Travel: Both Fun and Educational

One of the more popular variations on a “vacation” today is called a Learning Vacation.  This hottest new travel trend is both fun and educational. Seniors who are continual learners and who enjoy incorporating a learning experience with their travels love these trips.   A Learning Vacation most often refers to a program that focuses on informal learning while traveling.

One of the more popular choices today, Road Scholar,  is always accompanied by an expert in the the field. Road Scholar, the not-for-profit leader in educational travelsince 1975, offers 6,500 educational tours in all 50 states and 150 countries. Alongside local and renowned experts, experience in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning opportunities, from cultural tours and study cruises to walking, biking and more.

Are You Looking For something To Do?

Shaw Guides provides online access to the unabridged, continually updated content for many learning vacations. Search for career and recreational cooking schools, wine courses, golf & tennis schools;  camps, high performance programs, writers workshops & conferences; photography, film & video workshops, schools, art & craft workshops; language vacations, cultural travel programs, and artists’ and writers’ residencies & retreats.

Having been a language instructor for many years I found this  Guide to Language Vacations and Workshops to be of special interest.  For many seniors, learning a little Spanish while abroad heightens the travel experience.   A vacation “with a passion” with innumerable options  just might fit in somewhere.

Two of Frommer’s Favorites

Cornell Adult University makes for an intelligent choice. The other important, U.S.-based program of summer learning vacations is at St. John’s College, the “Great Books” school of American education. You can read more in detail on this all-encompassing site.

Top Learning Vacations points senior citizens to life along the seashore: help save coral reefs, watch whales, build a boat, canoe the everglades or pull some nasty weeds in Point Reyes, California.  I liked the one in Kauai (of course I’m a little bias… I love Hawaii) because you can take part in an ecosystem preservation project to preserve native Hawaiian plants. Besides, you can take in a luau, watch some hula dancers and wear a beautiful lei.

Learning Vacation Adventures

I frequently meet seniors who enjoy an “adventure” tacked on to their vacation. Or perhaps I could say, “a vacation tacked on to their adventure.”   You will find them here and senior travelers have a choice of Africa, the US, Canada and South America.

They also ask “Who’s Going?” Learning vacations can be an Adults Only, Couples, Family, Groups or Solo Travelers.  There’s bound to be an option in there somewhere that may fit your needs and interests. About.com seems to always have the answer to most any question or concern.  Kaboose has incredible learning destinations for a family.

Don’t know about you, but I get excited about this topic of learning and vacation all tied up into the same package. jeb