Dear Ageless Traveler,

I am about to take a six-week trip, and it’s never easy to plan. But after visiting 140 countries, I do have some hints and tips.

I also have a roster of places I’ve found worth the effort of long-term travel. In an earlier newsletter, I reported on how we Ageless Travelers are taking Gap Years, where we travel for months at a time.

My trip is taking me to the Galápagos with GoGalapagos, the Ecuadorian Amazon, and barging through the Champagne Valley in France with European Waterways. Then I walk in the English Lake District with Ramblers Worldwide, followed by NYC for a family gathering and a United Nations meet-up in Geneva.

Want to know how Stu, my husband, and I do it? You’ll find out here:

• Ask Adriane: How to Plan a Long Winter Road Trip
• News You Can Use: Hacks for Hydration in Airports and Compensation for Delayed Flights
• Culture Vulture: Digital Detox Vacations, Prepping for Long Trips Like Hiking Adventures
• Luxury Travel for Less: How to Make an Affordable Bucket List Trip the Trip of a Lifetime

On this week’s The Ageless Traveler podcast I dish with fellow traveler addict Karen Gershowitz, on climbing Kilimanjaro, culinary immersion and why it’s important to talk to strangers.

Never stop traveling

Cheers,

Adriane

This Week’s Highlights

On This Week’s Podcast Meet Travel Addict and Author Karen Gershowitz

On this week’s podcast I cover inspirational topics with Karen Gershowitz as we talk about solo travel, travel with knee and back issues, climbing Kilimanjaro after age 70, our favorite places for culinary adventures and how grandparents and parents can give kids the love of travel.

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Check out this tiny souvenir my Mom bought for me from the Brooklyn Museum in 1955 to fuel my love for understanding other cultures, times and places. I still keep it on my shelf. Tell me in fanlist what ignited your interest in travel.

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Celebrate our 250th Anniversary of the USA with Abe Lincoln: A freebie in the nation’s capital: You can now see what’s below the Lincoln Memorial. As of June, you can explore the Undercroft, a 15,000-square-foot museum hidden beneath the monument. Interactive displays, historic construction workers’ graffiti, and signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment are a rare treat. Admission is free, but timed-entry tickets are required due to high demand.

Attention Smarties! The Gulbenkian Institute for Advanced Study Research Residency Fellowship “supports internationally recognized scholars and artists with three to eight months of independent research residency. Fellows pursue original academic or creative projects within a diverse intellectual community, in an environment focused on concentration, reflection, and knowledge exchange.”

Shhh. Places for a Quietcation, focused on intentional stillness, silence, and digital minimalism. Hilton’s 2026 trends report calls this “hushpitality”, with rest and recharge topping the list of leisure travel motivations for 2026. Survey data shows a shift toward longer getaways, reflecting a broader move toward slow travel.

Here are unique, cultural Quietcations, where guides speak in hushed tones, no loud music is allowed, and slow, rhythmic activities like canoeing and fruit picking are offered.

Luxury Travel for Less

Not every long trip is worth the effort, but here are eight that fulfilled my highest expectations, along with a chart I designed to give you information and courage to go!

Cambodia, Go To Know The People. They suffered but have a spirit of survival that amazes and inspires. When you visit the Killing Fields, seek out the authors who write about their experiences, buy a book and get a signed copy from these amazing survivors.

Prague. You can hear music in the very air you breathe. The Baroque majesty of the buildings is a step back in time that touches the romantic soul. Yes, the history of WWII is brutal, but the modern vibe are enchanting.

Costa Rica: Between the Monarch Butterflies and the rose petals that the Arenal Volcano Lodge puts on your bed, it’s no wonder Costa Rica has become a mecca for wellness travel.

The Ozarks: Check out my podcast on Pine Bluff. There is no more raw talent and craft-as-art in the USA than what’s found here, a real statement of humanity’s ability to create beauty.

Naples, Florida: I love it because it’s fancy, but not too fancy. Enjoy sun, water, and elegant cocktails, take a trip down to North Port (Little Odessa, for a lithium-filled mineral bath), and feel like a big spender without a heavy lift.

Cartagena, Colombia: Buy shoes, eat sea bass, dance, wander through ancient towns. Cartagena has spirit.

Budapest: If you’ve never taken a river cruise, the Danube is the place to start. River cruises usually begin or end in Budapest. You get all the history, food, fun, and remembrance in one city.

The Greek Islands: If you can, take a gulet, a small Turkish boat, to the more remote and sybaritic islands. If you’re in heavily touristed Mykonos or Santorini, take a local bus, get away from the crowds, and walk along the true island. You’ll start to understand why most of the Greek Islands qualify as a Blue Zone for wellness travel.

Travel Tuesday Accessibility Tips

Siem Reap’s famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia: Temple complexes involve uneven stone paths and stairs; tuk-tuks handle most transfers, so walking can be limited to what you choose. Prague: Old Town is largely cobblestone; comfortable, supportive shoes are a must. Trams are an easy, low-effort way to cover distance.

​Costa Rica (Tamarindo area): Terrain varies from flat beach towns to rugged eco-lodges; ask ahead about paved access if mobility is a concern.

​The Ozarks: Best sites are outdoors and hilly; caves and waterfalls may involve stairs or uneven ground, but scenic drives offer a low-walking alternative.

​Naples, Florida: Very flat and walkable, with strong accessibility infrastructure; one of the easiest destinations on this list.

​Cartagena: Walled Old City streets are cobblestone and can be uneven; heat and humidity are a bigger factor than terrain.

​Budapest: River cruises minimize walking; the city itself has good public transit, though some historic sites have stairs.

​Greek Islands: Village streets are often stepped and hilly; local buses help you avoid the longest walks between sights. Like most Blue Zones lots of uphill to keep you fit!

Friends Meeting Friends

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Please check out the great podcast, Older Women & Friends: Stories of Aging Well, with host Jane Leder

Award-winning author Jane Leder and guests take a deep dive into the joys and challenges of being an older woman.

“Older Women & Friends: Stories of Aging Well” is a podcast that sets the record straight, dispels myths, explores the many contributions older women make, and the wisdom they’ve earned and are anxious to share. Older women know a thing or two about living with a keen sense of wonder and an abiding appreciation for the gift of longevity. So, it’s time to change the perception that the gig is just about up when, in truth, the second wave of the journey has just begun.

Congratulate Jane on supporting Good Grief. You’ll love the way she gets the most interesting guests to tell the most interesting stories.

Another Champion of Good Grief and a powerhouse podcaster:

Attention The AGELESS TRAVEL WOMEN: Want no boundaries advice from a savvy lady who knows how to craft success? ​Tune into Aging with Purpose and Passion: The Strategic Blueprint for Women Over 50.

Host Beverley Glazer, Reinvention Strategist and Empowerment Coach, is honest and grounded. Beverly tackles everything from grief and identity shifts to ageism, sovereignty, and libido with confidence and depth.

Beverly is my go-to voice when I’m stuck …you will love her show!

Don’t Forget to Download Our FREE Ageless Traveler eBooks