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Asleep in your own bed in your own home in your own town, you may dream of spending just a night or two in seemingly impossible places. By staying at the ruins of an ancient city, for example, or in the jungle at the base of an active volcano, or amid a stark landscape where wild animals are the rule rather than the exception, the avid adventurer can experience more than just a great night’s sleep — by day, the riches of culture, traditions and learning are everywhere to be found.

Dream no more. For every one of these places, there is at least one fascinating Elderhostel program with accommodations in the heart of the action, and they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Take a look at how you can experience the night — or nights — of your life on an Elderhostel adventure in one of 10 unique locales.

1. In the Heart of Polar Bear Country (Churchill, Manitoba)

Rule of thumb: When choosing a place to spend the night, avoid accommodations that require barred windows, security lighting and a mandatory escort for all outdoor movement. That is, unless the lodgings are in the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, where these precautions keep Elderhostel participants safe as they explore the heart of polar bear country.

This rustic outpost provides accommodations and support to researchers, students and others with an interest in northern science. Situated along the Hudson Bay amid marine, northern boreal forest and tundra biomes, the center is a perfect place to observe up close a tremendous diversity of plant and animal life — including the endangered polar bear.

You may be interested in these programs featuring subjects or locations related to this topic:

Into the Arctic Skies: Aurora and Astronomy in Churchill

2. At a Historic Canadian Chateau (Quebec City, Quebec)

Not just a hotel, the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac in the heart of Old Québec is the very symbol of the 400-year-old city founded by Samuel de Champlain. Erected by the Canadian Pacific Railway as one of a series of hotels intended to attract wealthy visitors, the Frontenac offers luxury accommodations and is one of Quebec City’s most frequently visited attractions.

The hotel is convenient to the historic Plains of Abraham and Citadel of Quebec. Providing superior, miles-long views of the cityscape from atop a bluff along the St. Lawrence River, the Chateau Frontenac affords lodgings to Elderhostel participants in search of an insider’s perspective on North America’s most European city.

You may be interested in these programs featuring subjects or locations related to this topic:

Quebec, the Four-Field-Trip Way!

Bicycling: Quebec City and Its Countryside

3. Amid the Great Pyramids (Giza, Egypt)

You needn’t stray far from Cairo to find the world’s most iconic ancient monuments. The Giza Necropolis on the western outskirts contains three pyramids, of which the oldest and largest is the Pyramid of Khufu, the last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World.

Most of the more than 100 pyramids in Egypt were built as tombs for the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom. Ancient Egyptian civilization began around 3150 and survived for three millennia, so the pyramids were already objects of antiquity when the New Kingdom arose in the 16^th century B.C. A hotel within view of the Nile allows Elderhostel participants to explore these great monuments, along with the sphinx, the ancient capital Memphis and much more.

You may be interested in these programs featuring subjects or locations related to this topic:

Beyond the Pharaohs: Egypt Past and Present

Join us next week for Part II of 10 Amazing Places for Boomers to Spend the Night

Tags: boomers, Polar Bear Country, pyramids in Egypt, Quebec, Travel Center

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