Expert naturalists guide this exhilarating adventure when Rufous Hummingbirds signal the start of spring. Discuss migrations and take field trips to prime habitats including San Juan Islands National Historical Park, where wintering Harlequin Ducks, Pacific Loons, and Red-necked Grebes are ready to leave for breeding grounds, and migrating Mountain Bluebirds and Townsend Solitaires stop by. The state's largest nesting population of Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons are here, as well as Black Oystercatchers, Rhinoceros Auklets, Townsend's Warblers, and Hutton's Vireos. Daily bird counts could top 60 and total program counts over 100. As a bonus, explore the world-famous Whale Museum.

Five nights in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Double $640, Single $794, program #7413.

Travel the back roads and waterways of the San Juan Islands for an in-depth look at how modern islanders continue creative farming and fishing traditions of the region's first settlers. Savor the bounty of local seafood, island produce and other unique artisan foods. Organic farmers, cheese-makers, herb growers and foragers all contribute to the vibrant local culture and economy. Learn about the long fishing history in the islands and hear from experts how modern fisheries are faring. Explore a gourmet shellfish farm and salmon hatchery; learn how experts cook seafood. Take in a local winery, sample Washington State wines and hear about the island twist on the modern wine industry. Your week culminates in a sumptuous feast with entertainment!

Five nights in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Double $TBA, program #11459.

Retreat to Orcas Island for a luxuriant, restorative "Island Interlude". Enrich your health and vitality as you learn about alternative medicine, herbs, acupuncture and other healing techniques. Practice simple yoga and stretching as you gaze out to distant islands. Enjoy the tranquility of a nature walk with and learn from a naturalist how healthy creatures relate to their environment. Savor delicious cuisine, and enjoy a concert on Rosario's majestic Aeolian pipe organ. Learn about pioneer Robert Moran, who confounded doctors when he retired to Rosario and went on to live 39 more years.

Five nights at Rosario Resort on Orcas Island. Double $722, Single $897, program #10711.

The San Juan Islands were long known as the breadbasket of Seattle, sending fish, produce, and livestock "down Sound" to feed the growing urban population. This delightful introduction to real island life takes you behind the scenes to see how this farming and fishing tradition continues today, sustaining modern islanders' pocketbooks and spirits. Visit organic farmers, shellfish breeders, and lavender growers to savor the product and learn about production and marketing of artisan food. Visit a local winery to learn the island twist on the modern wine industry. Eat delicious meals made from local produce and sample Washington State's famous wines.

Three nights in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Double $436, Single $541, program #12433. 

Visit Orcas Island on "island time," a unique pace that puts you in tune with the cultural beauty and unique history of the archipelago. Focus on the natural history of the islands with lectures on marine biology and the local environment and habitats, a gentle nature walk and field trip to a unique salmon restoration hatchery. In the charming village of Eastsound, visit the Orcas Island Historical Museum and learn about the pioneers who settled the island. Enjoy a concert on Rosario's majestic 100 year old Aeolian pipe organ and a presentation about Robert Moran, founder of Rosario and Moran State Park. Rejuvenate in luxury at famous Rosario waterfront resort with engaging lecturers, musicians, and raconteurs.

Three nights at Rosario Resort on Orcas Island. Double $TBA, program #12801. 

This is a repeat of May 13th program #12801.

This is a repeat of May 6th program #11459.

Meet the artists and craftspeople of Washington's San Juan Islands. Based at Orcas Island, travel to cooperatives, galleries and studios for intimate encounters with artists and collectors, discovering how local culture and inspirational environs combine in the creation their work. Embark on two daylong field trips by ferry to San Juan Island to explore Friday Harbor, an outdoor sculpture park and the oldest artists' cooperative in the Pacific Northwest. Tour a private museum guided by its eccentric curator to experience the most complete collection of art created by Islanders, including an underground grotto and sea oracle. Enjoy an excursion to Moran State Park and the breathtaking vistas from the vantage of Mount Constitution.  Five nights at Rosario Resort on Orcas Island, Double $774, Single $998, program #14701.

Travel the Puget Sound marine highway to visit three of the most distinct communities along its shores: Seattle, destination for pioneers of the westward movement and jumping off point for the Northwest gold rush; the San Juan Islands, the destination for hardy souls who craved even further solitude and self-determination; and Victoria, the furthest outpost of British civilization, now beloved as a bit of old Europe in the rugged northwest. Experience modern life as you learn the history and future of this beautiful region. Program in association with Skagit Valley College. In Seattle, learn how climate, geography, fortune, and misfortune led to today's booming metropolis. Field trips to Pike Place Market, Olympic Sculpture Park, Pioneer Square, Tillicum Village on Blake Island, and other landmarks bring the city to life. Contrast Seattle with Victoria, a city marked by old-world charm. Visit the world-renowned Butchart Gardens, the Royal BC Museum, and the elegant Empress Hotel. Round out your experience in the San Juan Islands, a haven for whales, bald eagles, and rugged individualists. Passed over by earlier booms in the Northwest, the islands are threatened today by the allure of their natural beauty. Leave with a sense of the deep bonds of history along the northwest waterways.

Seattle, 3 nights; travel to Victoria, British Columbia by Victoria Clipper passenger ferry; Victoria, 3 nights; travel to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island by WA State Ferry; Friday Harbor, 3 nights; Return to Seattle hotel and airport via State Ferry and chartered motor coach.

Double $1702, Single $2254, program #4348. 

This is a repeat of the June 3 program #2293.

Surrounded by sunlit waters, study San Juan Island as it bustles with summer activity. Experience local marine life with a hands-on dock walk on the waterfront; cruise the protected waterways with expert naturalists in search of harbor seals, Dall's porpoise, an array of seabirds, and the amazing resident pods of orca whales. Historians introduce you to people who have made these islands their home. Study contemporary issues important in protecting the islands. Enjoy a day-long field study where breathtaking beauty co-mingles with "modern" island industry: a beautiful lavender farm and an aquaculture farm. Explore a National Historic Park important to regional history and visit the famous Whale Museum. Enjoy a truly unique NW experience.  Five nights in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Double $854, Single $1283, program #5207.

The San Juan Islands are home to a variety of creatures of land and sea, from bald eagles to orcas (killer whales), and sea urchins. Focus on marine biology and natural history as you kayak its sheltered waters and glide past the rocky coastlines. Kayak field trips start from various island locations known as the best places to view wildlife, seabirds, marine mammals, and the resident pods of Orca whales. Roam old island haunts to experience firsthand the history of the gritty settlers who chose to live here. Enjoy one easy hike with a naturalist in San Juan Island National Historic Park. Discover the lure of the islands as you experience the intricate marine ecosystem and build your skills out of doors.  Five nights in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Double $962, Single $1371, program #2295.

Experience firsthand a sustainable integration of humans and nature in two dramatically different yet neighboring regions of Washington. Spend two nights at a luxurious, boutique-style hotel in historic district of seaside Anacortes; three nights at an artfully designed, newly constructed mountain nature institute that is a showcase for energy conservation and sustainability. In both locations, chefs create delectable, fresh cuisine produced organically from their local food shed.  On Fidalgo Island, expert naturalists reveal the intimate details of nature on hikes through an astonishing landscape of rocky coastline, quiet estuary and the turbulent Deception Pass.  Then, beneath a canopy of cedar and fir, hike into the mountainous terrain of North Cascades National Park and canoe glacier-fed Diablo Lake. At the North Cascade Institute, discover how its state-of-the-art design integrates humans with the surrounding environment. This field campus in the North Cascade National Park is a hub to discovery of one of the wildest, most biologically diverse landscapes in North America. The Institute is dedicated to the idea that learning together inspires environmental stewardship.  Five nights in Anacortes and the North Cascades, Double $957, Single $1182, program #14879.

The pounding of surf upon the coast has steadily shaped the land and culture of the Pacific Northwest. For thousands of years, people living west of the Cascade Range have relied on the sea for food and transportation. While much has changed over the centuries, the ocean's influence continues to be felt today. During our study cruise, we immerse ourselves in the culture of this picturesque maritime region. Our vessel is large enough to be comfortable, yet small enough to linger among the tapestry of inlets, bays, rivers, beaches, and islands.

Seattle

Perched on a spectacular site sandwiched between Puget Sound and majestic Lake Washington, Seattle is surrounded by bays, lakes, rivers, and canals-with a glorious view (on a clear day) of Mt. Rainier. This multicultural city offers an eclectic mix of old and new-of the grand port that made it famous and of the entrepreneurial energy that makes it one of today's most exciting metropolitan areas. Our coastal journey begins with two days of lectures and field trips exploring the history, economy, and culture of this vibrant city. Field trips take us to Pike Place Market in the heart of the Seattle waterfront and the Museum of History and Industry.

Aboard the Spirit of Columbia           

Our lectures focus on the natural and cultural history of the region, its geological processes, and its resident marine life. Highlights of our study cruise include exploring the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver, the spectacular fjord of Princess Louisa Inlet, the fishing village and resort town of Friday Harbor, and historic Fort Casey on Whidbey Island. Activities include evening music programs.

The Spirit of Columbia          

The four-deck American small cruise ship, built in 1979 and renovated in 1994, is 143' long with a beam of 28'. The ship can carry 70 passengers on exclusive charters for Elderhostel programs. Public areas, linked by stairs, include a dining room, lounge, bar and sun deck. All cabins feature air conditioning, and private bathroom with shower. Cabins differ in size, amenities and cost.

Itinerary          

Arrive Seattle, 2 nights; coach to vessel, 7 nights (ports of call: La Connor, WA; Vancouver, Princess Louisa Inlet, Nanaimo, Victoria, B.C., and San Juan Islands, WA) disembark/depart Seattle. 

Category 1: DBL $3260 (Deluxe double occupancy, twin beds, view window; bridge and upper deck; TV/VCR, refrigerator.)  Category 2: DBL $2640, SGL $3590 (Double and single occupancy, twin beds, upper and main deck, view windows, singles on upper deck.)   program #6022.

Savor the late-summer breezes on a narrated cruise aboard the Washington State Ferry as it chugs through the Salish Sea. Circle the deep-green waters as you glide from Friday Harbor to Orcas, Shaw and Lopez Islands. Enjoy a day-long field study where breathtaking beauty commingles with "modern" island industry; a beautiful lavender farm and an aquaculture farm. Explore the dramatic beauty of a National Historic Park important to regional history. Take a chance on seeing Orca whales pass by the region's only whale watch park and visit the famous whale museum. Enjoy a truly unique Northwest experience! Five nights in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Double $436, Single $541, program #10013.

Visit Orcas Island on "island time," a unique pace that puts you in tune with the cultural beauty and unique history of the archipelago. Focus on the natural history of the islands with lectures on marine biology and the local environment and habitats, a gentle nature walk and field trip to a unique salmon restoration hatchery. In the charming village of Eastsound, visit the Orcas Island Historical Museum and learn about the pioneers who settled the island. Enjoy a concert on Rosario's majestic 100 year old Aeolian pipe organ and a presentation about Robert Moran, founder of Rosario and Moran State Park. Rejuvenate in luxury at famous Rosario waterfront resort with engaging lecturers, musicians, and raconteurs.

Three nights at Rosario Resort on Orcas Island. Double $490, Single $648, program #12801.

This is a repeat of the September 23 program #10013.

This is a repeat of the May 6 program #11459.

Enjoy the island's sweetest season. The air turns crisp, the light golden fall colors touch the leaves. This program combines lecture and field study in the natural and cultural history of the islands. Study orcas, eagles and other creatures of land and sea. Learn about the geography of the archipelago and the history of the people who have made this their home. Visit a whale museum and a national historic sanctuary. Take the ferry to Orcas Island and enjoy lunch and a pipe organ concert on the waterfront at beautiful Rosario Resort. Exceptional lecturers and delightful storytellers bring the islands to life and leave you with a deep sense of this special place.

Five nights in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Double $642, Single $794, program #7070.

This is a repeat of the June 11 program #4348.

Autumn holds a special reverence in the north. Shadows lengthen, leaves turn, and magic spices the air. Join us for a rich program that fits the season's mood. Journey with a musicologist through the melting pot of early American folk music. Learn from a naturalist about autumn's place in the cycle of life. View spawning Chinook Kings at a salmon rearing facility that has become a benchmark for hatchery reform. Savor a harvest feast and a concert on Rosario's majestic Aeolin pipe organ. Experience NW history through the life of Robert Moran, the visionary behind legendary Rosario. Between classes, ramble local trails and coastlines, visit the charming village of Eastsound, or revel in the season by the fire in the resort's 1909 mansion. Three nights at Rosario Resort on Orcas Island. Double $490, Single $648, program #4289.

This is a repeat of the September 23 program #10013.