Seniors Find A Real Treasure

I rarely focus in on a county or country per se, but this exception pays off for senior visitors in Rhode Island. South County’s vacation appeal reaches to charming villages, rolling countryside, historic sites and hundreds of acres of woodlands.

Senior travelers will enjoy unlimited opportunities for hiking, canoeing, cycling, shopping and touring. History and culture are evident throughout South County as well.

Historic inns and bed & breakfast establishments offer senior visitors the opportunity to personally experience Colonial- and Victorian-era South County.

Regional history thrives at local museums like South County Museum, Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Smith Castle, while summer stock theatre productions delight audiences at charming Theatre by the Sea.

Seniors Enjoy Cultural Hotspot

South County is long recognized as a cultural hotspot with its thriving arts scene. The numerous art galleries alone are a major draw for many tourists. Parks and recreation areas dot the landscape.

The Matunuk Oyster Bar would be high on my choices for a dining experience, learning about all the work the owner goes through to put oysters on the table in his Bar.

South County’s reputation for coastal beauty precedes itself.  With 100 miles of breathtaking coastline, the wide variety of beaches are the jewels in Southern Rhode Island’s crown. From tame, foot high, family friendly waves to pristine stretches of sand, South County is an ideal spot for seniors seeking rejuvenation.

Seniors Enjoy South County’s Villages

Historic downtown Westerly is another major draw along the coast. I would put the South County History Center on my bucket list as it is located at the Old Washington County Jail ( 1858-1861) in historic Kingston Village.

TripAdvisor offers 184 things for senior visitors to see and do. TripAdvisor further notes that South County is one of New England’s favorite vacation spots.

Whether you’re a thrill-seeker looking for adventure or you want a peaceful setting where you can simply relax and unwind, South County is the perfect vacation destination.

For you oenophiles, South County features some awesome vineyards. Scarborough, Misquamicut, Narragansett, Charlestown, and Matunuck beaches, offer open sand, some surfing, equipment rentals, and pavilions with plenty of summer food.

Senior travelers, you are welcome in South County, a place you can’t help but enjoy -jeb

Seniors Head for Fairfax County, Virginia…

…and here’s why: seniors, it’s for a visit to Vienna, a town ranked third by CNN/Money and Money magazine on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.

Vienna…brings back memories of my daughter’s and my trip to Vienna, Austria a few years ago. What a neat trip that was!

In addition to highly ranked public schools, this town of 16,000 includes a downtown with many small businesses, a Washington Metro station,  and a portion of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park, with a hiker/biker trail cutting through the center of town.

Seniors Learn Interesting History

In 1754, prominent soldier and landowner Colonel Charles Broadwater settled within the town boundaries. Broadwater’s son-in-law, John Hunter built the first recorded house there in 1767, naming it Ayr Hill, recalling his birthplace, Ayr, Scotland.

That name was subsequently applied to the tiny, developing community. The name of the town was changed in the 1850s, when a doctor named William Hendrick settled there on the condition that the town would rename itself after his hometown, Phelps, New York, then known as Vienna.

Senior travelers will find Vienna just south of the Potomac River and west of Washington D.C. Fabulous high-end shopping and dining can be found at Fairfax Square, a shopper’s heaven that includes Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton and Morton’s Steakhouse. The steakhouse looks good to me.

Seniors Find A ‘Safest City’

Senior visitors can find a performance of their choosing at Wolf Trap National Par k for the Performing Arts . And then there’s Meadowlark Botanical Garden that folks say is “utterly enchanting”. This Master Gardener would first head for the Garden.

FYI… Vienna was recently named one of the 15 safest places in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Seniors, set your GPS for Vienna and explore all  that this city has to offer. -jeb

Seniors Find ‘The Oasis of Texas’

Del Rio, “The Oasis of Texas ” ,  with a population of 40,500, senior travelers will find by driving west of San Antonio for 150 miles. Del Rio is connected with Ciudad Acuña which is located in the Mexican state of Coahuila south of the Rio Grande River. This metropolitan area is also known as “Tierra de la Amistad”.

Del Rio is home to Laughlin Air Force Base, the busiest United States Air Force pilot training complex in the world. Del Rio’s growth got a huge boost when the Amistad Dam and Reservoir was built on the Rio Grande River in 1969. Built for flood control, irrigation, power, and recreation, today, it is a major recreational area.

Del Rio thrives with a ranching economy of primarily Angora goats and sheep, supplemented by tourism, trade with Mexico, and the Air Force military base with a population of 1,650.

Senior Visitors Seek Out The Amsted National Recreational Area

Del Rio was originally known as San Felipe Del Rio however the name was shortened to Del Rio by the USPD in 1883. The city of Del Rio can trace its history back to the 17th century, when Spanish colonists unsuccessfully attempted to settle the north and south side of the Rio Grande.

San Felipe Creek provided ample water for farms, orchards, and vineyards thanks to its many springs. Today, these springs feed millions of gallons of water into the creek, creating Del Rio’s pristine swimming holes, including Blue Lake and Horseshoe Park.

The Amistad National Recreational Area is a major draw for senior visitors. The beautiful blue water Lake Amistad was formed when the Rio Grande was dammed in 1969 and encompasses around 70,000 surface acres, which are shared between both Mexico and the United States.

History and Art abound in Del Rio. Justice of the Peace Judge Roy Bean is buried in Del Rio. See if you can find his tombstone.

Seniors Enjoy Bass Fishing, Cave Art and Bull-Riding

Senior visitors can enjoy The Whitehead Memorial Museum, a western museum complex in downtown Del Rio. Don’t miss the huge Star of Texas made totally out of diamondback rattlesnake tails. Val Verde Winery is the oldest continuously running winery in Texas established in 1883 by Italian immigrant Frank Qualia.

Lake Amistad has some of the best bass fishing in Texas and the area is rich in archeology and rock art, and contains a wide variety of flora and fauna. Del Rio is home to the George Paul Memorial Bull-Riding, the oldest stand-alone bull riding event in the world.

Senior explorers can examine some of the oldest Native American cave paintings in North America and savor a glass of cabernet sauvignon or Sangiovese at the oldest winery in Texas.

Del Rio, Texas is an all-year vacation destination ideally suited for those seniors who love to explore the great outdoors. Enjoy Del Rio. -jeb

Seniors Visit Bloomfield

My wife bought a small jar of mustard that was made in Bloomfield , New Jersey. I just had to follow the path to this town so see what all is there that might attract senior visitors, besides Colman’s Mustard.

Bloomfield’s population is around 48,000. Senior visitors will find the township 2 miles north of East Orange, 5 miles north of Newark and only 20 minutes from New York City.

Bloomfield College, a liberal arts college founded in 1868, is located in downtown Bloomfield near the town green. The college has approximately 2,000 students.

Seniors Visit A Confectionery, A Cemetery and An Estate

Three of the major attractions seniors can enjoy include Glendale Cemetery, Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery (filming location of the final scene in the final episode of The Sopranos) and the Oakes Estate, constructed in 1895, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

A host of notable people were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Bloomfield. One that I remember well is the singer Connie Francis. Let’s let Facebook help fill in your itinerary.

The local Historical Society of Bloomfield is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and will be scheduling a number of events. Bloomfield is loaded with landmarks, and has an interesting downtown.

Seniors, if you travel with your dog, stop at Brookdale Dog Park, an off-leash facility that is part of Brookdale Park, which in turn is part of the Essex County Parks system.

Seniors Stroll Through Brookdale Park

TripAdvisor suggests that visitors start off with a visit to Brookdale Park and then on to Yellow Plum with a great menu. Going through the Park is a circular, one way road, with three roads leading out of the park. There are many entrances for pedestrians.

Before Brookdale was a park, the area was used by the First Nations Lenape Native Americans, later known as the Delaware, as a planting/gathering ground. It is an opportunity for a stroll that will be memorable.

Senior “birders,” Brookdale Park offers over 200 acres of varied wildlife habitat and hosts a great number of bird species. Sightings range from the small and common house sparrow to the occasional Wild Turkey. Visit ebird for Brookdale’s Hotspot list of bird sightings recorded by the local birders.

So set your GPS for Bloomfield, a dynamic town that offers many attractions and fun things to do: parks, theater, sports, history, golf courses. Enjoy your visit. -jeb

Seniors Choose A Stop In Heber Springs

Heber Springs , seniors learn, was initially called Sugar Loaf. This the seat of Cleburne County, Arkansas, has a population of around 7,250. Founded by Max Frauenthal, in 1881, who bought land and founded the Sugar Loaf Springs Company, he plotted a town site which was incorporated as “Sugar Loaf” on October 4, 1882.

Frauenthal chose the name Cleborne County to honor Confederate General Patrick Cleburne, who was killed in the Battle of Franklin in 1864. In 1910, Sugar Loaf’s name was changed to Heber Springs in order to avoid confusion with another Sugar Loaf whose post office was named after Sugar Loaf Mountain .

Let’s explore Heber Springs a bit, starting off with TripAdvisor’s suggestion of a sport called Cliff Jumping. Not me! Could you jump off a cliff and hit the water 50 feet below? Sounds like Navy Seal training to me.

Senior Fishermen, Take Note

The list of attractions in Heber Springs is long and impressive. One of their major events is Springfest. It is one of the largest fireworks shows in Arkansas on Greers Ferry Lake. The World Championship Cardboard Boat Race packs the house.

Toss in your best fishing rod and try your luck in matching two world-record catches on Greers Ferry Lake and one world record on the Little Red River. With fish this large, it’s understandable why senior anglers are attracted to the region.

Al Nelson of Higden started the action in 1982 with a 22-pound, 11-ounce walleye. Jerald C. Shaum of Shirley added a 27-pound, five-ounce hybrid striped bass in 1997. Those are what I call Big Ones. Bridal Veil Falls is a beautiful scenic spot not to be missed.

Seniors Like Historic Downtown

The historic downtown district includes a stately county courthouse with the traditional square. Senior visitors can also enjoy a museum, antique shops, restored theater and Spring Park, with its mineral springs that attracted the original settlers.

Greers Ferry Lake is known for great fishing and water recreation. Camping, cabins and world-class resorts overlook one of the state’s most popular lakes.

The Little Red River is internationally known as the home of the world-record (40-pound, four-ounce) brown trout, another whopper. Trout resorts and outfitters are available. The lake and river have served as national models for environmental cleanliness.

Spring Park attracted settlers to Heber Springs in the 1830′s and is named after it’s natural springs which are covered by pavilions and accessible throughout the park. It is a popular spot for senior travelers. The Park is found right in the heart of town and next door to some great shopping, dining and lodging.

Spring Park is home to many festivals throughout the year including Spring Fest and Old Settler’s Days. Settle into Heber Springs and enjoy the  amenities the town offers. -jeb

Seniors Make A Visit to Pinedale

Pinedale is an important hunting outfitting town, an authentic western town and a gateway to the Wind River Mountains. This senior loves visiting those smaller towns and Pinedale fits right in.

In 1904, John F. Patterson proposed establishing a town in the Green River Valley along Pine Creek in western Wyoming, in what then was still part of Fremont County. Pinedale was named after a post office on a ranch of Charles Peterson and Robert Graham. The boundary line set by the ranchers became Pine Street and Patterson earned recognition as the founder of Pinedale.

En route to Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone is Pinedale, Wyoming on Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway. It’s a must for adventurous travelers who want to experience the vast expanses of three mountain ranges.

The Wind River Mountains boast Wyoming’s highest summit, Gannett Peak. The scenic drive opens the door to a destination rich in historic pioneer trails and cultural attractions.

Seniors Enjoy the Wildlife

Seniors Visitors can enjoy the Museum of the Mountain Man , Green River Rendezvous Days, White Pine Ski Area, and the Town Park System along the Pine Creek Corridor in the middle of town.

Pinedale and the surrounding area are home to a large population of wildlife including both grizzly and black bear, moose, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, and mountain lions. Over seven species of trout can be found in the area lakes.

Senior visitors can enjoy fishing, hiking, camping, boating, four-wheeling, hunting, skiing/snowboarding, snowmobiling and ice fishing. You might enjoy a Google Maps tour of Pinedale .

Pinedale’s Great Outdoors Unequaled

Pinedale is also near several large natural gas fields, including the Pinedale Anticline and Jonah Field. When the energy boom hit this small town in 2007, the town benefited while experiencing the challenges: increased traffic, population, and demands on the town’s resources.

During the late 1800s, tourists came to enjoy horse pack trips, fishing and hunting in the beautiful nearby mountains. Great herds of Hereford and Black Angus cattle roamed on area ranches in the Green River Valley, some of which were established before the town itself. Ranchers and cowboys, along with their families, were among the early settlers of the region.

Pinedale’s great outdoors are unequaled. Senior visitors will experience the vast expanses of the towering Wind River Range, the beauty of the region’s 1,300 lakes, forests, rivers, wilderness, and wildlife. Pinedale is situated on the edge of the Bridger Wilderness, a vast recreational playground, 3.4 million acres, that’s only minutes from town.

Plan a drive to Pinedale and enjoy every minute. -jeb

Seniors Stop In Winooski

Winooski /wɪˈnuːski/ , seniors learn is located at the mouth of the Winooski River, and is part of the larger Burlington metropolitan area.

Winooski, Vermont is home to immigrants from countries such as Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Rwanda, and Somalia. As a result, Winsooki is the most diverse, as well as the most densely populated municipality in northern New England, which comprises the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Sound interesting? It is, and the river adds lots of character to the town.

Five thousand years ago a single family of paleolithic Native Americans came to what is now the city. The prehistoric campground for this transient group is one of Vermont’s significant archaeological sites.

Other native people came to Winooski in the years that followed. In 1846, James and Lucinda Stone from Winooski settled in Sheboygan County in the Wisconsin Territory and named their new settlement Winooski, Wisconsin .

Seniors Like Four Quarters

Situated on a main travel route, Winooski most likely started out as a trading city. With a set of waterfalls to assist the growth of industry, it soon became a center for wool processing. The mills closed in 1954.

In the 1980s, two old mills were converted into commercial, office, and apartment space, helping to revitalize the area. Senior visitors enjoy reliving the history of the wool business at the Heritage Winooski Mill Museum.

Last and certainly not least, lies an inimitable brewery tucked away in Winooski. Four Quarters, host of Firkin Fest, has been brewing imaginative beers that defy intuition since 2014. Plan to take a tour and do some sampling of the micro-brewery beers.

Seniors Enjoy St.Michael’s Playhouse

Winooski combines outdoorsy, down-home Vermont with a splash of art and culture. On weekends, downtown Winooski is the site of an artist “Pop-Up.’’

Saint Michael’s Playhouse on the campus of Saint Michael’s College , known by the locals as St. Mike’s , is one of New England’s more popular regional theater companies. St. Mike’s is a private Catholic college of approximately 2,000 undergraduate students.

Birdfolk Collective is a popular store where seniors can find unique gifts. It is an eclectic brick and mortar building celebrating handmade and independent designers. Read what Facebook has to say about Winooski. -jeb

Seniors Make A Stop In West Allis

West Allis, a city that senior travelers will find five miles west of Milwaukee derives its name from Edward P. Allis whose company was a large Milwaukee-area manufacturing firm in the late 19th century.

In 1901, the Allis Company became Allis-Chalmers, and in 1902 built a large new manufacturing plant west of its existing plant. The locale in which the new plant was constructed was at the time called North Greenfield, and prior to the 1880s had been called Honey Creek. With the building of the western Allis plant, the area became the City of West Allis in 1906.

The Wisconsin State Fair Park, which includes the Milwaukee Mile is the site of the annual Wisconsin State Fair held in August, and located in West Allis. Facebook is a good link for suggestions on visiting a museum, a park, where to shop and good choices for dinner.

Festivals And Celebrations Attract Senior Visitors

National Night Out held in July is an annual crime prevention event sponsored by Aurora West Allis Medical Center. This community festival is designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit, and promote crime and drug prevention awareness.

Senior visitors can enjoy some of the celebrations that take place all year long in West Allis that include the Cinco de Mayo Springfest, the Harvest Fair & World Beef Expo and the Gi Wise Gises Pow Wow.

The Milwaukee Area Technical College calls West Allis home. Nearby, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette University provide additional educational opportunities.

Voted ‘Best Place to Raise Your Kids’

A local realtor notes that West Allis was voted  the “Best Place to Raise Your Kids” in the Milwaukee area by Business Week for 2010.  West Allis prides itself as a community with “strong principles of family and work.”

West Allis was named Winner in the 2016 WfMC Global Awards for Excellence in Business Process Management. West Allis goes all out for Independence Day and makes the celebration last for several days. Activities include the Breakfast of Champions, an event that honors either West Allis high school students for their achievements or West Allis veterans.

The Wisconsin Exposition Center hosts a wide variety of great events. Donald Trump helped to put West Allis on the map when he visited the city on Sunday, April 3, 2016 for an event held at the Nathan Hale High School Gym.

Seniors will discover an attractive, active city. Take a look at the events for next year and plan a stop in West Allis during one of these celebrations and enjoy! -jeb

Seniors Settle Into Terrell

Terrell invites senior visitors  to experience the charm of their gracious older homes or to shop in a modern outlet mall and to take in the turn of the century downtown.

Located 32 miles east of Dallas, Terrell has a population of around 16,000. Terrell, Texas developed as a railroad town, in 1873 with construction of the Texas and Pacific Railroad line. The town gets its name from Robert A. Terrell, a pioneer European-American settler whose farm lay on the western edge of the community.

Terrell built an octagonal house on his property, called a “Round House”, to provide better defense against attacks by Native Americans. His house was later fitted with the first glass windows in the county. Terrell was incorporated in 1875 and later the first automobile appeared in town in 1899.

The Terrell Military College was established, operating until after World War II. Its campus sat on part of the former Terrell farm and incorporated his historic Round House.

During World War II, the No. 1 British Flying Training School (BFTS), was located in Terrell. It was the first of six civilian flight schools in the United States dedicated to instructing British Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots during that war.

Seniors Enjoy Historic Homes

The nearby Lake Tawakoni State Park is spread over 376 acres of land and has a swimming beach, picnic areas, hiking trails, and facilities for camping and boating. Southwestern Christian College is the local institution of higher education.

Senior visitors will find several beautiful historic homes in Terrell. This senior really liked the Matthew Cartwright House, built by banker and rancher Matthew Cartwright. It is a large and ornate Victorian mansion begun in 1883, with additions in 1894, 1922 and 1940.

Look what TripAdvisor has lined up for you. Facebook highlight s places to stay, where to eat, local landmarks and museums.

Seniors Enjoy The Heritage Jubilee

The Terrell Heritage Jubilee, an annual festival featuring three days filled with family fun, offers a carnival, live performances and arts and crafts vendors. Senior visitors can can also catch the pig races or ranch rodeo, stroll through the car and motorcycle show and a quilt show. There is also a BBQ cook-off and the Fountain 5K Run.

The Jubilee traces its origins to a livestock show first held in 1981. In subsequent years the show added entertainment, games, contests and food. Heritage Jubilee retains the western flavor of the original livestock show. Entertainment includes trick ropers, gun fighters, horses, and a cowboy poet. Great fun for everyone.

The Wade Indoor Arena is well known for events dealing with horses. The Terrell State Hospital is an abandoned insane asylum in Terrell and loaded with history. Lastly, the Thrillvania Haunted House Park, with 3 haunted attractions, including the world famous Verdun Manor, is an experience not to be missed, that is…if you are up to it.

You will enjoy Terrell. -jeb

Seniors Learn About Carson

Senior travelers will find Carson, with a population around 92,000, 13 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. Carson is primarily a manufacturing community. After decades of existence unincorporated, Carson was finally incorporated as a city in 1968 when its citizens took to the polls and voted to do so by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.

On that same date, by a much narrower vote, the citizens chose the name Carson for their new city over the name Dominguez, the two leading family names in the city’s history.

Following its incorporation, Carson acted quickly to enforce a strict landscaping and building code, resulting in modernizations and improvements in the city’s industrial parks and overall appearance.

Carson is famous for hosting the very first air show ever held in the United States. Known as the “Great Air Meet”. I t took place in 1910, just seven years after the Wright Brothers made their first flight near Kitty Hawk. The site where this show took place has since been declared a California Historical Landmark.

Seniors Find A Vibrant City In Carson

TripAdvisor suggests that senior visitors not miss the International Printing Museum and the nearby Porsche Experience Center, a 53-acre facility and road handling course, one of only five such sites in the world.

Seniors can also check out the StubHub Center, a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University that was founded in 1960.

The City Council notes that Carson is a vibrant city with a small town atmosphere where relationships are important. This is clearly visible throughout the community, from stable single family neighborhoods, which make up nearly eighty percent of the city’s residences, to the partnership between business and volunteer driven agencies which strengthen the city’s remarkable social fabric.

Seniors Check Out The Home Depot Center

The Home Depot Center  includes a 2,450 seat velodrome for world class cycling competitions. The Center also serves as a training facility by the U.S. national soccer team. The huge entertainment and sports venue features world class musical acts, soccer, futbol , and a variety of shows in an outdoor amphitheater seating thousands.

When driving through Carson on the San Diego Freeway the most noticeable landmarks are the huge oil refineries and the landing field of the Goodyear Blimp, the huge blue icon of the region.

This Los Angeles County suburb is full of charm, history, and offers a variety of shopping and dining options. Seniors, pay a visit to Carson when you are in the Los Angeles area, you may even get to see the Goodyear Blimp. -jeb