Compare Art Collectors and Their Collections by Road Scholar vs Best of California 2022 Small Group by Insight Vacations

Day 1 Check-In, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner Los Angeles

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

Program Registration: 3:30 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, and other important information. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. Indicated times are approximate. Program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Transportation will be provided via private motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Thank you for your understanding. Lunch at the Getty Center on Day 3 is on your own. If you wish to eat at the Getty Restaurant, reservations are recommended. Make reservations for the restaurant by calling 310-440-6810. Reservations should be made between 12:00 Noon and 2:00 p.m. Lunch at the Huntington Library on Day 5 is on your own. If you wish to partake of the famous English Tea in the Rose Garden Tea Room, reservations are recommended as there is limited availability. Make your reservation by calling 626-683-8131. Reservations should be made between 12:00 Noon and 2:00 p.m. We have set aside some free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. The Group Leader will often be available during free time to accompany informal excursions, activities, or meals that have been excluded from the program cost. You are welcome to join if you like, with any associated costs on your own.

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

At the hotel, we'll enjoy a plated meal with salad, entrée, side dishes, dessert, coffee, tea, water.

Day 2 Los Angeles Collectors, Norton Simon Museum Los Angeles

Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking and standing for up to 1.5 hours on docent-led visit; stairs or elevator between floors. Extent and duration of walking and standing during independent exploration according to personal choice.

At the hotel, an art historian will lead a captivating lecture on the historical background of Los Angeles museums and the art enthusiasts of Los Angeles and their world renowned collections. Personalities including Henry Huntington, J. Paul Getty, Norton Simon, and Charles Lummis made their living in Los Angeles and contributed to its becoming a major city in California. Each of their collections, ranging from Native American photography and prints to European masterpieces, are housed in museums throughout the city. After class, we’ll depart the hotel via motorcoach for the Norton Simon Museum. We'll go on a private docent-led walk of the Norton Simon Museum. We will then have time to explore the collections and the sculpture garden on our own. Like Monet’s Giverny, the garden at the Norton Simon Museum is a living work of art providing tranquil and inspirational surroundings for the Museum and its visitors. Many come to sketch the attractive landscaping and featured sculptures or simply relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

We'll continue our independent exploration of the Norton Simon Museum.

We’ll wrap up the evening with a video presentation of “Concert of Wills: Making the Getty Center” along with an opportunity for questions and answers afterwards. A massive undertaking that took more than a decade, the Getty Center rises out of the hill top, growing out of the natural geography of the area. The monumental complex required the gathering of creative personalities from numerous fields, which gave way to conflict and tension.

We'll enjoy a plentiful buffet featuring a variety of choices including both hot and cold selections, coffee, tea, juice, and water.

At the Norton Simon Museum Café, we'll have a meal consisting of a healthy wrap, side salad, cookie, and bottled water.

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

Day 3 J. Paul Getty Museum Lecture & Visit Los Angeles

Getting on/off a motorcoach. Moderate walking at the Getty Center; the art collection is displayed in four buildings; there may be temporary exhibits in two other buildings. Elevators are available. Elective: docent-led walks of art, architecture or gardens lasting about an hour. Extent and duration of walking and standing during independent exploration according to personal choice. Access to the Getty Garden involves a slight incline.

An art historian with more than 20 years of experience at the museum will introduce the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, which houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist, who was named the richest living American and the world’s richest private citizen by the Guinness Book of World Records. An avid collector of art and antiquities, he established the J. Paul Getty Trust, which remains the world's wealthiest art institution. From the hotel, we’ll ride via motorcoach to the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center to view the artwork discussed the night before. The Museum is accessed from the parking structure by a 3/4 mile hovertrain. The Getty Center is one of the most visited art museums in the United States and presents the Getty's collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views. This stunning collection features works by Titian, Rembrandt, Manet, and Monet. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration of the Getty Center.

We'll continue exploring the Getty Center. After the Getty Center, we’ll return via motorcoach to the hotel for dinner.

At the hotel, we'll gather for an expert-led learning session on the early history of Los Angeles. Officially founded in 1781 by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve, the early population consisted of ranchers taking advantage of the city’s Mediterranean climate. Growing as the regional capital of Alta California under Mexican rule, the city began to rapidly expand following the Mexican-American War and the completion of the Southern Pacific railroad in the late 19th century.

At the hotel.

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

At the hotel.

Day 4 Lecture & Visits to The Broad & Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles

Walking about 1.2 miles round trip to/from museums. Walking and standing for up to 1.5 hours on our docent-led visit. MOCA walking dependent on own interests.

An art historian will lead a lecture that will introduce us to The Broad and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). The Broad is one of Los Angeles' newest contemporary art museums; it was founded by Eli and Edythe Broad and boasts one of the world's most significant collections of postwar and contemporary art. MOCA, established in 1979, is the only artist-founded museum in Los Angeles and holds around 7,000 objects of contemporary art. After the lecture, we will depart on foot from the hotel for the Broad, where we will enjoy a private docent-led exploration of the main exhibits.

After lunch, you may either meet the group onsite, or walk 0.2 miles with the Group Leader to MOCA and enjoy a self-directed visit.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

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

At the hotel.

Day 5 Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens Los Angeles

Getting on/off a motorcoach. Moderate walking at the Huntington grounds over 200 acres with some inclines; stairs with limited elevators; extent of walking and other activities according to personal choice.

Our art historian will lead a class on the collections of Henry and Arabella Huntington. Their sprawling estate covering more than 600 acres is an oasis of art and culture set amidst the ever-changing botanical gardens. Three art galleries and a library showcase magnificent collections of rare books and manuscripts, 18th- and 19th- century British and French art, and early American art. We’ll depart the hotel via motorcoach for the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, which we will explore on our own. Personal audio devices to supplement your exploration are available for the Huntington Art Gallery and the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art.

We'll continue our independent exploration of the art collection, library, and gardens.

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

At the hotel.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like at the Huntington Library. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

At the hotel.

Day 6 Collections Management Lecture, Program Concludes Los Angeles

Hotel check-out 12:00 Noon.

In our last class led by one of our historians, we’ll wrap up our program by reviewing the experiences we've had during our visits this week. After a brief break, we’ll rejoin our historian for a lecture that will closely follow the fundamentals of how museums generally manage their collections. Collections management is geared at maintaining the long-term safety and sustainability of museum pieces and is a very intricate process. 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!

At the hotel.

Day 1: Welcome to San Diego

After your arrival at San Diego Airport, you are transferred to your hotel on the downtown waterfront. Perhaps take a walk along the bay before joining your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner.

Day 2: San Diego Sightseeing

Discover America’s finest city as you embark on a sightseeing tour with your Travel Director. Journey through the Gaslamp Quarter, the historic heart of San Diego and Balboa Park, one of North America’s most iconic urban parks. Admire its lush and landscaped gardens in bloom thanks to the year-round pleasant weather. Finally, stroll among the atmospheric old and historic adobe ranch homes of the Old Town State Historical Park. Glimpse into the 19th-century colonial life and perhaps try some authentic Mexican flavours at one of the popular eateries.This afternoon, board the Pacific Surfliner and enjoy far-reaching ocean views as the train hugs the coast. Travel through Orange County to the Mission Modern-style Union Station in Los Angeles.

Day 3: Los Angeles Sightseeing

An exciting day awaits as you set out to explore lively Los Angeles. Ride on the landmark Angel’s Flight funicular for a taste of early 20th-century nostalgia. Continue to the Los Angeles Theatre, inspired by French Baroque architecture, for a private guided tour. It has been closed to the public since 1994 but was once one of the grand movie palaces of the Broadway District. In legendary Hollywood, take your photos of the famous hillside Hollywood sign and stroll along the Walk of Fame. Look for the hand- and footprints of cinema’s greatest celebrities at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood’s most sought-after theatre for movie premieres. In the afternoon, explore Los Angeles with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the innovative Petersen Automotive Museum, a captivating experience about the history and artistry of motorized transportation. Alternatively, head to the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and take a deep dive into the history of filmmaking. Another option is to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a fantastic collection of artworks from ancient times to modern day. To top off your perfect day, dine at Nick and Stef’s, an outstanding steak house in Downtown LA.

Day 4: Train Journey to the American Riviera

Return to the Union Station and board your Pacific Surfliner train. Travel through the valleys around Los Angeles before arriving at the coast where the shoreline wraps around to Santa Barbara. Spend time on State Street, a palm tree-lined avenue of shops and eateries before you further explore Santa Barbara with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the 18th-century Old Mission, one of the original 21 California Missions founded by Spanish Franciscans. Alternatively, take a relaxing stroll through the Botanical Gardens and learn about California’s diverse native plants.

Day 5: Paso Robles Wine Country Relaxed Start

Join your Amtrak rail journey one more time and soak up sweeping ocean views as you ride along the coast to San Luis Obispo. Later, arrive to Paso Robles in the heart of wine country and spend time at the City Park and explore its boutiques, cafes and art galleries. In the afternoon visit the Eberle Winery for a tour of the vineyard and the unique underground caves. Born out of necessity to store more wine barrels, the caves provide the perfect backdrop for a tasting of a selection of excellent local wines.Tonight, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a Farm-to-Table dinner at Thomas Hill Organics—a 10 acre collaborative supporting local agriculture with a focus on fresh, organic and straight-from-the-earth ingredients.

Day 6: Giant Sequoias

Journey to the majestic Yosemite National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stop at the Mariposa Grove, home to over 500 mature sequoias and admire these gigantic trees. The oldest tree in the Grove is the Grizzly Giant, which dates back around 3000 years and stands 209 feet (64 metres) tall.

Day 7: Exploring Yosemite National Park Relaxed Start

Join a park ranger and embark on a guided tram tour of the Yosemite Valley floor. You are surrounded by unspoilt nature as you take in the most iconic sights of the park. Get up close to the magnificent Yosemite Falls that cascade from a height of 2,425 feet (739 metres). See the Half Dome, a rock formation with a distinct shape, and El Capitan, a granite rock monolith rising 3000 feet (914 metres) above the valley floor. Take in the spectacular scenery from Tunnel View, encompassing towering mountains, dense forests and the Bridalveil Falls. Spend the rest of your day at leisure. Perhaps join an activity and explore further by renting a bike, going on a hike or visiting the Ansel Adams Gallery.

Day 8: On to San Francisco

Travel towards the coast, cross the Bay Bridge and arrive in buzzing San Francisco. Head to the Fisherman’s Wharf, once home to the city’s colourful fishing fleet and today a popular district full of restaurants, cafes and shops. This afternoon, join your Travel Director for a stroll across the legendary Golden Gate Bridge, a symbol of California, then continue on a short drive to the quaint town of Sausalito. Enjoy some leisure time before taking the ferry back to San Francisco, passing the infamous Alcatraz Island.

Day 9: San Francisco Sightseeing Relaxed Start

This morning, venture across the road and to the Ferry Building and shop around at one of America’s most famous farmers markets. Browse the stalls offering organic produce, flowers and regional artisan specialties such as breads, cheeses, and jams. On your city sightseeing tour, journey past lively Union Square and vast Golden Gate Park. Travel through the SoMa District and Mission Bay to see the incredible growth and urbanization the city has experienced in recent years. Join your Travel Director for a culinary exploration of the Mission District. Sample local flavors in the area best known for creative ice cream parlours, craft doughnut shops, independent cafes and the best Mexican bites. Visit Balmy Alley and see the most concentrated collection of urban murals in the city.Tonight, toast to your travels at a local restaurant at your Celebration Dinner.

Day 10: Farewell California

After breakfast, you are transferred to San Francisco Airport where your journey comes to an end.