Seniors Seek Adventure in Genalguacil

 It’s a bet that should win when I challenge you senior travelers as to whether or not you have ever heard of Genalguacil. It is a municipality of 500 in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain.

The municipality is situated approximately 150 km north of the city of Málaga on the Mediterranean coast. CNN Travel found it for this senior and suggests that we all go and check it out for ourselves.

The woods of Genalguacil are of enormous value and beauty, populated by chestnuts, corks and pines, including the Blue Spanish Fir, a botanic relic that is found nowhere else in the world.

Almost 90% of the municipal territory is covered by woods. Besides the forests, there is an abundance of water in this region that makes possible a large number of orchards.

Genalguacil is a town with steep, narrow, winding cobble stone streets, and white houses everywhere, each adorned with pots of colorful flowers. The only monument in town is the Church of San Pedro de Verona dating back to the 17th century.

 Seniors Discover White Villages

The town of Genalguacil Malageño shares with other “white villages” of the province of Andalusia, charm and picturesque character given by its whitewashed houses.

Genalguacil is not just another village. Its little squares and balconies overflow with flowers and its inhabitants lead peaceful, silent lives that are historically and economically dependent on the extraction of cork for your wine bottles.

Genalguacil is an “open air museum” with paintings, sculptures and other works of art integrated throughout the village. Every two years “Art Encounters” keeps everyone in the town busied with a throng of tourists. Art and nature come together for (“Los Encuentros de Arte del Valle del Genal”) “Art Encounters in Genalguacil”, that takes place the first two weeks of August.

Seniors Find Unusual Art Encounters

Yes, that video is in Spanish, but I found it to be a good one…so maybe its time to work on your Spanish with my Spanish Websites. Gracias.

For the festival, various artists from all over Spain and the world, work, create, live together and exchange ideas and experiences. The local Council provides them with accommodation, food, as well as materials, means and equipment for their creations. In return, the art pieces made become part of the patrimony of the town that has become a real open-air museum.

Genalguacil, a town with only 500 residents, tucked away in the Genal valley, has hosted this art festival for the past 20 years. And get this, the budget for Art Encounters is 100,000 euros – the highest in its history.

Seniors, when you are in Málaga, see if you can find Genalguacil up there hidden in the hills.  Enjoy your adventure. jeb

Seniors Search Out Healthy Jönköping

This city was selected as one of the ten healthiest cities in the world. Jönköping, senior travelers discover, is a city in southern Sweden with 61,559 inhabitants and  is located on the southern end of Sweden’s second largest lake, Vättern.

The area around the city encompasses 127,000 Swedes. The area includes Haskvarna, a twin city of Jönköping. Our health is not just a byproduct of how we live, it’s also about where we live. A truly healthy city makes it easy for residents to adopt a healthful lifestyle, whether it’s by providing quality health care, encouraging preventive medicine or reducing air pollution.

Jönköping seems to have it all: waterfalls, mountains, marshlands and lookout points in all directions and several nature reserves just minutes away. Most locations are easily reached via bicycle routes, winding paths and signposted hiking trails.

Seniors Enjoy A Biker Friendly City

Jönköping is by many Swedes referred to as The Jerusalem of Sweden because of its many churches. Jönköping also has two smaller lakes of its own, Munksjön (‘The Monk Lake’) and Rocksjön (‘The Rock Lake’).

The city center is small and is quite pedestrian and biker friendly. A good starting point for senior visitors to discover Jönköping is its central station, Jönköping Resecentrum, where trains and buses to and from other cities depart and arrive.

Lakes, Meadows And Wooded Hills

The city’s homepage will find places for senior visitors to stay, to eat and to have fun. The entire region is dotted with beautiful small lakes, rolling wooded hills, meadows, wetlands and a beach right in the town center.

Jönköping is said to be an ideal venue for meetings and trade since it is strategically located between Sweden’s three largest cities. For a long time, Jönköping was Sweden’s southernmost outpost and enemies would invade from over the hills to raid and pillage. Today, more than 3 million people visit the town every year to enjoy culture or sports, attend courses or to conduct business.

The town center consists of equal parts water, streets and sandy beaches and boasts one of Sweden’s highest concentrations of restaurants. Spira, the new culture center, has put Jönköping on the map since it opened in 2011 and features dancing, music and theater.

Seniors are invited to discover one of Sweden’s gems.  jeb

Senior Travelers Stop In Fayetteville

Fayetteville, is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. The city is good size with a population of just over 200,000.

With over 55,000 military personnel, Fort Bragg is home to more service members than any other Army installation in the country. It’s also proud to be the home of the revered 82nd Airborne Division and the famed Golden Knights parachute team.

From the historical buildings and cobblestone sidewalks of Hay Street to the eclectic array of art galleries and unique eateries, senior visitors discover downtown to be the epicenter of Fayetteville’s history and culture.

Fayetteville has received the prestigious All-American Award from the National Civic League not just once…but three times. The Market House and Town Hall is Fayetteville’s civic landmark and logo, and is both a National Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city is recognized as “One of the Coolest Small Towns in America.” 200,000 is small??

Seniors Enjoy Military Museums And Memorials

 Naturally with such a huge military camp in town, there is lots to see and do for everyone, including the soldiers. TripAdvisor lists two great museums that senior visitors can enjoy.  The Airborne and Special Ops and the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial are great visits.

Yahoo Travel liked Jambbas Ranch, a private zoological park, natural habitat and home of numerous wildlife, that offers tours of its extensive grounds. This Master Gardener would head out to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.

The Garden encompasses 79 acres of pine and hardwood forest, and boasts meticulously preserved natural areas of the region’s indigenous plants, trees and wildlife.  Every year downtown Fayetteville puts on the International Folk Festival with representatives from over 30 different countries participating.

Historic District Draws Visitors

Fayetteville Downtown Historic District notes that Fayetteville’s original settlers were from the highlands of Scotland and arrived in 1739 via the Cape Fear River. The area grew as a center of government and commerce because of its location as an inland port and the hub of the early “Plank Roads” system, key to overland travel from the 1840s to 1850s.

Other attractions in Fayetteville include the Cameo Art House Theatre, an intimate and beautifully restored 1920′s theater that shows a wide variety of classic, independent, and foreign films seven nights a week.

Annette Park attracts senior visitors who wish to picnic or just take a good stroll. Cumberland County has much to offer tourists and several surrounding towns around Fayetteville contribute to a large metropolitan area (pop. 375,000) with a plethora of activities and attractions and it’s not all that far from Raleigh, Charlotte and the Atlantic Coast. jeb

Seniors Pay A Visit to Wilmington

Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware but Dover is the capital city. Senior travelers will find Wilmington located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek.  Wilmington with a population of 71,000 was named by Thomas Penn after his friend Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington.

Wilmington is the gateway to the Brandywine River Valley with its world-class museums, attractions, accommodations and restaurants. To put it on the map for you, Wilmington is located half way between New York City and Washington DC, 35 minutes to Philadelphia, and 90 minutes to Baltimore.

The City of Wilmington, like most eastern cities on the seaboard, has been evolving for over 350 years. Rockford Tower is a city landmark that affords wonderful views of Wilmington’s city skyline. Rockford Park itself is worth a visit, not only for the Rockford Tower, but also for its nature trails. The Rockford Tower area serves as the setting for music performances.

Seniors Enjoy The Riverwalk

The city abounds with arts and entertainment. There’s plenty for senior visitors to see and so much to do at Wilmington’s exciting Riverfront, from outlet shops to restaurants to contemporary art. Even the Wilmington Blue Rocks baseball team calls Riverfront Wilmington home. Christina Riverfront is a lighted, landscaped 1.2-mile Riverwalk.

 Senior visitors enjoy strolling through the Market Street Mall, a six-block pedestrian concourse which serves as the focal point for downtown Wilmington. Visit Fort Christina and experience what it was like to be one of the first colonists in Wilmington.

The Delaware Art Museum, with an extensive collection of American art, celebrates the Brandywine School, a style of painting named for the nearby Brandywine Creek. Senior visitors enjoy the Hagley Museum and the Nemours Mansion and Gardens, a 300-acre country estate built for Alfred I. du Pont in 1910. A treat for those of us who appreciate great art, the Delaware Art Museum is housed in a splendid 85,000-square-foot building.

Seniors Find Themselves ‘In the Middle Of It All’

Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley just go together and they say that they are “In the Middle of it All.” Wilmington began in 1638 as a Swedish settlement and later was populated by employees of various du Pont family businesses and nearby poultry ranches.

The four-block Market Street Mall marks the city center and is distinguished by the Grand Opera House. The four-story theater, built by the Masonic Order in 1871, has a facade that mimics the old Paris Opera.

So come to Delaware and plan to spend a few days in Wilmington.  You will find it a most enjoyable city.  jeb

Seniors Enjoy Wompatuck State Park

Wompatuck State Park, a recreational area of about 4000 acres in size, is located primarily in Hingham, Massachusetts, but the park extends into the neighboring towns of Cohasset, Norwell, and Scituate. Senior travelers will find the park is located just a 35-minute drive from downtown Boston. 

Wompatuck State Park offers campsites, 12 miles of paved bicycle trails, and many miles of wooded bridle paths and hiking trails.

‘Wompy’ as the locals refer to it, is close to Nantasket Beach, Boston Harbor Islands and Plymouth Rock. One of the most notable features of the Park is Mt. Blue Spring which is a popular source of fresh drinking water. Visitors can help themselves for free.

The water comes from an aquifer and is maintained by the park. Mt. Blue Spring was first bottled in the mid 1800′s and was forced to stop in the 1940′s when the US Army took over the land to create the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot Annex.

Seniors, Meet Chief Wompatuck

The park is named for an Indian chief the local colonists knew as Josiah Wompatuck. In 1665, Chief Wompatuck deeded the park and the surrounding land to the English settlers. Wompatuck, who died in 1669, was a leader of the Mattakeesett tribe of the Massachusetts Indians.

This senior did not know that Massachusetts was the name of an Indian tribe.  Always wondered where a long name like that came from and now I know. Wompatuck was an early friend of European settlers. Being an entrepreneur, he sold the British the land upon which the city of Boston was established. Unfortunately he was slain in 1669 when he led a force of his warriors in an attack upon the powerful Mohawks.

Fun Park For Biking

Thirty-five years ago, senior visitors to Wompatuck State Park could still find open munitions storage bunkers and rusting barrels of toxic materials – remnants from a period when the military used the site to store ammunition and assemble explosives.

According to the park’s historians, the Navy also tested missile parts there in the early years of the Cold War and experimented with rocket fuels. Today the park’s munitions storage history survives in events such as the “Landmine Classic’’ bike race.

Mountain biking is popular in the park and many folks visit the park just to go riding. There are a number bicycling trails and paths for riders of all abilities. For those who seek off-road riding there is a vast amount of challenging single track.

There is also a large paved trail system which can be enjoyed by riders of all abilities. Seniors can spend some  fun time in this park.  Maybe bring your tent along and spend a few days here. Explore the old munitions plant and check out all the interesting graffiti.  All these will make for memorable times in the park.  jeb

Senior Bikers On Awesome Route Verte

The Route Verte puts senior bikers on track for an amazing biking experience. The Course of Handles, Véloroute of Blueberries, street Brébeuf in Montreal, the Linear Park of Bois-Francs or the P’tit Train du Nord … it’s the Route Verte.

The largest cycling route in North America which covers 3,100 miles of Québec from East to West, has reached the top of the ranks of bike trails worldwide, according to Journeys of a Lifetime, published in 2007 in the prestigious National Geographic magazine.

From the banks of the majestic St. Lawrence to scenic mountain-side routes, this perfectly marked path directs senior cyclists towards various tourist attractions and takes many forms: bike path, quiet roads, paved shoulders.

Seniors Awed With Véloroute des Bleuets

Véloroute des Bleuets offers a 256 km cycling circuit, 100% asphalt, around the majestic Saint-Jean lake, making it an excellent way to discover the region.

On the one hand, dizzying fjord walls form a spectacular natural stone fortress; on the other, a veritable inland sea extends for more than 1,000 square kilometers in the heart of a region as big as Belgium.

It’s easy riding even for a novice, when done in 50 km stretches. “On that first glorious morning I’m not sure whether to be most exhilarated by the crisp air, rippling lakes, tunnel-like forests of pine, fir, birch and maple, or whether simply to be astonished at how remote the trail is”.

The cyclists it attracts range from hardcore Lycra-clad types to sixtysomething retirees. Tandem cyclists enjoy it, too, it’s never crowded and for long stretches there’s not a soul about.

In the Centre-du-Québec region, the Route Verte no. 4 offers a number of surprises. Between the Forêt Drummond and the Laviolette Bridge, senior cyclists will discover magnificent rural landscapes and a few urban zones in Drummondville, Nicolet, and Bécancour.

 Cycling in Québec

The Route Verte concept dates back to the late 1980s, when the key members of Vélo Québec were already articulating, in various forms, their plans for the future of cycling in Québec. The Route Verte has been under development since 1995, with the collaboration of the Québec ministry of transportation as well as numerous regional partners.

This is the ideal trip for seniors new to bike touring. The infrastructure from the ski resorts benefits the trail. A smattering of guesthouses lines the route and each proves easy to find. Tourisme Québec publishes an excellent guide, provided to cyclists before they set off, detailing every kilometer of the trail. Many of the old train stations have been restored and converted into cafés and toilets, and the signposting throughout is superb.

So tie the bike, check the air pressure in your tires, and head for an adventure in Canada. Route Verte will be a thrill ride that you will not soon forget. jeb

Seniors Visit Waterton Lakes National Park

Waterton Lakes National Park, located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, borders Glacier National Park in Montana. Senior travelers, the Park was highlighted by CNN Travel Photo of the Day as a great place to visit.

In May of 1895, a 140 sq. km (54 sq. miles) the area was protected by the federal government as a Dominion Forest Park. Its status, boundary and name have varied over the years, and it is now known as Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada.

Waterton was Canada’s 4th national park and is the smallest in the Canadian Rockies. The park’s name derives from the Waterton Lakes.

Seniors Discover A Canadian Gem

Senior travelers will find jutting mountains, peaceful prairies, dazzling lakes and spectacular wilderness as they journey north from Glacier National into Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park. Waterton Lakes National Park is one of Canada’s gems, featuring some of the most rugged mountains and narrow gorges in all of the Northern Rockies.

In 1932, Waterton Park joined Glacier Park, creating the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, a World Heritage Travel Destination. The lakes are overlooked by the historic Prince of Wales Hotel, a National Historic Site.

Waterton National Park is open year round, however plan to visit during July and August, when park facilities are open and roads and trails are in good condition. The deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies, 444 feet, and the first oil well in western Canada (1902) are both found in Waterton.

Senior Visitors Find A Place Like No Other

The park named in honor of English naturalist Charles Waterton, is set in a region renowned for its winds. Waterton is a quiet, uncrowded National Park and a perfect place to view spectacular scenery, wildlife and enjoy outstanding recreational opportunities.

The Park is in a breathtaking part of the world, the majestic Rocky Mountains rising suddenly out of the rolling prairies. Senior visitors will find it to be a place like no other with its unique blend of unusual geology, mild climate, rare wild flowers, and an abundance of wildlife.

It is a scene which has remained unchanged for centuries. Isn’t that inviting enough for a “bucket list” travel itinerary? It sounds like a place to get a “Rocky Mountain High”.

And senior hikers…you have not discovered Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks until you have stepped into the backcountry. The Glacier-Waterton Lakes complex has trails for everyone, ranging from two miles to thirty-eight miles and from strenuous to easy.

Senior travelers, when you’re in that part of the country, head into Alberta and visit the Waterton Lakes Park.  Be sure to view Red Rock Canyon, one of the many highlights of the park.  jeb

Seniors Enjoy Capital of Dreams

Montgomery, capital of the State of Alabama, is called “The Capital of Dreams.” Named for Richard Montgomery (1738?–1775), America’s first national hero, and an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army and later became a Major General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

The Alabama State Capitol is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the First Confederate Capitol. It is located on Capitol Hill, originally Goat Hill, in Montgomery and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

Located on the Alabama River, in the Gulf Coastal Plain, 230,000+  citizens call Montgomery home. The city was incorporated in 1819, as a merger of two towns and became the state capital in 1846.

Senior visitors tour one of the most historic State Capitol buildings in the world. You can walk in the footsteps of world-changing events and stand on the spot where Jefferson Davis was inaugurated President of the Confederacy.

Montgomery was the cradle of the confederacy and a century later, the impetus of the Civil Rights movement. Visit the church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached and the parsonage where he lived with his family.

Seniors Visit A Rich Historical City

Montgomery is a city rich in history, yet clearly focused on the future. Once the capital of the Confederacy, Montgomery gradually grew to become the center of the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the city is more than just the capital of Alabama, it’s the epitome of a revived economic prosperity.

Senior visitors will discover an atmosphere of southern hospitality and  great weather. Montgomery is filled with a rich diversity and cultural landmarks such as the Hank Williams Museum, Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Rosa Parks Museum.

The Parks Museum, a tribute to the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement”, honors Rosa Parks, the African-American woman who, in 1955, sparked the civil rights movement by refusing to give her bus seat to a white man. The museum helps visitors relive this tumultuous era with a video, artifacts, historical documents, a life size statue of Rosa Parks and a replica of the bus in which she sat that day.

And look at all the places to enjoy that feature historic attractions, theater and performing arts and museums. Located on a 300-acre park complete with walking trails and large ponds in the City of Montgomery is the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. The Shakespeare Festival is among the ten largest in the world.

If you want an attraction that will spark your sense of adventure, visit the 40-acre Montgomery Zoo which is home to more than 600 species of exotic animals. Eight universities and colleges call Montgomery home.

Montgomery has won several national awards including being voted Best Historic City by USA Today and being named an All-American City in 2014 by the National Civic League.  jeb

Seniors Visit the Pench Tiger Reserve

Pench Tiger Reserve has been in the news recently as in literally “Raining Tiger Cubs”!!  This past June three tigresses gave birth to as many as ten cubs. Senior travelers will find Pench Tiger Reserve, in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Comprising the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park, the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary and a buffer, it was declared a National Park by the Government of Maharashtra in 1975 and received the official status of “Tiger Reserve of India” in February 1999.

The Park nestles in the Southern slopes of the Satpura ranges of Central India. The reserve and its neighborhood is the original setting of Rudyard Kipling’s most famous work, The Jungle Book. The reserve area serves as one of the prime habitats of Indian Tiger (Panthera Tigris) which is the key species in this area.

Senior Birders Like The Reserve

The Pench Tiger Reserve is especially famous for large herds of Gaur (Indian Bison), Cheetah, Sambar, Nilgai, Wild Dog and Wild Pig. For senior birders, there are over 285 species of resident and migratory birds in the Reserve. In addition, the park is home to 33 species of mammals, 50 species of fish, 10 species of amphibians, 30 species of reptiles, and a wide variety of insect life, unfortunately many of those are mosquitos.

Nagpur (95 kms away) is the nearest airport connected to Delhi &  Mumbai and other places by regular flights. It is also the nearest railway station connected to most major metro cities. Highly recommend for senior visitors is Mahua Vann Resort if you are going on a Tiger trail. The resort is the latest on the scene in Pench and they say that it is “beautifully merged with the surroundings making it a serene and relaxing stay in the wild.”

Teak Jungle, Meandering River And Breathtaking Beauty

Pench is a spectacular reserve set among a teak jungle, and offers a secluded game viewing experience. Taking its name from the meandering Pench River which intersects the park, the reserve sprawls over a breathtaking landscape of hills, forests and valleys. The gentle, undulating scenery of the Satpura Hills creates an unforgettable backdrop to the wildlife viewing.

Tiger Reserve area constitutes a unique ecosystem, and according to the Forest Minister, “Conditions congenial for wildlife have developed at the Pench National Park at a much faster pace than any other national park. That is the reason why wild animals and birds are multiplying in the natural way.

The area has always been rich in wildlife. It is dominated by fairly open canopy, mixed forests with considerable shrub cover and open grassy patches. The Reserve has the highest density of herbivores in India with 90.3 animals per sq km. Pench is a naturalist’s dream come true.   jeb

Seniors Discover Quechee Gorge

When I first saw this name as a site selected by CNN as a great place to visit, this senior just had to check it out. I learned that Quechee Gorge (pronunciation: kwee chee)  is known as Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon and is located in Hartford, Vermont.

The length of the Gorge is 1.4 miles.  As I live in Arizona, “little” makes more sense, especially if you have visited our “Grand Canyon” that is a mile deep and 277 miles long. Nevertheless, the Quechee Gorge is impressive.

Quechee was settled in the 1760s when homesteaders were deeded acres for the erection of mills along the Ottauquechee River. The mills became the heartbeat of this community, providing everything from lumber to cider for the settlers. To accommodate growing traffic, a bridge was built over the Ottauquechee River at the current site of the Quechee covered bridge.

 Seniors Find A Popular Natural Wonder

Quechee is the home of the Quechee Lakes planned community, with two eighteen hole golf courses. The town is host to a popular hot air balloon festival, Scottish Games, Quechee Polo Grounds, and the Simon Pearce glass blowing and pottery facility, keeping things hopping all year long. Senior visitors can start off at the modern Quechee Gorge Visitors Center in White River Junction.

Today the Gorge is one of New England’s most popular natural wonders. Over 200,000 yearly visitors enjoy the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, fishing and canoeing the river, hiking trails, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Established in 1985, and located in the heart of the Quechee Gorge, Quechee Gorge Village has evolved into one of the best shopping attractions in the state of Vermont. Seniors can visit the Cabot Quechee Store, Danforth Pewter, Vermont Toy & Train Museum, Vermont Spirits, The Quechee Diner and Snow Farm Gallery.

Covered Bridge, Cool Gorge and Hot Air Balloons

The town itself with about 700 inhabitants has lots of shops, a waterfall, a covered bridge, and one very cool gorge easily viewed from a bridge that crosses the main road into town. If you drive a little farther out of town, you will see Farmer’s Diner, a throwback to an earlier age with a old red barn and one of those old original dining cars that looks like it fell off a train. The antique mall features more than 450 booths.

Every Father’s Day Weekend, folks come from all over to enjoy the annual Quechee Hot Air Ballon Festival. For those of you who enjoy hiking, an easy trail takes you along Quechee Gorge, up to waterfalls and Dewey’s Mill Pond.

Further exploration along the Ottauquechee River (pronounced AWT-ah-KWEE-chee) leads you through green meadows and colorful Vermont  woods. Now you know all about Quechee, so plan to stop by and see that famous gorge for yourself and maybe dine at Farmer’s Diner.  jeb