Christmas Island Is Real For Seniors

Senor travelers, Christmas Island might sound like a made-up name, but it’s actually a far-away island northwest of Australia that is famed for an incredible annual red crab migration.

Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, Christmas Island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888 followed by phosphate mining that began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee and let’s head off for Christmas Island.

Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park and it’s full of natural attractions. The Island is located about 1,600 miles north of Perth, Australia and 300 miles south of Java, Indonesia.

Seniors Fall In Love With This Jewel

Christmas Island is called a Natural Wonder and is known as a “Jewel in the Indian Ocean.” Senior tourists enjoy watching the annual parade of millions of the brightest red critters on earth as they swarm the beaches to mate and spawn.

The crabs  seem to be everywhere. The migration usually occurs at the beginning of the wet season, in November, December, depending on the whims of nature. It is estimated that 40 – 50 million of these bright red land crabs live in their preferred shady sites all over the island. Crabs aside, there is a plethora of things to see and do on the island.

Seniors, if you made a list of exotic islands that you wanted to visit, Christmas Island would probably be near the bottom of your list. That is if you’d even heard of it to put it on your list in the first place.

Christmas Island? It sounds made up—like the kind of magical land dreamed into existence just to host a Disney park. But that’s far from the truth. In fact, Christmas Island is real and 63 percent of the Island is a national park which makes for great for hiking.

Seniors Find Beautiful Coral and Abundant Marine Life

Senior visitors enjoy snorkeling or diving in the Christmas Island Marine Park, which boasts unspoiled coral and abundant marine wildlife.

Phosphate mining was the the reason for the first settlement in the 19th century and remains a major contributor to the local economy. Scenery abounds in all directions of Christmas Island and it is a haven for a relaxing get-away for folks of all ages.

Me, I’d want to tour the island on a rental scooter, said to be the best and most cost efficient way to get around the island. The Christmas Island Tourist Association provides information for senior visitors looking for restaurants and attractions. The Visitor Information Centre features a video viewing room where you can enjoy watching some of the many fascinating documentaries produced about Christmas Island.

So visit with your travel agent and make plans for an adventure to an Awesome Island that will leave you with many pleasant memories. -jeb

Seniors Explore Best Places To Visit

Many seniors enjoy traveling during their retirement years. Today the variety of tours is almost limitless. Senior travelers might enjoy educational tours . Culinary Tours, Art Tours, Science Tours, Foreign Language Tours, Performance Tours, College Visit Tours, Theater and Drama Tours, and Adventure Tours are among the many possibilities.

Daily Women Talks lists their Top 8 Destinations for Seniors starting with Niagara Falls. If you have never paid a visit to the Falls, its time. Branson is one of the most popular destinations for seniors, especially for the more active folks. Golf, museums, shopping, and shows  are some of the many activities offered by this big music town. Given the title  “Live Music Show Capital of the World”, Branson they say, is the best alternative for Las Vegas.

The biggest advantage of being in your senior years is having tons of free time to spend traveling. Whether you are planning a solo trip, a trip with your loved one or even a family trip with your grandchildren there are many beautiful destinations around the U.S with special budget offers for seniors that you can choose from.

Group Tours For Seniors

Group Tours has a listing of their preferences for senior group tours if you prefer to travel with a group or with friends.

About Travel lists their top destinations for seniors. They hike up into Canada and then take off for France. France is the world’s top travel destination. France has it all – the Alps, the Normandy coast, soaring church spires and historic castles, then add in France’s excellent food and delightful wine choices.

About Travel has bargains all set for you with a variety of tours and sites. They list the top sites in Europe and then Australia and New Zealand.

Travel Clubs For Seniors

Check out your own region. There are senior travel clubs that cater to singles or groups.  Clubs that offer cultural tours.  Clubs that provide discounts.  Clubs that fit just about any need or desire.

One could go on and on with this blog, but we will draw it to a close with Home Away that takes seniors abilities and interests in mind. They note that for many seniors, retirement opens up a whole new world of possibilities. The kids are grown and on their own, and seniors are no longer tied to their jobs.

This is your chance to get away, see the world, and enjoy life with family and friends and make new friends. The world is your oyster, so why not spend your days out exploring. Start your mind wandering with these travel suggestions.  Enjoy making plans for a super vacation and perhaps view a few Senior Travel Tips prior to your departure. The choice is all yours. Enjoy . -jeb

Seniors Head For Caribbean’s Thrilling Side

Senior travelers, the awards for the Best Caribbean Destinations are in and Saba ranked in the top ten. The Reader’s Choice Awards (10 Best.com) selected the Dominican Republic as #1, but Saba made the list. A panel of experts and voted on by the public and ten islands were awarded the top choices.

This Caribbean island in the Lesser Antilles chain, is a special municipality of the Netherlands, measuring just 13 square kilometers. Its surrounding Saba Marine Park, a renowned dive site, is home to coral formations, dolphins, sharks and turtles. There are also offshore seamounts, or underwater mountains created by volcanic activity.

The Chicago Tribune noted that Saba is “Unspoiled, Underdeveloped and Undeniably Beautiful.”  WSJ highlights its “Stunning Scenery.” The island is called an “Unspoiled Queen” and a “Tropical Kingdom.”

Seniors Visit Scenic Volcanic Island

Saba is in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, 28 miles southwest of its international hub the island of St. Maarten. In 2010 Saba became part of a Special municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands together with the islands of St. Eustatius and Bonaire.

Saba’s birth was traumatic. Circa 500,000 BC the island was formed as the top of a volcano that became active during the middle of the late Pleistocene era. Now a dormant volcano, she has not erupted for about 5,000 years, so no trouble today.

TripAdvisor has nearly two dozen attractions and things to do that senior travelers will not want to overlook. Dense forest drapes its peaks and valleys, making it look like Ireland, while the traditional red-roofed houses with their green shutters and white gingerbread trim seem plucked from a Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale.

Seniors Find Colorful Underwater Kingdom

Below the waterline lies a colorful kingdom of coral teeming with sharks, turtles and luminous tropical fish. There is no crime, little traffic and a close-knit local community that’s genuinely happy to be in their ‘Garden of Eden’.

The population of Saba is 1,991 people spread into four major villages and includes the 200-300 medical students attending the Saba University of Medicine. The medical school houses a hyperbaric chamber, which coincides nicely with Sabas extensive diving draw.

Sugar and rum were Saba’s chief exports through the 18th century, as well as fishing, particularly lobster fishing, later. Once trade routes became more open, Saban Lace, a derivative of Spanish Lace, became very popular. By 1928 the women of Saba were exporting $15,000 worth of lace yearly.

Saba is a 15 minutes plane ride from St. Maarten’s Juliana International Airport, the region’s largest airport with flights to the US and Europe. Senior visitors will find the people on Saba to be very friendly.

Taxi drivers have even been known to pick up hitchers, not charging them for the ride if that’s the direction they’re going anyway. Seniors, put Saba on your travel bucket list and enjoy a unique experience. -jeb

Seniors Stop In Hanover, New Hampshire

Senior movie goers, if you have seen A Walk In The Woods , then perhaps you will recall that Robert Redford’s character, who lived in Hanover, chose to take a long hike on the Appalachian Trail, with an old high school friend (Nick Nolte). What a fun movie…these seniors thoroughly enjoyed it. And it was based on a true story.

So get your coffee, today we’re going to Hanover , a town of approximately 11,500 on the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut River in the area known as the Upper Valley.

In the movie two senior hikers get to know the country’s spectacular scenic trail . Along the way, the pair get up close to breathtaking landscapes, fascinating wildlife (a pair of huge brown bears), and lush green mountain prairies in the Smokies.

Seniors Enjoy Beautiful Dartmouth College

Now let’s check out Hanover. Hanover was spelled “Hannover” in the 1761 charter. Hanover celebrated its 250th birthday in 2011. TripAdvisor invites you to check out several attractions beginning with Dartmouth College, an excellent Ivy League university founded in 1769.  That’s where I would head for on my visit to town.

After that walk through the beautiful campus, I’d be sure to take in the Hopkins Center on the scenic Dartmouth College green that features plays, musical performances, movies and such. Senior visitors enjoy The Hood Museum and the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen among numerous area galleries and museums that are home to a thriving local community of artisans.

Seniors Also Enjoy Beautiful Upper Valley

The local Chamber notes that the Town of Hanover and surrounding region is a part of what is known as “The Upper Valley”. This designation refers to a geographic area stretching along both sides of the Connecticut River in central New Hampshire and Vermont.

At the region’s center are the towns of Hanover and Lebanon in New Hampshire and Norwich and Hartford (White River Junction) in Vermont. The Appalachian Trail and Moose Mountain make for great hiking. The nearby Connecticut River offers boating and fishing.

The Hanover area is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and senior travelers are invited to check out Hanover for yourselves. -jeb

Seniors Venture Down To Wanaka, New Zealand

I recently read in a popular travel magazine that one of the hottest towns in New Zealand today is Wanaka, population 7,400 , a popular ski and summer resort town in the Otago region of the South Island. Senior travelers find Wanaka situated at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, at the start of the Clutha River.

The present site of Wanaka was first surveyed in 1863, and settlement increased in Pembroke (the old name for Wanaka) during the 1870s because of timber milling in the Matukituki Valley and the use of Lake Wanaka for transport. Tourism in the town began in 1867 with the opening of the first hotel.

Since then, the town is booming and  is much more than a winter destination for skiing. Year round activities include fishing, hiking, what they call canyoning , climbing steep hills and skydiving. Visit the nearby towns of Queenstown, Cromwell and Alexandra where senior visitors can go shopping, or simply sit in a local café and watch the world go by while enjoying some great local wine and dishes.

Seniors Enjoy Resort Town

Lake Wanaka itself is popular for waterskiing, wakeboarding and sailing. This along with the local rivers provide many opportunities for fishing and there is a dedicated mountain biking area made by volunteers located in a pine forest.

Lake Wanaka is a major drawing card providing lots for seniors to enjoy. The town is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. Wanaka is primarily a resort town for both summer and winter seasons and its economy is based on the many outdoor opportunities the region offers.

It was originally settled during the gold rush of the 19th century. Today, along with the rest of the Queenstown-Lakes District, it is growing rapidly, with the population increasing by 50% between 2005 and 2015. Wanaka boasts a growing number of fine restaurants, cafes and a diverse nightlife. Check out these 18 events and see if any catch your eye.

Fun Things For Seniors To Do In Wanaka

Puzzling World contains a maze, optical illusions and a leaning clock tower which for over forty years  has been messing with people’s heads no matter their age, nationality or experience. With a mix of bizarre buildings, rooms of illusion and the world-famous Great Maze this attraction is designed to baffle your brain and challenge your perceptions of reality.

The Paradiso is a classic old cinema, with seating consisting of old couches and an in-theatre Morris Minor (a British car). For senior oenophiles, there are a number of wineries for sampling in the area. Just out of town next to the Wanaka Airport is the National Transport and Toy Museum that folks of all ages enjoy.

Put Wanaka on your travel bucket list and enjoy all that the city has to offer. What a neat time you will have in New Zealand. -jeb

Seniors Head For Oxford

This time seniors head for historic Oxford in central southern England, a city that revolves around its prestigious university. Established in the 12th century, this university remains the oldest in the English-speaking world. So get your coffee and let’s head for Great Britain.

Oxford, the City of Dreaming Spires ,  has a population of just over 160,000 inhabitants. Senior visitors will find Oxford in the county town of Oxfordshire.

The architecture of the 30-plus university colleges revolve around the city’s medieval center.

Aside from the beautiful buildings of Oxford University, there are many other buildings well worth visiting  while in town. Some are associated with the University, and some are not, but most of them are old and fascinating and are definitely photo-worthy.

Seniors Enjoy The Historical

Oxford was first settled in Saxon times and was initially known as “Oxenaforda”, meaning “Ford of the Oxen.” For over 800 years, it has been a home to royalty and scholars, and since the 9th century an established town, although people are known to have lived in the area for thousands of years.

St Martin’s Tower, popularly called “Carfax Tower”, is usually considered the center of Oxford. TripAdvisor, has over 150 attractions for senior visitors to consider.

I’d first search out the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, since I enjoy museums and ancient history.  It was the world’s first public museum, founded in 1683. Today, it’s one of the most important museums of art and archaeology in Britain.

Lonely Planet notes that Oxford is one of the world’s most famous university cities. It is a privileged place, steeped in history and studded with famous buildings, yet it maintains the feel of a young town, thanks to its large student population.

Seniors Enjoy Oxford University

“The elegant honey-colored buildings of the colleges that make up the university wrap around tranquil courtyards along narrow cobbled lanes, and inside their grounds, a studious calm reigns. Just as in Cambridge, the existence of ‘town’ beside ‘gown’ makes it more than simply a bookish place of learning.”

Spend some time roaming through Oxford University and you will find it to be a lot like it was years ago.

I will depart with an Oxford City Guide . Enjoy your visit. -jeb

Seniors Fall In Love With Warsaw

Dzien’ dobry .  I recently read in a Travel & Experience section of our local Sunday paper that Warsaw is considered to be vibrant and trendy and a great place for a visit . Senior friends, get your coffee and let’s go to Warsaw today see why it is gathering so much attention in the travel world.

I learned  that Warsaw is the sprawling capital of Poland with a population or nearly 2 million. It has been on the rise since Poland joined the EU in 2004. Senior visitors soon find out that the old is combined with the new throughout the city.

Its widely varied architecture, from Gothic churches and neoclassical palaces to Soviet-era blocks and modern skyscrapers, reflects the city’s long, turbulent history. As Poland’s cultural hub, Warsaw has a thriving nightlife and music scene, both classical and underground.

Seniors Enjoy Poland’s Capital City

Warsaw, with over 400 years of pride as a capital, is Poland’s largest city and an economic, political, and cultural center. The symbol of the city is the Mermaid, featured on the city seal. You will find mermaids all over the city.

Warsaw is a bustling metropolis and features an unforgettable history. A city where a fourth of the terrain is covered by parkland and a city of culture for all tastes and budgets. Most of Warsaw’s tourist attractions are on the left or western bank of the Vistula River.

Lonely Planet notes that once you’ve travelled around Poland, you realize this: Warsaw is different. Rather than being centered on an old market square, the capital is spread across a broad area with diverse architecture: restored Gothic, communist concrete, modern glass and steel.

This jumble is a sign of the city’s tumultuous past. Warsaw has suffered the worst history could throw at it, including virtual destruction at the end of World War II – and survived.

Senior Visitors Eat Their Way Through Town

This senior would head out first for The Warsaw Old Town, one of the most prominent tourist attractions and the oldest part of the capital city and also a World Heritage Site.

During the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, more than 85% of Warsaw’s historic center was destroyed by Nazi troops. After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today’s meticulous restoration of the Old Town, with its churches, palaces and market-place.

For you senior gourmet folks, they say that you can “eat your way through town.” Take a look at the Top Ten Attractions in Warsaw by My Destination. Enjoy your time in Warsaw. You will come away with  many fond memories and maybe even pick up a few words in Polish. Do widzenia -jeb

Seniors Stop In Waipahu, On O’ahu

I read in the paper today that back in 2010 the Little League Baseball team from Waipahu played Japan for the world championship (LLWS). So today, get your coffee, we senior travelers are going for a visit to Hawaii.

I discovered that the early Hawaiians considered Waipahu to be the capital of the island and  Hawaiian royalty used to gather here to enjoy the fresh clean spring water. Potable springs were always important when surrounded by the salt water of the Pacific Ocean.

So, Aloha From Waipahu, Hawaii .  Aloha is a greeting as well as a farewell and is often accompanied by a Skaka. Know what that is? Seniors who have visited the islands have no doubt seen the famous hand gesture coupled with the greeting “shaka, brah!”

The first and last digits are held up and rotated rapidly back and forth. Originally it meant to “hang loose “, or to chill out and be laid back and is most often used as a positive reinforcement.

Seniors Discover A Former Sugar Plantation Town

Waipahu is a former sugar plantation town and now census-designated place located in the ʻEwa District on the island of Oʻahu with a population of just under 40,000. The name Waipahu is derived from wai , meaning water, and pahū , meaning “burst or explode”… “water forced up (as out of a spring)”.

I’ve studied the Hawaiian language some having taught languages for over 30 years and found it to be fascinating. The Hawaiian language, or Olelo Hawaii, is one of the oldest living languages in the world with, get this… only 8 consonants and five vowels – much simpler than English.

So let’s explore Waipahu, and Hawaii’s Plantation Village is a great place to start, perfect location for family, and all ages to explore a living history museum and botanical garden. A visit here opens a door to a time of true hospitality and cultural sharing that sprung from Hawaii’s plantation life.

Seniors Find Outlets, Museums and Golf Courses

Waipahu is close to Pearl Harbor on Oʻahu’s southern short. A big draw for many senior visitors is shopping and the Waikele Outlets fits the bill very well. What else to do? Senior visitors enjoy the Contemporary Museum, U.S. Army Museum, USS Bowfin and Submarine Museum and Park.

Theater lovers can enjoy the Hawaii Theater. Those interested in golf can play a round or two at the Waikele Golf Club, Ted Makalena Golf Course, or Pali Municipal Golf Course.

There are several institutions of higher learning in Waipahu that include Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kapiolani Community College, and Brigham Young University – Hawaii Campus.

So Welcome to Waipahu and perhaps you too can take in a LLWS contender by watching a game of baseball to add to your list of memories on Oʻahu.  Enjoy Waipahu. -jeb

Seniors Find Another Great American Food Town

Why would seniors want to stop in Driftwood Texas? Well, most of all it was selected by Condé Nast Traveler magazine as a Great American Food Town.  It is famous for Salt Lick BBQ on Farm to Market Road. So, get your coffee and let’s check out Driftwood, Texas and another Great American Food Town.

This BYOB, cash-only, BBQ spot with a rustic setting & live music outdoors is about 25 miles down the road southwest of Austin. The folks there are delighted to share their world-renowned Bar-B-Que with senior visitors along with an extra portion of Texas Hill Country hospitality.

The Roberts family recipes have roots back to the wagon trains in the mid-1800′s. They want you to enjoy the same warm atmosphere and delicious Bar-B-Que they savored around the campfire years back. Does that entice your palate?

Seniors Enjoy More Than They Can Eat

If you know about the Amana Colonies in Iowa, they are famed for their family style servings placed right on the table in front of you. Salt Lick has a menu that will set senior visitors up with heaping helpings of beef, sausage, and pork ribs, served with potato salad, cole slaw, beans, bread, pickles, and onions right on your table.

Driftwood is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in northern Hays County, Texas. It lies along Farm to Market Road 150, north of the city of San Marcos, the county seat of Hays County.

The town is steeped in history and although the earliest settlers arrived in the area now known as Driftwood around 1850, the community was established later in the 1880s.

Driftwood shrank almost to a ghost town by the early twentieth century; although it grew somewhat by the middle of the century, it returned to its almost-deserted state by the 1970s.

Seniors Sample Texas Hill Country Wines

Driftwood is home to The Wildflower Barn Event Center and the Lazy 8 Ranch which had its dry mix products featured by the Texas Department of Agriculture in the 2010 Texas State Fair.

TripAdvisor suggests a Texas Trail Ride and for senior oenophiles (that’s a wine enthusiast), they also suggest a visit to the Duchman, Driftwood Estate or Wimberley Valley Wineries.

That will keep you hopping cross-country for a while sampling some fine Texas Hill Country Wines.

I counted a dozen different types of wine at the Duchman Winery made from 100% Texas grapes. Folks who have been to the Driftwood Estate Winery on Elder Hill Rd. commented on not only the quality of the wine, but the fabulous scenery.

One last view of Salt Lick and the open pit used for making their famous BBQ. Viewing that video really made me hungry. How about you? -jeb

Seniors Enjoy The “Barbecue Capital of Texas”

Seniors, are you by any chance…“into barbecue?” If, so then set your GPS for Lockhart, grab your coffee and let’s go to a Texas city of 13,000 just 30 miles south of Austin. The city of Lockhart is named after Byrd Lockhart, an assistant surveyor of Green DeWitt and reportedly the first Anglo to set foot in Caldwell County in the 1800’s.

Lockhart was the site of a victory of the Texans over the Comanche, at the Battle of Plum Creek in 1840. Lockhart was originally called “Plum Creek” but the name was later changed to Lockhart. So there’s our initial history lesson on Lockhart.

Now let’s go exploring and learn more about all that delicious barbecue. It is a beautiful city and very big on Little League Baseball.

Seniors Take The Challenge

In 1999, the Texas Legislature proclaimed Lockhart the “Barbecue Capital of Texas”. Lockhart has four major barbecue restaurants, so take your pick. Better yet, take The Lockhart BB-Q Challenge.  The rules are simple – Eat at all 4 BBQ spots in Lockhart in just one day and then…Good Luck and be sure to bring your own supply of antacid.

Sound like fun?  It is. So don’t miss a one and here they are : Blacks Barbecue, Chisholm Trail BBQ, Kreuz Market, and Smitty’s Market, all well-known by the locals and visitors from all across the nation.

Seniors, when you have recovered from overeating, take a hike along Clear Fork Creek and then later in the day, play a round of two of golf at Lockhart State Park. Look up the Dr. Eugene Clark Library, the oldest operating public library in the state of Texas.

Seniors Take Day Trip To Lockhart

Lockhart is a great day-trip or weekend destination from San Antonio, Austin, Houston, the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and anywhere in between. Read about Lockhart history and learn all about the town and be sure to hit the button labeled Visitors.

The Caldwell County Courthouse is a beautiful old historic building that was constructed in 1894. It is a classic that was built in the Second Empire architectural style. Senior travelers just don’t see many courthouses like this one anywhere. Another classic is the former Caldwell County Jailhouse that now serves as the County Historical Museum.

This Lockhart Guide of events, dining, hotels and area information will prove helpful for senior visitors. So set your GPS for Lockhart, Texas and enjoy all the amenities, and in particular, all that delicious smoky barbecue. -jeb