ALL Excursions

Richmond & Steveston, B.C., Canada, 8:15 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

$60 for members, $75 for non-members

Cost includes: Bus and all entrance fees. Lunch is on your own; restaurant or picnic.

Visit to two Buddhist temples and Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site.

Please join us for a special day visiting two Buddhist temples: Lingyen Mountain Temple and International Buddhist Society in Richmond, B.C., Canada followed by a guided tour of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site in Steveston, B.C., Canada.

Location #1: Lingyen Mountain Temple; www.lymtcanada.com

Location #2: International Buddhist Society; www.BuddhistTemple.ca

Location #3: Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site; www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.org

Explore the charming village of Steveston on the Fraser River with great walking trails and enjoy lunch on your own before our afternoon tour begins at the museum shop of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society Museum. (Warning: The gift shop can be very enticing! Credit cards welcome.)

The bus will be parked near by; however, the trip does involve walking and climbing stairs. The weather may be cold, so please plan accordingly with layers.

For more information about this excursion, please contact the excursion leader:

Gail Haines
Home: (360) 676-1344
Cell: (360) 820-3668
Cell: (360) 739-0204
gailhaines412@gmail.com

Register by May 26

Muckleshoot Powwow Grounds, Auburn, WA, 1 - 10 p.m.

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

$65 for members, $86 for non-members

Cost includes: Bus transportation to and from Muckleshoot Powwow Grounds.

Academy for Lifelong Learning is excited to offer an excursion to the Muckleshoot Nation's gathering of many northwest Native American nations on Wednesday, August 2. Our visit is on one day of this seven-day event, full of around-the-clock festivities, and involves a departure from Bellingham at 1 p.m. that day and a return that evening around 10 p.m. Prior to our visit, approximately 100 large war canoes from various Pacific Northwest Native American nations arrive at Seattle's Alki Beach on Sunday, July 30. See note below regarding this welcoming ceremony.

While at the Muckleshoot Powwow Grounds on August 2, we have an opportunity to see members from the various nations perform their dances and songs. We also have an opportunity to peruse and purchase any of the handicraft items the various groups have produced. That evening we are treated to a complimentary Chinook salmon dinner graciously provided by members of the Muckleshoot Nation.

If you are interested in attending the canoe arrivals on your own on Sunday, July 30, here is some information for you to consider:

Regretfully, we were unable to secure a charter bus in order to see the arrival of approximately 100 large Native American war canoes at Alki Beach. The event is hosted by the Muckleshoot Nation and is called Paddle to Muckleshoot: Honoring Our Warriors Past and Present. The arrival festivities are held between noon and 6 p.m. that day. Each canoe ceremoniously asks to be allowed to land and, in turn, is graciously welcomed to do so by members of the Muckleshoot Nation. It should be a great opportunity to witness the dignity and warmth of Native Americans.

If you would like to go there on your own, we have explored various possible travel options for you to consider:

• You could take the 8:34 a.m. Amtrak train from Bellingham down to Seattle's King Street Station. From there you could call a taxi, Uber or Lyft for a ride to Alki Beach. There is a train departing Seattle at 7 p.m. that evening for the return trip to Bellingham. The only concern here is that traffic departing Alki might hinder your travel to the train station resulting in you missing the return train.
• Drive down to Seattle. The Muckleshoot Nation has obtained permission from the Port of Seattle to use its large parking lot at 3010 Harbor Avenue SW. Chartered buses then shuttle people back and forth from the lot to Alki Beach. This would be a great option if several people could carpool together to the event. Watching this spectacle would be an excellent precursor to the aforementioned August 2 excursion to the Muckleshoot potlatch.

Registration opens on Wednesday, July 5. If you would like more information about the trip, please call Monica Ackermann at (360) 756-1451 or Evelyn and Tom Satterlee (360) 317-6990.

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

Saturday, September 9, 2023

$100 for members, $133 for non-members

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

The Beatles are back at Bard on the Beach! It’s the 1960’s all over again and free spirits are escaping from Vancouver to get “back to the land.” This joyful tribute to love, laughter and music features two dozen classic Beatles songs performed live on stage to accompany Shakespeare’s delightful comedy. We offered an ALL excursion to Bard the last time they did this play, and it remains one of our most popular excursions.

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.

Registration opens on Wednesday, July 5. Border crossing requirement: Be sure to bring your passport or your enhanced driver license, as we are crossing the border into Canada. For more information, please contact Jeff Eastman at (253) 229-9404 or Monica Ackermann at (360) 756-1451 or (360) 296-2444 (mobile).