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BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON July 3, 2013

Have a Happy 4th of July!

U.S. Flag

On the 4th of July, whether you travel solo, with a partner or family, take time to celebrate Independence Day!

Statue of Liberty Close up

Here are 5 festive American 4th of July traditions you won’t want to miss:

1) Watch a parade.

Look for neighborhood parades for an up-close and personal view of the event. Wear your red, white and blue. Wave a flag. Have fun with the clowns. Swing along to marching band tunes. Cheer your local servicemen and women. Heck, you might even want to join the parade before it’s over.

2) Have a picnic or BBQ.

Of course, you’ll need to have plenty of favorite American dishes on hand: potato salad to go with grilled hamburgers and hotdogs; baked beans; corn-on-the-cob; ice-cold lemonade and/or beer; and don’t forget the strawberry shortcake for dessert.

3) Attend a band concert.

If ever there’s a day to listen to the music of John Philip Sousa, this is it. In Seattle, head to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard to see the Seattle Civic Band perform at 2PM. As an added bonus, you can watch the boats cruise through the locks.

4) Stage a reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Let’s remember what we’re celebrating on the 4th of July. On this day in 1776 representatives of 12 of the 13 American colonies approved the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. When in the Course of human events . . . We hold these truths to be self-evident . . .

5) See the fireworks.

Fireworks flickr Camera Slayer

Photo courtesy of flickr – Camera Slayer

Cap off your festive day with a fireworks display. Safety comes first, so be sure to enjoy the viewing from a protected area. Better to keep your pets safe at home in a quiet place.

What are your favorite 4th of July traditions, Wanderboomers?

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Holidays, Seattle, Travel Experiences Tagged With: 4th of July, American flag, BBQ, Declaration of Independence, fireworks, Independence Day, John Philip Sousa, parade, safety, Statue of Liberty

BY Nancy Mueller 9 Comments ON March 1, 2012

Take the Leap: Plan Your Escape

What Wanderboomer hasn’t dreamed of taking off for an extended vacation, maybe even a trip around the world, before or after retirement? I know I have. Well, economics professor and world traveler, Wayne Dunlap, has written a manifesto to show you how to do it.

In his practical and inspiring book, Plan Your Escape, Dunlap tackles the nagging questions, concerns or excuses that keep us from realizing our travel dreams. But the beauty of his advice is that readers planning shorter trips will also walk away with useful tips for their journeys. For example, have you wondered how you’re going to come up with the money to fund your wanderlust? In Dunlap’s case, he and his wife Pat sold their business, rented their home and took a gigantic travel leap by visiting 51 countries in two years, spending an average of $100. a day. Not bad, huh? Dunlap details exactly how they managed their costs both before and during their travels. Concerned about staying safe and healthy on the road? The author tackles that, too, by providing tips and tools for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and minimizing security risks far from home.

What I Like

Plan Your Escape offers a comprehensive approach to take you from visioning your trip, to planning, packing and even shooting photos like a pro. Each chapter begins with a brief summary of the chapter contents with motivational and inspirational quotes sprinkled throughout. I love a book with checklists and action steps to keep me on track, and I found plenty included here, including an extensive packing list and a step-by-step 5-month planning and preparation guide. As an added bonus, Dunlap includes travel advice from experienced travelers he and his wife have met along the way.

Globe

What I’d Like to See

While I appreciate inspirational quotes as much as anyone, inserting so many throughout the text became more of a distraction than a motivator for me. In general the book could have benefited from more thorough editing to avoid overuse of exclamation points(!), errors using proper parts of speech (e.g. image vs. imagine), placement of periods (inside, not outside, quotation marks) and organizational structure of chapters as well as topic headings within the chapters.

Summary

It’s hard to argue with success. Dunlap and his wife have made their travel dreams come true by following the steps he shares with readers in Plan Your Escape. His travel enthusiasm and encouragement to others who’d like to follow in his footsteps is evident. But readers, be warned: when I asked Dunlap how easy it was to return home after their two-year adventure, he said that he and his wife were in the process of selling their house and possessions so they could get back to what they love best: planning their next escape.

Ready to plan your next escape, Wanderboomers? Where are you headed? Share your travel escape with us here.

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Health & Safety Tagged With: chapters, checklists, dream, dreams, editing, escape, globe, guide, health, healthy, leap, organization, planning, preparation, safety, security, step-by-step, travel, wanderlust

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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