Galapagos

A Baby Boomer’s Lifetime of Travel Adventures

Published January 18, 2016 | By Clark Norton

First in an occasional series of profiles of ardent baby boomer travelers:

Ahu Tongariki moai, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile. Photo by Dennis Cox/WorldViews

I hadn’t seen Carol Bruen — who I knew as Carol Heller before she was married — since the end of seventh grade.

Carol and I were grade school classmates in Greencastle, Indiana, before she moved to Alaska. We reconnected recently via this blog. (One of the best things about blogging is hearing from old friends, classmates, and colleagues — so if some of you are still lingering out there, don’t forget to write!)

In our correspondence, we discovered our lives had taken many similar turns — we both did stints working in the U.S. Senate in Washington during the 1960s; we both lived in the same neighborhood in San Francisco in the 1970s; we both had come to know Alaska quite well; and,… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Africa, Baby boomer travel, Countries, cultural travel, Family travel | Tagged Africa, Aftican safari, baby boomer travel, baby boomer travelers, boomer travel, family travel, Galapagos, Indonesia, Kenya, multi-generational travel, Rwanda, Tanzania, travel with family, travel with grandchildren | 2 Comments

South America’s Top 7 Natural Wonders

Published September 7, 2015 | By Clark Norton

One of the Galapagos’ most handsome gentlemen. Photo by Catharine Norton

Everyone has heard of the Amazon, but how many are familiar with another great Brazilian natural wonder, the Pantanal wetlands? Or the spectacular Bolivian salt flats known as Salar de Uyuni or Chile’s Atacama desert? South America is filled with natural wonders that don’t always get the press they deserve. Here are seven of our favorites, including both the famous and not-so-famous — but all remarkable.

The Galapagos

Lying more than 600 miles in the Pacific off mainland Ecuador, the remote Galapagos Islands possess perhaps the best preserved ecosystem in the world. This is where Charles Darwin got his inspiration for his Theory of Evolution, after observing the unique birdlife here during his 19th-century voyage aboard the Beagle. The islands are a true natural laboratory, each with distinct species of birds, reptiles and other creatures.… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Baby boomer travel, Boat travel, Cruises, cultural travel, South America | Tagged Amazon, Argentina, Atacama Desert, Bolivia, Bolivia Salt Flats, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Galapagos, Iguazu Falls, Pantanal, Patagonia, Peru | Leave a comment

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.