Off the Beaten Path

Seniors today, full of life and wanting to enjoy their retirement to the fullest, often seek out-of-the-way places to visit.  They have no desire to experience the party scene common to many travel itineraries.  Today, businesses that are off the beaten path are aware of this, and take full advantage.  There are Bed and Breakfast facilities around the world, with good rates and bucolic beauty for seniors to enjoy.  The focus of this article is vacation spots that are off the beaten path. The list is long, and the places to visit and explore are not your typical tourist trade.  Let's look at a few.

Travel In Finland

Finland is an exciting place to visit.  While there, you can do several things that very few people experience.  Finns love the outdoors, and have over 350 campsites with some 6,300 camp cabins and holiday cottages.  You will need either an international camping card or Finnish camping card to participate.  More information here:

Finnish Campingsite Association,
Mäntytie 7,
FIN-00270 Helsinki
Tel. 09-477-407-40

Take A Finnish Reindeer Sleigh Ride

If you visit Finland during the months of December through April, you can take a sleigh ride pulled by reindeer and feel just like Old Saint Nick.  The ride travels through the Finnish wilderness and teaches guests about the reindeer herding culture.  The landscape is snowy and ice covered.  The 3-hour trip ends with a hot drink and snack by a campfire.  Information can be found on the web.

Take A Wine Tour In France

If you love a good Bordeaux and always wondered where it came from and how it was made, then a walking tour of the Bordeaux Valley might be what you are looking for.  some specials sites to visit are the great estates of Chateau d'Yquem, Chateau Angelus, Haut Bailly, Haut Brion, Chateau d'Ausone, Smith Haut LaFitte, Chateau Carbonnieux, and La Tour Blanche Viticole School.  In the region, you walk from one estate to the next, and visit the heritage that comes from this great wine.  Fully escorted, the tours are best taken during harvest season.

Take A Camel Safari Tour

India is one of the most beautiful places in the world.  Although strife with poverty and environmental issues, off the beaten path you will find things of beauty.  Taking a camel safari in Rajasthan is becoming very popular.  The romantic appeal of the Thar Desert is something you will realize only after indulging in a camel safari yourself.  You will visit remote villages, talk to the local people and see the rich beauty of the desert.  The desert is hot, but the tour companies insure that all your needs are met.  Take along sunscreen, hats and sunglasses.  Enjoy campouts, music and dance performances and bonfire nights.

Closer To Home

If traveling by camel in India or camping out with the Finns is not your thing, there is much to do around home that is off the beaten path.  Let's look at a few.

Traveling In Las Vegas

Although when people think of Las Vegas they imagine the Strip and gambling casinos, there is much to see that is peaceful.  One of the finest places to visit is The Valley of Fire State Park.  About an hour's drive from Las Vegas, traveling by car you will see some of the finest scenery on the planet.  You rarely see other cars, and you get to see the mountains without power-lines and houses in the way.  Be sure to take along your camera.  The great thing about this is you can travel in the comfort of your car.

The Skippack Ghost Walk

In Montgomery County in Pennsylvania, you can take a ghost walk and visit 18th and 19th century buildings in the historic town of Skippack.  Ghost walk tours are held every Friday and Saturday night and are filled with tales of the paranormal that will amuse and delight you.

For the adventurous, there are huge arrays of things to do that are off the beaten path.  You no longer need to subject yourself to guided tours that might be boring or overwhelming.  A search of the web brings up hundreds of opportunities to travel -- all off the beaten path.

Find lots more travel ideas at our Travel Section and at our Senior Travel Section

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Alden Smith is an award winning author and regular contributor to DoItYourself.com. He writes on a variety of subjects, and excels in research.