I am so excited to wander the botanic gardens (well, look at my username 
).
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If you like gardens and are ever around Philly, you might want to check out Longwood Gardens. So beautiful.
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I’ve known a few empty nester couples (including us) who really enjoyed a Viking river cruise in Europe. (We got a deal 6 months prior, free airfare. Only rooms available were in lower level with small/high windows - fine by us… saved $2k and spent most of our free time in common areas with our travel companions.) Pros - easy logistics, great service, same ‘hotel room’ full vacation. Cons - a little splurgy, you don’t get as much local flavor as staying at accomodations in town
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It’s nice to visit at the holidays especially.
That sounds lovely!
I went there as a very young child (maybe 6?) and remembered it ever since (I’m in my sixties now). Took my DH and kids there a few years ago when we were in the area and we all loved it. Although it wasn’t exactly as I remembered it!
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From a post last week: For those who love Vancouver BC, may I ask why? Just curious, because I’ve been 2x, and was not so impressed.
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It was beautiful. Mountains, water and a city. Beautiful parks.
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Stanley Park. Restaurant at the top of Grouse Mountain. Capilano. Granville Market.
Yes, there are areas of the city that are shady. Just like any other big city.
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H and I have spent magical weeks at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. It’s like summer camp for adults, although they also have activities for kids and families. I’d love to do a whole family trip there some day with our kids and grandkids.
There are four pillars: the Arts, Education, Religion, and Recreation, so activities are centered around all those elements. Each week has a theme, and you pay a gate fee for each week, although I believe day passes are available. But it’s designed to attend a week at a time.
When we went last year, Bishop Michael Curry (who spoke at Harry & Meghan’s wedding) was the chaplain for the week and we enjoyed hearing him every day. Another time it was Father Greg Boyle. They have a variety of faith traditions represented for the religious component. And if religion is not your thing, you don’t have to attend those parts.
The setting on a lake is gorgeous. You can relax, attend lectures, hear symphonies or watch ballet, or whatever you want. H signed up for pickleball last time. A friend of mine who spends summers there has a boat (I met her on CC!), and she took us out on the lake.
We have stayed in budget accommodations, but the Athenaeum Hotel is very nice and is where the speakers stay. There are also entire houses for rent.
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We have done 2 Camino walks in a row, Camino Frances to Compostela last year, and Voie du Puy from Le Puy to Pamplona Spain this year, both about 500 miles. We enjoyed Camino Frances better, but they were both amazing in terms of cultural immersion. You could travel cheap by staying in hostels but we never did. The dollar is so strong now that expense for 8 weeks of walking for two people is about the same as 1 week for 4 people in a nice Hawaiian Airbnb.
It was the easiest trip for us since all we had to do was put on our backpacks, walk to the next town or village, wash up, dine and sleep. Rinse and repeat. Very little decision to be made on the road.
Each year, I say this is it, I don’t have stamina to do another long walk and yet, we are now looking at the Kumano Kodo in Japan. I start understanding why I encountered many people in their 70s or 80s with multiple Camino walks under their belts. As long as you don’t have health issues, the pilgrimage walks work their magic on you.
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We did a bike trip of the Dolomite Valleys a couple of years ago, and we are doing this one this fall.
Anyone have advice for what to do in Chamonix or Lyon (the extensions on either end of the tour)?
Chatauqua is a GREAT suggestion, especially for couples, families, or groups trying to accommodate different interests and activity levels. The programming is top quality, and the people who attend are genuinely friendly. Checks so many boxes!
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The pre-Internet bible:
I used one for four summers (1988-91). I don’t think planning her interrail trip online was any easier for my D in 2022, because the options are much more fragmented nowadays and you often have to look at each country individually.
But I don’t miss mailing self-addressed postcards to book rooms in youth hostels.
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Oh, we just arrived in most cities without booking in advance. Those were the days, huh. I remember faxing a pension in Amsterdam from work to ensure that we had accommodation when we arrived once though! Generally we’d either use Let’s Go or a list from the tourist office (depending on trip - student trips were backpacking /hostels and a little more mixed later). I don’t ever recall having an issue with not being able to find a hostel room at least. Sometimes there would be “runners” from hostels or apartments at the train stations to get people in. Or in some cases just looking for “Zimmer Frei” signs. The funniest was knocking on the door of one of those in Bacharach, with a lady who spoke no English ( but I had enough basic German to get by). When she showed us around our room and the bathroom, she repeated our home country name (in Africa), paused, then demonstrated for us how to flush the toilet 
we just smiled and nodded!
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I’ve always wanted to try Chautauqua, maybe next year?
I’ve “done” a lot of Italy, but I have not been to Sicily. I’m planning to go to Sicily next April with this tour. https://www.elainetrigiani.com/sicily-trip
When I book my plane tickets I may stay a few extra days.
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Wow that tour looks great! Sicily is on my “Where To Go Next” list..
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One of my favorite trips was to Martha’s Vineyard. We and two other families with young kids went in on a house together and had a wonderful time. Drove up to Boston and spent an evening there where we all caught a Red Sox game. Next day drove up and took the Woods Hole ferry to MV. Spent most of our days at State Beach, jumped off the “Jaws Bridge,” spent afternoons at Bad Martha’s, caught a MV Sharks baseball game (part of the Cape League - college players), went deep sea fishing, and visited South Beach. Loved walking around Edgartown and going into the shops (and seeing familiar landmarks seen in Jaws - we are all Jaws fans). We kept costs down by planning some dinners at the house and bringing lunch with us to the beach. Would love to revisit at some point.
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So many good trips. We loved just relaxing in Sorrento with day trips to Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Amalfi coast. From there we took a train from Naples to Venice.
Village Italy tour with Rick Steves.
Lima, Cusco, Ollantaytambo (fabulous), Machu Picchu, Quito and then 8 days in the Galapagos aboard the Angelito which is not luxury but only holds 16 guests and goes where other boats can’t.
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Do you know if the Chautauqua in Ohio on Lake Erie a sister institution? We went to a destination wedding (H’s niece) there a few years ago. I remember seeing info about events that took place at this community.
The “Chautauqua Movement” originated at the New York location in 1874, starting as a training program for Sunday school teachers but it quickly evolved into a broader initiative focused on lifelong learning and community enrichment. There were several similar programs across the country that used the name Chautauqua.
I’ve been to the Lake Erie Chautauqua, which is called Lakeside - my H’s uncle is a Methodist minister (the movement originated in the Methodist church). I would say it’s related, an off-shoot, but not officially connected to the New York Chautauqua Institution. According to Wikipedia, It is one of only a few continuously operating Independent Chautauquas that persist in the 21st century.
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