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Tuesday - March 19, 2024
 

Do You Really Need Travel Insurance? Adventure Travel Writer Linda Ballou Shares Her Experiences and Advice

February 12th, 2024

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Writer Since Covid hit our shores, travel insurance has become more important than ever. While it is true flight delays have lessened, flights are still a huge variable when you travel. Travel delays, as well as trip interruptions and cancellations, are not just frustrating and inevitable, they can be life altering. Which means that choosing to have travel insurance could not only protect your budget should you have to rebook at the last possible minute due to flight cancellations, but can also be lifesaving, should you have a health emergency outside... Read More

Linda Ballou Shares Her Best Tips for Enjoying a Successful Walking Holiday – And Why She Calls Them a “Boomer Balancing Act”

December 8th, 2023

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Mobility issues are a problem for many Boomers. I am no exception, so I have investigated ways of ensuring that I don’t take a fall that puts me out of commission.  If you, like me, find you need to be in nature and feel the cooling breeze caressing your skin while you walk, take heart. Don’t let a mobility issue stop you from doing what you need to feel happy and content. I had to acknowledge that I can’t do what I used to do in the same way. I would like to share some of the things that will help you keep moving, and in shape for a... Read More

Linda Ballou Recommends You Take a Walk on Kaua’i’s Wild Side

September 1st, 2023

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate When I lived on the North Shore in 1978, there was not one home on the shore of horseshoe-shaped Hanalei Bay. The notorious Taylor Camp treehouse colony, populated by hippies living off the land, was in full swing. The now famous Tahiti Nui featured in the film The Descendants was a hole in the wall. I could hike the Kalalau Trail, tracing the rugged Nāpali Coast up to the roaring Hanakapi’ai Falls, and take a dip in the pool below, without seeing another soul. I never made it to the site of the sacred Hawaiian village at the end... Read More

Linda Ballou Visits Po‘ipū and is Sunny Side UP on Kaua‘i

September 1st, 2023

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate  Po‘ipū is the favored spot by visitors to the Island because it guarantees full blown sunny beach days. In 1978 Po‘ipū Beach was a deep azure plunge where I floated in ecstasy. But in 1992 Hurricane Iniki carved out a new coastline. Today the crescent shaped white sand beach is still a favorite of sun worshippers, but the water is shallow with a bottom littered with coral rocks. It is popular with snorkelers and small children but is no longer the best swimming beach on the South Shore. Numerous resorts and condo complexes now line... Read More

Linda Ballou Shares Her Adventures on the Coconut Coast of Kaua’i

September 1st, 2023

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate As a young woman, I had dropped out of society and landed on the North Shore of Kaua‘i. It was a head-spinning transformative time in my life. There, I was introduced to people experimenting with alternate lifestyles and those leading highly creative lives. After a year of Island life, I was brimming with good health and ready to face the future. Now, 45 years on, I yearned to return to the nurturing clime to know how both the Island and I have changed. Kaua’i is lush with foliage, resplendent with waterfalls, and isolated by tumultuous... Read More

NABBW’s 2023 Update on Traveling Safely with a Chronic Illness or Disability

August 10th, 2023

By Mary J. Yerkes and Anne L. Holmes for the NABBW NOTE: This helpful article originally appeared at NABBW.com in 2009 and was updated in 2019. In 2023, we are happy to again bring it up to date, so that it reflects current disability travel information.  For the 1 in 2 Americans living with chronic conditions, traveling can be a challenge. Crowded airports, long flights, and public transportation can increase stress and exacerbate symptoms. But by learning to travel smart, you can experience the thrill of traveling, while minimizing your discomfort and stress. Traveling Tips Here are five sure-fire... Read More

Considering a Fabulous Trip But Worried Whether You’re Fit Enough? Here’s a Helpful “Stress Test” We Recommend for All Senior Women Booking a Group Tour

June 6th, 2023

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW’s Group Travel Associate As I mentioned in my last post, it’s finally time to travel again, and we Boomer/Senior travelers are right up at the front of the line, enjoying our renewed opportunities to see the world. Thankfully, the travel industry is increasingly catering to us oldies; but you need to be aware that there can still be a trip out there which you should not take, due to your personal limitations or needs. Obviously, you know that you don’t want to book yourself for an adventure travel experience, like bicycling across Europe, unless you’re... Read More

The Ageless Traveler: Is Dental Tourism Right for You? Or How We Saved $30,000 and Got a Great Smile

June 3rd, 2023

 By Adriane Berg, NABBW’s Associate for Successful Aging Let’s face it. The sad fact is that your teeth will likely wear out before you do. That can mean a substantial financial outlay if you are a user of American health care, as dental work is not normally covered by Medicare or private insurance. When my husband, Stu, was faced with the cost of extensive dentistry, we actually opted for treatment in Mexico. While this might seem exotic and even exciting, it actually was somewhat routine. And that’s the way we like our dentistry—no surprises.  What came as a BIG surprise was the... Read More

Linda Ballou Shares Highlights, Photos of Her Recent Adventure to Costa Rica – Land of Divine Diversity

May 30th, 2023

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Costa Rica, the poster child of eco-tourism, has so many fun, outdoor adventures options it’s hard to choose. Twenty-five percent of the country is preserved habitat to ensure the continuation of the unique flora and fauna found in species-rich forests.  Multiple changes in altitude and temperature create many micro-climates that are responsible for Costa Rica’s diversity. Extending and gracious people, Ticos, as locals call themselves, offer guided outdoor adventures throughout their emerald-green country. Rafting the Class III to... Read More

The Ageless Traveler: What’s On Your Second Bucket List?

April 22nd, 2023

By Adriane Berg, NABBW’s Associate for Successful Aging I am sitting in the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Asuncion, Paraguay, having a transformational moment. After having visited 90 countries, all 50 states and almost all of the major US national parks — many of these places more than once (London 22 times!) — I am tearing up my Bucket List. This is a big deal. I made my first bucket list at age six when I saw the Disney Jungle River Cruise on TV. As I recall, it went down seven rivers in 20 minutes and ended in a visit with Trader Sam, who sold shrunken heads.... Read More