Seniors Enjoy Beautiful River Town

Senior travelers will find that Madison, Indiana, along the Ohio River, is a small, bustling community which is home to 12,000+ (est.) people. The city is known for an abundance of festivals and events throughout the year. It is also known for its historic downtown area.

Madison’s historic district is made of 133 city blocks, one of the largest national historic landmark districts in the United States. I know for a fact that this is where my wife and I would start out our visit in Madison.

Located on the Ohio River Scenic Byway in Southern Indiana, Madison is truly a quaint “river town” even offering a marina for those visitors traveling by boat. As Charles Kuralt wrote after a visit to Madison, “For me the princess of the rivers is unquestionably Madison. It is the most beautiful river town in America.”

 Seniors Meander Through Historic Madison

Incorporated in 1809, Madison quickly established itself as a significant cultural and industrial town in the Old Northwest Territory.

Sitting prominently on the Ohio River between the hubs of Cincinnati and Louisville, the town became a lifeline for transportation and industry in the middle territories of the country.

Historic Madison, Inc. operates the Sullivan House, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Saddletree Factory Museum.  Main street is where I would want to start some meandering, shopping and have a good lunch.

Senior travelers will find Madison located in the middle of a “golden triangle” between Louisville, KY, Cincinnati, OH, & Indianapolis, IN.

 Seniors Discover Superb Historic District

The National Historic Landmark Madison Historic District is tucked away in limestone bluffs on the banks of the Ohio River in southern Indiana. The more than 130 block historic district is the home of a superb and very large collection of historic buildings.

Together they reflect nearly every period of the town’s development between 1817 and 1939, ranging from Federal style and Greek Revival mansions to vernacular shotgun houses to institutional and industrial buildings and a vibrant Main Street commercial area lined with two and three story historic buildings. Visitors will enter a place that is still a compelling and lively embodiment of pre-World War II small town America.

Today, citizens of Madison and senior visitors find much to experience and enjoy in the Madison Historic District with its fine collection of historic commercial, institutional, and residential buildings and its quaint streets, public parks, and gardens.

Senior visitors will enjoy a variety of restaurants and cafes, antique and other specialty stores, and bed and breakfasts. It also serves as a backdrop for annual festivals such as the Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art and the RiverRoots Music and Folk Art Festival.

Seniors,  see for yourself why Madison is such a favorite place for folks to visit and settle down in. -jeb

Seniors Drop By Lombard

Senior travelers will find that Lombard, a village in DuPage County and a suburb of Chicago, has a population right at 43,000. DuPage County has a population was 916,924, making it Illinois’ second-most populous county.

Originally part of Potawatomi Indian lands, the Lombard area was first settled by Americans of European descent in the 1830s. Lombard shares its early history with Glen Ellyn. Brothers Ralph and Morgan Babcock settled in a grove of trees along the DuPage River, in what was known as Babcock’s Grove.

Lombard developed to the east and Glen Ellyn to the west. Lombard was named after Chicago banker and real estate developer Josia Lewis Lombard.

Lombard purchased 227 acres of land in 1868 and headed a group of capitalists who registered the first plat and spearheaded the incorporation of Lombard in 1869.

Seniors Enjoy Lilac Time In Lombard

Stylish Victorian homes appeared on North Main Street, and the Lombard Historical Museum maintains a house museum in the style of one of these homes circa the 1870s.

The Maple Street Chapel, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed in 1870 to serve a growing population. The Chapel is a landmark the entire region recognizes and treasures.

Since 1930, Lombard has hosted an annual Lilac Festival and parade in May. “Lilac Time in Lombard” is a 16-day festival in Lilacia Park ending in mid-May. Many lilac themed events take place that seniors would enjoy, including concerts, a Mother’s Day Brunch, an arts and crafts fair, and tours of the park. The grand finale is Lombard’s Lilac Festival Parade.

 Lilacs, A Brew And Little Orphan Annie

Let TripAdvisor help senior travelers fill out an itinerary that would first include a visit to Lilacia Park. Lilacia Park, once home to Colonel William R. Plum’s lilac garden, is now a park with poetic appeal. The park was bequeathed on the passing of Colonel Plum in 1927.

The LeRoy house, built in 1881, was home to one of the area’s most prominent doctors, Dr. William LeRoy who specialized in making artificial limbs for civil war veterans. He   lived in this house until 1900.

The house would eventually become the home of Harold Gray’s parents and the studio of Harold Gray, the originator of the Little Orphan Annie cartoon strip. Remember her? The Enchanted Castle of Lombard is one of four Chicago-land family entertainment centers and highly popular with the locals.

Senior visitors, if you feel up to a brew, drop by the Noon Whistle Brewing Company in Lombard. Lombard is easily accessible to downtown Chicago and Chicago O’Hare Airport and near all major expressways in the heart of the western Chicago suburbs.   So set your GPS for Lombard and enjoy all the many amenities of the city. -jeb

Seniors Discover Bandera

 My wife and I both are from small towns in Iowa. Hers (516) and Mine (285). That’s small by most standards for towns all over the country. This senior discovered a neat small town in Texas called Bandera, in the Texas Hill Country. Bandera is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The population runs just under 900 and is often referred to as the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” Check out the “Things to Do” on the website above. I’d want to be sure and take in the Frontier Times Museum that is loaded with early Texas history…and get this…over 30,000 items on display. Senior visitors will find several old historic buildings dating back to the mid 1800s.

Bandera was the starting point of the Great Western Cattle Trail, during the second half of the 19th century. Today a bronze monument, honoring the many National Rodeo Champions who call Bandera home, stands on the courthouse lawn.

 Seniors Seek Out A Dude Ranch

The area became popular with folks from San Antonio wanting to escape the city’s summer heat – and in the 20s and 30s – with increased car ownership (Bandera never had a railroad) “Dude Ranches” started appearing. Several of the oldest ones remain in business today.

Read what Byron Browne has written on Bandera and its past. It will take you a while to read but it is chuck full of interesting facts.

I found it of interest that Bandera was known for roofing shingles. The numerous Cypress trees along the region’s creeks provided wood for shingle manufacturing and a mill was set up in 1852. It was the first business in Bandera.

Cowboy Capital of the World

Bandera County beckons senior visitors to share a taste of the Old West set against a backdrop of the spectacular scenery of the Texas Hill Country. Bandera’s title, “Cowboy Capital of the World” originated when it became a staging area for the great cattle drives of yesteryear.

When ranching fell on hard times in the 1930′s, an enterprising rancher decided to take in “dudes” to help him through the depression. An exciting new industry was born. It continues to flourish today with a number of excellent Dude Ranches operating throughout Bandera County.

On Sunday mornings, Bandera is a popular destination for motorcyclists from San Antonio, known as the Bandera Breakfast Run. The local Chamber of Commerce notes that the history of Bandera can be divided into two parts: Polish and non-Polish settlers. Both wrote the rich tapestry of history with hard work, faith and grit and both still claim community-building descendants 150 years later.

Seniors, make Bandera a stopping point when you are in the San Antonio area and enjoy a Holiday in the Cowboy Capital of the World. -jeb

Seniors Explore Canton

This senior who enjoys looking up the Best Small Towns found Canton, Georgia. One of the fastest growing cities, this seat of Cherokee County, with a population of 25,000 lies in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the heart of what used to be the Cherokee nation.

The Historical Downtown District is home to a number of attractions that senior visitors will not want to miss, most notably the Cherokee County Historical Society and the Cherokee Arts Center.

Originally the heart of the Cherokee Indian society, Canton saw major change during the summer of 1838, when the federal government, with the full authority of President Andrew Jackson, forcefully removed the region’s Cherokee people and sent the tribe west on the infamous Trail of Tears.

Seniors Find City of Cotton, Denim And Marble

Canton was once a top cotton-producing area. Canton Cotton Mills was one of the largest mills in the South, and “Canton Denim” was renowned for its high quality.

Marble was also a flourishing industry in the area, where Georgia Marble Finishing Works was the largest marble company.

TripAdvisor suggests a visit to Georgia’s National Cemetery. Canton boasts many beautiful residential neighborhoods, including the historic downtown residential area. The Crescent Farm Rock Barn, a cherished landmark of Cherokee County, is the only rock barn in Georgia.

It was built specifically as a stable for racehorses in 1906 by Augustus Lee Coggins and is now the headquarters of the Cherokee County Historical Society. Another “must” to put on your itinerary is Cagle’s Dairy on Stringer Road.

 Seniors Check Out The Canton Theatre

Canton embodies small-town charm while moving at a big-city pace, being only about 40 miles north of Atlanta. Senior visitors can see historic buildings and a 10-acre Wild West Town with more than 100 inhabitants – all of them miniature farm animals from Tanglewood Farm.

I just know that these seniors would enjoy an evening at the Canton Theatre in Downtown Canton. For over 90 years, the Historic Canton Theatre has been a shining star for entertainment. The Theatre is an elegant grand facility bringing Broadway productions to downtown Canton and where Al Jolson once performed.

Recently voted as the top city in Georgia, Canton is ready to welcome you. Seniors, stop by Canton and enjoy all that the town has to offer along with some great southern cuisine. -jeb  

Seniors Coast Into Anacortes

Anacortes is homeport to the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest. Senior travelers will find Anacortes on Fidalgo Island, conveniently situated halfway between Seattle and Vancouver BC and is the destination point for the San Juans and International ferry runs for Washington State.

The name “Anacortes” is a consolidation of the name Anna Curtis, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman. The population runs just over 16,000. Senior travelers are invited to hang out in this vibrant Old Town.

All within walking distance, senior visitors will discover casual cafes or elegant dining. They will enjoy quirky to sophisticated shopping, art galleries and antique shops. Seniors are invited to experience this island getaway any time of the year. 

Seniors Take a Whale Watching Adventure

Have you ever gone on a whale watching adventure? My family and I did that off the coast of Massachusetts. A fun time it is.  Anacortes serves as home port to one of the world’s largest whale watching fleets, with two daily sailings in prime-time.

Each sailing typically lasts a half-day, during which riders are treated to a wonderful introduction to the beauty of the San Juan Islands. Educators provide a running commentary about geography, island history, and Puget Sound’s rich biology.

Oh, and you’ll also see local orca pods, along with dolphins, seals, and other resident wildlife. Deposited back to the dock after lunch on board, get your land legs back with a stroll. Sound like fun? It is.

 Seniors Enjoy a Marina, A Hike And A Ferry Ride

Cap Sante Marina: One of the most beautiful, accessible and active marinas in the state, Cap Sante Boat Haven is named for the promontory across the harbor. Unlike all other major marinas in the state, this one is open to the public, with no locked gates.

Senior visitors are free to wander the docks, explore the fishing fleet, and have a visit with boat owners, some of whom live on board their own vessels.

Senior hikers, you will find more than 50 miles of trails throughout Anacortes and Fidalgo Island encompassing Mount Erie, four fresh-water lakes, old growth forest and a variety of wildlife, including bald eagles.

I took a ferry up through the San Juan Islands to Vancouver Island. What a memory that remains in my mind’s eye.

You will not want to miss Washington Park, Mt. Erie Park and Cap Sante Park, each with awesome scenery. There’s much to see and do in Historic Anacortes. A great choice for a coastal destination. -jeb

Seniors Settle Into Carthage

I am enjoying honoring some of the Best Small Towns in the USA. In Missouri I discovered seventeen of them. I liked many photos accompanying historic Carthage and wish to share this neat small town of 15,000 located on Old Route 66 with senior travelers.

The city was named after ancient Carthage. Remember Marlin Perkins (1905–1986), zoologist, naturalist and host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom? This was his hometown. Used to be one of my favorite shows on TV. And Carl Hubbell (1903–1988), Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher for the New York Giants was from Carthage as well.

This seat of Jasper County is known as “America’s Maple Leaf City”. The town was established in 1842, burned to the ground during the civil war, and was later reconstructed.

Seniors Find Historic Civil War Town

Senior visitors can enjoy The Precious Moments Chapel & Gardens, a Civil War Ranch, The White Rose Winery, great restaurants, Bed and Breakfasts, an Art Gallery, a Civil War Museum and Whistler’s Drive up. Many folks enjoy simply driving around Carthage taking a historic homes tour.

Carthage was the site of the Battle of Carthage, the first official engagement of the American Civil War, on July 5, 1861. Local groups stage reenactments of that battle near the grounds of the State Historic Site which commemorates the event. The Civil War Museum recalls the history of the city during those difficult times.

In the late 1880s rich deposits of limestone, lead and zinc were discovered beneath the town and in the surrounding area. Through these gifts from the earth, Carthage soon became one of the most prosperous towns in the state and was called Queen City of the Southwest by the 1890s.

 Seniors Enjoy A Route 66 Town

Senior visitors can celebrate Independence Day, Marian Days, Maple Leaf Festival, Christmas and Route 66 in Carthage. I’d swing by the Phelps Family Mansion on Grand Avenue that recalls a day of opulence, representing a unique chapter in the history of Carthage.

Then a visit to the Powers Museum and possibly a show at Stone’s Throw Dinner Theater. Located inside the Emporium on the Historic Carthage Square, The Woodshed hosts live entertainment every Friday night.

Seniors will find Carthage to be a legacy of architectural marvels comprising of over 600 buildings listed on the National Registry, including one of the largest residential districts in Missouri.

Each building at one time housed people or businesses with impressive tales that continue to intrigue today. Civil War guerrillas, wild west outlaws, and powerful business men and women have left their marks on Carthage history.

And oh yes, toss in your clubs and play a round at the Carthage Municipal Golf. A course that some players say is  “The Best in Missouri.” Enjoy your stay. -jeb

Seniors Come To Enjoy Presque Isle

Presque Isle (The Star City) is the commercial center and largest city in Aroostook County, Maine with a population of about 9,400. If you are one of the thousands of tourists who visit Presque Isle every year, senior visitors will be pleased to learn that Presque Isle’s hospitality includes “small-town” friendliness with the amenities of a “big-city” without urban sprawl and congestion.

Originally known as Fairbanks for its founder Dennis Fairbanks, Presque Isle was settled in 1828, in the far northeast corner of Maine. Presque Isle was named an All American City once upon a time, and that tag is always significant, at least for this Editor.

Senior visitors will find the University of Maine Presque Isle campus is well worth a visit. Today you will find, along with the throng of annual visitors, plenty of things to see and do.  Be sure to put the Aroostook State Park in your agenda as it rates high with plentiful supply of moose.

 Senior Visitors Find Vibrant, Dynamic Community

Presque Isle’s vision of the future and ability to adapt to change have created a vibrant, dynamic community. Never far from their rich historic past, Presque Isle citizens have a deep respect for the tradition that brought people to this community more than 150 years ago.

The first industry to form in Presque Isle (the French term for Peninsula) was the lumber industry. By the 1880s, industry included two lumber mills, a gristmill, a wool carding mill, a furniture factory, a carriage factory and a tinware factory.

During the last 30 years of the 19th century, agriculture became important, and the entire county became noted for its production of potatoes. Presque Isle became an agricultural as well as an industrial center.

The New Brunswick Railroad and the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad opened the area for further development. Presque Isle became a busy war center during World War II. It became a vital air transport installation when the federal government established an air base from the local airport for planes going to and from Great Britain.

 Snowmobiles, Beauty, Color and Northern Lights

Know anything about a biathlon? A couple of years back (2014) Presque Isle hosted the IBU Youth/Junior World Championships Biathlon. You can fly directly from Boston to Presque Isle in a little over an hour. Cars are available at the airport and senior visitors are on your way to the getaway of a lifetime.

All of Central Aroostook County offers beauty and interesting vistas every season. As the leaves change color and start to drop, folks prepare for the incredible snowmobile season, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, biathlons, skating, and star gazing.

They say that there is nothing that compares with star gazing and the Northern Lights in Aroostook County. Seniors, set your GPS for Presque Isle and enjoy the comfort of down-home hospitality all four seasons.  -jeb

Seniors Check Out Tarzana

 Senior travelers learn that Tarzana, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, is a mostly residential community on the site of a former ranch owned by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It carries the same name as Burroughs’ storybook jungle character hero, Tarzan.

In February 1919, Edgar Rice Burroughs arrived in California with his family, relocating from Oak Park, Illinois. He and his family had wintered in southern California twice before, and he found the climate ideal. Burroughs purchased Otis’s tract and established Tarzana Ranch.

Burroughs sold his first “Tarzan” story to a magazine in 1912 but continued to move around as his book-length Tarzan efforts were turned down by all the publishers he contacted.

Burroughs and his wife spent the winter of 1913 in San Diego, then returned to the Chicago suburb of Oak Park before the A.C. McClurg Co. published Burroughs’ first book, Tarzan of the Apes, in 1914. The response was phenomenal, and Burroughs went on to pen twenty-three Tarzan novels in all.

 Seniors Find One Of Oldest Communities In The Valley

Historically, the area now known as Tarzana was occupied in 1797 by Spanish settlers and missionaries who established the San Fernando Mission. Tarzana is one of the oldest communities in the Valley. Burroughs subdivided and sold the land for residential development with neighboring small farms following suit. Today the population runs right at 30,000.

Get the story of Tarzana straight from the “horses mouth”… Burroughs himself.  Snopes.com notes that Burroughs dubbed his land “Tarzana Ranch,” after the sleepy little community in which it was situated, and his creation of a character named “Tarzan” two years later can hardly be considered a coincidence.

Because Tarzana did not become an “official” community with its own post office until 1930 the legend has arisen that the town was named after Burroughs’ ape man, but actually the reverse is true.

Had Burroughs lived a few miles to the west, in the Topanga Canyon, we would undoubtedly know his immortal creation as “Topang, the ape man” instead. So how about that?

Senior golfers, toss in your golf clubs, as I counted four quality courses in Tarzana including a US Open and a Masters Course.

You will not run out of things to do in and around Tarzana  It is one exciting place for visitors to spend some quality time. So set your GPS for Tarzana and enjoy the experience. -jeb

Seniors Enjoy Osceola

Senior travelers will find Osceola, Arkansas located along the Mississippi River within the Arkansas delta. The settlement was founded in 1837, incorporated in 1853, and today, with a population of 7,800, is one of the two county seats of Mississippi County.

If seniors are looking for a city with an interesting, varied, fascinating history, then look no further than Osceola. The city incorporates everything that is interesting to history buffs, but also caters to the latest in agriculture and technology.

Osceola is named for Chief Osceola of the Seminole tribe, who visited the area in 1832. In 1837, the settlement became known as Plum Point and was a popular stop for those traveling on the Mississippi River.

Originally swamps, trees, and Indian tribes, the area began to draw scouts, hunters and even outlaws. Traveling the Mississippi River in steamboats, farmers, loggers and settlers began to see the advantages of this area that became Osceola. The community was the only county seat of Mississippi County until 1901, when Osceola and Blytheville were named dual county seats.

 Seniors Enjoy Southern Hospitality, Food and Music

Osceola and South Mississippi County practice a tradition of fine, southern hospitality and for you senior gourmands, great southern food.

Just south of Osceola, Sans Souci Park is arguably the best Mississippi River outlook in Arkansas. It boasts an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission ramp for boat fishing access and several picnic pavilions with panoramic view of the Mighty Mississippi.

The Mississippi River still defines Osceola, even though the city of today sits a few miles west of the river due to the relocation of downtown buildings from “Old Town” to “New Town” and the meanderings of the river.

Osceola and the surrounding area has a wealth of attractions, from the restored art deco Greyhound Bus Station in downtown Blytheville to Sans Souci Park on the Mississippi River in Osceola, or the quaint Tudor-style square in Wilson to Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Manila. The legendary Blues Highway 61 runs like a vein through Mississippi County, making music heritage the biggest influence of the area, second only to agriculture.

 Seniors Enjoy The Historical Places

Throughout the county are over 30 buildings and sites on the National Register of Historic Places. I would not want to miss the Mississippi County Museum in Osceola. Anchoring the town square is the 1912 neoclassical Mississippi County Courthouse, with a copper roofed dome.

The courthouse is bordered by the Hale Avenue Historic District and other structures on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. Senior visitors will also find the Mississippi County Historical Center located in a 1904 building that once housed a dry goods store.

So, Welcome Home to Osceola: a friendly community with a rich heritage and promising future, a great place for a friendly visit. Senior visitors will find that the doors are open for you in Osceola. Set your GPS for Osceola and enjoy all the amenities. -jeb

 

Seniors Discover Great Coastal City

Rockport, seniors learn, is one of the smallest places on the list of Best Small Towns in Texas by Cities Journal. The Aransas County seat has a population of under 9,000, which means that it is one small town especially by Texan standards. Its history also didn’t promise much as it was founded in 1870 to be a port where cattle would be slaughtered, packaged and shipped to other parts of the state and the country.

Named for the rock ledge that runs along its shore, Rockport runs adjacent to the town of Fulton, and many refer to the combined communities as “Rockport-Fulton.”

Located along the Texas Tropical Trail as it is called, and a significant stop along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, these twin communities are nestled among the wind-swept oaks of the Live Oak Peninsula.

Aransas County is one of the smallest counties in Texas. Senior travelers will find it on the western side of the Gulf of Mexico,  separated from the Gulf by barrier islands that form the intracoastal canal.

Rockport is perhaps most famous for its town beach, which is also the most visited attraction in the city. The local government and chamber of commerce do everything in their power to make the beach a truly great place to visit.

 Seniors Find Mecca for Bird Watching

Rockport features the Maritime Museum, the Fulton Mansion and several art galleries and shops all housed in historic buildings in the town center. In addition, Rockport hosts annual Seafair, Wine Festival and Oysterfest.

The town and its surroundings are a mecca for ornithologists and bird watchers. Senior birders, Whooping cranes winter in the large Aransas National Wildlife Refuge located nearby.

Local organizations such as the Aransas Bird and Nature Club have helped preserve unique birdwatching reserves such as the Connie Hagar sanctuary and Aransas Woods that are easily accessible.

 Seniors Find A Choice Town

Gulfscapes Magazine’s “2011 Readers Choice Best Gulf Coast Towns” listed Rockport number four in the top ten.  In 2011, Rockport was highlighted as a coastal dream town by Coastal Living magazine.

Better Homes and Gardens in its April 2007 issue listed Rockport-Fulton the number five destination as a “long weekend hotspot” for spring migration bird watching. Caught your attention yet? More to come. Today in America featured Rockport with Terry Bradshaw.

My wife and I would look up The Hoopes-Smith House, located at 417 N. Broadway that is currently a B&B. We have always preferred a good B&B over local hotels. The Queen Anne style house was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1989 and was later added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Seniors,  fill out your itinerary with 51 things to See and Do in Rockport-Fulton. Enjoy the plethora of activities for folks of all ages.  -jeb