Posts in ‘Family, Kids & Senior Travelers’

Older people are becoming more adventurous in their choice of holiday, an industry insider has claimed.

Elder members of society are increasingly likely venture further outside Europe than before, including destinations such as Austrialia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Derek Moore, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), said: "The older generation are travelling more. Their kids have grown up and are much more self-sufficient these days so they are able to have a look at a bit more disposable income.

"I think with the older generation, when they were growing up a holiday was looked upon as being once a year, a treat."

He added that other destination such as the USA and south-east Asia "are always going to be popular spots" as well as countries in north Africa, for example.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that UK residents” visits abroad remained roughly the same at 17.8 million from 2007 to 2008, with their expenditure while abroad increasing by four per cent to £9.4 billion.

Seniors – Historic Tours – From the Roman Empire to the second world war, these tours bring world history to life.

Older people are becoming more adventurous in their choice of holiday, an industry insider has claimed.

Elder members of society are increasingly likely venture further outside Europe than before, including destinations such as Austrialia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Derek Moore, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), said: "The older generation are travelling more. Their kids have grown up and are much more self-sufficient these days so they are able to have a look at a bit more disposable income.

"I think with the older generation, when they were growing up a holiday was looked upon as being once a year, a treat."

He added that other destination such as the USA and south-east Asia "are always going to be popular spots" as well as countries in north Africa, for example.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that UK residents” visits abroad remained roughly the same at 17.8 million from 2007 to 2008, with their expenditure while abroad increasing by four per cent to £9.4 billion.

Seniors – Historic Tours – From the Roman Empire to the second world war, these tours bring world history to life.

Older people are becoming more adventurous in their choice of holiday, an industry insider has claimed.

Elder members of society are increasingly likely venture further outside Europe than before, including destinations such as Austrialia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Derek Moore, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), said: "The older generation are travelling more. Their kids have grown up and are much more self-sufficient these days so they are able to have a look at a bit more disposable income.

"I think with the older generation, when they were growing up a holiday was looked upon as being once a year, a treat."

He added that other destination such as the USA and south-east Asia "are always going to be popular spots" as well as countries in north Africa, for example.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that UK residents” visits abroad remained roughly the same at 17.8 million from 2007 to 2008, with their expenditure while abroad increasing by four per cent to £9.4 billion.

Seniors – Historic Tours – From the Roman Empire to the second world war, these tours bring world history to life.

Older people are becoming more adventurous in their choice of holiday, an industry insider has claimed.

Elder members of society are increasingly likely venture further outside Europe than before, including destinations such as Austrialia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Derek Moore, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), said: "The older generation are travelling more. Their kids have grown up and are much more self-sufficient these days so they are able to have a look at a bit more disposable income.

"I think with the older generation, when they were growing up a holiday was looked upon as being once a year, a treat."

He added that other destination such as the USA and south-east Asia "are always going to be popular spots" as well as countries in north Africa, for example.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that UK residents” visits abroad remained roughly the same at 17.8 million from 2007 to 2008, with their expenditure while abroad increasing by four per cent to £9.4 billion.

Seniors – Historic Tours – From the Roman Empire to the second world war, these tours bring world history to life.

Older people are becoming more adventurous in their choice of holiday, an industry insider has claimed.

Elder members of society are increasingly likely venture further outside Europe than before, including destinations such as Austrialia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Derek Moore, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), said: "The older generation are travelling more. Their kids have grown up and are much more self-sufficient these days so they are able to have a look at a bit more disposable income.

"I think with the older generation, when they were growing up a holiday was looked upon as being once a year, a treat."

He added that other destination such as the USA and south-east Asia "are always going to be popular spots" as well as countries in north Africa, for example.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that UK residents” visits abroad remained roughly the same at 17.8 million from 2007 to 2008, with their expenditure while abroad increasing by four per cent to £9.4 billion.

Seniors – Historic Tours – From the Roman Empire to the second world war, these tours bring world history to life.

Older people are becoming more adventurous in their choice of holiday, an industry insider has claimed.

Elder members of society are increasingly likely venture further outside Europe than before, including destinations such as Austrialia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Derek Moore, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), said: "The older generation are travelling more. Their kids have grown up and are much more self-sufficient these days so they are able to have a look at a bit more disposable income.

"I think with the older generation, when they were growing up a holiday was looked upon as being once a year, a treat."

He added that other destination such as the USA and south-east Asia "are always going to be popular spots" as well as countries in north Africa, for example.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that UK residents” visits abroad remained roughly the same at 17.8 million from 2007 to 2008, with their expenditure while abroad increasing by four per cent to £9.4 billion.

Seniors – Historic Tours – From the Roman Empire to the second world war, these tours bring world history to life.

Older people are becoming more adventurous in their choice of holiday, an industry insider has claimed.

Elder members of society are increasingly likely venture further outside Europe than before, including destinations such as Austrialia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Derek Moore, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), said: "The older generation are travelling more. Their kids have grown up and are much more self-sufficient these days so they are able to have a look at a bit more disposable income.

"I think with the older generation, when they were growing up a holiday was looked upon as being once a year, a treat."

He added that other destination such as the USA and south-east Asia "are always going to be popular spots" as well as countries in north Africa, for example.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that UK residents” visits abroad remained roughly the same at 17.8 million from 2007 to 2008, with their expenditure while abroad increasing by four per cent to £9.4 billion.

Seniors – Historic Tours – From the Roman Empire to the second world war, these tours bring world history to life.

Anyone visiting a Disney theme park on their birthday next year will be admitted free of charge, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has announced.

The offer will apply to the Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.

Disney’’s giveaway is part of the company’’s ”What will you celebrate?” promotion, aimed at attracting visitors to its parks on special occasions.

Visitors to Disney parks will also be given badges with phrases such as "Just Graduated" or "First Visit" as part of their celebrations.

Chairman Jay Rasulo said: "Our goal is to mark the special moments in your life in a way that your family will remember forever."

The first Disney theme park opened opened in Anaheim, California in 1955 and the company now has parks in France, Hong Kong and Japan.

Miley Cyrus, the star of Disney’’s hit show Hannah Montana, has said she plans to celebrate her 16th birthday at Disneyland on October 5th.

Family - Theme Parks – Treat the family to a day at one of the Disney resorts or to a splashing day out at a Spanish waterpark.

Why is it that we remember the most tangential and hyper-specific scenes from our childhoods (personal examples: playing with the lace trim on my red and white polka dotted crib bedding; the yellow raincoat decal that I used to attach to my nursery school class’s ‘weather bear’ on rainy days)…yet we so often forget the name of an acquaintance that we discussed the election with last week? Or, even better, which drawer we placed our keys in 3 minutes ago?

Do you actually remember the design on your 4th birthday party cake, or have you just watched the home video 50 odd times?

What about your favourite childhood book? Do you recall what the cover looked like? Where the characters lived?

Last weekend, I was exploring the quaint, picturesque streets of Malvern, England—the town where C.S. Lewis (who happened to be favourite author as a child) went to school—when my knowledgeable guide asked me if I had enjoyed the recent film adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Having just listened to his engaging overview of the famous Lewisian haunts and Narnia landmarks scattered throughout this lovely countryside town, I wanted to discuss a range of parallel cinematic moments. But I quickly realised that, actually, I couldn’t. Yes, I had seen the film (in fact had rushed to the cinema like an excited child when it came out 3 years ago), but I could not even cite my favourite scene.

I realise now that my wires had gotten crossed. I could not answer because I could not differentiate between two visual memories—the first being the imagery that I had generated in my 8-year-old mind whilst reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and the second being the imagery that Disney had delivered to my local cinema, 14 years later.

To add to my moment of mental convolution, this was the second Brit lit expert, in the second quaint, historic English town that had made enthusiastic claims regarding Lewis’s sources of creative inspiration.

Hmm…

You see, I’d been told that Lewis devised his plots whilst wandering the streets of Oxford. But now, it seems to me that perhaps Malvern had an equal, if not greater, impact on his writings. For, apparently, the Narnia gas lamp is located in front of a Malvern College dormitory…

So, then, which is it? What town, which landmarks, and which people inspired C.S. Lewis to create the allegorical fantasyland that continues to engage children, adults, filmmakers and tourists today?

We can only speculate which memories and life experiences may have, consciously or subconsciously, inspired Lewis in his vivid creations. I will now trace some of the most famous landmarks that I have encountered, which have been linked to his writings….

Tracing the footsteps of C.S. Lewis…

1. The Malvern Hills.

This most picturesque area of Worcestershire, UK is the perfect daytrip destination from Birmingham, Oxford or London (1, 1.5 and 2.5 hours by train, respectively). It’s no wonder that Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and co. embarked on frequent retreats to the Malvern Hills for years after Lewis completed his schooling at Malvern College 1916.

It has been said that the friends enjoyed leisurely walks through the hills to soak in the stunning panoramic scenery of the region, which has doubtlessly inspired artists for decades. (Apparently, on a clear day, you can see all the way to Wales!)

2. The Unicorn Inn, Malvern.

Lewis’s scenic treks typically ended at this charming, hillside pub, presumably with all of the activities that we would imagine—philosophical debates, pints of ale, visions of white, magical, single-horned creatures, etc.

Sadly, when I visited, the plaque commemorating Lewis’s visits had been dismounted. Hopefully this was just a temporary move, and you will have better luck!

3. The Eagle and Child Pub, Oxford.

The informal, weekly meeting place of the ‘Inklings’ literary discussion group (comprised of Lewis, Tolkien, Charles Williams and several others), this popular watering hole is one of Oxford’s most famous landmarks.

Definitely worth stopping here for a pint to check out the framed ‘Inklings’ memorabilia…but often difficult to secure seats, especially for large parties. Though I suppose if you drop in on a for some Tuesday morning rounds, as the Inklings often did, you won’t have much of a problem.

4. Magdalen College, Oxford.

Last, but certainly not least…a place that I cannot stop writing about.

The idyllic meadows, the lazy tributaries, the stunning architecture, the gorgeous spring foliage…all of the wonderful things that comprise this 550-year-old Oxford College make it feel like a fantasyland.

I can only imagine what Lewis, a former fellow of Magdalen, was dreaming up when he strolled around the college’s deer park…alongside the gondola-esque punts…through the weeping willows…perhaps pausing to gaze back at the colourful sunset framing the college’s majestic bell tower…

It’s no surprise that Lewis stayed at Magdalen for nearly 30 years!

The trail continues…

These are only a few, noteworthy places that I have personally experienced: the list of landmarks goes on, including sights in Belfast, Lewis’s place of birth, and Cambridge, where he served as a departmental chair until a few months before his death in 1963.

Your ideal Narnia adventure will, of course, depend on the way in which you imagine or remember Lewis’s stories. You’ll never see the world as he did, but you sure can try to match your memories of his work with an interesting travel experience.

In honour of my Malvern adventure, I (re)watched The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe last night. I now remember (or at least, I think I remember…) exactly what I was thinking when I watched it the first time: I must go to the place where these beautiful Narnia landscapes were filmed.

New Zealand, anyone?

A blog for another day…

Tourists have been urged to visit the SeaWorld theme park in Florida during September to experience the "bigger picture".

In an article for Jim Hill Media, Eric Davies points out that the quieter season is really the best time to enjoy the Florida theme park.

Access to all of the "innovative" attractions to be found across the 200-acre park is thought to improve because the number of visitors is thought to drop by around 35,000 after August.

This makes "getting on your favourite ride, show or attraction there a relative breeze".

Mr Davies wrote: "During this quieter time of year, when it is a lot easier to get around this 200-acre marine park, you can really take in the bigger picture."

SeaWorld recently held a new green initiative for Californian residents with electronic equipment they are keen to dispose of, reports Sign on San Diego.

Those that dropped off any unwanted goods - from TVs to computers - received an entry discount voucher for the theme park and a coupon book for Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets.

Family - Theme Parks – Treat the family to a day at one of the Disney resorts or to a splashing day out at a Spanish waterpark.