Vacation
Planning
Vacation planning can be a challenge
in these economic times. Instead of stressing, why
not consider a “staycation”, the new
buzz word for staying at home and having fun. While
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Backyard Adventures
is aimed at families with young children, the ideas
can easily be adapted to meet the needs and wants
of all age groups. Here are a few examples to inspire
you to create your own Backyard Adventure.
Picnic Under The Stars
Just need a change of venue without
the expense of a night out? Plan a picnic under
the stars. If you live in the city you may have
been missing the stars because of all the surrounding
lights. Or maybe you’ve just been too busy
to notice. Before you venture far afield, check
out the backyard for viewing. If that’s not
going to work find a good clearing away from trees
and bright lights. Now that you’ve settled
on a place you can be surprised by what the night
offers or you can check out the monthly stargazing
almanac at StarDate Online.
Set the mood with your picnic plans
– delivery pizza and beer (using your discount
coupons) or make it an elegant feast complete with
wine. To make it enjoyable don’t forget to
bring a tarp to put under the quilt (in case the
ground is damp). Enjoy a star-studded evening on
the cheap!
Exploring Your Town
History buff? No need to wander
far – there’s sure to be plenty of history
to discover just outside your door. Drop by your
tourism bureau or check out their web site for historical
sites in your neighborhood. Most of these sites
are open to the public and the ones that charge
admission usually offer senior discounts. You may
also want to spend an afternoon at the local library
and read up on historical accounts associated with
the locale. Plan a weekend or two around visiting
the sites or revisit the Sunday afternoon drive,
mapping out historical markers. You’ll find
you don’t have to stray from home to experience
a little history!
Just Chillin’
Skip those long hours sitting in
an airport terminal or behind the wheel in bumper-to-bumper
traffic. Save big on the cost of gasoline. Instead
of paying a high price in time, energy and money
for a weekend or weekday get-away, plan a staycation.
Make reservations at a hotel across the street or
across town, of course, using your senior discounts.
Pack your bathing suit, a good book, and chill for
a couple days away from home for whole lot less
then traveling to some exotic resort. What a great
time to check out a new restaurant or to explore
shopping on the “other” side of town.
These ideas and more can be even
more inexpensive by taking advantage of senior discounts.
Enjoy your Backyard Adventure!
Resources:
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Backyard Adventures,
Night Sky: A Guide to Field Identification, St Martin’s
Press.
Picnics: Delicious Recipes for Outdoor Entertaining.
StarDate Online, http://www.stardate.org
National Trust for Historic Preservation, http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/
Nancy Worrell is author of The
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Backyard Adventures
and contributed to The Unofficial Guide to the Southeast
with Kids. Nancy recently moved to Tallahassee,
Florida so she could explore her backyard with three
adventurous granddaughters.
Nancy Worrell © 2009
Transportation
Amtrak
, Greyhound
, Viarail
all offer some wonderful discounts for seniors.
Amtrak gives seniors 15% off all tickets. Greyhound
will offer special discounts from time to time.
Viarail offers the best discount for seniors, giving
seniors a 2 for 1 rate on all tickets.
National parks
One of the best national discount
offers for seniors is the "Golden Passport" program
of the U.S.
National Park Service. This one-time fee of
just $10, gives seniors free entrance into any National
Park for life. The passports do not need to be renewed,
and they will also cover the entrance fees of anyone
traveling in the car with that senior. There are
a bunch of benefits to having this card so check
it out.
Savings for the older skier
The Over
the Hill Gang International, has over 6,000
members across the US. Not to worry if you're not
in the US, they are present in 13 countries and
accept members starting at age 50, and promises
major discounts. The groups are tons of fun and
a great way to meet new people.
The Senior Club
Most seniors are familiar with the
AARP, the Canadian version is
CARP. The large groups provide fifty plus individuals
the ability to buy as a group. A card carrying member
- cost is 12.50 a year - can expect to receive discounts
ranging from 15 to 25%. If you are a frequent traveler
- you would be silly not to have this card in your
wallet.
www.50plusexpeditions.com
50+ Expeditions,
Group Travel for People 50+.
www.elderhostel.org.
Elderhostel -
Staying in a hostel can save you a fortune. You
will also be able to meet a whack of new people.
www.eldertreks.com,
Eldertreks,
If you are going to travel, this is a great place
to start. A terrific information source for all
seniors, whether you're headed to Egypt or Europe
- they can help!
www.journeywoman.com,
JourneyWoman.com,
if you are an adventuresome woman, be sure to check
this site out. They may just have a tour or group
just for you.
www.motel6.com,
This is actually a pretty good link. Check it out
if you need a hotel in the near future. Yes its specific
for seniors.
www.poshnosh.com,
Senior Women's Travel,
trips for 50+ women with a passion for travel.
www.smartertravel.com/senior-travel/,
Smarter Living's Senior Travel,
Good source for ideas. Not really a discount site
as they package up regular trips as a senior trip.
But there are plenty of good ideas.
www.thirdage.com/travel,
Third Age Travel, a resource guide with an
on-line community, travel companions matching service,
feature stories and travel related subjects geared
to seniors.
www.walkingtheworld.com,
Walking the World,
adventure travel for people 50 and better. Adventure
travel is a way of experiencing the world, not as
a passive observer, but as an active participant.
And walking, more than any other type of activity,
allows you to experience first hand not only a country's
majestic natural areas, but its rich and varied human
cultures as well.
Rick
Steves - Savvy Senior Traveller
- Great site for learning how to get a discount on
the road or travelling abroad.
The key to getting a good discount
is to ask. We have tried to provide links to quality
sites, if you have any difficulties with any of the
sites above please let us know.
If you know of any sites that
would be a good fit for us to add, please send us
an email at info@seniors-discount.com.
Seniors Travelling Abroad:
The world is not what
it once was - if you are heading over to Europe, make
sure that you have your papers in order and you have
an idea as to where you will be staying. Local officials
can be very difficult with any one, regardless of
age. When travelling to the Caribbean - it is important
to set up guided tours for your excursions. Safety
is the most important part of travelling to latin
countries. The US dollar is widely accepted - there
is no need to take a great deal with you on your day
trips.
Tour operators can be
of great assistance for working with, they will help
to ensure that you get the most out of you trips and
they won't lead you astray. Here is a quick list of
some more tour operators who specialize in dealing
with senior citizens.
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