Southern California Dreaming

Day 1 : Fly to California

We begin our adventure with a relaxing flight to sunny southern California and check-in to our accommodations in San Diego.

Day 2 : San Diego

A local guide joins us to explore the city. We drive by Petco Park, the home of the Padres baseball club, tour San Diego’s distinct neighborhoods, and visit the historic Gaslamp Quarter. An included lunch at Peohe’s Restaurant on Coronado Island features a tropical interior with waterfalls and breathtaking views. Following lunch, we board a ferry for a delightful crossing of the San Diego Bay. Next we visit the USS Midway Museum. Spend time exploring this floating city and learn about the 225,000 sailors who have served on this vessel through 60+ exhibits that bring the ship’s history to life.

Day 3 : Palm Springs

Enjoy a delicious included breakfast at the hotel before departing for Palm Springs. Upon arrival, have lunch at “Palm Springs’ hippest restaurant,” Lulu California Bistro. You’ll love its stylish interior and delightful cuisine. Next, explore the greater Palm Springs area with a local guide. During our tour we’re introduced to native geology, desert wildlife, and the role wind energy plays in this community. Discover how indigenous peoples and early settlers thrived on this desert floor, how the rich and famous transformed Palm Springs into a playground for the stars, and how this area became a home for aficionados of modern architecture. We check in to our Palm Springs hotel with the remainder of the evening at leisure.

Day 4 : Joshua Tree National Park

Today we visit Joshua Tree National Park. This unique park preserves nearly 1000 square miles of gnarled Joshua trees which have adapted to the harsh desert climate. Watch for wildlife and migrant birds. Keys View lookout provides panoramic views of the Coachella Valley, and on a clear day you may be able to see beyond the Salton Sea to Signal Mountain in Mexico.

Day 5 : Surf City

We travel to San Marino to visit the elegant The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. This Georgian mansion was once the home of California railroad tycoon Henry Edwards Huntington, who was also a collector of 18th-century British portraits. Today the estate features over seven million items including 400,000 rare books and manuscripts from famous authors throughout history, photographs, prints, a hall of rotating exhibits, and much more. Next we travel to Santa Barbara, popularly known as the “American Riviera” thanks to its Mediterranean-like climate. We check in to our hotel and then depart for tonight’s included dinner.

Day 6 : Santa Barbara

Take in a tour of Old Mission Santa Barbara where we learn about Franciscan friars and California’s Mission system. Explore the Sacred Garden, cemetery, church, and museum with artifacts and interpretive displays. See heirloom and historic plants that once grew during the Mission era at La Huerta Garden. Break for lunch at the Santa Barbara Public Market. Located in the city’s vibrant performing and cultural arts district, this colorful marketplace is home to a wide range of local food vendors and other merchants in a friendly, spacious atmosphere. The rest of the day is ours to enjoy at leisure. Stroll scenic Stearns Wharf, visit the Santa Barbara Zoo, the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, or simply relax at our comfortable hotel.

Day 7 : Los Angeles

We arrive in Los Angeles and have lunch at the LA Farmers Market. Active since 1934, this marketplace has more than 100 shops and eateries to explore with plenty of outdoor seating. Next we visit the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Enjoy six floors of exhibitions and programs celebrating the power of cinema from the past, present, and future with rotating exhibitions and galleries featuring artifacts from memorable films and the science of filmmaking. Altogether educational, entertaining, and inspiring, this brand-new Los Angeles museum is sure to rekindle the magic of movies in us all! Later, we check-in to our Los Angeles hotel for a two-night stay.

Day 8 : Hollywood

Enjoy a Warner Brothers Studio VIP tour by tram with an expert guide as we go "behind the lens" visiting film sets and working soundstages on the studio lot. The tour continues with an immersive look at how the magic of Hollywood is made at Stage 48: Script to Screen. Here you can lounge on the Friends set couch, build your own costume at the interactive design station, or view authentic headshots and audition reels on the high-definition touch screen casting table. This afternoon, explore Hollywood Boulevard with time to stroll the Hollywood Walk of Fame and see the TCL Chinese Theater, the Dolby Theater, and the Hollywood Sign. Tonight we gather for a special Holiday Vacations Farewell Dinner, the perfect ending to our fabulous vacation.

Day 9 : Fly Home

We fly home from Los Angeles with special memories of our time in California.