Seniors Anchor Into DeSoto

This senior was recently reading about an outstanding basketball prospect who hails from DeSoto, Texas a suburb of Dallas with a population of around 50,000. Being a former basketball coach myself, I just had to find out more about this town that produced an athlete who excels.

The area was first settled in 1847, making it one of the oldest communities in North Texas. A post office was established in 1881, and the settlement was named DeSoto in honor of Thomas Hernando DeSoto Stewart, a doctor dedicated to the community.

He must have had a lot of influence on the town. In 2006, DeSoto was granted the honor of being named an “All American City”.

 Seniors Impressed with The Manderley

The DeSoto city logo, adopted on August 26, 1976, is a large “D”, with the head of an eagle in the middle. It is the school district’s mascot as well as featured prominently on the city flag, water towers, and municipal government documents.

Read the specs on DeSoto and learn about the people, the economy,  and businesses. Seniors will discover an affluent african american community in Desoto. Now let’s take a look at the brand new event center in Desoto called The Manderley. In one word…awesome! I’d want to take in a performance or two there.

TripAdvisor wants senior visitors to know about Texas Helicopter Experience.  Have you ever taken a helicopter ride?

The local Chamber of Commerce would like you to stop by.  “Live, work and play in DeSoto,” they note… “a progressive community with a small-town feeling, rich in diversity and the cultural arts. Located in the ‘Best Southwest’ – the southwest corner of Dallas County.”

 Senior Hikers Find Great Trail

I’d want to take in the Windmill Nature Preserve with 75 acres of land, set aside by the City of DeSoto and Dallas County as a nature preserve. Nestled in woods, it provides shade in the summer and a great hiking trail with gentle slopes and a few steep hills.

The hiking trail in the Preserve was named the Best Urban Hiking Trail by the Dallas Observer a few years back. The five-mile loop trail also provides for mountain biking and is accessible year-round. Hike along its foot trails, viewing the well-preserved flowers and fauna of the region, and soon you’re lost in another world.

DeSoto offers fine housing, friendly neighborhoods, a great school system, updated parks, restaurants and shopping.” Seniors, set your GPS for DeSoto and anchor in for some great Texas chow in a great community. -jeb

Seniors Like The Self-Care Idea

Seniors, have you ever heard of a “Self-Care” vacation? Me either. So let’s find out what it is like to take one. “Self-care is a very active and powerful choice to engage in the activities that are required to gain or maintain an optimal level of overall health. And in this case, overall health includes not just the physical, but the psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual components of an individual’s well-being.”

In theory self-care is simple; it’s about taking care of yourself and being intentional about ensuring your well-being. However, it’s not nearly as easy to put into practice. According to Oneika The Traveller, for a woman, a solo vacation is the best one you can give yourself.

Seniors Read The 10 Commandments of Self-Care

Betty W. Williiams, Ph.D. in Psychology…“Vacations are intended to be a time for self-care, not just a time to pack up and head to the beach. While vacations may actually be fun and relaxing, the reverse is often too true, and the longed-for escape turns into extra expenses and stress.”

Valerie Burton offers The 10 Commandments of Self-Care. This is a lifestyle not just a vacation suggestion and good for men as well as women, seniors as well as juniors.

Miriam Geiser, travel consultant with KK Travels Worldwide has planned self care getaways for clients and herself. “A self-care vacation is about slowing down and nurturing yourself so you feel truly mentally and physically rested at the end.”

Hearing the sound of crashing waves or chirping birds and insects, taking in a beautiful vista on a pristine lake, smelling the flowers of a tropical garden or feeling the warmth of the sunshine on your skin stimulate the senses in a positive way and take you away from the hubbub of your daily life.

 Seniors Drawn To Nature

Some of the self-care vacation ideas that caught this senior’s attention include Digital Detox, Painting, Nature and Cooking. Letting Mother Nature help with my attempt to give way to a relaxing vacation tops my list.

“While there’s no denying the value of the creations of humankind—our architecture and art— the natural world has a splendor unmatched by any building, city, or painting.

Anyone who has taken a walk through, say, an autumn forest, the leaves gently floating, the air crisp and dry and crackling with energy, can tell you the effects of nature on mind, body, and spirit. In a word, it’s freedom.”

Frank Lloyd Wright once said “Love Nature, Stay with Nature, The Closest One Will Ever Come To Knowing God, is Knowing Nature.” Einstein agreed: “Look closely into Nature and then you will understand everything better.”

Seniors, let’s  consider our next vacation to be of the Self-Care variety. Sound right? It makes good sense to me. -jeb

Seniors Enjoy Inland City

Senior travelers find their way to Fresno, California. Seat of Fresno County and the fifth-largest city in California, Fresno is the largest inland city in the state.

The name Fresno means “ash tree” in Spanish, and an ash leaf is featured on the city’s flag. Fresno was born with the establishment of the then Central Pacific Railroad Depot in 1872.

In 1889 Southern Pacific Railroad, which had acquired Central Pacific, constructed a new depot on the original depot site. The brick Queen Anne style depot, a jewel for the city, was open for business for 99 years and is currently one of Fresno’s oldest standing buildings.

 Seniors Head For The Tower District

Fresno’s history dates back to 1885 when the railroad community attracted immigrants from all walks of life. You can learn a little bit about Fresno’s history at places like Kearney Mansion Museum.

This senior would first head for the Tower District, a popular neighborhood District that is centered around the historic Tower Theatre, which is included on the National List of Historic Places. The theater, built in 1939, is the heart of the Tower District.

The District has become a hub for community events such as Jamaica My Weekend, Mardi Gras in February, Car Shows, A Taste of The Tower, Halloween in the Tower, and the Farmer’s Market on the North-West Corner of Olive and Van Ness.

The neighborhood features restaurants, live theater and nightclubs, as well as several independent shops and bookstores, currently operating on or near Olive Avenue, and all within a few hundred feet of each other. Since renewal, the Tower District has become an attractive area for restaurant and other local businesses.

 Seniors Find City Of Many Nationalities

Fresno (“Raisin Capital”), centrally located, is the financial, industrial, trade, and commercial capital in the Central San Joaquin Valley. This dynamic city is the hub of a region rich in heritage, resources, and people.

Being a former language teacher for over 30 years, I found it of interest that Fresno is a unique mixture of more than 80 different nationalities. “The various cultures that make up the community of Fresno are much like mosaic pieces that together make a beautiful picture.”

California State University calls Fresno home. TripAdvisor suggests that senior visitors check out the Forestiere Underground Gardens, a series of underground catacombs specially designed to house exotic plants, shrubs and vines.  

After that, the Shinzen Japanese Garden since I love flowers. Seniors, set your GPS on the Valley and plan to stop by Fresno. You’ll love your stop -jeb

 

Senior Hikers Challenged In Pennine Way, England

I recently read information on the seven epic walking trails in the world. Senior hikers, where you are headed with your best pair of hiking boots, is called Pennine Way.  So grab your coffee, your boots and let’s be on our way.

Often called the most physically challenging trek in the United Kingdom, the 268-mile Pennine Way walking trail follows the mountainous backbone of England through the moors of Bronte Country, over limestone cliffs and glacial valleys, past Hadrian’s Wall and across the wildest stretch of land in the nation before concluding at the Scottish border.

The traditional starting point of the trail is The Old Nags Head, Edale in the beautiful Peak District. This charming 16th-century property features its own, well-known pub.

I’d want to check in here prior to hiking the trail as the cozy pub is listed as one of England’s top 100. With a log fire, it also offers a selection of local beers, ciders, lagers and its own ale, The Nag’s 1577. Let’s meet there and take the trail together, okay?

Seniors Check Out High Cup Nick

It takes about 18 days to complete, but many walkers prefer to break it up into smaller sections. Some forgo the southern and northern extremities altogether and focus on the more accessible middle section of the trail, the highlight of which is a breathtaking glacial valley called High Cup Nick.

Bronte Country is an area which straddles the West Yorkshire and East Lancashire Pennines in the North of England. A windswept land of heather and wild moors, it is hardly surprising that this region became the inspiration for the classic works of the Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne.

Seniors Find Hadrian’s Wall

Seniors, wouldn’t it be neat to hike across the famed Hadrian’s Wall. Know anything about that Wall? Well, Hadrian’s Wall, also called the Roman Wall, Picts’ Wall, or Vallum Hadriani in Latin, was a defensive fortification in the Roman province of Britannia, begun in 122 AD in the reign of the emperor Hadrian.

If you would prefer a shorter trail, walk 84 miles from coast to coast following the World Heritage Site of Hadrian’s Wall, past Roman settlements and forts. There’s history every step of the way, and cosy pubs, bustling market towns and great views too.

Small wonder then, that this landscape fueled the imagination of the Bronte sisters in writing their classic novels – including “Wuthering Heights”, which was reputedly inspired by the isolated moorland farmstead of Top Withens and “Jane Eyre”.

Seniors, enjoy your visit to the area and walk part if not all the Pennine Way. You will certainly enjoy the legendary landscape. -jeb

Seniors Enjoy Winston-Salem

This senior was watching Wake Forest in a baseball playoff game and was not sure where the University is located, so I looked it up. Thus, my next travel blog. Wake Forest University, founded in 1834, today has a student population of 7,600, who live and learn on a beautiful campus.

Wake Forest is in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with a 2015 estimated population of 241,218.  The city of Winston-Salem is a product of the merging of the two neighboring towns of Winston and Salem in 1913.

The Reynolds family, namesake of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, played a huge and dynamic role in the history and public life of Winston-Salem. By the 1940s, 60% of Winston-Salem workers worked either for Reynolds or in the Hanes textile factories.

Seniors Find City of Many Names

The Reynolds company imported so much French cigarette paper and Turkish tobacco for Camel cigarettes that Winston-Salem was designated by the United States federal government as an official port of entry for the United States, despite the city being 200 miles (320 km) inland. Winston-Salem was the eighth-largest port of entry in the United States by 1916.

The economy of Winston-Salem is varied and the city is home to several corporate headquarters and a nationally ranked Downtown. Winston-Salem is called the “Twin City” for its dual heritage and “City of the Arts and Innovation” for its dedication to fine arts and theater and technological research.

“Camel City” is a reference to the city’s historic involvement in the tobacco industry related to locally based R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company’s Camel cigarettes.

 Seniors Enjoy Old Salem

Salem was the name chosen by the Moravians’ late patron, Count Zinzendorf, which he named after the Canaanite city mentioned in the Book of Genesis. In 1849, the Salem congregation sold land north of Salem to the newly formed Forsyth County for a county seat. The new town was named Winston for a local hero of the Revolutionary War, Joseph Winston.

TripAdvisor invites senior travelers to look at their list of 62 things to see and do in and around Winston-Salem. They suggest a couple of highly popular museums: Old Salem Museum and Garden, and the Reynolds  House Museum of American Art. Both look very interesting to me. I noted that #5 on their list was taking a city tour on a Segway. Have you ever done that? Looks like fun.

Old Salem, celebrating 250 years, is a historic district of Winston-Salem. It played a historic role in early American History. It features a living history museum that interprets the restored Moravian community.

Events and festivals are on-going all year long. Seniors, set your GPS for Winston-Salem and enjoy all the amenities that this exciting city has to offer. -jeb

Seniors Drop By Oxon Hill

The Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Oxon, Hill, which seniors learn is a suburb of Washington, D.C., located southeast of the downtown district and east of Alexandria, Virginia.

Two student were declared co-champions after a roller-coaster finish, tying for the top honors for the third year in a row after both spelled correctly: Kjeldahl, Hohenzollern, juamave, groenedael, zindiq and euchologion. Would you have even come close for any of those big words? Not me! And the two champions were only 11 and 13 years old!

Back to Oxon Hill… named for the colonial 18th century manor home of Thomas Addison, which burned in 1895 but was replaced in 1929 by a large 49-room neo-Georgian-style home called Oxon Hill Manor, standing on a bluff over the Potomac River.

Seniors Enjoy Oxon Hill Historic Sites

Oxon Hill Manor, the Butler House, Oxon Cove Park, and historic St. Ignatius Church, constructed between 1890 and 1891, are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Seniors, check out these national historic sites, major attractions in Oxon Hill.

Politicians G. Gordon Liddy and George McGovern called this community “home.” Another “must see” site in the area is the 18th century Harmony Hall mansion, located on a 62.5-acre open pasture land estate along the Potomac River. In earlier decades, many residents in the area were scientists from the adjacent U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Air Force personnel, or musicians in military bands.

 TripAdvisor suggests The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail, is a favorite for many senior visitors. Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Cove Farm is a national historic district where visitors can enjoy a living farm museum. This farm museum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Oxon Hill Manor would be an excellent visit for my wife and me as both these seniors  love to visit old historic homes. The National Harbor Marina is a fun place to hang around and take in the boats and sites.

Seniors Drive The National Historic Road

The National Historic Road, also known as the Cumberland Road, and later US Route 40, was the first major highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the 620-mile Road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main transport path to the West for thousands of settlers.

The nation’s first federally funded interstate highway,  opened the nation to the west and became a corridor for the movement of goods and people. Today, senior visitors experience a physical timeline, including classic inns, tollhouses, diners, and motels that trace 200 years of American history.

Be sure to set your GPS for the Road and enjoy all the scenery, the sites and the history.  -jeb

Seniors settle into Morgantown

 Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia and senior travelers will find it situated along the banks of the Monongahela River. Morgantown is best known as the home of West Virginia University.

Morgantown has a  population around 30,000, with West Virginia University adding several thousand seasonal residents to the city and surrounding area from September through May. Fans of Division I collegiate sports can catch games played by the athletic teams of West Virginia University’s Mountaineers.

Morgantown was closely tied to the Anglo-French struggle for this territory. Until the Treaty of Paris in 1763, what is now known as Morgantown was greatly contested by settlers and Native Americans, and by the British and the French. The treaty decided the issue in favor of the British, but Indian fighting continued almost to the beginning of the American Revolution.

 Seniors Like Foodie Towns

Zackquill Morgan and his brother David entered the area of Virginia that would become Morgantown in about 1767. So now you know the derivation of the name of the city. I liked that name “Zackquill”…not to many of those left today.

For seniors with demanding palates, Morgantown was voted “Best Town For Foodies” 2016. Morgantown, A City of Distinction, offers “mountains of opportunity” and is one of the major growth areas in the State. Morgantown shows continued population growth for the last 20 years, and is located in one of the  fastest growing counties in WV.

For senior oenophiles, the Forks of Cheat Winery produces a wide range of grape and fruit wines. From the historic downtown area to the region’s many recreational sites, there’s always something  for visitors to do. Main Street Morgantown is a must experience site.

Seniors Hike Another Rail Trail

Bring along your hiking boots and hit the Caperton River Trail, a rail trail. The trail runs through an urban area with access to parks, restaurants and shops. The Caperton Trail offers over 5 miles of paved surface perfect for roller-blading, strolling, and biking.

Senior sports fans, major league professional sports action can be found within a 90-minute drive to the city of Pittsburgh. You can watch Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates, National Football League’s Pittsburgh Steelers, and the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

TripAdvisor suggests senior visitors not miss Mountaineer Field and West Virginia University. Being a Master Gardener, I’d put the West Virginia Botanic Garden at the top of my list.

Join other senior travelers and head for Morgantown. -jeb