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 Welcome!
Sanborn Park Hostel is hidden among the redwoods of a 3600 acre (1460 hectare)
park. The hostel offers: tranquility, miles of hiking trails,
cultural programs and is accessible to the sights of Silicon Valley.
Sanborn Park Hostel Offers:
A warm setting to meet and interact with fellow travelers or enjoy the solitude. The surrounding redwood forest
offers miles of hiking trails. The hostel encourages interpretive programing of the surrounding
area and provides the resources for you to explore the museums and sites of Silicon Valley. Situated
in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the hostel is only 3.5 miles (5.6 km.) from
local groceries and services.
What is a Hostel?
A hostel is a
place that offers a good night's sleep in friendly surroundings at an
affordable price. Hostels are a perfect way to get to know a country at
low cost, while, at the same time, meet many other people with a
similar attitude towards traveling and experience this warm and
welcoming atmosphere.
Important Sanborn Park Hostel News From Sylvia Carroll, Hostel Manager
August 2007
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?
Regular visitors to the Sanborn Park Hostel and attentive newsletter readers know that there have been changes at our local hostel. As our lifestyles are changing gradually, the hostel changes have been gradual too.
The Hostel opened July 1, 1979 and was open for all comers every day. Even the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake did not innterrupt this record. But it was the 9/11 attacks that affected travel habits and attitudes. Immediately people canceled trips, but the Hostel stayed open as usual.
Longer working hours--often 70 hours a week in Silcon Valley--leave less time for recreation and travel. Use of national and state parks is down as much as 25%. When there is time for vacation, it's likely to be a fast trip to a big tourist city with many attractions, not a quiet spot in a redwood forest. The long backpacking trip around the world which brough so many Aussies and Germans is now rare indeed. Young people have different priorities: electonics/'virtual experiences,' entertainment, shopping--not walking in the woods. And an era of affluence has made people demand more; private rooms instead of dorm accomodations, more services. Since the trip is short there's enough money for higher-end lodging, and the online deals make thrifty hostels less needed.
So the Sanborn Park Hostel went ot a weekends-only schedule for the slow months of November through March, 2005-6. Groups with advance reservationscould come anytime. That schedule was repeated November-December, 2006. In 2007 the hostel has been open only on nights when groups of ten or more had advance reservations. Individuals and families can come on those nights when space is available.
This continued group use has made sense. We have been seeing a growing group-to-individual ratio. Schools especially need economical lodging for field trips to the Egyptian Museum or college campus visits. The present system will continue into 2008 when our neighbor Walden West will phase into use of the Hostel. Walden West is the County Office of Education's science camp for fifth and sixth graders. Walden West could add one-night or two-night programs for school that cannot afford the usual four-night program. And the Hostel would still be available to other groups as it is now. It seems like a win-win resolution to the changes in the travel world.
Is the change in tourism patterns only in the United States? Apparently not. In the last few years 100 out of 300 hostels in England have been closed--the smaller rural hostels. How sad.
But fear not--the dinner/slide show activities will continue! See you there!
November 2007
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?
As reported in your last newsletter, the Sanborn Park Hostel will--gradually--become part of Walden West, the County Office of Education's environmental education center that is "next door" to the Hostel. (In the park setting "next door" is about one quarter mile away.) School and other groups will continue to stay overnight at the Hostel and Walden West will expand its offerings to schools that can
stay just one or two nights instead of their usual four-night program.
The Hostel’s pot-luck dinner and slide show nights on the last Thursday of each month will continue.
Individuals and families may continue to stay at the Hostel throughout this Winter and Spring. The Hostel is open every Friday and Saturday night and open other nights when a group of ten or more has advance reservations. Call the Hostel at 408/741-0166 to ask about availability on the night(s) you want to stay.
YOU ARE INVITED
You are invited to help pick up litter on Highway 9 in Saratoga. Food (lunch) is provided and entertainment (greetings from bicyclists and finding coins) is very low-key. The reward is satisfaction at making a highway pristine1y clean.
Recent months' 'invitations' must not be reaching many folks. Only Ron Boyce and Art and Sylvia Carroll have picked up litter these last three months. Thanks to these three.
Choose a date (December 8, January 6, February 10, March 15) and get details in the Activity Schedule. Then have the easy satisfaction of he1ping the environment. You'll see your name in the next newsletter too!
MEMBERS ELECT BOARD
Four members of the Board of Directors of Santa Clara Valley AYH were re-e1ected at the Annual Meeting of Members on October 25. Bonnie Bliss of San Jose, Austin Marx of Santa Clara, Bill Thomas of Saratoga, and Mary Yates of Gilroy were elected by acc1amation. A fifth seat remains vacant as there were no volunteers or nominees.
Also at the short meeting, held during the regular monthly pot-luck dinner at the Sanborn Park Hostel in Saratoga, there was a report on the fiscal year, just ended. The Hostel had 2673 overnight visitors, principally in groups (schools, Scouts, churches, etc.). Ten percent were from foreign countries (mostly in two large student groups from France and Italy).
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