Public Libraries Victoria Network Great Public Libraries of the World Tour Part 2 USA
June 2010
Los Angeles – Seattle - Chicago – Columbus – Washington – New York
Day One: - Saturday 12th June 2010
Depart Melbourne on QF093 on the 12th June at 10:15am
Arrive Los Angeles International Airport on 12 June at 07:30am
The rest of the day and evening is at your leisure.
Intercontinental Hotel & Resort
The Intercontinental Los Angeles Century City is a taste of true Hollywood style. Our convenient Westside address is within walking distance of 20th Century Fox Studios, MGM Tower, Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive and upscale shopping at Westfield Century City. A quick drive will take you to the Getty Center, Los Angeles city centre, UCLA or the beach. Location aside, service, style, and luxury are top notch at this fabulous LA property. The Intercontinental is the utmost in comfort and accessibility – the best balance of all. Enjoy your stay!
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/losangelesDay Two: - Sunday 13th June 2010
After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a half-day city sightseeing tour and in the afternoon the group will visit the Getty Museum.
Cultural City Tour & Getty Museum- 9:00am to 5:00pm
Spend the morning touring the City of Angels from a cultural perspective. On this tour, your guide will take you to many Los Angeles hot-spots that are exploding with culture. You will begin with a visit to the Music Center, Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County. Centrally located in downtown Los Angeles along Grand Avenue, the Music Center is home to four internationally acclaimed Resident Companies and is comprised of four venues- the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Ahmanson Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum- as well as outdoor theatres, plazas and gardens. The Music Centre is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation and welcomes more than 1.3 million people each year. Today your group will enjoy a private, guided 60 minute tour of the center. (Based on availability! Disclaimer: Tours of Walt Disney Concert Hall do not include the auditorium due to a near constant rehearsal, performance and special event schedule).
Next, your group will take time to experience Olvera Street, otherwise known as El Pueblo Historic Monument. The colorful village features 27 historic buildings with a traditional Mexican-style plaza area. Wander around the marketplace and shop for souvenirs including handcrafted Mexican wares typical of old Mexico. Enjoy outdoor entertainment by strolling bolero musicians, Mariachis, and performances by Aztec Indians and folkloric dancing. Your group will also have free time to sample some delicious and authentic Mexican food from one of the many vendors.
Los Angeles may be “Tinsel Town” to many, but wait until you see the countless works of art that call the city their home. Today you will experience one of LA’s world-renowned museums. The J. Paul Getty Museum has more than twice the gallery space of the previous Getty Museum in Malibu, and this new version houses changing exhibitions and expanding permanent collections of pre-20th century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculptures, as well as 19th and 20th century American and European photographs. Among the works on display is the painting Irises by Vincent van Gogh. The Center, which opened in 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens and views overlooking Los Angeles.
This evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
Day Three: - Monday 14th June 2010
Following breakfast at the hotel we will be visiting Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) for the day. With over 6 million volumes, LAPL is one of the largest publicly funded library systems in the world. The Richard Riordan Central Library, originally constructed in 1926, is a downtown Los Angeles landmark. It is the third largest public library in the United States in terms of book and periodical holdings. Architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue designed the original Los Angeles Central Library to mimic the architecture of ancient Egypt. The central tower is topped with a tiled mosaic pyramid with suns on either side with a hand holding a torch representing the “Light of Learning” at the apex. Other elements include sphinxes, snakes and celestial mosaics.
Return to the hotel late afternoon.
Tonight will be a dinner at Spago in Beverly Hills to complete your LA experience.
Spago Beverly Hills, the flagship restaurant of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, continues to set the standard for cuisine, service and style, and is consistently recognised as the ultimate in fine dining. Enjoy dinner and people-watching in a sophisticated, elegant, warm environment. The kitchen – viewed through a giant wall of colourful, etched glass – is center stage for the art of dining.
Day Four: - Tuesday 15th June 2010
Today we depart Los Angeles for Seattle, the “Emerald City”. Depart Los Angeles Airport on UA6105 at 0841 and arrive Seattle at 11:14am
Hotel Monaco Seattle
Located in the vibrant heart of downtown Seattle, the Hotel Monaco Seattle offers travelers destination with style, comfort and hospitality. Visitors to the Emerald City will want to step into the Seattle Art Museum or spend time shopping at the well-known Westlake, Pioneer Place and City Centre shopping centers. Take the monorail to Seattle Center and Space Needle. Or spend some time at the world-famous Pike Place Market and the nearby ferry terminal and waterfront. Also within easy walking distance of the hotel is Seattle's historic Pioneer Square and busy Washington State Convention & Trade Center.
http://www.monaco-seattle.com/ Exclusive VIP Literary and Cultural Heritage Tour of Bainbridge Island - 1pm - 6.30pm
Amaze at the sights, sounds, scents and tastes during a VIP Highlights Tour of the Pike Place Market; Cruise Puget Sound aboard a Washington State Ferry; Experience historical Fort Ward and the Japanese American Memorial, as Bainbridge Island’s role in US history unfolds, Delight in a VIP Wine Tasting of handcrafted boutique wines at the quaint Bainbridge Island Winery, Explore a 20,000 volume collection of rare books during your private book tour of Barbarossa Books and conclude with a spectacular view of the Seattle Skyline upon your return.
This evening will be yours to use at your leisure.
Day Five: - Wednesday 16th June 2010
The morning will start with breakfast at the hotel.
We will visit the Seattle Public Library for the morning. The Seattle Public Library opened in 2004 and was designed by Rem Koolhaas, a famous Dutch architect. The building received a 2005 national AIA Honor Award for Architecture.
This afternoon we will visit the Gates Foundation in Seattle to learn first hand about the work that the International Library section is involved in.
This evening is yours to use at your leisure.
Day Six: - Thursday 17th June 2010
After breakfast we will depart Seattle for Chicago, a beautiful city on the shores of Lake Michigan. Depart Seattle on UA958 at 08:15am and arrive in Chicago at 2.15pm
The Palmer House Hilton
The Palmer House: a Hilton Hotel - an iconic, world-class downtown Chicago hotel and gateway to Chicago's rejuvenated Loop scene. A modern Chicago grand hotel, the Palmer House is a lively destination within walking distance of the best attractions the city of Chicago has to offer like Millennium Park, Grant Park, Lake Michigan, the Art Institute of Chicago, the theatre district, and the Magnificent Mile. Representing a locale close to the best of the city's offerings, shopping on the famed State Street and Jeweler's Row on Wabash Avenue.
http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/CHIPHHH-The-Palmer-House-Hilton-Illinois/index.doThis evening is yours to use at your leisure.
Day Seven – Friday 18th June 2010
After breakfast at the hotel we will be visiting the Chicago Public Library.
The Chicago Public Library is one of the major institutions in the city and with nearly 11 million volumes it is the largest library system in the Midwestern United States and one of the largest library systems in the United States. The Chicago Public Libraries consist of 79 branches including the central library. In 1991, the Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago’s new central library, named for the late major, opened to the public. It was the world’s largest municipal public library at the time of its opening. Since 1994 the Chicago Public Library has been led by Commissioner Mary A. Dempsey who launched an aggressive rebuilding project, replacing or rehabilitating the majority of Chicago’s neighbourhood library branches. It has been the largest and most successful urban library expansion in recent history.
In the afternoon we will be visiting the Urban Libraries Council (ULC). ULC is an alliance of more than 180 premier public libraries and corporations. ULC believe that by sharing strengths, libraries are better able to serve as cornerstones of vibrant communities, deliver innovative programs to educate and enlighten, and build local economies. ULC support one another through idea-sharing, research, and programs and industry change initiatives, tailored to the needs of our communities and aimed at preparing libraries to serve the next generation of learners.
This evening will be a night of entertainment at Buddy Guys Show and Dinner, one of America’s premier Blues Clubs.
Buddy Guy’s Legends
Since its opening in June of ’89, Buddy Guy’s has built a reputation as the nation’s premier blues club. Mr Guy’s personal reputation as the crowned king of Chicago’s electric blues scene and his 50+ years in the music business has made Buddy truly a legend himself. As a blues club, Legends is distinguished for its innovative scheduling of local, national, and international blues acts.
Day Eight – Saturday 19th June 2010
Breakfast will be provided the hotel. Today will be a day of sightseeing.
In the morning we will take the Chicago Architectural River Cruise:
Chicago Architectural River Cruise:
Rolling on the River
Discover the beauty and rich architectural history of world-famous buildings with a cruise down the Chicago River! You will see it all, from the gothic greatness of the Tribune Tower to the Sears Tower, an awe-inspiring structure that is so tall it requires its own zip code! During your 90- minutes on board, sit back, relax and listen as your expert narrator guides you through the development of Chicago’s magnificent skyline.
Admire the innovative IBM building, the last major Chicago design by the great Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Gaze at Marina City, the five-building complex that includes two sixty-story apartment towers, offices, restaurants, garages, hotels and a marina. The sleek vertical lines of the NBC Tower will draw your eyes up to the top of this stunning structure that was modeled after New York’s RCA Building. The cruise will also highlight Chicago’s newest addition to the cityscape, Trump Tower. Towering 92 stories over the Chicago River, Trump tower is not only Chicago’s second tallest building but the second tallest in the United States!
In the afternoon we will take the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Tour
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOME & STUDIO
You will journey to the nearby suburban neighborhood of Oak Park, where Frank Lloyd Wright’s legend began. During a 45-minute tour through his Home and Studio, an expert docent will recount the story of Wright’s work and life in Oak Park, the location where he and his family spent the first 20 years of his career, from 1889-1909. You will have the chance to learn more about Wright’s famous “Prairie style”
architecture and the meaning behind it.
After leaving the artist’s home and studio, your docent will take you on a relaxing stroll through the neighborhood’s Historic District. The district boasts 25 other Wright buildings – the world’s largest concentration of Wright-designed structures!
Tour duration: approximately six hours.
This evening is yours to use at your leisure.
Day Nine – Sunday 20th June 2010
After breakfast at the hotel you will depart Chicago for your flight to Columbus, Ohio.
Depart Chicago O’Hare airport on UA138 at 08:06am and arrive in Columbus at 10:20am
Westin Columbus Hotel
Known as The Great Southern Hotel since its grand beginnings in 1897, the city's most-renowned hotel has offered guests the utmost in gracious service and luxurious surroundings. A historic landmark elegantly styled for the 21st-century traveller. From exquisite architectural detailing such as original stained-glass windows and crystal chandeliers, special touches throughout remind guests that history in itself provided the inspiration for this stately hotel.
http://www.westincolumbus.com/Columbus City Tour
In the afternoon you will partake in a guided 2-3 hour city tour of Columbus with a local guide to include history, art & architecture, civic/government district, German Village & Short North neighbourhood, public gardens, Ohio State University campus and more.
The evening is yours to use at your leisure.
Day Ten – Monday 21st June 2010
After breakfast at the hotel you will be visiting the Columbus Metropolitan Libraries (CML), home to Helene Blowers.
CML is acknowledged as one of the leading libraries in the US and its mission is “to promote reading and guide learning in the pursuit of information, knowledge, and wisdom.” The library is one of the of the most-used library systems in the country and consistently ranks at the top of its class. Last year, customers borrowed more than 16 million items, made 8.2 million visits to the library and asked 1.2 million reference questions. Columbus Metropolitan Library includes the Main Library, Outreach Services Division and 20 branches conveniently located throughout Franklin County.
The evening is yours to use at your leisure.
Day Eleven – Tuesday 22nd June 2010
After breakfast at the hotel we will be visiting the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). OCLC was founded in 1967 and is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organisation dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing the rate of rise of library costs. More than 71,000 libraries in 112 countries and territories around the world use OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalogue, lend and preserve library materials.
The evening is yours to use at your leisure.
Day Twelve – Wednesday 23rd June 2010
Today we depart Columbus for our journey to Washington DC, the nation’s capital.
Washington DC will see us at the American Library Association’s (ALA) annual conference. You need to experience one ALA in your life – 20,000 librarians can’t be wrong!
A full conference program will be enhanced by opportunities to visit the Smithsonian Museum and other highlights of the city.
Depart Columbus on UA7824 at 10:11am and arrive Washington at 11:24am
Included is the following tour: Welcome to Washington
One of the city’s finest tour guides will introduce you to the history and architecture of Washington, DC with stories, facts, trivia and perhaps a few old wives tales as you explore monuments, memorials and notable buildings. Along the way, you will have the chance to drive by the:
The White House
The United States Capitol**
Smithsonian Institution Complex
Washington Monument
Guests will have the opportunity to stop at one of the most visited areas of the city, the national park that boasts as its centerpieces the Lincoln, Vietnam War and Korean War Veterans Memorials. Guests may get off the bus at the Lincoln Memorial where they will be able to visit:
• The Lincoln Memorial
• Vietnam War Veterans Memorial
• The Korean War Veterans Memorial
Enjoy the exceptional view as you look on the city with the imposing statue of Lincoln behind you – with the National World War II Memorial at the opposite end of the reflecting pool. From here you will enjoy a short ride along the Tidal Basin and the Potomac River to the Jefferson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials, worthy tributes to the achievements of two of the USA's most notable presidents. This is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, which you will enjoy even more in the company of your storytelling guides.
Day Thirteen – Thursday 24th June 2010
Breakfast at the conference hotel.
American Libraries Association Conference (Program to be advised).
Day Fourteen – Friday 25th June 2010
Breakfast at the conference hotel.
American Libraries Association Conference (Program to be advised).
Day Fifteen – Saturday 26th June 2010
Breakfast at the conference hotel.
American Libraries Association Conference (Program to be advised).
Day Sixteen – Sunday 27th June 2010
Breakfast at the conference hotel.
American Libraries Association Conference (Program to be advised).
Day Seventeen – Monday 28th June 2010
Breakfast at the conference hotel.
American Libraries Association Conference (Program to be advised).
Day Eighteen – Tuesday 29th June 2010
Breakfast at the conference hotel.
This afternoon we begin our departure from the capital to the USA’s largest city - New York City.
We will take the public train from Washington to New York.
The W – The Court
Amid the bustling skyline of midtown Manhattan, W - The Court rests on a tree-lined street in the heart of the city's vibrant and historic neighborhood between Lexington and Park Avenues. Where do you find sanctuary? This intimate hotel just recently underwent a number of renovations to make sure everything from the carpets to the pillowcases had a softer, more comfortable feel. This splendid property, which is known for its residential ambiance, indulges the business traveler with big and spacious rooms, sophisticated amenities, and unbeatable service. This charming retreat radiates warmth from the sizzling scene at Wet-bar to the sultry, satisfying dishes of Icon. Live in style at The W - The Court.
This hotel is only a few blocks from Grand Central Station and 3 blocks from The NYPL Library
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=97500Day Nineteen – Wednesday 30 June 2010
After breakfast at the hotel the morning will be yours to use at your leisure.
The afternoon will include a city tour of New York City:
A SLICE OF NEW YORK - A SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF NEW YORK
Today our guests can continue on to see the greatest sights in the world! Weather and traffic patterns permitting, guests will proceed west and north, past Macy's (The Largest Store in the World), up Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the America's - home of some of the largest corporations in the U.S.), through Columbus Circle, past the imposing buildings of Lincoln Center and the famous Chagall paintings at The Metropolitan Opera House, and on to 72nd Street where they will pass by The Dakota (where John Lennon lived - and died).
The tour will proceed east, down Fifth Avenue, past the famous museums of "Museum Mile" including The Metropolitan, The Guggenheim, The Cooper Hewitt and The Frick – where guests will see some of the prime expensive real estate owned by some of New York's wealthiest families. The tour continues south down Fifth Avenue, past The Plaza Hotel, FAO Schwarz (the largest toy store for children of all ages), past Tiffany's and the Trump Towers. Proceeding further south, guests will enjoy some of the sights of the ethnic neighborhoods which make up this city, including Little Italy, Chinatown, also SoHo and Greenwich Village, taking them to Battery Park through the heart of the financial district to see Wall Street and to the tip of Manhattan for a view of the Statue of Liberty across the harbor.
There, we will direct our guest by one of the oldest ways of transportation in New York City – The Staten Island Ferry. There they board the ferry to another one of the most historical neighborhoods in the city- Staten Island from aboard they will be able to see The Statue of Liberty; probably one of America’s most well-known sites. Miss Liberty was given to the U.S. as a gift from France in 1886, sculpted by August Bartholdi along with the help of Gustave Eiffel (creator of the Eiffel Tower).
Time permitting; they will proceed through the heart of the financial district to see Wall Street and to the tip of Manhattan to Battery Park for a view of the Statue of Liberty across the harbor.
This evening will be yours to do use at your leisure.
Day Twenty – Thursday 1 July 2010
After breakfast at the hotel we will visit the New York Public Library (NYPL).
The NYPL is one of the leading public libraries of the world and is one of the State’s most significant research libraries. It is composed of a very large circulating public library system combined with a very large non-lending research library system. It is simultaneously one of the largest public library systems in the United States and one of the largest research library systems in the world. It is a privately managed, non-profit corporation with a public mission, operating with both private and public financing. The historian David McCullough has described the New York Public Library as one of the five most important libraries in the United States, the others being the Library of Congress, the Boston Public Library, and the university libraries of Harvard and Yale.
Our final Dinner will be organised as a group.
Day Twenty One – Friday 2 July 2010
Today will finish our time in New York City and mainland USA. We will be transported to New Jersey’s Newark Airport for our flight home, or if you choose the optional stop over, with Continental Airlines to Honolulu.
