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…

January 1, 2019

2018 TRAVELS WITH STU & BARB

Remembering 2018. What a year it was traveling the country. And what fun it was. From Gulf Breeze, Florida to the Grand Canyon and many places in between. So check out this video and share our experiences. Be sure to watch for all of our adventures coming in 2019. Happy New Years to all. Be safe. Cheers!

July 26, 2018

TAKE A NOSTALGIC BACKROADS TRIP: ROUTE 66 IN KANSAS

Take a nostalgic backroads trip on Route 66 in Kansas!      U.S. Route 66 is also known as the Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America and the Mother Road  (so dubbed by John Steinbeck in his 1939 book, “The Grapes of Wrath”) and is a visual and historic treat!     Route 66 is one of the original highways of the U. S. Highway System and was established on November 11, 1926. Route 66 is the most famous highway in the United States and originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica, California. The original Route 66 covered a total of…

July 23, 2018

VISUAL MAGIC IN ARIZONA’S SLOT CANYONS

Slot Canyon

See visual magic in Arizona’s Slot Canyons! When Navajo guides throw dirt into the sun’s rays, an ethereal stream of fireworks erupts!     We had seen photos of the famous Antelope Canyon, but knew nothing else about the Slot Canyons in Arizona. Slot Canyons are enchanting, unforgettable natural wonders! Our slot canyon experiences are among our very favorites in America.     Slot Canyons are narrow canyons, formed by water rushing through rock. Slot canyons are deeper than they are wide. These canyons are mostly found within the Colorado Plateau of northern Arizona and southern Utah.     Slot Canyons near Page, Arizona     Most Slot Canyons are…

June 27, 2018

MEET STU & BARB, THE TRAVELING SENIORS

Stu & Barb

Hi and Welcome! Explore America with us on backroads.  We’re Stu and Barb, The Traveling Seniors. Thank you for checking us out!  We graduated high school together 50 years ago (that can’t be true)! We lost touch for 30 years but suddenly we’re exploring America together! And, yes, senior travel is thrilling!  We photograph, giggle and blog our way down backroads exploring America. Think local food, colorful people and surprises everywhere.  Long live mom & pop establishments and backroads! Follow The Traveling Seniors and find inspiration to travel, learn travel tips, find resources,  see the most up-to-date senior travel discounts, and share our backroads trips! The Traveling Seniors are also on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Please pin our…

June 1, 2018

SPRING BACKROADS TRAVEL COSTS (2018)

When Stu and I first cooked up a 2018 backroads trip from Florida to the Grand Canyon and back, we had no real idea what it would cost. We researched online blogs and found someone who had posted that a recent trip from Florida (where I planned to meet up with Stu) to the Grand Canyon cost about $3,700. So, we each budgeted about $4,000 apiece for the trip. We didn’t set an end date for our trip or a precise budget. We planned to stay on the road as long as we wanted. This road trip ended up being from northwest Florida to southern Utah and back and lasted 36 days….

May 29, 2018

8 TIPS FOR BACKROADS TRIPS

8 TIPS FOR BACKROADS TRIPS Two people, eight states and thousands of miles. A recent Traveling Seniors backroads trip was one of the most exhilarating experiences we’ve each ever had!   8 Tips for Roadtrips:  Do NOT plan and DO NOT set daily goals! Sound counterproductive? It isn’t! Aside from hotel reservations at places like the Grand Canyon and other high traffic attractions, we simply do not plan by date OR by navigation. As long as we headed toward our ultimate destination, we were fine on a recent 36-day roadtrip with wherever Siri took us. Set the car’s navigation to settings OTHER than “fastest route.” You will  head down backroads and…

May 29, 2018

NEW ORLEANS: LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

New Orleans: Let the Good Times Roll! The Big Muddy. The Big Easy. The Mighty Mississippi. The Mardi Gras City. What can you say??????? GOOD TIMES, GOOD FOOD AND GREAT MUSIC, that’s what!!! More than Bourbon Street (although you just HAVE to go there!), NOLA is a kick in the pants, a cultural experience, and a place no one should miss! Hotel We were lucky enough to stay at the AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon at 221 Carondelet Street in New Orleans. A block from Canal Street where we crossed into the French Quarter, the location was perfect! The hotel does not have a restaurant but who cares? New Orleans…