Adult Classes and Trips
Valle Guadalupe: Exploring Baja’s Hinterlands
May 12 - 17, 2024
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| Valle de Guadalupe is set on a spectacular alluvial plain surrounded by olive orchards, beautiful vineyards and expansive ranch lands. The area has evolved into a wine and culinary mecca. On this tour we visit the best wineries and farm-to-table restaurants, and learn about the history of native cultures, as well as colonial ones, and their relationships with the land. Distinctively significant is the indigenous community of San Antonio Necua, connecting early Spanish and Russian settlers to the valley. Highlights include an afternoon at a tribal community, several wine tastings, over-the-top culinary experiences and Pacific ocean-front hotel accommodations. Itinerary and Trip Details Prices and Registration Details |
Birding the Chiricahuas
June 3 - 5, 2024  | Southeastern Arizona is a paradise for birders. Join us for three full days exploring different elevation habitats as we search for great birds! Among our targets will be the Mexican Chickadee, Elegant Trogon, Montezuma Quail, Painted Redstart and Red-faced Warbler. We will also do some owling at night and set up a blacklight to see what insects we can attract. Our leader is Jeff Babson, owner of Sky Island Tours, who is an expert birder, plus has a keen eye for butterflies and dragonflies. The price of this tour is all-inclusive covering three meals a day, lodging and transportation from Tucson. We will stay at the Southwest Research Station nestled in the oak-pine woodland of Cave Creek Canyon. Itinerary and Trip Details Prices and Registration Details - Dorm Rooms Prices and Registration Details - Triplex Rooms |
Saguaro Fruit Harvest
June 27 or 29, 2024
 | High summer is the beginning of the O’odham calendar, as this is the time to harvest saguaro fruit. Spend the morning gathering fruit in the O’odham manner, using a harvesting pole made from the ribs of the giant cactus. The class begins with a blessing and song by our O’odham friends who share their family stories about the importance of the saguaro. We learn about different ways that the fruit is prepared and preserved, and about the animals that use the saguaro for food and shelter. This class will take place entirely outdoors at a site a couple of miles from the Museum. Prices and Registration Details - June 27 Prices and Registration Details - June 29 |
Northern Spain via the Slow Train
September 12 – 26, 2024
 | The rain in Spain falls mainly north of the plain. And that is why the land is emerald green. This is the land that the Celts originated from and that the Basques continue to inhabit. On this tour we learn about Bronze Age castros, Roman gold and iron mining, and Asturian and Cantabrian traditional lifeways. As a counterpoint to the old, we visit Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum of modern art, and learn about and taste Basque culture. We explore the hinterlands of farms, forests and hamlets, walking a stretch of the Camino de Santiago. Our coastal route follows the narrow-gauge local train, the FEVE, from which we hop on and off for stays at seaside towns, where we drink apple cider and enjoy regional seafood and Asturian fabada. Then there is the fairytale scenery: the northern edge of the peninsula falls dramatically into the Cantabrian Sea in steeply tilted rock walls. To complement the landscape, we share lessons on the geology of the Iberian Peninsula. |
