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Chicago Senior Travel Conferences

admin — Thu, 12 May 2011 14:26:05 +0000

In the Chicago or surrounding area? Book your senior trip now to conferences coming to your neighborhood! These conferences include workshops, exhibits, luncheons, and other ways to learn, while meeting new faces. Below are two conferences this summer:

Smart Choices For A Healthy Lifestyle

May 22^nd, 10:00am- 4:00pm McCormick Place-South, 3201 S. Lake Shore Dr. This conference, which expects attendance of upward to 1,000 people focuses on living a healthy lifestyle in specifics to people at an older age. Guest Speakers, workshops, and live entertainment will be available to have fun while gaining invaluable information. Pharmacists will be on site to help give special recommendations on healthcare, prescription, Medicare, and any other health related questions. For registration and additional Information call: 312.744.8187

Deaf Seniors of America, Inc. (DSA)

Aug 31^st- Sep 6^th 301 East North Water Street · Chicago , Illinois 60611 Deaf Seniors of America will be holding their week long conference this summer to provide workshops, exhibitions, and activities for the hearing disabled. Golf outings and other fun entertainment will allow people to interact with others while engaging in new information. For More information visit: http://www.dsa2011-chicago.org/

Ice Cream Tours for your Summer Senior Trip

Melissa Rubin — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:55:33 +0000

It really wasn’t that long ago when you craved that delicious scoop or two of ice cream from the ice cream truck to cool you off on a hot summer day. Ice cream encompasses all that is childhood innocence and content, and brought a special magic to your free summer days. Why not relive those days with an ice cream tour as your next senior trip! It might sound too good to be true, but we swear these tours are for real. From ice cream dairies to family farms, explore not only delicious, creamy ice cream, but make it an experience you will never forget. Bring the grandkids and get discounted deals on kids under 12, as well as senior travel deals at a few of the dairies as well. Here are just a few of the most popular ice cream tours around the United States.

Hansen Dairy, Hudson Iowa

You can’t be afraid to get your hands dirty on this ice cream tour! This family-run dairy farm offers you the chance to feed a calf, milk a cow by hand, make homemade butter, or pet one of the domesticated wallabies that live on the farm. The walk-through tour is only $6, whereas the hands-on experience is a measly $10! Each includes a complimentary cup of ice cream, which is made on site. The best time to visit Hansen Dairy is generally between late March and early November.

Ben & Jerry’s, Waterbury, Vermont

See where it all began at the company of one of the most well-known ice cream brands in the country. Begin the guided 30-minute tour at the Cow Over the Moon Theater and learn about the company history founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. Then, learn about the manufacturing process as you walk across the ice cream production room. Of course, the end treat to this sweet ride is a sample of the flavor of the day in the Flavoroom. If you happen past during the summer, outdoor activities include visiting cows in the pasture, picnicking, and visiting the Flavor Graveyard. Kids under 12 are free, $3 for adults and $2 for senior citizens.

Hilmar Cheese Company, Hilmar, California

Although the name says cheese, the product is cold, sweet treats! The Hilmar tour offers you the chance to see the manufacturing process of cheese while enjoying a cup of ice cream! Another tour option - the ice cream experience – is called the Family Fun Ice Cream Activity. Participants create their own ice cream, and then get to enjoy the final result! The tour is free, although the ice cream activity is $3.

Where to Find Free Senior Tours Walking in Cities around the World

Melissa Rubin — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:52:55 +0000

When traveling to cities for the first time it is always beneficial to learn more about the area you’re staying in. Websites can only tell you so much, but senior tours can really introduce you not only to a city’s hot spots, but its personal culture as well. When participating in a senior tour walking around a new city you get the best of everything: exercise, knowledge, and a heavy wallet. Oh, did we forget to mention that senior walking tours can be FREE? Multiple organizations around the world are creating groups of locals to take tourists on walking tours while on their senior trip. The Global Greeter Network and grassroots gratis walking tours are a few of the companies bringing locals in the U.S. together as tour guides, and Sandermans New Europe is offering no-cost senior tours in certain European cities, as well as Israel. The following are just a few areas in the US where these free walking tours are offered.

New York
Chicago
Houston
San Francisco
Washington, D.C.

These free walking tours are also offered by locals in Australian, Canadian, English, and French cities, as well as cities in the Netherlands.

Senior Travel Deals on Senior Tours

Melissa Rubin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:19:52 +0000

Some of the best senior travel deals come in the form of senior tours. Senior tours are great because they allow you to travel and take in all the sights during your senior vacation, while also providing a safe group travel atmosphere. Senior tours offer the best senior travel deals because they not only cut costs, but cut time as well. You can be sure you won’t miss anything you want to see. Even if there is a tourist attraction not on the senior tour that you want to see many tours offer individual time, which allows its members to explore for a few hours by themselves. Depending on what kind of senior tour you want will decide on which senior tour company you will hire. The following is a small list of some of the most prestigious senior tour companies that offer great senior travel deals in their packages. Company: Senior Tours Vacations Types of tours: senior bus tours, senior cruises and international tours Popular destinations: New Orleans, New England, Florida, Canada, California, Branson, American West, Mermuda & Hawaii cruises, river cruises Website: http://www.seniortours.com/ Company: Elder Treks Types of tours: adventurous treks, safaris, cultural learning experiences and polar expeditions Popular destinations: Africa, polar, Asia, Europe, Middle East Website: http://www.eldertreks.com/ Company: Grand Circle Travel Types of tours: river cruises, educational, cooking classes, destination adventures Popular destinations: rivers of Europe, Eastern Europe & the Black Sea, Tuscany Website: http://www.gct.com/ Company: Grand European Tours Types of tours: river guides, destination adventures, historic, themed tours Popular destinations: San Francisco, New England, Mexico, Los Vegas, Costa Rico, California Website: http://www.getours.com/ Company: Collette Vacations: Explorations Types of tours: small group, destination adventures Popular destinations: Thailand, Laos, China, Tibet, Italy, India, Egypt, Jordan, Australia, Costa Rica Website: http://www.explorationstouring.com/

Senior Hiking Trips; staying healthy, having fun and exploring destinations

Melissa Rubin — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:43:29 +0000

It’s no surprise that today’s seniors are healthier, living longer, and well… spunkier than any preceding group of seniors. Needless to say, many senior trips involve adventure of some sort; no lazy senior vacations to the beach for you! According to the 1995 National Survey on Recreation and the Environment, conducted by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, "participation [in outdoor activities] among Americans 60 years of age and older is greater than in previous decades and includes senior participation in physically challenging muscle-powered activities." One of the most popular of these “physically challenging muscle-powered activities" are senior hiking (or trekking) trips. Senior hiking trips can incorporate a few meanings:

Day trips
Weekend hikes
Backpacking

How does each differ? Well, day trips and weekend hikes are pretty self-explanatory. But what turns a hike into a trek? What makes a hiker a backpacker?

Senior Backpacking Trips

Backpacking is a term to denote cheap, independent travel for individuals who want to explore an area at their own pace and without dealing with check-in times, schedules or sponsors. The key aspect of backpacking involves, well, a backpack! Travelers carry their luggage on their backs as they walk through trails crawling over mountains, hills, rivers, savannahs, and moors. Backpacking trips cover extended periods of time, covering distances of up to thousands of miles. Some seniors partake in a 200-mile trek through the mountainous terrain of Northern California, while others, like the famous-by-hiking Emma Gatewood, made a 2,000 mile (22 miles/day) backpacking quest following the route of the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri to Portland, Oregon.

How to Find a Senior Hiking or Backpacking Trip

Although largely for independent travel there are also senior tours that incorporate treks. Group travel websites and companies can pair you up with other seniors interested in discovering new terrain and exploring new areas by foot. The following offer senior hikes around the world:

Physical Necessities

Senior hiking trips are extremely taxing on the body. There is always the chance of extreme weather conditions that can cause seriously dangerous terrain. One can never be too careful, especially if you’re a lifelong hiker. Remember, you will not be able to do what you did 10 years ago! Roland Mueser, author of Long Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail, did a survey of more than 100 hikers and concluded that thru-hikers over the age of 60 average 10 1/2 miles per day, opposed to the 14 1/2 miles per day averaged by younger hikers. Make sure you set mileage goals for yourself that are consistent with your experience, stamina, and fitness. Most common ailments are sore muscles in the legs, neck and back, blisters, and knee problems. If you already have ailments in these areas then starting with a smaller hike would be the best idea.

New Italian Culinary and Cultural Tour Launching April 2011

Melissa Rubin — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:08:16 +0000

Perillo Tours is launching exclusive culinary and cultural tours of Italy selected in cooperation with Slow Food Italia, with itineraries to four regions in Italy: Piedmont, the Italian Riveria, Tuscany and Umbria. These tours are perfect for a relaxing senior tour, one that will focus on the local food and beverage products of each of the regions, specifically sustainable cuisine Highlights include:

The wines of the Barolo vineyards & Barbaresco hills, the Montébore cheese, and Monterosso al Mare anchovies [Piedmont & Italian Riviera]
Garfagna Biroldo (blood sausage), Orbetello Bottarga (salted fish roe), Carmignano dried figs, and Pienza Pecorino cheese [Tuscany & Umbria]
Explore the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to the Basicila of St. Francis in Assisi, the Duomo Cathedral in Turin where the Holy Shroud is kept, and UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Cinque Terre, the Gulf of Poets, and San Gimignano

Prices

12 departures between June 17 and October 21
$4,290 to $4,590 per person for doubles
Independent travel is available year-round through ItalyVacations.com

Group Senior Tours Available

10-25 people in each group tour
Senior transportation is luxury motor coaches

For more information, click www.perillotours.com/slowfood

Senior Tours from Chicago to Palm Springs

admin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:49:02 +0000

If you’d rather not wait until Chicago’s weather gets warm, consider heading to Palm Springs, Calif., in March.

Mayflower Tours, a tour company in Downers Grove, is partnering with Waubonsee Community College to offer a trip to Palm Springs from March 31 to April 11.

Participants will travel to California via motor coach. The trip includes 17 meals, four nights in Palm Springs, tickets to the Palm Springs Follies show, driving tours of the area (past celebrity homes), and a visit to the Living Desert, a wildlife and botanical garden.

“This trip is a lot of fun; people may join the tour and not know anyone in the beginning, but by the end, they’ve made traveling companions and friends,” said Cathy Keene, program developer for Waubonsee Community College. “This is also a great trip for people who don’t like to fly — they don’t have to worry because it is all on a motor coach.”

Tickets are $1,399 per person for double occupancy, $1,377 per person for triple occupancy and $1,978 per person for single occupancy.

Don’t have someone to share a room with? No problem. Mayflower offers a guarantee share program. Just sign up and tell them you’d like to be matched with someone and they will put you in a room with another traveler of the same gender. And you will only have to pay the double occupancy rate.

“This tour is totally escorted, so the travelers have someone to go to at all times,” Keene says. “Also, each participant is picked up at their home the morning of the trip. At the end of the trip, they are dropped off at home.”

For more information and to sign up, call Cathy Keene at 630-466-7900, Ext. 5750.

4 Reasons Why Independent Travel is Beneficial to Senior Travel

Melissa Rubin — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:20:49 +0000

Many senior trips revolve around traveling with a specific person or partner, or participating in group travel by incorporating your itinerary to match a senior tour group. However, independent travel is an engaging and fulfilling experience that is gaining in popularity amongst all age groups. Of course there are certain fears of independent travel that only the older generations have to worry about: senior transportation, senior safety, etc. A person can spend months worrying about all the “what ifs” during independent travel, but here are 4 reasons why going on your senior vacation alone might be the greatest reward you’ve ever had.

Complete Freedom

This can be a scary or empowering statement – having complete freedom. Traveling alone means you can go to whatever restaurant you want, stay wherever you please, sightsee whichever sights you want and stay there as long as you want. When you travel solo you never have to make any compromises on the senior travel deals to the senior tours you participate in. The world is your oyster, quite literally, and you should take any advantage to make oysters Rockefeller!

Challenging Yourself

A lot of soul searching can take place when your only companion is your luggage. When you participate in a senior trip by yourself you cannot afford to doubt your decisions. Challenge yourself to participate in new adventures, try new cuisine and spend the night in a place you never would before! These challenges make you stronger as an individual and can radiate in your personality the rest of your life.

Deeper Insights while Traveling

Continuing from the theme of challenging yourself is getting to know yourself better and gaining insights you wouldn’t necessarily attain if you were with a companion. As previously mentioned, there are always risks when one travels – those risks do not grow bigger or smaller based on the company you keep during travel. The solidarity of independent travel can not only help you gain a tranquility otherwise unfelt, but can also connect you on a deeper level to the world and people around you.

Getting to Know the Locals

One of the most amazing experiences while traveling abroad is getting to know the people of the country. You are more likely to start up a conversation at the local pub with a stranger if you have no one else to talk to.

Go on a Senior tour for Less than $600

admin — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:06:18 +0000

Road Scholar, the new Elderhostel, provides quality senior tours that place learning in the forefront of your senior travel. Not only do they offer senior tours around the world for low prices, but Road Scholar also offers senior tours throughout the U.S. for under $600. The under $600 senior tours are only part of the nearly 8,000 tours available in nearly 90 countries. According to the Road Scholar website, if you have an inquiring mind, adventurous spirit, and the belief that learning and discovery are lifelong pursuits, then the tours available through Road Scholar is the perfect senior tour company for you. Here is a sampling of some of the tours available for under $600:

Lighthouses, History and Ecology of Three Georgia Barrier Islands
1. St. Simons Island, Georgia
2. 5 nights
The Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley, The Lees of Virginia, and Appalachian Origins
1. Natural Bridge, Virginia
2. 5 nights
Suwannee River Adventure: Canoeing, Kayaking, Hiking and Folklore in Florida
1. Lake City, Florida
2. 5 nights>
The Literary Garden: From Shakespeare to Sissinghurst at Salem Lutheran Home
1. Oskland, California
2. Half day
Mount Rushmore: The Wisdom of Our Fathers at Park Vista
1. Youngstown, Ohio
2. Half day

Senior Tours Offer Compromise for Senior Activities

AMcShane — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:42:45 +0000

Every couple has troubles finding senior tours and activities on vacations that peak both individuals interests. Either you've done them too often before, or the appeal of certain senior activities has melted away. However, there are still some offerings of senior tours that this video from AARP reminds us of: