Israel, Egypt, and Tanzania
UMRA member Paul Letourneau takes us on a safari in northern Tanzania and Brenda Knapp-Polzin shares photos and insights from a 2023 family trip to Israel and Egypt.
Israel, Egypt, and Tanzania
Wed, Nov 20, 2024, 10am
UMRA’s next Armchair Traveler program will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 20, via Zoom. Paul Letourneau will take us to Tanzania, and Brenda Knapp-Polzin will share photos and insights from a 2023 family trip to Israel and Egypt.
“Our cruise to Israel and Egypt in August-September 2023 included my 92-year-old mother, Virginia, and my husband, David,” Brenda says. “We travelled from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then on to Egypt, including Cairo, Gisa, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, and Aswan. Shortly after our return, Hamas attacked Israel. I look forward to sharing highlights of our trip and will try to provide some insights into the unrest and displacement of refugees from this region.”

Here is how Paul describes the two-week trip he and his wife, Carol, took with two friends in 2009, visiting five national parks in northern Tanzania: “In the care of our driver-guide Wilfred, we drove across the savannah and into bush and woodlands to see, up close, the large mammals and beautiful birds that are highlights of African wildlife. We also visited a village of the Maasai people, who lead a pastoral life herding cattle and goats. My images and short videos will provide a brief summary of our safari.”
A Zoom invitation will be emailed to all UMRA members a month before the program and a reminder will be sent a week before. I hope you can join us.
—Lynn C. Anderson, Armchair Traveler program chair
Upcoming Events
"Things that drive me crazy" will be the theme when the UMRA Photo Club meets on February 11. Newcomers are welcome.
Many life challenges that get in the way of quality of life and good health at home have little to do with medical issues. Cathy Lauring, our presenter for UMRA’s February 18 workshop, will explore a variety of resources to assist in keeping us healthy at home—including physical, emotional, cognitive, and financial services.
John Bantle will lead the discussion of A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson when the UMRA book club meets via Zoom on February 21.
Join UMRA members to watch two of the best hockey teams in the nation. UMRA has negotiated a discounted ticket price of $33.
Barbara Klick, RN, MBA, the presenter for UMRA’s February 25 Forum, has decades of experience working in human and veterinary medicine, and will bring her wisdom and perspective to our discussion about what we can learn from our pets about facing end-of-life challenges and decisions.
The Fourth Friday Book Club will meet via Zoom on February 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CST to discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Will Craig discusses using local sources for family history.
The UMRA Hiking Club will explore wildlife along the Mississippi River in Fort Snelling State Park. The 3.9-mile Pike Island Loop is generally considered an easy route and takes just over an hour. Hikers can leave at that point, or stay to add another short loop. The trail is located below the bluff on which the historic fort sits. The last time we were there we saw a lot of deer, and the river always provides fascinating views.
The University of Minnesota Archives, with its major holdings largely tucked away in two huge underground caverns along the Mississippi River under the West Bank campus, holds the essential records of our University of Minnesota’s past. University Archivist Erik Moore will explain the holdings and role of our extensive university archive and bring out a sampling of what it holds. At the end of our visit, he will conduct a tour of the literally cool caverns (Minnesota Library Access Center), revealing where these precious materials are housed, including the original tapes of KUOM, now Radio K.
Family history open discussion.