Moab, A Senior Destination

Moab, Utah

We welcome Michele Hill with Moab Travel Council, our guest writer this morning.  Grab your coffee and enjoy what Michele has to share with us about Moab.

Moab is a town attractive to all generations, including  senior citizens. For the active adventurous generation, the do-it-yourself folks, it is biking, climbing, rafting, camping, and trying to budget a visit in the appealing canyons, on the rivers and trails.

Families arrive in summer during the school break and take advantage of the Junior Ranger programs in the parks. They stay in lodging in town or camp in RVs with a toy hauler in tow or tent camp to give the kids a nature experience.

Retirees and senior visitors will look for the experience of an outfitter to bring safety and regional interpretation talks to outings while 4wheeling, river running, horseback riding, and sightseeing. Often these older couples visited once before, passing through on the way to somewhere else, however, Moab remained on the list to visit again only stay longer this time.

Seniors From Abroad Visit Moab

Travelers from abroad are regularly heard in the restaurants, shops, and at viewpoints. They are either in a car or rented RV and Moab is a part of a big loop of Western USA. Some foreigners visit in groups utilizing motorcoach services, stopping infrequently to take pictures, stopping more often to hike and enjoying prepaid tours on a well thought out itinerary.

Families, couples and singles of varying ages flock to Moab from across the globe. In the fall, an influx of retirees, senior citizens and empty nesters are taking advantage of cooler temperatures and the fact that children are back in school.

Moab City

Full time RV residents regularly stop in Moab during a leisurely voyage to snow bird destinations. The motorcoach series of seniors increases too. Local experts are hired to step on the bus to provide developed messages about the flora, fauna and area history during the sightseeing of Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands and/or Arches National Parks.

Moab Senior Games…

All year round there are Photography Workshops. Moab Senior Games are held in early November, and Pickleball, a growing sport in active adult RV resorts across the nation, is on the competition schedule for the Moab Senior Games, an event for 50+ year olds.

Arches National Park has seen significant growth. All ages adore the park. Sand Dune Arch is nature’s sandbox and can be clamoring with youthful exuberance any summer day.  The heaviest visitation in Arches also occurs between the hours of 10 AM – 4:30 PM.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Go to Dead Horse Point State Park or Canyonlands National Park or to the alternate trails on Bureau of Land Management lands, like Corona and Morning Glory Arches during these hours instead.

Some desert hiking tips : in the warmest months start the trail early to finish up by 10 AM or go in the evenings, to avoid the heat of day. Carry and drink water. Bring a bandana along to wet and mop skin for the instant evaporative cooling it affords.

Enjoy Moab!!  Michele Hill, Guest Writer

Senior Wine Lovers Discover Provence

I am pleased to introduce Emilie & Guillaume THYEBAUT to our Senior Citizen Travelers. Emilie and Guillaume are organizers of self-guided tour packages , especially for senior citizen travelers. Grab your coffee and   enjoy Emilie’s thoughts on wine tasting in Provence.

The Provence region, located in the South East of France is a true marvel for gourmet and history lovers. Independent senior travelers will find there everything they need to have a real taste of France.

From the Mediterranean Sea, in Marseille and the nearby Calanques Creeks in Cassis…to Montélimar area – half way to Lyon – Provence is not one single region but a medley of many different landscapes, wine terroirs and local traditions.

Senior travelers who may stay in the main tourist roads, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Arles, Marseille might miss the ambiance, the colors and flavors that make this region so special. It is really important to drive in Provence and get lost in the little roads weaving in gorgeous sceneries to really feel the beating heart of this part of France.

Seniors Meet Côtes du Rhône Wines

In the strict sense of the term the Provence wines includes 9 different AOC (protected appellation of origin) : Côtes du Ventoux (near Bedoin, Carpentras), Costières de Nimes (in Nimes area – Western Provence), Côtes du Luberon (East of Avginon), Côteaux de Pierrevert (near Sisteron), Côteaux d’Aix en Provence, Côteaux Varois (East of Aix), Bandol and Cassis (both nearby the Mediterranean Sea, East of Marseille).

When visiting the area, wine lovers should not miss the neighbor protected appellation of Côtes du Rhône – including Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines which are among the best red wines in the world. Chateauneuf-du-Pape town is only 35 minute drive from Avignon.

There are many different ways to taste Provence wines and wine makers have developed a lot of different tools for travelers to discover the regional products.

Seniors Walk in the Vineyards

Many Provence wine makers have installed signs in their vineyards so senior travelers can discover the terroir before tasting the wines. It is very important to understand the features of a soil to better taste a wine.

For those who don’t want to walk, they can also drive a sand dune buggy 2 seat vehicle in the vineyards – following a local guide.

Some wine estates have found a nice solution to the drink & drive issue: after the tasting, they offer a great picnic in the estate – often with tables in the vineyards – so travelers can eat local cold cuts, cheeses and fruits – and rest – before driving. This is a simple activity but it might be one of the best memories of your trip!

Some local guides are very knowledgeable and take travelers to wineries they could not find by themselves. That’s a great way for wine connoisseurs to taste some specific wines they have identified in advance…or for wine “apprentice” to get introduced to wine tasting in several cellars – to be able to compare different types of wines. Emilie

House Sitting Perfected: A Senior Adventure

I’m enjoying coffee with Angela this morning. Our guest contributor is the resident in house expert on the team of Trustedhousesitters.com , the world’s largest house sitting organisation providing help and advice to both pet/home owners and house sitters, also a regular contributor with RetireWow, Starts at Sixty and Boomeon , the online Baby Boomer Community. Senior friends, enjoy her story.

Angela and John

“One of my favourite life quotes is from St Augustine: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

For 25 years John and I devoured a virtual library of travel with his job as a Petroleum Engineer. We traveled the world living the expat life not always in paradise, but I wouldn’t have missed a moment. It’s said there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. There is a third … retirement, it comes to us all, eventually.

We’d planned for it financially but definitely not emotionally. In truth, as much as our travels had given so they had taken away a sense of belonging, roots and connection with a community. We had become life long nomads, staying put wasn’t even remotely appealing.

Retirement had all the prospects of  a life “too normal”, plus John and I are two very independent individuals with much of our married life spent apart. This wasn’t going to be an easy fix. So began our “putting down roots” quest: we knew where we didn’t want to live, what we didn’t want to do.

Holly

We bought a home in France, stayed a year. Then a beautiful ocean-front home on Vancouver Island, a B&B, realizing a long held ambition of mine. Accompanying us on this journey was our beloved Springer, Holly: from Africa to India, Germany, France, England and Canada she was there for fourteen years.

I believe our smart and beautiful Holly guided us towards this amazing pet and house-sitting adventure knowing exactly what we needed in our lives ….. animals and travel!

Taking us across five continents, we get to live like a local.  Our travels have purpose, keeping pets safe and happy giving owners absolute peace of mind. We’re not simply on vacation. Making new friends, both two and four legged, is unavoidable!

view from our terrace in Spain

This travel lifestyle has enriched our retirement beyond measure and could not be financially possible any other way, we’ve saved thousands of $$$$. If we had to pay for everything, our children would have shut us down long ago, we’d be spending their inheritance.

Since October 2013 we’ve been on assignment in Spain enjoying a lovely villa with views of the Mediterranean and the company of a dear and lovable Doberman named Bruno. Our BC home safe in our sitters care.

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but many seniors can enjoy this lifestyle. For these retirees, travel simply doesn’t get any better. Angela

Why Senior Citizens Love Turtle Bay Resort

Are you a senior citizen or a child of a senior? Whichever your answer, you are probably thinking of a place to spend retirement for yourself or for your parents. Among the places that pop in your mind, here are the reasons why Turtle Bay Resort is the better option.

Vow Renewal

Turtle Bay Resort is frequented by many couples for their destination wedding. As a matter of fact, the resort has hosted over 350 weddings a year. The stunning oceanfront and the sparkling sandy beaches are the reasons why even wedding proposals happen here. If you are one of the guests in the beach wedding celebrated here, you will fall in love the same way that every couple has felt.

The resort also offers an excellent wedding and honeymoon package. A wedding florist is available who offers a variety of tropical blooms in a form of leis and bouquets. But, Turtle Bay is not only a perfect place for tying the knot, it is also the perfect place for seniors to renew their vows. The resort is now offering a vow renewal package for two which includes dinner and flowers.

Expert tip: Did you know that Turtle Bay is the only resort in Hawaii that can use arches and chairs in their beach weddings? That’s a major plus if you’ll be inviting several guests.

Secluded Venue

Reminiscing the good ol’ days is one of the inevitable parts of life as a person matures and grows older. This moment is appreciated more when it’s shared with someone special who has been there through the ups and downs of the journey. This may sound like a scene from a melodramatic-themed movie but it really happens.

Many seniors enjoy spending the day having a good walk down memory lane with their special someone in the comfort of their home or at a chosen scenic spot. The spectacular view of the beach does not only provide a beautiful setting for senior citizen couples but it also gives them a tranquil place to spend a moment together.

Senior-Friendly Spa

Senior citizens can benefit from the spa at Turtle Bay. Although age and health conditions may restrict some seniors from all the services, the professional staff guides them with appropriate treatment. With a guide, senior citizens are safe with Swedish massage offered in Nalu Kinetic Spa. It’s one of the gentlest massages that calms the body. It reduces tired muscle tension, improves circulation and relieves symptoms due to arthritis. The sessions may be done indoors or in an outdoor garden view room.

Body care, skin care, manicures and pedicures are also offered. Just as the vows are renewed, Nalu Kinetic Spa can rejuvenate the aging skin through its ECO CERT products which include the popular Plant Stem Cell serum.

Weddings, vow renewal or spa, you’ll find it all at Turtle Bay.