Sydney Opera house

A Sydney to Los Angeles cruise is next on our boomer travel schedule. Alan and I are boomers who can’t get enough of small ship cruising. After Virgin Australia whisks us across the Pacific, we’ll be ready to spend a couple of days exploring Sydney from our headquarters at the Four Seasons Sydney before cruising the Pacific on Seabourn Odyssey. Since this is our second trip to Australia’s Harbor City, we’ll be looking for adventure beyond the opera house and zoo. Here’s hoping that the weather won’t be as steamy as last time.

Once we board the Odyssey, it will be rest and relaxation South Pacific style. Take a look at this itinerary with mostly new-to-us ports:

• Sydney, Austrailia
• Brisbane, Australia
• Nouema, New Caledonia
• Il des Pins, New Caledonia
• Port Vila, Vanuatu
• Lautoka, Fiji
• Pag Pago, American Samoa
• Fanning Island, Kiribati
• Kona, Hawaii
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• Lahaina, Hawaii
• Los, Angeles, CA

Want to keep up with our boomer adventures? Follow us on the My Itchy Travel Feet pages at Facebook, and Google+  or Twitter (look for hastag #PacificPanorama) where we will be posting updates and photos. And, check out our Pinterest board for port photos of our Sydney to Los Angeles cruise.

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Wow! Our first two months of 2012 have been so busy that we’ve had to combine sponsor news for January and February. Be sure to check out the health assessment from REAL Powered by Humana. It’s cool.

With the start of the new year comes the opportunity for new beginnings. Why not start this year off on the right track? Get some help with your health goals with this Exercise and Nutrition Planner from your well-being experts, REAL Powered by Humana.

Do you have a travel product or service that appeals to our baby boomer audience? Your company could be highlighted on this page. Check out My Itchy Travel Feet’s sponsor package details.

Jennifer will discover handprints on her New Mexico backroads adventure

Last week at the My Itchy Travel Feet page on Facebook (you have clicked the like button, right?) Jennifer asked, “I’m no Boomer, but I’m interested in taking a road trip to New Mexico. We’ve done Taos and Santa Fe, any hidden gems that you or your readers suggest we check out this spring?” Alan and I thought it would be fun to create a New Mexico road trip for Jennifer to a secret destination. Well, it’s not really a secret but does involve driving the backroads of New Mexico to an off-the-beaten-path location. Jennifer, baby boomer or not, this post is for you.

Breakfast on the Salsa Trail

Jennifer, we’re starting this New Mexico backroads trip from Tucson because, uh, that’s where you live. Tell your husband to set the alarm for an early departure. (Sorry guys, if you want to travel like a boomer, this is part of the deal). After driving east on I-10 for about an hour, say goodbye to interstate driving at the Safford exit. For breakfast, stop at El Coronado Family Restaurant—Mexican or American style—your choice.

Baby Boomer travel tip:

Don’t miss Salsa Fest, September 28 – 29, 2012, where a salsa competition, eating contests, entertainment and more will fill your weekend with fun Mexican food memories. Can’t make the festival? Drive the Salsa Trail on your own self-guided food trip. Check out the Salsa Trail on Facebook and Twitter.

Gila Wilderness in New Mexico

New Mexico Backroads beauty

From Highway 70 in Safford, go east to make a left-hand turn onto Highway 191 toward Clifton. No, Jennifer, you’re not headed up the scenic Coronado Trail. Instead, take the right turn onto AZ route 78, also known as Mule Creek Road, to enjoy some of our favorite Arizona and New Mexico scenery. The road twists and turns through the forests of the Gila River Valley before climbing into grasslands. Wait! This looks like Montana. No, you didn’t take a wrong turn—it’s really New Mexico.

At Highway 180, turn left. You’ll be cruising up the very western edge of New Mexico. A couple of miles up the road, take a time out at the rest stop. Get out of the car to stretch your legs and take pictures of the Gila Wilderness. Did you know it was the nation’s first designated wilderness area?

Back in the car, continue driving north on Highway 180. Be sure to stop in Glenwood to purchase picnic supplies. You’re going to need them later today.

Baby Boomer travel tip:

Want to explore the Gila Wilderness in depth? Make Silver City your headquarters. Don’t miss the Gila Cliff Dwellings, a 2-hour curvy mountain drive to the north.

Staying at Glenwood is another Gila Wilderness option. Be sure to take the one-mile walk on the Catwalk National Recreation Trail for a look at New Mexico mining history accompanied by outstanding scenery.

Lovely spot for a New Mexico backroads picnic

Wild west history and a picnic in the woods

After Glenwood, continue north on High 180 through the Gila National Forest. At Highway 12, turn east to explore the wild west town of Reserve—300 residents.  Have you heard of the Frisco Shootout of Elfego Baca? It happened right here at Milligan’s Plaza. After exploring western history, continue on Highway 12 until Apache Creek where you’ll turn north onto Highway 32.

As you travel through more of the Gila National Forest, turn onto one of the forest roads to find your spot for a picnic in the woods. Listen to the birds tweet as they dart in and out of the trees. Keep an eye out for deer or maybe even an elk.

Finished with your picnic? Let’s get back in the car, we still have a ways to go. Highway 32 continues to Quemado, a service center for nearby ranches. Did you find the tree made out of antlers? Hunters flock to the area for its abundant wildlife population of bear, deer, elk and wild turkey.

Lava fields to the left

Pay attention, this is where our trail gets tricky. From Highway 32 in Quemado a quick turn to the right on Highway 60 followed by a left turn onto Highway 36, and another quick right turn onto Highway 117, puts you on a scenic drive by the lava fields of El Malpais National Monument. Is your camera ready? You might catch the sun setting over the dark volcanic rocks.

Baby boomer travel tip:

At El Malpais National Monument, visitors feel as if they’re looking at a moonscape. Recreation opportunities in the lava-filled landscape include hiking—easy to rugged,scenic drives and explorations of the lava formations. However, access to the lava caves is no longer available due to National Park regulations.

Jennifer will discover graffiti written in stone at El Morro National Monument

Welcome to Grants

After leaving the other-worldly views at El Malpais, continue on Highway 117, cross over I-40 and turn left onto U.S. 66. Guess what, Jennifer? You’ve reached the headquarters for your New Mexico backroads trip—Grants, NM. Pick one of the chain hotels near the interstate for lodging—their convenience makes up for the lack of an authentic experience. Looking for a Mexican dinner? We can vouch for Le Jardin on Roosevelt Avenue.

Grants makes a convenient base for day trips:

El Malpais National Monument (25 miles west): Drive Highway 53 for access to the El Calderon section for more hiking and scenic views. Beware of driving Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway if it has been raining. The mud turns into hard caliche, which traps vehicles. A stop by the Visitor’s Center, where a bulletin board features photos of cars stuck in caliche, was enough to discourage Alan from taking a chance on the road—not really—I had to put my foot down.

El Morro National Monument (43 miles west): Another off-the-beaten-path national monument on Highway 53 features petroglyphs and graffiti from the 1800′s carved into stone. Be sure to take Mesa Rock Trail to the top of the rock formations to explore an ancient pueblo.

For a really long day trip (round-trip travel time approximately 5 hours), drive 98 miles north to Chaco Culture National Historic Park. More of a primitive experience—roads are dirt—this World Heritage Site explores the remains of the Chaco culture, who mysteriously disappeared around 1200.

Baby boomer travel tips:

If you’re an animal lover, continue on Highway 53 through Ramah to the Wild Wolf  Sanctuary for a guided tour.

Cimarron Rose Bed and Breakfast, located on Highway 53 between El Malpais and El Morro, is another lodging option. Although we have not stayed here, it’s on our list to try for next time.

Acoma Pubelo-Sky City (39 miles southeast): an alternate for lodging plus restaurants and a casino.

Return to Tucson

You have two choices on the return trip. Take the easy way out, head west on 1-40 to Flagstaff for an interstate journey that will take you to Phoenix, where I-10 makes a straight path for Tucson. Or, retrace your steps to Reserve, NM, turn right on Highway 180 to Alpine, AZ and a left turn onto Highway 191. Stay the night a few miles down the road at Hannagan Meadow Lodge, then continue your drive down the scenic Coronado Highway back to Safford, I-10 and Tucson.

Jennifer, what do you think of your New Mexico backroads trip? Do you like our off-the-beaten-path suggestions?

Do you have tips Jennifer? Post in the comments to share your suggestions. Writing this post has made my travel feet itchy for a New Mexico backroads adventure.

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Carnival costume in Rio de Janeiro

What does a well-dressed boomer wear to carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil? How about one of the costumes from the Carnival Museum? When our Regent Seven Seas Navigator cruise ended in Rio, after sailing across the Atlantic from Cape Town, we had the entire day to tour with a private guide before our plane left for the U.S.  Madson Arajúo proudly showed us the sites of his hometown, including the Sambadrome. When our van parked along the concrete runway bordered by towering concrete stands, I thought we were at a racetrack. But Madson assured us that during carnival the runway turned into a pulsating, colorful mob of samba dancers and party goers. Carnival is February 18 – 25, 2012. Now, would you really wear that costume?

Have you been to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro? Post a comment to share your experience. Maybe Alan and I should take samba lessons.

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Silver Cloud enters the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal.

Some baby boomer travel experiences are worth repeating. That’s certainly true of a cruise through the Panama Canal. The journey may travel along the same watery path; but each time, boomers will discover new facets about The Big Ditch.

On our first Panama Canal cruise, Alan and I sailed from east to west—beginning in the early morning on the Atlantic side and ending in the Pacific Ocean around midnight, including a stop for excursions near the Gatun Yacht Club. On our recent holiday cruise on Silver Cloud, we began from the Pacific side and sailed straight through to the Atlantic, giving us the opportunity to see all three locks in the daylight. Come along with us:

On the morning that Silver Cloud waits for her turn to enter the Miraflores Locks, Alan and I look out the balcony window to discover that we are surrounded by at least 50 ships. It’s like a giant parking lot at sea where motors idle as captains wait for the pilot boat to lead their vessel through the locks.

Donna takes a photo of our next door neighbor

As Silver Cloud follows the pilot boat to the neon green arrow pointing to her lane in the locks, the sounds bring back memories of our last Panama Canal experience. Ring, ring—a bell trills. Clang! Something heavy and mechanical thuds to a close. Squeak! The wheels of a locomotive squeal on the track as a ding, ding, ding signals its approach. This is the language of the canal—all bells, whistles and the mechanical groans of heavy equipment.

From the balcony, Alan and I watch a freighter ease into the lane next to us. Her crew is standing at the rail watching us as we watch them. Cameras are pointed from both sides, along with waves and smiles.

The mule keeps Silver Cloud straight in the Miraflores Locks

Men in rowboats attach lines from locomotive engines, known as mules, to each side of Silver Cloud. The locomotives run along tracks on each side of the canal lane, keeping the ship centered in the water. Creak. A gate shuts behind us and water begins to fill the chamber. The mules work in tandem, pulling up an incline on each side of the canal lane. Ding, ding, ding. Once we are at the proper water level, two doors hinge open in front of us and our journey continues.

Cruise guests watch the action from the top deck

Up on the top deck, cruise guests crowd the rails for photographs, while over the loudspeaker, a local expert explains the intricacies of the canal. She points out the construction of the new lane, scheduled for a 2014 completion, which will double the Panama Canal’s capacity as well as allow today’s larger ships to pass through.

Before joining Alan in the crowd at the rail, I accept a mimosa from the bartender who’s set up shop on the top deck. Silver Cloud knows how to make this a festive occasion.

Eggs benedict on the balcony

There’s a special breakfast on the pool deck with cooked-to-order eggs accompanied by a selection of pastries that will require many laps around the jogging track for working off calories. However, Alan and I have another plan. We’ve called ahead to order a room service breakfast on the balcony of our cabin where our eggs benedict will be accompanied by a close-up view of the action.

It’s a steamy day as Silver Cloud sails along Lake Gatun on the way to the Gatun Locks. According to the facts that we learned from Captain Larry Rudner’s guest lectures about the Panama Canal’s history, 27,500 workers died during its construction. The jungle landscape that we see on the lake’s shore is evidence to why so many of them died from yellow fever and typhoid.

Goodbye, Panama Canal

The sounds of the Panama Canal are repeated when Silver Cloud negotiates the Gatun Locks in the late afternoon. Clang! Ding, ding, ding. Thud! As the last gate closes behind us, Silver Cloud enters the Atlantic where a new language greet us—the creaks and groans of our ship entering a stormy sea.

Have you sailed through the Panama Canal? Post a comment to share your experience. Alan and I wouldn’t mind repeating this baby boomer journey for a third time.

To see more photos from our Panama Canal transit, visit the My Itchy Travel Feet page on Facebook. Please “like” us while you’re there.

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Arctic scenery is the star as our ship leaves Longyearbyen, Norway

Alan photographed this gorgeous scene as Regent Seven Seas Voyager sailed from Longyearbyen on a Norwegian cruise itinerary that began and ended in Denmark. So where is Longyearbyen?  Located on the island of Sptizbergen in the administrative area of Svalbard, Norway, Longyearbyen is the most northerly town in the world. Voyager was cruising toward the polar ice pack, one of the highlights of the cruise. Unfortunately, about an hour before reaching the ice pack, a passenger’s health emergency required that our ship race back toward Longyearbyen to meet a rescue helicopter in the middle of the Arctic Ocean for an emergency evacuation. Although we didn’t make it to the ice pack, the voyage left me with the desire to return for a boomer cruise adventure in the Arctic. Next time, I want to cruise on an expedition style ship like Silversea’s Silver Explorer to meet the polar bears.

Have your cruised on an Arctic adventure cruise? Post a comment to share your experience. I’m putting this near the top of my boomer bucket list, right after an experience in Antarctica. Now, to convince Alan.

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African Art Village at Tucson Gem Show

If you’re a boomer traveler who wears jewelry, makes jewelry or enjoys rock hounding, then add the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase (January 28 – February 12, 2012) to your travel list. Each year in late January and early February, The Old Pueblo puts on an extravaganza that draws visitors and vendors from around the world. But there’s more to the two-week show than buildings and tents filled with glittery gems, beads and rocks. The event has morphed into an eclectic affair, especially if you take a walk down the frontage road near I-10 and 22nd street to the African Art Village.

Last year, a girlfriend and I (shopping isn’t Alan’s cup of tea), visited the African Art Village on the last day of the show. After parking in the public lot on Grant Road, west of I-10, our afternoon of bargain hunting began. The plan of action? Walk south as far as we could down the frontage road, then double back to the jewelry shows in the row of hotels and motels located along our path.

A table full of handmade baskets at the Tucson Gem Show

What did we discover as we neared I-10 and 22nd street? The African Art Village—a tent city filled with handmade items from Africa and around the world. My friend and I browsed to the beat of drums and the hunger-inducing scent of meat grilling at a nearby food stand. Tables filled with colorful baskets competed with art masks and strings of handmade beads for our attention. Embroidered wall hangings hung next to tie-dyed t-shirts. And the sounds of foreign languages made us feel as if we were traveling on another continent instead of walking in a field next to the interstate in Tucson.

Parking is available south of 22nd Street, but then boomers would miss all of the shows on hotel row, not to mention the exercise. As my friend and I made our way back to the car, we bopped in and out of the tents and hotel rooms looking for last-day bargains. Jewelry items ranged from inexpensive costume pieces to the real thing with a price tag to match. And then there were the tents filled with geodes, fossils and meteorites. I came home with a mother of pearl bracelet by Hawaiian jewelry maker Marta Howell and two sets of Egyptian cotton sheets. Sheets? Like I said the Tucson Gem Show (as the locals call it) is an eclectic affair.

Amethyst geodes at the Tucson Gem Show

Boomer Travel Tips for Visiting the Tucson Gem Show

• The Tucson Gem Show is actually more than 40 separate shows so you’ll need a plan of action. Here’s a calendar listing of the show dates and another list with show names, operation hours and address. It’s best to concentrate on one area of town per day of your visit.
• The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (TM) is held in the Tucson Convention Center on the second weekend of February (February 10, 11 and 12, 2012). Your $10 admission ticket (adults) includes access to the retail show in the exhibit hall.
• Book lodging ahead of time. Accommodations fill up early. Expect to pay a premium rate.
• The Tucson Visitor’s Center offers a transportation guide including shuttle information and parking lot locations (although the lot that we used on Grant Rd. is not listed).
• Most of the shows are free and open to the public, but you’ll need a business license, taxpayer ID and business card to enter the wholesale only shows. A few of the wholesale shows also require proof that you are in the jewelry or lapidary trade.
• Wear casual clothes and comfortable shoes, you’ll be walking miles!
• Don’t forget the sunscreen, some of the shows are outside. The Tucson sun is strong.
• Bring a canvas shopping bag to carry purchases.
• Tuck bottled water in that canvas bag, you’re going to get thirsty. Including a snack bar or two will help those hunger pains on long shopping days; however, you’ll find food vendors at many of the show locations.
• Don’t wait until the last day to find deals, by then, many of the exhibitors have packed up their goods. Try the next to the last day or the day before that for bargain hunting.
• Save time for exploring Tucson. Check out my article at Santa Fe Travelers: A gem of a visit to the Tucson Gem Show for ideas.

Can’t attend the show this year? Plan ahead with these future Tucson Gem Show dates:

February 2 – 17, 2013
February 1 – 16, 2014
January 31 – February 15, 2015

Have you attended the Tucson Gem Show? Post a comment to share your tips with our readers. I’m going back this year to find earrings to match that Marta Howell bracelet.

Avid boomer cruisers that we are, Alan and I are terribly saddened by the disaster on the Costa Concordia. We send our sympathies to the families of the deceased and also to the injured passengers and crew. It’s especially upsetting to learn that the this cruise disaster was caused by human error, according to news reports.

But I’m distressed for another reason, as well. As I watched live TV interviews with cruise guests, so many of them commented about not knowing what to do since they had not had a muster drill (or munster), which Maritime law requires be held within 24 hours of departure. But what about the placard that’s on back of the stateroom door—the one that shows how to put on your life vest, provides a map to the stateroom’s muster station and gives other tips on what to do in case of an emergency—didn’t they read it?

Being an informed boomer helps you survive a disaster.

Now before you go ballistic on me, I realize that the cruise guests had no power over how the situation was handled at the lifeboat stations, the preparedness or unpreparedness of the crew, or the incorrect information they might have been told immediately after the emergency started. But if passengers had informed themselves upon embarking the ship, they could have calmly followed a plan. Would that ensure that they arrived safely back on land? Not necessarily, this was a disaster, after all. But it certainly would have improved their chances.

Since, the content at My Itchy Travel Feet is copyrighted, we don’t look kindly on those who copy our posts. But this one time, I encourage you to cut and paste the tips I’m about to give you and print them out to take on your next cruise. Be a prepared traveler. You may even include them on your website if you wish (with attribution please).

Baby Boomer cruise evacuation plan

1. Immediately upon entering your cruise cabin upon embarkation, take a few minutes to read the emergency information on the back of your stateroom door.
2. Memorize the location of your muster station that’s printed on the emergency information. Make sure that you know how to reach it on the ship.
3. When it’s time for the muster drill, pay attention, even if you’ve attended drills on other cruises. This might be the voyage where you need the details to be fresh in your mind.
4. At the first sign of emergency, return to your cabin to retrieve life jackets. Just because you’re told everything is okay, doesn’t mean it’s true. If things don’t feel right to you, go get your life vest. Better to look foolish than to be unprepared.
5. Change into warm clothes, if there is time, including socks and sturdy shoes. If you’re in a hurry, at least grab a jacket or take the blanket off the bed and try to change those shoes.
6. Bring any medicines that you use on a daily basis. In order to grab them quickly, keep medicines together in a bag, always placing them in the same accessible location in the cabin.
7. If, and I stress IF, there is time, retrieve your identification from the safe. This does not necessarily mean your passport. All of the ships that we sail on collect our passports upon embarkation and return them to us when the cruise is over.
8. Proceed calmly to your muster station. Use the handrails that are bolted to the walls in the hallways. Beware of sliding objects. When crossing open areas, stay behind a fixed object until you can asses the situation. If a ship is listing, furniture and other objects will be sliding around. Granted this is easier said than done. I can’t imagine what it was like for the Costa survivors who climbed near vertical halls to escape.
9. Take deep breaths to remain as calm as you can. Panicking uses up energy that you might need for surviving.
10. At the muster station, do everything possible to help the crew members, even if that means standing up against a wall and remaining quiet. They’re scared too. Acting irrational or irate will not save you or others.

Having an emergency disaster plan isn’t just for cruises. The next time you fly, pay attention the the safety information that the flight attendants give as the plane departs the gate. Find the nearest emergency exit. Think ahead as to what you would do if there was an emergency. When you check into a hotel room, find the closest exit in case there’s a fire. Again, have an emergency evacuation plan.

Be in charge of you.

Do you have any tips to add to our cruise disaster tips? Post a comment. Alan and I hope that you never have to use them.

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Ready for adventure in Alaska

Hello new boomer readers! Alan and I are proud to announce that My Itchy Travel Feet is a partner with AZC Voices Network, the online presence for The Arizona Republic, the regional newspaper for folks living in Phoenix and beyond. Since many of My Itchy Travel Feet’s posts will be published on AZ Voices, I thought it would be neighborly to introduce ourselves as the network goes public. Hey, regular readers, you might learn something about us, too.

Landscape Arch in Arches National Park

We have itchy travel feet

That’s right, we’re baby boomers who have a passion for travel. But not just any old kind of travel — the active kind. Through our articles, photographs and videos, we encourage boomers to get up off the couch and go. But don’t look for posts based upon press releases or a news feed, you can find that anywhere on the internet. Content at My Itchy Travel Feet is based upon our personal travel experiences. Donna writes, while Alan takes most of the photos — like the photo above of Landscape Arch. We provide a first-hand look at destinations and activities so that you can decide where to put them on your travel list.

Hiking on Baird Glacier in southeastern Alaska

We want to see it all

Where do we go? Everywhere! Our eclectic travel tastes have led to both domestic and international adventures. Our boomer trips range from independent explorations — think road trips — to small group tours like the time we explored the Canadian Rockies with Tauck. Since Tucson has been our home for the last 11 years, we’re partial to the southwestern U.S., so expect lots of ideas for Arizona day trips or long weekends. We recently lost our hearts to small town living in Montana, which will become our primary headquarters in March 2012. Our travel feet are itching to explore Big Sky Country. In addition to land trips, we haven’t met a small ship or luxury cruise that we didn’t like. With almost 300 nights on the sea, we know cruising.

Alan learns to drive a stagecoach in Paso Robles

We’ll try anything once

Well, almost. Don’t worry, we’re not going to encourage baby boomers to climb Mt Everest, although kudos to you if that’s your goal. Want to know what it’s like to go 4-wheeling on the Alpine Loop in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains? We’ve been there and done that. Would you like to swim with the rays in a South Pacific lagoon? That’s one of our favorites. How about riding high in a hot air balloon over the red rock formations near Bluff, Utah? Don’t tell anyone, but there’s an initiation involved for first-timers. Have you hiked to Mystic Lake in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness of Montana? Can you keep a secret? You don’t have to finish the hike.

Breakfast on the cruise ship balcony

We like our comfort

Raising my hand here, I’m the travel princess — no camping for me. After all, boomers have earned a little comfort, right? But rough and tumble Alan is happy to dry camp in the back of our SUV like he did on a photo shoot at Toroweap. Our lodging preferences tend toward boutique hotels or bed and breakfasts, although we’re open-minded enough to enjoy an all-inclusive resort or a roadside motel. We’ll share dining discoveries with you, including a recipe or two. And just in case our lodging and dining reviews aren’t budget-minded enough for your pocketbook, do what Vera Marie Baderstcher of A Traveler’s Library does, “Although I can’t really afford the luxury trips sometimes covered, its fun to dream, and I can still get good ideas for more economical versions of the same trip.”

So grab a cup of coffee and settle down for a good read. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday — and sometimes more when there’s something important to tell you — we’ll publish activity reports, destination information, lodging and dining reviews as well as planning tips like our series on boomer travel fitness. Oh, you might see a guest post or two based on the writer’s first-hand travel experiences or advice; unfortunately, we can’t travel everywhere. But that doesn’t stop us from trying.

Be sure to like us at the My Itchy Travel Feet page on Facebook where we post about baby boomer travel deals and news, as well as photos and updates from our trips. You can also subscribe to our monthly travel newsletter for boomers for exclusive  travel specials and more travel fun. Or, follow Donna on Twitter.

Are you a new reader? Be sure to post a comment to introduce yourself. And My Itchy Travel Feet regulars click on over to AZ Voices travel channel to check out travel posts on boomer travel, Arizona hiking, Las Vegas news and more.

Treescape in Arches National Park

When I think of driftwood, images of a beach scene come to mind. But the driftwood you see in today’s photo came from Arches National Park. I photographed this image while accompanying Alan on a photography workshop with exposure36 Photography. Visits to national parks make the best baby boomer travel adventures. This weekend marks the beginning of a series of free admission days in our National Parks. Here’s the 2012 schedule so that you can plan your trip: April 21 – 29, National Parks Week; June 9, Get Outdoors Day; September 29, National Public Lands Day and November 10 – 12, Veterans Day.

Which National Park is on your 2012 boomer travel schedule? Post a comment to let us know. Alan and I are hoping to explore in Glacier National Park.

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