An OLLI at FSU Travelogue of Places Visited, Sights Seen and Memories Made
The Benefits of Travel
OLLI travelers know that traveling helps seniors stay active and engaged. There are numerous articles on this subject, but one published by Human Good sums up the benefits most succinctly.
A large part of aging well is taking in new life experiences. One of the top ways to do this is through traveling. It’s a great way to experience new things and cultures, and it also has plenty of benefits, such as improving mental and physical wellness.
Whether it’s a day trip or a larger adventure, you can reap the benefits of packing up and heading out.
Retirement is the ideal time to visit those places you’ve been dreaming about — especially if you haven’t traveled a lot so far in your life. And there are several benefits of using this time to explore.
These years can be some of the best, most joyful years of your life, and it’s natural to want to maximize your number of healthy years, also known as your health span. It’s essential to prioritize well-being strategies focused on managing stress and improving mental health to elongate your health span and enjoy your life.
Traveling enables you to set aside dedicated time to unwind and take a break from your daily routine and worries, which can improve your mental health. The thrill of exploring and experiencing new things can help boost your mood and improve your overall life outlook, leading to a renewed sense of purpose.
In addition to boosting mood, traveling helps keep the mind stimulated. Think about it: You’re constantly taking in new experiences, learning about new cultures and languages, and using problem-solving skills to navigate a new area. This helps keep your mind sharp and fosters a deeper connection with the world.
All of your travel experiences can also give your confidence a large boost. Navigating an unfamiliar environment is empowering and helps you to discover your resourcefulness and self-reliance.
Physical Benefits
When you think of traveling, you may not immediately think of how it keeps you physically active. But travel naturally gets you moving — whether you’re going on scenic hikes, browsing local markets or even taking strolls along streets lined with shops.
There are many benefits of physical activity, such as lowering your risk of chronic conditions and improving cardiovascular health. Your travel itinerary doesn’t have to be complicated or strenuous for you to reap the benefits of physical activity. Even a low-impact day can positively impact your health and help you maximize your health span.
Traveling generally helps people lead healthier lifestyles that can continue after they’ve packed their bags to head back home. The experience of sightseeing, swimming and walking can inspire travelers to keep these habits going when they’re home.
Nutritional Benefits
Exploring new places also means discovering new cuisines and ingredients, which can positively impact health. Additionally, trying fresh and locally sourced ingredients enables you to enjoy a diverse and nutritious diet while on vacation. Many destinations emphasize seasonal fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, all of which contribute to a well-balanced diet.
Traveling also encourages mindful eating. When you sit down to enjoy a local dish, you’re more likely to savor the flavors and experience, leading to you being more present in the moment. This can lead to healthier eating habits that you continue when you get home. Plus, travel keeps you more active, so you’ll be more likely to drink water to stay refreshed, which increases your hydration levels.
By embracing the culinary experience that comes with traveling, you can nourish your body while creating lasting memories, contributing to an overall healthier and more fulfilling life.
Understanding of Other Cultures
One of the most rewarding aspects of traveling for seniors is the opportunity to experience other cultures firsthand. This can expose you to diverse traditions, customs and ways of life, helping you to better understand the world around you.
Whether it’s meeting new people while traveling or engaging in conversation with fellow travelers, there are many opportunities to have interactions that offer a fresh perspective, leading to personal growth. The more you immerse yourself in other cultures, the more open-minded you can become, leading to a shift in your perspective and an appreciation for the world around you.
Experiencing other destinations and cultures may also inspire you to reevaluate your own mindset, leading to a renewed sense of gratitude and appreciation for the little things in your life.
Deeper Connections with Others
Whether you travel with friends, family, or new neighbors, a strong bond can form between people when they travel.
OLLI Travel Destinations
Taking these benefits into account, OLLI at FSU has, over the years, traveled to such exotic places as Italy, France, England, Iceland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Cuba, and Morocco. OLLI travelers have also visited several cities in Canada, America’s National Parks and New England.
There is only one way to enjoy the majesty of the many sights in these countries, and that’s by seeing and experiencing them up close. Those who have visited can explain to non-visitors what they saw, but there is no way to fully appreciate these sights except firsthand. There is an old adage that accurately expresses the situation when someone asks what a particular country is like: “for those who haven’t been there, no explanation will suffice to truly capture the essence of a visit. For those who’ve been there, no explanation is needed.”
2013
LONDON
In 2013, travelers experienced OLLI's very first Study Abroad in London and Cambridge. An art historian led OLLI members through museums throughout London for the first week, and then off to Cambridge where they studied varied subjects with professors for another week taking side trips to Grantchester, sat and lunched in the Orchard Tea Garden, visited Byron’s pond, and punted on the River Cam. In England, they gazed upon Big Ben, visited Westminster Abbey and the Parliament. And in Cambridge, travelers attended classes at Corpus Christi College and experienced what student life might have been like when Cambridge University was founded hundreds of years ago. And this is just a taste of the other incomparable sites they saw.
FROM AN OLLI TRAVELER:
“I really didn’t start traveling until after I retired. But since then, travel has given me memorable experiences that have enriched my life. To be able to not only see great sites, but actually experience them up close, is beyond description. To walk through Buckingham Palace in London; visit Westminster Abbey; have dinner in the Eiffel Tower; have lunch in a Dublin pub; walk through the Edinburgh castle; toss coins into Trevi Fountain; enjoy gelato across from the Duomo; sail the canals in Venice; walk Diamond Beach in Iceland; and on and on, are simply indescribable experiences. And to meet people from different parts of the world, sharing different cultures and lifestyles, on adds to the wonderment of travel. What’s important is to travel while you can; it’s so easy to convince yourself that you’ll travel at some future time. Sadly, for some, that time never comes. Travel. Travel now. You’ll never regret it.”--Harriet Waas
2014
OLLI travelers visited the ancient city of Florence, Italy in 2014. They were awestruck by the magnificent architecture of the world-famous Duomo. They walked over the awesome Ponte Vecchio bridge and admired the waterfront. They visited the world renown Uffizi and gazed upon some of the greatest works of art ever created. In the accademia gallery, travelers gazed in awe at Michelangelo’s David. And they admired the many sites that date back centuries. Everywhere they visited, they witnessed art, architecture and history. As a tour guide accurately noted: “Over here, there are no replicas.”
OREGON | CRATER LAKE | HAYSTACK ROCK | CANNON BEACH
This picture is from the 2014 OLLI at FSU Trip to Oregon and was taken at Ecola State Park. We started our trip in Portland, Oregon and were met by 2 guides from Off the Beaten Path, the Montana company who designed our journey. They drove us along a pre-planned route with stops that we had requested. We visited the Weisinger and Paschal wineries, the Columbia River gorge, Multnomah Falls, the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, viewed an amazing salmon ladder, watched whales swimming parallel to the shore along the Pacific coast, stayed at and hiked around the beautiful Crater Lake National Park and Timberline Lodge. We completed our journey in Ashland, Oregon during the annual Shakespeare Festival. What an amazing and fun journey with OLLI friends.
2015
In 2015, OLLI travelers again visited Barcelona to admire for a second time the timeless beauty of this world famous city. This is a city of great contrasts between the old city and modern Barcelona. The senses exploded as the travelers experienced all that this great city gives to humanity. There is no way to describe the magnificence of this part of Spain; the only way to appreciate the many sites is to visit Barcelona.
How does any explanation capture the awesome, breathtaking majesty of the Grand Canyon, or Bryce National Park, or Zion National Park? In August of 2015, OLLI toured the national parks. Describing an eruption of “Old Faithful” can’t possibly compete with actually seeing it. Whether its Bell Rock in Sedona, the Painted Desert or Mount Rushmore, there is no substitute for actually experiencing these wonders.
2016
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
OLLI travelers visited eastern Canada in June of 2016. You can look at pictures of beautiful Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto, but only by walking the streets and seeing the many sights can these cities truly be appreciated. Describing a boat ride into the Niagara Falls can’t possibly substitute for feeling the water splashing on your face as you behold the indescribable force of nature that is the falls.
Visiting London and Cambridge in August 2016 allowed travelers to gaze at the magnificent Big Ben, walk along Tower Bridge and London Bridge, visit the world famous British Museum, take in a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theater, and on and on. Stonehenge can only be truly appreciated by seeing those magnificent stones just a few feet away from you. There is no substitute for taking classes in one of Cambridge University’s old colleges, as OLLI travelers did. Cambridge is among the oldest universities in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Want to see what Oxford University is like, or perhaps walk the halls of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill? There’s only one way to do this.
2017
In April 2017 OLLI travelers visited a country very close to ours, yet shrouded in mystery. We visited the island of Cuba. We arrived in Santa Clara and walked the downtown area. We noticed evidence of the Revolution—bullet holes in a few of the buildings. We visited art galleries, the flea market, a 17th century Baroque Church, the Botanical Gardens of Cienfuegos and Villa Lagarto. Much of the country is very poor, and there is strong evidence of the importance of the Revolution as shown by the monuments to Che Guevara and Jose Marti. We traveled the main road in Havana in those old, beautifully painted and maintained American cars. In Havana, we also visited historical sites and learned how the Cuban people live their daily lives. It was another memorable experience for our travelers.
ROME
In June 2017, OLLI travelers visited three famous cities in Italy: Rome, Florence and Venice. In Rome, OLLI travelers walked through the Roman Colosseum; visited the Circus Maximus; walked the ruins of the Roman Forum; visited inside the 2300-year-old Parthenon; threw coins in Trevi Fountain; sat on the Spanish Steps; and visited the Vatican. In Florence, OLLI visited the Duomo, the home of the Medici family, the world famous Uffizi museum, among the many sites. Some even took a side trip to Pisa for an obvious visit; some even walked the narrow steps to the top, and felt the gravity pull as they walked back down. In Venice, travelers walked over those famous bridges; some took gondolier rides while being serenaded by the oarsman with “O Sole Mio.” Travelers sailed under the Rialto Bridge and walked the Bridge of Sighs. The thrills from these experiences can’t be met from a narrative or photo.
FROM AN OLLI TRAVELER:
“There is no better way to see the world than to see the world. Traveling to other lands provide unforgettable life-enriching experiences. Walking through the ancient Roman Colosseum conjures up wonderment of what life was like 2,000 years ago when gladiators fought lions in front of 50,000 spectators. In fact, each place visited arouses that inner curiosity of what life was like back then. From the Colosseum to the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Acropolis to a camel ride over the dunes in the Sahara Desert, travel is beyond description. These precious sites can’t come to you; you must go to them. The joy, awe and wonderment of visiting these sites can’t be adequately put in words. Go and see as many as you can. The journeys will make your life more fulfilled, and make you a better person.” —George Waas.
OLLI travelers who visited the Islands of New England in August 2017 toured the site of the Boston Tea Party, walked the deck of the USS Constitution and explored the Old North Church. They visited Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and beautiful Providence, RI. No post card, picture or magazine narrative can even come close to seeing and experiencing these magnificent sights.
2018
Anyone can read about what Iceland is like in December, but in 2018, brave OLLI travelers found out in person. Diamond Beach isn’t famous for diamonds; it’s famous because of the many icebergs—large and small—that fill the shoreline. Our tour guide even took a small chunk of ice and used it in liquid refreshments. Nothing like 1000-year-old ice to make a gin and tonic extra special! And no explanation can replace gazing at geysers shooting steams a hundred feet into the air, or staring in awe at spectacular waterfalls, or walking the black sand beach, or walking between two tectonic plates.
SPAIN
If you want to visit caves featuring drawings that have been carbon dated to 40,000 years ago or visit the world famous Guggenheim Museum, a trip to Spain and Portugal is a must. OLLI travelers went there in May 2018. Stunning marketplaces, ancient walled cities, enjoying mussels taken from the waters of Lisbon and steamed before your eyes—nothing can replace these experiences.
2019
In August 2019 OLLI travelers enjoyed a glass of Guinness stout brewed at its home brewery in Dublin as Ireland was the port of call. Travelers visited ancient castles, walked the cobbled streets of Kilkenny and Waterford. Several kissed the Blarney Stone in (where else?) Blarney, and walked the famous Giant’s Causeway featuring uniquely shaped stones courtesy of Mother Nature and Father Time.
2022
A Netherlands to Belgium cruise was on tap in April 2022. OLLI visitors saw those beautiful multi-colored buildings stacked next to one another in Amsterdam. Travelers walked among rows of tulips of every color stretching as far as the eyes could see. They walked inside windmills hundreds of years old yet still functioning. The beauty of Kinderdijk and Antwerp and Ghent simply can’t be described in any narrative.
GREECE
In May 2022, OLLI took its most exotic trip to date, a visit to Greece and Istanbul, Turkey. Travelers hiked to the ancient Acropolis and Parthenon; visited the original Olympic stadium; experienced up close the Temples of Zeus and Poseidon; entered the Tomb of Agamemnon; and walked by the Delphi Oracle. And OLLI tourists spent a couple of nights in spectacular Santorini. In Istanbul, visitors entered the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace, historic home of the sultans.
2023
A cruise of Croatia and its islands in May 2023 allowed OLLI travelers to experience the beauty where old meets new. The sights were indescribable. The cruise concluded with a visit to the walled city of Dubrovnik, which is rapidly becoming a tourist mecca. One visit there will explain why tourists are flocking there in record numbers.
SCOTLAND
In July 2023 OLLI visited Scotland. Travelers visited the Isle of Skye; sailed Loch Ness in search of its monster; visited several of its many castles; walked the Royal Mile from ancient Edinburgh Castle to the King’s Palace; attended the world famous Military Tattoo; and visited the 5,000 year old settlement of Skara Brae.
FROM AN OLLI TRAVELER:
"I have had the pleasure to travel with OLLI four times, to the Italian Amalfi Coast, Greece, Scotland and the Canadian Maritimes. These trips have been extremely well planned and executed; they have exceeded my expectations for travel to foreign lands. It's been fun, educational, great for my photography interests, and the friendships I've made endure. If asked about retirement I always put OLLI in general and OLLI trips in particular at the top of my list of "The Good Things." My travels have confirmed what Seneca wrote: "Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind."--Kent Putnam
2024
In May 2024, OLLI visited Paris and Southern France. In Paris, travelers cruised the Seine River, had dinner in the Eiffel Tower, visited the catacombs, walked the Champs Elysee, visited Montmartre, among other sites. They visited several southern cities including Toulouse, Carcassonne and Nimes. Several of these cities have well preserved ancient Roman ruins, including smaller versions of the Roman Colosseum.
2025
MOROCCO
In May 2025, OLLI took its first trip to Africa—a two-week journey to Morocco. This first-time visit to a Muslim country allowed travelers to experience Moroccan food and culture. Travelers stayed in a riad, a former residence of a wealthy owner featuring a central garden surrounded on four sides by rooms decorated in traditional colors and furnishings. A highlight of this trip was a two-night stay in a hotel/camp in the Sahara Desert. Travelers took a camel ride over the dunes as the wind blew the sands across the dunes. None of this can be done virtually and have the same effect.
FROM AN OLLI TRAVELER:
“Two events were the most memorable to me on this Moroccan trip. First was the visit to the Dar Gnaoua Music School in Et-Taous. This was a school established to preserve the music of freed and escaped slaves from North Africa. After a brief history lesson and an introduction to African music by a member of the school, we were taught basic drumming techniques. After some practice sessions, our Tour Manager Mohammed requested that the instructor sing a particularly favorite song of Mohammed; we (the group) then accompanied the instructor on drums. It was magical.
The second event was the desert experience. From racing across the desert in Land Cruisers to visiting a Nomad family to sleeping in tents, it was awe inspiring and informative. Watching the sun rise and then the sun set on the dunes was memorable. Our drivers entertained us at night with their drumming while we shared wine we had earlier purchased on the trip. Last but not least was the camel ride. The ride and the ensuing pictures was the talk of all my family and friends back home. Loved the moment.”—Bob Callan
These are just some of the places OLLI has visited over the years. And the sights mentioned are only some of the many that travelers experienced up close and personal.
And there are more fascinating trips planned for OLLI members.
Future travel plans include Hawaii, an African Safari to Tanzania and Kenya, and a trip to Switzerland. There is a fascinating world to explore and no limit to the exciting and exotic countries we can visit. And each visit promises to provide our travelers with a lifetime of memories.
OLLI TRAVELERS: SEND YOUR COMMENTS
The best source for the value of traveling are the OLLI travelers themselves. This is your opportunity to let others know about your travel experience by writing a comment and sending it in. And if you haven’t traveled with OLLI yet, make your plans, pack your bags, and hit the road. The world awaits you! And when you return home, add your comments to this travelogue. Why not start today?