February 14, 2019

THE BEST OF ARIZONA: THE PETRIFIED FOREST AND PAINTED DESERT

  If you want to experience other-worldly terrain, take a backroads trip to the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert!   The Petrified Forest National Park’s headquarters are located about 26 miles east of Holbrook, Az along Interstate 40, which parallels the BNSF Railway’s Southern Transcon, the Puerto River, and historic Route 66.   In fact, the Petrified Forest National Park is the only national park site that contains a segment of the Historic Route 66 alignment. The northern portion of the park extends into the Painted Desert.     Teddy Roosevelt created the Petrified Forest National Monument in 1906. It has over 50,000 acres of designated wilderness.     We drove…

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2019, Arizona, Blog

February 11, 2019

SAIL AWAY at TALL SHIP FESTIVALS

    Are you a romantic? Do you love pirate tales and swashbuckling movies?  How about Oceanographic Research? Sail away at Tall Ship Festivals, Races, Regattas, Challenges and Celebrations!               Stu and I spent three days exploring Tall Ships in Pensacola, Florida at the Tall Ships Festival.     There are Tall Ship events in North America each year as well as races and celebrations around the globe. One source for finding a Tall Ship Event near you is the Tall Ships Network.  C’mon senior travelers!     In 2019 alone, you can see Tall Ships in such American cities as:        …

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Florida, Trip Planning

February 7, 2019

ALABAMA GARDEN TOUR: THE BELLINGRATH GARDENS

I was so surprised when Stu turned into the driveway of the Bellingrath Gardens! I am a Master Gardener and LOVE gardening. Stu had told me our next stop was a surprise but, I had no idea it would be the 65-acre splendiferous Bellingrath Gardens!   Walter Bellingrath was one of the first Coca Cola bottlers in the southeastern United States. The gardens surrounding his home were opened to the public in 1932 and is the oldest public garden in Alabama. The Gardens are listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage and on the National Register of Historic Places.   The gardens were originally used as a fishing camp by…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Alabama, Blog

February 4, 2019

BEAUTY AND THE BEASTLY: INDUSTRIAL SLAVERY AT ARCADIA MILL in MILTON, FLORIDA

We felt as if we were just walking through a nature park at Arcadia Mill in Milton, Florida. We were actually visiting Florida’s first and largest antebellum industrial complex! There is beauty in the Arcadia Mill woods but also the beastly in the Mill’s history. A large part of Arcadia Mill’s history is industrial slavery.   The Arcadia Mill site was a huge complex with various mills, a grist mill, a blackmithshop, a mule-drawn railroad and a sixteen-mile long log flume! The vast complex was built and operated with industrial slavery.   The industrial site began with a sawmill. It grew to have a second sawmill. Later, a textile mill was run…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Florida

January 31, 2019

9 BATTLE STARS: THE BATTLESHIP USS ALABAMA

Though it was a sunny day, our minds drifted to the battleship before us having sailed through the fog of war. It is a humbling experience. We felt a certain reverence as we boarded the Battleship USS (BB-60) Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. Senior Travelers will relate since we grew up with stories about WWII from our parents.   The USS Alabama was commissioned in 1942 and served in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of World War II. Decommissioned in 1947, the battleship was placed in the reserve fleet in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.  In 1964, Alabama was towed to Mobile Bay and opened as a museum the…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Alabama, Blog

January 24, 2019

WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK FROM TRAVELING?

The whole purpose of our blog is to inspire you to get off the couch and travel. Is it working? Stu and I both once held ourselves back from plunging into road adventures. We worried about not knowing what to expect or if we could handle the challenges of travel. Now, neither of us can imagine life without travel!   “THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, AFTER ALL, IS TO LIVE IT, TO TASTE EXPERIENCE TO THE UTMOST, TO REACH OUT EAGERLY AND WITHOUT FEAR FOR NEWER AND RICHER EXPERIENCE.”    -Eleanor Roosevelt   Once you taste the experience of travel, there is no going back. So, what’s holding you back from…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Travel, Trip Planning

January 10, 2019

BARGAIN TRAVEL: TOP RESTAURANT DISCOUNTS FOR TRAVELING SENIORS IN 2019

We splurge sometimes. I mean, we’re human! And we love food! Our policy is to eat roadfood on our travels. (see our post, “How to Find the Unusual on Your Roadtrip”, https://tinyurl.com/y2cr6wke and see the Roadfood section).   However, when in New Orleans, we are not about to miss gourmet meals in the French Quarter! Or in Tucson! (see our post on delicious eats in Tucson, “Foodies Take Note! Tucson Has it All!” http://thetravelingseniors.com/foodies-take-note/).     We are simple people. Mom and Pop local eats are the very best and we have met owners and servers willing to sit and share town and restaurant history, legends and stories! That experience cannot be beat!  …

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Travel, Trip Planning

January 7, 2019

BARGAIN TRAVEL: TOP TRAVEL DISCOUNTS FOR SENIORS IN 2019

If you are like us, pennies count while traveling. We want to go everywhere and see everything! We all know there are compromises on a retirement income but stretching your dollars can make the difference between heading out for an exciting trip and not going. For bargain travel, we need to know the top travel discounts for seniors.   This year, our friends at The Senior List® (www.theseniorlist.com)  have once again published The 2019 Best Travel Discounts for Seniors. Their list contains verified senior discounts. While discount policies can change during the year, we use this list when planning our journeys. *Please note: Some of the discounts you’ll see below are offered…

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Travel, Trip Planning

January 3, 2019

HOW TO FIND THE UNUSUAL ON YOUR ROAD TRIP

Ready to start planning your next road trip? Your U.S. road trip itinerary can include stops from the sublime to the ridiculous!  Think abandoned towns, industrial wonders, historic homes, mom and pop restaurants known only to locals, secret trails leading to magnificent overlooks and, best of all, the REAL America!   HOW TO FIND THE UNUSUAL WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP is easy! Just use some invaluable websites. Double click each blue link in this post to be taken to that particular website.   (We encourage you to check out Backroad Planet, which supplied a portion of the content featured here.  By the way, Backroad Planet is one of our favorite travel blogs. It is superb.)  …

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written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Road Trips, Travel, Trip Planning