With incredible weather, often in the 80’s, students and staff found themselves taking needed rest days strolling along the beach and visiting the many sights of Santa Cruz.

Quite a few people have inquired about our past Ventana students, so in an effort to keep you up to date I thought I’d feature a few every once in a while.  And so it is with great excitement that I announce our first Ventana couple!  Emily from Hemet, CA, and Austin from Portland, OR, got […]

 
From the look of these articles and pictures … you’d think Ventana was just a cheaper version of Club Med or something. I must confess that at times our staff feel more like cruise directors that cultural architects.

“Are you ready to meet your Maker?”
This question posed to some random stranger while sitting on a park bench might illicit some strange looks or even a mocking response about little birdies twittering about.
Yet, as you paddle down the Klamath river, with its class 4 sections, that are both steep and narrow, surrounded by jagged […]

 
This past week we kicked off our 3rd year.
Not to ever get complacent by keeping our program the same, we’ve made a few changes for our fall component.
Instead of meeting in Temecula, we thought San Diego offered a better view.
Instead of going to Hume Lake, we opted for the river rafting of the Klamath.
Instead of […]

One would think hiking with 50lb packs in the hot September sun would be a challenge. Apparently both Matt (jumping) and Ian (silly face) were in their element. With four days of packing, rappelling, and waterfall jumping the students had an amazing time connecting and getting to know one another.

 
As a child I often wondered how my parents could love me and my siblings equally. Prior to the birth of our second son I wondered if I could pull off this mystical feat. Although a few years apart, each with their unique personalities and behavior patterns, I could scream from the tallest mountain I […]

I’m sure most of you have seen at least one Bond movie in your lifetime. Do you remember the incredible movie sets and locations where evil people attempted to devise and fulfil all sorts of diabolical schemes?

Following a few brief stops for directions and one random army checkpoint, we found ourselves marveling at the amazing beauty of this remote Baja surf spot that beckons the die-hard and dedicated travelers to her protected harbor.