By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate When I am not adventuring on horseback through pristine country, hiking some of the world’s most gorgeous trails, or taking life-changing river trips, I am writing about them and my other adventures. Life for me was not always this way. A minor tragedy forced me to re-examine what I had been doing with my days and to make a new plan. I was full tilt into the horse world when a herniated disc dropped me to my knees for about six weeks. I gave up my mare and the sport I dearly loved. This forced me to think about what I wanted to do; to... Read More

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate On my visit to South Africa in 2015, I was surprised to learn that there are too many elephants! With so many environmental groups fighting to prevent the poaching of these emblematic creatures for their ivory tusks, it was ironic to learn that as early as five years ago, the African parks were actually dealing with elephant over-population.  Then, an estimated 120,000 elephants roamed the vast, unfenced preserves of Botswana under the protection of armed, patrolling rangers. Today there are 130,000. But that’s just the Botswana... Read More

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate From the extreme arid red center of Australia, our Overseas Adventure Travel group flew to North Queensland during the onset of the “wet season” from January to April. This region receives on average 10-feet of rain each year. Our gracious accommodations at the Beach House in Palm Cove overlooked a stunning white sand beach. The tropical waters looked inviting, but informed tourists kept to the shore. Saltwater crocodiles lurk in these waters along with box and stinger jellyfish in the summer. A massive swimming pool replicating a sandy... Read More

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate The ultimate Australian experience with Overseas Adventure Travel is a journey through a maze of micro-climates, multi-cultures and natural wonders. It begins in Melbourne and ends in Sydney; on the way taking in Alice Springs, Uluru, the Daintree forest (the oldest tropical forest on earth), and the threatened Great Barrier Reef. Melbourne is a vibrant city full of life proud of its rich heritage. A liberal sprinkling of tree-tunnels, gardens, and other green spaces throughout the city make it an exciting, yet soothing place to be on foot. Gleaming,... Read More

By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Skirt the crowds and beat the summer heat in Yosemite with a stay at Tenaya Lodge, an all-inclusive resort with hot and cold pools and a complete spa center. Located just outside the south entrance of Yosemite (1-hour drive from Yosemite Valley) it makes a perfect home base for explorations in the famed 1,169 square mile National Park. John Muir waxed poetic about billowing clouds mushrooming into tender blue skies forming magnificent cloudscapes. He lovingly described lacy white curtains of water fanning over granite ramparts and the unending... Read More

By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Last month, we began a two part discussion on your Medicare coverage when you travel. This is an important topic, since so many of us Boomers, bitten by the “travel bug,” hit the road as soon as we retire. Of course, your retirement and the opportunity to become covered by Medicare often happen close together, which means you may be traveling before you’ve had the opportunity to become totally familiar with your Medicare coverage.  Last month, we looked at Medicare coverage during domestic travel. (That is, travel within... Read More

By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Many retirees can’t wait to hit the open road as soon as they have been freed from their 9 to 5 job. This means new retirees are often traveling while they’re still new to Medicare.  Therefore, knowing how Medicare covers you while you travel is something you should learn sooner rather than later. Medicare covers its beneficiaries differently depending on where you travel and how you elect to receive your coverage. Below, I share a conversation I had recently with Danielle K. Roberts, co-founder of Boomer Benefits in which we... Read More

By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Kathy Marris is my counterpart ‘Down Under.’ She is the author of 50 Shades of Age, a lighthearted collection of stories on being 50 something.  A top blogger for the mature travelers she shares insider tips for travelers in OZ, and favorite holiday spots in striking distance – like Bali. Australia is on my radar for 2020, so she seemed a perfect source for tips to make my trip more meaningful and less hectic. So, many tour companies have you spending a lot of time in airports zipping around a large country with extremely... Read More

By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate It seems everyone I know has been to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in the Red Rock Country of Utah. It was high time for me to experience the soaring ramparts with majestic views, the splendor of sculptured slot canyons, and the magic of hoodoos millions of years in the making. I chose mid-April for my visit to cash in on wildflowers, cool temps, and waterfalls that are fed by melting snowfields and dry up in the heat of summer. Zion and Bryce are located on the western edge of the Colorado Plateau in the four corners of Utah, Arizona,... Read More

By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Each year I attend the Los Angeles Adventure Travel show to get news about travel trends.  Here is what is hot and what is not according to travel gurus like Rick Steves who spoke about broadening your global prospective through travel, and Pauline Frommer who shared lots of money saving tips. All of the speakers at the event want you to use an anonymous computer when searching for flights, hotels, and car rentals. Sneaky algorithms pick up what you have searched in the past indicating what you are willing to spend. The computer selects... Read More