Seniors Check Out San Tan Valley

San Tan Valley is located in northern Pinal County, Arizona. Seniors find this bedroom community located in the Phoenix metropolitan area’s southeastern suburbs.

The population of San Tan Valley runs around 87,000. I learned that it is Pinal County’s newest and largest named area. The area is bound by the San Tan Mountains Regional Park on the west and the Gila River Indian Community on the southwest.

 Senior visitors will find San Tan Valley between the towns of Queen Creek to the north and west, and Florence to the south, both great communities for a visit.

 Seniors Visit The San Tan Mountain Park

San Tan Valley derives its name from the nearby San Tan Mountains. The origin of the name San Tan is disputed, with suggestions ranging from a corruption of the name Santa Ana to the last name of George Santan, prior postmaster in nearby Gila County.

Previously referred to as San Tan Heights, San Tan Foothills, Greater San Tan and simply the San Tan Area, the community lacked any official name and residents used nearby Queen Creek for their mailing addresses.

The community boasts a wonderful park and recreation area, the San Tan Mountain Park.  People of all ages call San Tan Valley home with a variety of golf communities, age-restricted communities and family neighborhoods.

Seniors Find Desert Oasis

San Tan Valley is called by some a desert oasis between Tucson and Phoenix that offers golf, great weather, nature, and family fun. TripAdvisor suggests The Alvea Spa at Encanterra Country Club. Alvea Spa was just named to Best of Our Valley 2016 by Arizona Foothills Magazine, for “Best Clubhouse Spa.”

 If you are into wing and non wing ASCS sprint car racing, Arizona Speedway is nearby in Queen Creek. They say that one can see the whole track from anywhere you sit.

About an hour east of Phoenix, San Tan Valley offers a quaint community with a wonderful park and recreation area, hiking trails, beautiful dark skies, amazing sunsets and sunrises and golf.

“San Tan Valley has a young and affluent population diverse in ethnicity and religion but with a common desire for a safe, healthy, educated, and family-oriented community. Residents are invested in the quality of life that comes with a clean, safe and vibrant community.”

 Seniors will find something to see and do in San Tan Valley. Horseback riding at Central Arizona Riding Academy, golf at Mountain Brook Golf Club, and the Breakers Water Park, a great place to cool off in the Valley of the Sun.

Seniors, when you are in Arizona, set your GPS for San Tan Valley.  You will enjoy your visit. -jeb

Seniors Check Out Henrico County

Henrico County, officially the County of Henrico, senior travelers will find in the Commonwealth of Virginia with a population of around 307,000. If you, like me, love history, then Henrico County is the place for you. Henrico County Virginia, like all of Virginia, is rich in history.

In 1611, when Henrico became one of the eight original shires of Virginia, Henrico residents and events began to help shape America’s story and its heritage. In 2011, thousands of visitors helped celebrate its 400th anniversary.

Present-day Henrico County curves around the City of Richmond, surrounding it to the west, the north, and the east. The county is bounded by the Chickahominy River to the north and the James River and Richmond to the south.

 Senior Visitors Walk In History

In Henrico County senior visitors can discover what it was like to work a 19th-century farm or walk the same battlefields as General Robert E. Lee or Ulysses S. Grant. If you prefer a museum, then plan a visit to the Virginia Randolph Museum, a National and State Historic Landmark that pays tribute to one of the greatest educators in America.

If you have a full day to explore, immerse yourself in a few Civil War battle sites in the Richmond National Battlefield Park (Malvern Hill Park and Fort Harrison). During the Civil War, in 1862 Henrico County was the site of seven  battles during the Peninsula Campaign.

Senior hikers, the nearby Virginia Capital Trail is a dedicated, paved pedestrian and bicycle trail that connects the Commonwealth’s past and present capitals of Jamestown and Richmond along the Scenic Route 5 corridor.

Seniors Hike The Virginia Capital Trail

The Trail traverses approximately 52 miles, four jurisdictions, and more than 400 years of history along one of the first inland routes in North America. Ranging between eight and ten feet wide, the Capital Trail accommodates all modes of non-motorized transportation so you won’t have any trouble walking the Capital Trail.

East End Cemetery, a historic African American burial site, is a great place for a little historical research. East End is the final resting place of an estimated 13,000 people, among them some of the most prominent black Richmonders of the turn of the 20th century.

For you sports fans, Henrico hosts more than 140 tournaments annually from lacrosse to Quidditch to flag football. Then there is Three Lakes Park, called by many…a “hidden gem.” This favorite stop for many senior visitors features woods, fishing lakes, wetlands and wildlife along with a nature center.

Old Henrico County Courthouse dates back to 1898 in Richmond.  Senior oenophiles, the 41st Annual Virginia Wine Festival, the oldest wine festival in the state, takes places in September in Run Regional Park in Fairfax. Senior travelers, plan to explore the County of Henrico. It will be such a pleasure.  -jeb

Seniors Spend Time In San Bernardino

San Bernardino serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County with a population that runs close to  215,000, and is one of the oldest communities in the state of California. Senior travelers learn that San Bernardino is home to numerous diplomatic missions.

Named for Bernardino of Siena on May 20, 1810, San Bernardino, in its present-day location, was not largely settled until 1851, after California became a state. Saint Bernardino of Siena, also known as Bernardine, 8 September 1380 – 20 May 1444, was an Italian priest, Franciscan missionary, and is a Catholic saint.

The City of San Bernardino is a community rich in history and cultural diversity. Influences of Native Americans, Mexican settlers, Spanish missionaries and Mormon emigrants can still be seen throughout the city today.

Seniors Love The Colorful History

From the day in 1810 when Franciscan missionary Father Dumetz named the area San Bernardino to the present, San Bernardino – nestled south of the San Bernardino mountains and west of the lower desert – has been recognized for its scenic beauty and strategic location.

San Bernardino’s colorful history begins in the early years of the 19th century when Spanish missionaries were the first settlers to the region. Mission “San Bernardino” was established in 1810 and the missionaries, along with the American Indians native to the area, diverted water to the valley from Mill Creek for irrigation purposes. As a result, the area flourished.

The city is unique among southern Californian cities because of its wealth of water, which is mostly contained in underground aquifers. San Bernardino encompasses awesome scenery in all directions and  features a hot-summer Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot, dry summers.

 Seniors Find Original McDonald Site

TripAdvisor notes nearly two dozen attractions that senior visitors find of interest starting with the San Bernardino National Forest and the Original McDonald’s Site and Museum.

The city is home to California State University, San Bernardino set at the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains. The city  is also home to San Bernardino Valley College, a two-year college.

Wikitravel provides a nice overview of the city with lots to see, do, buy, eat, and sleep.

The San Bernardino National Forest is a federally managed forest encompassing 823,816 acres of which 677,982 acres are federal. The forest includes five wilderness areas: San Gorgonio, Cucamonga, San Jacinto, Santa Rosa and Bighorn Mountain.

Seniors,  park your car in San Bernardino and enjoy!. -jeb

Seniors Like the Village of La Farge

 This senior came across the La Farge, Wisconsin on a Half&Half milk carton. La Farge is the home of Organic Valley, an organic farmer-owned cooperative. My organic family and I enjoy their products very much.

Organic Valley’s headquarters are a shining example of a true “green building.” Organic Valley hosts the Kickapoo Country Fair the Kickapoo Country Fair on its grounds on the last weekend in July, a celebration that includes live music, sustainability workshops, and rural heritage exhibits.

La Farge is located along the Kickapoo River in Vernon County, Wisconsin. The residential community of Dreamtime Village is located near La Farge.

 Seniors Drawn To Wisconsin’s Secret Paradise

La Farge has a long and interesting history and a population today that runs just under 800 residents. This small picturesque farming community sits about 20 miles from the Elroy-Sparta State Bike Trail.

La Farge is a year-round recreational destination, renowned for canoeing, trout fishing, hiking, biking, snowmobiling, horseback riding, and hunting. A canoe landing and camping area are available to senior visitors in the village park.

La Farge  has been called “A Secret Paradise In southwest Wisconsin” where farmers enjoy life in the Driftless Region, known as “An Enchanted Land.”

 Seniors Discover the Kickapoo Valley Reserve

I’d be interested in visiting the Kickapoo Valley Reserve where seniors will find a high diversity of plant communities, and significant archeological and geological features, as well as an extensive system of rustic trails for equestrians, bikers, and hikers.

Meandering through the site is the scenic Kickapoo River bordered by numerous sheer cliffs and forested bluffs. The Center is huge with an 8569 acre tract of land jointly owned by the State of Wisconsin and the Ho- Chunk Nation and set aside for recreational and educational purposes.

Rising some 350 feet above the river are the Ocooch Mountains, a region of forested hills, lush valleys, and sandstone cliffs that stretch beyond the Kickapoo River watershed roughly from Spring Green on the east to Viroqua on the west.

Get up some courage and boat down the river from Rockton to LaFarge for some Wisconsin fun. Anyway you slice it, this part of Wisconsin is the “real thing” where senior visitors will find quaint and picturesque villages, dairy farms and beautiful scenic countryside. -jeb

Seniors Find ‘A Quiet City By The Bay’

Vallejo, known as “A Quiet City By The Bay.”, is located on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay, in the San Francisco area. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, the Jelly Belly Candy Company, Sonoma Raceway, and the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard are a few of the main attractions senior visitors can enjoy.

Mare Island, former home to the oldest Naval Base west of the Mississippi and decommissioned in 1996, has the newest homes in the city as well as some of the oldest. Touro University California, Solano Community College and California Maritime Academy (part of the CSU system) are located in Vallejo.

Vallejo has twice been the capital of California. Once in 1852 for one week, and again in 1853 for one month. The city is named after a Mexican military officer, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. Vallejo is near Mare Island, and on the Napa River. The city is on the southern tip of the Napa Valley, twenty to thirty minutes south of Napa and Sonoma in California wine country. For senior oenophiles, ideal country.

Seniors Learn About Mare Island

I would want to visit Mare Island, an historic island shipyard with a museum that presents the history of the West’s first Naval Base and Shipyard, and offers tours of officer mansions and an old chapel. Senior visitors can see the beautiful mansions, stroll the gardens and enjoy the fascinating displays at the museum.

And sunset in Vallejo! The City of Vallejo Municipal Marina is at the north end of the Downtown Marina Waterfront, close to the Mare Island Causeway and a perfect spot to enjoy sunsets every evening.

Toss in the clubs and play a round or two at Rock Springs East and West, Hiddenbrooke or Mare Island Golf Courses. One could spend a couple of days just exploring book shops or sailing and boating.

Seniors Discover Historic Districts

Local events are ongoing all year long. The Vallejo Symphony would catch my wife’s eye. The Northern California Pirate Festival looks like something I would enjoy along with the big July 4 Parade.

West Vallejo is the oldest and most historic section of the city. Saint Vincent’s Hill and Vallejo Old City are two primary historic districts.

Seniors, take in The Empress Theatre, a historical landmark located in downtown Vallejo, built in 1911.

It was re-opened in 2008 after nearly 20 years of disuse following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Enjoy the many amenities of the city  that holds on to its historic traditions. -jeb

Seniors Visit Historic Nara, Japan

Senior travelers, one of the top tourist attractions in Japan is Nara, in south-central Honshu with a population of 360,000. Do you have your coffee? Let’s go to Japan.

The city has significant temples and artwork dating to the 8th century, when it was Japan’s capital. A huge bronze Buddha is displayed in a large wooden hall in Tōdai-ji temple, located in Nara Park, which is designated one of the “Places of Scenic Beauty” by the Japanese Government.

With its cantilevered buildings, manicured lawns and deer strolling the grounds, it is said that Todai-ji Temple is  one of Japan’s must-see attractions. On the Park’s east side is the Shinto shrine Kasuga Taisha, which dates to 768 A.D. with more than 3,000 lanterns.

Seniors Love Cheery Blossom Time

Nara, once known as Heijo, was the first permanent capital of Japan, established in 710 and as such, home to the Japanese Imperial Family. The capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784 when the government was threatened by powerful Buddhist monasteries.

Seniors visitors can enjoy Yoshinoyama, known as the best cherry blossom viewing in Japan. Nara Park includes several sites that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Listing of “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.  Nara Park contains over 1,200 wild sika deer which were considered sacred, but today are considered a National Treasure.

With Eight Unesco World Heritage Sites, Nara is second only to Kyoto as a repository of Japan’s cultural legacy. The centerpiece is the Daibutsu, The Great Buddha, a giant statue 15 m/50 feet high, which is housed in the Great Buddha hall, one of the largest wooden buildings in the world.

Seniors Visit Oldest Existing Buddhist Temple

Nara is also compact: it’s quite possible to pack the highlights into one full enjoyable day. Horyu-ji Temple, which is said to have been built in the early 7th century, is known as the oldest existing Buddhist temple in Japan. The temple boasts of the world’s oldest wooden architecture, and there are many paintings and sculptures in its possession. The temple is inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

“Old Japan” is still easy to spot, from Great Buddha Hall to traditional ryokans and the serene Isuien Garden. Senior travelers enjoy taking walking tours of Nara, particularly in the historic Naramachi merchant area.

I learned that Nara is recognized as the birthplace of Japanese civilization. In retrospect, I regret that our group of 200 US educators did not put Nara on our agenda for a visit.

 Seniors, visit with your travel agent about a visit to Nara. You will not be disappointed. That’s after you visit Tokyo of course. One simply can not go to Japan without a visit to the capital.  We want to thank japan-guide.com for photos. -jeb

Seniors Enjoy Colorful New Haven

Senior travelers find New Haven located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County. It is the second-largest city in Connecticut (after Bridgeport), with a population of 130,000+.

Many folks associate Yale University when the name New Haven comes up, at least I do. Yale is an integral part of the city’s economy, being New Haven’s biggest taxpayer and employer. New Haven is a two-time winner, and two time finalist community for the National Civic League’s prestigious “All-America City Award”.

New Haven was founded in 1638 by English Puritans, thus the name. The New Haven Green is currently home to three separate historic churches. The Green remains the social center of the city today and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

Seniors Enjoy The Cultural Capitol Of Connecticut

The city is loaded with historical sites. The central common block of the town is the New Haven Green, a historic landmark and the center of downtown New Haven.

Senior visitors enjoy the many summer festivities on the New Haven Green, the shops that line Upper State Street, the Five Mile Point Lighthouse, Harkness Town and viewing the famed Connecticut Hall at Yale.

Known as the ‘Cultural Capitol of Connecticut’ for its New England heritage, New Haven provides a rich supply of museums, established theatres, music venues and art galleries. Home to the first North American public tree planting program, which includes some notable elms, New Haven is known as ‘The Elm City’.

 Seniors Drawn To New Haven’s Events

“While Greater New Haven is rife with New England heritage, even the most traditional spots – from lighthouses and charming town greens to world-class museums and Yale’s architecturally-renowned campus – become settings for lively concerts and events.”

Nightfall rarely means bedtime, with live bands, cool clubs, casual pubs, sophisticated lounges and theater performances around every corner. “A City On The Move”, senior visitors will not lack for a wide variety of things to see and do. For me, it would be fun to take in the Trolley Car Museum, as one does not see them much anymore, except perhaps in San Francisco.

TripAdvisor’s 48 things to see and do begin on the Yale campus. Beautiful it is and each building is unique. New Haven is also home to New Haven University. Bring along your demanding palate, the city abounds in ethnic restaurants.

According to the Hartford Courant, New Haven has more pedestrian activity than any place between New York City and Boston, and also has a burgeoning night life scene. Seniors will enjoy New Haven. -jeb

Seniors Enjoy The Sonoma Valley

This senior was watching a race on TV and noted that it was taking place in Sonoma, California on Sonoma Raceway.

This 2.52-mile (4.06 km) road course and drag strip is located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains in Sonoma.

Sonoma is a historic city in northern California in the heart of the renowned Sonoma Valley winemaking region. It’s known for its many art galleries and the colonial-era Sonoma Plaza.

Surrounding this plaza are significant 19th-century adobe buildings including Mission San Francisco Solano and the Sonoma Barracks, once used by the Mexican military. Seasonally, the square hosts a popular weekly farmer’s market.

Seniors Love “The Valley of the Moon”

According to Jack London, who had a ranch there, the Native American word Sonoma means “valley of the moon.” He used it for his book of the same name (1913). The Valley of the Moon remains the mythic and romantic name for the wine-growing Sonoma Valley of California.

Count Agoston Haraszthy, the father of California viticulture, created the first winery west of the Mississippi. He tried many locations but settled in Sonoma with General Vallejo’s assistance. His first winery, Buena Vista, still exists today.

There are more than 300 Sonoma wineries in Sonoma County that are regularly open to the public, just 30 miles from San Francisco. Many of TripAdvisor’s suggestions for senior visitors deal with vineyards, however a hot air balloon ride might better suit your interests or a food tour or a bike tour.

Seniors Stop At The Blue Wing Inn

I’d want to put the Sonoma Barracks, El Cuartel de Sonoma -1836, high on my “must see list.” This two-story, wide-balconied, adobe building faces the central plaza of Sonoma.

The Sonoma Barracks are directly across the street from the Mission that is in the Sonoma State Historical Park.  In 1824, Sonoma became home to the last–and most northerly–link in a chain of 21 Spanish missions built in California by Franciscan padres.

Senior visitors, don’t miss The Blue Wing Inn, one of the first hotels built in the state, north of San Francisco.

What began as a simple adobe residence, transformed with time and the addition of more rooms into a storied landmark. During the California Gold Rush it was used by miners going to and from the gold fields and by the U.S. Army soldiers stationed in Sonoma.

 Senior oenophiles, wine country doesn’t get more real than Sonoma Valley, whose rich soils mark the birthplace of California’s wine industry.

Cradled between the Mayacamas and the Sonoma Mountain ranges, Sonoma Valley encompasses a rolling patchwork of vineyards, quaint farms and 13,000 acres of scenic parkland just waiting for your visit.  -jeb

Seniors Visit “The Jewel of the Meadowlands”

Secaucus, “The Jewel of the Meadowlands, seniors learn, is located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, and is the most suburban of the county’s municipalities.

Secaucus is a derivation of the Algonquian words for “black” (seke or sukit) and “snake” (achgook), or “Place Of Snakes”, or sekakes, referring to snakes.

In the early parts of the 20th century, Secaucus became home to a number of pig farms, slaughterhouses, rendering plants, and junk yards. This gave it the reputation of being one of the most odorous towns in the New York metropolitan area. However, in 2008, the New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Secaucus among the 15 best places to live in New Jersey.

 Seniors Find Secaucus Close To Manhattan

Is any town in New Jersey more conveniently located? Secaucus is the first true suburban community outside Manhattan, just five miles from Times Square. It’s convenient, yet it’s small town. Who says you can’t have the best of both worlds?

 Senior visitors staying at the community’s many fine hotels and motels, can be in Manhattan in as little as 20 minutes via express bus. Or they quickly can be on their way to other points via the New Jersey Turnpike or State Route 3, both of which pass through the town.

And just across the Hackensack River, a mile away, is the area’s sports and entertainment center, The Meadowlands, home of the Giants, the Jets, concerts, circuses, ice shows, weekly flea market; and the Meadowlands Race Track. Dino Park is just for you folks who enjoy viewing animated dinosaurs right out of Jurassic Park.

 Seniors Ask, “What Are The Meadowlands?”

The New York Times notes that…“Hemmed in by the Hackensack River to the west, Mill Creek and Penhorn Creek to the east, Secaucus is a peninsula and part of the Hackensack Meadowlands, a 30-square-mile environmentally sensitive expanse of marshes, waterways and meadows that stretches across parts of 14 municipalities in Bergen and Hudson Counties and includes habitats or breeding grounds for 900 animal and plant species.

Among them are seven endangered bird species, including the peregrine falcon and the sedge wren, and seven endangered plants.”  You animal lovers and birders will love it here, so bring along our field glasses.

Senior travelers, the Secaucus Yards and the Secaucus Station are some of the important locations in town that are worth a visit. Secaucus is also near many of New York’s attractions like the George Washington Bridge, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Empire State Building, and the New York Botanical Gardens.

TripAdvisor has their own preferences starting with the Meadowlands Exposition Center and Mill Creek Marsh. Seniors, when you are in the New York City area, consider a stop in Secaucus, a community that has much to offer.  -jeb

Seniors Stop By Limerick

I like that name “Limerick” and my curiosity led me to see if seniors might enjoy a visit. This area was settled by Welsh immigrants in the 1690s. In 1698, William Evans christened the community “Limerick” after his hometown of Limerick in Ireland. The township has grown from a 1990 population of only 6,600 to 18,074 (2010 census).

In Limerick, senior visitors will find the William and Mordecai Evans House and Isaac Hunsberger House that are each listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many visitors enjoy the Mennonite Heritage Center that tells the story of the life of Mennonites in southeastern Pennsylvania.

The Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site where the Continental Army camped in 1777-1778.

The Independence National Historical Park, encompassing Independence Hall, the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, and Liberty Bell are all of historical significance near Limerick.

Seniors Can Golf And Shop

Facebook has a host of suggestions for senior visitors to consider. Toss in the clubs and play a round or two at beautiful Landis Creek Golf Club. The Waltz Golf Farm on West Ridge Pike has been steadily growing in Limerick since 1964 and produces bumper crops of family fun for mini-golf fans.

The Philadelphia Premium Outlets in Limerick is a 553,000-square-foot open-air outlet mall providing excellent shopping choices with over 150 stores. Upscale merchants: Calvin Klein, Coach, J.Crew, Nieman Marcus, Polo,Tommy Hilfiger and Sony, are among the featured stores ready for your browsing.

Seniors, Invite Grandkids

The Lighthouse at Landis Creek (photo by Bill Cannon) is an unusual site where visitors love to shoot their own photos. One can not help but notice the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant with steam rising from the twin towers.

Mahnderach Park invites seniors to bring along grandkids to a favored spot for enjoying the outdoors with a huge slide, BB courts and lots  of fun.

Limerick Community Day in August is a fun-filled day of entertainment, great food choices, vendors and business expositions.  The Limerick Parks and Recreation Department invites senior visitors to “Movies Under The Stars” beginning at dusk in Limerick Community Park on Swamp Pike. Attendance at the movie is free, open to the public and BYOChairs.

Seniors, you don’t have to go all the way to Ireland to enjoy Limerick!.-jeb