After seeing a flier on Road Scholar and hearing that a friend had taken a trip with them, I decided to check it out, since I hadn't heard of it before.
Road Scholar, an American organization, provides "educational adventures created by Elderhostel, the not-for-profit world leader in lifelong learning since 1975." I had heard of Elderhostel from my cousins who took trips with Elderhostel in the 1970s.
According to my college friend, Carol O'Shaughnessy, who has taken three trips with Road Scholar, the term "Elderhostel" tends to be too pejorative and Road Scholar is now trying to court "younger adults" of the baby boomer generation.
However, Carol said that there were travelers aged 80s and 90s on the trips she has taken: a desert tour of Tucson, Ariz., upper Northwest Arizona, and Southern California; the Florida Keys; and Costa Rica. Each trip provides a number of lectures and field outings. One lecture Carol mentioned was on water distribution in the West, presented by the former head of the Hoover Dam.
In the early days, Elderhostel catered to former teachers; then there weren't as many career paths for women as there are now. Carol said that the Road Scholar travelers now are a very diverse older group, which includes couples, single women and single men, from all kinds of backgrounds and from all over the United States. The common thread that ties them together is a love of learning.
Carol related that there are some real benefits to this type of travel: expert guides, interesting lectures by expert instructors, all-inclusive prices including three meals a day and all tips; everything planned for you including transportation, so you don't get lost. Carol suggested that, with any travel company, the quality of hotels and food could vary. She was not keen on the three meals a day, but when you are paying for them, you eat the meals and diet when you get home.
In addition to the United States, Road Scholar offers educational adventures to Canada, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Australia and South Pacific, and the Americas and Antarctica. In total, Road Scholar offers 6,500 educational tours in all 50 states and 150 countries. Go to roadscholar.org, and you can find a program by location, map, interest, activity level, date and category (adventures afloat, small groups, etc.). Under the category of interest, you will find over 50 listed, from birding to tennis, crafts to winter sports. You shouldn't have any difficulty finding your favorite pastime or an area you would like to study. There is something for everyone.
Road Scholar also offers a Travel Assistance Plan, which is purchased on behalf of every participant and provides 24-hour emergency assistance in the case of a medical emergency. Another benefit is its scholarships for those in financial need. Each year Road Scholar awards $250,000 in scholarships toward programs in North America for those who do not have the financial means to participate otherwise.
Carol stressed that I shouldn't forget other travel companies that offer trips for older adults, such as Odysseys Unlimited and Grand Circle Travel. She has taken Grand Circle trips to Parks in the West, Italy, Eastern Europe, and Chile and Argentina. Carol has traveled all her life but as an older adult, she is making the most of her travels.
Speaking of Carol's travels, that reminds me of the trip Carol and I took together right after our college graduation. It was a whirlwind tour of six European countries in 21 days. I vowed I would never take that kind of tour again. We weren't in any one place that long. One of the things I remember most about it was that both of us had spent just about all our money and we still had more of our trip to go. With the money we had left, we sent a Western Union telegram to our parents but had to put our first names together (PatCarol) for the signature because we were paying by the word. We did have fun though.
In researching the web for lifelong learning travel, I also found Semester at Sea. The SAS Lifelong Learning program provides adult learners, including retirees, the opportunity to participate with undergraduates from around the world. Learners "participate in undergraduate courses; attend field excursions; serve as mentors to undergraduates; conduct seminars in their areas of expertise; and add a valuable generational element to class discussions." Upcoming voyages include: Spring 2016, Atlantic Exploration; Spring 2016, A Voyage Around the World; and Fall 2016, Mediterranean, Atlantic and Beyond. To get more details, go to semesteratsea.org.
Do you have the travel bug now?