Seats on May 9 bus tour to beautiful Meijer Gardens and historic Gerald Ford Museum still available; Register by April 28

GOSHEN, Ind. – Whether it’s marveling at the intricate details of a flower in the Meijer Gardens or taking a holographic tour of the President Ford era White House in the Gerald Ford Museum, participants in Goshen College’s Afternoon Sabbatical bus tour to Grand Rapids, Mich., on May 9 will have varied and memorable learning experiences.

The Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park was created to foster a rich cultural experience that promotes enjoyment, understanding and appreciation of gardens, sculpture, the natural environment and the arts among people of all ages. The park integrates the experience of great gardens with great art, to offer a wide variety of things to see and explore.

The park showcases its horticultural displays, which includes a beautiful array of plants appropriate for the Midwest as well as specialized plants from regions around the world. The sculpture program at the park is internationally renowned, with more than 160 works in its permanent collection and three temporary exhibitions developed annually.

 The trip will include a guided tram tour of the outdoor gardens and a guided tour of the indoor gardens. There will also be time to stroll outdoor nature trails and a boardwalk, visit the outdoor sculpture park to study world-class artwork or enjoy a variety of types of gardens, including one designed for children and another described as urban. The facility also includes special sculpture exhibitions in indoor galleries, an arid garden and a carnivorous plant house. The garden is home to the largest tropical conservatory in the state of Michigan, featuring plants from around the world, as well as Michigan’s Farm Garden, which replicates a 1930s family farm with a farmhouse, barn, gardens, sugar shack and animal pens. The park also includes an outdoor terraced amphitheater garden, gift shop and café.

The second part of the trip is a visit to the historic Gerald R. Ford Museum, which was created to allow visitors to participate in history, not just read about it, while reviewing the highlights of the lives of President Gerald R. and Mrs. Ford. The museum houses a number of permanent exhibits, as well as temporary exhibits that draw upon the rich holdings of the presidential libraries system, Smithsonian Institution and National Archives. The museum, open to the public since 1981, seeks to stimulate learning, reflection and a sense of democratic citizenship. This will be a self-guided tour.

The permanent exhibits at the museum feature hands-on, interactive, video and holographic displays. “Gerald Ford’s America” is a 1970s gallery experience that will transport visitors back to the time period of platform shoes, bell-bottom jeans and eight-track tapes. The Watergate crisis is dramatically unfolded in “Constitution in Crisis,” telling the story leading to the elevation of Ford to the presidency. “Young Jerry Ford” takes visitors back to Ford’s early days, from his formative years through his congregation service, in a re-creation of his father’s paint and varnish company. “At Work in the Oval Office” contains a replica of the Oval Office, complete with dramatic overhead lighting and narration describing a typical day in America’s most famous room. Visitors can see U.S. foreign policy decision making in action as they travel to hot spots around the globe in “Leadership in Diplomacy.” “Ford Cabinet Room” allows visitors to sit at a replica of the cabinet table while viewing video highlights from three major events.

Package cost for the trip is $45, which includes bus travel, guided and tram tours of the gardens and sculpture and entrance to the Ford Museum. Registration will be taken until April 28 or until the trip is full. This trip will be the culmination of Goshen College’s 2005-06 Afternoon Sabbatical series.

Goshen College’s Afternoon Sabbatical program is in its 29th year of offering rich diversity in programs for the community. A committee of area representatives and college personnel look to the wealth of knowledge and talent at Goshen College and among Elkhart County citizens and selects programs that will appeal to a wide variety of interests. Programs have an integral connection to the college, either through subject matter or in ways in which the campus and community are interrelated.

For more information on the Afternoon Sabbatical series call the Goshen College Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566 or e-mail welcomecenter@goshen.edu.

- by Jennifer Rupp

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.