Seniors Spend Time In Historic Sumter

Known as the Gamecock City , Sumter lies near the geographic center of the state of South Carolina with a population of 42,000. Senior travelers find Sumter only a 90 minute drive to the state’s beautiful beaches and a short three-hour drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sumter , the seat of Sumter County, is the 8th largest city in South Carolina and truly is in the middle of everything.

Incorporated as Sumterville in 1845, the city’s name was shortened to Sumter in 1855. It has grown and prospered from its early beginnings as a plantation settlement. The city and county of Sumter bear the name of Revolutionary War General Thomas Sumter  (1734-1832), a resident of the area, and the “Fighting Gamecock” of the American Revolutionary War.

This county has changed its name and boundaries several times. His place in U.S. history is secure as a patriot and military genius. General Sumter was one of the models for Mel Gibson’s character in the 2000 movie, “The Patriot.”

Seniors Enjoy Sumter’s Colorful History

During the Civil War the town was an important supply and railroad repair center for the Confederacy. After the war, Sumter grew and prospered, using its large railroad network to supply cotton, timber, and by the start of the 20th century, tobacco to the region.

Sumter has a colorful history stretching back more than three hundred years. In the 1740s, the first English-speaking settlers arrived to establish roots along the banks of the Wateree River. The “Carolina Backcountry,” as it was then known, became a predominantly agricultural area called Craven County, later Claremont County.

I counted 16 properties in Sumter that are on the National Register of Historic Places. The O’Donnell House and Scarborough House are prime examples. Sumter is an active community and home to several collegiate institutions.

Seniors Enjoy Beautiful Swan Lake Iris Gardens

TripAdvisor suggests seniors visit the Swan Lake/Iris Gardens, the only public park in the United States containing all eight known species of swan. The beautiful black waters of Swan Lake form the setting for the spectacular Iris Gardens.

The lake is dotted with colorful islands, and wildlife is abundant. The Iris Festival, held every May is a multiple winner of the “Top 20 Events in the Southeast” Award and is South Carolina’s oldest continuing festival.

The Sumter Opera House is a state-of-the-art performing arts facility and a beautiful historic site with a rich and intriguing past. The Sumter Gallery of Art and the Sumter County Museum are highly popular with senior visitors as well.

There are many interesting facts associated with Sumter. I liked the fact that the local Palmetto Pigeon Farm is the source for squab served at Buckingham Palace and Sumter High School graduate Shawn Weatherly was Miss Universe back in 1980. I remember her.

Seniors, experience for yourself an outstanding city -jeb

Seniors Glad They Stopped in Menomonee Falls

Menomonee Falls, senior travelers will find, is a village and part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population runs right at 36,000 making it the most populous village in Wisconsin . The village’s slogan is “More than a village” .

Incorporated in 1892, it was named after the Menomonee River, which flows through the village and subsequent waterfall which is located in the heart of the community. Senior visitors will discover that Menomonee Falls has its small-town charm, with a modern enjoyable lifestyle.

I think that my wife could easily talk me into visiting Old Falls Village. It is nestled on the grounds of a beautiful 17-acre park and invites folks to step back in time and glimpse life as it was from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s.

Included is a variety of historic homes and buildings, a living history museum that includes a log home, school house, barn, railroad depot, log cabin, and dairy.  The centerpiece of Old Falls Village is the 1858 Miller-Davidson House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Seniors Find The Village Centre

The Village Centre as it is called is an area of historic properties and residences in the heart of Menomonee Falls. Senior visitors will discover the specialty shops, restaurants and service businesses of Downtown Menomonee Falls .

Stroll through the parkway, enjoy spectacular views of Lepper Dam and take the Historic Walking Tour of downtown buildings. Stop by a gallery to see what local artists have to offer.

John McGivern highlights Menomonee Falls. He goes around the state doing the same kind of program for various smaller communities in Wisconsin. Senior motorcycle fans would enjoy taking the free tour of the Harley-Davidson Pilgrim Road factory, where engines and transmissions are manufactured.

Seniors Enjoy The Falls’ Festivities

The Falls Fest is an annual event that packs the house with a wide variety of events and attractions. Purloin Studio is a highly  popular artist-owned gallery representing more than 60 artists who specialize in a wide variety of mediums.

DJ’s Goalpost is a favorite haunt for good food and libations and rates #2 with TripAdvisor. Each year the Cheery Cherry Fall Fair features a wide array of arts, crafts, food, and music.  At the Cherry Booth, try some Door County cherry products featuring cherry pies, tarts, jams, juice, dried cherries and chocolate covered cherries.

If you are there in September, you can bid on items contributed by the exhibitors and area businesses, and purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win some great prizes. It sounds like fun to me. -jeb

Seniors Discover the “Spirit on the Lake”

The Spirit on the Lake is Sheboygan , Wisconsin. This senior has always liked that name “Sheboygan”. This city of around 50,000 is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan 50 mi north of Milwaukee and 64 mi south of Green Bay.

TripAdvisor suggests Bookworm Gardens  followed by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. After those fun visits, I’d want to head off to the Sheboygan County Historical Society. They note that it is believed that in 1635 Jean Nicolet, the French explorer, was the first recorded European settler to have visited this locality.

Senior visitors will find plenty to see and do in Sheboygan . I counted nine additional museums in town. The Blue Harbor Resort is a classic lakeside getaway. The Lake View Mansion B&B is another choice for a stay with a memorable view of Lake Michigan. And seniors will find that Harbor Centre is a popular hangout.

Seniors Enjoy Views of Lake Michigan

From breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and large sandy beaches to world class sailing and premier charter fishing, this costal community is full of “spirit.” For time spent out of the water, the historic downtown district boasts unique shopping, dining, and entertainment for senior visitors.

Sheboygan has 34 beautiful parks and 3 athletic complexes that offer a variety of outdoor recreation options. The Hmong population (over 5,000) are part of the city, and like many towns in Wisconsin, Sheboygan has few readily apparent signs that such a large Hmong population is indeed there.

Sheboygan was officially founded in 1846 and lumbering was the first major industry. Trees were harvested and shipped to eastern markets through the Great Lakes. There are many theories as to how Sheboygan got its name, but most likely Sheboygan was a Chippewa Indian word meaning “passage or waterway between the lakes.”

Seniors Enjoy Downtown Historic District

You will find nine buildings, including four churches, in the downtown historic district that are worthy of National Register listing. In addition, The Sheboygan Indian Mound Park is a public park with 18 Indian burial mounds distributed over 15 acres.

Many of us remember the (in)famous ‘80′s commercials featuring the phrase, “Charlie’s cookin’ Johnsonville Brats!” Few others know that these are the very sausages that have made Sheboygan famous. Visitors can attend the annual Bratwurst Days festival as well as see the Dairyland Surf Classic, the largest lake surfing competition in the world.

Put your clubs in the trunk and play a couple of rounds at the Whistling Straits golf course that “Illuminates The Sheboygan Area” to get a taste of Pebble Beach right in the heart of the Midwest.  It is where the 2015 PGA Tournament was played.

The University of Wisconsin has a campus in Sheboygan. My wife and I always enjoy a nice walk through the campus. Seems like something is going on all year long and all four seasons. -jeb

Seniors Stop By Moultrie

Moultrie, “The City of Southern Living” , made national news again as their football team is ranked #16 from the Top Preseason Super 25. They had a great year last year (15-0) and last years’ state champions Packers have promise to repeat again. So let’s go visit the home of the Packers and see why seniors would enjoy a visit.

Moultrie is the county seat and largest city of Colquitt County, Georgia and only 60 miles from the Florida state border. As of the 2010 census, Moultrie’s population was 14,268. Moultrie is an agricultural community set in the Southern Rivers part of Georgia.

Well known for its many antique shops, Moultrie is often referred to as “The Antique Capital of South Georgia”. For what its worth, Moultrie is the home of US Senator Saxby Chambliss.

Seniors Enjoy Moultrie’s Historic District

The Moultrie Commercial Historic District, along with eight other structures, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Seniors, bring along some good walking shoes and take a tour that highlights the history and architecture of landmark buildings in the district.

They include  the Moultrie Banking Company Building, the Colquitt Theater, the Henderson Furniture Building, the Old Jail, the Grand Theater, and the Norman Hotel Building.  Moultrie’s thriving fifteen-block downtown area contains 63 contributing buildings to the National Register.

The great majority of these buildings are constructed of brick and exhibit stylistic influences typical of turn of the century small town commercial area. Kind of reminds me of our visit to Selma, Alabama, a wonderful old city as well as being loaded with beautiful homes and a rich history.

Seniors Genealogists Find Genealogy Library

Explore Georgia highlights Moultrie and notes that it is home to a beautiful downtown with specialty shops and a 1902 courthouse. Senior visitors can research at the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library, visit Moultrie’s galleries and theaters, and see some of the town’s memorials.

As host of the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, the Calico Arts Festival and other events, Moultrie welcomes thousands of visitors just like you every year.

Now get a Bird’s Eye View of Moultrie via aerial images of historic downtown and treasured courthouse. What a beautiful building and an awesome square.

So, set your GPS for Moultrie and enjoy all that the town has to offer visitors. -jeb

Seniors Stop In One Of The Safest Cities

Oxnard located along the coast of Southern California, in 2013 was ranked one of the safest cities in America. Senior travelers will find Oxnard, with a population of just over 200,000, about 30 miles west of Los Angeles.

Oxnard was incorporated as a California city on June 30, 1903. The city got its name from Henry T. Oxnard, a sugar beet magnet and founder of the American Crystal Sugar Company, who originally intended to name the city after after a Greek word for “sugar.” It didn’t happen.

The Henry T. Oxnard Historic District is a 70-acre district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. This Historic District is unique because it began as the “heart” of Oxnard, and, in many respects, remains so to this day.  The neighborhood is still home to the same blend of community leaders, professionals and trades people as it was at its inception.

Seniors Enjoy The Festivals

How many cities to you know that have a Salsa Festival? Live Spicy! Eat Spicy! The Oxnard Salsa Festival is a celebration of all things salsa – food, music and dance – and a place where salsa (the sauce) reigns supreme. My wife would love it.

Me, I don’t do well with spicy foods. I’d do much better at the The California Strawberry Festival in May that is among the top festivals in the nation. The International Restaurant Week and the Oxnard Tamale Festival, held in conjunction with the annual Christmas Parade, are two more big draws for seniors.

Senior visitors can experience the oceanfront, fabulous festivals, giant red strawberries, exceptional weather, and seven miles of  white sandy beaches. In addition are the breathtaking Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

Seniors Retreat To Oxnard

Oxnard is a welcomed retreat for folks of all ages any time of year. For you car enthusiasts, The Mullin Automotive Museum is a privately owned automobile museum in Oxnard. Established in 2010, it displays the personal car collection of businessman and philanthropist Peter Mullin.

Oxnard’s warm Mediterranean climate, beautiful seaside setting, and easily accessible beaches and parks are ideal for outdoor activities.

Bring along your bike and peddle over 35 miles of designated biking trails and bike-ways or designated lanes on Oxnard’s streets. My brother would love it here as he is a super fan of the Dallas Cowboys who have their training camp in Oxnard each July.

Nestled in Historic Downtown Oxnard, Heritage Square offers a unique, quaint scene combined with delightful gardens and fountains. Virtual Tourist notes that Heritage Square is an entire city block of restored 1876 to 1912 buildings that were prevalent in the shaping of Oxnard’s history.

Seniors will discover that Oxnard knows how to celebrate, as each new season brings its own calendar of events and programs just awaiting your arrival. -jeb

Seniors Enjoy the “Festival Capital of Louisiana”

Lake Charles is where senior citizens will be given a warm Cajun greeting and feel welcome any time of the year. Lake Charles ,  with a population of 75,000, is the fifth-largest city in Louisiana and is located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River between Lafayette and Beaumont.

Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu Parish, today it is a major industrial, cultural, and educational center in the southwest region of the state and home to McNeese State University . Lake Charles is where senior visitors will experience the very essence of Louisiana.

Due to all the lakes and waterways throughout the city, metropolitan Lake Charles is often referred to as the Lake Area . On March 7, 1861, Lake Charles was incorporated as the town of Charleston. Six years later, dissatisfaction over the name arose and Charleston was renamed and incorporated as the town of Lake Charles. In 1910, a fire, known as the “Great Fire of 1910″, devastated much of the city.

Seniors Enjoy the Boardwalk, Mardi Gras and Zydeco

Senior visitors can take a stroll along the beautiful Lake Charles Boardwalk and enjoy some good cajun dishes at one of the fine restaurants. The Beckers would enjoy an evening with the local symphony orchestra that hosts concerts at the Rosa Hart Theatre.

There are five museums in town, one of which houses the largest display of Mardi Gras costumes in the world.

Senior visitors are never bored in and around Lake Charles . They can enjoy a classic Mardi Gras, Contraband Days, the Louisiana Pirate Festival, Christmas at Historic City Hall, casino gambling, 75 annual festivals, the Creole and SWLA Boudin Trails, museums, galleries, great fishing and hunting, scenic parks, great shopping and nightlife unlike anywhere else in the country.

If you spend any amount of time in town, you are bound to hear Zydeco.  It is a musical genre evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers which blends blues, rhythm and blues, and music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles and the Native people of Louisiana.

Moi, j’adore Zydeco . At its core it is the sound of an accordion paired with the scrapping of a washboard and horns. Once you hear Zydeco, you won’t forget it.

Seniors Discover the Lake Charles Architectural Style

Tour the Charpentier Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places that covers more than 40 blocks of turn-of-the-century buildings of mixed styles with turrets, towers, gables, shingling, leaded glass and gingerbread accents on the porches and railings.

The Charpentier (French for “carpenter” ) District stands in homage to the carpenter architects who freely designed as they built, creating a unique Lake Charles style. TripAdvisor suggests three scenic parks to top off their list and a walk over to the Gator Pond to see some live gators.

So set your GPS for Lake Charles and enjoy a great variety of fun things to see and do. -jeb

Seniors Find Old Bridge Loaded With History

I was watching a TV show and a participant was from Old Bridge, New Jersey. I discovered that Old Bridge was not just a hidden older town, but a city of 65,000 and a Township in Middlesex County. Senior travelers will find Old Bridge just off I-95 and 24 miles south west of Newark, a bedroom suburb of New York City.

Due to its favorable geographical position located on the navigable part of the South River, the area attracted settlers as early as 1685. Old Bridge derives its name from the fact that the first bridge built spanning the South River was known as “the Old Bridge.”

Through its long history the village had numerous names but none were as meaningful or as permanent as Old Bridge. “(Old Bridge) East Brunswick is tremendously significant both historically and culturally because it was the center of an industrious community of people whose lives epitomized developments of the 18th and 19th centuries in Middlesex County.”

Seniors Find A ‘Best Place’ With Quality Clay

Old Bridge Township has a lot going for it as evidenced by the fact that it was named a contender for the title of one of the best places to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2005 and again in 2007.

The red clay soil surrounding Old Bridge in the past was used for pottery and bricks way before the first European settlers. Fine clay had surrounded Cheesequake Creek when the Lenni Lenape Native Americans lived there.

The early discoveries of clay along the banks opened the clay industry to Middlesex County as well as the state of New Jersey. By the 1800s clay was a major industry. The clay deposits found along Cheesequake Creek are reported to be some of the finest stoneware clays in the country.

Seniors Enjoy A Landmark, Hiking Trails and Hooks Creek Lake

The Cottrell homestead is a landmark in Old Bridge. It was built in 1831 and was loaded with apple orchards. The Cottrells produced apple brandy for twenty years on the farm and sold it wholesale to distributors under the name Browntown.

So what can senior visitors do in Old Bridge? Cheesequake State Park features marshes, forests, camping areas and hiking trails. Hooks Creek Lake provides fishing opportunities for trout, bass and catfish.

The Monmouth Battlefield State Park includes wetlands, wooded areas, trails for hiking and horseback riding and a old Revolutionary War farmhouse. The visitors center at the park has many relics from the Revolutionary War battlefield.

An Historic District of Old Bridge was formally placed on the New Jersey State Register in 1975 and on the National Register, June 1977. Cedar Grove School is one of the more famous Historic Places. The single track train built in 1832 still passes through the village. Seniors, as you are driving up the East Coast, drop by Old Bridge and enjoy the sites. -jeb

Seniors Spend Time In Poughkeepsie, NY

Poughkeepsie, the Queen City of the Hudson River, is a town of 45,000 in the state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. National Geographic Traveler magazine named the Hudson Valley one of the “Top 20 Best of the World” places to visit in 2013.

Poughkeepsie was settled in the 17th century by the Dutch and became New York’s second capital shortly after the American Revolution. It was chartered as a city in 1854.

I have always loved that name… Poughkeepsie , and find it easier to spell than a lot of other cities with difficult pronunciations. “Poughkeepsie” derives its name from a spring or stream feeding into the Hudson River south of the present downtown areas, where Indians once gathered to weave lodges from the cattail reeds.

Seniors Walk Over The Hudson

Poughkeepsie is home to Vassar College (1861), one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the nation. On the college campus is the Lehman Loeb Art Center, designed by renowned architect Cesar Pelli. The Center is the oldest college art museum in the United States and houses over 18,000 works of art and is free to the public. Marist College, founded in 1929, and Dutchess Community College are two additional well known schools.

Main Mall Row, a group of nine 1870s Renaissance Revival storefronts along Poughkeepsie’s Main Street is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Senior visitors will find lots to see and do in Poughkeepsie and enjoy shopping at the Arlington Business District that has a selection of quality specialty shops and fine dining establishments.

The beautiful Hudson River flows along side Poughkeepsie and a well-known bridge crosses the river.  Originally built as a railroad bridge in 1889, the Walkway Over the Hudson opened in 2009 as a pedestrian park.

It is a great vantage point to view not only the Hudson River and ships passing by, but also a wide array of fall colors.

Over a mile and a quarter long from one end to the other, and 212 feet above the Hudson, it is the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. When you plan your itinerary for a visit to town, put the Walkway on your bucket list.

Seniors Enjoy The Waterfront

And parks, my…300 acres of parkland in 22 separate parks. The Vassar Golf Course invites senior golfers of all abilities to play the 9-hole 2,500 yard course that dates  back to 1930.

My wife and I would enjoy spending an evening at The Bardavon 1869 Opera House, in the downtown district. It is the oldest continuously-operating theater in New York State.

The Waterfront offers restaurants with great views over the Hudson River and fine places to spend an evening dinner hour.

Seniors, begin your Hudson River Valley getaway in Poughkeepsie. You will discover an abundance of natural scenic beauty, outdoor recreation, historic landmarks, restaurants, festivals and so much more.

Looks like a great place to spend a few days, seniors. Enjoy Poughkeepsie! -jeb

Seniors Discover Historic Bardstown

USA Today selected Bardstown , Kentucky (Bourbon Capital of the World) as one of the ten best southern towns in the nation. When I read that in the paper, this senior wanted to travel to travel to  Bardstown to see what’s there. So that’s where we’re headed today.

In addition, after a 5-month long nationwide competition, Bardstown, Kentucky was named the ‘Most Beautiful Small Town in America” in the Best of the Road Competition sponsored by Rand McNally and USA Today.

At any given time, Kentucky has more barrels of bourbon aging than people – some 5 million to its 4.2 million population. If you are interested in knowing how bourbon is made, plan a visit to the Barton 1792 Distillery & Visitor Center.  Tours and tastings are always complimentary.

Seniors Catch A Festival

After that visit, take a carriage ride that provides senior visitors with a slow-paced means to see the sites of historic Bardstown up close. Downtown Bardstown offers something for everyone including browsing eclectic shops, dining in fine restaurants, and visiting a variety of historic attractions.  30 festivals are celebrated each year, so its highly likely you just might see one when you travel through Bardstown.

Bardstown is the county seat of Nelson County with a population of around 12,000. It got its name from the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard attained 1,000 acres in land grant in 1785. This second oldest city in Kentucky was first settled in 1780, so history is an important part of the city.

As settlers migrated west following the Revolutionary War, Bardstown became the first center of Catholicism west of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Gethsemani Abbey, founded in 1848 by the Order of Trappist Cistercians, is home today to Trappist monks who open doors to spiritual seekers from all over the world.

Seniors Enjoy A Dinner Train

I know that my brother-in-law, with a model train track in his backyard in Iowa, would head off to the Kentucky Railway Museum that holds more than 70 pieces of rail equipment, a dining car exhibit, a ticket office and a display of steam locomotive whistles.

My Old Kentucky Dinner Train serves senior visitors four-course dinners in restored vintage dining cars while rolling through Kentucky Bourbon Country in the scenic Rolling Fork River Valley

Nelson County has more than 300 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places; nearly 200 of them are in the historic downtown district of Bardstown.

Remember Stephen Foster? He wrote the state song “My Old Kentucky Home.” Federal Hill in Old Kentucky State Park was the inspiration for that song and the old mansion built in 1812 can be visited.

The Chuckleberry Farm and Winery on the outskirts of Bardstown is where the action is and where senior visitors can enjoy blackberry cobbler and fresh fruit, in season. It’s in Bardstown where you can experience a true southern city, abounding with hospitality and history. -jeb

Seniors Discover Mount Laurel

Mount Laurel, New Jersey, is called an edge city suburb of Philadelphia just off I-295.  The population runs right at 42,000 and was incorporated as a town back in 1872. The name Mount Laurel comes from the name of a hill at a main crossroads in town.

Laurel Acres Park is known for its Veteran’s Memorial, fishing lake, playground, and huge grassy hill used for concerts in the summer and sledding in the winter.

Senior visitors will find historical landmarks in Mount Laurel, including General Clinton’s headquarters and Paulsdale, the birthplace and childhood home of Alice Paul, a major leader in the Women’s suffrage movement in the United States.

Evesham Friends Meeting House, on the National Register of  Historic Places, is the oldest meetinghouse still in use in the United States. The Thomas Smith House is another on the National Register of Historic Places, which means…don’t miss it if you are interested in American History. I would be right behind you. Senior visitors can travel all across Hamilton County visiting one site after another; I counted 95 of them.

Senior Visitors, Meet Hattie Margaret Hill Britt

Hattie Margaret Hill Britt, 92, whose half-century as a teacher in Mount Laurel led to the community naming a school after her, Hattie Britt School. Her career as a teacher spanned the days from one-room schoolhouses to modern classrooms, from segregated schools to multiethnic classrooms, and from Mount Laurel’s days as a farming community to its present status as a township filled with gleaming office parks and sprawling housing developments.

Farmer’s Hall, built in 1866 by the Farmers Progressive Club, served as the town hall from 1904 to 1969. The hall has been restored and is now used as a museum. The local Historical Society was formed in 1972 to save Farmer’s Hall from demolition.

Seniors Visit Jacob’s Chapel And Cemetery

One of the most famed sites is Jacob’s Chapel that was constructed in 1859. Behind the chapel is an African American cemetery filled with soldiers from the civil war. During the war, Quakers in Mount Laurel helped slaves escape to the north through the Underground Railroad using the chapel as a hiding location.

Long before it became Mount Laurel Township, the earliest known history of this area began with the Lenni-Lenape Indians (len-ah-pee) means “original people,” who lived throughout the Delaware Valley from around 1400 until the 1700s. Evidence is found of their farming and hunting villages along the banks of the Rancocas River. In fact, the “Great Road” of pioneer days was originally an Indian trail.

Highlights for seniors include Laurel Acres Park, the Coco Key Water Resort and Larchmont Park. There seems to be no end of ethic restaurants in town. So set your GPS and spend some quality time in Mount Laurel. - jeb