditional in this area.Lunch: Lunch at the hotel.Afternoon: DEMONSTRATIONS & WORKSHOPS: The fun continues as three artists demonstrate Spanish Colonial art forms such as tin smithing, Colcha embroidery, and jewelry making.
After the demonstrations, you’ll be able to move to each demo/teaching area and learn some of the techniques involved. Instructors will bring examples of their own work. If you’d like to try your hand at all of the crafts, you’ll have about an hour at each station, or you can spend all of your time with just one of the crafts. Your choice. We provide all materials for basic instruction.Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant.Evening: EVENING PROGRAM & ENTERTAINMENT: We’ll hop on our bus for a special event created just for us. In a charming Victorian home, you’ll experience an old-fashioned Victorian "salon." In the 19th century, "salons" such as these provided entertainment for townspeople. Special highlights include a performance of musical selections by a harpist as well as a reading of some fascinating journal entries and short stories written by area residents in the 1800s. You'll have a chance to try your hand at journaling some of your own experiences.Lodging: The Plaza HotelMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The campus near Las Vegas includes historic Montezuma Castle, a former mountain resort spa that was a major attraction in the 1890s. We’ll explore the castle, and see the local hot springs. You can return to the hotel after the field trip or stay and have a dip in the hot springs if you wish; we'll pick you up a little later.
At 5:00 PM, there will be a complimentary wine tasting at the Plaza Wine and Gift Shop, located in the hotel.Dinner: Dinner will be on your own tonight; your group leader will suggest restaurants you can try that are near the hotel..Evening: Free evening to spend as you wish.Lodging: The Plaza HotelMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Then a panel of three local educators will address the intricacies of education in this area with a diverse population, individual student needs, and the financial challenge. Our participants come from many different backgrounds with experience in different educational systems, and a lot of you may have been involved in the teaching profession. You’re invited to contribute your knowledge and suggestions based on what has worked in your own communities.Lunch: Lunch at the hotel.Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: We begin this afternoon’s discoveries at the Las Vegas Rough Riders Museum with its collection of artifacts, archives, and photographs that illuminate the history of Las Vegas, its connection to the Rough Riders, the Santa Fe Trail, and the development of New Mexico. Teddy Roosevelt served as Lieutenant-Colonel of the Rough Riders, leading them to victory in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
Next, you'll visit one of the beautiful Victorian homes in Las Vegas. Many of these homes are on the National Historic Register, and they have been very well maintained.
Our next stop is Montefiore Temple, built in 1884 and used by people who thought they might have been Jews at one time in the past (Conversos) or perhaps Crypto-Jews (hidden Jews from the time of the Spanish Conquistadors), along with recently arrived Jewish merchants and their families. A marker was placed there in recognition of the site of the first permanent Jewish House of Worship in the Territory of New Mexico. Dinner: Tonight's farewell dinner will be at the hotel, part of a special event created just for you.Evening: FAREWELL EVENING: Your New Mexican style evening begins with a special concert of music by a Mariachi group, a musical genre that originated in the State of Jalisco, Mexico. Mariachi ensembles generally consists of violins, trumpets, an acoustic guitar, a vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar), a guitarrón (a large acoustic bass) and, on occasion, a harp. The Mariachis dress in silver studded charro outfits with wide-brimmed hats.
After the music, you'll be treated to a great Mexican dinner buffet at the hotel with lots of traditional foods and delicious desserts created by the hotel's chef.
We conclude with a Latino dance demonstration and dance lessons. Everyone can have a good time, no matter what your physical condition, and this is ONLY for our participants!Lodging: The Plaza HotelMeals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
If you are traveling to the Amtrak Station in Las Vegas, the hotel shuttle can take you there.
If you have chosen to take the special bus transportation back to Albuquerque, departure will be at 8:00 AM. (See "Getting There" information above).
We hope you have enjoyed this exciting new program revealing one of New Mexico's hidden gems, and that you will join us for other rewarding Road Scholar learning adventures in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!Meals Included: Breakfast