Compare LA to Vegas Adventure by Intrepid Travel vs Natural Beauty & Native History: The Best of New Mexico & Arizona by Road Scholar

Day 1 Los Angeles

Welcome to the USA! Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting in the lobby today at 6 pm. It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. If you do arrive early, perhaps take a stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, or spend some time learning about the lives of the rich and famous on a celebrity homes tour. After the welcome meeting, we’ll head beachside and visit Venice and Santa Monica beach for a stroll and some people watching. Day 1 is all about introductions, so why not spend some time getting to know your fellow travellers with an optional group dinner.

Day 2 Joshua Tree National Park

Today, you’ll head away from the coast and drive to Joshua Tree National Park. Sitting between the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, the park is famous for its spectacular desert plants – including the park’s namesake Joshua trees – along with cacti and Mojave yuccas. The area is also home to striking rock formations and mountain ranges, so you might like to head out on a scenic hike around the park or take a refreshing dip in the Colorado River. You’ll head to Lake Havasu City later on to your accommodation for the night, and check out London Bridge: a 280-metre structure rebuilt in Arizona in 1971 after being transported, piece by piece, from the banks of the Thames in London.

Day 3 Grand Canyon National Park

Drive to Grand Canyon National Park, along a section of the famous Route 66, stopping in at the eccentric town of Seligman. Once we arrive at the Grand Canyon National Park, be ready to visually delight in the natural beauty for hours. This stunning gorge is 1.5 kilometres deep, formed by over six million years of erosion from the Colorado River. You'll spend two nights here, and you’ll need it, to allow for a full day of exploration tomorrow.

Day 4 Grand Canyon National Park

Today is a free day to explore the Grand Canyon, one of the largest canyon systems in the world. Stroll along the meandering South Rim Trail or hike your way down to Plateau Point. With eagles soaring overhead and chasms extending as far as the eye can see, it’s so important for you to experience its vast gorges from multiple viewpoints. In the early evening, relax at the canyon's edge and enjoy a spectacular sunset over one of the world's natural wonders.

Day 5 Las Vegas

Head out of the Grand Canyon and cross the western deserts of Arizona to Las Vegas. Las Vegas may be the gambling capital of the world, but there's plenty to do if gambling isn't your thing. Hit the shops, feel your stomach drop on a rooftop roller coaster or simply stroll along the Strip, soaking up the glitz and gaudiness. As there is no accommodation organised for tonight, you are free to leave at any time upon arriving in Las Vegas. If you would like to spend some more time here, we'll be happy to organise additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).

Day 1

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn

Program Registration, Orientation, Introductions, Dinner

Activity note: Check-in available from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, to get your welcome packet containing your up-to-date schedule and other important information, and to confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet at the front desk when you check in. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome 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. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please be aware that 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. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: In the hotel meeting room enjoy a plated meal or buffet with salad, selection of entrées and dessert plus coffee, tea, water; additional beverages available for purchase.

Evening: Take the rest of the evening to continue getting to know your fellow participants, relax, and get a good night’s sleep for the full day ahead.

Day 2

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Drury Plaza Hotel Santa Fe

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuqerque Museum

Activity note: The activity level for this program is "Keep the Pace." Participants should be able to get on/off the motorcoach, walk up to one mile on uneven terrain, hike up to three miles over rugged terrain and stand for up to an hour.

Breakfast: Breakfast in the hotel meeting room. Selections usually include eggs, yogurt, fruit, juices, coffee, tea and water.

Morning: Gather in the hotel meeting room for an overview of New Mexico's fascinating history, from the earliest Ancestral Puebloans to the Spanish and American soldiers and settlers who began arriving in the 16th century. After the lecture, we will check out of the hotel, load luggage and board the motorcoach for a short ride to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. This beautiful, unique center preserves and perpetuates Pueblo culture through tribally curated exhibits. Our self-guided visit will include museum on the lower level showcasing the history, culture and arts of the Pueblo people of New Mexico in two permanent exhibitions.

Lunch: Plated meal at a local favorite in Old Town includes selection of entrées plus coffee, tea, water; additional beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: Following lunch, our motorcoach will depart for the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History. The Albuquerque Museum has been the city's cultural center since 1967. It is located just east of the Old Town Plaza, in the heart of Albuquerque. The Museum has a reputation for being one of the leading institutions for art, history and culture in the Southwest, as it continues to highlight the unique culture of the people, history and art through extraordinary exhibitions. At the museum, we will enjoy an exploration of the exhibits before we board the motorcoach and depart for Santa Fe.

Dinner: In the hotel meeting room enjoy a plated meal or buffet with salad, selection of entrées and dessert plus coffee, tea, water; additional beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 3

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Drury Plaza Hotel Santa Fe

Native American history, School for Advanced Research

Activity note: Walking up to two miles during the day over uneven sidewalks with inclines; getting on/off motorcoach; standing for up 1 1/2 hours at the School with limited opportunities to sit.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After breakfast we will gather in our private meeting room for a lecture on Native American history and culture. We'll then head out on foot to explore Santa Fe's Plaza area, the historic heart of the city. We'll visit the impressive Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the lovely Loretto Chapel with its intriguing staircase, and other sites as time permits. Then we will have time for independent explorations of the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Palace of the Governors and the New Mexico History Museum. At a designated time, meet the Group Leader at the Plaza bandstand and walk to our lunch location.

Lunch: Plated meal from a limited menu at a popular restaurant.

Afternoon: After lunch we'll depart via motorcoach for the School for Advanced Research (SAR). The SAR was established in 1907 as a center for the study of the archaeology and ethnology of the American Southwest. The scope of its activities has grown to embrace a global perspective, advancing scholarship in anthropology and related disciplines and facilitating the work of Native American scholars and artists. While there, we'll visit the vaults in the Indian Arts Research Center. Not generally open to the public, the IARC's collection is considered one of the most remarkable assemblages of Southwestern Native art in the world, more than 12,000 items. We are very pleased to have permission to take our Road Scholar group, led by a docent, into this incredible treasure trove. See many rare items such as pottery, basketry, textiles, jewelry, and more as you learn about their provenance and significance. After our visit, we will return to the hotel for free time.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Day 4

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Drury Plaza Hotel Santa Fe

Georgia O'Keeffe Lecture and Museum, Museum Hill

Activity note: Getting on/off coach; walking up to two miles over course of the day over paved terrain; standing and walking at the museums.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet

Morning: We'll start the morning with a lecture about the life and art of Georgia O'Keeffe.One of the most significant artists of the 20th century, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) was devoted to creating imagery that expressed what she called “the wideness and wonder of the world as I live in it.” She was a leading member of the Stieglitz Circle, avant-garde artists who began to flourish in New York in the 1910s. O’Keeffe’s images—instantly recognizable as her own —include abstractions, large-scale depictions of flowers, leaves, rocks, shells, bones and other natural forms, New York cityscapes and paintings of the unusual shapes and colors of architectural and landscape forms of northern New Mexico. After a short break, we'll walk 5 blocks to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum holds the largest collection of O’Keefe’s work in the world – over 3,000 of the artist’s works – comprising 140 of her oil paintings, almost 700 drawings and hundreds of additional works. The museum offers a varying selection of O’Keeffe’s work, as well as works by other artists in changing exhibits.

Lunch: Plated or buffet meal at a local favorite includes selection of entrées, coffee, tea or water; additional beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, the motorcoach will depart for Museum Hill for independent explorations of the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art. The MIAC offers a huge collection of pottery, basketry, rugs, jewelry and artifacts, mostly from tribes of the southwest region. The exhibits are beautifully displayed and documented. The Museum of International Folk Art's holdings constitute the largest collection of international folk art in the world, including wings featuring some of the 106,000 pieces donated by collectors Alexander and Susan Girard and Lloyd Cotsen's Neutrogena collection. We'll return to the hotel by 5:00 p.m.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from your program cost so that you can enjoy what you like or sample the local fare. Santa Fe is known for the breadth and depth of its culinary offerings. Not to be confused with "Tex-Mex," New Mexico cuisine combines elements of Native American and Spanish influences. There are a number of fine restaurants within walking distance, including the hotel's own restaurant, Eloisa. The Group Leader will be happy to provide suggestions

Evening: At 7:00 p.m. we will gather in the hotel meeting room for a presentation on archaeo-astronomy to prepare us for our visit to Chaco Canyon. Sometimes called the anthropology of astronomy, archaeo-astronomy is the study of astronomical practices and related legends and lore including religious beliefs and world views in ancient cultures. The ancestral Pueblo people of northwestern New Mexico studied the heavens and incorporated celestial events into their lives a thousand years ago. Much as some have speculated about the uses of Stonehenge, the Puebloans had a comprehension of geometry in relation to solar and lunar cycles that helped them orient their constructions to record equinoxes and solstices.

Day 5

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Comfort Suites Gallup

Chaco Canyon

Activity note: Getting on/off coach; traveling 335 miles for 7 hours over the course of the day; walking up to two miles over unpaved, but well-maintained trails at Chaco Canyon.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll travel to Chaco Culture National Historical Park via Nageezi. Arriving in Nageezi, we’ll transfer to a school bus as motorcoaches are advised not to travel the rough, unpaved road into Chaco. Upon our arrival, we will explore some of the ancient ruins with our Study Guide and marvel at the intact stacked-stone masonry. Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves one of North America's most significant and fascinating cultural and historic areas. Chaco was a major center of Ancestral Puebloan culture between 850 and 1150 CE. It was a hub of ceremony, trade, and administration for the prehistoric Four Corners area. It is remarkable for its monumental public and ceremonial buildings. To construct the buildings, along with the associated Chacoan roads, ramps, dams and mounds required a great deal of well-organized and skillful planning, designing, resource gathering and construction. The Chacoan people combined pre-planned architectural designs, astronomical alignments, geometry, landscaping, and engineering to create an ancient urban center of spectacular public architecture, one that amazes us a thousand years later.

Lunch: Boxed lunches in the Park.

Afternoon: Following lunch, our exploration of Chaco Canyon continues for most of the afternoon, followed by departure for Gallup, New Mexico

Dinner: Plated meal at a local restaurant.

Evening: Return to the hotel and time at leisure.

Day 6

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Drury Inn & Suites Flagstaff

Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, La Posada and Harvey Girls

Activity note: Getting on/off coach; traveling 190 miles for three hours over the course of the day; hiking up to a mile.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After hotel checkout, we'll load our luggage and depart for the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. The Petrified Forest is a surprising park filled with scenic wonders and fascinating science. The park features one of the world’s largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood. Also included in the park’s 93,533 acres are the multi-hued badlands of the Painted Desert, archeological sites and displays of 225 million year old fossils. The Visitor Center is one of the very best around! We will take a short hike on one of the many trails in the park in order to get an up-close view of some of the spectacular scenery. Then we will depart for Winslow.

Lunch: In the "Turquoise Room" of the historic La Posada hotel, we will enjoy a plated lunch.

Afternoon: After lunch we'll enjoy a special guided walk with a "Harvey Girl" who will present the history of the Harvey Girls and La Posada Hotel. Explore both the interior and beautiful grounds of this historic hotel. After the presentation, we will depart for Flagstaff.

Dinner: Plated meal at a local restaurant or the hotel.

Evening: Tonight is left unscheduled to rest from our long travel day.

Day 7

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Drury Inn & Suites Flagstaff

Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Museum of Northern Arizona

Activity note: Getting on/off coach; traveling 60 miles for two hours over the course of the day; walking from several blocks to a mile; standing for up to 1/12 hours with limited opportunities to sit at the Museum.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After breakfast, we depart for Sedona via the famous Oak Creek Canyon Switchbacks. We will make our first stop on the rim of Oak Creek Canyon to enjoy a short walk to a dramatic viewpoint and get a geographic overview of what lies ahead. Then, after traveling through Oak Creek Canyon, we arrive into the red rock wonderland of Sedona. Our first stop will be in the center of town at "Airport Mesa" where 360 degree views of Sedona await!

Lunch: Lunch at a local Sedona restaurant.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will take some time to visit Tlaquepaque, modeled after a Mexican marketplace, before departing for Flagstaff and the Museum of Northern Arizona. There is no better way to acquaint ourselves with the native cultures and natural history of the Grand Canyon region than by enjoying a docent-led exploration of the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA). MNA has evolved into a regional center of learning with collections, exhibits, educational programs, publications, and research projects. It is the premier museum dedicated to the cultural and natural history of the Colorado Plateau. After departing the museum, we will return to our hotel.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from your program cost so that you can enjoy what you like.

Evening: At leisure

Day 8

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites

Grand Canyon National Park

Activity note: Getting on/off coach; traveling 160 miles for 3 1/2 hours over the course of the day; walking up to 2 miles on paved pathways on South Rim of Grand Canyon. Optional hike into the Canyon is 2/3 mile round trip on steep, unpaved Bright Angel Trail. Elevation is 7,000'.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After breakfast, travel to the Grand Canyon's South Rim. Your Study Guide will accompany you on your journey, revealing the Grand Canyon's unique geologic, biologic and historic features while you have the opportunity to walk along the Canyon's rim. You'll see Grand Canyon Village, where you may tour historic buildings and see Native American arts/crafts and other souvenirs in village shops. Many of the most impressive structures in the historic Grand Canyon Village were designed by Mary Jane Colter, a renowned architect and designer for the Fred Harvey Company and Santa Fe Railroad. You may even see an endangered California condor soaring overhead as you gaze into the Canyon's depths below.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from your program cost. There are many options in the Grand Canyon Village to chose from and the Group Leader will be happy to provide suggestions

Afternoon: Free time for independent explorations, followed by late-afternoon departure for Cameron, AZ.

Dinner: Plated meal at the historic Cameron Trading Post Restaurant. The trading post is a feast for the eyes with its pressed tin ceiling, Navajo rugs, pottery from different culture groups and an amazing collection of native-created jewelry. Continue on to Tuba City after dinner.

Evening: Check in at the hotel by about 7:30 p.m.

Day 9

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites

Hopi Culture lecture, Hopi Museum, Village of Walpi

Activity note: Getting on/off coach; traveling 130 miles for 2 1/2 hours over the course of the day.

Breakfast: Continental breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: After breakfast we'll depart for Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation. On arrival we'll enjoy a lecture on Hopi culture from a member of the Hopi tribe. Ramson Lomatewama, a Hopi poet, jeweler, traditional-style katsina-doll carver, stained glass artist and glassblower, will speak about his experiences as an artist and what art means to him.

Lunch: At the Lomatewama home.

Afternoon: This afternoon, we will explore some of the Hopi mesas and visit the old village of Walpi.

Dinner: Plated meal at a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 10

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn

Hubbell Trading Post, Window Rock, Navajo Park and Museum

Activity note: Getting on/off coach; traveling 325 miles for 5 1/2 hours over the course of the day; approximately one mile walking on flat paved trails while at Navajo Nation Park; standing up to an hour at the museum.

Breakfast: Continental breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we'll depart for Hubbell Trading Post Historic Site. Hubbell Trading Post is the oldest continuously operating trading post on the Navajo Nation. Established in 1876, this trading post was one of several founded by John Lorenzo Hubbell, which came to be the only source of supplies for Navajos following their return from the "Long Walk" of 1864. It was also a place for Navajos to meet and socialize in the days before the automobile. Today, the Trading Post is also a National Historic Site, and features a bookstore, exhibits and rug weaving demonstrations. While here, we will enjoy a self-guided tour of the grounds of the original 160-acre homestead, including the trading post, Hubbell home and visitor center. Following our visit to Hubbell, we will continue to Window Rock, the capitol of the Navajo Nation for a short walk around the Navajo Nation Park.

Lunch: Plated lunch off the menu at a local restaurant in Window Rock.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will visit the Navajo Nation Museum, which has extensive holdings of art, ethnographic, archaeological, and archival materials including over 40,000 photographs as well as a variety of documents, recordings, motion picture film, and videos. Depart for Albuquerque following the museum visit.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Evening: Following dinner, recap the week's activities along with farewells to your new friends.

Day 11

Meals: Breakfast

Program Concludes

Activity note: If you are departing from the hotel, please check out no later than 12:00 p.m.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Morning: If you are departing from the hotel, please check out no later than 12:00 p.m.