PROGRAM 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 our orientation session before dinner.

ORIENTATION: Begins before dinner. We'll have an overview of the program ahead and review the up-to-date schedule, responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures and any other administrative issues as well as answer your questions.

Dinner: Dinner at local restaurant.

Menus are contracted for the program and are designed to offer balanced, healthy meals for the participants. In addition to the regular Road Scholar meal plan, this hotel offers a vegetarian meal option. Unfortunately, there are no other special meal options. Participants with special dietary needs should be prepared to avoid certain foods or supplement the regular meal plan as needed. .

Evening: CROSSING POINTS: Participants introduce themselves to the rest of the group.

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 Santa Barbara

Meals Included: Dinner

From the arrival in 1602 of frigates under the command of Sabastian Vizcaino to the eventual settlement efforts by the Spaniards who came to stay in 1782, this class starts in the peaceful world of the indigenous Chumash who occupied the region which became Santa Barbara County. Through the era of Spanish government followed by a period of Mexican rule, later toppled by Colonel John Fremont and his soldiers who took Santa Barbara for the United States in 1846, the instructor explores the development of Santa Barbara as a region in which Chumash, Spanish, Mexican and North American influences merged together, forming a unique blend of language and culture.

FIELD TRIP: Guided walk of Santa Barbara Courthouse

The Courthouse is the jewel in Santa Barbara's architectural crown. A bonus is the must-see view of the city from the top of the 85 foot clock tower.

Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Architectural Walk

Experience Downtown Santa Barbara on a guided walk that focuses on architectural styles, significant and historic buildings, aesthetics, past and present building usage, and landscape history. A captivating blend of Spanish Mediterranean and Moorish influences form the foundation of Santa Barbara's internationally renowned architectural style.

Dinner: Dinner on your own. Experience the Santa Barbara dining scene.

Lodging: Hotel Santa Barbara

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

The same qualities that lure visitors to the Santa Barbara area also make for a bustling agricultural industry. We'll visit one of the oldest organic farms in CA to see and taste what's in season.

Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant using fresh, local ingredients

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Santa Barbara Waterfront

After lunch, ride the Downtown-Waterfront Shuttle, which provides frequent service along State Street and the Waterfront area. Shuttle buses and bus stops are marked with blue and black sailboat symbols. The shuttles travel on State Street from Sola Street to Stearns Wharf and along Cabrillo Boulevard.

Visit the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, which overlooks the harbor, and discover the rich maritime history of the central coast. Located in the Santa Barbara Waterfront Center, the Museum's structure was formerly known as the Old Naval Reserve Center, which was built by the Federal Government's Works Project Administration (WPA) program during the late 1930s through the early 1940s.

HANDS ON: Wine Tasting at the Santa Barbara Winery

Taste some of the finest wines produced in Santa Barbara County within blocks of downtown and the beach. Santa Barbara Winery is part of the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail, and offers both novices and aficionados the opportunity to learn about and taste wines of many different varieties and styles crafted from Santa Barbara County's best vineyards.

Dinner: Dinner on your own. Choose from a wide variety of restaurant options or follow the group leader to a local favorite.

Lodging: Hotel Santa Barbara

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Our first stop is the Santa Barbara Mission where we will enjoy a private, guided walk. Founded in 1786, Mission Santa Barbara was the 10th of the California missions to be built. Its beautiful hilltop setting and majestic views have earned it the appellation, "Queen of the Missions".

Lunch: Lunch

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP CONTINUES: After lunch, we will visit Lotusland, a unique, 37-acre estate and botanic garden situated in the foothills of Montecito to the east of the city of Santa Barbara. Knowledgeable docents will interpret the garden and its history for us on a two-hour guided walk. The gardens were created over four decades by Madame Ganna Walska, an opera singer, who owned the property as a private residence from 1941 until her death in 1984.

Dinner: Dinner on your own. From our central hotel location there are lots of options within a short walk.

Evening: 1st Thursday is an evening of art and culture in downtown Santa Barbara. On the first Thursday of each month, participating galleries and other art-related venues will offer free access to art in a fun and social environment.

Lodging: Hotel Santa Barbara

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Hear the fascinating story of the "Flying A Studios", California's first movie studio which was built in Santa Barbara in 1910. The famous Flying A Studio dominated the pivotal time in movie history when entertainment transitioned from the old days of vaudeville and live show business to the new world of silent films. Over a thousand Western movies were filmed in the Santa Barbara area during a brief golden period before the movie industry moved south to Hollywood.

HOTEL CHECK OUT: This concludes the program. We hope you have enjoyed our Santa Barbara program and will join us for other rewarding adventures in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals Included: Breakfast