ALL Excursions
May
Honeychurch Antiques and Dale Chihuly’s Pilchuck Glass School, WA, 9:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 2
$136 for members, $170 for non-members
Cost includes: Bus transportation, lunch with craftspeople at Pilchuck plus guided tour to see them at work, and a chance to learn about an eclectic blend of East and South Asian art and antiques and then wander through the huge warehouse to see the items up close. (Note: Pilchuck only offers tours annually for four days early in May.)
Departure
We meet next to the stadium ticket booth at the Civic Field parking lot by 9:15 a.m., ready for a 9:30 a.m. departure.
Honeychurch Antiques
At 10:30 a.m. we meet with John Fairman who owns and operates this huge collection of Asian antiques. John tells us a bit about how his family began collecting antiques in the early 1900’s when they lived in China. He also talks about how various furnishing designs vary from country to country. Afterward you have a chance to wander around the huge warehouse to see the tremendous variety of Asian artifacts from many different countries, not just China and Japan. The focus of this visit is not for shopping but to help you better understand and appreciate the many different styles of furnishings and decor found throughout Asia. We plan to depart from Honeychurch at 11:50 a.m. for the 20-minute drive to Pilchuck Glass School.
Lunch
We have a special lunch there that Pilchuck is offering to only our group. We have specifically requested that our members be able to sit and eat with the craftspeople so we can learn more about them and their artistic backgrounds.
Pilchuck Glass School
The school is the brainchild of the famous glass artist Dale Chihuly and two philanthropists, and their vision remains the same: To inspire creativity, transform individuals and build community. After lunch, we break up into small groups to begin our guided tour of the grounds. We have a chance to view the fascinating processes of glassmaking, talk with renowned glass artists, tour the studios and hear about the history and future of the school. Whenever possible, the craftspeople are glad to answer your questions. Pilchuck’s annual spring tours are the one time during the year that the school staff welcomes the public to tour their scenic, private campus and watch renowned glass artists at work.
Return
At 3:45 p.m., our bus departs from Pilchuck. Our expected arrival time back at the Civic Field parking lot is around 4:30 p.m.
For more information about this excursion, please contact the excursion leaders Jeff Eastman at (253) 229-9404 or Monica Ackermann at (360) 296-2444.
Registration full, waitlist available.
June
Lake Chelan Region, WA, 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 4 - Thursday, June 6
$275 for members ($175 without boat ride), $345 for non-members ($220 without boat ride)
Cost includes: Bus transportation, the Lady Express boat ride, sandwiches and chips on the boat ride back and your share of the bus driver's hotel room. If you would prefer to skip the boat trip to the end of Lake Chelan, your cost would be less (see above), and you'd have a free day in Chelan to plan your own activities.
Tuesday, June 4
Depart Bellingham at 7:30 a.m., with interim rest stops at Newhalem and Diablo Lake Vista Point. We travel over the Cascades on Highway 20 with its spectacular scenery all around us. Next stop is in Winthrop, where you have two hours to explore this quaint town with its western storefronts, and also have lunch at a venue of your choosing. For those who prefer to brown-bag it, feel free to bring a lunch from home instead. Proceeding to the town of Chelan after lunch, we visit two wine tasting rooms in the downtown area, or you can visit the adjacent Lake Chelan Historical Museum. We then check in to the recently-remodeled Midtowner Motel, which is owned by Campbell's Resort. The latter is quite expensive so we have opted for their more affordable alternative. That evening you are free to dine wherever you like, and we provide you with a restaurant map showing you a variety of options.
Wednesday, June 5
Breakfast is not served at the motel, but the Apple Cup Cafe is immediately across the street from it. Or, perhaps you'd prefer to buy things at a store the day before and have those items for breakfast. It is completely up to you! By 7:45 a.m. everyone meets in front of the motel for the bus ride down to the dock, where we board the Lady Express for the 2.5 hour boat ride up to Stehekin at the far end of Lake Chelan. Along the way there is a historical narration regarding the various gold mines and forestry camps that dotted the lake in years gone by. At Stehekin we board a bus for a ride up to the base of Rainbow Falls. On the boat ride back we have sandwiches that we pre-ordered. Drinks and other snacks can be purchased on the boat at any time during the trip to and from Stehekin. In the evening you are once again free to choose your dining location.
Thursday, June 6
Your breakfast options are the same as those on the previous day. It is important that everyone is checked out and at the bus in front of the motel by 8:45 a.m. Our first stop is after a 40-minute drive to Rocky Reach Dam on the Columbia River where we have a chance to tour the dam's Discovery Center and have an underwater view of the salmon fish ladder. From there we travel another 35-minutes to the very touristy town of Leavenworth. Here you have three hours to have lunch and wander around, imagining all the while that you are now in Bavaria instead of Washington state. Be sure to try the warm gluhwein and warm, very large pretzels. Following Leavenworth we have a rest stop in the Monroe area and then head directly back to Bellingham, arriving there around 6:30 p.m.
Please note that with regard to the amount of walking, it is a one-tenth mile (4 minute) walk from the Rainbow Falls parking lot to the vista point for the falls. The amount of walking folks do around Winthrop, Chelan and Leavenworth is completely up to each individual. At Rocky Reach Dam, it is optional if you want to walk across the dam to its Discovery Center. The bus has a toilet.
Additional personal expenses would be for: Motel room for two nights. Prices range from $121 to $143 a night, which includes tax. We encourage you to partner with others to cut your lodging expense in half. Breakfasts (Wednesday and Thursday), lunches (Tuesday and Thursday) and dinners (Tuesday and Wednesday).
For more information about this excursion, please contact excursion leaders Peggy Loudon at peggylou99@gmail.com or Jeff Eastman at jeff.eastman@eastmanart.com.
We have set aside 25 rooms at the Midtowner Motel, and we encourage you to make your reservation there as soon as possible. Please call them at (800) 553-8225 and say that you are part of the Academy for Lifelong Learning’s group block number, 773544. You can cancel up to a month beforehand without any charge, but when you book you are initially charged for the first night, to save your spot. Please do not ask for a ground floor room if you are able to go up the stairs.
Registration full, waitlist available.