Outreach Travel Programs
~Educational travel is an investment that will never lose it value.
Painting in Provence, June 1 - 11, 2013
Though the Eyes of Van Gogh and Cezanne
The vibrant colors of the Provençal landscape have attracted artists for generations. We'll learn to capture the patterns in nature: sunlight and shadows on olive groves, vineyards, and orchards. We’ll explore mountain vistas and village streets. We’ll also visit Cezanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence, and St Paul de Mausole in St Remy (where Van Gogh lived and painted).
Jane Barnard, painting instructor, is an experienced artist and teacher with a degree from Marquette University and a
Certificat Annuel in French Arts & Humanities from the Sorbonne in Paris. (
http://www.barnardstudio.com/ ) She will provide a welcoming atmosphere for painters of all levels. She’ll help you capture the beauty in the Provence landscape, learning from the styles of Van Gogh and Cezanne while creating your own personal artistic quality. Jane will provide painting demonstrations and friendly feedback on your work.
We'll stay five nights in Aix-en-Provence, and four nights in St Remy. Included:
- All lodging (9 nights) and breakfast
- Several group dinners
- Airport transfers at designated times
- Transfer from Aix-en-Provence to St Remy
- Day trips and entrance fees per itinerary
- Painting instruction
Estimated price: $1975 (dbl occupancy) based on 15 participants
Single room supplement: approx. $600
We will provide a list of suggestions for portable painting supplies to bring along. Please note: Some walking will be required, carrying your painting materials.
There will be some free time for exploration, on your own or with the group: shopping, museums, spas, etc.
Cycling in Bordeaux, June 13 - 28, 2013
This trip is full! Please email to be put on a waiting list or for early announcements
British Mystery Writers: August 15 - 27, 2013
Oxford and Yorkshire
This 12-day tour features attendance at the 20th annual St. Hilda’s Mystery and Crime Weekend, followed by a tour of Yorkshire, England, visiting mystery-fiction sites and hearing from Yorkshire crime writers.
Participants will be met at Heathrow Airport on the morning of August 15, and then transported to St. Hilda’s College, Oxford University. We'll tour Oxford on Friday morning and have a free afternoon to explore the university before the mystery and crime weekend begins with a reception and dinner. The program continues with talks by mystery and crime writers on the theme “From Here to Eternity: The Changing Face of Crime Fiction.” Speakers will be announced in the spring.
We depart Oxford after tea time on August 18 to begin our tour of Yorkshire which includes drives through the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales & Moors. We'll visit Harrogate, staying in the hotel where Agatha Christie fled during her famous disappearance; Haworth, where we'll have a talk and tour at the Brontë parsonage; Whitby, where Bram Stoker wrote Dracula; York, where numerous writers have set their mysteries, and other sites and locations. We'll have talks by writers Stephen Booth, Danuta Reah, Michelle Spring, and several others to be announced. Our last day and night will be in Cambridge, with a walking tour to some of the colleges. The tour ends on Tuesday, August 27, with transport to Heathrow Airport.
Approximate Cost: $4,182 (land only). The tour price will include transport from and to Heathrow Airport, all conference and entrance fees, speakers’ fees, experienced group leader and tour guides, all lodging, all breakfasts, many dinners, some lunches, and tips at restaurants and hotels and for porterage at hotels. (Rooms at St. Hilda's are single occupancy, but rooms during the Yorkshire tour are priced at double occupancy. A single room supplement will be available for $499.)
Registration: Formal registration should be accompanied by a non-refundable deposit of $250. A payment schedule will be sent for the balance of payment. Up to 120 days before departure, fees except the initial deposit will be refunded on withdrawal. After that, lodging and other cancellation charges will be assessed. No refunds or credits for cancellations received after 30 days before the trip start date. Price may flucuate slightly based on currency exchange and group size. Travel insurance is highly recommended.
Program Leader: Dr. Kathy Ackley, Professor Emerita of English, taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for 24 years before her retirement. She has led eleven Mystery and Crime Writers programs and has made more than 30 trips to England.
New York City Theatre - October 22-26, 2013
Join us for another fabulous fall get-away to New York City!
We’ll immerse ourselves in theatre and sightseeing The trip includes your round-trip flight (Milwaukee/New York, with coach transfers between Stevens Point and Milwaukee), airport shuttle to/from hotel, lodging (double occupancy) with 4 nights lodging and full breakfasts at the Hampton Inn-Times Square North, and THREE Broadway shows. Shows will be determined after the Tony awards are announced this spring. We also plan to book a backstage tour, and a city sightseeing tour.
A non-refundable deposit of $250 per person is required with your registration. The estimated price for the trip is $2,050 (dependent on number of registrants, airfare, and Broadway ticket prices). Your deposit will be applied to your total trip cost.
Trip Leader: Patricia Kluetz
Register Online This event is full! To be placed on waitlist, please contact Kim O'Flaherty.
Adventures in Arabia - January, 2014
The In the news, the small sultanates and emirates of the Arabian Peninsula come across as mysterious oil nations, given to extravagant spending and fantastic architecture. In fact, Oman and the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates are deeply traditional lands, with a heritage of hospitality and respect. Your 14-day tour includes visits to the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, and Sharjah, as well as the country of Oman. Join us as we experience these beautiful lands and the hospitality of the UAE and Oman.vibrant colors of the Provençal landscape have attracted artists for generations. We'll learn to capture the patterns in nature: sunlight and shadows on olive groves, vineyards, and orchards. We’ll explore mountain vistas and village streets. We’ll also visit Cezanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence, and St Paul de Mausole in St Remy (where Van Gogh lived and painted).
Highlights include:
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates
- Full-day tour of Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates
- The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
- Heritage Village
- See the Saadiyat Island project where the Louvre and Guggenheim Museums are being built
- Visit Yas Island, which houses the Formula 1 Yas Circuit and the first attraction park of Ferrari in the world
AL AIN, United Arab Emirates
- Jebel Hafeet
- Hili Archaeological Park, famous for excavations from the third millennium B.C.
- Al Ain Palace Museum, once the home of UAE’s first President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan
- Jahili Fort, an excellent example of Islamic military architecture
- National Museum of Al Ain
OMAN – Nizwa and Muscat
- Visit the oasis city of Nizwa, the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries
- Fortress of Jabreen, which dates to 1670
- The Falaj, an example of the historic irrigation system
- Museum home of Sheikh Bait Al Safa
- Nizwa Fort, built in the mid-17th century by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Ya'ribi
- Bait Baranda Museum
- Old Muscat, Al Alam Palace, residence of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, flanked by twin 16th century forts
- Bait Al Zubair Museum
- Colorful souq at Muttrah
- Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates
Fujairah is one of the UAE’s seven emirates. The Port of Fujairah is the only multi-purpose port on the Eastern seaboard of the United Arab Emirates, approximately 70 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz. Fujairah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, and the only one of the seven that has a coastline solely on the Gulf of Oman and none on the Persian Gulf. Our hotel is a resort on the beach.
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates
- Tour of Sharjah, an Emirate of the UAE
- Museum of Islamic Civilization
- Fortress of Al-Husn
- Souq Al Arsa
- The Blue Souq
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
- City tour of Dubai
- Mall of the Emirates with its Ski Dubai
- Mingle with the locals on a Dubai water taxi
- Visit the old market area and the Gold and Spice Souqs
- Grand Mosque of Jumeirah
- Afternoon desert safari and evening at a traditional Bedouin camp
- Optional shopping at Dubai Mall
- Optional climb to top of Burj Khalifa (at 2,722 feet, the tallest man-made structure in the world)
Trip Leader: Lynn Kordus
Email for more information: koflaher@uwsp.edu
Fibers of a Country: Peru - May, 2014
Trip Leader: Jutta Brendel
Information coming soon!
UWSP Continuing Education can coordinate custom international tours for your group; please email Kim O'Flaherty for details or call 715-346-2426.