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Illinois

Signature City Chicago

Program No. 2818RJ

We’ve packed the best of Chicago into five unforgettable days. Join world-class experts at renowned museums, historic parks, iconic skyscrapers and more!

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Itinerary

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Duration

6 days

5 nights

What's Included

12 meals ( 5B, 4L, 3D )

2 expert-led lectures

8 expert-led field trips

An experienced Group Leader

5 nights of accommodations

Taxes and customary gratuity

Road Scholar Assurance Plan

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Day

Registration, Hotel Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Meals: D

Stay: SpringHill Suites Chicago Downtown/River North

Activity Note

Walk four blocks to dinner and back

Afternoon:

Program Registration begins at 3:00 p.m in the hotel lobby. Please join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. Hotel check-in is at 4:00 p.m. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation. 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. In addition to our experienced and knowledgeable Group Leader, we will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Meals will feature local cuisine in a variety of settings. 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.

Dinner:

Dinner at a local restaurant

Evening:

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night's rest for the day ahead.

Day

Lecture, City Field Trip

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Meals: B,L

Stay: SpringHill Suites Chicago Downtown/River North

Activity Note

Getting on/off a motorcoach multiple times throughout the day; walking up to 3 miles; driving through the city, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time.

Breakfast:

At the hotel.

Morning:

At the hotel, we will have an expert-led lecture on the history of the Chicago area from the early indigenous people through the Great Migration. We will then board our motorcoach for a city field trip. Mark Twain wrote in 1883, “It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago. She outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them.” Led by an expert, we will go on a motorcoach exploration to learn more about Chicago history, the immigrants and neighborhoods who gave it a rich culture and texture, and the movers and shakers whose influence made it a world-class city.

Lunch:

At a popular local restaurant.

Afternoon:

After lunch we will visit the DuSable Museum of African American History. Founded in 1961 by Dr. Margaret Burroughs and her husband, Charles, the DuSable is the oldest museum of African American history in the country. We will return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Dinner:

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.

Evening:

At leisure.

Day

Lecture, Wrigley Field, Millenium Park, Chicago History Msm.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Meals: B,L

Stay: SpringHill Suites Chicago Downtown/River North

Activity Note

Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 15 miles, about 75 minutes hours total riding time. Walking and standing at museum is dependent upon personal preference; up to two hours.

Breakfast:

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning:

We will start the day with an expert presentation on the fascinating world of Chicago Politics. Then we will take the motorcoach to explore more of Chicago. We begin our journey north along Michigan Avenue to Lake Shore Drive and up to Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. As time and traffic allow, we will stop at various locations along the way, including Millennium Park which won the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.

Lunch:

Lunch at the Chicago History Museum.

Afternoon:

After lunch, we will go on an expert-led field trip at the Chicago History Museum. This institution houses 22 million historical artifacts and documents from Chicago and U.S. history, with an emphasis on these main areas: Living/Working/Governing in the Metropolitan Area, the Built Environment, and Individuals and Ideas. We will gain a better understanding of Chicago’s past, its present, and prospects for the future.

Dinner:

On your own to enjoy local fare.

Evening:

At leisure.

Day

Architectural Boat Tour, Field Museum of Natural History

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: SpringHill Suites Chicago Downtown/River North

Activity Note

Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking 2 blocks to/from the boat. Getting on/off a boat; cruising approximately 1.5 hours. Walking and standing a minimum of 1 hour in the museum.

Breakfast:

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning:

This morning we will enjoy an architectural boat cruise on the Chicago River. None other than Frank Lloyd Wright said, “It [modern architecture] all started here….” Our study cruise this afternoon presents more of Chicago’s extraordinary architecture and related social history. By necessity due to geographical limitations, Chicago’s business leaders had to look upwards to expand after the devastating Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Within less than a decade, new building techniques pushed the city’s skyline ever higher. Some of the world’s greatest architects, supported by visionary business leaders, built not just higher but sleeker and more sophisticated. And it was not only skyscrapers that forged a unique identity. Debris from the great fire created the base of Grant Park. The Merchandise Mart – once the epicenter of high design and luxury goods, owned for half a century by the Kennedy family – is one of the world’s largest commercial buildings. Chicago also has more moveable bridges than any city in the world including an engineering wonder, the Michigan Avenue Bridge, one of the city’s foremost thoroughfares. We’ll learn about all this and much more during this cruise with expert commentary. Afterwards, we will depart the dock for lunch at the Field Museum.

Lunch:

Lunch at leisure at the Field Museum. Vouchers will be distributed.

Afternoon:

The Field Museum of Natural History is widely regarded as one of the finest natural history museums on the world. It originated in 1893 as the Columbian Museum of Chicago. The name was later changed to honor the generosity of benefactor and department store founder Marshall Field, and to better reflect a focus on the natural sciences. During a self-directed exploration, we’ll learn about the museum’s work and collections. Please note: The Field Museum does not have docents except for school groups. Please use the supplied map to direct your independent exploration. You will have ample time to delve into exhibits that interest you. Among its collections, you can learn about gems, dinosaurs, mummies, Africa, the Pacific, the Ancient Americas, Native Voices, and much more. The lakefront campus is also home to the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium, together regarded as among the finest of their kind in the world. The motorcoach will depart the Field Museum at 4:00 p.m. You are welcome to stay and continue exploring or you may return to the hotel for an afternoon and evening on your own. If you choose to remain at the museum, you will need to find transportation back to the hotel, at your expense.

Dinner:

At a local restaurant.

Evening:

At leisure.

Day

Mural Exploration, Art Institute

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: SpringHill Suites Chicago Downtown/River North

Activity Note

Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking up to two miles on the Mural Exploration; Walking and standing a minimum of 1 hour at the Art Institute.

Breakfast:

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning:

We are joined by a local expert as we visit the some of the extraordinary street art in Chicago. Along the way, we’ll learn unique details about Chicago’s history and discover uplifting elements about the artists and the city. This is an upbeat exploration that shares how artists have improved neighborhoods one mural at a time.

Lunch:

At a local restaurant within a short drive of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Afternoon:

After lunch, we will go on an expert-led exploration of the world-famous Art Institute of Chicago, where we will hone our knowledge of and appreciation for art. Highlights of the permanent collection – comprising more than 300,000 works in different media – include “American Gothic,” the famed Chagall Windows, and the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Led by an art educator, we will have an introduction to key galleries, followed by self-led exploration to explore the museum in greater depth. Return to the hotel in late afternoon.

Dinner:

At a neighborhood restaurant. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening:

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

Day

Program Concludes After Breakfast

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Meals: B

Breakfast:

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning:

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!

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Please Note: This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.

Signature City Chicago

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