Four Winter Get-aways for Adventurous Boomers

aadmin — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:12:06 +0000

I could never resist the call of the trail – Buffalo Bill

Many boomers seek well-trodden paths, like Florida, Vegas, and Cancun. But, there are a growing number of open-minded middle-aged travelers choosing adventurous paths, closer to home.

Boomer Travel Patrol
This online resource offers free-spirited travel tips to boomers during the holiday season, and year-round.

Founder, Liz Dahl, a former travel agent, realized that an increasing number of her clients were people in her age group – baby boomers. She started to send them to distinctive destinations beyond the highly-sought 18 to 49 year-old-demographic for advertisers.

“I suggest travel spots beyond cruises and bus trips,” she said. “Boomers are looking for new experiences.” All writers for Boomer Travel Patrol are born from 1946 to 1964. “My generation.”

For a nonconformist RV winter camp experience, Boomer Travel Patrol suggests Brown County State Park, near Nashville, Indiana, easy driving distance from Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville.

There's a highly-touted park nature center offering interpretive services. The park features 16,000 acres of hilly terrain and dusky moraine, ice fishing, and nearly a dozen easy to moderate hiking trails.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Near Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle, the Palo Duro Canyon can be reached by car within four to five hours from Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Albuquerque.

Eric W. Miller, Director of Communications, Amarillo Convention & Visitor Council, said the canyon is a special place for art lovers. “It was a favorite spot for Georgia O’Keeffe from 1916 to 1918 when she lived in the area,” said Miller.

O’Keeffe would walk eight miles from her home and descend into the canyon. “The big sky, the vivid colors of the canyon and the light helped impart her special style and touch.”

The canyon still remains a favorite spot for artists. During the spring and fall, artists test their skills during sunrise or sunset visits.

There are over 30 miles of roaming trails through the park, including spectacular views of the Red River. Several of the trails are mountain biker friendly, and the canyon has become a top mountain biking destination in Texas.

December weather averages 50.1 F and 21 sunny days. For those who want to get their kicks, Route 66 runs through Amarillo. For more information – visitamarillotx.com

Mohave Desert
Sounds improbable and unbearably hot, but Los Angeles and Las Vegas are connected by a four-hour stretch of the I-15 Interstate that runs along the perimeter of the Mohave Desert.

Desert amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds can be spotted with the help of park interpreters. The endangered desert tortoise makes its home in the Mohave. The Joshua tree and other drought-resistant plants are on display for tourists who decide to prolong their visit. For more information: www.nps.gov/moja/index.htm

Northern Edge Algonquin
For Boomers who miss the traditional season, Todd Lucier has created a dog sledding experience in Ontario’s near north where boomers can learn to lead dog teams across the frozen terrain.

Participants can expect to see the Northern Lights and make early 2014 resolutions on a night sky filled with shooting stars. Sledding season is offered from January to March.

Lucier said participants consider dog sledding as a bucket list experience. "Afterwards they’re smiling from ear to ear," he enthused. "It takes a while for them to get to know the dogs, but by the end everyone is snapping close-up photos of each other."

Rustic cabins are available with high-quality solar panels for warmth. Northern Edge Algonquin offers a year-round holistic retreat for the spiritually-minded boomer crowd.

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House Sitting - One Woman's Never Ending Story

aadmin — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:56:25 +0000

Americans have specialized in alternative lifestyles that can be traced back to Thoreau’s call to step to the beat of a different drum.

California’s Kelly Hayes-Raitt has heeded a distinctive rhythm by financing a political activist’s life as a house sitter in Lake Chapala, London, Paris, Copenhagen and the outskirts of Amsterdam.

Her nomadic existence has offered the opportunity to write and edit about Iraqi and Palestinian refugees at LivingLargeInLimbo.com and by blogging for Violating Sanctions.

Hayes-Raitt is a lifelong political activist and spokesperson for campaigns championing women's rights, environmental cleanup, consumers' rights and other social justice causes.

She has house sat in Chapala, Mexico since 2010, her away home from mid-September to mid-February and from April to June.

Setting Up House Sitting Arrangements

Hayes-Raitt, 52-years-old, has established a trusted relationship with an older retired couple. They cover all the expenses of the house, including a house keeper, a pool maintenance man, and gardeners. She’s responsible for making sure the house runs smoothly during their absence, including caring for their dog.

She rents out her house in Los Angeles – an ongoing source of rental income – incurs no housing expenses in Lake Chapala. With lower expenditures in Mexico, compared to California, she saves on income.

“It’s perfect,” said Hayes-Raitt. “I love the community.” She feels she has roots in Chapala because she’s lived there many seasons. “I enjoy the house and the dog and I’m friends with the neighbours.”

HouseSitMexico.com has been an excellent web departure point for the roaming activist – and TrustedHousesitters.com – where home owners with pets search for house sitters.

Retired people in Mexico often return to the USA or Canada for medical care or extended visits with families and grandchildren – or they’re seasonal retirees – half the year in Mexico – the other back home. A house sitter ensures safety and security, especially pet care.

The Role of the House Sitter

Flexibility and a spirit of adventure are the key house sitter traits. Every home has its quirks so they need to be comfortable with pets and all household routines – and be available on the house owner’s timetable – their departures and return dates. “It requires emotional, financial, and time flexibility.”

Hayes-Raitt's resourcefulness is supplemented by“a hell of a lot of faith.” She'll leave Chapala for Los Angeles in January 2014, then off to Europe for the summer months. But she’ll be unable to firm up her plans until April or May when summer house sitting season opens across the Atlantic.

Her run-down on house sitters types:

Vacationers who want to spend several weeks or months without paying for accommodations
Toe-tippers. People who want to check out retirement in foreign communities
Entrepreneurial house sitters who create income from their rental property and pare down expenses while living in a foreign country
Writers and artists – like Hayes-Raitt – who free up time for their passion
A combination of the above

Whatever the aims for boomers and younger middle-aged house sitters, Hayes-Raitt advises that they know their goals and basic needs.

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