From digging to dancing—Elderhostel’s twist on travel

Recognizing that retirement means more time to have fun, seniors from across the world are signing up for Elderhostel programs. Perfect for both couples and those traveling alone, Elderhostels incorporate education and hosteling (informal, inexpensive lodgings) in programs designed for people ages 55 and older.

Created on the premise that education is should be a lifelong process, Elderhostel programs offer participants a chance to take up to three non-credit courses focusing on a wide range of subjects, from Jewish cooking to horticulture.

While courses are challenging, attendees can relax without the pressure of homework, exams or grades. Included in the program are tours of the area, extracurricular events, field trips and cultural events.

As an avid participant in the Elderhostel program, Trudy Hankin of New Jersey particularly enjoys the opportunity to learn. Having twice attended Elderhostel in Sarasota, Fla., Hankin has taken classes in Jewish movies and theater, Jewish cities (past and present) and Israeli dancing.

While the opportunity for expanding one's knowledge draws in a large percentage of each year's class, seniors also value the community and friendships formed. "Not knowing a soul, I found it incredibly easy to find people to be with and make new friends," Hankin said. As a widow, she also discovered that singles are as at home as couples.

Offered throughout the United States and in more than 70 countries, Elderhostels are based in a variety of host institutions: colleges and universities, state and national parks, museums and hotels. While most domestic-based programs run for one week, international programs can last up to four weeks and may include stays in several countries.

Gaining recognition and attendance yearly, Elderhostel had approximately 300,000 participants in 1996 and projected that number to rise to more than 310,000 in this year.

For the physically active traveler, international hosteling offers yet another bonus. The special-interest program attracts people seeking a nontraditional approach to exploring Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Perhaps a bicycle program through Austria, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Denmark. Or the Walking and Trekking Programs, where hostelers explore areas such as Switzerland and Nepal.

In addition, the international programs offer the Homestay Programs, where hostelers live with a family in the country they are visiting for one week of their three-week program. Lastly, Elderhostel offers Shipboard Expeditions.

Lotte and Martin Adelson of San Francisco recently got a taste of French art history on a barge tour of the River Seine. The tour and lecture series focused on the lives and work of the great French impressionists in the museums, homes and other venues of impressionists from Paris to Rouen.

Lotte Adelson says she likes having all the travel arrangements from lodging to meals and entertainment handled by Elderhostel.

And, "We enjoy having our minds stimulated a little bit. You can pick the specific subjects you are interested in."

Other Elderhostel trips have allowed the couple to revisit the Israeli moshav they once founded with others, study at the University of Judaism and enjoy lectures on Spanish Music at the Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts.

"It's not for everybody. It's not a luxury. Lodging is sometimes a dormitory with the bathroom down the hall," Lotte said, but noted that the opportunity to learn and travel has made it worthwhile.

The programs allow hostelers the opportunity to explore exotic and remote countries or continents, such as Antarctica, and study natural science, marine science and other topics.

Seniors seeking to explore Israel have many options available. Elderhostel offers more than 25 programs in Israel alone, as well as more incorporating countries including Egypt, Greece and Jordan.

There are base camps located in the Negev, the Galilee, Haifa, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Elderhostel offers kibbutz-based programs, as well as sites that include archaeological digs, staying with a local family and hiking in the Negev. Seniors can choose from a variety of courses, from the Political Process in Israel and the Dynamics of the Middle East Situation to the Kibbutz Experience and Jerusalem: 3,000 Years of History. For those wishing a Peace Corps-style experience, Elderhostel service programs provide seniors with the opportunity to participate in various volunteer projects throughout the world.