SENIORS TRAVEL TO GRENADA



Seniors, Voici Carriacou and Petite Martinique

Here is a real find in the Caribbean nation of Grenada, seniors: Carriacou and Petite Martinique,  dependencies of Grenada. This YouTube video covers the bases for all three.

Carriacou is the largest island of the Grenadines with 13 square miles and a population of just under 5,000. It is known as “the island surrounded by reefs”.  Hillsborough, the only town, is the port of entry, and there are several small villages scattered throughout the island.

The neighboring island of Petite Martinique, 2½ miles from Carriacou, is also a part of Grenada. Petite Martinique with its 586 acres and population of 900 is very small with a strong local community and few facilities for visitors. The residents of this island live by boat-building, fishing and seafaring.

Carriacou (pronounced ‘carry-a-cou’) is an undiscovered paradise offering the perfect hideaway for those seniors who want to escape the beaten tourist track and are looking for privacy and seclusion. It has a natural beauty which adds to its appeal and has often been described by travel writers as an ‘uncut diamond’. It is called Grenada’s “speciality port.”

Carriacou is politically and economically part of the three island nation of Grenada, Carriacou & Petit Martinique. The dry season usually runs from January to May and the rainy season, or locally called “green season”, arrives in patches throughout the other months, though prolonged rain is unusual.

 Seniors Looking For A Change Of Pace

Carriacou offers senior visitors a change of pace with its relaxed and easy way of life.  The language is English. Tourism is still sufficiently undeveloped to have had little effect on the lives of most islanders. There are three small hotels, a few guest houses and a number of local restaurants. A great place to unwind.

The island was settled by the French, but in 1763 was ceded with Grenada to the British. The majority of the inhabitants today are of African descent, with the influence in the island mainly British, such as driving on the left, though French names are still noticed, especially in the L’Esterre area.

Visitors enjoy the many white sand beaches, deep aqua bays, hill views of the surrounding Grenadine islands, nature trails, reefs and safe anchoring harbors. You might even luck out and witness a “Big Drum” or “Nation” dance which celebrates their West African ancestors that were brought to the island during the days of slavery. These Big Drum dances are usually performed at “Maroons” village festivals or fetes, where food and drink are prepared.

Known as a secret portal into the old Caribbean, Carriacou and Petite Martinique offer senior visitors a wealth of old world charms to be discovered.   jeb

Filed under : Caribbean

SENIORS ENJOY VIRGINIA



Seniors Do Some “Bay Dreaming” in Hampton

Discoveries have been integral to Hampton, Virginia since it was founded in 1610, making it the oldest continuously occupied English settlement in the United States. Seniors did you know that Hampton is also the original home of NASA, the agency responsible for leading America into the exploration of outer space?

Hampton is a vibrant waterfront community with a small town charm and a blend of yesterday, and is one of the 7 cities that make up Hampton Roads.  It’s an independent city with a population of 137,436 that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia.

From the sea to the stars is a reminder of Hampton’s remarkable qualities, which create a thoroughly rewarding place for senior citizens to visit for business and pleasure. Whether you’re here for a just few hours or for several days, you’re sure to experience a “This is Hampton” moment that will stay with you for a long, long time.

Hampton remains a class unto itself where shopping is concerned, from boutiques to art galleries to malls and shopping centers. The Peninsula Town Center is world-renowned for unparalleled selection and convenience in its eclectic assortment of department stores, specialty shops, and restaurants.

Tourist Destination For Seniors

It’s not just a rich history that makes this such an interesting senior tourist destination. Just 30 miles away is Virginia Beach, and there are other beaches to choose from in the general area, so visitors can spend plenty of time with their feet in the sand.

The City of Hampton has two distinct areas with links to the Chesapeake Bay –  the downtown Hampton waterfront area and the Phoebus/Fort Monroe area. Both have many things for senior visitors to see and do, including museums, historic architecture, shops, and entertainment.

Hampton is located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia. It is bounded on the north and east by the Chesapeake Bay and on the south by the Hampton Roads Harbor.

One of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, Hampton Coliseum will be joined in 2011 by a 19-acre development with a live-performance theater and a new condominium development on a small lake next to the proposed Newmarket Creek trail system.

The historic downtown district touts quaint shops and sidewalk cafes. Downtown is the home of exciting area attractions including the Virginia Air and Space Center featuring the Riverside IMAX Theatre and the 1920’s Hampton Carousel, one of less than 200 antique carousels still operating in the United States.

 The Coastal Virginia – Hampton Roads region draws visitors of all ages year after year. So make plans to visit Hampton on your next trip to Virginia.. jeb

SENIORS TRAVEL TO MISSISSIPPI



Seniors Still Search For Elvis In Tupelo

Tupelo, Mississippi, a town of 35,000, draws thousands of tourists, including many senior tourists. “Our Talent Is Our Hospitality” is the motto of Tupelo.

Conflict and courage has formed the backbone of Tupelo’s colorful history from the earliest days of Spanish explorers through the bloody battles of the Civil War. Attractions such as the Elvis Presley birthplace and the Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo showcase the vivid success of present-day Tupelo.

Memphis claims Elvis, however he was born 1935 in Tupelo. We all know about the meteoric rise to fame. We all know about his mansion called Graceland and we all know how his life ended, but in Tupelo is where it all started.

Tupelo, a four-time “All American City”, has the distinctive appeal of historical battlefields and historical sites along with the added advantage of becoming the largest furniture manufacturing mecca in the nation. Tupelo was named after it’s native Tupelo Gum Tree.

 Seniors Walk The Countryside Of Hernando de Soto

Senior visitors to Tupelo, Mississippi can walk the same countryside that Hernando De Soto explored in 1540, when he and his traveling party stumbled upon a tribe of Chickasaw Indians among the hills of the wooded countryside.

Tupelo enjoys a colorful, exciting history that is just waiting to be explored. The Tupelo National Battlefield (1864), a must do for history buffs, marks where Confederates lined up to attack Union forces.

The Elvis Presley Park and Museum, set on 15 acres, features The King’s birthplace, a diverse collection of memorabilia, a chapel, and garden walk. The Elvis Presley Festival, held annually in June, celebrates the accomplishments of this Tupelo famous native and celebrates the first time he came home to perform after becoming a huge hit.

Seniors: Cars Or Elvis?

Born in Tupelo on January 8, 1935, the shotgun house where he was born has become a centerpiece of the city’s tourism industry. In Tupelo senior visitors will find the church where he sang his first song and the hardware store where he strummed his first guitar.

Real Elvis fans should consider the Elvis Presley Self-Guided Driving Tour, which features some of the important places in the life of Elvis. For senior visitors uninterested in blue suede shoes, the city offers up the Tupelo Automobile Museum, featuring over 100 antique and classic cars.

Tourist attractions include museums and art galleries, amusement parks, scenic National and State Parks, historical places, sporting events and festivals. Elvis is big, but the 444-mile parkway that follows a Native American footpath from Natchez to Nashville called the Natchez Trace Parkway is ranked the #1 thing not to be missed in Tupelo.

The parkway began its humble beginnings as a trail used by Indians almost 8,000 years ago. The Natchez Trace is one of the nation’s most unique national parks open year round.

So set your sites on Tupelo as it is one of those cities that sets itself apart with it’s own unique feel and charm making travel to this city extremely memorable.  jeb

SENIORS RETURN TO PENNSYLVANIA



Seniors Visit West Goshen Township

West Goshen Township, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, is the highest income county in PA and 24th highest in the nation. In 2013, Money Magazine voted West Goshen, 21,866 population, among the top 50 best small towns in America and that’s why we senior travelers are looking at West Goshen today.

The magazine praised West Goshen’s “lush, suburban feel” and proximity to downtown West Chester as well as “an array of local employers” and “easy commutes” to Philadelphia and Wilmington. West Goshen Township is quiet with tree-shaded residential areas, lovely parks, and a full slate of community activities.

West Goshen Town Center is located just east of downtown West Chester, Pennsylvania and minutes away from the County court house and West Chester University.

It all comes back to me now…  150 years ago, as my wife would say, I spent a summer in West Chester Township with my family conducting a language workshop for teachers of French at West Chester University.

The area, in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is totally awesome. My wife and I loved all those unique hex signs on the huge barns, the horse drawn buggies and peaceful farm sites, homes of Amish families.

Within 30 miles of both Wilmington, Del., and Philadelphia, West Goshen is within commuting distance of two major business hubs, but far enough removed from metropolis life to offer residents peace and quiet. In fact, the town, surrounded by rolling hills, is largely rural.

The townspeople take advantage of the setting, especially in the summer, when they flock to outdoor theater at the local park. Another big draw is the annual July 4 parade when residents decorate their bicycles in patriotic theme.

Seniors Enjoy Long History of West Goshen

Looking for larger-scale entertainment? The King of Prussia Mall, America’s largest shopping center, is only 20 minutes away. West Chester has an extended history. The lands of West Goshen were purchased in 1681 from William Penn as part of the Welsh tract of Westtown. By 1704, West Goshen and Westtown had become separate townships.

West Goshen Township is home to the historic Collins Mansion that was entered onto the National Register in 1971. The Mansion is one of the earliest country residences in southeastern Pennsylvania and the area of original settlement in the Commonwealth.

The house is also one of the first in the area to employ locally-quarried serpentine stone which later became a popular building material around West Chester. So seniors, come and see for yourself the neat setting of West Goshen Township and the many amenities that draw in senior tourists from around the country. jeb

SUNDAY COFFEE WITH JEB



Seniors, Let’s Look At Sochi

 This senior citizen is interested in Sochi, in spite of the fact that I discovered that the US Dept of State has a travel warning for Sochi.

I will not be going there for the Olympics and my guess is that most of my senior friends will also not be going there so let’s just see what we can learn about Sochi.

Also spelled Sochy, the unofficial “Summer Capital” of Russia on the Black Sea, warm and reportedly clean, will be home to both the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

The “Black Sea Pearl” attracts more than 4 million visitors annually. The last local census indicated 328,809 residents, but that will certainly increase as construction and development activities for the 2014 Winter Olympics progress.

From May to September, Sochi’s population at least doubles with tourists, including celebrities and political elite of the country. Sochi has much to offer besides the games. Senior citizens will find that Sochi is a busy and bustling sea-side city.

There are palm trees and beaches and Moscow lies about 1,000 miles north. The country’s industrial might is nowhere to be seen in Sochi, so the air quality year round is as pristine as the pebbly beaches that line the coast like a Russian string of pearls.

Seniors Discover Russia Has A Riviera

The biggest resort town on what’s called the “Russian Riviera” is home to the famed Arboretum and Riviera Park and are both popular destinations. Boosters used to call it the “Caucasian Riviera.”

Until 2007, when it was selected to host the Olympics, Russians knew Sochi best as the summer spa city where Joseph Stalin vacationed in the 1930s and Putin vacations now.

Serving as a beautiful backdrop for Sochi are the Caucasus Mountains, home to the nearby snow skiing resort of Krasnaya Polyana. Sochi is long. Greater Sochi stretches 90 miles (145 km) along the sea and is considered one of the longest cities in Europe, covering a total area of 1,352 square miles.

The city center is filled with vibrant green parks, carefully trimmed cedars and, of course, like Palm Springs, many, many palm trees.

The forests near the city are on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And get this folks, the 2014 Winter Olympics will be the first to be held in a subtropical climate.

With beautiful warm sea on one side, (Sochi is located at the same latitude as Nice on the Mediterranean coast of France. It is easily the largest resort city in Russia and one of the top ten vacation spots in Europe.

The area’s endless beaches, exotic vegetation, national parks, historic architecture, mineral baths, arts festivals and lively culture have made the city a prominent resort destination. There is much to see and do as these photos highlight.

Enjoy Sochi in the comfort of your own chair and with a good cup of coffee…have a great day!  jeb

 

Filed under : Editors Choice

SENIORS DRIVE TO EL PASO



Seniors, ‘It’s All Good’

El Paso, Texas is located on the north bank of the Rio Grande River in western Texas. Originally claimed in 1598 by Spain and settled in 1659 by Spanish colonists, it was named El Paso (“the crossing”) after the route to the north. Seniors hear it said in El Paso, “It’s All Good.”  

You will find real adventure in this West Texas town with 300 days of sunshine. You can access Old Mexico, Ciudad Juárez, south across the Rio Grande. The city is the fifth-largest  (675,000+) in Texas and one of the emerging Southwestern cities.

Located in the fascinating and biodiverse northern Chihuahuan Desert, the largest desert in North America, El Paso is home to hundreds of species of plants, birds, reptiles and mammals, many of them unique to the area. It  also features a great diversity of landscapes ranging from rivers to grasslands to archaeological sites.

Pick up a good pair of cowboy boots and fit right in… there are several boot companies in El Paso. Texas is divided into distinct areas and El Paso is in South Texas. The region provides visitors with a taste of the rich south-of-the-border heritage shared with neighboring Mexico.

The comfortably dry heat of the El Paso sun (temperatures averaging in the low 80s during the summer and above 40 in the winter) allows outdoor recreation throughout the year.

Seniors Find History, Architecture and Beauty

TripAdvisor lists 43 highlights starting with the famed Plaza Theater. The Wyler Aerial Tramway is great fun too. Downtown El Paso is beautiful and full of fascinating architecture and early history.

 El Paso is unique in many ways. Its geographical location – at the convergence of Texas, Mexico and New Mexico – is largely responsible for El Paso being ‘its own little world.’

The American art collection at the El Paso Museum of Art focuses heavily on the art of the Southwest with works by such famous names as Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, Milton Avery, portraits by Rembrandt Peale, Thomas Sully, and Gilbert Stuart.

The 35 acre El Paso Zoo complex is divided up by regions consisting of Animals of Africa, Animals of Asia, and Animals of the Americas.

Me, I’d head off to visit Fort Bliss established as a US Army post back in 1848 as defense against hostile Native American tribes and then it served as Headquarters for Confederate forces during the Civil War.

 Seniors, Birding Is Big

Birding in the El Paso area will likely involve a visit to the Franklin Mountains and the Hueco Tanks State Historic Site areas. The local Audubon Society has created an excellent birding area known as Feather Lakes. The Franklins are the largest sustained mountain range in Texas, with the summit of North Franklin Peak rising to an elevation of 7,192 feet, approximately 3,000 feet above the city below.

So pull up those boots, buckle up your cowboy belt buckle and dance in those jeans in El Paso.  jeb

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