Exploring the Maine Coast

August 22 - August 27, l999

Ask any seasoned Elderhosteler about the EH experience, and inevitably the response will be: "Each Elderhostel is different." The Ferry Beach EH, however, is "more different" than the others, and I write this having just completed my 48th.

Location and Atmosphere: Ferry Beach is a few miles below Old Orchard Beach just off Route 4, easily accessible from the Maine Turnpike. It is an oasis of peace just a few miles from the visitor-choked Route 1, where so many people come to Maine to get away from the traffic, and, of course, get stuck in traffic! The small campus is a few steps away from 14 miles of a practically empty long horseshoe curved beach, with Old Orchard Beach to the left, and Camp Ellis to the right. Both are within walking distance, as well as Ferry Beach State Park.

This Elderhostel is operated by the Unitarian-Universalist Church. There were several groups present in addition to the EH'ers, such as the Tai Chi people and the dancers. There was a chance to mingle with other folks, other ideas, other generations, both on the wide porch which surrounded the main building, and also at mealtimes and happy hours, which occurred every afternoon and evening.

Everyone seemed determined to like each other and they succeeded!! The office was staffed by Nan and Franno, they are not twins!who can best be described as wonderful, as they were always available with kindness and information bless them!   

Instruction: This course was planned and taught by Dory, a soft-spoken scholar who is a very serious, yet good-humored Ph.D. candidate in physical oceanography at the University of Maine. Dory is also a competitive lumberjillyes, you read that correctly, for what else would you call a woman who knows a great deal about axes and lumber? Dory arranged a course that was well balanced between learning about scientists and fishermen, and also balanced between class lectures and discussions, slides films, and field trips. Three out of the five days were devoted to field trips. Dory was organized!

Topics covered in class and during evening programs included: Introduction to Oceanography, Basin formation, estuaries, (Dory's specialty), chemistry of the ocean, eels, instrumentation, History of Saco and area, trawling impact, worm gut research, environmental issues, to name a few. Frankly, my dears, some of this was beyond my simple brain, but at least I received an appreciation of oceanographic scientific research in general, and a renewed sense of awe regarding my nephew Jack, who is an oceanographer.

Dory arranged for interesting field trips. These included a specimen collection right at Ferry Beach, a delightful mail boat trip out of Portland, a Fish Auction Tour (where else but with Elderhostel can you get fishy with the fishermen and women?), the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, where we saw bird banding and had an excellent guided nature walk, and the Darling Marine Center, part of the University of Maine, where we saw some marine labs, and had a chance to talk to the Director about the academics. It was quite interesting to have a perspective of the advanced academics of marine studies. Finally, we had an opportunity to explore the wonderful Maine Maritime Museum at Bath.

Food and Accommodations: If you are a beachnik, you will overlook any shortcomings; if you suffer from an excess of fastidiousness, you may not be happy here. Personally, the atmosphere of friendship, the instruction and the field trips made up for any deficiency so far as I was concerned. The food can be described as tolerable or fair, but in all objectivity, there were attempts to satisfy veggie people with lots of fresh fruit during the day, and a good salad bar for lunch. The breakfast was the best meal, with lots of choices. The three box lunches were fair. Dinners featured lots of cholesterol, so one might want to watch their arteries and practice girth control before coming here.

The accommodations were best described by my new friends as "better than a campground, but worse than a dormitory." There were only two bathrooms that served one person at a time for ten people on my floor. The bathrooms were cleaned only once, toward the end of the week. There were appeals for funds to refurbish the bathrooms right where one had to use them. The showers had plenty of hot water, but it was impossible to avoid wetting the floor due to the construction of the shower stalls. The room I had contained no closets; only a three dresser drawer with one drawer missing. The charge of $110 extra for a single room, I felt, was excessive. On a scale of one to ten, the accommodations were minus something. Of course, there was sand everywhere.

The true test: Would I come here again? It is a "different" Elderhostel, but there are those who love it!! Yes, I shall return!! For me, the positives outweigh all the rest. And Happy Elderhosteling to you all!