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EH Notebook #117 APR 8, 2003
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Welcome to EH Notebook, the e-zine where e-friends who have
attended Elderhostel programs can compare notes. Please tell
other Elderhostelers about the EH Notebook and encourage them to
subscribe. Reviews and queries are welcomed from all.
There is an independent but cooperatively maintained index to old
issues at http://members.aol.com/ehindex
To subscribe to the e-mail publication and/or to submit reviews of
programs taken send an e-mail to the editor, Bob McAllester, at
EHnotebook$A$earthlink.net
Please keep all correspondence in simple e-mail text format.
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From the Editor's Notebook
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This issue has two reviews of the same program. Perhaps the fact
that Grace and I were also attending the program, and I was
encouraging people to write reviews, has something to do with it.
I think that it is great to get two viewpoints.
There is another review from a Kauai only program that met the
week before. All of these reviews substantiate the fact that
there has been a dramatic improvement since the program was
reviewed in issue #113.
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With this issue, I am using a new version of the PSS Bulk Mailer.
This allows me to show the name in the "To" line. I do not have a
name in the directory for most of the subscribers, so for most of
you, there will be no change.
I have been recording a name, if offered, for the most recent
subscribers, so in those cases the name will appear.
Bob McAllester
EHnotebook$A$earthlink.net
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Comments and Queries
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N O T I C E
To use an e-mail address, replace the
3 characters $A$ with a single "at" symbol.
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In answer to the question about The Mountain in North Carolina, I
have been there but to a different EH program (stories about
Appalachian people and Civil War, which was one of the best
programs I've been to). The accommodations there are rustic and
one couple left without staying when they saw the place. What a
shame as they missed a great program. We stayed in a cabin which
was o.k. The lodge had more modern rooms but small. Food was
basic but o.k., too. If your program turns out to be as good as
ours, the accommodations, etc. will not be an issue.
Carolraulston$A$aol.com
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I'm requesting information about a "women only" Elderhostel which
is held in Montana at the historic Belton Chalet on the edge of
Glacier National Park. Flathead Valley Community College is the
sponsor. It is a late September, early October seven day adventure
for active women. Did anyone attend last fall and was it a good
experience?
It sounds like a great program and is being offered again Sept.
28-Oct.4.
Eleanor Cannon
recannon$A$coinet.com
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Can anyone give me any opinions on an EH program entitled "WAY WE
WERE." Program #: 2779. A train based trip thru the upper Midwest
originating at Chicago.
jdellaira$A$aol.com
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Has anyone participated in the Ventura, CA program on use of a
digital camera? Info says you will be provided with a camera.
Can you use your own?
How would you rate the program?
SUZIKUKAR$A$aol.com
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Program Reviews
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N O T I C E
To use an e-mail address, substitute
the "at symbol" for the 3 characters $A$.
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The Real Costa Rica
John C. Campbell Folk School, North Carolina
City Highlights - Madrid, Spain
Bay Area Classic Learning/Tiburon, California
Kauai Historical Consortium, Hawaii
U. of Hawaii at Hilo and Kauai Historical Consortium
U. of Hawaii at Hilo and Kauai Historical Consortium
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The Real Costa Rica
Program #3715
February 19 to March 2, 2003
The trip to Costa Rica was wonderful! Hotel accommodations were
fine and the meals were ample and in most cases, tasty.
In San Jose we went to a wonderful biodiversity park (IMBIO), the
National Museum, National Theater and side trip to the Orose
Valley (to visit a coffee plantation) and the Lankaster Botanical
Gardens. Highlight was a nearly two hour session with former
president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Carazo in his home and he talked
about Costa Rica economy, politics, history and future. We viewed
two active volcanoes (Poas Arenal), spent a two hours session at
a Dole Banana Plantation, had two boat trips on various rivers -
one a wildlife refuge, swam in a thermal spring, took a thermal
mud bath and spent two days on a glorious beach. Additional
lectures were by a volcano research person a senior economist
retired from the University, an educator on the Costa Rica
education system and a well-known specialist on Pacific Sea
Turtles. We did some hikes, took a white-water raft trip,
identified over 45 species of birds, saw many beautiful plants and
flowers, got up close and personal with some monkeys and viewed
crocks from a safe distance.
The group was great. We started with 18 but one older gentleman
fell, had to be hospitalized and he and his wife and her sister
returned to the Sates. We had our own mini-bus with a great
driver and our tour director was excellent. But, expect some
rough riding on the Costa Rica roads!
Pete Bellaria
bellariapn$A$cox.net
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North Carolina
John C. Campbell Folk School
My daughter, Kate, and I are just back from an Elderhostel at the
John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, 23 February/1 March
2003. We had a wonderful time, learned a lot, and enjoyed all the
fellowship. First off, an EH at the JCCFS is an EH in price only.
During the week, there was no mention of "Elderhostel" at all
(except at the end, when EH people were asked if they would sign a
paper so that JCCFS could ask them for a donation). We never knew
who was an EH participant and who wasn't - in any of the classes.
This never caused us a problem.
Housing is varied, to say the least. The buildings or "houses" are
of varying ages and configurations. There are dormitory-type rooms
and other rooms with 2-3 single beds. I don't think there are any
private room options. Some baths will be shared. Kate and I had a
room with two single beds, and a bath to ourselves, but it was
across the hall. Meals are served family-style - eight to a table,
and students are encouraged to move around to meet people from
other classes. The name tags give your name, home town, and name
of the class you're taking. The food is simple, plentiful, and
usually quite good. The breads especially are all home-made and
delicious. There was a separate vegetarian table at each meal, and
other special diet plates (diabetic, low-salt, etc.) were
available on request.
Getting around could be a bit of a problem. The campus is fairly
spread out and hilly. The main building, dining hall, studios, and
housing could be at some distance from each other. We usually
drove from our house to the dining hall in the morning, and then
left the car there all day, as our studio was close to the center
of campus. Each facility does have designated handicapped parking.
In my opinion, a car would be a necessity.
Our class was called "From Sheep to Shawl" (spinning dyeing).
The instructor and the assistant were great, very knowledgeable,
pleasant, funny, and helpful. We literally went from shearing a
sheep to finished yarn, with washing the fleece, picking, carding,
dyeing with natural materials, and spinning. My only complaint
with the class was that it was too large, with 14 participants. We
had plenty of equipment and space, but the instructors were spread
a little thin.
If you're at all interested in learning any of the "Appalachian
crafts" (and they offer a vast, varied assortment), I'd certainly
recommend taking a class here. We'll probably be going back. And,
there is a great gift shop, too.
Mary Zelle
maryzelle$A$hotmail.com
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City Highlights - Madrid, Spain
Madrid Observed
March 19 to 26, 2003
Sponsored by Study Journeys
Leader: David Martin (Sanchez)
Site: Tryp Washington Hotel, Gran Via, Madrid
Group of 10 Elderhostelers
Since we had non-refundable unused Iberia tickets from another
Madrid Elderhostel trip, we decided to try one of the week-long
experiences that Elderhostel offers. We would use Madrid, which we
had visited before, as a base and then explore Sevilla on our own.
These trips are found in the Specialty/City Highlights section of
the catalog. The catalog was very clear concerning the inclusion
of breakfast only [other meals on your own] and no transport from
the airport to the hotel. The information packet from Study
Journeys [probably a generic info packet] stated otherwise. I
tended to believe the catalog as did most others but a few
participants had expected all meals and transport included.
The hotel, Tryp Washington, was fine. Our room overlooked the Gran
Via and we were able to watch, on Monday afternoon, a large
demonstration of students from the nearby universities march to
the city center. The rooms were clean, bright and well-furnished.
The bathrooms were excellent. The buffet breakfast was more than
expected with a good variety of food. The Gran Via is loaded with
cafes and restaurants at all price levels so finding food was
never a problem. The 'menu del dia' is the best lunch invention
known to man!
The first evening included a Welcome and Information meeting [with
sangria] and lecture: "Life in Spain Today". This lecture turned
out to be more a question and answer period. This was followed by
an excellent dinner of tapas, paella and more sangria at a nearby
restaurant. The lecture room was of a good size for 10 people with
comfortable seating, tables and also a good supply of bottled
water. The lecturers were all good and the lecturer on Art, prof.
Cecilia Ceriani, was superb! There was only one evening lecture,
which was supposed to be an introduction to the Spanish language.
This didn't go over too successfully as there was such a
difference in Spanish language proficiency levels of the
participants.
There were two guided field trips during the week. The first was
to be a walking city tour. This turned out to be a mini-bus tour
of the city but since there were so many peace demonstrations that
afternoon, we were not able to get through the blocked traffic.
The guide and the driver, however, did their best to show us what
they could. We were then given the choice of being dropped off at
the Puerta del Sol or taken back to the hotel. The idea was to
continue on foot to the Plaza Mayor with David. Everyone opted for
the walk but David didn't accompany anyone. Many found this to be
a little difficult in a city they had never visited. The other
guided field trip was to the Reina Sofia Art Museum. This was a
culmination of the Art lectures that we had received during the
week from prof. Ceriani. We were able to see Picasso's Guernika
which is always a special treat.
The catalog states that participants will receive outlines for
four self-guided excursions through significant areas of the city.
This is where the program did not live up to expectations. There
were suggestions given in the agenda for "Suggested Self Guided
Excursions" which included only a paragraph of information
concerning the site. More information was needed for those new to
the city. Prof. Ceriani did, however, map out the Prado Museum for
those who chose to visit it during a free afternoon.
All ten participants [five couples] were very compatible. Everyone
shared their finds: a shop, a restaurant, a special neighborhood.
The end of the week came and the program ended on Tuesday morning
with a lecture on government. This was very anticlimactic. There
needed to be something planned other than a free afternoon, free
evening and departure the next morning.
I would recommend this type of program not to a newcomer to a city
[which was the original intent] but to a more seasoned traveler
who needs only a room, some breakfast and a little background
information to strike out on their own. The cost of the program
was, of course, a lot less than the regular two week, all
inclusive programs and was actually a bargain.
Thomas and Jean Foran in Connecticut
thomaseu$A$aol.com
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California
Bay Area Classic Learning/Tiburon
March 23 - 28
This was our sixth program with BACL and our fourth at Tiburon, a
very comfortable lodge. It is an easy stroll down to the landing
where you can watch the ferries come and go to San Francisco or
Angel Island.
The life of Richard Nixon - by John Rothmann:
This course is really more than just Richard Nixon. It gives
special insights into the political process and the complexities
and temptations that anyone will face in this highest office.
John's personal relationship with Richard Nixon allows him to
cover this topic in unusual depth. John always says, half
jokingly, that he presents each of his ten courses with equal
brilliance. That may be true, but I feel that he gives this
course a little extra.
BACL also arranged for us to have an extra session with John to
talk about the Iraqi situation. John is a recognized authority on
the middle east, so this was very informative.
The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber - Joe Marchi:
This is maybe a little too much of Andrew Lloyd Webber but Joe's
enthusiasm holds it together. Joe is great at selecting those
numbers that will keep you in the mood of the music. When Joe is
through with his presentation, you have learned more about English
musicals and Andrew Lloyd Webber than you could have imagined!
The Inside Story of Television - John Carman:
He has a lot of facts and interesting stories and he is working on
his presentation so hopefully he won't be so "stiff" in the
future.
The program also included bus tours of San Francisco on one day
and Sonoma on the next day.
Grace Bob McAllester
Rmcallester$A$earthlink.net
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Hawaii
Kauai Historical Consortium
Kauai Elderhostel
Feb.23 - March 1, 2003
My husband and I returned last week from a 6 day Elderhostel in
Kauai, Hawaii. (This was Elderhostel #32 for us). Earlier this
year, EH notebook review #113 mentioned several shortcomings of an
EH at this location. I would like to pass on our feelings about
this program.
We enjoyed the whole week very much and were pleased with the
Elderhostel program, location, speakers, trips, and hotel - also
very happy with our coordinator. Our weather was luckily very
pleasant all week.
The hotel was in a beautiful location, next to a lovely beach and
in an attractive coconut grove setting. The meals were adequate,
with a wonderful breakfast buffet every morning, lunches either at
the hotel or box lunches for a day trip, and dinners at the hotel.
Our orientation was fine, and we had all the usual introductions
for the 26 of us. Most mornings we had guest speakers, and they
were interesting and informative. Every day we had a field trip.
We visited Kauai Museum, the Grove Farm Homestead, a farmers'
market, the town of Kapaa, a coffee plantation and small museum, a
guava plantation, and took a ride up the Wailua River to the Fern
Grotto. We had a slide program on the Kailuea Lighthouse, then
visited it the next morning before the general tourists were let
in. We were driven along the coast to Hanalei and visited a
missionary home and church there. Our ride through the Waimea
Canyon was beautiful, and we made a couple of stops at overlooks
and had a picnic lunch in Kokee State Park. We also were taken to
Lydgate Park, a beautiful and safe beach, where several of us swam
or snorkeled (and spotted quite a few interesting colorful fish)!
The only thing our program lacked was a visit to a working sugar
plantation, although there is one left on the island that gives
tours. We had a talk on growing sugar, and slides, but never saw
a plantation in person.
We enjoyed our coordinator, Ed, very much. He was always
available 24 hours a day and never seemed to mind our questions or
problems. He was most personable and had a good sense of humor.
He personally led us on a tour of the Botanical Gardens (he has
worked there also). We even enjoyed a little ukelele music by
him!
The only thing I missed was some kind of Hawaiian entertainment,
such as hula dancing, music, etc. Some of us played hooky one
night and went to the luau at our hotel.
All in all, we would recommend this to others and were happy with
our experience.
Barbara
bmroof$A$sbcglobal.net
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Hawaii
University of Hawaii at Hilo and Kauai Historical Consortium
Hawai'i Beyond The Postcard
March 4 to 14, 2003
Because of a negative review we had read of this program, we were
a bit apprehensive in the beginning - but our fears proved without
merit. We had a wonderful time and learning experience on the two
islands of Kauai and Hawai'i.
The first five days on the island of Kauai, our host was Ed
Taniguchi . Ed was born in the Hawaiian Islands, and proved to be
excellent at interpreting the culture and history of the islands,
even though he had to do so unexpectedly to fill in for a "no
show" lecturer. Every day there were field trips to different
areas of the island, including visits to museums, parks, places
like the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Guava Kai
Plantation,Kilauea, Waimea Canyon, the Fern Grotto, and many
places in between. One of the best programs was the Coconut
Weaving Demonstration, with Nelson Kaai, who wove beautiful hats,
baskets, etc and who played the nose flute with lovely tones.
Nelson described his childhood in the islands with a huge dose of
humor. We all also learned to weave bracelets of lauhala leaves.
All in all, the program on Kauai was a great success.
The second part of our trip was on the "big island", Hawaii. Our
host, Claudia and her assistant Glen, met us at the plane with
lovely leis and hugs, followed by a buffet luncheon and trip
through a beautiful tropical garden. Our days included a visit to
coral reefs and identification of Hawaiian ocean invertebrates and
reef fish, snorkeling, and watching whales off shore. On both
islands, we observed numerous whales blowing, breeching and diving
- great views! Our trip to the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park,
with geologist/volcanologist Jenda Johnson included viewing the
Kilauea Caldera, and walking on lava where it covered homes and
farms. In Hilo town we learned about tsunamis, and viewed films
of the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis, which destroyed much of Hilo. The
Lyman House Memorial Museum explained much of the early missionary
days.
We would recommend this Elderhostel without reservation. We would
like to add how very much we appreciated the efforts put forth by
hosts on both islands, to help meet my husband's dietary needs.
We wrote ahead of time explaining that he is unable to eat wheat,
oats, rye or barley - and great efforts were made to provide foods
he could eat, as well as guiding us to a health food store where
we could purchase bread he could eat. Any problems which arose
for any of the 36 Elderhostlers were competently handled by the
hosts and coordinators.
Glen and Norah Casner
ngcasner$A$mindspring.com
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Hawaii
University of Hawaii at Hilo and Kauai Historical Consortium
Aloha
El and I returned from an Elderhostel trip a week ago, and it's
worth telling about. This was our first Elderhostel (E) so it was
an experiment, but we had been to both islands before.
We left (snow on the ground in Reno) for the island of Kaua'i on
March 4 via United Airlines. Not far from the Lihu'e airport was
our hotel, Coconut Beach, a two star hotel in a five star
location. That evening included the E sign-in and dinner. The
next day and the following three days were for touring special
places and many of the tourist spots, lectures on native language
and culture, geology, and some leisurely walks along the beach.
My favorite trips, all on a school bus, were the morning
snorkeling in a lagoon and the trip to Waimea Canyon. Our host on
Kaua'i, Ed Taniguchi, was a botanical expert which meant a lot to
El.
On Sunday, we flew via Aloha Airlines to Hilo on the Big Island.
On arrival, we were met with an orchid lei reception by our new
hosts. A visit to a wonderful botanical garden was followed by our
check-in at Naniloa Hotel, a 2.5 star hotel in a five star
location. My favorite trips here were both volcano days (with a
vulcanologist guide one day and a young woman who survived the
lava flow) and serious tide pooling with real experts on the
invertebrates. Lectures on astronomy (Mauna Kea has a 13
observatories on top), local fishes and invertebrates, and culture
and hula history, were all icing on the cake. The decoration on
the icing was presented by Glen, one of our hosts, as he presented
some authentic chants and hula. The food, provided as part of the
E package, was better on this island as it included a night out at
Uncle Billy's for a fine mah'i mah'i dinner and the next night, a
Chinese feast right there in the hotel. Our primary hostess on
this island was Claudia Ziroli-Coyl, one of those people that just
never seem to slow down. Her knowledge and leadership were really
appreciated. Happy housewarming and mahalo, Claudia!
The trip back was an all-nighter (Mar. 14/15), but the late
departure allowed another day to roam around the island. We
shared a car with Ted and Lorraine Pollard from Duluth.
Would we recommend Elderhostel? Yes. Would we recommend this
particular trip? Again yes.........Aloha a hui hou.
Don and Elly
DONRNO$A$aol.com
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Editor's Note:
All of us who have attended Elderhostels on Kaua'i in February and
March thank HGlucks for the earlier review and the suggestions for
improvement. Several of these suggestions were taken.
Consequently, we had more active time. We did not feel we had too
much idle time at the hotel.
As we started the Kaua'i program, there was one small remaining
glitch. Ed did tell us that we would be expected to tip during
the week, but as the week progressed, the announcement came that
tips were included in our fees and no tipping was expected for the
hotel and other staffs. The tipping problem now seems to be
history.
I concur with the reviewers that this is a great Elderhostel and
we can recommend it to our friends.