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, 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.

NOTE FOR ALL MEALS: Menus are contracted for the program and are designed to offer balanced, healthy meals for the participants.

Since meals are served in a group setting, it is difficult to adjust to individual dietary requests. If you are unable to eat what is on the regular menu, a vegetarian alternative is available, if not already part of the menu. Since alternative meal arrangements have to be made in advance, please indicate your need for a vegetarian entree on the enclosed Health & Safety Form. If you have other dietary concerns, you can order (at your own expense) from a different menu.

Enjoy the remainder of the evening getting to know your fellow participants and discovering what you share beyond a love of lifelong learning.

Enjoy an award-winning cuisine reflecting dishes of the regional villages of Mexico. Guests are served in a festive indoor dining room or colorful outdoor patio enhanced by enchanting gardens, tile fountains, strolling mariachis and, of course, giant frothy margaritas and handmade tortillas.

We'll stop first at Oceanside to visit the California Surf Museum for a look at the history and culture of surfing in California.

CLASS: During lunch, listen to a brief history of the Laguna Beach Art Colony.

After lunch, take time to explore downtown Laguna Beach where you'll find a casual walking environment in which you can explore galleries and one-of-a-kind shops along Forest and Ocean Aves.

FIELD TRIP: After checking into your stateroom, join our Behind-the-Scenes Guided Walk which offers a deeper look into the ship's history, from her construction and launch to her days as a passenger vessel and troopship.

Father and son proprietors George and Demitri Loizides welcome you to a little piece of Greece in Southern California. George's experience encompasses 48 years in the deli and market area while son Demitri has spent over 28 years in the restaurant business--a winning combination.

After arriving in Avalon, board the bus for an introduction to the town of Avalon. Discover the enchantment of Avalon everywhere you turn on this delightful 7-1/2 mile journey along the beachfront, up the hillsides, and through the heart of town. See postcard-perfect views and colorful local spots as our guide provides interesting Catalina Island highlights and history.

The Promenade Cafe offers American favorites in a casual dining experience.

The instructor presents highlights of J.Paul Getty's antiquities collection at the Getty Villa.

Oil magnate J. Paul Getty used some of his vast wealth to amass an incredible art and antiquities collection, first displayed in his ranch house on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. In the early 70s, he had a Romanesque villa constructed next to his house to be a permanent museum for his collection. The Malibu Villa, modeled after the partially excavated Villa dei Papiri in Italy, became the home of the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1974.

In 1997 the Getty Villa was closed and the collection was relocated to the new hill-top Getty Center in Brentwood (Los Angeles). After a nine-year, $275 million renovation and expansion, the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa re-opened as a home to the Museum's Antiquities Collection. The Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities are arranged by themes including Gods and Goddesses, Dionysos and the Theater, and Stories of the Trojan War, housed within Roman-inspired architecture and surrounded by Roman-style gardens.

Includes a 45-minute private, guided walk of the Architecture and Gardens of the Getty Villa.

For your self-exploration, pick up a copy of 'Today at the Getty Villa', which lists the day's programs, in the Entry Pavilion. Enhance your gallery experience with a Getty Guide audio player, available for $5 at the Pick-Up Desk on Floor 1 of the Museum. The player features commentary from curators and conservators on over 150 works from the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa.

The Cafe at the Getty Villa serves casual Mediterranean fare and has indoor and outdoor seating. Menu choices include salads, soups, panini, pizzas, pastas, vegetables, and desserts.

The Espresso Cart near the Cafe entrance offers coffee and espresso drinks and bottled beverages, as well as homemade soup, hot and cold sandwiches, to-go salads, and a selection of baked goods and desserts.

The "Queen of the Missions" was founded by Spanish Franciscan friars in 1786. The 10th of California's 21 missions, this is the only one to be continuously occupied and used since its founding. Explore eight restored rooms, cloister gardens, chapel, historic cemetary and beautiful Moorish fountains and courtyard.

Our guide is a local wine expert who has participated in every step of the winegrowing/winemaking process from pruning through picking, de-stemming, crushing, pressing, fermenting, maturing, racking, bottling and, of course, drinking.

Our first stop, Los Olivos, is a charming historic town of 1,000 residents noted for its eclectic art galleries, wine tasting, unique shopping, epicurean restaurant opportunities, and antiques.

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE: At Global Gardens, Theo Stephen, proprietess will educate us on the many nuances of Extra Virgin Olive Oil as we taste a variety of olive oil samples.

FIELD TRIP: Hearst Castle Visitor Center

Exhibits located in the Visitor Center offer guests an insightful look into the Castle, its architect Julia Morgan, and its owner W.R. Hearst.

On the Grand Rooms Tour, travel back in time and experience what it was like to be a guest at The Enchanted Hill, known today as Hearst Castle, one of California's top attractions.

In Casa Grande, the main house, four rooms on the ground floor are shown starting with the Assembly Room, largest of the 14 sitting rooms and once the gathering place for Hearst's guests. Next, you will visit the Refectory, the only dining room on the Enchanted Hill and then the Billiard Room, a game room featuring two 1920s era billiard tables and including the Gothic mille fleurs tapestry. The final stop is the Theater, the largest room in Casa Grande.

At the end of the guided porton of your tour, stroll on your own through the gardens and wander at your lesiure around the Neptune Pool, a Greco-Roman style outdoor pool, and the Roman Pool, an indoor pool lined with blue Venetian glass and gold tiles.

Gael Gallagher, our local guide and naturalist, will meet us and provide a brief introduction to Monterey.

The program schedule is subject to change, so please check with the information desk when you arrive for current show times. Programs are free with Aquarium admission.

The Cafe features pizza, pasta, ethnic specialties made to order and a wide variety of ready-made sandwiches and salad entrees. Vegetarian meals, daily specials and juicy hamburgers are made at the grill. Beverages, beer, wine and desserts are also served.

Alcatraz Island offers a close-up look at the site of the first lighthouse and U.S.-built fort on the West Coast, the infamous federal penitentiary long off-limits to the public, and the 18 month occupation by Indians of All Tribes which saved the tribes. Rich in history, there is also a natural side to the Rock - gardens, tide pools, bird colonies, and bay views beyond compare.

Per Golden Gate National Recreation Area policies, the value of this tour is $26 for adults and students over the age of 11. Discounts provided for children 11 and under and seniors 62 and over. This cost is included in program cost.

In San Francisco there are limitless opportunities for sight-seeing. Our program will keep you busy, but this afternoon you have a few hours of free time for personal exploration.