Great American Get-Together in Santa Fe

Program Registration: After you have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. 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. This is a Road Scholar Great American Get Together (GAGT) program. GAGT programs involve a large group of participants from all over the country who get to learn about a wide variety of topics and themes from some of Road Scholar’s most acclaimed instructors. For some scheduled activities, participants will be divided into smaller groups. What follows is a representative schedule. The order of the elements each day will vary by group, but each group will have an opportunity to experience all scheduled activities. The activity level of this program is “Keep the Pace.” All activities take place at an elevation of 7,000 feet; routine physical activity will be more challenging than at sea level. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. 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.

At the hotel.

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

At the hotel.

We’ll gather in the meeting room where a local expert will provide an overview of New Mexico history from the Ancestral Puebloan inhabitants of the area to the Spanish and American settlers who followed. After a short break, we’ll continue with an expert-led presentation that unpacks the unique and complex tapestry of New Mexico's cultural heritage as it evolved on the outer fringes of New Spain. We'll explore a Spanish colonial caste system that institutionalized the mixing of Indigenous, African, and European peoples; Genizaro communities that are descended from Indian captives who were forcibly integrated into Spanish colonial society; furtive Penitente and crypto-Jewish religious movements; and centuries-old communally-managed irrigation societies.

At the hotel.

Next, we’ll set out with our Group Leaders on a walking field trip to the Santa Fe Plaza area where we’ll see some of the sites mentioned in this morning’s history lecture. We’ll then return to the hotel for with some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We’ll board motorcoaches and ride north to Taos. On arrival, we will visit Taos Pueblo (if the Pueblo is open; it sometimes closes with little to no advance notice for private Pueblo events.) This picturesque Pueblo at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in North America. The multiple-storied adobe dwellings reflect an ancient culture. Approximately 100 Pueblo residents still live much as their ancestors did 1,000 years ago, without electricity or running water. Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. Then we will reboard the coach for a short ride to the Rio Grande Gorge, which we'll cross via the "High Bridge." The bridge spans the Rio Grande Gorge 565 feet above the river, affording breathtaking views, and has been used as a location in a number of motion pictures. Next, we’ll ride to Taos Plaza, where we’ll have time for self-directed explorations of the Taos Plaza area. There are a number of museums, colorful galleries, and shops in this area, all within walking distance of Taos Plaza. Nearby museums include the Harwood Museum of Art that houses the Agnes Martin Gallery; the E.L. Blumenschein Home & Museum, home of artist Ernest Blumenschein, a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists; the Kit Carson Home & Museum; and the Taos Art Museum at the Fechin House.

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.

Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. We will head back to Santa Fe in the late afternoon, stopping for dinner en route to the hotel.

At a local restaurant.

Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.

At the hotel.

We begin the morning with a discussion about Pueblo culture and dances presented by a local expert. We’ll then depart via motorcoach and travel 10 miles north to Tesuque Pueblo, which will be celebrating the San Diego Feast Day. The residents celebrate the day with a dance chosen by the elders of the tribe. It could be Buffalo, Corn, Comanche or Deer dances. We'll see beautiful handmade regalia, hear the many drummers and singers leading the dances, and more likely than not, see very young children dancing with the adults - it is important for the little ones to retain the traditions of the Pueblo. (Photos or recordings of any kind are strictly prohibited; we'll let you know in advance of the protocol that all visitors must observe during the dances.) Returning to the hotel, the rest of the day is free.

On your own.

Free time. Take this opportunity to see and do what interests you most. There are a number of colorful galleries and shops within walking distance of the hotel.

At a local restaurant.

In the meeting room at the hotel, we will enjoy a performance by a local classical guitarist.

At the hotel.

After breakfast, we will hear from local chef Lois Ellen Frank, Ph.D., a Native American foods historian, culinary anthropologist, photographer, and James Beard Award-winning author. Dr. Frank will discuss the history and traditions of Native American food and how they have impacted the world's cuisines. After the lecture, we depart by motorcoach for Museum Hill for self-guided explorations of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art. The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture features pottery, jewelry, sculpture, baskets, and other objects made by Native Americans from the earliest times to modern day, scrupulously documented and beautifully displayed. Most of the work is from the Southwest. The Museum of International Folk Art focuses on indigenous populations from around the world through their art – ranging from ceremonial dress and masks to furniture. The museum hosts 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.

At the hotel

Free time. Take this opportunity for independent exploration to see and do what interests you most.

On your own.

After dinner, we'll be entertained by Cisco Guevara, a professional storyteller from Taos. A river runner since his teenage days in Los Alamos, Cisco honed his storytelling craft around campfires deep in the canyons of northern New Mexico. Cisco’s stories range from his rebellious youth, to tales that draw on his Hispanic and Native American heritage, to hair-raising adventures in the wilderness, to haunting tales of love and loss. A headliner at the Taos Storytelling Festival for over a decade, Cisco performs regularly for groups in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, and has told his stories to rapt audiences as far afield as London and Paris.

At the hotel.

We will gather for a presentation by an expert geologist on the fascinating geologic history of the region. Then, we will board motorcoaches and ride 40 miles northwest to Bandelier National Monument, fascinating both for its geology and archaeology. After stopping at the Visitor Center, we’ll explore some of the trails in Frijoles Canyon where we can see “cavates” — cave-like dwellings used by the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived here 400 to 800 years ago.

In the park, we’ll have boxed lunches.

Next, we’ll take a short drive to Los Alamos, where we will visit the Los Alamos History Museum and the Bradbury Museum of Science for two self-led explorations. The Los Alamos History Museum is located next to Fuller Lodge, which was once the dining hall for the Los Alamos Ranch School. Its mission is to preserve and share the history of Los Alamos through award-winning exhibits that include the geology and archaeology of the area, as well as exhibits dedicated to various aspects of the Manhattan Project. The Bradbury Museum of Science has wonderful exhibits about the history of Los Alamos National Laboratory, its national security mission, and the broad range of science, engineering, and technology research programs including the lab’s focus on Stockpile Stewardship. We will then return to the hotel for dinner on your own and a free evening.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will gather for an expert-led presentation about the life and art of Georgia O’Keeffe. O’Keeffe was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and a pioneer of American modernism. Although she is best known for the work she produced in New Mexico, O’Keeffe was a prolific artist with over 3,000 works over the course of her career and was the first female artist to have a museum dedicated solely to her work. We’ll then board motorcoaches and ride about 60 miles north of Santa Fe to the Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center. Ghost Ranch was Georgia O’Keeffe’s first home in New Mexico was located on the ranch property. The ranch is now a retreat operated by the Presbyterian Church, which operates three small museums on site and also maintains several hiking trails into the red-rock country that O’Keeffe’s paintings made famous. While her home is now in private hands and not open to visitors, we will have the opportunity to see the landscape that enchanted O’Keeffe so much that she moved permanently to the area.

In the Ghost Ranch Dining Hall.

We’ll take a short ride to Echo Amphitheater, a natural stone amphitheater with unique acoustic qualities. We’ll walk amid native piñons — small pine trees with edible seeds.

At the hotel.

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

At the hotel. 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!