With so many choices available in Waikiki Beach, how’s a wanderboomer to choose where best to stay? Fortunately, I had the chance to try out the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa for a couple of days on a recent vacation. Here’s why the resort ranks high on my list for solo and family travelers: Location, Location, […]
Destinations
Favorite Northwest Getaway: Iron Springs Resort
“Just make it easy.” That’s how Doug True summed up his family’s goal for tackling the restoration of Iron Springs Resort in Copalis Beach, WA. “Make it easy for guests to be comfortable, relax and enjoy their stay.” Doug’s wife Janet adds: “It’s about the memories. We wanted to preserve a place that has meant […]
Make a Difference with Meaningful Trip
“It doesn’t take much to do good,” claims Joe Staiano, founder of Seattle-based Meaningful Trip. He should know. At home, Staiano devotes his time to several non-profit organizations: ICO (Inner City Outings) through the Sierra Club, IRC (the International Rescue Committee) and Camp Erin, founded by All-Star major league baseball pitcher, Jaime Moyer and his […]
A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part III
Fortified by my morning yoga stretches and a nourishing breakfast, my Moment of Truth had arrived at Mountain Trek. As an infrequent wanderboomer hiker with a compromised knee and ankle, I had a twinge of apprehension. Would I prove up to the challenge of alpine hiking 4 hours a day? Ultimately, if I wanted to […]
R.I.P. Lonesome George
I’m feeling a little blue, a little out of sorts today. All because of a 200-pound tortoise, estimated to be between 80 – 100 years old, who passed away in the Galapágos Islands on Sunday. At first glance, you might wonder at the world’s affection for such a slow-moving, plant-chomping, independent-minded creature. But Lonesome George […]
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce
One of the great delights of my week at Mountain Trek’s Health and Fitness Retreat was the focus on nutrition and wellness, resulting in a variety of delicious spa cuisine meals. In addition to learning 10 principles for increasing vitality through better eating habits, I came away with several recipes to try out at home […]
A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part II
I’m probably not the first person you’d expect to find on a day hike, let alone at a week long hiking boot camp. But when Mountain Trek extended an invitation to recharge and revitalize in a safe, nurturing environment, I jumped at the chance to gain a new perspective, not to mention shed a few […]
A Mountain Trek Hiking Retreat – Part I
Ever since James Hilton published his best-selling novel, The Lost Horizon, in 1933, the name Shangri-La has evoked images of an earthly paradise. What Wanderboomer wouldn’t love to trade the stress of daily life for a secret hideaway in a pristine, natural environment, a place where inhabitants have raised healthy living to a fine art, and live in […]
A Visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial
Memorial Day 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the USS Arizona Memorial. When planning our trip to Oahu, several friends had insisted, “You have to visit Pearl Harbor.” Now that I’ve done so, I would urge the same to anyone visiting the island. A visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial is a […]
You Know It’s Going to Be a Great Day When . . .
. . . your day starts out like this. There’s a reason the word “Hawaiian” is most often followed by the word “paradise.” I took this early morning shot from our ninth floor room of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. After a flight delay that got us into Honolulu close to midnight, we woke […]