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A Travel Boom!
By Michael Schuman Many baby boomers with the urge to travel finally have the
one thing they haven't had before — the time. Even those who haven't retired
have more control over their vacation days now that kids have grown and left
the house. Boomers are particular when it comes to travel. Many want to incorporate
learning experiences into their vacations, from painting to wine-making, while
some favor hands-on explorations they could never pursue when children and
careers dominated their days. Have you got the time? We've got the
destinations.
Photo credit Courtesy Alexandria
Convention & Visitors Association
Alexandria is a cosmopolitan
community in an old-town setting, ideal for those who prefer doing to
watching. Take a cheese and wine appreciation class at the popular store
Cheestique, learn everything from digital photography to ceramics at the highly
regarded Torpedo Factory Art Center's Art League School, and bike along the
Potomac with its stunning views.
Fictional Sheriff Andy Taylor lives
on, at least in spirit. Echoes of the classic Andy Griffith Show abound
in Mount Airy, which inspired the show's fictional setting of Mayberry.
Artifacts from Griffith's boyhood and the timeless show, including its
courthouse doors, are housed in the Andy Griffith Museum, and you can take a
guided tour in a period squad car past landmarks such as Floyd's City Barber
Shop. Every September, diehards come to celebrate Mayberry Days. Also nearby
are restaurants, golf courses, and wineries.
The rambling woods and mountaintops
that inspired poet Robert Frost can stimulate your senses, too. Camps designed
for the 50-plus set at the Appalachian Mountain Club's Highland Lodge.
Five-night stays are scheduled throughout the year, so the woods are yours
whether you prefer snowshoeing and skiing or vigorous hiking, leisurely
walking, or expert guided tours of the area's natural history.
Always at the top of many travelers'
bucket lists, the Inside Passage offers a taste of the Alaska of myth.
Mountains and moose, rain forests and raptors can all be found here, along with
rich Alaskan culture. The city of Sitka is a mix of native and Russian
heritages, while Skagway conjures up Gold Rush memories. Ketchikan boasts one
of the largest collection of authentic totem poles, and state capital Juneau is
home to famous Mendenhall Glacier. Here's one tip: Journeying by ferry is less
expensive and more intimate, and affords more independence than traveling on a
cruise ship.
You may have backpacked through this
most romantic of cities long ago, but visiting Paris now offers a chance to
explore the city with more mature eyes (and bank accounts). And you have likely
not seen the Musée Jean-Jacques Henner, devoted to the work of landscape artist
Henner; it opened in November 2009. Of course, at any age there is nothing like
a romantic walk down the Champs-Elysées or a stroll across Pont Neuf.
This is the place, one of the ten
best outdoorsy locales to retire according to U.S. News & World Report.
Cedar City offers recreation amid the unearthly rock formations of southwestern
Utah. Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks are nearby. One can hit the links at
Cedar Ridge, take to the slopes at Brian Head, or master the art of river
hiking in a majestic slot canyon called
Lean against a pyramid in the
ancient Mayan village of Chacchoben and look up at an umbrella of jungle flora.
Costa Maya is the place for those seeking a venue more low-key and less crowded
with tourists than the area of Riviera Maya further north. If your
interpretation of cultural tourism means ancient Mayan ruins and modern Mayan
fishing villages rather than pulsing nightlife at a club named for an
amphibian, this is the destination for you.
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