Senior Travel Newsletter: Nature, cruise and barging, volunteer vacations.

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New stories, April 1, 2013

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1. Do you like the idea of taking a bicycle holiday but doubt you're fit enough to cover the distance? A veteran cycle tour operator offers a 12-week training program online to get in perfect shape no matter what your adventure level or age group.
2. Iconic Canadian Rockies destination, Lake Louise, is back on the rail travel map after a 20-years absence, thanks to a rail tour company adding it to their 2013 itineraries. The location is one-of-a-kind!
3. Lifelong learners will be excited to hear about a summer program at Britain's Oxford University where you may enroll in over 60 courses for a week or more.
4. Large and small cruise ships have made Alaska's coast a popular destination for decades. Learn about a small-ship cruise company that introduces visitors to an authentic Alaska experience in a whole new way.
5. Remember the devastating earthquakes that reduced parts of Christchurch, New Zealand to rubble two years ago? The city has creatively met its challenges with a "can-do" attitude that includes a shopping district made of 60 colorful shipping containers and an impressive cardboard cathedral seating 700 people!.

Before planning your next adventure, you may compare accommodation alternatives with trivago or use their data base for further information about your destination and read traveler hotel reviews.

Bicycle Tours Operator Offers On-Line Pre-Trip Training Programs

For one international cycle touring company, preparing guests for a day on a bike is part of their pre-trip regimen. "Some 80 percent of our travelers are Baby Boomers and beyond, between the ages of 50 and 75," reports Maria Elena Price, co-owner of ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours, www.experienceplus.com, that conducts week-long to 45-day tours on several continents.

"Some years ago we found that preparing people for bicycle-only travel was important. We worked with a renowned cycling coach, Joe Friel, author of Cycling Past 50, who designed training programs for our tours," she adds.

Guests pedal past the Leaning Tower of Pisa on the company's 40th Anniversary Across Italy tour in 2012. Rick Price

A guest pauses for a view of one of Patagonia, Argentina's many lakes. Juan Pablo Mansilla

Training programs and training calendars are available online for free. They are segmented for ages over and under 50 and consider the kinds of activities that people engage in normally. Plus the trainings are customized for tour ratings based on miles per day and terrain difficulty. Included are bike handling skill tips. Pre-trip training programs offer a 12-week step-by-step process to get in perfect shape for an upcoming cycle tour.

"People tell us that they do benefit from the training and enjoy their trip so much more," Price says. Here are details about the ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours pre-trip training programs.

No North American company has been running European cycling tours longer than ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours (http://www.experienceplus.com/). Launched in Italy in 1972 the Colorado-based company now offers global cycling tours immersed in local character to 31 countries on five continents. Throughout the years as the business and industry have evolved, ExperiencePlus!' roots as a family business have remained strong. Authentic, experienced, self-paced and engaging were the ethos of parents Rick and Paola Malpezzi Price which have now been passed down to their daughters and current directors Monica Price and Maria Elena Price.

On the road in Andalucia, Spain. Ed Rockland

ExperiencePlus! cultural cycling programs engage tour leaders who are expert cyclists and trained cultural interpreters, guiding guests on innovative routes and immersing them in off-the-beaten-path experiences. Tours in 2013 go to Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, India, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA and Vietnam among others. ExperiencePlus! is a 2011 and a 2010 recipient of National Geographic Traveler magazine's 50 Tours of a Lifetime. The 2011 issue also featured Maria Elena Price and Monica Price, co-owners, among its World's Top 10 Tour Guides.

Tandem riders enjoy a day in Languedoc on the French Catalonia tour. JoAnne Baldwin

Lake Louise, Alberta is Train Tour Operator's Newest Destination

The internationally-acclaimed Rocky Mountaineer train tour operator in British Columbia and Alberta has announced an exciting new destination nestled dramatically in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. For the 2013 season, Lake Louise will enhance the company's First Passage to the West route which retraces the steps of 19th century explorers and traverses the legendary Spiral Tunnels during a multi-day journey between Vancouver, Kamloops, Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary.

This marks the return of passenger rail service to Lake Louise for the first time in over two decades and is a first for Rocky Mountaineer. During the 2013 season from April 23 to October 3, it is offered on select departures.

Rocky Mountaineer offers 45 Canadian vacation packages and five unique routes. Rocky Mountaineer

Often referred to as the "Jewel of the Canadian Rockies," Lake Louise is set in a small glacial valley surrounded by the majestic mountains, the Victoria Glacier and an emerald green lake. Rocky Mountaineer guests will now have an opportunity to begin or end their two-day journey immersed in this remarkable setting. Guests who choose to stay at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise will be provided with a complimentary direct transfer between the train station and this iconic property.

Right: The century-old Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise set against an emerald green lake and the Victoria glacier is a Canadian tourism icon. Banff Lake Louise Tourism
Below:

At 2.5 km long and 90 m deep, Lake Louise offers surreal paddling experiences in summer and a scenic skating rink in winter. Banff Lake Louise Tourism

Rocky Mountaineer, www.rockymountaineer.com, offers over 45 Canadian vacation packages and five unique rail routes, rich in history and natural wonders, through the Pacific Northwest and Alberta. In 2013, the company launches its new route, Coastal Passage, connecting Seattle, Washington and the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Coastal Passage signifies Rocky Mountaineer's first journey to and from the United States. This world-renowned, luxurious train travels by daylight through the wild beauty of Canada's West and is considered by many as the only way to experience the majestic Canadian Rockies.

Since its inception in 1990, the company has grown to become the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America and has welcomed more than one and a half million guests onboard from around the world. In 2012, Rocky Mountaineer received its eighth World Travel Award. The company has also been recognized by National Geographic as one of the World's Greatest Trips and by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the Top 5 Trains in the World.

Enroll at Oxford University's Summer School for a Week or More

Whether your interests are The Beatles, Vladimir Putin, the Cathedrals of Britain or the Gothic Novel, what could be more enjoyable than a one-week learning vacation at England's legendary Oxford University?

The Oxford Experience www.conted.ox.ac.uk/oxfordexperience is open to all and has no requirements, no exams and no essays! Participants live and study at Christ Church, one of the most prestigious and beautiful of Oxford colleges, and dine in the magnificent Hall made famous by the Harry Potter films. Though the college was founded by Cardinal Wolsey almost five centuries ago, the dorms are considerably younger and a new elevator to the Hall makes life easy for people with mobility problems.

Above: Oxford High Street, view from St Mary's Church.
Darrell Godliman
Right:

The Great Quadrangle, known as Tom Quad, is the largest college quadrangle at Oxford. Darrell Godliman

The six-week program runs from June 30 to August 10, 2013, with each week starting on a Sunday and finishing the following Saturday. Small classes of 12 are taught by friendly tutors and the more than 60 courses offer a variety of subjects such as Charles Dickens, Paradise in an English Garden, From Rasputin to Putin, Introduction to Particle Physics, Cathedrals of Britain, The Victorian and Edwardian Home, The Operas of Verdi, The Indian Empire, Anglo-American Relations and the Making of Modern Britain, Political Philosophy, 20th-Century Poetry, and Spies in British Fiction.

A space made famous by the Harry Potter films, a dinner in the Hall is a special part of the Oxford Experience. Darrell Godliman

The residential program includes not only accommodations, but also three daily meals: a full English breakfast, a buffet lunch and a served three-course dinner, which last summer's students called "delicious, not at all what you'd expect." On the final night everyone gathers for champagne (and picture-taking) in the flowering Cathedral Garden and a farewell dinner in the Hall. Throughout the week there are excursions to stately homes, cathedrals, and museums, tours of Oxford, pub walks, whisky tastings, lectures, wine and croquet in the Master's Garden and Evensong in the college chapel, which is also the Oxford Cathedral.

Completed in 1748, Oxford's Radcliffe Camera serves as the science library. Darrell Godliman

Participants range in age from 25 to 85, though the average is about 60, and the mix is very cosmopolitan: Europeans, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, an occasional Asian and lots of Americans and Canadians. Some sign up for two or three weeks and many have been coming for 10-or-more years.

The price of a one-week course including accommodations, tuition and all meals is £1,180 or approximately US$1,800. There are additional charges for most excursions ($80 and up) and for rooms with private bath (about $289). If you are looking at attending in 2013, courses fill quickly.

A Different Small-Ship Cruise – True Alaska with True Alaskans

I discovered Alaskan Dream Cruises through Todd Smith, owner of US-based adventure travel specialist, AdventureSmith Explorations, which represents many first class expeditionary options worldwide. He describes why he includes this company's itineraries in his portfolio …

"Owned and operated by longtime Alaskans and members of the Tlingit Kaagwaantaan Clan, Alaskan Dream Cruises offers visitors a truly authentic experience. Their cruises explore local towns and wilderness through the lens of local Alaskans. By meeting and spending time with real Alaskans, where they work and where they play, guests will get to know Alaska in a whole new way. One of their trips is like discovering Alaska with a long-lost relative who is introducing you to her friends and family and home."

Right: Kayaking is one of the free options off the Admiralty Dream. Todd Smith
Below:

Seals on ice flows are among the marine mammals to be spotted in the protected Inside Passage waters. Todd Smith

The company owns three newly-renovated vessels each with a distinctive personality and profile: the 143-foot Admiralty Dream hosts 66 passengers in 33 cabins; the 104-foot Alaskan Dream hosts 42 passengers in 24 cabins; and the 144-foot Baranof Dream hosts 58 passengers in 31 cabins. Seven different cruise itineraries range from 8 to 13 days.

Knowledgeable captains and crew are always happy to stop and chat; and daily educational presentations are conducted by each ship's scientific and cultural expedition leaders. Complimentary gear includes jacket, pants and boots for use during the cruise, and high-powered, lightweight binoculars are provided in every stateroom. There are at least one and sometimes two complimentary shore excursions in each port of call that showcase true Alaskan adventure and colorful native heritage. Parents and grandparents considering an intergenerational trip should know there are three designated family cruises, one each in June, July and August, enriched with extra kid-focused activities.

The Alaskan Dream's streamlined catamaran design allows the vessel to easily navigate narrow channels and passages like a yacht. Todd Smith

Named the top small-ship expedition cruising specialist in Condé Nast Traveler's 13th Annual Travel Specialists List, AdventureSmith Explorations, www.adventuresmithexplorations.com, is expert at matching clients' interests and abilities to itineraries and vessels. Starting 20 years ago, Alaska was their first expeditionary wilderness destination and a deep knowledge and passion continue with that region today. Contact them for answers to your questions quickly and accurately with honest, unbiased information.

Smaller vessels allow a much closer-up experience of Alaska's famed Glacier Bay as glaciers flow into its waters and break into spectacular icebergs. Todd Smith

Christchurch, New Zealand Rises from the Earthquake Rubble

Just two years after a devastating earthquake struck Christchurch on the north end of New Zealand's South Island, not only are venue and hotel capacities bouncing back in some very creative ways, but the Canterbury Museum has unveiled a new earthquake attraction, Quake City, in February 2013.

The Quake City attraction tells the story of Christchurch's earthquake experiences, and educates visitors about the science of earthquakes. christchurchnz.com

Located in the aptly-named Re:START shopping district, Quake City is the vision of leading business and community groups that wanted to feature an earthquake attraction in Christchurch. It provides a place for reflection and education for locals, as well as a point of interest for domestic and international visitors to the region, engaging, informing and educating visitors on the seismic activities that have occurred in the region. The exhibit uses large-scale sensitive imagery, iconic objects, sound and film to enable visitors to better understand what the people of Christchurch have experienced over the past two years.

Re:START is a pop-up shopping district made of 60 shipping containers repurposed as shops and cafés. David Swanson

Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, Christchurch's Cardboard Cathedral is a unique shared-use facility to temporarily substitute for the city's badly damaged stone cathedral. The goal was to design a building that would be sustainable, environmentally friendly, safe, durable, beautiful, innovative and versatile. The design for this 700-plus seat building is based around 64 cardboard tubes, ranging in length from 17- 22 metres, with construction completed over a three month period. christchurchnz.com

Lonely Planet recently named Christchurch as one of its 2013 Top 10 Cities. The influential travel publisher says Christchurch "is rising from the rubble... with a breathtaking mix of spirit, determination and flair" and forecasts that this year will be an intriguing year for visitors to join the rebirth of Christchurch. Its website also provides suggestions for what to see and do around the city and region.

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