Fireplace news!

There was once a policy that wood was bought from the main desk, but they've undone that policy, and we have permission to buy a load of wood and put it in a central location, from which attendees can take wood for their fireplaces. This might not sound so exciting, with it springtime. And those who read this in the summer might find it downright uncomfortable. But in January 2010, in Santa Fe, a fire will be nice!



Fireplaces aren't all the same, but each unit has one.

There might be snow, but probably not. It's statistically likely to be cold but not snowy. That doesn't mean there won't be snow at Ski Santa Fe! And I hope we'll be able to get discounts on lift tickets for those who want to ski or snowboard. The ski area is just fifteen miles from where we'll be. There will be no gatherings scheduled for Sunday, but the rooms will still be at conference rates on Sunday night, and that might be a good go-to-mountains day for some and stay-to-visit day for others.

Kitchens! (and one potluck)

The plan, if all goes as intended, is that each family will have a kitchen (though two families can share a unit if they'd like to), and so no one will have to eat in restaurants. The facility has a small continental breakfast, but families can have their own food, snack whenever, and eat with the larger group in a communal fashion Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Saturday we'll have a potluck meal, so be considering, if you're thinking of going, what you might be able to bring with you, or to cook easily in a strange kitchen with groceries you could buy in Santa Fe (or take with you if you're driving).

The kitchens are all a little different, but all fully equipped and have dishes and cooking utensils.

Driving, and New Mexico

New Mexico isn't great with public transportation, especially in the winter. Santa Fe doesn't have "a real airport," not one that major airlines fly into. People fly into Albuquerque. There is, recently, a light rail from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, but not from the airport. It's just not the way people get around here.

When there was a Live and Learn conference in Albuquerque a few years ago, the hotel was not far from the train station, and a quick freeway drive to the airport, and Old Town and the museums were right out the side door.

Santa Fe is different. Their nickname/slogan is "The City Different," or used to be anyway. (Click the card for some Santa Fe history and trivia.)


More about Santa Fe, from the city's official site: http://santafe.org/
including this news item: American Eagle offers nonstop daily flights between Dallas and Santa Fe starting June 11, 2009!



The place we'll be staying would send a van the 65 miles to the Albuquerque airport to get you, if you went in summer and paid full price during tourist season. We're using discounted, off-season winter rates, with another discount. So that's good! But as to walking there from a train station, that's not happening.

So the best way to attend this gathering will be to drive there. The second best way would be fly to Albuquerque and rent a car. That drive only takes an hour or so. Or for the adventurous winter sportsmen type, maybe fly to Denver or Colorado Springs and rent a car, if you want to see some mountains. If a great deal of snow is seeing the mountains at the same time, it might be difficult to get to Santa Fe. It's rarely impossible, and Raton Pass (sounds like "rahTONE") is rarely closed longer than half a day, when it's closed. I-25 is a reliable corridor.

Because of all this, it's probably a better idea for those from the western U.S., in general, than for New Englanders and that. On the other hand, for a family that's never seen the mountains or has wanted a good excuse to go to Santa Fe, here you go!

Because anyone who can see this page can also get to google maps and mapquest, I don't feel too bad about providing an imperfect map. The red lines are the freeways and highways. Denver to Albuquerque, that's I-25.

"SUSS"

In January, 2010, there will be a symposium in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the purpose of discussion of Unschooling by and for those who have done it for many years, who have teens, or who will have teens and want to learn more about the issues faced by families with teens and young adults.

Another aspect of the discussions will involve helping new unschoolers, and the philosophical and scientific underpinnings of natural learning and of parenting peacefully.

Guests will be Joyce Fetteroll, her husband Carl, and their daughter Kathryn; Pam Sorooshian, her husband Cyrus, and as many as we can lure in of their three daughters Roya, Roxana and Rosie. If plans go well, we might have Schuyler Waynforth and her husband David as well. My husband Keith and our Kirby, Marty and Holly will be staff and lovely assistants.

More information will follow here, and reservations will be taken starting in August or September.