Where do you want to go with the North Museum?

Chesapeake Bay (September 23-26, 2010)
Philadelphia's Mutter Museum and Eastern State Penitentiary (October 15, 2010)
South Africa (June 9-21, 2011)
Galapagos Islands (Spring 2012)

Chesapeake Bay Ramble
September 23-26, 2010

Join us for a seafaring adventure as we explore the Chesapeake Bay aboard the tall ship Mystic Whaler! This four-day Ramble departs Thursday, September 23, for St. Michaels, Maryland, where we’ll board our beautiful ship, a reproduction of a late nineteenth century coastal cargo schooner. On Friday we cast off for three days of sailing the bay in search of a better understanding of the ecology, history, and health of the bay. We’ll return to Lancaster via chartered coach late Sunday evening, September 26.

Highlights include:

• On-board presentations on the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay by the education director of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC);
• Specially arranged guided tours ashore of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Merrill Center (one of the world’s “greenest” buildings) and SERC;
• Exclusive guided visit to the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, the last screwpile lighthouse in its original location;
• Admission to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum;
• “Chronicles of the Chesapeake,” a special on-board program by renowned musician and folklorist Geoff Kaufman, presenting a unique and enriching exploration of the Chesapeake Bay’s maritime legends and colorful characters.

Click here for a complete itinerary and prices

Cabins are small, and participants should be capable of climbing ladders, walking on slanted decks, and ducking under booms. No previous sailing experience required, but you are welcome to lend a hand if you so desire. Limit: 24.

Update: As of August 19, Sloop and Schooner class cabins are sold out. Berths are still available in the Brigantine and Clipper class cabins. Please contact Jamie Alton at jalton@northmuseum.org or (717) 358-4712 if you have any questions.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Philadelphia - Mutter Museum and Eastern State Penitentiary - Friday, October 15

We’ll start the day in Philadelphia with the UGLY, where we’ll visit the Mutter Museum, founded to educate future doctors about anatomy and human medical anomalies. For the afternoon, we’ll investigate the BAD at Eastern State Penitentiary. As the world’s first true penitentiary, the original seven cellblocks had running water and central heat before the White House, and was once the “temporary” home of Al Capone. So what’s the GOOD? Lunch, of course! We’ll dine at Jack’s Firehouse Restaurant, a 19th Century restored firehouse, for a delicious included lunch.

Price: $95 for North Museum Members; $105 for non-members. Register by September 10 to reserve your seat. Contact Amanda Eckinger at 291-4037 or info@northmuseum.org for more information or to register.

Register by mail form

Ramble to Spectacular South Africa
June 9-21, 2011

South Africa’s expansive desert, magnificent wildlife, cosmopolitan cities, and fertile wine country combine to create a beautiful mosaic to discover on this 13-day tour. Explore Soweto, birthplace of Nelson Mandela, and dine with locals at a shebeen (tavern). Search out the “Big Five” during open-air safari game drives. Travel the lush Garden Route between the mountains and the balmy Indian Ocean. Visit a working ostrich farm and the penguins of Boulder Beach. Spend four leisurely nights in Cape Town, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Sound enticing? Come to the North Museum for a South Africa Ramble Preview on Thursday, September 30, at 7 p.m. to learn more. Bob Koch of Collette Vacations will illustrate the complete itinerary and provide all the details. Contact Jamie Alton at jalton@northmuseum.org or (717) 358-4712 to RSVP for the Preview meeting or to receive a brochure once it's available.

Ramble to the Galapagos Islands II
Spring 2012

Our 2010 Ramble to the Galapagos was such a success that we’re planning another trip with AAA Travel in 2012, following an almost identical itinerary. We’ll spend a week aboard the Galapagos Explorer II, visiting ten different islands. You can preview your trip with a stroll through Our View of the Galapagos, the photo exhibit on the Museum’s second floor created by our 2010 Ramblers.

In the meantime, we’re bringing the group’s tour guide from Ecuador to Lancaster. Billy Chiquito, our naturalist aboard the GE II, will give a free talk about the Galapagos at Franklin & Marshall College’s Lisa Bonchek Adams Auditorium in Kaufman Hall on Tuesday, November 16, at 7 p.m. Billy’s presentation is made possible by AAA Travel, the Wohlsen Center for Sustainable Environment and the Department of Earth and Environment at F&M, and the Galapagos Ramblers.

Then come to the North Museum on Wednesday, November 17, at 7 p.m. for a Galapagos Ramble 2012 Preview. Billy and Craig Haberle of AAA Travel will unveil the dates for our 2012 Ramble and give you the first chance to register for this trip of a lifetime. Contact Jamie Alton at jalton@northmuseum.org or (717) 358-4712 to RSVP for the Preview meeting or to receive a brochure once it's available.