Travel

"Gardens, Museums, and American Castles of Southern California"

March 10, 2002 (Sunday)—March 15, 2002 (Friday)

Gardens, Museums, and American Castles of Southern California

Join JCRA Director Bob Lyons, Ph.D. on an excursion to and tour of some extraordinary garden sites in the Los Angeles region of Southern California on March 10-15, 2002. Situated in a climate better known for its two seasons of "wet and dry," these gardens are quintessential examples of unique plant collections and grand opulence of days gone by. Our visit will be near the end of the rainy season which has brought on spring color in true west coast fashion ... beautiful.

Major sites planned for this trip include:

Descanso Gardens in La Canada, Flintridge – www.descanso.com

Hearst Castle, San Simeon - www.hearstcastle.org

The Huntington Library, Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino - www.huntington.org

The Arboretum of Los Angeles County, Arcadia - www.arboretum.org

The Getty Center & Gardens, Los Angeles County - www.getty.edu

The hotels are as follows:

Palm Springs - March 10 - Hilton Inn Palm Springs Resort

Los Angeles (Monrovia area) - March 11 & 12 - Four Points Sheraton

San Luis Obispo - March 13 - Embassy Suites
Los Angeles (Westwood area) - March 15 - Doubletree Westwood

Airlines

American Airlines

March 10 - Depart from RDU at 7:55 AM, via Chicago, arrive Los Angeles at 12:41 PM

March 15 - Depart Los Angeles at 11:22 AM, via Dallas, arrive RDU at 9:19 PM

Proposed Itinerary, may be subject to minor changes:

March 10

Departure RDU/LAX

Stop for lunch enroute to Palm Springs

March 11

Palm Springs to Joshua Tree National Park, early departure (1 hour from Palm Springs)

Morning tour of Joshua Tree

Depart for Los Angeles around noon, stop for lunch enroute to LA

Afternoon tour of Descanso Gardens

March 12

The Arboretum of Los Angeles County and Huntington Botanical Gardens

March 13

Los Angeles to San Simeon

Hearst Castle

Overnight in San Luis Obispo (Great small college town - picturesque!)

March 14

San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles

Afternoon tour of Getty Museum followed by tour group dinner finale.

March 15

Morning departure LAX/RDU

Cost
The cost will be $1,099.00 per person, double occupancy and $1,399.00 per person, single occupancy. This includes roundtrip airfare from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), five nights hotel accommodations, motorcoach throughout, garden and museum entrance fees, baggage handling, one dinner, and all taxes and gratuities. $200.00 deposit per person due at time of booking, $100.00 nonrefundable once deposit is received.
Registration
To register, please call Judi Grainger at (919) 872-4420. Deposit due on January 23, 2002 (45 days prior to trip).
Location
Trip departs from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Directions
To get to the airport from one of the major area highways, take the following exits: from I-40, Exits 284B or 285, from I-540, Exit 2A Aviation Parkway/RDU Airport and follow signs to the airport, or from US 70, Exit 293 Aviation Parkway/Westgate Road and follow signs to the airport.
Parking
Parking is available at RDU.
Questions
For more information or to place your reservation, please call Judi Grainger of Custom Travel at (919) 872-4420.