Baseball & the Land of Giants: San Francisco With Your Grandchild

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration: 3:00-4:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, other important information, and to confirm when and where the orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation: 4:00 p.m. The group leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This is a Road Scholar intergenerational program. Grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren and everyone participates in activities together. Travel and transfers will be by private motorcoach and public transportation. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The group leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At 5:45 p.m. in the hotel

Evening: After dinner, we'll be treated to a presentation by a local baseball coach.

Activity note: Getting on/off public transportation and Alcatraz ferry; walking up to 2 miles total. Ramp to board Alcatraz ferry, 20 minute ride to Alcatraz Island. Walking up to one mile including steep hill (equaling four stories) from Alcatraz dock to penitentiary; tram available only for those unable to walk up/down the hill; uneven terrain.

Breakfast: At the hotel, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as eggs, pancakes, French toast, waffles, breakfast potatoes, breakfast meats, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal and grits, bakery selections, plus juice, milk, coffee.

Morning: We’ll take an iconic San Francisco streetcar to the Exploratorium at Pier 15 on the Embarcadero. This museum of science, art, and human perception opened in 1969 and has attracted millions of visitors since. Its programs connect formal education and learning for fun. The Exploratorium encourages people of all ages to follow their curiosity and ask questions that can lead to amazing moments of discovery, learning, awareness, and understanding of how the world works. As we explore, museum staff will give demonstrations and introduce hands-on activities.

Lunch: At the Exploratorium, we’ll have vouchers for food and a beverage.

Afternoon: We’ll walk from the Exploratorium to Pier 33 and board the ferry to Alcatraz. Alcatraz — “The Rock” — has been a Civil War fortress, bird sanctuary, first lighthouse on the West Coast, birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement, as well as the most infamous Federal penitentiary in the country. Upon arrival at the Alcatraz dock for our field trip, we will be greeted by a National Park Service ranger who will give a brief orientation, including information on any special activities available that day. The remainder of this field trip will be a self-guided exploration you can follow according to your own interests, at your own pace. National Park Service staff offer free programs to visitors throughout the day on topics such as escapes, military history, American Indian occupation, natural history, and more. There are numerous exhibits to see as well as a complimentary cell house audio tour covering the penitentiary era (1934-1963). At the conclusion of our field trip, we’ll return to the hotel versus public transportation.

Dinner: In the hotel.

Evening: After dinner we'll be treated to a presentation by a local baseball coach.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Potentially cool weather for outside evening ball game.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll depart via motorcoach to explore the home of the Giants ballpark, heralded as one of the finest sports stadiums in the world and the first privately financed major league ballpark in more than 50 years. With a member of the ballpark staff, we’ll go behind-the-scenes to see things up close including the dugout, visitors' indoor batting cage, press box, and a luxury suite.

Lunch: At the ballpark we’ll have boxed lunches with water.

Afternoon: Reboarding our motorcoach, we’ll head south to San Jose try our hands in the batting cages and pitching stations at one of the area’s best baseball academies. Bring your batting gloves and mitts, slugger! We’ll then transfer to San Jose Municipal Stadium, home of the San Jose Giants and the venue for our evening game.

Dinner: In a VIP box at the stadium, we’ll have vouchers for food and a beverage.

Evening: Sit back and enjoy minor league baseball at its finest. From our seats in the VIP box, watch a fast-paced game with the San Jose Giants.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Potentially cool weather for outside evening ball game.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: This morning we’ll head out to a local park to put our baseball skills to work. On a reserved baseball field at Parkside Square, we'll have the opportunity to play a game of our own. Bats, balls, and bases will be provided, but be sure to bring your own mitt and batting gloves.

Lunch: Boxed lunches will be provided after our baseball game.

Afternoon: Next, we’ll ride to San Francisco's most iconic landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge — exceptional for its length of 1.7 miles, 746-foot tall towers, sweeping cables, and Art Deco styling, flanked on each side by beautiful parks. Built in 1937, the Golden Gate hosts thousands of people and cars daily. Upon arrival, you may ride across or walk with the Group Leader. You are also free to visit the Golden Gate Bridge Pavilion with exhibits that tell fascinating stories such as the Halfway-to-Hell Club or sit and relax. Especially for kids: Movie trivia. The bridge has been featured in dozens of movies, from disaster epics to science fiction, action pics, and romances. One of the first was “The Maltese Falcon” in 1941 that your grandparents might have seen. One of the latest was “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” How many can you name? At the end of our exploration, we’ll return to the hotel with some time to freshen up and relax before returning to the Giants ballpark for dinner and our evening game.

Dinner: On your own at the ballpark.

Evening: Watch major league baseball action with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants originated in New York City in 1883 as the New York Gothams. In 1886, the name was changed to the New York Giants. In 1958, the team moved to the City by the Bay and became the San Francisco Giants.

Activity note: Hotel check-out is by 12:00 Noon.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet

Morning: We will have a brief wrap-up after breakfast to review our special week together. br>This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy all your Road Scholar learning adventures and we look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. We encourage you to join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!