As the year comes to a close, I am excited to share our most hands-on newsletter yet, designed to inspire and help you plan your 2026 travels. This edition is packed with practical tips, inspiration, and resources to get you on the road in the coming year.
On this week’s Podcast…Listen to Part I of my exciting two-part series which reveals twenty-six top travel categories with dozens of destinations for 2026. And I disclose what’s on my bucket list and why!
We All Have a Traveler Persona: What’s Yours?
A recent poll of over 2,000 travelers, commissioned by Go City and conducted by Talker Research, revealed five major travel personality types. Which one are you?
Masterminds (37%): Enjoy planning, booking travel and hotels (35%), and securing tickets for events (14%).
Thrillseekers (26%): Seek adventure through local exploration (33%), city tours (24%), museums (23%), amusement parks (18%), and historic sites (14%).
Vacay Scouts (6%): Prepare for any situation—relaxing at the pool or beach (36%), attending concerts (14%), visiting parks (13%), and exploring pop culture hotspots (8%).
Floaters (14%): Prefer to go with the flow, enjoy landmarks (27%), and meet locals (13%) without planning.
Connoisseurs (16%): Focus on food experiences, with 64% prioritizing finding excellent cuisine over anything else.
No matter what your travel style, The Ageless Traveler helps you plan your travel better… Here’s How-Last week’s newsletter gave you my DAB method—Dream, Ask, Book—of easy travel planning with discounts. To access all discounts use our trip discounts and booking tools for the best deals. And be sure you get added discounts by being on our mailing list. If you are reading this newsletter on LinkedIn, you may NOT be on our list. Subscribe and get tools and discounts to fulfill your travel dreams.
Newsletter Features: Looking Ahead to 2026
This edition continues our usual sections, with a special focus on where to travel in 2026:
Ask Adriane: Advice for a listener with hearing difficulties planning a solo trip.
News You Can Use: Updates on initiatives to help caregivers travel, improvements coming to airports from government funding, and the latest information on the World Cup 2026.
Culture Vulture: More on Astro tourism plus 6 Ageless Traveler-friendly U.S. cities, and a nostalgic journey to Vermont.
Luxury Travel for Less: Affordable luxury options, including glamping, road trips, Travel Planning, and Budget Tips.
And…in keeping with the season….here are my two picks for Outstanding Travel Books for Children. I recently discovered a rare find at the Rancho Mirage Book Fair—the Benny’s Pets series by Marc Frederic, aka Mr. Whimsey. These books take children on global adventures, providing maps, stickers, and much more. You can contact the author directly for more information AND TO ORDER: (marc.wow2@verizon.net). Also, check out Ruthie Darling’s books at ruthiedarling.com. I love Percy The Penguin Who Couldn’t Swim.
Don’t miss our free eBooks, exclusive discounts, and new DREAM-ASK-BOOK guide. Visit AgelessTraveler.com and subscribe to stay updated. When you use our affiliate links for Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Hotels.com, or CruisesIt, you’ll get the best deals while helping us keep travel age-friendly and inspiring.
This Week’s Highlights
On Our Podcast
Hear Part I of a two-part series covering twenty-six types of travel and dozens of destinations.
From culinary, family, adventure, theatre, exotic, museums, and much more, for 2026, these destinations will get you traveling. I reveal what is on my bucket list and why! I dish about where I have been that lit up my life.
US CITIES: According to Soy Nomada, the following cities are top picks for boomers, whether for travel or retirement. I have personally visited and enjoyed each one except Coeur d’Alene. Consider these destinations for your 2026 plans:
Next winter, I want to make a trip to Vermont. I have visited so often in the years I lived in NYC, and now, in California, I miss Halloween and Christmas in Vermont. I read this excellent 4 Day itinerary, and I pledge to go! Please tell me your wish list pledge in Ask Adriane, and I will help you get there.
Luxury Travel for Less
Let’s Go On a Road Trip – Here are 6 top budget-friendly road trips that will bring you joy in 2026! My husband and I love to take road trips. We buy an online course and listen for hours on the road, ferret out little-known joints, talk to locals, and see the most incredible scenery wherever we go. Since I do not drive… we get as far as a solo traveler… so we know anyone can manage these six adventures.
Trust me, glamping, luxury camping, is getting expensive. I did find Under Canvas, a moderately priced yet very luxurious camping chain, about the same price as a moderate hotel. Check them out; they are near many National Parks.
Friends Meeting Friends
Reinvention Rebels is a podcast that celebrates bold women 50 to 90+ who’ve reimagined what’s possible in midlife and beyond.
Host Wendy Battles, aka Midlife Reinvention Architect, shares powerful conversations with women who’ve bet on themselves—choosing purpose over fear and curiosity over convention.
From launching new careers in their 60s to traveling solo in their 70s or embracing style, joy, and unapologetic self-expression in their 80s, these Reinvention Rebels are rewriting the aging narrative and designing the lives they want to live.
Each episode is a masterclass in thriving at every age—filled with wisdom, courage, and inspiring insights about navigating change, defying limitations, and finding joy along the way.
Reinvention isn’t just possible—it’s powerful.
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