Page 11 – THE TRAVELING SENIORS

April 22, 2019

BONAVENTURE CEMETERY in SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

Poems have been written about it. Oscar Wilde called it, “incomparable.” John Muir slept for 6 days and nights in it when he took his famous 1,000 Mile Walk in America. Bonaventure Cemetery is, in the spring, one of the most beautiful man-made places I have ever seen. We were dazzled by the artistry in the stonework, the loving and inspirational messages inscribed on that stonework, the live oak tunnels covered with long moss, the bounty of azaleas and the serenity of Bonaventure Cemetery along the banks of the Wilmington River. We wanted to stay all day and come back for more once the day ended. …

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

April 15, 2019

Dorchester Academy: THIS NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT CIVIL RIGHTS SITE IN GEORGIA NEEDS SUPPORT

DORCHESTER ACADEMY Just outside of Midway, Georgia is one of the least-visited of the 11 stops in Georgia on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. Dorchester Academy played a major role in the National Civil Rights Movement. Dorchester Academy was founded in 1868. The school was established to educate freed African-Americans following the Civil War. In the 1960s, Dorchester was a center for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Septima Clark, called the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement” by MLK, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks made Dorchester Academy the headquarters of the Citizen Education Program, a vehicle for training African-Americans in the effective exercise of their rights….

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

April 8, 2019

HOW TO PLAN SENIOR TRAVEL

We’ve been getting questions lately about how to put together a travel itinerary. Whether you are recently retired, newly able to travel because finances have improved, or find yourself in some other new life situation, knowing how to put together a travel itinerary is crucial. We hope this post will help you to learn how we go about setting an itinerary. Over time, you will develop your own process. BEFORE YOU START PLANNING, YOU NEED TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS QUESTION ONE: What is the scope of travel you interested in? Do you want to go overseas? Visit North America?…

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

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…

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

March 25, 2019

MARK TWAIN’S HOMETOWN: HANNIBAL, MISSOURI

We are HUGE fans of the writings of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)! His book, Roughing It, written in 1872 is a side-splitting comedic recounting of Twain’s misadventures in the Wild West. Just think about his “River Novels”-the hair raising and hilarious tales told in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn! Have you wondered about the setting for those childhood stories of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and others? That setting is Hannibal, Missouri! Twain was deeply connected and devoted to the Mississippi River. We recommend reading his book, Life on the Mississippi, written in 1883. His love for the river began when he was a boy in…

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

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…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Blog, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Road Trips, Tennesse, Texas, Travel, Trip Planning, Utah

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

written by Stuart - Posted in 2019, Blog, Florida, Travel

March 7, 2019

HOW TO TRACK Davy Crockett IN TENNESSEE

As seniors, we all grew up with Davy Crockett! (well, Fess Parker) He was brave enough to fight bears, courageous enough to tame the frontier and stood for always doing what is right. He was also a real American. This particular senior travel was meaningful to us because Davy is a childhood hero of ours. My brother and I actually had a Davy Crockett clubhouse in our backyard! We decided to track Davy Crockett through Tennessee to learn more about the man who preferred to be called David Crockett! HOW DO YOU TRACK Davy Crockett IN TENNESSEE? We tracked Davy to four locations in the state….

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

March 4, 2019

2 of AMERICA’s BEST QUILT TRAILS

The Amish purposely include a mistake in their quilts because only God is perfect. During the Dust Bowl, worn-out clothing was re-purposed into quilts to keep families warm. Like you, I have quilts made by my grandmothers, great aunts, and my mom. Growing up, I snuggled under the quilts, tracing the pattern and fabrics with my finger as I settled down for the night. One family quilt went to my daughter and son in-law as a wedding gift. Quilts are family heirlooms; symbols of the creativity and strength of women. Quilting Circles find women (and some men) “solving” world problems and sharing the warmth of friendship while creating works…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, Kentucky, Road Trips, Tennessee

February 28, 2019

A ROADSIDE WONDER:a fabulous surprise from the road

One of the greatest thrills of taking back roads is when we happen upon something interesting and unusual completely by accident! We call these finds “roadside wonders.” They are not historically significant or tourist destinations. Sometimes, they are colorful, at times ugly, kitsch, and even hilarious. We love sharing some of our favorites with you! We stopped at a drugstore while driving through Sylva, North Carolina and look at the colorful “roadside wonder” we found! Hiding on a side street was CT Auto Service, Inc., a three-generation business that offers car repairs, towing and more. When we stopped, Anthony told us that his grandfather began covering the building with license…

written by Barb Bradley - Posted in 2019, Blog, North Carolina