For those seniors who don’t know about it already, ElderHostel is an organization that arranges trips with an educational angle for people 55 and older. The term “hostel” can sometimes make people think they are staying in a dormitory–which sometimes you do. But a lot of the offerings include nice hotels, inns, or retreat centers. The one we present here is for 5 nights in Upstate New York; prices start at $663 per person.
While your in Wine Country, learn the art of wine tasting, take a Finger Lake cruise, tour of the Corning Museum of Glass. Side stops include guided walks of local architecture and historic preservation, an amazing museum of aviation and a presentation on Iroquois culture. You can also visit the study where Mark Twain wrote his most famous novels….It’s not like school, you can easily pass on some of the scheduled events and go visit some other wineries.
They have dates available in June, August, September and October. You can read more about this particular offering on the ElderHostel Website . The amenities are being offered by Watson Homestead which has been an Elderhostel super site since 1982. Comprised of 600 acres, the site is located 15 minutes 8 miles west of Corning. It was established by Thomas J. Watson (founder of IBM) on his birthplace – hence Watson Homestead. This is a retreat site often used by organizations, corporations, or religious groups, and they have a variety of room styles available, so it might be good to call them to confirm what style room is included in the package…ElderHostel is pretty good at knowing what their clients need to be comfortable, but sometimes it’s best to double check so there are no surprises.
We hope to use this space to provide useful and topical information for seniors. Maybe sometimes it’s practical, maybe sometimes it has a more philosophical edge. We are open to suggestions, ideas, or submissions that might be appropriate for the senior population of Oakland.