ALL Excursions

August

Vanier Park, Vancouver, B.C., 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 24

$110 for members, $135 for non-members

Cost includes: Bus transportation and ticket to Bard on the Beach.

Departure/return

We leave Bellingham at 8:30 a.m. by chartered bus. After crossing the border, our first stop at approximately 10:30 a.m. is at Granville Island, Vancouver, where you have time for lunch and a chance to explore the area on your own. At 12:30 p.m. we board the bus again for Bard on the Beach at Vanier Park. The venue opens at 1 p.m., the pre-performance in a nutshell talk is at 1:10 p.m. and the play begins at 2 p.m. Duration is approximately 2 1/2 hours with an intermission. We should be back in Bellingham around 6:30 p.m., but the time depends upon congestion at the border.

"Remember that song? The one you listened to over and over again when you first fell in love? In Illyria, music is the food of love... and so much more. With original music by celebrated local composer Veda Hille, plus fights, pranks, jokes and miracles, Twelfth Night is both hilarious and deep. It holds a mirror to our folly and reflects how love transforms us, for better or worse. Bard’s big tent is the perfect venue for this carnival world of poetry and chaos." - Bard website

VERY IMPORTANT - border crossing requirement

Be sure to bring your passport or your enhanced driver’s license as we are crossing the border into Canada.

For more information, please contact:

Jeff Eastman at jeff.eastman@eastmanart.com or (253) 229-9404; or Jim Moren at jimmoren49@gmail.com.

Register by August 13 (waitlist available)

September

Vancouver Island, B.C., 7:45 a.m. - 8:15 p.m.

Tuesday, September 10 - Thursday, September 12

$325 for members, $400 for non-members

Cost includes: Bus transportation, ferry to and from Vancouver Island, guided narrated walking tour of Victoria’s Old Town, plus admission to Butchart Gardens, Shaw Center for the Salish Sea, Butterfly Gardens, Royal BC Museum and Craigdarroch Castle.

Tuesday, September 10

Depart Bellingham at 7:45 a.m. Once across the Canadian border we board the ferry at Tsawwassen. We sail through the Gulf Islands to Swartz Bay, depart the ferry and drive to Sidney where you have lunch at a venue of your choosing. After lunch we visit the Shaw Center for the Salish Sea aquarium followed by a drive to Victoria’s Old Town. Here we are divided into smaller groups and have a narrated tour of this historic part of Victoria. Our guides have individual ear pieces for everyone so hearing won't be a problem out in the open (and sometimes crowded) spaces. Along the way the guides also point out places to eat. After our tour, you are free to have dinner at a place of your choosing in the Old Town area. Before heading to the hotel, we stop at a supermarket so you can purchase items for breakfast for the next two days. Final stop of the day is at the Red Lion Inn and Suites. Each room has a small kitchenette with utensils for your use.

Wednesday, September 11

Breakfast is not served at the hotel, but you have several options: Walk to a nearby Subway or A&W, or eat your food in your room’s kitchenette. We leave the Red Lion Inn at 9 a.m. for Butchart Gardens, a 120 year-old, world famous 55-acre garden located in part of a former limestone rock quarry. You have four hours to explore the Gardens and have lunch. Please see details below if you would like to schedule High Tea at the Gardens. At 1:15 p.m. we depart the Gardens for the Victoria Butterfly Gardens, one of the most popular tourist sites on the island. It is a vibrant jungle experience where you encounter poison dart frogs, tortoises, large iguanas, a flamingo, tropical ducks, birds and of course, a large number of butterflies. We’ll then return to the Red Lion so folks can rest or refresh. At 5:30 p.m. we leave for Fisherman’s Wharf for dinner and sightseeing. Everyone gets a map of that area, detailing places to have dinner and what to see. The wharf is a unique marine destination offering places to eat out-of-doors and unique shops amongst fishing vessels, pleasure boats with live-aboard residents, colorful float homes and commercial businesses. At 8 p.m. we return to the Red Lion Inn.

Thursday, September 12

Breakfast is on your own. After breakfast we check out of the Red Lion and leave for a tour of the provincial legislative building located on the Inner Harbor near the Empress Hotel. After the legislative building we walk next door to tour the Royal BC Museum. In addition to many of the ongoing museum exhibits, temporary exhibits to see are Our Living Indigenous Languages, England’s Stonehenge display and Canadian Modern, the latter one featuring a wide range of uniquely designed Canadian items. Lunch is in this area, and afterward we make our final stop at the Craigdarroch Castle, which is actually a very large and elegant mansion, not a castle. The interior has gorgeous wood paneling in many of the decorated rooms, but you must use stairs to move between the four floors. After Craigdarroch, we leave Victoria for our trip back to Swartz Bay and the ferry to Tsawwassen. You may wish to have dinner on the ferry as there are several options for food, but the number of options depends upon which ferry is in service at the time. After our arrival in Tsawwassen, we head for the border, pass through customs and head towards Bellingham. Our planned arrival time in Bellingham is 8:15 p.m.

Please note that this excursion involves a great deal of walking, to include the hilly terrain of Butchart Gardens, the walking tour of Old Town and lots of stairs at Craigdarroch Castle. Book early to ensure you have a spot on this excursion.

Additional personal expenses would be for:

  • We have already set aside 25 rooms at the Red Lion Inn. We encourage you to make your two-night hotel reservation there as soon as possible, but no later than Friday, August 9. The price is $217.35 CD per night ($160 US). Cut the price in half by finding someone to share the room and the cost. Phone number for the Red Lion is (250) 475-7575 or (800) 733-5466. Tell them you are part of the Academy for Lifelong Learning group, and give them your credit card details. You can cancel the room without any charge up to a month prior to our excursion.
  • Note that all rooms have kitchenettes so you can bring food from home. If you do, please check this website or similar ones regarding what types of food can legally be brought in to Canada.
  • You are also responsible for breakfasts (Wednesday and Thursday), lunches (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) and dinners (Tuesday, Wednesday and optionally on Thursday).

If you have questions about any facet of this excursion, please email either one of the two tour leaders: Peggy Loudon at peggylou99@gmail.com or Jeff Eastman at jeff.eastman@eastmanart.com.

High Tea option at Butchart Gardens for those who want to indulge:

  • To ensure you have a spot, make reservations weeks beforehand. Sooner the better.
  • High Teas include a variety of teas, scones, sandwiches and desserts.
  • Dress is smart casual - no gowns for the ladies or tuxedos for the men.
  • Normally 60-90 minutes in duration.
  • It is held from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the original Butchart family residence. We are at the Gardens from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $49.50 CD ($36.50 US). Phone number is (250) 652-8222. View the various tea and menu options here.

Register by August 9