Cooped up in and around greater Sarasota Florida for what seemed like a covid-dictated eternity and with a brand new Genesis G-70 sitting in the garage, it finally seemed like the right time for us to take a fun road trip. Besides, we really needed to explore some new (to us) places as research for future Simply Smart Travel columns.

As we put the proverbial hammer down right after the Fourth of July and headed north by northwest, we thought what lay ahead would be our usual road-trip-combination of fun, good food and drink, and fascinating destinations. It was all of that and more…a whole lot more. It turned out to be an odyssey into the past, present and future of race in America.

Our first stop was to visit Ginny’s friend since elementary school in Cedartown Georgia, This small Southern town is, well, a typical small Southern town. See our 2018 column https://simplysmarttravel.com/fleeing-hurricane-irma-an-unexpected-find/ for more on Cedartown.   

From northwest Georgia, it was a relatively short hop to our first “professional” destination of Birmingham, Alabama. It is a town we had passed through but never explored and we wanted to test whether its slogan of “Dinner Table of the South” is deserved. It is. We enjoyed several good meals there and the highlight was the weirdly-named Hot and Hot Fish Club, presided over by James Beard Award-winning Chef Chris Hastings. Simply put, it is one of the best restaurants we have ever experienced anywhere. The Black-owned Six Sixteen in the Tutwiler Hotel also provided memorable cuisine.

But the real and unexpected impact Birmingham had on us was not the food or the many trains running though Railroad Park, pleasing rail-enthusiast Jeff immensely. It was the city’s ongoing recognition and honesty about its sordid racial history in the Bull Connor era. We toured the Birmingham Civil Right District National Monument with historian Barry McNealy and later met with Rev. Thomas Wilder, the pastor of the thrice-bombed Bethel Street Baptist Church and Rev. Dr. Martha Bouyer. Collectively, these experiences exploded like a bomb in our heads.

It has been over 60 years since the KKK and Bull Connor’s cops, dogs and firehoses victimized those brave people like Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth who dared to demand what the post-civil-war constitution has “guaranteed” to them a century earlier, before the prolonged flight of Jim Crow made a mockery of those battles and amendments.

As we hit the road to our next destination, Springfield, Illinois, home of Abraham Lincoln, we talked not only about the tourist side of Birmingham (which is really worthy of exploration) but also about the impact the Civil Rights District and the people who struggled there…and still struggle there…to claim their rights as citizens had on us, two privileged middle-class white people in contemporary America. To paraphrase Rev. Wilder’s remarks during our conversation, having the white privilege that American culture inevitably bestowed upon folks like us is neither right nor wrong, per se. Rather, it is afforded positive or negative moral significance depending on what we, its reluctant possessors, choose to do with it. We vowed that we would try to do something positive with it.

As the long day of driving wore on, it occurred to us that our destination of Springfield allowed us to travel back a century and explore the Illinois’ capital not only as a delightful destination for Simply Smart Travelers, but as a caldron of history of Lincoln’s times, attitudes and racial goals. Our visit to the Lincoln Museum and Presidential Library, the narrated Lincoln walk we undertook with a knowledgeable guide, our tour of the visitor’s center and grounds of the national park surrounding Lincoln’s home was colored, even dominated, by our newly-rekindled interest in race relations in America, past, present and future. Yes, we enjoyed the food and sights of Springfield (a very nice town worth visiting!) but we were also hooked into an intellectual journey into America’s racial past, present and future. As we wrapped up our road trip with visits to St. Louis, Evansville, Indiana and Crystal River, Florida, all subjects of future Simply Smart Travel columns, race and history were never far from our thoughts.

What we plan on doing with our now roaring re-ignition of interest in the topic (Jeff was a history minor in grad school and Ginny came from a segregated small town in Indiana and always wondered why it was segregated) remains to be seen. It may culminate in some future essays, lots of conversation, maybe an eventual book and some activism, but it will not go away.

So what is the lesson we (re)learned? Travel is rewarding in so many ways and one its greatest rewards is that it has an amazing ability to bring some new thoughts and perspectives to some old road warriors like us.

The post Learning From a Road Trip: Our Civil Rights Odyssey appeared first on Simply Smart Travel.

We Are Not Out of the Woods Yet But We’re Seeing a Clearing in the Distance

It has been a tough year for travelers. The Covid-19 pandemic made traveling dangerous and led to the closure of most venues. Like most of you, we stayed home in 2020 and so far in 2021 and waited for some relief. Those of you in Atlanta, Cleveland, Gainesville, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Reno who read our column know that we have been revisiting many of our past columns and updating them with as much current information as we would find.

Fortunately, some relief has arrived in the guise of vaccines and other preventive measures. We had both doses of our vaccines by late March and are now ready to venture out again…carefully. Though we are not scientists, we listen to those who are, especially medical and public health specialists, and are heeding their best current advice for our future travels.

So what are they advising, as of late April, 2021 and what are our plans?

Based on scientific advice, airlines, trains and tourbus operators are beginning to resume more widespread service. Cruise lines will soon follow. Should you go? Are we going? Our answer is a qualified yes, but it depends.

O.K., you’re probably asking, what does it depend on?

*Our advice is to stay home if you are not fully vaccinated. If you want to travel, get a vaccination..

*Keep your proof of vaccination with you. Make a copy and laminate the copy. Keep the original in a safe place.

*Don’t let your guard down. You should still wear masks indoors, on planes, trains and buses, in places with large crowds and indoors.

*Wash your hands often and stay outside as much as possible as you travel.

*Where you ae going makes a difference. Check CDC and State Department advisories before making specific plans. Avoid covid hot spots. As the subtitle title of this note declares, we are not out of the woods yet.

Taking our own advice, we are planning to take a long-deferred U.S.road trip this summer and we have a carefully-selected overseas jaunt in the planning stages for the autumn shoulder season. Check back with this web site since we will be updating things as they come along.

Be safe and enjoy your simply smart travels.

The post Travel in 2021 appeared first on Simply Smart Travel.

As wonderful as taking the train and watching the scenery unfold while sipping a drink in a lounge car is, it is simply not convenient in most of the United States, given our paucity of trains and their limited frequency.

As expedient as it is to reach a far-away destination via airplane at 500 mile per hour, airline passengers it is less than convenient when we factor in frequent long airport delays, sometimes unreliable schedules and cramped seat, among other things.

As frequent veterans of both of the above travel modes, we decided that for our upcoming Spring, 2020 trip to research destinations for future Simply Smart Travel columns, we would try a road trip.

We’re planning to take our relatively new sedan, point it north from Florida, travel as far as the Great Lakes, explore some destinations there and return to Sarasota via a different route. Along the way, we’re going to take some roads less traveled and visit towns big and small, museums and sights of all kinds.

As we’ve researched this trip, we’ve gathered a few tips gleaned from those in the know. We’re happy to share them with you.

Make certain your car is in good shape, including tires, brakes, fresh oil change, etc. If you don’t have a good safe car for a road trip, you can always leave yours at home and rent one for your trip.

Don’t just rely on your onboard GPS. Have a good current road Atlas (we use the Rand McNally Road Atlas and Travel Guide) and a navigation app on your cell phone.

Don’t overpack. Remember that you have to carry bags in an out of each overnight stay. If you forget something, there are always stores along the way.

Bring some audio programs that both the driver and passengers can enjoy. Bring a e-reader to catch up on your reading too.

Try an app on your cell phone to keep up with your local radio station. We use Tune-In.

Make sure you have a hands-free setup for your cell phone. It’s the law in some states and safer to boot.

For the days you are on the road, pack a special overnight bag to take into the hotel with a couple changes of comfy clothes and your toiletries. No need to haul everything with you.

*Forget fast food and rest stops for lunch, if possible. Find a unique café or restaurant in a small town along the way and enjoy a leisurely lunch. Try some local delicacies.

*Search for and check web sites about each destination you are considering for tips about attractions, lodging, etc.

Don’t be in a hurry. While sticking to Interstate highways often provides the fastest route between point A and B, getting off the main road and exploring secondary routes and less-than-internationally-famous destinations can be immensely rewarding.

The post Road Trip 2020 appeared first on Simply Smart Travel.

Hurricane Irma

Fleeing Irma: Planning Pays Off Even When It is Hurried

Cedartown, Georgia

Fleeing A Hurricane, Finding Southern Hospitality

We always try to plan our Simply Smart Travel trips well in advance. We have found that it pays to do our homework and research the best places to stay and learn about our destination’s attractions and culture. However, long term advance planning is not always possible. That is the situation we faced at our Sarasota, Florida home as category 5 hurricane Irma churned toward us, days away. The official message was clear: get out if you can or go to a shelter if you cannot.

The Exodus Begins
We heeded the advice and fled north. But planning and preparation still proved to be valuable and made our evacuation less stressful.

After poring over TV weather reports and downloading the Florida Storms app for our phones, we filled our gas tank, loaded our precious computers in the trunk, packed appropriate clothes and a few necessities and decided that Northwest Georgia seemed to be a good place to evacuate to, given the storm’s predicted path. Knowing Atlanta would be mobbed by evacuees, we decided on Cedartown Georgia, a town 60 miles west of Atlanta. We made a reservation for two nights at the Cedartown Best Western and hit the road four days before the storm was scheduled to hit.

We figured and soon verified that the highways would be clogged. So we got on our phones and started to call hotels along the way since it became obvious that we would not make Cedartown in the normal drive time of nine hours. After getting a lot of “Sorry, we are full” responses, we found one in Tallahassee and arrived there after a ten and a half hour drive (normally about five and a half), mostly on secondary roads because I-75 became a parking lot.

Southern Hospitality
The next morning, we set off from Tallahassee on U.S. 27 toward Cedartown and arrived there in mid-afternoon. After checking in to the hotel, the front desk suggested that we go to Jefferson’s restaurant across the street for dinner since they were offering free food to Florida evacuees. That was our first taste of southern hospitality. What wonderful and generous people. We tried to pay but they would not accept it.

The hotel filled up fast and by the next morning, there were people sleeping in campers in the parking lot (provided gratis by people in the town) and the hotel even opened a room for evacuees without a hotel room for showering. Even though we had reservations for two nights, the hotel accommodated us and extended our stay for four nights.

The lobby of the hotel began to fill up with huge quantities of food of all kinds, bottled water, diapers, pet supplies, toiletries and so forth, all donated by private citizens, stores and local churches and all available for the taking, no questions asked. The local volunteer fire department showed up and made provisions to set up a huge tent if needed. Fortunately, it was not needed since the hotel allowed people to stay in the lobby and in the campers in the parking lot.

Soon, grills appeared on the lawn and the townspeople began grilling hamburgers, hot dogs and bar-b-que and urging evacuees to take their fill. They kept it up every day until two days after the storm, when we left to return home. Nobody would take any money for anything.

To put it mildly, the people of Cedartown stepped up and showed what hospitality is all about.

Since we had a car, a room, credit cards and adequate provisions, we decided to make the best of a bad situation and explore the region. Cedartown, the county seat of Polk County, is a picturesque town with a population of 9,750.

The town was named for its Red Cedar trees and its downtown is full of historical buildings and listed is on the National Register of Historic Places because of its 1890’s architecture. Although the  town was ravaged by the Union Army during the civil war, the coming of the railroad and U.S. 27 helped it recover in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

Postscript: We arrived back home to no damage. Irma had largely spared our town. Unfortunately, other places were not so fortunate. Thanks for everything Cedartown.

Before You Go, Check out

• https://www.downtowncedartown.com/
• http://www.exploregeorgia.org/city/cedartown/
• http://roadsidegeorgia.com/city/cedartown.html

Getting There
           Cedartown can be reached by car.

• By air, the nearest major airport is Hartsfield-Jackson International (ATL) in Atlanta.
• By train, Atlanta is the nearest Amtrak stop. Birmingham.is 120 miles away.
• By car, Cedartown is located on U.S. 27, 27 miles north of I-20 and 60 miles from Atlanta and its interstate highway connections.

Must-Sees For A Short Trip:

• Historic Cedartown downtown.
  

  Downtown Cedartown’s bright skies while Irma raged in Florida

   

• Big Spring, the largest natural limestone spring in the South.
• A stroll on the Silver Comet Trail which runs through town.

If You Have Two or Three Days:

Recommended for a slightly longer stay are:

• A drive to the restaurants and antique shops at nearby Cave Springs.
• Seeing the still-open West Cinema Theatre’s art-deco architecture.

If You Have Several Days, enjoy:

• Exploring the gorgeous campus of Martha Berry College in Rome, Ga.
• Wandering through Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia in Cedartown.

Sidebar: Ginny O’s  Tips For Dressing The Simply Smart Travel Way For Hurricane Evacuation. Dress comfortably for being in the car for a long time and for the expected weather. Forget fashion. If you are evacuating a natural disaster, put your emphasis on clothing that will help you survive.

Sidebar: This Destination At A Glance

Over 50 Advantage: Small town Georgia oozes history and hospitality. Cedartown’s historical
downtown is walkable and welcoming.

Mobility Level:  Public and commercial buildings are accessible. There is no public transit system. The terrain is flat-to-rolling and most places have convenient on-street parking. A car is a necessity.

When To Go:  When you need to, in time to beat the throngs of last-minute hurricane escapees. Hurricane season is June through November. Georgia summers are hot and autumn turns cool to cold.

Where To Stay: Before you leave, make hotel reservations. Plan on slow driving since you are not the only one with plans to escape.

Special Travel Interests: Safety and a place to be comfortable. While you are away, be sure to explore your surroundings and enjoy its hospitality, history and charms.

The post Fleeing Hurricane Irma-An Unexpected Find appeared first on Simply Smart Travel.

California is a gorgeous state blessed with more geographic and cultural diversity than most nations.  More than a fair share of the Golden State’s most extraordinary landscapes and towns can be found along or near California Highway 1, the |Pacific   Coast  highway. Come along with us as we explore attractions along this incredible strip of asphalt.

After spending a couple of days in Sonoma wine country just a couple of weeks before the fires, we joined California Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, at Jenner, at the mouth of the Russian River, just 30 miles west of Santa Rosa. From there, we meandered for 195 miles (exclusive of many delightful detours to points of interest) as far as Point Lobos State Natural Preserve, just south of Carmel-By-The-Sea in the northern reaches of the Big Sur. Along the way, we visited such wonderful spots as Marin County, San Francisco and Oakland, explored Santa Cruz, Castroville and Monterey and Carmel-By-The-Sea, among many other California gems.

As we drove south from Jenner, we motored through the beautiful coastal environment passing Bodega Bay and the Point Reyes National Seashore on our way to San Francisco. Most of this leg was spent in Marin County. It is a fabulous potpourri of attractive, upscale towns like Sausalito and Mill Valley, wineries and wilderness. The Muir Woods National Monument in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a magnificent place to see towering old-growth redwood trees.

Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from Marin lies San Francisco. This city by the bay is worthy of several days’ exploration. Visiting just some of its must-see highlights we checked out Fisherman’s Wharf, Coit Tower, Land’s End, The Ferry Terminal, Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, great neighborhoods set in the hills, the historic corner of Haight and Ashbury and many other scenic highlights.

Oakland, San Francisco’s across-the bay-neighbor, connected by BART and the Oakland Bay Bridge, has its own bundle of interesting places to explore. We enjoyed our visit to nearby UC Berkeley (complete with a free speech demonstration), Jack London Square’s great restaurants, shops and passenger trains running down the street, Lake Merritt and some spectacular views of San Francisco Bay from the Oakland hills that defy description.

With mixed feelings about leaving San Francisco but knowing that more wayside delights beckoned us south along the Pacific Coast Highway, we headed to Santa Cruz, sticking to the gorgeous coastal route through Half Moon Bay. The highway hugs the shore, passing many picturesque state beaches enroute. Taking this way to Santa Cruz is a great choice that offers postcard-like vistas and passes far to the west of the traffic and freeways of bustling Silicon Valley.

Santa Cruz, with its iconic pier and boardwalk, is a charming microcosm of what this part of California has to offer—sun, sea, infrastructure and education. The beautiful University of California Santa Cruz campus is a worthy destination unto itself. It is set on over 2,000 acres of rolling hills covered with redwoods and offers amazing views of Monterey Bay.

Nearby is the charming little coastal town of Capitola. It’s a great place to stop for a view of a Pacific sunset and browsing some charming shops.

Another detour that we strongly recommended is a drive to Felton, a mere eight miles of meandering roads from Santa Cruz through the hills and redwoods. It brings you to the historic and scenic Roaring Camp and Big Trees steam railway and the adjacent Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The train ride in open cars through the mountains is beautiful and the redwoods are imposing. To really appreciate their majesty, make sure you leave time to walk among them in the state park.

The Pacific Coast Highway passes through and near some of the most productive agricultural land in the world. We watched strawberries being harvested in Watsonville, visited (and stopped at a couple of roadside stands to taste) fresh and fried artichokes from Castroville. It was quite interesting to watch the crews harvesting the crops right along the highway and even bringing some of the crop directly from the fields to the bins in the roadside stand as we were browsing among the fragrant and colorful bins.

We also drove up 101 a short distance to check out Gilroy, the garlic capital of the world. The entire region, including nearby Salinas, is a farm-to-table chef’s dream.

Continuing to skirt the beautifully-blue Monterey Bay, we arrived at Monterey. Among the most-see attractions in this city are the world-class Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row, the latter put on the map by John Steinbeck. Today, it is no longer a gritty working sardine cannery but a very picturesque and touristy conglomeration of shops and eateries.

Wandering again off California Highway 1, we stuck to the coastline just outside of Monterey for a short swing through Pacific Grove and Lovers Point and explored some of the Peninsula’s secondary roads instead of the justly-famous 17 Mile Drive which we had driven on an earlier trip. For first-timers, 17 Mile Drive is worth taking since it passes many imposing mansions as it follows the beautiful coastline.

Our meanderings led us to the very upscale town of Carmel-By-The-Sea. This lovely little coastal town is full of tony shops, upscale restaurants and many occupied “Fairy Tale Houses” as well as a very nice beach and mansions poised on the shore.

Not quite through with the Pacific Coast Highway yet, we drove on another four miles to reach one of the highlights of our journey, the Point Lobos State Natural Preserve, on the north end of the Big Sur.  Often called the “crown jewel” of the California State Parks system, this place has it all–amazing Pacific Ocean vistas, rugged and rocky shores, blue lagoons, majestic land and sea wildlife (listen to those sea lions perched on the rocks offshore) and miles of trails. It even has docent-led nature walks which we wholeheartedly recommend. Its century-old cabin at Whalers Cove is a museum full of historical artifacts from for Native Americans to Chinese to Portuguese who frequented the region for fishing and whaling.

While the Pacific Coast Highway runs all the way to Dana Point, 60 miles south of Los Angeles, time constraints and a road closure due to a landslide in the Big Sur caused us to say goodbye to this incredible stretch of asphalt for the time being. We are already plotting when we can come back and drive more of this storied highway.

Before You Go, Check out

• https://californiathroughmylens.com/pacific-coast-highway-stops
• http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/
• visitcalifornia.com/trip/highway-one-classic (San Diego to San Francisco)
• http://www.sunset.com/travel/california/highway-1#highway-1_6
• https://www.huffigtonpost.com/David-Landsel/california-big-sur-driving-the-coast_b_5095299.html

Getting There

• Airline service from many points converges at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Other good fly-in choices are San Jose (SJC) and Oakland International (OAK).
• Amtrak operates frequent north and south service the length of California, stopping at many of the locations mentioned here. Oakland is also served by the California Zephyr from Chicago and the Coast Starlight from Seattle and Los Angeles.
• Driving the Pacific Coast Highway and exploring nearby attractions requires a car. Rentals are available at major transportation points.
• The best choice for a cruise port is San Francisco

Must-Sees for A Short Trip:

• Muir Woods National Monument
• San Francisco
• Santa Cruz
• The Monterey Peninsula
• Point Lobos State Natural Preserve
• Stopping for an “animal style burger at In-N-Out Burger, an iconic California fast-food

If You Have Several Extra Days, enjoy:

• Take at least a day to explore wine country in Sonoma and Napa counties. Most wineries and restaurants are open after the recent devastating fires and the region is well on its way toward recovery.
• Continuing on the Pacific Coast Highway south from Point Lobos since the damaged bridges in the Big Sur should be reopened by the time you read this. Call (888) 836-0866 for information about traffic delays and road closures. Be sure to catch Hearst Castle at San Simeon, the home of William Randolph Hearst.
• Alternatively, continue north from Jenner and the mouth of the Russian River toward Mendocino, Fort Bragg and the Oregon border.

Ginny O’s Tips For Dressing The Simply Smart Travel Way For Exploring CA 1. Dress comfortably for walking and exploring towns and roadside attractions but bring a jacket or other dress-up accessories since you might want to dine in an upscale restaurant along the way.

 This Destination At A Glance

   Over 50 Advantage: Self-paced touring through gorgeous scenery.

   Mobility Level: Low, with the minimum agility required getting in and out of a car and walking short distances. Some optional hikes can be strenuous.

   When To Go:  Any time. The California coastal climate is relatively mild year-round but winters are often rainy.

   Where To Stay. Numerous choices are available at many places along the highway, ranging from camp grounds to luxury hotels.

   Special Travel Interests: Nature, photography, wine.

The post    A Spectacular Drive On California Highway 1 From Jenner To Point Lobos appeared first on Simply Smart Travel.

The Casa de Suenos Bed & Breakfast in St. Augustine’s Historical District

When respected St. Augustine innkeepers Joe and Margaret Finnegan of the highly-rated St. Francis Inn launch another bed and breakfast inn in historic St. Augustine, Florida. you expect the best. We were not disappointed. Simply Smart Travel recommends this great little inn highly.

Located in the historic district at 20 Cordova Street, a mere a five minute walk from the waterfront, the Casa de Suenos Bed and Breakfast has seven comfortable rooms, each with a different décor and some even include balconies and two-person jetted tubs. The inn also boasts a really inviting dining and lounge area and great service.

The amenities for guests begin free parking, a rare commodity in St. Augustine’s historical district. They continue with a complimentary supply of port wine and glasses in the room and plush white terry robes for guest use.  Other amenities include a gourmet hot breakfasts weekdays, weekend brunches, afternoon wine and hors d’oeuvres and an evening dessert that was delivered to the room for guests who were still out on the town. High speed internet access and a never-empty snack basket and cold drinks are also part of the package. Inn guests are also invited to visit nearby St. Augustine beach. The inn will supply towels, beach chairs, off-street beach parking and showers at no extra charge.

The stately Spanish-architecture home that is the inn was a private residence built in 1904 as a one story home. In 1988, it became a bed and breakfast owned by Ray and Stanley Toole. Kathleen Hurley took it over in 2001 and quickly gained a reputation for excellence. The Finnegans took it over in 2015, as Ms. Hurley retired.

For an overview of the inn, go to http://www.casadesuenos.com/inn/. Many special packages encompassing sunset schooner sailings, free Frontier Airlines fly-in packages and other deals can be found online. While you are on the web site, you can also check room availability. Reservations can be made by calling 800-824-6062 (USA & Canada) or (904) 824-0887.

Gourmet breakfast at the Casa de Suenos.

The post St. Augustine’s Fabulous Casa de Suenos Bed & Breakfast appeared first on Simply Smart Travel.

Jeff and Ginny Orenstein aboard a private car at Tampa Union Station.

Boomers On The Move: Travel Tips For The Over 50 Crowd

It may be a cliché, but the oft-heard observation that 50 is the new 30 certainly applies to travel. While being over 50 makes you a “senior citizen, it doesn’t necessarily put you in the “travel for the elderly” category that involves rocking chairs on the porch of luxury resorts or resting on cruise ship deck chairs with a blanket on your lap.

Today’s over 50 travelers are healthier, in better shape, more adventuresome and travel more often than previous generations. So-called elderly travel” category has morphed from the rocking chair into “getting out there,” as cruise commercials exhort. And let’s not forget that age hath its privileges and perks.

Discounts and Perks

Many travel providers cater to seniors because they know that the over 50 set tends to have a lot of leisure and disposable income. A plethora of senior discounts, perks and deals are available if you know where to find them Start with an internet search for “senior travel discounts.” Beyond that, check the web sites of your preferred hotels and the attractions that interest you to see what perks and pricing are available. Some travel discounts are available at age 50 while others are offered to those over 60, 62, 65 or even 70.

While you are on the web, shop carefully. Some senior discounts are truly discounts but some are just marketing ploys that might cost more than the lowest available rate, especially when it comes to airlines.

Senior airfare discounts are not common anymore, but some do exist or offer fewer travel restrictions rather than a price break. Check airline web sites or call their reservations lines to check what’s available before you make reservations. And be sure to ask if the senior fare is the lowest available. Sometimes it is not.

Amtrak plays fewer fare games than airlines and offers senior discounts of 10%-15% off the lowest fare.

If you can’t find senior discounts, ask anyway. Many resorts, hotels, restaurants, tour operators and travel providers offer special discounts for older travelers even though they don’t advertise them heavily.

If you are not an AARP member, you should be. It’s easy to recover your $16 per year membership and more with just one discount on a hotel, rental car or tour. Check http://discounts.aarp.org/travel/.

Getting There

Cruises (ocean or river) are popular with seniors because, in essence, the trip is the vacation. Your hotel and restaurant, entertainment and amenities are on board and shore excursions are an added highlight.

If you have a choice of land conveyance, the train is usually a far better choice than car or bus, especially in Europe or parts of Asia where modern, dependable and comfortable trains are the norm. For European train travel, compare the price of a Eurail pass versus individual fares for the trip you have planned. Sometimes, one or the other makes more sense.

Pick Your Destination Carefully

Some highly-advertised destination, tours and cruises target young people and/or young families. Unless you’re traveling with the kids and grandkids, they might not be for you. If you want a relaxing trip without hordes of kids, loud music and wild partying seek out cruises, hotels or destinations that promote quieter options for the same destinations.

Health

While enjoyable travel should not be a pentathlon or endurance test (except for the ultra-adventurous), mobility and fitness can be issues for over 50 travelers.

If you’re disabled, you don’t have to stay home. Just plan carefully. Check to be sure that conveyances you will use and places you will stay can accommodate wheelchairs, walkers or other mobility aids. Know both your legal rights and the conditions you can expect. If you check in advance with your tour provider or conveyance operator, most are happy to accommodate you.

Fitness is frequently an issue even if you are not mobility-restricted. It is always a good idea to maintain a level of fitness that will allow you at least to get on and off trains, buses and boats and walk a short distances, climb stairs or moderate hills since travel frequently require us to be able to do so to fully enjoy the trip.

Use good sense in picking a destination and expected activity level that is appropriate for your fitness level. Strenuous hiking and cross-country cycling require far more fitness than leisurely strolls and window shopping in picturesque town centers.

In general, while traveling, drink plenty of fluids, get up and walk around the cabin on long airline or train trips and avoid foods that you know you wouldn’t eat at home.

Simply Smart Travel Tips

• Always carry a passport if you leave the country even if your trip doesn’t require it. If you have to fly home in an emergency, you’ll need one.

• Renew your passport early-many places and most travel modes require at least six months remaining before expiration

• Buy travel insurance from third parties instead of tour operators. Your health insurance and Medicare WON”T cover you for everything and if you have to be evacuated, expenses can mount quickly.

• Choose group travel targeted to seniors if you want the convenience of a guide to handle trip details, your luggage and pick appropriate hotels and restaurants. While groups trade flexibility for convenience, I recommend them, especially for exotic destinations or for places where you don’t speak the native language.

• Use luggage that is lightweight with telescopic handles and smooth running wheels

• Check with your family doctor and/or the county health department for required inoculations or other health precautions for your destination. Take both a supply of needed medicine and a prescription for each.

• For long airline trips, take advantage of any included stopovers if you can book your luggage straight through. Just carrying a bag of necessities for your stopover makes a more relaxing trip.

The post Travel Tips For The Over 50 Set appeared first on Simply Smart Travel.

Tips, Trips and Tid-Bits for the Savvy Over-50 Traveler.

Why are there so many over-50 travel companies and tour operators? Because being 50 or older (sometimes a lot older) today is not what it was in when your parents and grandparents were that age. Today, those of us in the second half of our lives live longer, work longer, stay fit longer, have more disposable income and travel far more for business and pleasure than our ancestors ever dreamed about.

We’re also better educated, are able to easily access more information and are more adventuresome than previous generations.

The old over-50 travel largely focused on quiet luxury resorts, cruises that were long on leisure and short on activities and sightseeing and gentle bus tours that started late in the day and got everybody back to the hotel in time for dinner. Boring!

That’s not the over 50 travel we’re talking about! Over-50 travelers like us are out there. We’re exploring the world, looking for new tastes and sights, soaking up learning and culture and not afraid of a little adventure.

So what set us apart from the under-50 set? Frankly, not that much. Still, age has its privileges and we do have some relevant characteristics and interests that define us and make us such a desirable travel market.

• First, while we like to hang out with our contemporaries, we also enjoy and relate to folks of all ages. Senior-only tours and groups appeal to only some of us.

• While we’re not quite as athletic as some (by no means all) twenty-somethings, we’re a pretty fit and adventuresome bunch who are not afraid to bike, hike, climb and explore on our way to adventure.

• Though we’ve finished our formal education, we’re committed to lifelong learning and yearn to absorb as much as we can in our travels.

• Because we’ve climbed the ladder through at least one career (and many of us are in our second or third), we’ve got some money in our pocket and are willing to spend on what we deem to be good values.

• We’ve also honed our tastes so we’re always on the lookout for excellent food, drink and attractions, especially those just off the beaten path.

• Many of us travel with our children and grandchildren so we wind up at the Disney World’s of the World but look for more than roller coasters while we’re there.

As we blog about over-50 travel and bring you trip reports and travel tips, we’ll cover health and fitness as it pertains to travel and keep today’s senior traveler in mind.

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Rail Travel

There is something special about railroads and travel by train. From riding tourist trains in an open car at less than ten miles per hour while being pelted by cinders through today’s high speed trains that zip through the European countryside at 220 miles per hour, railroads and trains have captured our interest and imagination. Best of all, on the best of trains, travelers can sip a glass of Champagne and gaze through picture windows in the lounge car as the train speeds them to their destination.

Why has the romance and practicality of the rails persisted into the 21^st century, despite intense competition from automobiles and airplanes? Why is it that travel by rail continues to be the preferred land conveyance for legions of smart travelers and urban commuters?

Is it because of the center-city to center-city convenience of rail travel?

Could it be because passenger trains have large and comfortable seats, roomy aisles and huge windows compared to an airplane?

Might it be because railroad terminals are just less of a hassle than airports?

Is it because of the fascinating towns and countryside the train traverses, offering a constantly-changing tableau of the land and its people?

Perchance is it that fellow travelers on a train tend to come out of their shells and chat with perfect strangers?

Might it be that many trains still have real dining cars that are moving restaurants with sit-down dinners, great service and often gourmet-quality food and drink?

Or could it be that overnight trains still offer sleeping accommodations, thereby saving the need to get a hotel and allowing travelers to arrive at their destinations refreshed?

Is it because train travel is usually less expensive than air travel or renting a car and driving and nobody charges you to bring a couple of bags with you?

Might it be because nobody frowns at you when you get out of your seat, enter the roomy aisles and stroll around the train?

Truly, the answer is all of these. Travel by rail is more popular than it has been in decades and a golden age of passenger train travel is dawning in some places. All the progressive industrialized nations of the world (except for the U.S. A., alas) have sophisticated high-seed passenger rail systems and are expanding them as quickly as budgets allow. Even in the USA, Amtrak, despite its seemingly-permanent funding peril thanks to a short-sighted Congress, is setting ridership records.

The Romance And Excitement Of The Rails
You don’t have to travel on trains to enjoy them. The global rail network has attracted millions of enthusiasts who love, watch them go by and learn about them. Some, like Johnnie Cash or Arlo Guthrie, even sing about them.

Train travelers worldwide can spot people at trackside camera in hand and radio scanner handy. In the U.S.A., we call them railfans and they even keep several enthusiast magazines in business. In North America, they have transformed locations like Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the Cajon Pass in Southern California, Durango, Colorado, Canada’s kicking Horse Pass, Folkston, Georgia, metropolitan Chicago and elsewhere into iconic gathering places for the celebrants of steel wheel upon steel rail. Scores of short lines still haul freight and passengers with refurbished trains from a bygone era. Refurbished railroad stations like St. Louis Union Station or The Chatanooga Choo Choo complex, railroad themed restaurants and hotels are popping up around North America. Rail museums (many with operating steam locomotives far older than the volunteers who run and lovingly maintain them) are major tourist attractions. Even some big mainline freight railroads like Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific maintain small fleets of historic locomotives and passenger cars and operate mainline steam-pulled excursions for public relations purposes. England, too, is a hotbed of historic rail excursion operations and excursions and museums can be found in Switzerland, Germany and elsewhere. The romance of the rails still pulls children of all ages trackside and on board.

Disclosure: The host of  this web site was bitten by the railfan bug when he looked out the window of his elementary school and saw trains run by and has been hooked ever since.

The breathtaking view of the Front Range of the Canadian Rockies as seen from the dome on the observation car of the Canadian.

      
A train full of Tropicana orange  juice heads through Tampa on the way to New Jersey.

By Train Along The St. Lawrence River

By Jeffrey R. Orenstein, Ph.D., Simply Smart Travel

October, 2015: As our taxi pulled in to the train station in Quebec City, our about-to-commence train trip from Quebec City to the Charlevoix region of Quebec was already off to a spectacular start. Right behind the station platform. the mighty Montmorency Falls as the river of its namesake tumbled into the St. Lawrence from a height of 275 feet, the highest in Quebec and 98 feet higher than Niagara Falls. The station afforded an amazing view of the cataract and was so close to the falls that the roar and mist from the falls were hard to ignore.

As impressive as they were, the falls were just a hint of scenic vistas about to unfold out the windows of the train. As we settled in to our European-style short two-car train, we found the seats to be comfortable and the windows were large and clean.

The journey toward Baie St. Paul, two and a half hours distant down the St. Lawrence, began with a passage through suburban Quebec City. The view of roads, homes and shops soon gave way to incredible vistas of the St. Lawrence River, sometimes mere feet away from the rails. For long stretches of the journey, the railroad makes a leisurely passage along stretches of the St. Lawrence’s undeveloped northern bank that are otherwise inaccessible by road. After a stop at St. Anne de Beaupre and its impressive basilica (located adjacent to the station), the rain heads into the wilderness in earnest. Occasionally, we pass through some very small towns and glimpse into the back yards of riverfront cabins.

The train passes through one tunnel and offers a constantly-unfolding view of the great river. The surrounding mountains and the glimpses of passing oil tankers and an occasional cruise ship using the river as a water highway between the Atlantic and the St. Lawrence Seaway are truly extraordinary.

t the Quebec City Train station

Baie St. Paul, our destination, is a delightful and picturesque town of 7,332 on the St. Lawrence. Where the Gouffre River flows into it. It is the seat of the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality and is filled with hotels (including the beautiful hotel Le Germain, right at the train station), art galleries, shops and restaurants.

The railroad continue to nearby Malabie which is the jump-off point for the Massif of Quebec ski areas and whale watching cruises. Rail shuttles from Baie St. Paul to Malabie operate year-round. During the summer months, the railroad operates at least two round trips from Qubec City to Charlevoix daily. Food and drink are available on the train.

If you enjoy great scenery and want to see a remarkable stretch of the St. Lawrence valley from a perspective not available by road, take this train next time you are in Quebec City. Although you can the round trip in one day, I recommend that you stay at least one night in Baie St. Paul and enjoy a stroll among the galleries and a gourmet dinner.

For information on the train, go to http://www.quebecregion.com/en/guided-train-tour/charlevoix-light-rail-transit/ or http://reseaucharlevoix.com/index.php/?___store=english___from_store=english

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