Dog Days of Summer

If you're reading this post today, there's a good chance you've decided not to travel this Labor Day weekend. Was it the desire to nest close to home with your family and enjoy the final dog days of summer or the extra expenses involved in a trip? This year, with the sluggish economy continuing, most families are especially attuned to the rise in prices. According to the AAA, gasoline is more expensive this year - as are plane fares and hotel rooms. And the poor jobs figures that came out on Friday indicate unemployment is still above 9%. So if you're having a tough time, our free ebook - Taking Control of Stress in a Financial Storm: Practical Strategies and Resources for Success - is still available to you.

To receive a complimentary copy, click on the link and download our gift of Taking Control of Stress in a Financial Storm: Practical Strategies and Resources for Success. You'll find practical tips for reducing stress, getting some control over your expenses, understanding the role financial instability plays in your marriage, creating new ways of flexible family living within this turbulent economy and investing in your own physical and emotional well-being. Use the tips we provide to create solutions for your family distress in these tough times. You can let us know about the changes you're making through the "comment" button below.

How to Decide Which Tour Group is Best for You

Most group tours today consist of Boomers and those 10 years younger. Since we are the generation of joggers, exercise bikers, and elliptical skippers, we are more active and fit than many of our parents. They were happy to sit on a bus and look out of the windows on their first trips overseas. How can a Boomer determine if a tour is too sedentary or too active for her level of fitness? Here are some tips from a fairly fit, though sometimes lazy Boomer traveler and tour operator:

Look at the photos of people in the travel brochure. Do they look like you? What kind of shoes are they wearing? Too dressed up, they are not doing 2 hour walking tours of Rome. Too sporty with hiking boots, they might be outpacing you on a climb to the top of a Turkish hill fort. Their hairstyles will also tell you if this is a casual group or one that ‘dresses for dinner’.

What is the pace of the itinerary? Too many included meals mean a lot of sitting around. More than a half-day bus tour per day means very limited activity. Choose a tour that has a mix of meals, bus tours, free time and some early arrival days at the hotel. Why early arrival? If you have eaten a 4 course French lunch with mousse, then you will want some time to exercise or to take a long walk. Most hotel gyms overseas will be small and, in a European hotel, very limited in scope.

Check the schedule of events for the trip. Factor in your personal tolerance for altitude, dryness, sea level humidity, heat, cold etc. An example is if you go to countries like Guatemala, Costa Rica or Mexico, check the altitude and let your body adjust before you climb the mountain to get the best view. Or if you live in a high city like Denver, you will probably want adjustment time before you do your early morning jog in humid Honduras. I was once on a trip to China with 3 women from the Virgin Islands. They were used to the tropics and to drinking lots of water. Beijing is very dry and it was a cool day. They did not realize how dehydrated they were until one of them turned a weird color and fainted!

Find out how large the group is. A small group moves faster than a group of 50 due to general loading of buses, check-in at airports, delivery of luggage etc.

See if the tour you choose includes a rating for physical exertion. And if not, just be sure you can handle everyday obstacles like cobbled stones in Sicily, broken stairs leading to a Thai temple, sandy walks in Ephesus, steep staircases in the Marinsky Opera House. I am a strong advocate for limited luggage. There will always be one time when you must handle your luggage, even if it is in your hotel room moving from one area to another.

Click on 'Comments' below and follow the prompts - you can even sign on as Anonymous, it's as easy as that! Then ask our guest blogger, Phyllis Stoller, your travel questions. And share your adventure stories with other readers as well.

Three Travel Destinations for Baby Boomers

This week our guest blogger is Phyllis Stoller and her focus is on travel. Her first travels were at the public library with Kipling, James Fenimore Cooper, and Rumer Godden, who grew up in India and wrote wonderful children's books. At age 14 Phyllis went to school in Switzerland, then spent a summer at the Universite de Poitiers in Tours, France. She lived in England for 10 years and has 2 London-born sons. Today Phyllis travels with The Women's Travel Club, a group she started in 1992 and now manages. She boasts she can have her roots dyed in any country but likes the L'Oreal products created for in Arab countries the most.

According to Phyllis, baby boomers are keenly interested in our world and where we as Americans stand in it. Her thoughts about these countries will certainly stimulate your travel appetite:

China, with over 40% of the world’s population, should be visited now. Internal inflation is causing rising prices and, when or if the currency floats, prices will jump threefold. Your first trip to China should, at minimum, include Beijing, Shanghai and Xian. Beijing is significant for its historical import and recent Chinese history plus its proximity to the Great Wall and Ming Tombs. Shanghai is the financial capital of Asia, has an amazing new skyline and excellent museum. Kublai Khan’s capital, Xian, and site of the Terracotta Soldiers, is your third must see. Trips which include Guilin for its scenery usually end in Hong Kong and are pricier. If you can afford it, add a Yangtze Cruise. And if this is your second trip to China, add Yunnan Province in Western China, home of the Stone Forest, and an interesting example of minority dominated border regions.

India, a favorite of most Boomer women, is also a country of far flung and distinct regions. The traditional first trip is to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and sometimes further into Rajastani desert. This is an early winter trip and one to be done by car. You will experience both the congestion of India and the occasional amazing scene like a painted religious man, camel riding women in colorful saris and hillside forts. Going to China or India? Read Monsoon by Robert Kaplan, which explains the role of countries of the Indian Ocean Basin.

England and London, one of the most vibrant cities with the combination of great (and free!)museums, easy transportation, wonderful local food, and English is spoken. Here are some newer points of interest: South Bank from the Design Museum to Tate Modern with a stop for chow in Borough Market. Explore the area from the Wallace Gallery up Marylebone High Street. Make a day of the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, now behind a pedestrian walkway, with lunch in the latter. There are so many delightful regions in England. For those who want a taste of the country with some walking, Country Walks by Time Out Magazine. The book details excellently hikes along with information on how to find a group that fits your fitness level and season of travel.

Having spent time in these countries, I agree wholeheartedly with Phyllis' choices. With new concerns about the economy, for now, many of us will have to dream about travel and put our plans on hold. But if you're collecting information for the future, log on Wednesday for a post about baby boomer fitness for travel.

More Photos of Croatia

Here are more photos of the magic of Croatia. And then it's your turn.

It's an easy drive down the coast, from Zagreb to Dubrovnic, stopping in seaside villages along the way. Cobblestone streets and bougainvilleas enhance the charm while colorful markets and street performers add to the enchantment.

Then there's the majesty of the Adriatic Sea, dotted with inlets and islands. Read here about the natural beauty of Hvar, often called the queen of the Dalmatian islands.

Although inland, but not to be missed, is Plitvice National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, with 16 lakes and breathtaking waterfalls.

You may be wondering, what does this have to do with me? Even when times are tough, it's important to hold on to your dreams. If you're at a crossroads, ready for a change or a break from your routine, here are some websites to get you thinking:

Poshnosh.com has ideas and descriptions of trips for women with a passion for travel. You'll find lots of specialty tours, including those with grandchildren. Whereas hermail.net is an international directory of women travelers. It provides a free e-mail based service that allows women anywhere in the world to connect with others who love to travel. And fodors.com has information when you're ready to take steps toward actually planning a trip.

Enjoy exploring the travel websites. If you want help getting started, sign the email list to the left of this post and download our complimentary ebook, "Courage and Lessons Learned: Reaching for Your Goals."

Croatia: the Thrill of Travel

I've just returned from a trip to Croatia and want to savor the experience, so I'll be sharing some of my photos and impressions with you this week. We would like you to click on 'Comments' at the bottom of this post and tell us your travel stories as well.

Croatia is a small country, not even as large as the state of West Virginia. And it is very homogeneous, with close to 90% of its four and one half million people identified as Croatian and Roman Catholic.
Interested in a little history? Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies left Croatian lands. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998. In April 2009, Croatia joined NATO and it is now a candidate for eventual EU accession.

It's the kind of country I love to visit, where the scenery, culture and history are so different from what I know and the sights are a wakeup call to the senses. The country's history is traced through its museums, ruins, architecture and sculptures. And its picturesque charm is reflected in the multitude of islands and fishing villages that border the Adriatic Sea.










Do you want to know more about the captivating country of Croatia? Here's what wikipedia.org has to say. And if you're thinking about a trip yourself, you can read one woman's story of adventure in the Newsletter Library of our website, HerMentorCenter.com.

For some excellent support in the plannning stage, JourneyWoman.com is a valuable resource. It publishes an online newsletter, connecting women around the globe. And the site presents women's travel stories and offers information about tours, shopping and restaurants. Travel writer, Rick Steves, is also a great source of insight and tips.

Staycation to Honor Aging Parents

Today we have some staycation pictures and a story from an ex-Sandwiched Boomer:

"I had taken care of my aging parents, moving them into our home for the last several years of their lives. But I must admit that most of my energies were focused on raising the children so our vacations revolved around them.

For years, I had heard from my parents about how they had eloped during the years of the Great Depression and been secretly married for four years. It all sounded so romantic and I tried to imagine my parents, so frail in their 80's, in their prime. But in all those years, none of us had ever been to the courthouse, in a county seat in a neighboring state, where they went to be married.

So one weekend this summer, my husband and I decided to take a staycation and make the three-hour drive. We wanted to see if we could find the record of their marriage certificate from that day over 70 years ago. After some investigation, we were excited to find the exact page with their information and original signatures.

We imagined them making their plans, driving with anticipation and maybe even some apprehension, giggling as they filled out their forms, and finally, looking up at the intricately beautiful ceiling, ready to embark on their new life together.


We left that day feeling close to my parents and understanding more about who they had been in their youth. Even though they are gone, these pictures of their wedding site gave me insight into them in a way I had never experienced before. I have shared this with my children and believe that they, too, now have a better understanding of their grandparents as real people with full lives."

Today we heard about how one woman's staycation enriched her understanding of her parents. If you are thinking about a travel experience far from home, click on the post title above. It takes you to a past issue of our Stepping Stones newsletter with information about moving away from your backyard and beyond your safety net. Let us know about your own vacation and staycation experiences.

Now that summer is officially one-half over, have you been putting more thought into how to handle you summer vacation? With the high price of gasoline, are you thinking of canceling your vacation trip?

This year more and more Sandwiched Boomers are reducing their carbon footprint by taking "staycations" with their families. Why drive to a resort when there are community swimming pools around the corner? Why plan a remote getaway when you can relax in the beauty and serenity near you? You don't need to travel to the city for excitement when you can create your own at home.

Gasoline prices are edging toward five dollars a gallon and the hassle and expense of air travel is increasing. Families saddled with the economic and emotional costs of caring for growing children and aging parents are saving money and energy by vacationing at home this year.

But are you wondering how to make it a real vacation and not one long list of chores to do and obligations around the house? This week, we'll be giving you suggestions about planning your own perfect staycation. And if you have already taken yours, share your experiences with the rest of us. Read the tips, put them into action and you'll return from your staycation refreshed, recharged and reconnected to your family.