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STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA

Planets, Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe

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 PA

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 Science & Nature

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Road Scholar
Program #14314RJ

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6 Days | 5 Nights
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Easy
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While all of our learning adventures offer extraordinary value, our "Best Value" programs were rated by our participants themselves who thought their dollar went particularly far.
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EasyFor people looking to exercise their minds more than their bodies. There’s minimal walking and not too many stairs.
ModerateThese programs get you on your feet and include activities such as walking up to a mile in a day through a city and standing in a museum for a few hours.
ActiveFor people who enjoy walking as much as two miles a day, perhaps to explore historic neighborhoods or a nature trail.
Moderately ChallengingFor hardy explorers who enjoy a good physical challenge, spending most of their days on the go.
ChallengingGet ready to keep up with our highest-energy group. These demanding — and rewarding — programs are for seasoned outdoor enthusiasts.

Program Details > Daily Schedule

Itinerary for Jun 16 — Jun 21, 2013

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Type: Full Service Hotel

 Description: Participants stay at the charming Nittany Lion Inn on-campus, a historic National Trust hotel. With the elegance of colonial New England, The Inn exudes tradition while offering today's amenities. Buffet dinners and breakfasts offer sumptuous classic cuisine. You will enjoy walking around the beautifully landscaped campus this time of year. Many landmarks, museums and exhibits are open for your exploration. Program excludes one dinner. Participants can choose from local restaurants in quaint, downtown State College Campus. We will help organize groups and transportation for those interested. Walking is expected. The hotel van is available for those preferring a ride, though participants must be able to get in and out of the back of a van. Tours of campus and museums will add a variety of experiences.

Contact info:
The Pennsylvania State University
200 West Park Avenue
State College, PA, PA 16803 USA
phone: 800-233-7505
web: www.pshs.psu.edu/nittanylioninn/nlhome.asp

Room amenities: The rooms are fully equipped with air conditioning, private baths, coffee machines, and hair dryers.

Facility amenities: Nittany Lion Inn offers the finest in cuisine and casual fare awaits you in Whiskers Courtyard and Lounge. Unwind in a modern spa with fitness equipment and Jacuzzi.

Smoking policy: Yes
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $81.00 per night
Subject to hotel room availability

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Day One: Sunday, June 16 - Registration/ Orientation and Introductions 
Afternoon: Registration at The Nittany Lion Inn will take place between 4:30 and 6:00pm.

Dinner: Buffet dinner will be served at 6:00pm in the Dining Room of the Nittany Lion Inn

Evening: There will be an orientation and introduction by the presenters, followed by a short talk about Penn State presented by the Lion Ambassadors.

Lodging: Nittany Lion Inn

Meals Included: Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Full Service Hotel

 Description: Participants stay at the charming Nittany Lion Inn on-campus, a historic National Trust hotel. With the elegance of colonial New England, The Inn exudes tradition while offering today's amenities. Buffet dinners and breakfasts offer sumptuous classic cuisine. You will enjoy walking around the beautifully landscaped campus this time of year. Many landmarks, museums and exhibits are open for your exploration. Program excludes one dinner. Participants can choose from local restaurants in quaint, downtown State College Campus. We will help organize groups and transportation for those interested. Walking is expected. The hotel van is available for those preferring a ride, though participants must be able to get in and out of the back of a van. Tours of campus and museums will add a variety of experiences.

Contact info:
The Pennsylvania State University
200 West Park Avenue
State College, PA, PA 16803 USA
phone: 800-233-7505
web: www.pshs.psu.edu/nittanylioninn/nlhome.asp

Room amenities: The rooms are fully equipped with air conditioning, private baths, coffee machines, and hair dryers.

Facility amenities: Nittany Lion Inn offers the finest in cuisine and casual fare awaits you in Whiskers Courtyard and Lounge. Unwind in a modern spa with fitness equipment and Jacuzzi.

Smoking policy: Yes
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $81.00 per night
Subject to hotel room availability

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Day Two: Monday, June 17 - Sky Observation 
Breakfast: Buffet Breakfast in the Nittany Lion Inn Dining Room.

Morning: Universe Tour - Enjoy a tour & Brief History of the Universe, followed by a Campus Tour.

Lunch: Box lunch & informal discussions at Davey Lab

Afternoon: Enjoy 3 different lectures this afternoon:3-D Tour of Mars; Searching for planets and life around other stars; Solar observing

Dinner: Dinner in The Nittany Lion Inn Dining Room

Evening: Viewing Astronomical Objects through Telescopes* * Evening programs will vary depending on the weather conditions.

Lodging: Nittany Lion Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Full Service Hotel

 Description: Participants stay at the charming Nittany Lion Inn on-campus, a historic National Trust hotel. With the elegance of colonial New England, The Inn exudes tradition while offering today's amenities. Buffet dinners and breakfasts offer sumptuous classic cuisine. You will enjoy walking around the beautifully landscaped campus this time of year. Many landmarks, museums and exhibits are open for your exploration. Program excludes one dinner. Participants can choose from local restaurants in quaint, downtown State College Campus. We will help organize groups and transportation for those interested. Walking is expected. The hotel van is available for those preferring a ride, though participants must be able to get in and out of the back of a van. Tours of campus and museums will add a variety of experiences.

Contact info:
The Pennsylvania State University
200 West Park Avenue
State College, PA, PA 16803 USA
phone: 800-233-7505
web: www.pshs.psu.edu/nittanylioninn/nlhome.asp

Room amenities: The rooms are fully equipped with air conditioning, private baths, coffee machines, and hair dryers.

Facility amenities: Nittany Lion Inn offers the finest in cuisine and casual fare awaits you in Whiskers Courtyard and Lounge. Unwind in a modern spa with fitness equipment and Jacuzzi.

Smoking policy: Yes
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $81.00 per night
Subject to hotel room availability

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Day Three: Tuesday, June 18 - Stars/Black Holes/Wormholes/Phases of the Moon 
Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the Nittany Lion Inn.

Morning: Learn about the birth and evolution of stars

Lunch: Buffet Lunch at the Nittany Lion Inn

Afternoon: Enjoy 4 lectures this afternoon: Black Holes and Wormholes; Gravity Waves and Black Holes; The Planetarium; Phases of the Moon

Dinner: Dinner on your own to enjoy at one of the local cafes or restaurants of the area.

Evening: Night viewing, if needed.

Lodging: Nittany Lion Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Close [ x ]
Type: Full Service Hotel

 Description: Participants stay at the charming Nittany Lion Inn on-campus, a historic National Trust hotel. With the elegance of colonial New England, The Inn exudes tradition while offering today's amenities. Buffet dinners and breakfasts offer sumptuous classic cuisine. You will enjoy walking around the beautifully landscaped campus this time of year. Many landmarks, museums and exhibits are open for your exploration. Program excludes one dinner. Participants can choose from local restaurants in quaint, downtown State College Campus. We will help organize groups and transportation for those interested. Walking is expected. The hotel van is available for those preferring a ride, though participants must be able to get in and out of the back of a van. Tours of campus and museums will add a variety of experiences.

Contact info:
The Pennsylvania State University
200 West Park Avenue
State College, PA, PA 16803 USA
phone: 800-233-7505
web: www.pshs.psu.edu/nittanylioninn/nlhome.asp

Room amenities: The rooms are fully equipped with air conditioning, private baths, coffee machines, and hair dryers.

Facility amenities: Nittany Lion Inn offers the finest in cuisine and casual fare awaits you in Whiskers Courtyard and Lounge. Unwind in a modern spa with fitness equipment and Jacuzzi.

Smoking policy: Yes
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $81.00 per night
Subject to hotel room availability

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Day Four: Wednesday, June 19 - Galaxy Classification/ The Big Bang Theory 
Breakfast: Buffet Breakfast at the Nittany Lion Inn.

Morning: Tour and Brief History of the Universe

Lunch: Box lunch & informal discussions – 530 Davey Lab

Afternoon: Enjoy 3 Lectures this afternoon: 3-D Tour of the Universe; Galaxy Classification; Tips for Buying a Telepscope

Dinner: Buffet dinner in the Nittany Lion Inn

Evening: Night viewing, if needed

Lodging: Nittany Lion Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Close [ x ]
Type: Full Service Hotel

 Description: Participants stay at the charming Nittany Lion Inn on-campus, a historic National Trust hotel. With the elegance of colonial New England, The Inn exudes tradition while offering today's amenities. Buffet dinners and breakfasts offer sumptuous classic cuisine. You will enjoy walking around the beautifully landscaped campus this time of year. Many landmarks, museums and exhibits are open for your exploration. Program excludes one dinner. Participants can choose from local restaurants in quaint, downtown State College Campus. We will help organize groups and transportation for those interested. Walking is expected. The hotel van is available for those preferring a ride, though participants must be able to get in and out of the back of a van. Tours of campus and museums will add a variety of experiences.

Contact info:
The Pennsylvania State University
200 West Park Avenue
State College, PA, PA 16803 USA
phone: 800-233-7505
web: www.pshs.psu.edu/nittanylioninn/nlhome.asp

Room amenities: The rooms are fully equipped with air conditioning, private baths, coffee machines, and hair dryers.

Facility amenities: Nittany Lion Inn offers the finest in cuisine and casual fare awaits you in Whiskers Courtyard and Lounge. Unwind in a modern spa with fitness equipment and Jacuzzi.

Smoking policy: Yes
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $81.00 per night
Subject to hotel room availability

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Day Five: Thursday, June 20 - Discussion and Observation 
Breakfast: Buffet Breakfast at the Nittany Lion Inn.

Morning: Lecture: The Big Bang and Dark Energy.

Lunch: Buffet lunch at the Nittany Lion Inn

Afternoon: Enjoy 2 lectures this afternoon, followed by an open discussion: Asteroid Impacts; Science, Religion and the Nature of Existence.

Dinner: Buffet Dinner Nittany Lion Inn

Evening: Astro Jeopardy!

Lodging: Nittany Lion Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day Six: Friday, June 21 - Wrap-up/ Departures 
Breakfast: Breakfast Buffet at the Nittany Lion Inn with the professors.

Morning: Wrap-up and Q&A with the instructors.

Meals Included: Breakfast


Free Time Opportunities


University Park/State College, PA
Palmer Museum of ArtExplore a world of art. Included are American and European paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, and sculptures; contemporary European and Japanese ceramics; Asian ceramics, jades, painting, and prints; and objects from ancient European, African and near Eastern cultures.
For additional information, visit: www.psu.edu/dept/palmermuseum/
Historical MarkersWhile walking around campus, keep your eyes open for these blue and white signs calling attention to the University’s rich tradition of achievement in higher education and service to society. They commemorate events and locations of broad importance to the intellectual and scientific development of Penn State as one of America’s leading public universities.
For additional information, visit: www.psu.edu/ur/about/markers.html/
Penn State All Sports MuseumThe museum is a a two-level 10,000 -square-foot tribute to Penn State's winning spirit. The inspirational story of men's and women's sports at Penn State is shown in dramatic visuals that virtually cover the walls floor to ceiling. Surrounding you are larger-than-life action photographs, many of them are rare archival images.
For additional information, visit: GoPSUSports.com
CreameryBen and Jerry learned to make ice cream here! Most visitors to the Creamery at Penn State know only of its famous ice cream, sherbet, and cheeses, but what they don't know is that it is the largest university creamery in the nation. Each year approximately 4.5 million pounds of milk pass through the Creamery's stainless steel holding tanks. About half comes from a 225-cow herd at the University's Dairy Production Research Center, and the rest is purchased from an independent milk producer.Take a self-guided tour of the creamery or try a scoop in a flavor that only Penn State offers, including Peachy Paterno and WPSX Coffee Break. The Creamery recently moved from their present location since 1948 into aa brand new Food Science building with a spacious cafe and shop, east on Curtin Road. M-F 7am-11pm
For additional information, visit: www.creamery.psu.edu/
Nittany Lion ShrineA wooded area just east of The Nittany Lion Inn is the Nittany Lion Shrine, home to Penn State's famous mascot, the Nittany Lion. The Nittany Lion became Penn State's athletic symbol in 1904 when Harrison D. "Joe" Mason, confronted at a Princeton-Penn State baseball game by Princeton's Bengal tiger, responded with quick wit that Penn State's Nittany Mountain Lion was the "fiercest beast of them all." He eventually was successful in persuading the student body to accept the animal as its mascot. The Nittany Lion Shrine is one of the most photographed spots on campus. Location: Northern tip of Burrows Rd.
For additional information, visit: www.psu.edu/ouic/orientation100/T5/lionshrine.html/
Old MainView the famous frescoes in the foyer, painted by mural artist Henry Varnum Poor in 1940 and 1949, and funded initially by class gifts. Using earphones just inside the front doors, and at three other locations, you can hear the frescoes described. They depict the founding, aspirations and labor of this original Land-Grant University in Pennsylvania, following Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862. The Act, and the universities it helped to establish, first brought higher education within reach for the sons and daughters of the working classes. The "new" Old Main, designed by Charles Klauder in a Federal Revival style, incorporates much stone from the older building, especially along the corners. A large portion of this stone originally came from a quarry along present-day College Avenue. The front portico is supported by eight giant columns and the six-story bell tower-open to the public several times a year-affords a fine view of campus and the surrounding countryside. The clock in the tower is a gift of the Class of 1904 and is an artifact of the first Old Main. The Westminster chimes that sound on the quarter-hour were presented by the Class of 1937. Location: Pollock Road, west of the HUB. Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F
Matson Museum of AnthropologyThrough objects, photographs and text, current exhibits portray everyday life of men and women in South America, Africa, New Guinea, and Asia. Displays of archaeological artifacts depict the activities of past peoples in North America and Mesoamerica. Other exhibits explore human biological diversity from 5 million years ago to the present. The museum shop sells baskets, jewelry, toys, and other crafts from around the world. Location: second floor of the Carpenter Building, in the northwest corner of campus, just east of The Nittany Lion Inn, on the way to the Nittany Lion Shrine. Hours: usually open Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 4:00, though hours vary during the summer.
For additional information, visit: www.anthro.psu.edu/mat_mus/index1.html/
HUB-Robeson GalleriesRotating exhibits in three galleries and several lounges in the Hetzel Union Building, and the Robeson Gallery, off of Pollock Road, west of Shortlidge in the center of campus. The HUB is open all the time.
For additional information, visit: www.sa.psu.edu/usa/galleries/
Frost Entomological MuseumBugs! Insect and related arthropod collections are housed at Frost Museum, a vital university facility, biodiversity library, repository for research materials, and a research center. The Museum makes insect biodiversity accessible to the general public through displays for the casual visitor, and groups. Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30am until 4:30pm. Location: Head House III on Curtin Road, half way between Shortlidge and Bigler roads.
For additional information, visit: www.ento.psu.edu/home/Frost
Earth & Mineral Sciences Museum and Art GalleryThe Earth & Mineral Sciences Museum at the Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, is a unique mineral museum. Our main gallery display includes displays of fine minerals such as azurite and "velvet" malachite from Bisbee, Arizona, and amazonite crystals from the Pikes' Peak, Colorado, area. In addition to collections of rocks, minerals, and fossils totaling more than 22,000 specimens, the Museum maintains collections of glasses, ceramics, metals, plastics, synthetic materials, old mining and scientific equipment, and archaeological artifacts. Many of these specimens are on display while the others are available for research and educational purposes. The country's most extensive collection of paintings and sculpture depicting mining and related industries is on display in the Museum. Also, the Museum houses the world's most extensive collection of mineral properties exhibits. These "push-button" electro-mechanical exhibits demonstrating dozens of the electrical, optical, and physical properties of minerals and materials such as fluorescence, radioactivity, magnetism, conductivity, flexibility, triboluminescence, piezoelectricity, double refraction, resistivity, and much more. Other displays include a collection of more than 100 mine safety lamps and scientific instruments and specimens belonging to Frederick Augustus Genth, the famous mineralogist. The Museum serves both as a teaching tool for University courses and as an educational institution, bringing to the general public an appreciation for minerals, mining, and the materials sciences. Stop in for a visit soon! Location: 112 Steidle Bldg., Pollock Rd. Free Admission. Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m
For additional information, visit: www.ems.psu.edu/Museum/
University-Wide CalendarLook up what’s happening, what’s playing and what’s on display on-campus on any particular day: www.events.psu.edu/cgi-bin/cal/webevent.cgi
For additional information, visit: www.events.psu.edu/cgi-bin/cal/webevent.cgi
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Important information about your itinerary:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date.
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•5 nights of accommodations
•13 meals: 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners
•10 Expert-led lectures
•1 Field trips
•1 Hands-on experiences
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