For some families, their answer to the "What did you do this summer?" has been the same for the past 30+ years. Family Nature Summits has been serving families all over the USA since 1970. This was NOT a sponsored trip. We paid our own way. However, Family Nature Summits is a non-profit and I want to share all the good stuff they offer families in different locations each year!
Their mission statement rang true for our 2014 week on the Monterey Peninsula:
- To emphasize education and advocacy with respect to wildlife preservation and conservation;
- To provide a multi-generational nature experience;
- To promote education, family, environment, history and culture within the context of the Summit format;
- And to promote the betterment of the communities which it serves.
All the children adventured in their own hands-on youth/teen education program. For my almost 9 year old daughter, her program ran from 8:15am to 3:45pm. She joined me for lunch the first day, but then was off-site for the rest of the program. Otherwise, we had breakfast and dinner together. She participated in activities such as: nature hikes, a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, kayaking Monterey Bay, learning local culture and wildlife from local experts, tidepooling at some of the best tidepools in the world, painting with oil on canvas, and participating in a service project to clean up the beach.
While my daughter was off on her adventures, I participated in adult classes covering nature photography, nature writing, hikes at Pt. Lobos State Park, shoreline explorations, and an epic whale watching trip on a small boat. All of my programs were taught by experts in their fields.
Asilomar couldn't be more breathtaking or perfect for communing with nature. A boardwalk winds through the dunes and takes visitors to an exquisite beach with fine white sand. The roar of the surf is constant. There are miles of coastline to walk with sea otter, seal, and whale spotting a common occurrence. I regularly saw spouts from shore and one night saw a breaching humpback right from the hotel grounds. I am happy my lodging payment went to support this beautiful park.
Oh, and the food is EXCELLENT! Not cheap, but it's locally-sourced and the chefs are super-friendly. I loved seeing their smiles every morning. They enjoyed their jobs and took great pleasure in making sure our group was fed and happy.
The volunteer board is already hard at work preparing for the 2015 Summit at Lake Junaluska, NC in the Smoky Mountains. Follow the planning on the Family Nature Summits page on Facebook. Start saving your pennies!
