OLLI Travel Newsletter December

OLLI TRIPS AND TOURS NEWSLETTER DECEMBER, 2009

SPAIN COASTAL TOUR

HELP!

This tours needs 5 more participants in order to secure a lower highly discounted price for all members. One of the five needs to be a single female to allow another tour member to obtain the two per room price.If you have been thinking about this one but have not yet made a commitment - or if you just have questions - contact Bill Mills at 714/961-8041/wrmills@sbcglobal.net. Many members have taken this tour in the past and it is highly recommended!  Explore Spain’s coastal gem, Torremolinos, famous as the hub of Costa del Sol.  Apartment-style living with easy access to beaches, marinas, and museums, and cities like Seville and Granada and Includes 27 gourmet meals! The 15 day excursion will be with a major tour company. Cost estimated at about $2,000 per person including international airfare from LA.  The departure date will be January 27th. Optional tours to the Alhambra, Seville and Morocco are available. You can get additional information about this tour at  Classic Costa Del Sol     

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OLLI member Bill Mills has taken on the added responsibility of coordinating short trips along with his coordination of international trips. Both the long and short trips that are planned are based on member recommendations and requests. Bill and his committee invite you to help them design these activities. The best way of doing this is by attending the monthly planning meetings, scheduled as follows:

OLLI Short Trips Committee - meets on the second Wednesday of each month from noon until 1:15 in Room 9

OLLI Long Trips Committee - meets on the third Wednesday of each month from noon until 1:15 in Room CD. 

MONTHLY EVENTS

 

CASUAL DINING PROGRAM - OLLI is pleased to announce a monthly dinner program that will meet at one of our fine areas fine restaurants. Maxine Broderick has managed a similar program in the past and has in depth knowledge about the local dining scene. We are thrilled that Maxine has agreed to lead this program  for our OLLI members.

Participants meet at the restaurant, start with a no host bar, and then sit down to a wonderful meal and pleasant conversation. Maxine will keep the bill paying simple by collecting each diners share and paying the bill in total.

DECEMBER CASUAL DINING

December 14th is the date for our next Casual Dining event.  We'll have a fun evening of dinner and bowling at CSUF's Titan Student Union.  Dinner starts at 5 p.m. and we begin bowling at 6:30 p.m.  $17.75 per person covers food, soft drinks, two hours of bowling, shoe rental and fun prizes - what a deal!  For non-bowlers, come as cheerleaders and have dinner with the group for $10.00.

Any questions:  Call Maxine Broderick, Coordinator, at (714) 879-8237.

PHOENIX CLUB'S "JA JUST ACCORDIONS" -  Ja Just Accordions is held on the second Thursday of Every Month at 7 p.m. at the Phoenix club in Anaheim.  Enjoy great German food, German beer and other beverages served on an ala carte basis plus very enjoyable accordion music played by as many as seven accordion players at one time.  There is no cover and no minimum and OLLI members furnish their own transportation.  OLLI and Phoenix Club members Martin Hebeling and Russ Havemann are coordinators for these events and welcome all OLLI members and their guests to attend and enjoy great accordion music and German/American hospitality.  Contact your friends and be a regular on the second Thursday of every month. OLLI's first Accordion function at the Phoenix Club several weeks ago was a huge success and we have been invited to attend on a regular basis.  Get your own party together and we'll see you there. Directions to the Phoenix club are available in the OLLI office.

• The Phoenix Club is located in Anaheim at 1340 S. Sanderson Ave. just east of the 57 freeway and south of Ball Road.

TOURS 

If you are interested in any of the following tours, please contact Bill Mills at at wrmills@sbcglobal.net or 714/961-8041 or the individual trip planner noted.

WINE COUNTRY CRUISE

The ship is sold out except for interior staterooms. Olli members can sign up for an interior stateroom and go on a wait list for an upgrade. Extras being planned by Tom Jackson, the owner of World Travel, include a cocktail party, a bottle of wine in each stateroom, wine country tours into Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and a tour of historic Astoria, Oregon.

This is a 7 Day Princess Wine Country Coastal Cruise on the Sapphire Princess, departing May 8, 2010. Leaving from Los Angeles, the ship will stop in Santa Barbara, (optional trip into the wine country for the day), San Francisco, (op tional trips include under the Golden Gate Bridge to Fisherman’s Wharf and wine country tours) , on to Astoria, Oregon, Seattle, Victoria (optional tours to Buchart Gardens o r Tea at the Empress) and then ending in Vancouver. You then  disembark the ship and  fly home on Alaska Air to Los Angeles.

Cabins start at $800 (double occupancy) and air fare is $241, so figure a minimum of $1,200 which includes taxes of $80 and gratuities of $70. Optional shore tours vary in price from as little as $29 to $169 for a Santa Barbara/Solvang wine tour.

If you have questions or are interested in making your reservation for this outstanding tour, contact Claire at (562) 691-4012/ Claire.Curran@verizon.net or Bill Mills, at 714/961-8041/wrmills@sbcglobal.net.

EGYPT - CAIRO AND THE ETERNAL NILE RIVER

Several Olli members have already booked this 15 days excursion beginning on January 30, 2010. It includes Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and 3 nights aboard a privately owned Nile river ship. 30 meals are provided by this major tour company. Trip Extensions to Petra & Amman, Jordan and Alexandria and El-Alamein are available. About 25 OllI members took this trip in 2006 and it is highly recommended!. Trip planner: Lois Austin: loisaustin@roadrunner.com 714/526-3533.

OLLI SHORT TRIPS

OLLI SHORT TRIPS ARE BACK IN BUSINESS - OLLI member Bill Mills has taken on the added responsibility of coordinating short trips along with his coordination of international trips.  Bill chaired the first meeting for short trips on Wednesday, July 15 which was attended by 27 enthusiastic members. The new Short Trips Group meets on the 2nd Wednesday of every month in room 9.  Everyone is invited to participate and suggest trips.  Plans for upcoming events are as follows.

Rescheduled to March 24

Bryan's Dine-Out:  Lizarran Tapas Restaurant complete with Flamenco dancers:  Event Coordinators Monika Broome and Glenn Simar are making arrangements as we go to press.  The committee has decided to bring back a very popular restaurant event started by 14 year events coordinator Bryan Moffett.  This event will be named in Bryan's honor and be continued at various outstanding restaurants each semester.  It's a great way to socialize and enjoy great meals with accompanying entertainment. 

PLANETARIUM TRIP

Wednesday February 10 a short trip is planned to go to the Tessmann Planetarium at Santa Ana College.  The planetarium is located on the corner of Bristol and 17th in Santa Ana.  We will be seeing two shows "America in Space" and "How Far is Up"  Cost is $10.00 per person to be paid at the OLLI office by Friday, January 29.  Parking at the planetarium is $2.00 in quarters only, paid into yellow boxes.  Time for the event is 12:45 to 3:30.  There will be fliers around campus and in our office.  If you need additional information, please contact Rita Geller, geller.r-m@sbcglobal.net or 714-529-4628.

What the Future Holds - In addition to the above fall semester programs, Bill Mills and his Trips Committee are working on programs for the spring 2010 semester which will be highlighted by a trip to the Huntington Library and Gardens led by OLLI member and Judge Anita Shapiro.  This event promises to be outstanding.  Also under consideration is a trip to the Getty Museum, the Oasis Camel Farm and Julian Apple Farm, the Cat Farm and March Air Force Base Museum, the Hancock Park House of Design, the Battleship Midway, San Diego and L.A. Zoos and Camp Pendleton.  Trips coordinator Bill Mills and his Committee are scheduled to meet on the second Wednesday of every month from 12 noon until 1:15 p.m. in  room 9 .  All Olli members are encouraged to attend and make suggestions for future trips. 

END OF TRAVEL NEWSLETTER