Elderhostel

at 11:55AM, 1:55PM, and 3:55PM

If you want to do more than just wine, dine, and sunbathe your way through your next vacation, Elderhostel may be just what you're looking for. In today's episode, Suzanne welcomes Daniel F. Dowd, Director of Elderhostel East.

Founded in 1975, Elderhostel is a Boston-based non-profit group that seeks to "give people opportunities" - to learn, travel, and meet new people. It is immensely popular; 175,000 people went on an Elderhostel trip last year, with 58,000 travelers having completed 10 or more trips. "Elderhostelers" are age 55 and up, and all share a quest for lifelong learning.

All Elderhostel programs include a core of educational hours consisting of classes, lectures, and field trips, but otherwise vary widely. For example, you can visit an Indian reservation, follow the migration of monarch butterflies through Mexico or help a family build their house with Habitat for Humanity. There are programs in all 50 states, every province of Canada and almost 80 foreign countries. To help travelers choose the trip that's right for them, there's a website where Elderhostelers submit reviews and recommendations of their favorite programs (see link below).

Elderhostel programs are affordable, but if they are still out of your price range, scholarships are available. There are also no entry tests or other requirements, just the desire to learn, explore and dispel the myth that seniors lead sedentary lives.