One of the luxuries of retirement living is having the time to explore places you have always dreamed of visiting, ideally with your family. Places like Hawaii, the Caribbean, California and Arizona are longstanding popular destinations, for seniors and people of all ages. With that in mind, long distance travel can be difficult to manage depending on your mobility. We all need a break from time to time though, so here are some suggestions for family-friendly vacation destinations for seniors in British Columbia, including spas, gardens, beaches and cruises!
Not far from Vancouver is the Harrison Hot Springs Resort, which offers a Seniors Getaway Package, including two nights accommodations, breakfast each morning and dinner one evening. For more details, visit: http://www.harrisonresort.com/packages/seniors-getaway/. This location is easily accessible by car, as are resorts and spas in destinations such as Whistler and the Okanagan, where vineyards and ski resorts abound, including the senior-friendly Mount Baldy. Apparently Mount Baldy is a great place for seniors to connect with one another on the slopes.
Victoria is also a popular destination for seniors. Just a short ferry ride from Vancouver, Victoria offers such activities as high tea at the Empress, as enjoyed by British royals since 1914, as well as fireworks, concerts and garden tours at Buchart. Just a short ferry ride from Vancouver Island lies an array of other island destinations, including Poets Cove on Pender Island, where Senior Living magazine claims there are activities for “everyone under the sun,” from hiking along the accessible beach trails to visiting art galleries and going whale-watching.
For those willing to go the extra mile, cruises are a convenient way to travel. Cruises from Vancouver go both North and South, to Alaska, Hawaii, and many other destinations. Guide for Seniors suggests which cruise lines best accommodate elderly travelers. Cruises also offer plenty of activities for children of all ages, making this option appealing for travel with grand kids!
The easiest option for a vacation, however, may be to trust a company with your entire itinerary. Senior Tours specializes in arranging trips for those over fifty years of age, including trips to Quebec and the United States. Senior Discovery Tours and Paramount Tours also offer trips to destinations as far flung as Myanmar and as close to home as Seattle, while keeping in mind the particular needs of clients.
For more senior-friendly travel ideas, visit Seniors 101 or Senior Citizen Travel. And don’t forget, enjoy the ride!