Seniors Find Old Bridge Loaded With History

I was watching a TV show and a participant was from Old Bridge, New Jersey. I discovered that Old Bridge was not just a hidden older town, but a city of 65,000 and a Township in Middlesex County. Senior travelers will find Old Bridge just off I-95 and 24 miles south west of Newark, a bedroom suburb of New York City.

Due to its favorable geographical position located on the navigable part of the South River, the area attracted settlers as early as 1685. Old Bridge derives its name from the fact that the first bridge built spanning the South River was known as “the Old Bridge.”

Through its long history the village had numerous names but none were as meaningful or as permanent as Old Bridge. “(Old Bridge) East Brunswick is tremendously significant both historically and culturally because it was the center of an industrious community of people whose lives epitomized developments of the 18th and 19th centuries in Middlesex County.”

Seniors Find A ‘Best Place’ With Quality Clay

Old Bridge Township has a lot going for it as evidenced by the fact that it was named a contender for the title of one of the best places to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2005 and again in 2007.

The red clay soil surrounding Old Bridge in the past was used for pottery and bricks way before the first European settlers. Fine clay had surrounded Cheesequake Creek when the Lenni Lenape Native Americans lived there.

The early discoveries of clay along the banks opened the clay industry to Middlesex County as well as the state of New Jersey. By the 1800s clay was a major industry. The clay deposits found along Cheesequake Creek are reported to be some of the finest stoneware clays in the country.

Seniors Enjoy A Landmark, Hiking Trails and Hooks Creek Lake

The Cottrell homestead is a landmark in Old Bridge. It was built in 1831 and was loaded with apple orchards. The Cottrells produced apple brandy for twenty years on the farm and sold it wholesale to distributors under the name Browntown.

So what can senior visitors do in Old Bridge? Cheesequake State Park features marshes, forests, camping areas and hiking trails. Hooks Creek Lake provides fishing opportunities for trout, bass and catfish.

The Monmouth Battlefield State Park includes wetlands, wooded areas, trails for hiking and horseback riding and a old Revolutionary War farmhouse. The visitors center at the park has many relics from the Revolutionary War battlefield.

An Historic District of Old Bridge was formally placed on the New Jersey State Register in 1975 and on the National Register, June 1977. Cedar Grove School is one of the more famous Historic Places. The single track train built in 1832 still passes through the village. Seniors, as you are driving up the East Coast, drop by Old Bridge and enjoy the sites. -jeb

Seniors Find “Hoosier Hospitality” in Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne is located in the northeast part of the state, 18 miles west of the Ohio border and 50 miles south of the Michigan border. It’s a three-time All American City Award winner, and is consistently cited for a high quality of life, low cost of living and warm Hoosier Hospitality . This is why this senior picked up on Fort Wayne, a great place for a visit and a blog.

With an estimated population of 258,522 in 2014, Fort Wayne is the 77th most populous city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana. It is the principal city of the Fort Wayne metropolitan area, consisting of Allen, Wells, and Whitley counties.

Fort Wayne has a long history .  It got its name from an American Revolutionary War statesman, Anthony Wayne. The US Army built Fort Wayne last in a series of forts in 1794. Three rivers conjoin in the area and a trading post sprung up for European pioneers.

Parks, Gardens and Rivergreenway Draw Seniors

TripAdvisor notes that Fort Wayne serves up the perfect mix of urban convenience and natural beauty, boasting a world class cultural scene in a landscape enhanced by plenty of green space. Senior shoppers can find the latest trends at open air Jefferson Pointe. The grandkids will enjoy the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, while the adults can take in a performance at the Embassy Theater.

Senior joggers, hikers and cyclists can keep active on the Rivergreenway that links the city’s parks, where they may come across Johnny Appleseed’s Grave.

Parks, gardens, hiking trails, and a throng of outdoor activities are attractive to senior outdoor enthusiasts.

Seniors Try Pedal City

Seven museums dot the city and you can view a lot of it on a city tour, one of them called Pedal City. Some have nicknamed the vehicle a “beer bike.” I saw one recently in Scottsdale (Arizona). A group of maybe ten people sit pedaling with five on each side as  the weird structure moves along down the street.

Me, I’d head for Lakeside Park and Rose Garden , that has a unique sunken garden featuring over 2,000 rose bushes.

Plan to stop in Fort Wayne when you drive through Indiana. The city overflows with amenities for folks of all ages and Hoosier Hospitality is one of them as you will experience.  - jeb

Bogalusa Beckons And Seniors Respond

This senior has always liked the name Bogalusa. There is something about that name that draws attention.  Do you know where it is located?

Well, it’s in the great state of  Louisiana. It has a population of just over 12,500 in Washington Parish and is found where the Bogue Lusa Creek flows into the Pearl River. In Choctaw the words bogue lusa means dark water. Now, let’s go for a visit and see what we can find to see and do in “Mill Town.”

For starters it has lots of recreational facilities with two city parks and playgrounds, a modern country club, two YMCA locations with swimming pools and full youth program. Senior fisherman, bring along your favorite pole as there is always abundant fishing and great hunting.

Bogalusa has a lighted baseball park, several tennis courts, fun tubing and canoeing. Its only a  one hour drive to New Orleans, via Lake Ponchartrain Causeway.

Mayor Wendy O’Quin Perrette says “ Welcome to our website. I hope you will find it useful and informative, whether you are a citizen of our city or someone planning a visit or relocation to our city.”

Senior Blues Travelers, Take Note

In 1908, the Great Southern Lumber Company (1908–38) sawmill began operation, and the Goodyear (Frank Henry Goodyear and Charles Waterhouse Goodyear) interests of New York built the city of Bogalusa to house workers for the sawmill.

The sawmill was, for many years, the largest in the world, and the company was famous for its reforestation program. It was built so fast that its nickname became the Magic City.

The Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival is proud of its fourth BBHF that will take place on September 25-26. Seniors mark your calendar as the Festival has quickly become known by blues travelers as one of the destinations along the blues music trails.

In BBHF’s first year, 2012, it rained all day (5.5 inches), but the thousands who came from across the region had so much fun it was named the Best New Event of the year by the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals and one of the Top 10 Must-See Festivals by the Louisiana Department of Tourism.

Seniors Like Festivals and Parades

What else brings senior visitors to town… the Festival in the Park, and an awesome Mardi Gras parade. My wife and I would check out the two B&Bs in Bogalusa, the Smoky Creek and the Cottage Guest House.

We would stop by and visit Northshore Technical Community College, the first trade school established in the State of Louisiana in 1930 and is now a fully accredited community college.

And we would bring along a healthy appetite and enjoy some great southern food in one Bogalusa’s restaurants. -jeb

Seniors Explore Cimarron

Cimarron is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, and senior travelers will find it on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The population is not large (1,000+) however it is the 4th most populated municipality in Colfax County.

Established in 1857, the village is the Historic Heart of the Old West. “Cimarron” is Spanish for wild or unruly and the Village of Cimarron lived up to that description.

There was little if any law enforcement, arguments were settled with bullets and in many instances justice was a result of vigilantes. So welcome to Cimarron.

Upon further investigation of the naming of the village, I found it to be uncertain. Some feel Cimar- ron refers to the bighorn sheep that once roamed the nearby mountains. Back in 1960 a movie called Cimarron put the village on the map. Look up the trailer on YouTube.

Historically, to avoid the harsh conditions, lack of water, and attacks from Indians along the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail, wagon traffic used the original Mountain Route during the 1840s.

Uncle Puzz Visits Cimarron

I remember my Uncle Puzz , yes, that was his nickname.  Harold as a youth, used to lie on his back, for hours, out on a grassy field watching white fluffy clouds pass by overhead. My dad, being “puzzled by his gaze,” gave him this name that stuck with him his entire life.

Uncle Puzz was a Boy Scout Leader and made many trips to Cimarron and the Philmont Scout Ranch with my cousin Dennis and the scout troupe from Olin, Iowa. The Ranch remains one of the main attractions in Cimarron along with the Old Mill Museum and the historic St James Hotel.

Seniors Stay At The Historic St. James Hotel

The saga of the St. James began in Washington D.C. with the arrival of a Frenchman by the name of Henri Lambert whose life became intertwined with the people and a place that became known as the Village of Cimarron. Lambert opened up a saloon that took on the name “Lambert’s Place.”

The St. James Hotel has been welcoming guests since 1872 and a host of famous western folks frequented the Hotel in the likes of Zane Grey, Wild Bill Hickock and the Earp brothers. Jesse James and his gang also had a room there.

Just walking around the town makes for a fun time, it is so loaded with scenic buildings with 14 historical markers. Me, I’d head for the cemetery like I did in Tombstone, Arizona.

There you can admire the surrounding mountain peaks and follow the flow of the Cimarron River out from the canyon, through town and down across the plains.

Seniors, pull up those cowboy boots, tighten up your big silver belt buckle, saddle up your GPS and head for Cimarron.  -jeb

Seniors Visit A Crater City Called Nördlingen

Grab your coffee, senior friends and let’s go to Germany this morning. In my search for sites not to be missed in Germany, I recently read about Nördlingen , a medieval town in the Donau-Ries district, in Bavaria, with a population of approximately 24,000.

It was first mentioned in recorded history in 898, and in 1998 the town celebrated its 1100th anniversary. Nördlingen is one of few German cities which has kept the medieval rounded shape with its fortification wall that completely surrounds city. Senior visitors can climb to a viewing platform  for a 360-degree scenic view of the city and the surrounding countryside.

Nördlingen is one of the most attractive of the towns in the central part of what is called the Romantic Road . It is one of only a few towns that remain with a fully preserved town wall that you can tour on foot in about an hour.

Seniors Enjoy Medieval Town Built In A Crater

Nördlingen offers an additional attraction of geological interest, being located in the crater of a meteorite impact, with its impressive tower built of the rock formed from that impact. The crater called the Nördlinger Ries , was formed some 14.5 million years ago.

It was less than fifty years ago that evidence emerged which established the true origin of the crater. For years, it was believed that the shallow depression in the middle of which the town is situated was a volcanic crater.

Then in 1960 two American scientists, Eugene Shoemaker (of comet Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 fame) and Edward Chao, proved that the depression was in fact, caused by ancient meteorite impact.

TripAdvisor suggests that senior visitors not miss St. Georgskirche (St. Georg’s Church), constructed between 1427 and 1505 with a 90 m high tower over the west entrance, that all the locals call the “Daniel.” The tower is said to be one of the best reasons for a visit to the town so plan on taking the 295 foot climb.

Seniors Stop at The Town Hall

The Town Hall (Alstadt) is the oldest stone-built house in the town, dating back to the 13th century. From 1313, after it had been purchased by the Heilsbronn Monastery, until 1382 it was used as a trading house.

Virtual Tourists description of Nördlinger is excellent with descriptions and photos on the major tourist attractions. Seniors, set your sights on a town that is unique among the many highly scenic cities in Deutschland. And by all means, bring along a healthy appetite and enjoy the food in the great restaurants. -jeb

Seniors Explore Chillicothe

I love that name, Chillicothe, and I learned very quickly that I had to be specific because there are two other cities with that name, one in Illinois and another in Missouri. So we are heading for Ohio this time to find out what seniors can see and do in this exciting city.

Chillicothe , with a population of 22,000, was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. On the site above check out ‘Our Community’ and all the events that take place annually. Me, I’d want to not miss the Feast of the Flowering Moon.

In Chillicothe senior visitors can experience the largest annual festival that has graced the city on Memorial Day weekend since 1984. The  Festival celebrates the Native American Culture that is so rich to the area’s history.

Seniors Find Native American Heritage in Chillicothe

The town with an unusual name comes from the Shawnee Chala-ka-tha , named after one of the five major divisions of the Shawnee people, as it was the chief settlement of that tribal division.  Modern Chillicothe was the center of the ancient Hopewell tradition. The group built earthen mounds for ceremonial and burial purposes throughout the Scioto and Ohio River valleys.

I counted 7 parks, the largest is Yoctangee Park with 48 acres and a good number of baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and playground equipment. Yoctangee , there’s another name for you to look up.

Senior bikers, Chillicothe’s flood-wall, protecting the city from floods of the Scioto, has a 5.0-mile-long paved bike path. The path connects to the Tri-County Triangle Trail which currently runs just over 30 miles in length. Plan a walkthrough of Ohio University with a scenic branch campus that offers over 20 different academic programs.

Seniors Explore Historic Chillicothe

Bring a good pair of walking shoes and explore historic, downtown Chillicothe via self-guided Walking Tours that are available through the Ross-Chillicothe Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Take a stroll along Old Second Street, Historic Paint Street and the First Capital District.

Senior visitors are always impressed with all the historic homes and main street churches as well as the many colorful wall murals. Check out all of Chillicothe’s nature’s wonders, earthwork/mounds and the art, music and theater that visitors and the locals alike find fascinating.

The local Chamber of Commerce notes that Chillicothe and Ross County are blessed with abundant historical and recreational opportunities for people of all ages. Ross County boasts one of the best small-town museums in the nation.

Have a cup of java at the Happy Thought Coffee that was highlighted twice  in Midwest Travel Magazine. Mayor Doug Crew notes that here is where the locals live, work, play and prosper .  You’ll see why when you set your GPS for this interesting town. -jeb

Seniors Find Boring Not So Dull

Boring is an unincorporated community that lies about 25 miles from Portland . The population in Boring runs right at 8,000 and this senior bets that you are wondering, like I was, how it got a name like Boring.

In 1903, Boring was named after one of its first residents, W.H Boring, a Union veteran who moved to Oregon after the Civil War. He died in 1932 at the age of 91 and was buried beside his wife Sarah in Damascus Pioneer Cemetery. Boring, who began farming in the area in the 1870s has a great grandson, Bob Boring, who still lives locally and insists the town is more lively than its name suggests.

Boring, laid out in 1903, was labeled “Boring Junction” . The post office was established and named “Boring” the same year, and the builders of the interurban railway adopted Boring as the name of the community.

Seniors Find Guide Dogs For The Blind Campus

The unusual name of the town often prompts its inclusion on lists of unusual place names.  The tag “Boring” is embraced by locals and found in local businesses, resulting in many road signs that seem humorous to outsiders. Boosters of the village like to use the slogan “Boring…the most exciting place to live.”

At one time a thriving timber town, Boring still has a colorful active lumber mill. The town has gained fame more recently as being the home of a campus of Guide Dogs For The Blind, the oldest guide dog training program on the US west coast.

The locals note that Boring should be known as the “Community that works”.  Resident services are most often provided by local citizens who are committed to the area.  Volunteerism is alive and well in Boring. For a small community, senior visitors find some neat things to see and do in and around the area.

Great Stop For Seniors Headed For Mount Hood

On your way to Mount Hood, senior visitors are invited to stop for some refreshment as you pass through Boring. On your stop, you will discover some not so boring restaurants and bar options, plus you will have the opportunity to encounter some friendly Boring residents.

TripAdvisor suggests that senior campers check out Barton Park on the Clackamas River with 102 Campsites with water and electric hook-ups and 7 primitive campsites. Also consider a visit to Liepold Farms and the Bushue Family Farm, sample a Boring beer in the Boring pub and hunt for a bargain in the Boring antiques shop.

In a play on the town’s name, the Boring Community Planning Organization voted to “pair” with Dull, Scotland, for the purpose of promoting tourism in both towns. While the name is a little “different,” Boring, Oregon thrives on knowing that it is far from boring. -jeb

Seniors Pay A Visit To Los Alamos

Los Alamos, New Mexico, is built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. Senior travelers will find Los Alamos about one hour northwest of Santa Fe. The population runs just over 12,000.

I’ve seen hundreds of travel blog sites, but this may be a first. This site has a one hour, two hour and three hour itinerary all set for you upon your arrival with things you will not want to miss in and around the town.

Its claim to fame is undoubtedly the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), where Robert Oppenheimer and other physicists created the world’s first atomic bomb during World War II. Many of Los Alamos’s residents work at the laboratory.

Seniors Enjoy The Historical Museum

The downtown area is compact, and the museums and most restaurants are within easy walking distance of the main hotels and many of the B&Bs.

Senior visitors will not want to miss the Los Alamos Historical Museum in the heart of downtown Los Alamos. The museum is a must-see for anyone interested in the ancient and recent history of the city.

The downtown area is loaded with history and interesting sites. Los Alamos is a natural wonderland for outdoors enthusiasts who wish to explore the mountainous terrain.

Seniors can hike through the Bandelier National Monument to see wildlife and ancient Puebloan ruins. The Monument is a 33,677-acre United States National Monument that focuses on preserving the homes and territory of the Ancestral Puebloans. Most of the pueblo structures date from 1150 to 1600 CE.

Seniors Take The Scenic Drives

The Los Alamos area offers year-round activities, including rock climbing, golfing, mountain biking, skiing and skating. There is a branch campus of the Univ. of New Mexico in town.

The Bradbury Science Museum has always been a popular stop and is located right in downtown Los Alamos. The Museum also provides a window to the Laboratory, interpreting the Laboratory’s history and current research.

Since Los Alamos sits high up along the Jemez Mountains, senior visitors enjoy the variety of scenic drives and overlooks. One of the most popular is White Rock Overlook Park, with its sports grounds, picnic facilities, and dramatic views of steep canyon walls carved by the Rio Grande.

The Park also  serves as the venue for the highly popular annual Los Alamos Kite Festival held in May.

The Park is the trailhead for the Blue Dot Trail, a strenuous but short 800-foot descent into White Rock Canyon that covers 2.2 miles down and back up, so bring along some quality hiking boots. Los Alamos is home to Pajarito Ski Mountain, the awesome olympic-size Larry Walkup Aquatic Center, a high altitude golf course, a community skating rink and an urban trail system that connects to adjacent National Forest trails. Sound good? It is. jeb