Alternate Tuesdays • 10:00 a.m. - noon • Mackey Auditorium
Coordinators: Marilyn Payette, Bob Newcomb
Costa Rica and Guatemala
September 15
Speaker: Jack Wheatley
On the Caribbean - Jungle walks, zip-line tours, Tortugera, with turtles, exotic frogs, etc. Backpacker ambiance. Heading west - world-class rafting and the cosmopolitan capital, San Jose. Further west - La Fortuna, hot springs and Arenal, an active volcano, Monteverdi with its cloud forest, butterfly gardens and tree-top tours.
Guatemala: A cultural experience.
Antigua - the old colonial capital, picturesque, vibrant, lots to see. The highlands - Panajachel, Lake Attitlan, surrounded by volcanoes and native villages, Chichicastenango, the largest outdoor market in Central America. Tikal - an important Mayan city in the jungle in northern Guatemala.
Alaska - Land of Discovery
September 29
Speaker: Richard McCaman
In August 2006, Joyce Ono and Richard McCaman took their first trip to Alaska via a short visit to their favorite city, Vancouver. They discovered the luxury of a Holland America cruise ship from Vancouver to Skagway; the novelty of an unusual train ride through old gold fields; the awesome nothingness of the Yukon Territories (via bus); the beauty of Denali National Park and the spectacular views from the train to Anchorage. The discovery of distant cousins permitted a truly unique experience visiting with them on the Kenai peninsula.
Spain
October 13
Speaker: Dick Clement
Come
explore the northwestern coast of Spain from San Sebastian to Santiago
de Compostela. On this trip sponsored by the Sierra Club, we will also
visit Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum, Pamploma, Oviedo, Santillana
del Mar, La Coruna and other fascinating towns and cities. We will also
experience the joy of hiking in the Picos de Europa, the beautiful area
of Pola de Somiedo and a beach in the northwest corner of Galicia.
Croatia
October 27
Speaker: Marilynn Bates
Like so many other countries, Croatia developed under the impact of many different cultures - Greek, Roman, Celtic, Illyrian, Austrian, Hungarian, Byzantine and Islamic - and good things were incorporated from each one, especially the cuisines. The current story of the west coast of Croatia is of a country trying to come back to its roots. Because of its beautiful rocky coast, the Romans cleared fields by methodically stacking walls of rocks to protect their fields of grapes, olives and citrus. Some of the many islands are beginning to flourish again. Enjoy the beauty of Dubrovnik, Zagreb, the Dalmatian coast and other places you might visit when traveling to this most hospitable country. And what trip to Croatia would be complete without seeing the fabulous (Lake) Bled in Slovenia or Plitvica Lakes National Park in Croatia?
Tahiti and the Society Islands of French Polynesia
November 10
Speaker: Bob Newcomb
From the bustling city of
Papeate on Tahiti to the little towns on sparsely populated islands
such as Huahine and Raiatea, French Polynesia is a little bit of
paradise. Join Bob and Cathy Newcomb on a cruise through the Society
Islands and at a resort on Tahiti.
Selected Views of Australia
December 1
Speaker: Bernie Peralta
Australia covers a lot of land! We'll manage to see a small but beautiful part of the continent. Specifically, we'll start in the region of Victoria where Melbourne is the main city. We'll proceed to the middle of the country where the famous Ayer's Rock is located (now known as Uluru - the original aboriginal name). We’ll fly to Queensland to see the magnificent Great Barrier Reef for some snorkeling and touring, and then down to the region of South Wales for a visit to Sydney, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.