Afternoon: Hotel check-in and Program Registration is from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Road Scholar orientation session begins at 4:00 p.m. Start off your Cleveland experience with an informative overview of the week to come, and a chance to meet our staff and your fellow participants. Pick up your folder which contains the schedule of program activities, meals, and suggested sites to visit during your stay, the list of fellow attendees, your name badge, and a map of the Cleveland area. The group leader will provide contact names and phone numbers of program leaders, define responsibilities of the hotel, and mention safety guidelines and emergency procedures. The group leader will orient you to the hotel location on maps and discuss program details. Late arriving attendees can pick up their packets at the hotel front desk. 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. Following orientation, we will be joined at 5:00 p.m. by a local expert for a lecture on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Dinner: Depart the hotel at 6:45PM for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant

Evening: At leisure to settle in and relax.

Activity note: Walking exploration using listening devices in afternoon

Breakfast: Help yourself to the full breakfast buffet served in the hotel daily from 6-9:30 AM, on the first floor.

Morning: This morning, you'll start the day with a lecture on Cleveland's history. A major industrial and commercial center on Lake Erie, Cleveland was one of the chief ports on the Great Lakes. Study the early days as a center for steel manufacturing through the current transformation to a service-based economy capitalizing on its museums, cultural attractions and hospital and medical research facilities to regain its stature as a major American city. Discover how the Erie Canal and late 19th century industrialists changed the face of the city. Consider how immigrant groups and political conflict shaped the city’s development.

Lunch: Enjoy lunch at Heinen's Grocery Store, Cleveland's oldest family-owned grocer.

Afternoon: After lunch, experience on foot the beauty of the Romanesque Revival architecture at the Arcade, once known as Cleveland’s Crystal Palace. Cleveland’s Arcade was one of the first indoor shopping areas in the country, featuring specialized, multi-level passageways linking shops with buildings and providing an escape from the clamor of the streets and harsh weather. Venture into the downtown area on a walking field trip with your group leader of the Public Square and Mall, the result of an ambitious city planning scheme that combined commercial development with urban beautification efforts. Observe how commercial buildings, public transportation and open parkland are joined in this vibrant central district. Learn about important buildings from the city’s past, and how different achitectural styles come together to form the city’s unique skyline.

Dinner: Continue your exploration of Cleveland’s wide variety of ethnic food traditions. Your group leader will escort you to dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on and off a public bus.

Breakfast: Help yourself to the full breakfast buffet served in the hotel daily, on the first floor.

Morning: Travel by city bus to the Cleveland Museum of Art in University Circle. Museum staff members will tell you about the collections, new exhibition space, and the museum’s rich history. Expert-led exploration of the permanent collections will be followed by additional time on your own to peruse the museum's extensive galleries. As you walk through the University Circle area surrounding the Museum of Art, marvel at the idyllic setting that is home to a large concentration of cultural, medical and educational institutions.

Lunch: Enjoy lunch in the museum café.

Afternoon: Free time for independent exploration. You may want to explore the exhibit at the nearby Western Reserve Historical Society, which contains the Crawford Auto Aviation Collection and current exhibitions at the Western Reserve Historical Society. It is one of the top ten car collections in the nation. Northeastern Ohio's contribution to aviation is also showcased in the Crawford Museum, which includes a circa 1912-14 Curtiss Hydro-aero plane flown by Cleveland's most prominent aviator, Al Enge. Or, you can stroll through the park-like setting of the University Circle area and visit the campus of Case Western Reserve University. Instead, you might choose to plunge into the extensive collection of music memorabilia at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which is open until 9:00 pm. on Wednesdays.

Dinner: Participants are free to explore local restaurants on their own.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on and off a public bus.

Breakfast: Help yourself to the full breakfast buffet served in the hotel daily, on the first floor.

Morning: Travel by city bus to the University Circle area for an expert-led visit to the Glasshouse. This offers a thrilling year-round escape to the fantastic spiny desert of Madagascar and the butterfly-filled rainforest of Costa Rica. The Glasshouse features some of the strangest plants you’ve ever seen, including “upside down” baobabs, bottle-shaped pachypodiums, a colossal strangler fig and more. The city seems to slip away and you're surrounded by two other-worldly landscapes featuring 350 species of exotic plants. 50 different types of butterflies, birds, reptiles and amphibians flutter, climb and crawl through naturalistic habitats. The Glasshouse is unique among conservatories because it shows how plants, animals, geology and climate interact in delicate balance.

Lunch: Relax in a beautiful setting as you eat lunch inside the Garden Café or outdoors on the terrace overlooking the reflecting pool and aquatic plants.

Afternoon: After lunch, experience a private expert-led tour of Severance Hall, considered one of the world’s most beautiful concert halls. Find out how private donations of money and land, along with the leadership of John Long Severance, resulted in the creation of the visually and acoustically stunning hall. See how recent renovation and restoration efforts have improved and enhanced the hall, while preserving its beauty and architectural integrity. Observe the hall’s combination of diverse architectural styles and learn how it benefits both the orchestra and city. Conclude your afternoon of discovery with an expert-led visit to Playhouse Square, a collection of theaters that make up the largest performing arts center outside of New York. Get a behind the scenes look at the lobbies, theater auditoriums and backstage areas of several of the city’s beautifully constructed and preserved theaters. Learn how the theaters were saved from demolition and how non-profit arts entities advance arts and education efforts in the area.

Dinner: Enjoy dinner with the group at the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on and off a motor coach

Breakfast: Enjoy a full, hot breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Head out by charter bus to the west side of the city to visit the West Side Market, which began operations in 1840. Continue on to St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral, modeled after churches in Moscow, which ministered to other ethnic groups who had not yet established their own ethnic churches in the early 20th century. Get special access to the inside of the Cathedral to admire its elaborate interior. See other points of interest in the Tremont neighborhood.

Lunch: Discover one of Cleveland's most beloved family-owned restaurants and enjoy delicious Polish specialities.

Afternoon: At Lake View Cemetery, discover Cleveland's Outdoor Museum. Lake View is more than a working cemetery. It is Cleveland's historical, horticultural, architectural and geological gem that 400,000 people visit each year. You’ll begin at the James A. Garfield Monument, the final resting place of the 20th President of the United States. The Jeptha Wade Memorial Chapel, built in honor of the founder of the Western Union Telegraph Company, is one of the few interiors designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. In addition to a President of the United States, Lake View is the final resting place of John D. Rockefeller, Eliot Ness, Carl B. Stokes, members of President Lincoln's cabinet, Civil War generals and Revolutionary War soldiers, not to mention 22 Cleveland mayors.

Dinner: Savor a delightful farewell dinner at a family restaurant in Little Italy, to celebrate your week of fun in Cleveland.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00AM

Breakfast: Enjoy a full, hot breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Enjoy a wrap-up presentation with your group leader on the state of the city of Cleveland. Check out of hotel by 11:00AM. Hope you enjoyed your visit!