Seniors Head North To Ketchikan

Ketchikan , population 8,214, is an Alaskan city that senior travelers will find facing the Inside Passage, a popular cruise route along the state’s southeastern coast. It’s known for its many Native American totem poles, on display throughout the town.

Ketchikan is known as Alaska’s “first city” due to its location at the southern tip of the Inside Passage. This city, 689 miles northwest of Seattle, is the first city you reach as you cruise north, and for many visitors, their first introduction to the beauty and majesty of Alaska.

Nearby Misty Fiords National Monument is a glacier-carved wilderness that features snow capped mountains, waterfalls and salmon spawning streams. It’s also home to rich wildlife including black bears, wolves and bald eagles.

Seniors Like The Totem Poles

Its history goes back to 1885 when a fellow named Mike Martin purchased 160 acres of land from Chief Kyan, and this area later became the township of Ketchikan.

The Cape Fox Tlingits and Tongass used Ketchikan Creek as a fish camp. They called the area ‘kitschk-hin.’ The large resources of timber and fish attracted the non-natives to Ketchikan. In 1892, the Ketchikan Post Office was established. Seven canneries were in operation by 1936. Later on, several lumber mills opened in the city.

The living, artistic traditions of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples gave rise to the original totem poles that are on display in The Totem Heritage Center. Senior visitors can enjoy the Ketchikan Public Library, the oldest continually-operating library in the State of Alaska, founded in 1901.

Seniors Enjoy Alaska’s First City

There are a good number of lakes like Fawn Lake and Scout Lake, where your chances of landing one are good, so toss in your best rod and reel. I’d want to visit the Tongass Historical Museum where seniors will learn the history of Alaska’s feisty “First City.” The Museum tells the authentic tale of Ketchikan as a Native fish camp, gold and copper mining center, fishing port, timber town, cannery site, transportation hub, and lively community.

Then there’s Dolly’s House – the only “den of iniquity” that still stands today at Number 24 Creek Street. Its green dollhouse appearance looks much like it did during its heyday. Inside you’ll find photos of Dolly, the cabbage rose wallpaper she favored, and you might even spot the “secret closet” in Dolly’s bedroom, where she stashed contraband liquor during the Prohibition years.

The 40 acre Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary, 8 miles from Ketchikan, has tall stands of spruce, hemlock and cedar trees with a forest floor saturated with mosses, wild flowers and a variety of berries.

Ketchikan , the fifth most populous city in the state, is truly the beginning of the last frontier. Set at the southernmost entrance to Alaska’s famed Inside Passage—a network of waterways that snake through some of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful wilderness in the world—Ketchikan is best known for three things: feisty salmon, idyllic scenery, and an incredibly rich Alaska Native culture.

Seniors, enjoy Ketchikan. -jeb

Seniors Can Enjoy The Hike

There are many possibilities for trekking tours in Greenland. The south of Greenland offers senior hikers a great variety in landscape from grasslands to glaciers, in the east the mountains are steeper and higher than other places on this great island, and the west is home to some of the world’s biggest glaciers and the unique Ilulissat ice fjord.

Greenland is a massive island and an autonomous Danish territory between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, with much of its land surface covered in ice. Most of its small population lives along the ice-free, fjord-lined coast, particularly in the southwest.

Its northerly position, largely above the Arctic Circle, offers natural phenomena such as summer’s midnight sun and winter’s northern lights. Greenland has the largest natural park in the world.

Seniors Discover The Greenland Ice Sheet

There are hiking trails for the long distance trekker and the casual day-hiker. Follow low elevation routes for a few hours and take in the Arctic ambience, or extend the trip a bit and hike from inland out to the coastline.

Join Arctic Caving Adventure on a day trip to the ice cap. Eat lunch in a landscape of white snow and ice. Experience the ever-moving and rugged frontier of ice and the amazing blaze of color in the ice chasms.

Some destinations in the world are home to the most active volcano or the largest coral reef, but Greenland has something of a totally different nature as its claim to fame – the Greenland Ice Sheet.

This coast-to-coast ice cap has almost single-handedly formed the world’s perceptions of this large northern country, and for the many populations who have lived in Greenland throughout the millennia, it has all but defined the entire way of life.

Seniors Discover The Greenland Destination

Mining, fishing and hunting have comprised most of the large island’s small economy for centuries. This Arctic country might be huge, but a trip to western Greenland can take in a breathtaking range of sights, from Disko Bay’s iceberg studded waters to valleys so vast you’ll feel like the last hiker on Earth.

Senior travelers to Greenland can visit three isolated villages with colorful houses, friendly people and howling sled dogs and spend the nights in the middle of the settlements.

Magnificent adventures lie at senior visitors feet. The words magnificent, unrivaled and unspoiled are common because that’s the way it is. Great expanses, green oases, small flowers, ice, modest and challenging ascents. What more could you wish for?

Senior adventurers, pack those hiking boots, some warm duds and visit with your travel agent for a great hiking experience in Greenland. There are many tours .  Who knows, maybe I just might run into you there. It’s on my travel bucket list. -jeb

Seniors Travel Afar To Port Hedland, Australia

How did I come up with this one? I saw an awesome lightning photo just off of Port Hedland..it was fantastic. So, today seniors travel to the Outback in Australia.

Port Hedland is the second largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with an estimated urban population of 15,100. It is also the site of the highest tonnage port in Australia.

Port Hedland, is known by the indigenous Kariyarra and Nyamal people as Marapikurrinya, which means “place of good water”, as told by a Nyamal language speaker.

Port Hedland is the gateway to the Pilbara. To the east senior travelers can explore the wild, rugged beauty of Karijini National Park, with its spectacular natural gorges, waterfalls and pools, perfect for hiking and walking. The main industries are iron ore processing and export, salt production, and livestock production.

Seniors Visit A Large, Working Harbor

Port Hedland was established in 1896 in Kariyarra country on the Pilbara coast about 1,110 miles from Perth. Today there are two main centers: business Port Hedland, located on the coast, and residential South Hedland, 8 miles inland.

Port Hedland is one of the world’s largest and busiest working harbors, filled with grand, austere ships that transport hundreds of millions of tons of cargo each year to distant places.

In Port Hedland, anyone coming to the center of town has a ringside seat for some of the greatest industrial drama in the Pilbara, a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples, its ancient landscapes, the Red earth and its vast mineral deposits.

Seniors, Meet Red Dog

Red earth …now view Red Dog , a 2011 film about a dog who took it upon himself to travel all over the Outback. It is based on the incredible, legendary, true story of a red dog who united a disparate local community while roaming the Australian Outback in search of his long lost master. At the 2011 Inside Film Awards, Red Dog was nominated in nine categories and won seven, including best feature film.

Port Hedland has a natural deep anchorage harbor which, as well as being the main fuel and container receiving point for the region, was seen as perfect for shipment of the iron ore being mined in the ranges located inland from the town.

Other major resource activities supported by the town include the offshore natural gas fields, salt, manganese, and livestock. Grazing of cattle and sheep was formerly a major revenue earner for the region but this has slowly declined.

TripAdvisor has been to Port Hedland and suggests that seniors visit Pretty Pool. Senior travelers are invited to discover the rich cultural heritage of Port Hedland, incredible stories of the local Indigenous people and its economic significance as a powerhouse of the Australian economy.  -jeb

Seniors Visit The Ancient wonders Of Sicily

This senior has a friend at the gym who hails from Sicily. My senior friend tells me that Sicily is beautiful and that I should go there for a visit. So I invite you to come along…let’s get our coffee and be on our way.

Sicily , the largest Mediterranean island (pop. 5 million), lies off the “toe” of Italy’s “boot.” Its rich history is reflected in multiple sites like the Valley of the Temples, the well-preserved ruins of 7 monumental Doric-style Greek temples, and in the Byzantine mosaics at the Cappella Palatina, a former royal chapel in its capital city Palermo.

On Sicily’s eastern edge is Mount Etna, one of Europe’s highest and most active volcanoes that is continually smoking and occasionally belching fire and lava bombs. My travel hero Rick Steves’ video “The Best of Sicily” is a another of his marvels and provides an excellent overview of the area.

Seniors Enjoy The Wonders Of Sicily

Nature seems to have endowed all its wonders to Sicily: mountains, hills and above all the sea, with its incredible variation of colors, its crystal-clear water and the beauty of its seabed.

Lonely Planet notes that the “Eternal crossroads of the Mediterranean, the gorgeous island of Sicily, continues to seduce visitors with its dazzling diversity of landscapes and cultural treasures.”

” TripAdvisor has put together a series of must see sites for senior visitors . I am a huge fan of World Heritage Sites and Piazza Armerina is a Roman villa with a wealth of mosaics and has been under excavation since the 19th century.

The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the island dates from as early as 12,000 BC.

By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies and, for the next 600 years, it was the site of the Sicilian Wars and the Punic Wars, which ended with the Roman Republic’s destruction of Carthage at the battle of Carthage (c. 149 BC).

Tiny Islands, Lemon Trees and Volcanoes

Senior visitors will discover an ever present scent of lemon trees, the volcanoes, the beautiful black-sand beaches, and tasty desserts to satisfy a demanding palate.

Ancient Akragas rivaled Athens in its splendor in the ancient world. The Valley of the Temples is where the ancient world comes most vividly alive on Sicily.

Historically Sicily was the home of Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, French and Spanish. The ruins of the ancient Phoenician city of Motya is a site not to be missed.

The Temple of Hera at Selinunte is a well preserved look alike of the Acropolis in Athens. The Greco-Roman theatre at Taormina reminds me of a similar huge structure I saw with my family in the city of Orange in France.

Seniors, spend some quality time on this scenic and historic island .   -jeb

Senior Single Men Seek Travel Tours

USA Today recently wrote that Seniors who love to travel have many options for exploring the world, even by themselves. Several companies offer trips geared toward senior single travelers.

Special features like a slower pace, tours that aren’t too physically taxing, and social gatherings like nightly dinners and dances with other tourists near the same age make the tour attractive to senior single men.

From Mediterranean cruises to escorted treks through South America, travel opportunities for single seniors cover a broad range.

Senior single men, Vacations To Go offers a cruise for singles. Each year, they  select several itineraries in different regions of the world, on various cruise ships, and negotiate an extremely low rate for single customers.

Trained hosts from their headquarters organize get-togethers, cocktail parties, dinner seating and more, allowing individuals or friends to travel as part of a large and fun-loving group of singles.

Senior Single Men Enjoy Road Scholar

Road Scholar is a premier program with many solo travelers. I have had the pleasure of serving as a Tour Group Leader with this organization and they are first class. They are trusted and well known for offering a warm and welcoming atmosphere for couples and solo participants alike. The atmosphere you’ll find is of learning in the company of a small group of individual friends, rather than traveling with a collection of couples.

If you are single and over 50, traveling by yourself may seem daunting. If Cancun was the go-to destination when you were 20, it may not be your scene anymore.

At Stitch , they have scoured the globe for the 5 best travel destinations for singles over 50 that will give you the best opportunity to enjoy your travel.

Tips For Senior Solo Travel

Allianz features 11 Secrets for Successful Senior Singles Trave l. Looking for a travel companion who shares your love of river cruising, fine wine and Paris flea markets? Look in the mirror. Traveling solo might seem daunting, but it’s easier — and more rewarding — than you think. These 11 tips for senior singles travel can help you create the perfect solo vacation.

About Travel has an article called Tours and Cruises for Single Seniors . They list several companies and organizations that provide single seniors tour information. This is one of the best sites I have found that addresses the topic and provides so much help. So “O Solo Mio” and get going.

Lastly, Fodor’s has a link on Single Senior Citizen Travel with comments made by single folks who experienced solo travel. This blog is simply a step in helping you to make some choices on your own.

Talk with your travel agent who is experienced in travel for those who prefer to travel alone, but not be alone on the trip. Enjoy making your plans, and better yet, enjoy your solo adventure wherever you choose to go. -jeb

Seniors Stop In Colorful Kalispell

Senior travelers find Kalispell in the heart of the magnificent Rocky Mountains, poised in the northwest corner of Montana, about an hour south of the Canadian border.

At more than 5,000 square miles, Flathead County’s 90,000 residents have plenty of elbow room and Kalispell, whose population is just over 22,000, is the seat of Flathead County, Montana.

Kalispell is a progressive, thriving community, the very essence of Big Sky Country – with the best backyard in the country. To the east: the soaring peaks of Glacier National Park.

To the south: Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, a glacial jewel and one of the purest anywhere. To the north: Whitefish Mountain, renowned for its epic powder and short lift-lines in winter, plus summertime mountain biking, zip lining and other fun  activities.

Seniors Surrounded By Natural Beauty

The original inhabitants were the Salish, Kalispell , Blackfoot and Kutenai Indian tribes. They hunted for the region’s buffalo, deer and elk. In 1855 the Indians were forced to move to the Flathead Reservation.

Kalispell was established in the early 1890′s after the arrival of the railroad. Tourism and businesses began to thrive thanks to the trains. Farming, sawmills and flour mills were important factors for the economy. The city’s name is a Salish Indian word which translates to flat land above the lake.

Kalispell serves as a base for recreational activities in the region. Everywhere around senior visitors will find historic charm, affordable adventure and soul-stirring beauty .

Flathead National Forest Draws Seniors

Encompassing the valley is the Flathead National Forest – 2.3 million acres of federally protected public land, home to abundant wildlife, including grizzly and black bears, moose, deer, elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep and wolves.

The Thompson Chain of Lakes is dedicated to fishing. The region is popular for hunting. Senior visitors enjoy the walking trails at Woodland City Park. Then there’s golfing at the Big Mountain Golf Club, mountain bike racing and triathlons  during the summer along with an active nightlife and numerous art galleries and boutiques.

Kalispell enjoys a relatively mild climate: glorious summers with warm days and cool nights and little humidity; golden autumn days turning crisp by late October; winters made for skiing, snowboarding, snowcatting and ice fishing; and springs with daffodils dusting the valley while fresh snow dusts the surrounding peaks – an extraordinary season when you can ski and golf – in the same day!

TripAdvisor suggests that seniors check out The Conrad Mansion, the 1895 family home of Charles E. Conrad, a founding father of Kalispell and pioneer businessman. Guides in period dress offer tours of this sprawling home that has been fully restored. Enjoy Kalispell! -jeb

a

Seniors Visit Trondheim, Norway

Fill your coffee cup, senior friends, today we head for Norway and check out a beautiful city named Trondheim . It has a population of 187,353, and is the third most populous municipality in Norway.

The Nidelva River flows through Trondheim with old storehouses flanking both sides of this river.

The city is situated where the river Nidelva meets Trondheimsfjorden with an excellent and sheltered harbor. In the Middle Ages, the river was deep enough for large boats.

Trondheim is a city of students, technology, culture, cycling and food. The 30,000 students, many of whom attend the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, leave their mark on the city and contribute to a high level of innovation and a vibrant cultural life.

Seniors Enjoy The City’s Festivals

Trondheim hosts many festivals year round in genres including jazz, blues, chamber music, world music, rock and pop. The best known festival is the flagship St. Olav Festival, Norway’s largest church and cultural festival.

Trondheim Norway lies on the south shore of the Trondheimsfjord at the mouth of the Nidelva.

The city is dominated by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF) and St. Olavs University Hospital.

The city has a long interesting history . The settlement was founded in 997 as a trading post, and it served as the capital of Norway during the Viking Age until 1217. It was once named Kaupangen (English: market place or trading place).

Seniors Find A Gem

TripAdvisor suggests that seniors start your visit at Nidaros Cathedral, the world’s northernmost medieval cathedral.

Built over the burial site of Saint Olav, this king of Norway, in the 11th century, became the patron saint of the country.

The red Old Town Bridge is a favorite site. You may even get a first hand glimpse of the Northern Lights that illuminate the skies in Norway.

“Trondheim is a gem in the heart of Norway”. The top five activities often include island hopping, a musk ox safari, cycling in the world heritage town of Røros, kayaking the Nidelva River and hitting the hiking routes.

An ever-increasing number of senior visitors have discovered the Pilgrim Path that leads to the medieval Nidarosdomen Cathedral in Trondheim. The path has the same European Cultural Route status as the pilgrim paths to Rome and Santiago de Compostela.

I sign off with a problem. I could not decide which video to share with you, so seniors, you will have to chose one for yourself . Enjoy getting acquainted with Trondheim…“The Heart of Norway.” -jeb

Seniors Stop In The Adventure Capital Of The West

Moab , the “Adventure Capital of the West,” is a 4 hour drive from Salt Lake City, 5 hours from Denver or 6 hours from Las Vegas. Moab is a convenient jumping-off point for seniors traveling southward to the Four Corners region and Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park or to Glen Canyon National Recreation area and portions of Lake Powell. One of my daughters finds Moab (pop. 8,900) to be one of her favorite towns…and I’ve taken her to France seven times.

Surrounded by some of the most stunning red rock landscapes on earth, Moab’s unique combination of small resort town hospitality, beautiful scenery and the cool waters of the Colorado River has made it one of the most sought after destinations in the southwest.

The Biblical name Moab refers to an area of land located on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Some believe that the biblical Moab and this part of Utah were both “the far country”. However, others believe the name has Paiute Indian origins, referring to the word “moapa” meaning mosquito. Me, I kinda like the mosquito version.

Seniors Find Adventure Around Moab

Senior travelers will find Moab in Grand County, in eastern Utah, reknown for its many opportunities for outdoor recreation in stunning natural settings. Folks come for whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoe trips on the Green River, mountain biking, road biking, rock climbing, BASE  jumping, and hiking and backpacking the Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Others come to Moab seeking adventure like motorcycling, ATV riding, 4×4 Exploring and taking a Hummer Safari.

Deadhorse Point State Park is located at the end of a mesa 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, on the edge of Canyonlands National Park. Legend has it that several mustangs were left in a corral and they died of thirst with the Colorado River in sight 2,000 feet below.

After Deadhorse, plan a visit to Hole N” The Rock, a most unique home, carved out of a huge rock in Utah’s Canyonlands Country. This historic 5,000 square foot home and unusual gift shop and trading post are open all year.

Seniors Enjoy Historical Mining Town

Moab’s economy was originally based on agriculture, but gradually shifted to mining. Uranium and vanadium were discovered, potash and manganese came next, and then oil and gas. In the 1950s, the discovery of a rich deposit of uranium ore south of the city coincided with the advent of the era of nuclear weapons and nuclear power in the United States, and Moab’s boom years began.

TripAdvisor has lined up 83 things for seniors to see and do in and around Moab. Moab’s ideal climate has made it a magnet for year-round outdoor events and festivals, and the downtown business district has risen to the occasion with a great variety of quality restaurants, shops, and galleries.

Seniors, set your GPS for Moab and explore the plethora of amenities this town has to offer. -jeb

Seniors Find A Home Away From Home

I have met several people who have exchanged homes with folks all over the world.  They categorically have told me that it was a wonderful experience. They traded houses, cars and some cases their dogs. My wife and I at seniorcitzen.travel want to help senior travelers discover several means for doing so, if you are so inclined. It takes a little bravado to carry this off, but it works for many vacationers.

I know of three right off the top of my head and perhaps you know of others  as well. They are Airbnb, Home Away and VRBO. So let’s take these and see if you might be interested in any for your first travel experience .

Seniors Investigate Airbnb

Airbnb began in 2008 when two designers who had space to share hosted three travelers looking for a place to stay. Now, millions of hosts and travelers choose to create a free Airbnb account so they can list their space and book unique accommodations anywhere in the world.

Airbnb states that with them you may book homes from local hosts in 191+ countries and experience a place as if you lived there. With Airbnb seniors find that hosting opens up a world of opportunity, plus you can earn money sharing your extra space with travelers. Hit the RED search key and input where you would like to go. I tried it with Paris and this came up .

Seniors Check Out HomeAway, Inc

HomeAway, Inc. is a vacation rental marketplace with more than 1,000,000 vacation rental listings in 190 countries. It has operated through 40 websites in 22 languages as of December 31, 2014. This time I chose to go to Madrid, Spain .  Easy and works well.

And finally VRBO, Vacation Rental By Owner .  I learned that VRBO is part of the HomeAway family and works in the same manner. I have known several couples who have found great vacation spots on Hawaii at good prices using VRBO.

With VRBO seniors can book over 1 million listings across their family of brands. It is also perfect for Family Vacations, Reunions & Group Travel. Here is listing of what are called Last Minute Rentals . It gives you some idea of rental costs.

Finally, here is what Google came up with for Home Exchanges. Senior travelers, I wish you well in your choices and your plans for a trip somewhere in the world. Bon Voyage. -jeb

Seniors Trek Over To Malin Head Island

This senior read recently that the next Star Wars VIII was being films at Malin Head. Any idea where the island is located? Me either, I had to look it up.

Malin Head , though not actually a town, has become a fairly large community, steadily growing as more new houses are being built. It has always been a strategically important part of Ireland, where observation posts and signal towers were erected to keep an eye on shipping movements passing the northern coast.

Ireland’s most northerly point, Malin Head is the dramatic rocky headland at the tip of the rugged Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal. Malin won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1970 and 1991. It was a planned settlement platted around a triangular green.

Seniors Enjoy Spectacular Views

The first lighthouse on the island was put into operation in 1813, and the light flashes every 30 seconds. Malin Head’s rugged landscape hosts flourishing wildlife, historic curiosities and some of the island’s most spectacular views.

Malin Head is renowned for its rugged coastal landscape and attractive beaches. The area is steeped in history and folklore. Malin Head is an area for all tastes, including walking, fishing, swimming, photography, studying rock formations or rare flora and it is close to Inishowen’s splendid golf courses, so senior golfers, bring along your clubs.

Discover some of the largest sand dunes in Europe. Several miles off the coast of Malin Head lies Inistrahull island, composed of the oldest rocks in Ireland, metamorphic gneisses dated at around 1.778 billion years old! Further to the east, the hills of Scotland can be seen on a good day.

Seniors Enjoy the Wild Atlantic

Senior birders, Malin Head is an ideal vantage point from which to view the autumnal movements of seabirds such as gannets, shearwaters, skuas and auks on their southward migration flights. With the wild Atlantic Ocean for a neighbor, the area is renowned for epic coastal scenery, thriving birdlife and plenty of historical significance.

One asks…what lies beneath? Overall, the turbulent waters off Malin Head have witnessed more than their share of maritime history. The folks at Malin Head Shipwrecks can tell senior visitors that there are more ocean liners and German U-boats sunk off this stretch of coast than anywhere else in the world.

The rolling grasslands are dotted with suitably thick-coated donkeys and cows. The village of Malin, 14km southeast of Malin Head, has a pretty movie-set quality, set around a neat, triangular village green.

For me and my wife, I’d want us to take in the Glenvaegh National Park as well as the Glenveagh Castle. So let’s plan to meet at the Seaview Tavern and I’ll treat you to a pint. -jeb