Elderhostel 2006

New England Railroads: History and Heritage

June 25 - 30, 2006

It has been several years since I last went to an Elderhostel program,

I recently found one that was of great interest to me. 

I also recruited my friends Sue and Jack Cranney to join me on

this week long adventure in New England.  Our program began

with dinner on Sunday, June 25th and ended in the

late morning on June 30th.  Our first two nights were at Hyannis,

Massachusetts where we took our first train ride on the Cape Cod Central Railroad. 

This was our headquarters motel in Hyannis.  We had lectures about

Cape Cod and the Cape Cod Central Railroad before going a

board for our first train ride of the week.

Waiting for the train to pull in! 

At last, here's the train!  Our group is 41 persons was from all over the USA. 

We traveled from Hyannis to Bourne on the train.  Part of the trip

followed the Cape Cod Canal.  This was around trip ride so

we returned to the station across the street from our motel.

Do I look like the engineer?

After a two night stay in Hyannis, it was off to Meredith, New Hampshire

and a ride on the Lake Winnipesaukee Railroad.  We traveled on a very

comfortable bus as we ventured around this part of New England. 

Above is the engine that pulled our train along the lake.

Our train ride took us from Meredith to Weirs Beach, New Hampshire and

included the first of several box lunches we had during the week. 

There was a running commentary provided on the train as we traveled along.

This sigh greeted us as we rolled into Weirs beach.

The Lake Winnipesaukee mail boat was sailing out for its

afternoon delivery run as we were leaving the train.

There goes our train back to Meredith.

At our next stop of the day we learned that the host for our

visit was not at the Hobo Railroad Station, so we ventured to a nearby

New Hampshire State Park where the famous Flume was located. 

Unfortunately, we were to late in the day to hike up to the Flume. 

There was a good sized moose in the park headquarters building.

We are staying at the new Inn Seasons Resort in Lincoln, New Hampshire. 

It was a first class resort in every way.  We had a very interesting lecture in the evening

about our next day railroad ride on the Notch Train of the Conway Scenic Railroad.

North Conway station of the Conway Scenic Railroad.

The round house at the North Conway station.

Our train at the Crawford Depot.  We traveled on this rainy morning up to

and through the Crawford Notch.  We had a great narrative of the trip by

Ben English who was a retired local teacher. 

Our second activity of the day was a ride up the Mount Washington Cog Railway. 

In spite of the rainy weather it was a great ride.  We rode on this engine and car. 

The Peppersass one of the original cog locomotives.

The railway track to the top of the mountain.

As you can see the weather at the top of the mountain was awful

as we prepared to descent back to the lower station.

On Thursday morning, we were on the bus early for a long morning drive to Essex,

Connecticut for our last train ride of the week.  We were booked on the

Essex Steam Train and Riverboat ride.  Above is the station for

the train in Essex.  It was fun to finally ride behind a vintage steam locomotive. 

This the trackside museum that was the bottling plant for the

local Witch Hazel company.  The railroad yards around the station were

loaded with railroad cars, old locomotives and related machinery and

included a large shop where they were rebuilding a vintage steam engine.

Our tour group is listening to a lecture about the Essex Steam Train. 

We had finished another of those famous Elderhostel box lunches!

This is the steam locomotive that pulled our train over the twelve mile plus route. 

We have stopped at the Deep River Station where we left the train to

board the river boat Becky Thatcher.

The Becky Thatcher awaits our boarding.  The combined train and

boat ride lasted about 3 hours and was a great way to end our

week of riding on the trains of New England.  Friday morning,

we returned to Hyannis to pick up my car and then headed for home

with many fond memories of the weeks adventure.

The Great Smoky Mountain Railway

An Appalachian Adventure

October 22 - 27, 2006

This Elderhostel travel adventure was held at the Ramada Lake Chatuge

motel at Hiawassee, Georgia.  The week was perfect for an Elderhostel

held in Georgia.  The Appalachian mountains were in full fall colors. 

On the drive down to Georgia on Route 81 is was mile after mile

of beautiful fall hues.  I took two days to drive the 900 plus miles. 

Sunny skies and fall colors made the drive most pleasant. 

While driving to along, I passed a sign pointing toward

Jonesborough, Tennessee.   I had plenty of time before my scheduled arrival at the Hiawassee,

so off I went to Jonesborough.  As you  can see the town was decked out for fall celebrations. 

Jonesborough is the Washington County seat.  Above is the Court House.

Jonesborough is a community like Owego, with many small shops offering

everything from antiques to more modern items found in their hardware store. 

It is also the home of the International Story Telling Center. 

The association has a very attractive headquarters building in downtown Jonesborough.

The drive through the Tennessee and Georgia countryside was beautiful. 

This photo was taken at a highway overlook in Georgia.

A high flying Old Glory greeted me at the Hiawassee Ramada Inn. 

It felt good to be at the site of my Elderhostel after two long days of driving. 

Our first evening of the week was taken up with dinner

and the usual program orientation meeting.

On Monday morning, we were on the bus early for a drive to Murphy, North Carolina. 

Where we visited the local history museum.  There was a very topical collection

of the history of the Murphy area.  The director Wanda Stalcup was a very

knowledgeable local historian.  She shared her personal family history along

with many jokes that represented the local area humor.  Note that the museum

shares the building with the local police department.

The afternoon program was a visit to the local "Folk School". 

It is a neat school to visit.  I found out that the school has a varied

curriculum focusing on many art forms.  I want to return to the

school to take a course in making Kaleidoscopes.

Some of the building that houses the various studios and workshops of the school. 

The courses offered were typically for either a weekend or week long period.

Tuesday started off sunny but was quite cool morning. 

We were on the bus for a trip to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. 

This photo was taken at a highway overlook above the valley where

the Little Tennessee River flows.

The entrance to the Cherokee Museum located at Cherokee, North Carolina. 

The museum had terrific displays and information about the

Cherokee Indians and there struggles.

A large totem in front of the museum.

This museum exhibit represents the Emmesaries of Peace in 1762. 

There were several very well displayed murals and dioramas of the

history of the Cherokee Indians in the museum.

After our visit to the Cherokee Museum, we went to a picnic area in the nearby

Great Smoky Mountains National Park for our bag lunch. 

Above is the visitors center at the national park. 

When the park was created in the 1920's and 1930's largely from private lands,

many buildings of varied construction stood there.  In the 1930 the

National Park Service decided to save mostly the log buildings.  Today there is a

replica of a working farm at the visitors center.  Above is a photo of the farm house. 

The corn patch at the farm.

Standing in front of one of the storage buildings on the farm.

A beautiful sunset brought our day of touring and study to a close!

On Wednesday morning, we were bussed to one of the crossings of the

Appalachian Trail for a morning hike.  We were on the trail for a couple of hours. 

It was a neat experience. 

Here is proof that I was on the trail!

The afternoon was free time for our group. 

I did some local exploring before our evening

program about "Railroads in the Smokies".

Thursday morning, started early for our group.  It was on the bus by 6:45 am

for our trip to Bryson City, North Carolina where we would board the

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad for our train ride of the week. 

Our excursion was to take us from Bryson City along the Tuckasegee River,

across the Fontana Lake Trestle and into the Nantahala River gorge.

Our train was waiting patiently for our departure.  All A Board!

Our train was made up of 2 locomotives and 9 passenger cars. 

The trip would take 4 1/2 Hours and a 44 mile round trip.  

We had a bag lunch stop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Fontana Lake provided many great picture opportunities. 

These are summer house boats.  The lake is drawn down to

provide for winter water run off.

Note the high water marks on these bridge abutments. 

The lake is much higher in the summer.

A beautiful fall day to go fishing on Fontana Lake.

Winding our way to Nantahala Outdoor Center.

A small waterfall on the bank of the Nantahala River.

River rapids near the outdoor center.

This is part of the 2003 Olympics Kayak course near the outdoor center. 

The Nantahala River is a very popular spot to do white water rafting.

Rounding a tight curve heading back to Bryson City.  The fall colors were

wonderful and it has been a great Elderhostel Program week.  I have made new friends

and enjoyed the scenery in this section of the USA.

Island Hopping Adventure On Three Barrier Islands

Saint Simons Island, Georgia

October 29 - November 3, 2006

As with all Elderhostel Programs the first event of the week is on

Sunday evening.  This program began with an orientation meeting and then dinner. 

After dinner, we had time to settle into our hotel rooms at the Best Western Island Inn.

Our Monday morning sessions focused on the history of Jekyll Island

and the Barrier Island Dynamics.  The presenters were local lectures

who were well versed on their respective topics.  After lunch,

we boarded a bus for our first barrier island stop.

The entrance way to Jekyll Island State Park.  This island is the smallest

of Georgia's barrier islands with only 5,700 acres.  The island has a

diverse and significant history.  The earliest history of the island

points to both French and Spanish exploration.  In 1733 James Oglethorpe

settled at Savannah and two years later William Horton to Jekyll Island

to establish a colony.  Jekyll Island was named in honor of Sir Joseph Jekyll

a supporter of Oglethorpe's efforts to establish a colony in Georgia.  By 1800 the

island was owned by Christophe Poulain DuBignon.

One of the oldest buildings found on the island.  It was made of a

mixture of sea shells, sand and limestone mixed with water. 

This mixture is called "Tabby".  The state of Georgia is making special efforts

to preserve these buildings as part of the islands history.

The inside walls of this building.

John Eugene DuBignon and his brother-in-law Newton Finney developed the Jekyll Island Club.

The early club was formed with the idea of forming a hunting club for

wealthy northerners.  Among he early members of the club were Marshall Field,

Henry Hyde, J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer and William K. Vanderbilt.  Pictures above

is the present day Jekyll Island Club hotel.  Ground was broken for the original

clubhouse building in mid-August 1886.  The club officially opened its doors in January 1888.

When we arrived at the club we were taken to the tram center

where we boarded this tram for a tour of the club.

One of the many "live oak" trees on the club grounds.

One of the many cottages that the millionaire members built on the club grounds. 

Members were at the club from January to late March each year.

The William Rockefeller cottage named "Indian Mound".

An electric car used by club members to move around the club grounds.

The present day Jekyll Island Club hotel on the club grounds.

This telephone marker was place on the club grounds to note that the

first transcontinental telephone call made from the club by AT&T President Theodore Vail.

Faith Chapel

The DuBignon family cottage.  The state of Georgia purchased the club in

1947 for $675,000.00. This purchase occurred after the club's

membership and participation had declined greatly.  The club officially became the

Jekyll Island State Park in 1948.  Since 1950 Jekyll Island has operated

under the auspices of the Jekyll Island Authority.

Monday after dinner we had a presentation about the "Turtles of the Sea".

Tuesday morning found our group having a presentation about the history

of Saint Simons Island.  This was presented by a local historian.  At  10:00 am,

we left the hotel by bus for ours of the North and South ends of the island. 

First stop was at the Saint Simons Island light house. 

Several group members climbed to the top of the light house.

The visitor center and grounds at Fort Frederica was our

second stop of the morning.

One of the excellent historical displays in the visitor center. 

The fort flourished between 1736 and 1748 when the fort and its regimental

garrison were the hub of British military operations along the Georgia frontier.

Ruins of the powder magazine left from the original fort. 

The area in the foreground of this photo is the base of the South Storehouse.

The site of the King's Magazine.

Where did the enemy go?

Christ Episcopal Church.  Four U.S. Presidents have

worshiped in this church over the years. 

Tuesday evening he had an interesting presentation about

Coastal Ecology with lots of hands on examples.

Wednesday morning found our group heading for nearby to a

salt marsh for a field study of the marsh ecology.

Our second stop of the morning was at one of the island's beaches for a

study of beach and shore ecology.  Above is a photo of some of the grasses

being use to help build sand dunes and to prevent beach erosion.

Our Elderhostel group embarking on beach study.

Saint Simons Island beaches were very beautiful.

We had Wednesday afternoon free to explore on our own. 

I went back over to Jekyll Island for further exploration.

Wednesday evening found the group listening to a lecture about

Sapelo Island which is our field study activity for Thursday.

Arriving at the visitors center before boarding the ferry boat to the island.

The boat that brought us to the Marsh Landing dock on the island. 

We sailed across the Intracoastal Waterway located in Doboy Sound to reach our dock site. 

The ferry service is provided by the State Department of Natural Resources.

Our first stop of the morning was at the UGA Marine Institute on the

southern end of the island.  We are examining an old "Tabby" wall leftover from

earlier buildings.  We went into the classroom at the Institute to view

two videos about the island and the light house.

The First African Missionary Baptist Church located at Hog Hammock. 

The hammock is the last privately owned area on the island

and about fifty residents live in the area.

Tabby Cottage store located in Hog Hammock. 

The front wall of the cottage was made of Tabby material.

The front walk and pool (now dry) in front of the Reynolds Mansion. 

The mansion is now open under the State of Georgia Department of Natural Resources. 

The last owner of the mansion and large accompanying estate was

R. J. Reynolds of the Reynolds tobacco fortune.

One of the main rooms located on the first floor of the mansion.

Trying to help a lady out of the dry pool.

The Sapelo Island's 1820 Lighthouse.  Lighthouse history on Sapelo Island

goes back over 175 years when this brick Tower was first built

by the Federal government to serve as a navigational aid for offshore shipping. 

This lighthouse is 80 feet tall including the cupola.  It was interesting to note

that the lighthouse survived the hurricane and tidal wave of October 1898

when water in the wave reached the window seen in this photo.

This is a channel navigation marker located near the lighthouse. 

It aided ships who were using the lighthouse to guide their

entrance into Doboy  Sound. 

This stop brought our field trip to the island to a close. 

It was back to the ferry boat and then a short bus ride back to our hotel. 

Thursday evening was the occasion of our last diner together and was a

boiled shore dinner complete with lots of boiled shrimp and key lime pie. 

The evening ended with a neat musical program by Chip Ward of Jekyll Island. 

We had a chance to sing along to tunes of an earlier era.

Thus ended my fourth Elderhostel of 2006. 

They were all great learning and travel experiences. 

I hope that I can continue to enjoy Elderhostel programs next and for many more.