Travel Writing & Writers of the Monterey Bay, CA

Department of English
Location: Capitola, CA
Course: ENG 1320 - College Writing II and ENG 2371 - US Literature: Writing Identities
CRN: TBD
Program Director: Dr. Laura Ellis-Lai, le17@txstate.edu
Course Dates: Maymester, May 8 - 29, 2025
Travel: May 23 - 29, 2025
Program Fee: $1,936
Course Tuition: 3-hours $1,068.24, 6-hours $2,136.48
*Financial Aid eligible

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Study in America applications for summer 2025 are open through January 24. Don't miss your chance to study beyond the classroom!

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Program Itinerary

Earn credit for TWO of your required classes in just 4 weeks, including a week in the ecologically unique and culturally diverse Monterey Bay region of California! We’ll study travel writing and discuss literature from the region while exploring the historical and literary beach towns of Santa Cruz, Capitola, Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur in early summer. Sign up now to reserve your seat in this new May mini-semester class!”

Date	Activities
Friday, May 23	Travel to Capitola, CA.
Saturday, May 24	Students will explore the area around downtown Santa Cruz on a guided tour led by the instructor, which will include visiting the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, the Chinatown neighborhood, City Hall and the Water Street Bridge, the Loudon/London Nelson memorial, the Santa Cruz Mission, and Evergreen Cemetery. Students will explore the University of California at Santa Cruz McHenry Library Archives and exhibits, discuss author Karen Yamashita readings and enjoy a visit by the author to hear about her contributions to the archives. Students will visit Bookshop Santa Cruz to hear from local authors at a live reading and to explore the travel writing, local author, and local interest sections; as well as to speak with bookshop employees about the importance of independent bookstores in supporting local literary communities.
Sunday, May 25	Students will visit Pajaro Valley in Watsonville to visit the Japanese Buddhist shrine, Bockius-Orr House, Borina Archive and Research Center, and Volck Museum to learn about immigrant and migrant settlers to the region during the 1800-1900s, which many regional writers described in their historical novels and journalistic endeavors.
Monday, May 26	Visit the towns of Salinas and Monterey, starting at the novelist and travel writer’, John Steinbeck Museum, in Salinas, followed by a tour of Monterey Aquarium and Cannery Row in downtown Monterey in the afternoon, which featured prominently in Steinbeck novels.
Tuesday, May 27	Explore Big Sur and Carmel, including Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park for a hike and to see McWay Waterfall, to visit the Henry Miller Memorial Library and to take a tour of poet Robinson Jeffers’ Tor House (including an on-site poetry workshop offered by the Tor House Executive Director). Students will explore historic downtown cottages in Carmel during a travel writing walking activity about Carmel authors. This one-of-a-kind environment has inspired generations of writers that students will read in preparation for this outing.
Wednesday, May 28	Explore the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk/West Cliff Drive/Santa Cruz Surfing Museum/Santa Cruz Wharf on a travel writing photo safari for their individual travel blogs. Students will also visit the Capitola Historical Museum to better understand the historical context of the community of visitors who populated this early seaside resort location and the historical travel writing that flowed from it as a result.
Thursday, May 29	Travel home.

*Itinerary is subject to change.

Application Process

Follow these steps to enroll.

STEP 1

Complete SIA student application. Deadline is January 24, 2025.

STEP 2

Applications reviewed by Program Director & OXP.

STEP 3

Pay $50 program deposit. Deadline is February 21, 2025.

STEP 4

Program FAQ

Expand FAQ List

General Information
- Who is eligible to participate in the program?
  
  All students enrolled at TXST are eligible to participate, there are no course prerequisites.
- Will I need to be in person at the San Marcos campus for the course?
  
  No, you do not need to be in San Marcos to participate in the program. Instruction before and after the program trip will be online.
Costs
- What is included in the program fee?
  The program fee includes:
  - Lodging in Capitola, CA.
  - Onsite transportation for SIA programming.
  - Breakfast throughout the duration of the trip.
  - 1 group dinner.
  - National Steinbeck Center.
  - Monterey Bay Aquarium.
  - Robinson Jeffers’ Tor House tour.
  - Santa Cruz Surf Museum.
  - Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur, CA.
  - Henry Miller Memorial Library.
  - Capitola Historical Museum.
  - Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.
  - UCSC Special Collections and Archives.
  - Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
  - Bockius-Orr House and Volck Museum.
  - Watsonville Buddhist Temple.
  *Note that transportation to/from the airport will be provided at the most common arrival time of participants. If you do not arrive/depart at the most common time of the group you may need to find alternative transportation.
- What is NOT included in the program fee?
  The program fee does not include:
  - Airfare to/from California.
  - Lunch throughout the duration of the trip.
  - 5 dinners throughout the duration of the trip.
  - Any additional activities students participate in during program free time.
  - Course tuition.
  *Per OXP policy, airfare is purchased by the student is not refundable by the university. Students are encouraged to purchase flexible airfare or travel insurance in case of the event they are unable to travel.
- What is the program deposit?
  
  Students are required to pay a $50 nonrefundable program deposit to secure their spot in the program. The deposit is applied to the overall program fee.
- Is Study in America Financial Aid eligible?
  
  Yes, SIA programs are financial aid eligible; however, eligibility can vary by student award. Students should always confirm with TXST One Stop whether their financial aid will cover the course tuition and program fee.
Program Preparation
- Will I need to provide my transportation?
  
  Students are responsible for purchasing airfare to/from California. Students will be responsible for onsite transportation during program free time.
- Is there a dress code for specific visits?
  
  There is no required dress code, please bring comfortable walking shoes.
- Will there be downtime on the trip?
  
  Yes, students will have downtime in the evenings.
Drop & Refund Policy
- Course Tuition Refund
  
  Refunds for a dropped extension course are given according to university policy for regular university courses on campus. Refer to the TXST One Stop for more information.
- SIA Program Fee Refund
  Students may receive a refund for the program fee if they drop/withdraw within the refund schedule. The program fee refund policy is separate from the refund deadlines associated with course tuition costs.
  The following policy applies to students that drop/withdraw from the course/program:
  - 100% of the program fee is refundable 45 days prior to the course start date.
  - 70% of the program fee is refundable 44 days prior to the course start date.
  - 50% of the program fee is refundable after the first start date of the course.
  Students that cannot complete the program and would like to appeal the refund policy, please contact extension@txstate.edu for assistance.
  Please note the course start date is not the first day of travel.