“Exploring Progress” Tour Offered by Los Altos Senior Center
If you think senior centers are just about playing bingo and eating hot meals, it’s time you checked out what’s going on at the Los Altos center! Next month, they are offering an “Exploring Progress” tour of several very interesting sites in the Bay area.
The most intriguing stop on the upcoming tour is a visit to the famed Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, CA. Its simple mission: to increase the healthy years of life. This independent research facility is exploring the connection between aging and chronic disease, in order to increase not only life spans, but to improve the quality of life in later years. Research there in Alzheimer’s, stroke prevention, and other senior health issues may make a difference in the life of aging baby boomers. In addition to learning about the research center’s major projects, visitors will enjoy a tour of the facility itself, which is an architectural gem designed by I.M. Pei.
(By the way, if you are unable to catch a seat on the senior center tour, the Institute offers free tours every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Reservations are required for the docent-led tour, and you can call 415-209-2245 for information or to make a reservation.)
The Los Altos Senior Center tour doesn’t end there, however. After the morning tour of the Buck Institute, a lunch will be provided by the Epicurean Group, which specializes in locally grown produce and other foods. If you can imagine a “farm to table” box lunch, you’ve got the concept!
After lunch, the group will take a tour of the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael. Speaking of architectural gems, the center is the last building commissioned by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is a California and national historic landmark and has been nominated for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The final stop of the tour will be at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, for a tour of the Nike SF 88 Missile Site. During the Cold War, the U.S. Army built and operated almost 300 missile firing batteries here. Volunteers have turned the site into a museum, and it is the only restored Nike missile site in the U.S. today.
What a varied, stimulating day out this promises to be! If you are interested in participating in the tour yourself or know an older friend or loved one who would enjoy the outing, here are a few facts:
Tour date & time: Thursday, June 19, 2014, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Departure location: City of Los Altos Senior Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos, CA 94022
Cost: $73 for center members + driver gratuity; $77 for non-members + gratuity (Make checks payable to “City of Los Altos.”)
Contact: 650-947-2797
