Seniors Flock to Pinetop, Arizona

Seniors enjoy rural life in a Ponderosa Pine forest at Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona , a town that was crowned the “Best Cabin Region in the U.S.”.

I discovered Pinetop when I went up north from Phoenix to pick up my wife who spent a couple of days with her sisters in an RV park next to the Hon-Dah casino. Hon-Dah means “ be my guest ” in the Apache language.

I traveled on Route 260 east of Payson to Pinetop. Beautiful scenery all the way and being up on what is called The Rim, there were tall, stately pine trees everywhere you looked. I was in the center of the Ponderose Pine Forest, my wife’s favorite tree.

Seniors Enjoy the White Mountains, Alpine Lakes and a National Forest

I learned that there were 50 alpine lakes in this region of the White Mountains. That helps keep the temperature cool at 6,800 feet altitude. This once sleepy town of 4,200 is now brisling with a multitude of events and festivals.

Pinetop-Lakeside is surrounded by the natural beauty of the White Mountains, the Apache/Sitgreaves National Forest and the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation. Hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting and fishing are popular recreational activities. Senior visitors can escape the hustle and bustle of city life . It is a true Shangri-La.

Everywhere I looked along Route 260 were signs that read: land, acreage and cabins for sale. It is a true hotspot for folks who live in the Valley (Phoenix) for a getaway and for escaping the hot summers.

I saw riding stables for those of you who enjoy horseback riding, pickups were pulling campers of every size and nature, many pulling some type of an off-road vehicle for exploring the region. Miles of groomed trails and  first-rate facilities draw enthusiasts from around the world.

Senior visitors can celebrate the seasons all year long. Snow, yes for skiing. Summer for enjoying the mountain air in what the locals call “High Country.” Events include concerts, theaters and sports events. This is a great place for a second home and there are hundreds of them all around Pinetop.

Seniors Discover ‘MORE’ in Pinetop

The local Chamber of Commerce notes that “of all the areas to visit, senior travelers would be hard-pressed to find a region that offers more – more natural beauty, more  history and culture, more recreation, more adventure, more memories – than Arizona’s White Mountains. Here, sunny skies and four classic seasons enhance a variety of activities.”

Set your GPS for High Country on the Mogollon Rim and find yourself welcome in Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona’s playground. You will discover as many seniors have already that the hospitality is as legendary as the landscape in the White Mountains. -jeb

Seniors Find One Of The Best Places To Live

Living in Arizona, my wife and I have had the opportunity to do some traveling around this beautiful state. We took a trip from Phoenix south to Tucson and then on south to a unique small town called Tubac, passing through Sahuarita,  a town of 26,000 that was named one of the 50 Best Places to Live by Money Magazine (2015).

The many economic opportunities for businesses, affordable housing and 300 days of sunshine per year were cited in the article, as part of the many draws this city holds.

The official town website is a beauty and you are invited to check out the many links that describe Sahuarita. Note the awesome setting of the lake and mountains in the background.

Seniors Cool Down At Sahuarita Lake

Senior travelers will find Sahuarita /sɑːwəˈriːtə/ south of the Tohono O’odham Nation, 15 miles south of Tucson on Interstate 19. Artificial Sahuarita Lake, a “managed lake,” is one  reason for folks to enjoy the area, helping to keep things scenic, humid and cool.

An 1870 map of Arizona shows an “Indian Village” just north of Sahuarita. The earliest known reference to the town can be found on a German map from 1875, which labels the town “Sahuarito”. In 1879 Sahuarita Ranch was created by James Kilroy Brown. Brown chose the name Sahuarita due to the many saguaro cactus in the area.

Sahuarita contains the master planned communities of Rancho Sahuarita & Resort, one of the newest communities, Quail Creek and Madera Highlands, in addition to the residential neighborhoods of La Joya, Valle Verde del Norte (established in 1979), Los Colonias and Los Arroyos.

The town has 92 acres of public and private parks and recreation facilities, with approximately 125 acres more parkland proposed.

Seniors Enjoy Award Winning Community

Rancho Sahuarita offers upscale living for folks of all ages and needs. It is just a short drive north to Tucson International Airport, downtown Tucson, and the University of Arizona. Closeby to the south on I-19 seniors will find some great shopping at the Mexican border between Nogales, Arizona and Nogales Sonora Mexico.

Rancho Sahuarita, is said to be the most highly amenitized master-planned community in Southern Arizona. It is an award-winning, family-friendly master-planned community within Sahuarita.

In 2002 the first family moved into Rancho Sahuarita. During the next 12 years, more than 17,000 people moved to Rancho Sahuarita to enjoy an unmatched lifestyle and experience.

Senior friends, enjoy this short video on Sahuarita Lake Park . And plan your travels to southern Arizona to include Sahuarita.  -jeb

Seniors Are In For A “New Wrinkle”

This senior scans our local paper here in Phoenix daily, looking for interesting cities for a blog. I found a whole page this AM. It featured the top preseason Super 25 highschool football rankings.

At the top was De La Salle, Concord, California with a 14-0 record last year. The Spartans have won five state Open Division Bowl titles the past six seasons. Having 12 starters back this season will certainly make a difference for the Spartans.  Good luck.

Seniors, we are off to Concord today, the largest city in Contra Costa County, California with a population of 122,000+. The City of Concord was named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for the 33rd consecutive year to honor Concord’s commitment to its community forest.

Seniors Enjoy A City Of Awards

Concord is also the recipient of a Tree City USA Growth Award for the 16th consecutive year for demonstrating progress in its community forestry program. I love Tree Cities and Cedar Falls, Iowa, my old stomping grounds, was named a tree city years ago. Now touch the ‘About’ button and check out the many Awards Concord has received.

Senior visitors can join a host of locals and others as they enjoy the Todos Santos Plaza, where the  summer season Music and Market, Farmers’ Market, and special events are hosted throughout the year by the City of Concord.

The Plaza, which encompasses an entire city block is known for its Farmers Market, free summer concerts, and large number of surrounding restaurants.

Seniors Plan For the Concord Jazz Festival

Founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos (“all saints”) by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months.

The city, 31 miles east of San Francisco, is a major regional suburban center within the San Francisco Bay Area.

Seniors, set your GPS for Concord and try to arrive during the famed Concord Jazz Festival, an annual event that was established in 1969 and today packs the house. TripAdvisor has been there and can provide a nice itinerary for you.

TripAdvisor is big on the Newhall Community Park, the Contra Costa Canal Hiking Trail and the Sleep Train Pavilion. The local Chamber of Commerce has a listing of events that are on-going all year. Stop in Concord, cheer on the Spartans, do some hiking on the Contra Costa Trail and enjoy the Jazz Festival. -jeb

Seniors Glad They Stopped in Menomonee Falls

Menomonee Falls, senior travelers will find, is a village and part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population runs right at 36,000 making it the most populous village in Wisconsin . The village’s slogan is “More than a village” .

Incorporated in 1892, it was named after the Menomonee River, which flows through the village and subsequent waterfall which is located in the heart of the community. Senior visitors will discover that Menomonee Falls has its small-town charm, with a modern enjoyable lifestyle.

I think that my wife could easily talk me into visiting Old Falls Village. It is nestled on the grounds of a beautiful 17-acre park and invites folks to step back in time and glimpse life as it was from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s.

Included is a variety of historic homes and buildings, a living history museum that includes a log home, school house, barn, railroad depot, log cabin, and dairy.  The centerpiece of Old Falls Village is the 1858 Miller-Davidson House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Seniors Find The Village Centre

The Village Centre as it is called is an area of historic properties and residences in the heart of Menomonee Falls. Senior visitors will discover the specialty shops, restaurants and service businesses of Downtown Menomonee Falls .

Stroll through the parkway, enjoy spectacular views of Lepper Dam and take the Historic Walking Tour of downtown buildings. Stop by a gallery to see what local artists have to offer.

John McGivern highlights Menomonee Falls. He goes around the state doing the same kind of program for various smaller communities in Wisconsin. Senior motorcycle fans would enjoy taking the free tour of the Harley-Davidson Pilgrim Road factory, where engines and transmissions are manufactured.

Seniors Enjoy The Falls’ Festivities

The Falls Fest is an annual event that packs the house with a wide variety of events and attractions. Purloin Studio is a highly  popular artist-owned gallery representing more than 60 artists who specialize in a wide variety of mediums.

DJ’s Goalpost is a favorite haunt for good food and libations and rates #2 with TripAdvisor. Each year the Cheery Cherry Fall Fair features a wide array of arts, crafts, food, and music.  At the Cherry Booth, try some Door County cherry products featuring cherry pies, tarts, jams, juice, dried cherries and chocolate covered cherries.

If you are there in September, you can bid on items contributed by the exhibitors and area businesses, and purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win some great prizes. It sounds like fun to me. -jeb

Seniors Travel Through Northern Spain

Bilbao, city in Spain, is the capital of the province of Biscay in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast. My wife and I have visited the southern half of Spain and now these seniors  have the northern half on our travel bucket list. Bilbao will be right in the middle.

Senior visitors will discover that Bilbao is the heart of a metropolis that more than a million people call home. It is the center of the economic-social development and the main factor of the modernization of the Bay of Biscay.

Bilbao is the beating heart of the Basque Country and its largest city. It is the most cosmopolitan of the cities in the region and is constantly evolving. Bilbao ballooned in population during industrialization and prospered through steel production, shipping, ship building and banking.

Seniors Enjoy a Dynamic City

“The great architectural and infrastructure projects have been the driving force of the urban and economic regeneration of the city. The Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, the Euskalduna Conference and Music Centre, Norman Foster’s Underground, Calatrava’s airport, the towers designed by the architects Arata Isozaki and César Pelli are all examples of the dynamism that exists in Bilbao.”

The city is surrounded by a fertile landscape with green forests, mountains and great beaches that are close by. All this makes Bilbao a privileged destination for seniors just like you. T ake a walk through town and judge for yourself.

The cultural activities in Bilbao are exceptional, with two of the best art galleries in Spain, six theme museums, contemporary art exhibitions and an ongoing program with shows: opera, symphony orchestras, theatre, dance, cinema and light, pop and rock music.

Seniors Visit The Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao has become the cultural and tourism driving force of the Basque Country. This spectacular building (Frank O. Gehry, 1997) is covered in titanium panels and has its own important collection, as well as sharing the largest private modern and contemporary art collection in the world with New York and Venice.

Virtual Tourist points out things for seniors to see and do, several great hotels, restaurants, shopping and nightlife. You will find Bilbao to be sophisticated and humming with action and the Basque culture and fine cuisine draws in folks from all over Europe.

Nightlife is abundant and it is a shopping mecca. Spend several days and you will depart with a magnetic draw wanting to return again and again. It’s that’s kind of place. -jeb

Seniors Ride the Narrow Gauge Railroad

Durango, Colorado is a year-round, vacation destination where senior visitors can ride the world famous Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The train is a remnant of the time when Durango was a mining town where silver and gold flowed from the mines of the La Plata Mountains.

Many visitors go over to nearby Mesa Verde National Park where skiers and snowboarders enjoy the slopes of Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort.

I would try to time my visit in the fall, that perfect season to enjoy the color and beauty of the mountains. We would explore downtown’s shopping boutiques, fine restaurants and historic hotels.

My wife and I always choose to stay in a historic B&B or hotel on our visits. The Strater Hotel would fit the bill quite nicely. Dating back to 1887, it is one of the West’s iconic hotels in downtown Durango.

300 Days of Sunshine Attracts Seniors

The City of Durango, with its population of 17,000, is the county seat of La Plata County and enjoys over 300 days of sunshine. Seniors can enjoy the scenic countryside ; the San Juan range is amazing to visit in any season.

You won’t have any problem searching for attractions in Durango. Senior visitors can choose whitewater rafting, hiking the Animas River Trail, skiing, biking, fishing in the local streams, horseback riding and snowmobiling.

For another “adventure” the Full Blast Zipline Canopy Tour is  only 1 mile from downtown Durango. Oh yes, Fort Lewis College calls Durango home.

Historic Train Attraction

The Animas (that’s River) Museum is in the old City School (1904) with the history of La Plata County. It features exhibits, programs, archives of old photos and if you are interested, a research library to take you back to the olden days in and around Durango.

Much of Durango’s history dates back to the building of the railroad. In 1860, a prospector discovered flakes of gold in the San Juan Mountains north of present-day Durango.

The train that hauled precious metals in the 1880s, now takes tourists for a 47-mile, open-air journey through mountains and forests and past abandoned mines to historic Silverton and back.

Seniors, set your GPS for Durango and experience some of Colorado’s scenic wonders and its many attractions. It’s a city that offers a dozen vacations in just one destination . I would have to agree that Durango is one crafty little mountain town! - jeb

This Senior Has Fond Memories of Geneva

This senior has fond memories of my visits to Geneva. First on a motor scooter and later with a group of high school students. Two things still jump out at me when I think of that great city: first the Jet D’Eau, an impressive water fountain that is one of the tallest in the world (140 meters) at the periphery of Lake Geneva.

Secondly, I needed to cash a traveler’s check.  When I went into the bank there was a gentleman piling up Swiss francs high on the counter.  The teller put down a solid stick of gold about the size of a stick of Wrigley’s Spearmint gum. He stuck it in his shirt pocket and away he went.

I also recall the huge colorful clock made entirely out of flowers ( L’horloge fleurie ) in the English Garden. It’s still there today.

Seniors Astounded by Dramatic Views of the Alps

Geneva (Genève in French) lies at the southern tip of expansive Lac Léman (Lake Geneva). Surrounded by the Alps and Jura mountains, the city has great views of dramatic Mont Blanc.

Headquarters of Europe’s United Nations and the Red Cross, it’s a global hub for diplomacy and banking. French influence is widespread, from the language to gastronomy and bohemian districts like Carouge.

Known both as the «smallest of big cities», or the «city of peace», Geneva, among other things, is home to the European headquarters of UNO. The quayside of Lake Geneva, the parks, the old alleyways and smart boutiques invite senior visitors to a leisurely stroll. Lonely Planet notes that Geneva is sleek, slick and cosmopolitan and a rare breed of a city.

Culturally, this city on the westernmost fringe of Switzerland, just a stone’s throw from France, has much to offer. International artists perform in the Grand Théâtre and Geneva Opera House and many tourists arrive just for these two attractions.

Seniors Enjoy Geneva’s Vieille Ville

Geneva has far greater international influence than any other city of 200,000 inhabitants. Switzerland’s second largest city is home to around twenty international organizations. The arts and culture flourish in Geneva and seniors enjoy the many fine museums and art galleries, theaters, music and book shops.

I’d try to talk my wife into a Segway Tour to visit the interior of the city. I would also plan a bus tour like Grey Line with the hop on-hop off feature. You can stop and spend some time at the the Cathédrale de St.-Pierre and take off for the next site.

The Beckers would start a visit in Geneva’s Old Town, in French called Vieille Ville. This ancient maze of small streets and picturesque squares, filled with homey cafés, restaurants, galleries, museums and historical sights, is lined by historical buildings adorned with beautiful masonry facades.

Maybe rent a bike as Geneva is a great town to get around in by bicycle. Au Revoir -jeb