April 1, 2019

CADES COVE in TENNESSEE’S SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Following Cades Cove Loop Road in the Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee is like driving into a pastoral painting! This drive has been on our bucket list for many years. Friends have told us about the wildlife, the beauty and history of the road, but no description is adequate!      WHY CADES COVE?   One reason we wanted to visit Cades Cove is because wildlife of all kinds fills me with wonder and excitement.  (I should clarify that all wildlife does not include snakes!) After I retired, I lived in a 400-square foot cabin in the North Carolina mountains. My cabin was across a dirt road from a bear sanctuary…

March 18, 2019

50 GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS: THE BEST BACK ROAD BY STATE

We hope spring makes you want to get on the road! To help you decide where to go, we have a treasure trove of backroads information for you. Just where are the best back roads, by state? You already know we take back roads on every trip we take. Check out our blog post, “Take Backroads to Explore America” at: http://thetravelingseniors.com/back-roads-forever/ In that post, we share some of our favorite backroads.  As our friend, Scott of the blog, Take Back Roads, says, “America is home to countless back roads, side roads, and country roads… scenic routes, historic routes, and tourist routes… National Byways and Historic Highways…. and more road trip possibilities than…

March 9, 2019

42nd Annual McGuire’s St. Patrick’s Day Prediction 5K Run

Saturday, March 9 was the 42nd  Annual McGuire’s St. Patrick’s Day Prediction 5K Run taking place in Pensacola Florida.  Over ten thousand runners and walkers took part in this annual event. This was a 5K (3.1 miles) that started and finished at McGuire’s Irish Pub in downtown Pensacola, Florida.  McGuire’s Bagpipers https://youtu.be/vhEwtRJtI-Ehttps://youtu.be/Xv4GpCEULBY Off They Go And They Keep Coming

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…

January 21, 2019

VISIT THE MOUNTAIN TOWN OF HIGHLANDS, North Carolina

Where can you take a walk to get an early morning coffee downtown and possibly see a bear? Where can you rub elbows with people who have bought jewelry on Main Street worth tens of thousands of dollars? Where can you find more than 500 trails and countless waterfalls for those who want to spend as much time as possible in nature? Where can you attend an afternoon tea? Highlands, North Carolina!   When you visit Highlands, North Carolina, you will be totally charmed. This mountain town is quaint and sophisticated. At an elevation of 4,117 feet, Highlands has everything! Highlands is a sleepy picturesque town until summertime. In summer, Highlands’…

January 17, 2019

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON AIRLINE TICKETS

As the Traveling Seniors, we travel most often by car. We love the freedom, storage and hassle-free travel cars provide. However, there are destinations we long to visit that are only reasonably accessible by air.     As seniors on limited budgets, it is essential that we learn how to save money on air travel. We follow some simple steps to make certain we are saving as much money on air travel as possible.           Here are steps on how to save money on airline tickets:   ______________________________   LOOK FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT OFFER SENIOR TRAVEL DISCOUNTS   For example, AARP is the largest organization offering…

January 14, 2019

BARGAIN TRAVEL: TRAIN DISCOUNTS & TIPS FOR SENIORS AND SENIORS WITH DISABILITIES

You already know that as The Traveling Seniors, we love traveling by car. Cars provide fantastic freedom, flexibility, and storage options!   However, the next best choice may be to travel by train. Today’s trains have internet, comfy seating, food, leg room, views and no seat belt restrictions!     While living in D.C., I took the train every week and it was easy, fast and comfortable. So consider train travel in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.   Fortunately, bargain travel includes traveling by train.  So, follow along to learn about the train discounts for seniors.   ______________________________ SENIORS WITH DISABILITIES CAN AND SHOULD TRAVEL! We also want seniors with disabilities…

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!  …

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…

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.)  …