Travel can make your retirement exciting and enjoyable ~ By Frank Terranella

The best thing about being retired is that your time is finally your own. And all those long trips you have been planning for years are finally possible. Travel can be a great way to spend your retirement. The question is whether you’re still up to it.

Travel has gotten more stressful in the last 30 years, especially air travel. There are more people traveling and longer lines at the airport (and at many of the sights you want to see). But as a retired person you can travel when others are working or in school. So trips in the “shoulder months” like September or May can help you avoid the crowds (and the summer heat).

But maybe you aren’t able to walk great distances unaided anymore. That doesn’t mean you have to stay home. Cruise ships are designed to accommodate less mobile people. They welcome seniors. Once you get on the ship, you never need to get off until the cruise is over. You can just watch as the world goes by. A walker or even a wheelchair is perfectly acceptable on most cruise lines, especially lines like Cunard, Holland America and Disney. And if you want to go ashore, cruise ships will book you tours that take your physical limitations into account.

But if what you want to see is in North America, then a road trip might be your perfect type of travel. A road trip has the advantage of providing complete control over the travel experience. You can split the driving between two or more people and only drive each day as long as you are comfortable. You can stop to see sights whenever you want. And you can pick great places to eat and sleep. I always love the start of a day on the road. As you head out after a good breakfast, the open road beckons. You never know what great experiences the day will bring.

All you need is a comfortable car, a cooler full of drinks and snacks, and your travel music (now probably on Spotify or Apple). I always plan my route in advance, but on almost every trip I find that I inevitably make changes on the fly. If the weather looks bad in one area, you can re-route to a better place. If in your travels you learn about a place that sounds interesting, you can simply make a turn off the planned route and enjoy the serendipity of new discovery. No matter what your age or physical condition, a road trip can provide a wonderful experience that completely avoids the airport.

One final piece of advice: If you decide to travel, don’t wait too long. Continued good health and stamina are guaranteed to no one. Get out of your home and see the world while you can. You’ve put it off long enough. There’s plenty to see and enjoy. It will provide you with memories to cherish the rest of your life.