Galapagos

Galapagos Islands: Go at Least Once in a Lifetime

Published April 25, 2022 | By Clark Norton

A Galapagos iguana, best seen on a stress-free guided trip. Photo by Clark Norton

One of my favorite trips ever was to the Galapagos Islands, via a small cruise ship, much like the one contributing writer Robert Waite took in his compelling narrative below. The fellow pictured above, a marine iguana with a face only a mother (or mate) could love, is one of countless friendly creatures my wife and I encountered during our eight-island cruise. But I’ll leave it to Bob to chronicle his own experiences, which complete his trilogy on traveling to Ecuador, including visits to the colonial-era capital, Quito, and the Amazon.

By Robert Waite

Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos – Want to feel young again, even if you are in your sixth or seventh decade? Head to the Santa Cruz highlands, where you will be a veritable spring chicken compared to the Galapagos giant tortoises ambling about.

Many tortoises reach 100 years of age or more, and one —… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Baby boomer travel, Boat travel, Bucket Lists, Ecuador, South America, Wildlife | Tagged Blue-footed boobies, Charles Darwin, Ecuador travel, Galapagos, Galapagos cruise, Galapagos history, Galapagos Islands, Galapagos travel, Galapagos wildlife, Giant tortoises | 1 Comment

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.