Add-on Tours
Flying in a day early or staying around an extra day after the technical conference ends? Don’t miss out on these two fantastic opportunities to explore more gems the Bay Area has to offer!
Sunday Add-on Tour at the
Hiller Aviation Museum
Destination: Hiller Aviation Museum
Date: June 8, 2025
Time: 13:00 - 17:00
Overview: Hop on the bus from the conference hotel and head over to the Hiller Aviation Museum. The Hiller Aviation Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate museum, was opened to the public in 1998 by helicopter designer and inventor Stanley Hiller Jr. and features more than 50 aircraft from more than a century of aviation history. Realistic flight simulators and open aircraft cockpits (including the popular Boeing 747 exhibit) ensure that every visitor gains a pilot’s eye view of the world of aviation. Since opening, the museum has served over 2 million visitors.
For more information, visit the Hiller Aviation Museum Website.
To register for the Sunday Add-on Tour, click here.
Santa Cruz and Natural Bridges Photo Credit: Patrick Goulding
Friday Add-on Tour at
Santa Cruz
Destination: Santa Cruz, Natural Bridges State Park, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz Whale Watch
Date: June 13, 2025
Time: 08:30 - 17:00
Note traffic can be unpredictable and these times are best estimates for when the bus will return to the hotel. Please plan accordingly if you are flying out that same night.
Overview: No visit to the Bay Area is complete without a quick stop at the beautiful, coastal city of Santa Cruz! Popular with surfers and wildlife enthusiasts alike, this Californian gem offers a wide array of activities for everyone and is the home of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an ocean-front amusement park founded in 1907. It is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of the few seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States. Select from two adventure options for this Santa Cruz excursion!
To register for the Friday Add-on Tour, click here.
Note: Registration for Option B closes on 4/23/2025
Option A: A 2-hour visit to Natural Bridges State Park followed by 2.5 hours to explore the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and purchase a lunch at the many restaurants found at the boardwalk or downtown. Natural Bridges is a park and beach with an excellent vantage point for viewing shore birds, migrating whales, as well as seals and otters playing offshore. Further along the beach, public access tide pools offer a glimpse of life beneath the sea in this Marine Protected Area. Low tides reveal sea stars, shore crabs, sea anemones, and other colorful ocean life. The park also includes a large area of coastal scrub and grasslands, with bright native wildflowers in the spring.
Option B: Venture out to the ocean on a 3-4 hour whale watch followed by 1 hour to explore the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Whale migrations in June will bring Orcas, Humpbacks, and Blue whales to the area! Sea Lions, Seals, Otters and nearly one hundred different species of sea birds, both endemic and migratory, are common as well. Sea Turtles, Jellies, Sunfish (mola mola) and Sharks at times can be seen at the surface. A boxed lunch is included with the whale watch.