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Elderhostel Notebook May 1997
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Elderhostel Notebook is the monthly e-mail publication of the
Silver Threads, an informal collection of net seniors. It is the
product of elderhostlers, and is independent of the Elderhostel
organization and not associated with it.
It is published in conjunction with the Silver Threads
Newsletter, but has a separate mailing list. Submissions are
welcome and voluntary as are comments and suggestions.
The newsletter is mailed to subscribers via e-mail and posted at
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/community/senior-citizens/center.html
Editor is Jim Olson olsonjam@uwec.edu
There is no charge for either publication. Just contact the
editor to subscribe.
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Contents
From the Editors Notebook
Elderhostel Potpourri
Elderhostel Reviews
Personals and Notices
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Editor's Notebook
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Maggie and I are currently at an elderhostel in Victoria, BC
sponsored by the Northwestern Educational Resources. The courses
include Natural History of the area, West Coast First Nations,
and Birding in Victoria. Ill do a more complete report in June.
This is the first elderhostel where I have really been able to
have a phone line readily available to use the powerbook to
communicate with family members and access the net.I'm not sure
it is a good idea to do that as elderhosteling does require
concentration and offers a change of routine that being on the
net may hinder somewhat.
But I thought it might be interesting to try to do at least one
notebook from an actual elderhostel site, and what better place
than beautiful Victoria where all the values inherent in
elderhosteling are well represented.
The haiku at the end refers to our First Nations course and
the robe our instructor wears when she participates in the
traditonal Potlatch ceremony.
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Elderhostel Potpourri
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HOW TO DO AN ELDERHOSTEL
Bernard F. Rhoderick
brhoderi@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us
Since we are all students once again I thought you wouldn't mind
my offering some tips on "how to do your elderhostel."
To find an outstanding elderhostel. There are a number of ways
to locate an elderhostel to your liking. For instance, anyone
online can use the keyword "elderhostel" to gain access to a
complete listing of domestic offerings, which is much easier to
peruse than that thick unwieldy booklet, and then generate a list
of all sites throughout the country in specific areas of
interest! Also, word of mouth gathered at personally attended
elderhostels can help considerably in narrowing choices, but more
about this later.
Become friendly with the coordinator and local host if there is
one. A good coordinator will go to great pains to answer
questions, check on concerns and provide information about
features of the larger community. All elderhostels provide free
periods for experiences away from the institution. I recently
asked an outstanding coordinator if she'd show my granddaughter
around an area, offering to pay her, and she offered to do it for
nothing!
Make an effort to meet and get to know other participants. My
wife and I always tried to sit with a different group of people
every meal. Naturally, you will find some who appeal to you more
than others, but there are additional ways of getting to know
them such as sitting by them in classrooms or seeking them out
during breaks. I can vividly remember a former English teacher
who glowed during a course on Robert Frost. I made a point of
sitting beside her in class and at one point mentioned, much to
her pleasure, that she was my mentor. Incidentally, the
instructor recited Frost even better than the poet; I once heard
Robert Frost recite his poetry at Hopkins.
You can play hooky legitimately - In Maine my wife and I skipped
drawing sessions to go canoeing on their lake where we gently
paddled through the reflection of the most glorious fall colors
along the shore looking up from time to time to check on the
"original!" In another instance I learned there was another
elderhostel running at the same time, in the same building, and
got special permission to switch to one of their sessions which
appealed to me more.
Looking out for Special Needs - if you need to sit near the front
of a room for hearing and/or visual reasons simply arrive early,
put a folder on a selected chair. Elderhostelers are courteous
and do not remove such markers!
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Elderhostel Reviews
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Cuernavaca, Mexico November 8-23, 1996
Immersion Experience in Spanish.
The group met at the Bristol Hotel in Mexico City. We spent one
night there. It was a nice hotel, centrally located, near the
American Embassy. Jim Horn, the group leader, was excellent.
Reben, his assistant is from Cuernavaca. He ate all meals with
us and helped with any needs.
We stayed at the Hotel Quinta Las Flores in Cuernavaca. It is a
small family run hotel. It was very clean. The rooms were
attractive. We had a king-size bed and our room was huge. It
included a dressing room. All of the rooms were not so large but
all those on the trip appeared to be satisfied with their
accomodations. We had an overhead fan, which was turned on most
of the time. There was no air conditioning and it was not
needed. No heat either. The meals, which are described in the
Elderhostel catalog as being "enormous," were not enormous, but
they were adequate. The breakfasts were American style, the
mid-day (2:00 p.m.) comida was the main meal. The evening (7:00
p.m.) cena was small. The meals were attractive and tasty. We
were very well treated by the staff. The grounds were lovely,
with many flowering plants and trees. There were huge
poinsettias. An outdoor bar near the swimming pool was the
gathering place before the evening meal. Jim gave lectures there
twice each week. It was a very pleasant place to stay.
The hotel was several miles from the Center for Bilingual
Multicultural Studies where we had our instruction in Spanish. A
bus picked us up each morning and returned us after classes. For
beginners, there was a 3-hour grammar class and then a 3-hour
drill class. If we wished, we could stay longer for more
individual instruction. Our grammar classes had no more than 5
people in them. Mine had 4 people in it. There were at least 20
possible levels of instruction available. You could change to a
different class if you thought your class was too easy or too
difficult. This is supposed to be the best Spanish language
school in the world. The new American ambassador to Mexico went
there for instruction along with many other dignitaries. (Read
the catalog description.)
My husband and I decided after two days, however, that 6 hours
was too much for our minds to absorb, so we left after 4 hours
and took a taxi back to the hotel, where we read, sat in the sun
by the swimming pool, or did sightseeing. We were the only
members of the group who did not stay for the entire six hours.
We learned enough Spanish to be comfortable going to Mexico again
on our own. We could order meals, talk sufficiently with a taxi
driver, get a hotel room and make purchases. We could have
simple conversations with people we met with the aid of a phrase
book and dictionary. I managed to visit a beauty shop and get my
hair washed and set although I was not able to explain exactly
how I wanted it done. A minor inconvenience.
Jim took us on several field trips. We went to Xochicalco, an
archaeological zone south of Cuernavaca and to Taxco to shop for
silver. We went to museums in Cuernavaca, and on a tour of the
city to orient us. We were shown places to shop, and visited
some public markets. We visited an orphanage outside of
Cuernavaca. We also had free time and there were suggestions for
other side trips that were available. The food on the trips was
excellent. We stopped at a resort restaurant on our trip through
rural Moreles. There were a couple of fiestas, one at Jim's home
in Cuernavaca and one at the hotel. We were also invited to the
home of the hotel owner for cocktails and a cooking lesson, which
was fun. Our activities were varied and never boring.
Something special happened each day. Our long side trips were
made on a large tourist bus. It was air conditioned and
comfortable. Jim used our riding time to tell us about the
culture and history of the areas where we were traveling. On the
free days, Jim had suggestions ready for possible excursions.
We returned to the Bristol in Mexico City for our last night of
the Elderhostel program. Jim took us to the best crafts market
in Mexico City on our last day. And, yes, we did do some
bargaining.
Bob and I stayed over an extra day and went to the Museum of
Anthropology in Mexico City and to the Ballet Folklorico. No one
should miss the Museum of Anthropology, if at all possible. It
is a wonderful museum. We spent 5 hours walking around and could
have spent much longer if our feet had held up.
Bob and Georgia Honeyfield, Leavenworth, Kansas
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Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga.
Course #10112-0406-1 April 6-11
The subjects were:
1- Savannah's Historical Journey
2- Historic Beaufort
3- Chamber Music made less challenging
We were lodged in a Days Inn located about 1 mile off campus.
This was a excellent motel with very comfortable rooms. All
meals were served in the student cafeteria and are typical of
meals available at school cafeteria's. Due to the distance
between the motel and the University, a car is almost essential.
We registered for this program because it was in Savannah and
also offered the opportunity to learn more about the history of
that area as well as see some of the historical buildings in the
city and also visit the city of Beaufort S.C. which is about 40
to 50 miles away and its history is closely associated with that
of Savannah.
The Chamber music part of the program was not a serious
consideration in our decision to register for this program.
As it turned out this was one of the high lights of the week and
we found our lecturer, Michael Grose, who is a member of the
Sannavah Symphony, to be most interesting and what I had expected
to be a rather dull subject was in fact one we found most
interesting.
We did not however, find the discussions on Savannah's Historical
Journey to be as interesting as we had expected. Our lecturer was
poorly organized. He made no attempt to prepare us for the tours
by any discussions or handouts prior to dumping us on the streets
of Savannah with him leading us on a walking tour and trying to
talk so that 40 people could hear him. He was having very bad
allergy problems and perhaps that was part of his problem. We
found that part of the program to be very disappointing.
The visit to Beaufort S.C. was very interesting and we had a good
description of the history of this area and a walking as well as
a bus tour of the town.
We also had a lecture on birds of the area by one of the biology
professors at Armstrong which was very interesting. One evening
we had a lecture on the Eighth Air Force Museum that is located
in the Savannah area. The museum has been open for about a year
and is attracting a large number of visitors. We did not have the
time to visit during this trip.
Joe Alva Graves
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Kerr Manison, Poteau Oklahoma
My wife and I completed a wonderful Elderhostel in Poteau,
Oklahoma in March. This Elderhostel was held at the Kerr Mansion
under the sponsorship of Carl Albert Community College in Poteau.
Charlotte Kerr, our coordinator, did a superior job in organizing
this week.
The Kerr Mansion was to be the retirement home of Senator Robert
Kerr, a powerful U.S. Senator in the 50's and 60's.
Unfortunately he died shortly after the mansion's completion, so
he didn't get to enjoy it for very long. I t is now operated as
a conference center and Bed and Breakfast. Each room is unique
and decorated beautifully. We stayed in the Lyndon Johnson
bedroom which was used by our former President in his visits to
the Kerr Mansion. The living arrangements were matched by our
food in terms of high standards. The food was plentiful and
varied. Charlotte saw to it that we had excellent meals and
delicious snacks.
Instead of two or three presenters we had nine (all good). We
learned so much about frontier life in Oklahoma and the "Trail of
Tears" when our Southeastern Indians were expelled from their
land by President Andrew Jackson, and they had to walk the
hundreds of miles to get to Indian Territory-now called
Oklahoma.
My wife and I had never been to Oklahoma before, and now we have
learned so much about this state and it's friendly people.
Oklahoma is OK!
Don and Elisabeth Stocker
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Ozark Folk Center
My husband and I have been to 33 elderhostels from Prince Edward
Island to Hawaii, and while some were better than others in some
aspects, we have really enjoyed them all. Probably the best one
was at the Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View, Arkansas. We were
there the end of October, and the maples were scarlet and gold,
the sweet gums purple and crimson. Robert and Mary Gillehan were
the leaders, and they were so much fun. They played and sang
folk music and old ballads for us on the autoharp and guitar,
taught us square dancing and "play party" games.
A field trip to the beautiful Blanchard Springs Caverns was
awesome. It is beautifully lit for maximum viewing. We learned to
make baskets--my husband said he wasn't going to do that, but he
was the first one through. A blind man attending even made one.
The focus was on Ozark folk culture. The food was great, and the
accommodations couldn't have been nicer. If you want me to, I can
tell you about other elderhostels we've attended.
Marian Leach
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Personals and Notices
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>From joy@shore.intercom.net
If anyone has been to the Glacier Bay, Alaska Elderhostel, would
appreciate if you could share your experience there with the rest
of us. Just heard, we are to go on Sept.9 for six days.
Regarding the thoughts on the last Elderhostel, of course we will
all stop some day, hopefully by choice because our interests are
changed or closer to home. Sadly, for some it will be necessary
because of failing abilities and health. There is hope however! I
have been legally blind for the last three years of the five
years I have been enjoying EH. Other than the occasional
insensative coordinator that doesn't supply the requested large
print there have been no limits as I travel with my
elderhosteling friends and that is probably the answer for most
physical problems and limitations.
If one has a spouse or friend to support and encourage it can be
done. At the very last EH there were MANY of us with special
needs and there was every accomadation one could ask for
including the understanding of our peers. Specifically, there
were three of us with visual disabilites, seven who used canes,
one person with dementia, yes she did just fine with the caring
of her husband, one fellow with severe rheumitoid athritus and
several slowed by advance years.
Another EH this past year a very brave gal brought her portable
dialysis unit with her and participated fully. There are some
activities that most of us fore go as we age, I for one would not
go white water rafting or horseback riding any more. It's simply
not comfortable or fun as it was ten years ago. But new
activities that EH has exposed me to are more than an adequate
replacement ie computer savvy and painting. It is food for
thought though, making EH available to those that can't travel to
a site. Maybe the site could go to them in group setting. Worth
persuing I think.
Hot Tip. Del-Tech out of Georgetown, De when located at Atlantic
Sands Hotel can't be beat for caring and learning. The Native
American Course taught by "Boe" is upbeat, fun and interesting as
is the Big Band and WWII action in the area. Nothing fancy as far
as food and room but delightfully eager to please staff. Beware
the Hebrew and Bible Bonanza courses though. There were many
complaints of boredom and poor quality presenters.
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Book Review: Elderhosteling, USA! A How-to-Guide, by Larry Dada
Elderhosteling, USA! A How-to Guide, was written by Larry Dada in
1994 to encourage more people to try elderhosteling. Larry, the
author, had attended Elderhostels around the United States for
four years before writing the book, and today he continues to
elderhostel (to date, he's been to more than thirty-six of them).
Read Elderhosteling, USA! to learn why this travel movement of
the century is being enjoyed by a growing number of savvy senior
citizens. This guide gives practical advice from the viewpoint of
an enthusiastic, experienced Elderhosteler who knows
Elderhosteling well and wants to share his enthusiasm with you.
experienced Elderhosteler who knows Elderhosteling well and wants
to share his enthusiasm with you.
If you, in particular, have a friend or relative you've
encouraged to try Elderhosteling, then this is the book for that
friend. For example, one Elderhostel coordinator who couldn't
get her father to try Elderhosteling in spite of her pull as a
coordinator, sent the book to him. It was what he needed to
convince him to try--now he's elderhosteling and loving it!
For information about purchasing a copy of the book contact
Lydia Dada
Or check it out at the Amazon books site,
http://www.amazon.com
____________
Ceremony
dangling hooves clacking,
the deer continue to dance
on robes of legend