Chautauqua

You feel it the minute you step inside the gates. All who have come here before—Thomas Edison, Thurgood Marshall, Franklin Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller, Margaret Mead, Al Gore, Ken Burns, Bill Cosby [and countless others]: their presence is in this place. Their words, art, conversation, and passion linger in the air, the buildings, the landscape.*

Tucked beside Chautauqua Lake in the hills of western New York lies Chautauqua Institution, a unique summer community dedicated to spiritual growth, music, literature and the arts.  Founded in 1874 as the Chautauqua Lake Sunday School Assembly, it soon expanded beyond courses for Sunday school teachers to include academic subjects, music, art and physical education.*

Bill and I had the pleasure of a too-brief visit to Chautauqua over the weekend. Our dear friends Steve and Grace have spent the past two summers working, living and enjoying life at Chautauqua. So we went to check it out.

We found that Chautauqua holds reminders of the past ...

... and also is fully committed to today's people, ideas and issues.

(this amphitheatre holds 5,000 for daily worship, music and lectures.)

I absolutely loved the pace, the spirit, the quiet and

unassuming beauty of Chautauqua.

[Jenny, this photo is for you ...

next summer, one week's theme will be women!]

For those looking for an experience rather than amusement on vacation,

Chautauqua certainly fits the bill.

(thank you, Steve and Grace!)

* Some text and photograph from http://www.ciweb.org/, Chautauqua's website.