Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Check into DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Francisco Airport after 3:00PM.

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.

Dinner: Dinner at hotel

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 program 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: ORIENTATION: We'll have an overview of the program ahead and review the up-to-date schedule, responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, any other administrative issues, and answer your questions. Please be aware that local circumstances may require adjusting program elements. In the event of changes, we will notify you as quickly as possible. We appreciate your understanding.

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: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Francisco Airport

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Board the motor coach for trip to Fresno.First stop is a guided visit to the Mission and State Park at San Juan Bautista. The park is part of a nationally recognized historic landmark adjacent to a portion of California's 15th Spanish era mission. This mission was one of four established in the summer of 1797 and the fifteenth of the twenty-one missions in Alta, California

Lunch: Lunch in San Juan Bautista

Afternoon: Continue our trip with a stop at San Luis Reservoir, beginning our exploration of water issues in California. The dam was constructed as a storage reservoir for the federal Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project. It stores runoff water from the Delta that would otherwise flow into the ocean.

The popular Casa de Fruta which began in 1908 with the planting of orchards by immigrants from Italy and is now a unique business operated by the same family.

Dinner: Dinner at hotel

Evening: An Evening with John Muir

Lodging: Holiday Inn Fresno

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: We begin our field trip to Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks with our knowledgeable on-board instructor. We visit the General Sherman Tree and Grant Grove. Sequoia was established on September 25, 1890. It spans 404,063 acres, encompassing a vertical relief of nearly 13,000 feet with the highest point in the lower 48 states, Mount Whitney. The park is south of and contiguous with Kings Canyon National Park.

Lunch: Picnic lunch at Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park

Afternoon: We continue our field trip in Kings Canyon National Park. Although Congress created these two parks at different times, Sequoia and Kings Canyon share miles of boundary and are managed as one park. Sequoia was the second national park designated in this country. General Grant National Park, the forerunner of Kings Canyon, was third.

Dinner: Dinner at hotel

Lodging: Holiday Inn Fresno

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Board the motor coach for trip to Yosemite National Park.

Lunch: Lunch at the historic Wawona Hotel. The Wawona Hotel, a National Historic Landmark, rests upon verdant meadows and beside rushing streams. The tranquility of this Victorian-style lodge in Yosemite makes it a favorite of those who prefer a relaxed environment and the gracious charm of a bygone era.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: After lunch we continue to Yosemite Valley with an on-board guide and stop at Tunnel View, the ultimate Yosemite overlook. This popular spot is the most photographed view of the valley. It received its name because it is the first view of the valley after exiting the mile long Wawona Tunnel.

Dinner: Dinner at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls Food Court. Dinner coupon will have an $18 value. Purchases over $18 will be an out-of-pocket expense of the individual.

Evening: After dinner, check into Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal.

Lodging: Yosemite View Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at The River Restaurant, Yosemite View Lodge

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Our on-board instructor leads us on a field trip through Yosemite Valley which is world-famous for its impressive waterfalls, cliffs and unusual rock formations.

First stop is El Capitan Meadow for a straight up view of El Capitan, a favorite for experienced rock climbers. Rising more than 3,000 feet above the Valley floor, it is the largest monolith of granite in the world.

Second stop is Bridalveil Fall for a walk to the base of the falls.

Lunch: Lunch provided.

Afternoon: Return to Yosemite Valley and visit the Visitor's Center, Yosemite Museum, the Ansel Adams Gallery, take a hike on you own or join the instructor for a hike to Mirror Lake.

Dinner: Dinner at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls Food Court. Dinner coupon will have an $18 value. Purchases over $18 will be an out-of-pocket expense of the individual.

After dinner, return to Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal.

Lodging: Yosemite View Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at The River Restaurant, Yosemite Viewl Lodge

Morning: FIELD TRIP: We board the motor coach and begin our trip across Yosemite's high country over Tioga Pass (el. 9,943 ft.) which serves as the eastern entry point for Yosemite National Park. It is the highest highway pass in California and in the Sierra Nevada. The view from Olmsted Point looks southwest into Yosemite. Tenaya Lake offers an opportunity to stretch our legs and take in the gorgeous views from its shore. We continue through Tuolumne Meadows, a gentle, dome-studded section along the Tuolumne River.

Lunch: Picnic lunch near Tuolumne Meadows

Afternoon: After lunch, we leave Yosemite and descend the eastern slope of the Sierra to Mono Lake. Mono Lake is an oasis in the dry Great Basin and a vital habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds. Mono Lake is unique. For starters, it's old--at least 700,000 years old and one of the oldest continuously existing lakes on the continent. Fed by huge glaciers during the last Ice Age, Mono Lake was 60 times larger than the 66 square miles it covers today. Mono Lake is naturally salty and alkaline because it has no outlet. The only way water leaves is via evaporation.

We continue to Carson City, Nevada's territorial and state capital, which has a rich and colorful frontier past. Carson City was founded as a community in 1858, seven years after the first settlement of Eagle Station trading post in 1851. Carson City is named for the famous frontiersman and scout Christopher "Kit" Carson.

Dinner: Dinner provided

Evening: Free time to explore Carson City

Lodging: Carson City Plaza Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at Plaza Hotel

Morning: Free morning to write postcards or do laundry either at the hotel or at a local laundromat with transportation provided by the bus.

Lunch: We have a full buffet lunch at the Nugget Casino.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Visit the Nevada State Museum which was originally erected in 1870 as the U.S. Mint, and coined more than $49,000,000 until 1893. Now a museum, it hosts about 250,000 visitors each year.

Then it's on to Virginia City, one of the largest National Historical Landmarks in the country. The city held the attention of the world with its mining industry for more than half a century, pouring over $700 million in gold and silver into an ever-expanding nation.

During the last 20 years of the 19th century, Piper's Opera House served as one of the centers of cultural activity in the Comstock and the West. Fourth Ward School is the last school standing of its kind. Follow students’ footsteps through the authentically preserved 1876 Victorian school building. Sit in the same wooden desks as the children and teachers did from 1876 to 1936.

Dinner: Dinner at local restaurant

Evening: CLASS: Meet the author of a definitive book on the Donner Party who shares their dramatic story with us.

Lodging: Carson City Plaza Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lake Tahoe/Taylor Creek/Mt. Tallac Historic Sit/Cruise on Lake Tahoe/Heavenly Valley Gondola ride

Breakfast: Breakfast at Plaza Hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Board the motor coach for Lake Tahoe Basin. Meet our instructor at Taylor Creek to observe the Taylor Creek Stream Chamber and to visit the Mt. Tallac Historic Site.

Lunch: At Zephyr Cove, board the Dixie Queen for a buffet lunch.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Tahoe's classic blue skies, deeper blue lake, snow-capped mountains, alpine forests and the area's wide array of cultural and historical riches are among the great sightseeing pleasures of the world. The cruise on the Dixie Queen takes us across the lake to famous Emerald Bay.

Complete our exploration of the Tahoe Basin with a gondola ride at Heavenly Valley for a spectacular view of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Dinner: Buffet dinner at a hotel at the lake

Lodging: Carson City Plaza Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at Plaza Hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Board the motor coach for the trip to Lassen National Park. To visit Lassen Volcanic National Park is to witness a brief moment in the ancient battle between the earth shaping forces of creation and destruction in Northern California. Although Lassen is primarily known for its volcanic geology, the park boasts a rich diversity of plant and animal life.

Lunch: Lunch at cafe in Lassen National Park

Afternoon: We continue our drive through the park, stopping at the Loomis Museum for a ranger lecture and to view exhibits. B.F. Loomis documented Lassen Peak's most recent eruption cycle and promoted the park's establishment. Artifacts and photographs of the 1914-1915 eruption are on display in the Loomis Museum. You may wish to take an optional walk on the nearby Lily Pond Nature Trail, an easy 1 mile round trip.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant

Evening: FIELD TRIP: Visit Turtle Bay Park and Sundial Bridge. The Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay crosses the Sacramento River in the heart of Redding. Opened July 4, 2004, the bridge links the north and south campuses of Turtle Bay Exploration Park. In addition to being a functional work of art, the Sundial Bridge is a technical marvel as well. Renowned Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava conceived the Sundial Bridge’s unusual design, his first free-standing bridge in the United States.

Lodging: Red Lion Inn Hotel Redding

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: If time permits we'll revisit Sundial Bridge for daytime photo opportunity then continue to Shasta Dam where we meet our guide and explore the dam. Shasta Dam is a curved gravity concrete dam on the Sacramento River above Redding built between 1938 and 1945. Like another curved gravity dam (Hoover Dam), it was a continuous pour concrete project, and in its day, ranked as one of the great civil engineering feats of the world. We depart and continue west to Weaverville, a historic Gold Rush town, nestled at the base of the magnificent Trinity Alps Wilderness area. The Old West did live large in Weaverville with gunfights, saloons and even bank robberies by notorious figures like Black Bart.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: There will be some time to stroll the streets and visit the J.J. Jackson Memorial Museum. Artifacts include mining equipment, Indian displays, Chinese exhibits, old bottles, early kitchen utensils used by the county's first settlers, and the memorabilia that reflect the area's gold mining roots. The museum’s collection provides the visitor an intimate look at all phases of the county’s rich history. We board the motor coach to continue our trip through the Trinity Alps to Eureka on the California Coast.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant

Evening: Optional walk to Carson Mansion in historic Old Town Eureka. It is one of the most written about and photographed Victorian houses in California, and perhaps in the United States.

Lodging: Red Lion Hotel Eureka

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Board the motor coach for the field trip to Redwood National Park and Prairie Creek State Park with our knowledgeable local on-board instructor. Our first stop is the Visitor's Center at Redwood National Park to view a film and exhibits. The ancient coast redwood ecosystem preserved in the parks contains some of the planet's most majestic forests. Prairie Creek State Park was set aside in the early 1920’s and is a sanctuary of old growth coast redwood. We'll hope to spot some of the Roosevelt elk who call the park and this northern California area their home.

Lunch: Picnic lunch in a scenic setting

Afternoon: Field trip continues to Patrick's Point State Park, with dense forests of spruce, hemlock, pine, fir and red alder stretching over an ocean headland. Visit the recreated Yurok seasonal village - "Sumêg" - consisting of traditional style family houses, a sweat house, changing houses, a redwood canoe, and a dance house.

On the return to Eureka, we'll visit picturesque Trinidad Harbor. Trinidad is California's smallest incorporated city (in 2000 the population was 311) and is noted for its spectacular coastline and remarkable offshore rocks.

Dinner: Dinner at Samoa Cookhouse, the last surviving cookhouse in the West, serving food - lumber camp style!

Evening: After dinner there’ll be time to look at all the pictures and exhibits chronicling the lumber industry that's so important to this area.

Lodging: Red Lion Hotel Eureka

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Board the motor coach to travel to Ferndale and step back in time and view the magnificently preserved Victorian architecture. On the National Register of Historic Places, Ferndale's Main Street is a photographer's paradise.

We continue to Humboldt Redwoods State Park where we meet our guide for a short walk in the redwoods. Located along the Eel River, Humboldt Redwoods State Park contains some of the world's most majestic ancient redwood groves.

Lunch: We eat our picnic lunch on the deck at the Visitor's Center surrounded by the beautiful redwoods.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: We board the motor coach to head for Mendocino. After a stop at the Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree we turn west to the California coast and travel south on breath-taking Hwy. 1 to Mendocino. Despite its small size, the town's scenic location on a headland surrounded by the Pacific Ocean has made it extremely popular as an artist colony and with vacationers. Many of its early settlers were New Englanders, as was true with many older Northern California towns. Its economy declined after 1940, and it became a somewhat isolated village until discovered by the region's art community. It has been the setting for numerous films including "Same Time Next Year" and "The Russians Are Coming" as well as the popular TV series "Murder She Wrote."

Dinner: Dinner in Garden Room, Mendocino Hotel

Evening: CLASS: Local expert presents a class on the Pomo Indians of the area.

Lodging: Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at Mendocino Hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: We board the motor coach for the field trip. First stop is the Pt. Cabrillo Lighthouse. Because of the increased demand to ship lumber to San Francisco after the destruction in 1906, Congress appropriated $50,000 for a lighthouse on Point Cabrillo.

Next stop is the Botanical Garden which is the only public garden in the continental U.S. that sits directly on the Pacific Ocean. The mild maritime climate makes it a garden for all seasons, attracting gardeners and nature lovers alike.

Lunch: Picnic lunch allows you to explore the gardens at your leisure.

Afternoon: After lunch we return to Mendocino where you may choose to walk along the headlands, visit the two museums or stroll the small town streets to visit galleries and interesting shops.

Dinner: Dinner in Garden Room, Mendocino Hotel

Evening: A local musician entertains us with an evening of music.

Lodging: Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cross Golden Gate Bridge/Return to San Francisco Airport and DoubleTree Hotel/Independent Departures

Breakfast: Breakfast at Mendocino Hotel

Morning: Board the motor coach for the return trip to San Francisco.

Lunch: Lunch en route to SFO and Burlingame

Afternoon: Program ends after the drop off at San Francisco Airport at approximately 3:00PM, followed by the return to the DoubleTree Hotel in Burlingame. The return time of 3:00PM at SFO is not guaranteed.

This concludes the program. We hope you have enjoyed our 'California National Park Medley: From Giant Sequoias to Coast Redwoods' program and will join us for other rewarding adventures in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch