A San Diego New Year Celebration

When you check in and get your room assignment, hotel personnel will inform you of the location of our Road Scholar private meeting room where the Welcome and Orientation session will take place. Orientation: 4:30 p.m. We will gather in the private room for an informal reception with wine and snacks. 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. Our knowledgeable Group Leader will also serve as our Study Leader for most field trips and deliver educational content unless specified otherwise. Transportation will be via private motorcoach. At the hotel, our private meeting room will serve as our space for lectures, gatherings, and free time activities. Purified water will always be available on the motorcoach, at the hotels, and in restaurants. For meals that offer a choice of dishes, we will circulate a form in advance to note each person’s preferences and save time ordering. Periods in the 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.

Boarding the motorcoach, we will take a short ride to a restaurant on Harbor Island with a beautiful view of the downtown skyline for our welcome dinner.

Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

In a private section of the hotel restaurant.

In our private hotel meeting room, we will be joined by a local historian from the San Diego Historical Society for an introduction to San Diego’s history. This morning’s lecture will set the stage for our day’s field trips. We will then set out via motorcoach on our historical journey to the sites where the city was founded, beginning with San Diego de Alcala Mission. With our Group Leader, we will explore the property and visit the on-site museum. Established by the Franciscan missionary Father Junipero Serra in 1769, San Diego de Alcala was the first of 21 Californian Missions. We will then ride to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. On the way, we will detour to the top of Presidio Hill, where the first residents chose to live for protection from potential Native American attacks but later moved to the base of the hill as time passed, thus establishing Old Town.

At a lively restaurant in Old Town.

With our Group Leader, we will stroll through Old Town, the original site of San Diego where the population grew until Mexico granted it the status of “pueblo” or chartered town. We will visit some of the most important historical buildings from that era including the stately Casa Estudillo on the main plaza, Sibley Stables that house a collection of stagecoaches, the rustic jail, and San Diego’s first schoolhouse. Old Town San Diego remained the heart of the city until the 1860s when Alonzo Horton promoted development closer to the shore, the area that became the current downtown known as the Gaslamp Quarter. We will drive to the Gaslamp for our last stop of the day. We will have a docent- led visit of the Gaslamp Quarter Museum located in one of the area's first houses and learn its history as well as the spicy stories and tales of haunted houses. Declared a National Historic District, the Gaslamp is now filled with restaurants, nightclubs, theaters, galleries — and gas lamps! The day ends at the hotel. You may join the Group Leader for the 0.5 mile walk along one of its main streets to reach the hotel or take our motorcoach. The evening is on your own to choose a restaurant for dinner. You may want to stroll through the Horton Plaza Park across the street from the hotel which has a restored landmark fountain from 1910 and the 1907 Jessop’s Street Clock.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

With our SDHS historian, we will discuss the establishment of the U.S. Navy and its importance in the growth of San Diego. We will then ride on the motorcoach to the dramatic tip of Point Loma peninsula and the Cabrillo National Monument, named in honor of the famed explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who landed on this point in 1542. Our knowledgeable Group Leader will take us through the historic museum and to Old Point Loma Lighthouse, one of the original eight lighthouses on the West Coast, restored and refurnished to reflect what life was like in the 1800s. We will then hop aboard our motorcoach and drive along the scenic Pacific Coast north of downtown, past Mission Bay to reach the exclusive La Jolla community where we will visit the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Birch Aquarium.

At the Birch Aquarium Café.

At the aquarium, our expert-led visit includes a lecture presented by a staff member of the education department as well as an exploration with commentary of the many exhibits, featuring more than 60 environments. Next, we will ride into La Jolla and set out for a nature walk with our Group Leader along the famous coves that will take us to nearby Seal Beach, protected by cliffs and part of a marine reserve. We will pace along the shore to observe seals and sea lions, each occupying a distinct cove, and see cormorants nesting on the cliffs. Perhaps we will catch the “green flash” as the sun sets. We’ll then return on the motorcoach to the Gaslamp for dinner. The activities along the shore depend on the time available and on the walking abilities of the group.

At a lively Italian restaurant in the Gaslamp area.

The motorcoach will return to the hotel after dinner, and the evening will be at leisure. If you wish, you may stay in the Gaslamp on your own and return independently by walking or taxi.

At the hotel.

We will board the motorcoach and set out with our Group Leader to become familiar with Balboa Park, America’s largest urban cultural park. Built to host the 1915 Exposition, its 1,200 acres are filled with exotic vegetation, 17 museums, theaters, art centers, exquisite Moorish architecture, and a world-famous zoo. In El Prado, the heart of the park, we will meet our SDHS historian who will lead a walking exploration of the premises while narrating amusing anecdotes of the park’s development. The remainder of the morning is free to explore on your own, to see and do what interests you most.

On your own to enjoy what you like in Balboa Park. You might have a relaxed meal in a lovely garden restaurant or a sandwich on the go between museum visits.

We will regroup at a designated time and place and visit the San Diego Zoo, regarded as one of the best in the world. We will ride to the entrance of the Zoo, then explore the grounds on our own. The zoo can be explored on foot, or take advantage of the included services. It is best to begin with a ride on the narrated zoo bus for an overview. Then you may use the hop-on-hop-off bus and perhaps enjoy a ride on the “skyfari.” We’ll gather again by the big Christmas tree, where bell ringers and caroling enliven the tree-lighting ceremony. Boarding the motorcoach, we’ll return to the hotel to rest and freshen up and prepare for an evening of festivities. In our private room, we will meet for a toast to get into the New Year spirit, then continue to the hotel’s elegant dining room for New Year’s Eve dinner.

In the hotel’s elegant dining room, we’ll gather for a late seating of the special 6-course “Tasting Dinner.”

We will enjoy the festivities with live music for listening and dancing. The exciting Midnight Countdown will include a champagne toast. Happy New Year!

At the hotel.

We will have an opportunity to rest, relax, and sleep in before our late morning departure on the motorcoach for the San Diego Harbor and embark on a narrated harbor cruise with New Year brunch and frolics. We’ll be able to view the spectacular city skyline while passing by elegant hillside communities, marinas, the Naval Shipyards, and the Naval Air and Submarine Stations.

We’ll enjoy a special New Year’s Day lunch aboard the harbor cruise at reserved tables. Champagne and nonalcoholic drinks are included; additional beverages available for purchase.

Back on shore, we’ll ride along the scenic waterfront. We’ll pass by the landmark “Star of India” that has sailed regularly since its launching in 1863 and by the Midway aircraft carrier, now a museum. The Embarcadero Road continues along the San Diego Convention Center, a huge construction recreating a sailing ship. We will make a stop at Chicano Park, a National Historic Landmark and home to one of the largest collections of outdoor murals in the United States. They were painted by local Chicano (Mexican American) artists on the pillars and the supports of the San Diego-Coronado bridge. The colorful artwork reflects the cultural heritage of the Chicano community where the park is located. We will walk through the park with our Group Leader who will interpret the most representative murals. We will then go on the Coronado bridge. Located across the bay from San Diego, Coronado is a semi-island connected to the mainland by the “Silver Strand” and to downtown San Diego by way of the curved, slim, elegant San Diego-Coronado Bridge. Coronado is characterized by fabulous views, palm-lined avenues, a fine wide beach, and the famous Hotel Del Coronado — popularly known as Hotel Del. The lavish wooden Victorian hotel, an American fairytale castle, is the last of its kind still standing on the West Coast. With our Group Leader, we will explore Coronado by motorcoach and on foot. We will have some time at the Hotel del Coronado for personal independent exploration, including a stroll along the white sand beach if desired. We will return to San Diego by motorcoach at sunset when skyscrapers reflect the sun’s glow onto the calm waters of the bay. Back at our hotel, we will gather one last time as a group in our private room. With wine, juices, and heavy snacks, we will toast farewell to the program. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends.

On your own.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel. This concludes our program

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!