Senior travel: Elderhostel offers opportunity for learning, travel
When reading this page keep in mind that Stetson has an extensive Elderhostel Program. How lucky we are to have this program available to us.
By Kim Baca
The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, S.C. — As he strolled along the Charleston waterfront, John Clarke was aware that back home in New York it was winter.
But here he was comfortable in a lightweight jacket and enjoying the sunny skies and the views that have made this port city a popular stop for Elderhostel visitors.
On a scenic boardwalk over the seawall, called the High Battery, Clarke and other retirees looked past the Ashley River to James Island where the Union tried to take Charleston at the start of the Civil War. Stepping down from the boardwalk, he viewed the string of plantation-style homes.
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Elderhostel, 877-426-8056. Web: www.elderhostel.org
“We’re not ready to sit around and vegetate,” said Clarke. He is one of hundreds of retirees who visit this centuries-old city each year through the 25-year-old nonprofit Elderhostel organization.
Clarke said the program feeds his taste for adventure.
“It’s also the quality and price,” he said. “And you’re meeting people who have a fair amount in common with people who also like to learn.”
Boston-based Elderhostel was born in 1975 on college campuses in New Hampshire as a reasonably priced educational getaway for adults.
Participants often stay in college dorms to keep the costs down while they are taught an area’s history or culture by professors.
With tours starting at $464 for four to five nights, persons 55 and older can hike or bike across a mountain ridge, help build homes with the Habitat for the Humanities, or sail down the Atlantic Coast, or choose from hundreds of other tours nationwide.
Charleston is a popular destination because of its rich history dating to the Revolutionary and Civil wars, Elderhostel coordinators say.
“Most Northerners know we lost the war, but not much more,” says Claire Robinson, the Charleston coordinator. “It’s a real eye-opener for many of them.”
Tours include the historic downtown area where visitors learn more about the city’s architecture, including the steeples of 181 churches representing two dozen denominations.
In Beaufort, farther down the coast, Elderhostel brings seniors to the University of South Carolina branch campus where they study movies such as “G.I. Jane” and “The Prince of Tides,” that were filmed in the area.
They also visit the largest Gullah community, a black culture of the sea islands that scholars say has clung to its African roots and traditions more than any other in America.
Elsewhere in Dixie, Elderhostel participants visiting the University of Alabama campus in Mobile hear one of the oldest Dixieland jazz bands, the Excelsior, established in 1880. At Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., they learn the strategies of golf.
“In general, the whole Southeastern United States during the winter months is popular,” says spokeswoman Cady Goldfield. “People are looking for a warmer climate, but people are also looking for interesting programs.”
“You also have to be a little bit brave,” Clarke says. “We’re staying in a five-star hotel, but we’re eating in a college cafeteria.”
In Charleston, participants stay at the Westin, where rooms normally go for more than $200 a night, but eat most meals at the College of Charleston to keep the price down, Robinson says.
David Holden, who works with Southeast Elderhostels, says retirees have different tastes today than when the program began.
“It appealed to the generation that had experience with the Depression and World War II,” he says. “They were really hardy folks and going to college and living in a dormitory had a venturesome spirit.
“ But over the years we learned that people wanted private baths, which very few dormitories have, and other amenities. With almost all of our programs, we changed with the generation. Now people just like a little more comfort.”
The most popular Elderhostel program in the nation is the Mardi Gras course in New Orleans. About 8,000 seniors a year indulge in Creole and Cajun foods and its music.
Stetson University Road Scholar Programs
Road Scholar is the program name of the adventures in lifelong learning provided in partnership between Elderhostel, Inc. and Stetson University. There is an average of 80 programs taking place at several different locations throughout Central Florida each year.
Traditional programs are offered on our main campus in DeLand and beachfront in Daytona Beach. Traditional programs consist of three academic themes based on a variety of topics such as art, literature, religion, music, area studies, history and politics and are taught by university professors or local experts.
Two levels of Golf are offered in Daytona Beach, which allows participants from the complete beginner to those with lower handicaps to improve their game. Classes are taught by active PGA and LPGA professionals. Our location has two 18-hole courses which gives you the opportunity to play a different 9 holes each afternoon. All participants will also visit our golf simulator, where one of your pros will digitally record, play back and analyze your swing allowing you to see firsthand what improvements can be made.
Also in Daytona Beach, we have partnered with the Florida Tennis Center and use their 24 Clay Hydro-Courts that allow our tennis professionals to walk you through the correct approach to all the shots, making sure all the basic foundations are set so that corrections can be easily made for every situation. Our USTA professionals are rated the best in the country by past Road Scholar participants.
The program curriculum in St. Augustine focuses on the history of Florida’s First Coast. The majority of learning occurs not in the classroom, but through exploration of the city led by instructors in period costumes. The week includes trips to many of the areas historical sites such as the Fountain of Youth, and Fort Castillo de San Marcos. Also included is a boat excursion around the bay and a ghost walk for evening excitement. The Intergenerational edition of this program will take grandparents and grandchildren on a pirate-themed adventure through the city and includes the added excitement of putt-putt golf and a cruise in an actual pirate ship.
In Orlando, our Chinese Cultural Program covers the history of the different historic dynasties through China’s current events. Classes are instructed by Chinese Nationals and American Foreign Service retirees. The week also includes a visit to a local Buddhist Temple, dinner at Ming Court, a little Tai Chi each morning and several cultural events. The program also includes exploration of the world-famous Chinese visual and performing arts supported by live demonstrations and performances by China’s national and international award-winning acrobats, musicians, dancers, martial artists, Peking Opera performers, painters, and chop-carving artists.
The Cocoa Beach program will focuses on many of the secrets of Florida’s Space Coast including trips to the Kennedy Space Center, Brevard Zoo, Mosquito Lagoon, an airboat ride on the St. Johns River and much more. To add to your enjoyment, you will be staying at an ocean front hotel. There is also an Intergenerational version of the program for grandchildren 10-14. This edition has been modified to include surf lessons from Florida Surf School and a hands-on learning called “Seining” where grandparents and grandchildren use nets to collect and study marine life at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Our Baseball Program is comprised of a lineup of teams including the Atlanta Braves, the Houston Astros, the Washington Nationals and some collegiate teams. During the week you will attend at least three games and enjoy a visit to the Disney Wide World of Sports. With Stetson University’s baseball coach having played in the Big League, we have amazing access to former and current players and coaches.
One of our most unique programs is “The Mystery Behind the Magic” held at Walt Disney World® in Orlando. During the week you will have the opportunity to go both “on-Stage” and “off-Stage” at all four parks under the expert leadership of Disney Institute professionals. Enjoy an evening at Cirque du Soleil® and have the rare opportunity to walk the set on which the performance took place. Your adventure also includes an afternoon pass to revisit the park of your choice. We have a special Intergenerational program for grandchildren ages 10-16. This program uses all the parks to focus on fun educational programs only Disney could offer. Learn about conservation at Animal Kingdom®, history from the Hall of Presidents, digital arts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and culture at EPCOT®.
Programs at the Deerhaven Retreat and Conference Center in Paisley offer a more rustic, outdoor adventure based option. The three different programs include Birding, Canoeing and Kayaking, and are led by well trained, expert guides each with over twenty years of experience. Step outside of your camp-style lodge room into the beautiful natural setting of the Ocala National Forest. The opportunities are endless to observe southeastern wildlife and vegetation. During the summer an Intergenerational canoeing program is offered to bring grandparents and grandchildren together through teamwork, education and fun.
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