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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.  See Part I for the first three locations.

4. At a Benedictine Monastery (Jerome, Idaho)

In the heart of Magic Valley lies a place filled with peace and self-reflection. The Monastery of Ascension in Jerome, Idaho, is home to nearly a dozen monks who live a life of prayer, work and reading in accordance to the teachings of St. Benedict.

Among the saint’s sacred instructions are to welcome guests with an open heart.  Because of this, the monastery offers a retreat house that welcomes visitors of all faiths and backgrounds. Its location in the midst of canyons, deserts and ski slopes only add to its appeal as a fascinating place to spend the night — particularly as you learn about medieval culture, read clerical detective fiction or hike along the Snake River Plain with Elderhostel.

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

Intergenerational Whitewater Rafting Adventure on Idaho’s Salmon River

Spring Cross-Country Skiing in the Heart of the Tetons

5. In a Bedouin Camp Under the Stars (Merzouga Desert, Morocco)

Traditional Bedouin practices are growing increasingly scarce under environmental and governmental pressure to adopt more modern ways of life and abandon the desert for the cities of the Middle East. Nevertheless, groups of these nomadic Arab herders can still be found maintaining their pastoral traditions from the Sahara to the Arabian Desert.

Nomadic peoples like the Bedouins do not wander aimlessly in the desert, but rather return each year to camp at known sites with the resources to support them in any given season. Staying for a night in a Bedouin camp in Morocco gives you the opportunity to gather around a fire beneath the stars and learn about the Bedouins’ folk music, dance and poetry.

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

Spain and Morocco: Shared Histories, Complementary Cultures

Morocco For Women: Crossroad of Civilizations

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

Tags: History, medieval culture, Morocco, salmon river, snake river

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