MSMC offers Elderhostel to local students

NEWBURGH — Mount Saint Mary College will open its Elderhostel programs - celebrating the history, culture and nature of the Hudson Valley - to local students 55 and over this summer. Each of the five-day, Monday-to-Friday Elderhostel programs will include classroom instruction, field trips, and a Hudson River cruise. The first program, “Art in the Hudson Valley” from July 9 to 14, will explore the vistas of the valley, and how they were portrayed by the famous Hudson River School of Painters. Field trips will include visits to the Dia Museum and Boscobel, to see the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The second program, “The Hudson: Legacy of Our Nation” from July 16 to 21, will explore places where much of the nation’s early history occurred. Field trips will include visits to America’s oldest Jewish residence, and Huguenot Street, “The Oldest Street in America.” The third program, “The Hudson: Playground and Sanctuary of Our Early Aristocracy” from July 23 to 28, will explore the lives and times of the country’s first aristocrats. Field trips will include visits to the palatial mansions of the Vanderbilts and the Roosevelts. The fourth program, “The Hudson: Cradle of Culture and Elegance” from July 30 to August 4, will cover the culture and beauty of the Hudson Valley. Field trips will include visits to the Mohonk Mountain House and Boscobel, to see Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The last program, “A Wealth of History and Fine Food in the Hudson River Valley” from August 6 to 11, will explore the region’s scenic and culinary delights, and include a sumptuous meal at the Culinary Institute of America, and a visit to the West Point Museum. Mount faculty will teach many of the classes. The commuter rate for each program is $325; the resident rate is $565 for a double and $625 for a single. For more information, and to register, call 565-2076 or visit www.msmc.edu.