Signature City St. Augustine
An Exclusive Learning Adventure for AROHE Members
Monday, January 12, 2025 to Friday, January 17, 2025
UMRA is a member of the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE). AROHE formed a Travel Institute and this year partnered with Road Scholar to offer an opportunity to travel together on educational tours. This is a wonderful opportunity for members to meet other retirees with similar interests and a great way to make new friends.
Bright and bold living history awaits you in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida — the oldest city in America. What began as a Spanish fortress has transformed over the centuries into a charming seaside town brimming with Spanish, British, and Venetian Renaissance architecture. Local experts spin gripping tales and present a dramatic overview of the city's remarkable history. Walk the sacred grounds of the Timucuan Indians with an archaeologist, understand the importance of the Civil Rights movement at the Lincolnville Museum, and immerse yourself in the city's unique Old World charm. Viva San Augustin!
Program Highlights:
- Discover a unique tapestry of history through the shared passions of park rangers, scholars, authors, storytellers, and historians.
- Learn about the Timucuan Indians who had a thriving civilization centuries before the Spanish and enjoy expert-led explorations of Spanish and British architecture.
- See the Victorian era come alive at the Lightner Museum and understand the legacy of Henry Flagler and his grand hotels, admiring Gilded Age works of Tiffany glass in historic buildings.
Program Prices:
- Double Occupancy: $1,999
- Single Occupancy: $2,599
Activity Level: On Your Feet – Walking up to 2 miles each day over varied terrain including stairs, narrow sidewalks and cobblestone streets; standing while on field trips.
See the PDF for more details.
To reserve a spot, please contact Cheri Hamilton at [email protected].
Space is limited to 18 to 24 participants
Deadline to express an interest is Friday, June 7, 2024
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The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.
“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson
Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.
The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans.
Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody.
Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: