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California

The Best of California: The Reagan Library to the Channel Islands

Program No. 14491RJ
Experience it all on this comprehensive exploration of California. Savor great cuisine, explore National Parks, visit renowned museums and enjoy insightful lectures along the way!

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Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Feb 25 - Mar 1, 2024
Starting at
1,999
May 5 - May 10, 2024
Starting at
1,999
Sep 15 - Sep 20, 2024
Starting at
1,999
Dec 28 - Jan 2, 2025
Starting at
2,549
Itinerary Note

This program includes a full-day field trip to Rose Parade, with reserved bleacher seats on Colorado Boulevard and post-parade float viewing in place of Getty Center.

DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Feb 25 - Mar 1, 2024
Starting at
2,379
Filling Fast!
May 5 - May 10, 2024
Starting at
2,379
Filling Fast!
Sep 15 - Sep 20, 2024
Starting at
2,379
Dec 28 - Jan 2, 2025
Starting at
3,049
Itinerary Note

This program includes a full-day field trip to Rose Parade, with reserved bleacher seats on Colorado Boulevard and post-parade float viewing in place of Getty Center.

At a Glance

Experience California’s diverse cultural and natural wonders. View J. Paul Getty’s extensive art collection at the J. Paul Getty Museum, go hiking on the Channel Islands and sit in the peaceful courtyards at the historic mission of Santa Barbara. Insights gained through lectures and visits will give you a full picture of California culture.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles per day on uneven city streets most days, standing up to two hours on field trips. On day trip to Channel Islands, walking on uneven, dirt trails with options of walking two to five miles. Field trips included in the itinerary require traveling on LA freeways, be prepared to experience some traffic during the week.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Learn about the history of the Santa Barbara mission during a docent-led exploration of the landmark.
  • Board Air Force One at the Reagan Presidential Library.
  • Enjoy a leisurely hike on one of the islands that is part of the Channel Islands National Park.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Margery Spielman
Margery Spielman is an accomplished environmental artist, lecturer, naturalist and professional diver. As a scuba instructor and stunt diver, she worked underwater on numerous television productions and for many years, worked on freelance assignments for The Cousteau Society, doing research, logistics, diving, speaking and illustrating. Described as a visionary realist, she’s exhibited her artwork in major Marine Art Expos from Hawaii to Paris. For over 25 years, Margery’s been the leading Naturalist in Road Scholar’s Channel Islands programs.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Margery Spielman
Margery Spielman View biography
Margery Spielman is an accomplished environmental artist, lecturer, naturalist and professional diver. As a scuba instructor and stunt diver, she worked underwater on numerous television productions and for many years, worked on freelance assignments for The Cousteau Society, doing research, logistics, diving, speaking and illustrating. Described as a visionary realist, she’s exhibited her artwork in major Marine Art Expos from Hawaii to Paris. For over 25 years, Margery’s been the leading Naturalist in Road Scholar’s Channel Islands programs.
Profile Image of Donna Granata
Donna Granata View biography
Donna Granata is the founder and executive director of Focus on the Masters (FOTM), a highly respected nonprofit archive and educational program documenting contemporary artists. An accomplished artist in her own right, Granata is an internationally published portrait photographer. Her photographs have been displayed across the United States. Selected works from her FOTM portrait series are housed in the Smithsonian's Archive of American Artists; in the photographic collection of the George Eastman Museum and other public institutions housing the personal archives of the artists documented.
Profile Image of Walt Agajanian
Walt Agajanian View biography
Born and raised in Southern California, Walt Agajanian left California to see other parts of the country and ended up in college at the University of Wyoming, intended to be a high school science teacher. Returning to California, Walt changed his plans and went into business. Having had a passion for history as well as science, he eventually decided to enroll at California State University, Northridge for a second bachelor’s and a master’s degree in history. He now teaches history at Ventura College.
Profile Image of Susan Morris
Susan Morris View biography
Susan Morris has been conducting historical research involving the Channel Islands since 1987. With a bachelor’s in journalism and a certificate in archaeology, she has participated in field studies on seven of the eight Channel Islands. She was the principal investigator of a cave-associated archaeology survey on Santa Rosa Island. Passionate about solving historical mysteries, her focus of the past eight years has been historical research for the Island of the Blue Dolphins website hosted by Channel Islands National Park.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Natural History of the Islands of California
by Allan A. Schoenherr (Author), C. Robert Feldmeth (Author), Michael J. Emerson (Author), David Mooney (Illustrator)
Islands have always been fascinating places, their separateness evoking a sense of mystery and inspiring a yearning for exploration. California's islands are unique evolutionary laboratories, places where plants and animals have grown and interacted in isolation for millions of years. This comprehensive book discusses both the human and the natural history of the islands of California, including all eight Channel Islands, Año Nuevo, the Farallons, and the islands of San Francisco Bay. It is also useful as a field guide for visitors, and details on reaching the islands are contained in the first chapter. The authors explore the formation of the islands; discuss the history of human habitation, beginning with the Native Americans who first visited the islands 12,000 years ago; and provide a thorough introduction to the marine and terrestrial biotas of the islands. The authors also discuss past damage and ongoing threats to island ecosystems, including devastation caused by the introduction of non-native animals and plants. Large herbivorous animals in particular have caused considerable damage, since island plants evolved in the absence of herbivores and therefore have no defenses against them.
The Golden Shore, California's Love Affair With the Sea
by David Helvarg
In this eminently readable and well-researched tribute, Helvarg, an environmental journalist and filmmaker, considers the crosscurrents of culture, history, economy and myth that come together on the state’s golden shores.
Justinian Caire and Santa Cruz Island: The Rise and Fall of a California Dynasty
by Frederic Caire Chiles
One of the fabled Channel Islands of Southern California, Santa Cruz was once the largest privately owned island off the coast of the continental United States. This multifaceted account traces the island’s history from its aboriginal Chumash population to its acquisition by The Nature Conservancy at the end of the twentieth century. The heart of the book, however, is a family saga: the story of French émigré Justinian Caire and his descendants, who owned and occupied the island for more than fifty years. The author, descended from Caire, uses family archives unavailable to earlier historians to recount the full, previously untold story. The author looks at the family’s daily life on the island from the mid-nineteenth into the twentieth century. This epic contains tragic elements, as well. Family diaries and letters enable Chiles to tell the story of an intensely private clan and its struggle to hold an island dynasty together.
President Reagan The Role of a Lifetime
by Lou Cannon
This book by a veteran reporter of Ronald Reagan's political career is one of the best Reagan biographies.
The J. Paul Getty Museum Handbook of the Collection
by Timothy Potts
Prepared by the museum, this illustrated handbook to the J. Paul Getty Museum provides a comprehensive overview of the collection as well as a history of both the museum and its founder.
California's Channel Islands: A History
by Frederic Caire Chiles
The Channel Islands, a string of eight islands off the coast of Southern California, are home to stunning landscapes and remarkable biodiversity. This scholarly work covers ecology as well as natural and human history.
Reagan: The Life
by H. W. Brands
The most recent biography of Ronald Reagan collects his story in detail in more than 800 pages. Brands argues that Reagan is one of the two great presidents of the 20th century, alongside FDR.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to California
by Peter Alden
A compact, easy-to-use guide to 1,000 California trees, wildflowers, mammals, insects, birds and other flora and fauna.
California Missions
by East View Press
This gorgeously tinted hand-drawn map displays California Missions in excellent detail.
As I See It: The Autobiography of J. Paul Getty
by J. Paul Getty
Santa Cruz Island: A History of Conflict and Diversity
by John Gherini
In this thorough history of the largest Channel Island, Gherini introduces the Chumash Indians who lived on the island in pre-Columbian times and details early European explorers and the Spanish-Mexican period, when the island became a haven for smugglers.
Images of America: The California Channel Islands
by Marla Daily (Santa Cruz Island Foundation)
Every day, thousands of Southern California residents see the California Channel Islands on the horizon, yet few can name all eight. Santa Catalina Island, third largest, is by far the best known. It is the only island with a city, Avalon, where dozens of hotels, shops, and restaurants await visitors year-round. Three of the islands are owned by the US Navy: San Clemente, San Nicolas, and San Miguel. Five islands fall within the boundaries of Channel Islands National Park: San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara Islands. Close to the mainland and yet worlds apart, scenic day trips and primitive camping opportunities are available on all five park islands. Cultural anthropologist and author Marla Daily of the Santa Cruz Island Foundation has spent her career researching the histories of all eight islands. The California Historical Society bestowed upon Daily its Distinguished Service Award for her extraordinary service and dedicated efforts in preserving Channel Islands history.
California the Beautiful
by Galen Rowell (Photographer)
Rowell's exquisite photographs are accompanied by excerpts from Joan Didion, M.F.K. Fisher, Jack London, William Saroyan and many other luminaries in this celebration of the nature and spirit of California.
Images of America: Ventura
by Glenda Jackson
Local historian Jackson covers the history of Ventura, California, from the dedication of Mission San Buenaventura to its present status as the Gateway to the Channel Islands and home to more than 100,000. Includes archival photos.
The Getty Center: Richard Meier & Partners
by Text by Michael Brawne
Photography: John Linden; Drawings: John Hewitt, Richard Meier & Partners. (Paperback)





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