n her more than 30 years of planning and booking vacations that have sent her clients around the world and back again, Avril Winkle has seen it all when it comes to making sure travel plans go off without a hitch.
Lately, she’s seeing even more of it.
Seniors are traveling more than ever, Winkle said, nearly four years after the coronavirus pandemic almost entirely grounded worldwide travel, and that’s keeping her and her staff busy at Destinations Travel Agency in Sterling.
While that’s a good thing for business, it’s also a good thing for seniors, too.
Winkle sees the rise in senior travel as helpful to their long-term health and wellness, and that’s a point she drives home to those who are thinking about traveling.
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“As a senior, you don’t have to think that you are retired and must stay bound to your town or city,” Winkle said. “With most responsibilities of adult life over, it is time to let down your hair and enjoy traveling to rejuvenate your body and mind. Exploring new environments and meeting new people can help older adults stay both physically active and socially engaged, whether the idea is to experience more of the world, spend time with loved ones, or just take a break from the everyday routine.”
Popular destinations that seniors have in mind for this year and next include Australia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy and New Zealand. Theme-based international travel activities rising in popularity include African safaris and luxury train rides across Canada. Within the United States, places that Winkle often sees seniors wanting to explore include Alaska, New Mexico, Mackinac Island in Michigan, and various national parks.
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Planning vacations through a travel agent has its advantages, as opposed to trying to figure everything out on one’s own. A travel agent can bring a lot to the table: getting the best deals, helping determine the prime time to travel, and prior experience planning trips — experience that can help travelers get the most out of their trip.
Not sure what hotel to stay at, and are they as good as advertised? Looking for places to visit during your stay? Want to know a good place to eat? Ask an agent.
Planning a trip through Destinations isn’t simply transactional, Winkle said; she and her staff try to build personal relationships with clients, and they enjoy it when they get to hear about their trips, which can also help them plan trips for other clients.
“For me relationships with my clients are key, and many of those are seniors. The best part of working with them is getting to know and share in their lives; these are folks who have lived a full life rich with experiences. Their stories, which they are usually very willing to share, are filled with humor, adventure, and moving anecdotes,” Winkle said. “Getting to hear them is a real blessing. They don’t sweat the small stuff. Because they deal daily with the aches, pains, and limitations of aging they are usually more able to roll with the punches and unexpected challenges that inevitably develop with travel.”
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Destinations Travel Services, 15 E. Third St. in Sterling, is open 10 a.m.2 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, or by appointment.
Find “Destinations Travel Services Inc.” on Facebook, go to destinationstravelservices. com, email avril@ destinationstravelservices.com or call 815-625-3500 to set an appointment or for more information.
The world, Winkle said, “is a playground waiting to be explored,” and she and her staff are happy to help seniors explore it. They want to do more than just help them make plans, they want to help them make memories.
“With an insatiable appetite for adventure and discovery, this demographic seeks more than just a typical vacation”, Winkle said. “They yearn for experiences that enrich their lives and create lasting memories.”
Before planning any trip, Winkle wants travelers to check off some important boxes about themselves:
• Ask your doctor if you’re up to the trip physically.
• Have your doctor provide a detailed list of medications and any medical devices you may use, such as implants and pacemakers.
• Figure out how to manage any medications while away from home and adapt to being in different time zones.
• Find out whether vaccinations are necessary.
• Check to see what insurance will cover. Most Medicare insurance plans don’t cover travelers outside the U.S., so a policy that covers them in case of any medical emergencies may need to be considered.
• People should also consider travelers insurance for longer trips. Most plans may allow travelers to get some money back if they get ill and can’t travel, or if a weather disrupts cruise plans, Winkle said.
There may be a lot to think about before taking a trip, but Winkle and her staff want to help ensure that their clients only have to think about having fun.
“We are professionals who know every trick in the book when it comes to ensuring a trip will go smoothly,” Winkle said. “We will plan every aspect of your vacation, and take care of the details so you can kick back and enjoy your time away.” n
Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-6322532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
hen parishioners at Emmanuel Church in Morrison get together on Sunday mornings they’re getting closer to God.
But when the young at heart at the church get together for their ministry, they’re working on getting closer to more Earth-bound destinations — while never straying too far from sharing their mission of faith and fellowship.
Members of The Young and Energetic At Heart (YEAH) seniors ministry at Emmanuel are strengthening each other through fellowship and making a difference in the lives they come in contact with, and they’re doing it by enjoying some group getaways.
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There’s a reason Rich Criss is all smiles: He gets to combine his love of travel with his talent for planning trips, as part of his duties as ministry coordinator for Emmanuel Church of Morrison’s Young and Energetic At Heart (“YEAH”) seniors ministry.
“While we have a lot of fun, there is a huge prioritization of growing with Christ,” Criss said. “It’s what separates us from a normal travel group, like with a bank, and we also emphasize that we make a difference with the staff that we come in contact with.”
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Ministry coordinator Rich Criss organized YEAH in March 2007, and day trips became part of it soon after, growing from one or two a year to several these days. The first multi-day trip took place in 2009, and just a few years ago a couple of trips were added to the calendar with the sole purpose of helping out at rescue mission-based thrift stores.
Finding out where the ministry’s travels will take them during the year from Criss is something churchgoers eagerly await. His penchant for adventure and travel helps inspire ideas for trips to places both new and familiar, with no shortage of sights to see and no shortage people to see them with.
“While we have a lot of fun, there is a huge prioritization of growing with Christ,” Criss said. “It’s what separates us from a normal travel group, like with a bank, and we also emphasize that we make a difference with the staff that we come in contact with.”
Trips aren’t limited to those who attend Emmanuel, they are open to all, and about half of those who go on each trip are from the church. About 50 people go on most of the trips. It’s added to the ecumenicism with the other churches in town, Criss said, and attracted people from those churches. Those who go follow an itinerary that Criss plans and stay in groups. Devotionals take place each morning on the bus, as well as at every meal.
While trip-goers enjoy the camaraderie they share on the trips, their higher purpose is what’s most fulfilling, especially during their trips to help at thrift stores. Group members volunteer in Rockford five times throughout the year and in Lansing, Michigan, during a three-day stretch in July.
“Truly, you work,” Criss said. “It’s service. We literally spend our days volunteering our time. As our church has grown, it’s been more of a priority to reach outside the walls and do things for others. The service aspect of it became really important to us, too. We’ll go have a great times and do fun things, but also be able to make a difference.”
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Transportation
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Members of Emmanuel Church of Morrison’s Young and Energetic At Heart (“YEAH”) seniors ministry have traveled to interesting destinations both near and far, but no matter far they roam from home, they always bring a few things along: a smile on their face and Christ in their heart.
The ministry’s travel schedule this year includes a week-long trip to Door County in Wisconsin (which sold out in just a couple of months); a Buffalo Bill-themed day trip to LeClaire, Iowa; a day at the Volo Museum in suburban Chicago with all sorts of classic and unique vehicles; and a fall day trip throughout Boone and DeKalb counties. Trips also are planned to performances at Circa 21 theater in Rock Island, as well as Christian-based shows at Fireside Dinner Theatre in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
Churchgoer Judy Smith always looks forward to the Fireside trips. “I love gospel music, so I always look forward to that,” Smith said. “I’ve never been disappointed. Sometimes we’ll leave from there and Rich will say, ‘It’s like we just had church, didn’t we?’ That’s just what you feel like. You’re so uplifted.”
Single day trips cost $100, which covers event admission, busing and meals. The larger, week-long trips cost more, and in recent years have included Hawaii; Washington, D.C.; Williamsburg, Virginia; Branson, Missouri; Dallas; and the Great Smokey Mountains.
At least once a year, Criss will put together a one-day mystery trip filled with different places to see and visit. This year’s mystery trip, tentatively planned for December, will be centered around Christmas sites just don’t ask him where it is.
There’s no prying hints out of Criss, he’s tightlipped about the details.
“All day long you don’t know what the next stop is,” Criss said. “We do it every year and it’s the first one to sell out. I’m still not running out of ideas.”
The social bonds travelers form is something that stays with many travelers, sometimes even more than the sightseeing. Those who attend Emmanuel get to meet others in the community, and learn more about fellow churchgoers.
“When you’re with someone for a week, you get to know them,” Smith said. “We also have several people who don’t go to our church who are a part of our trips, and you get to know them, especially when you’re sitting next to them on the bus or eating together. We try not to eat with the same people.”
Smith and Carolyn VanderSchaaf became close friends during the ministry’s trip to Washington, D.C. in 2017, and they try to make it to almost every trip that’s available.
“It’s just a good group of people,” VanderSchaaf said. “You get to learn about different people. You get to see them in church, but don’t live day-to-day with them. When you do something like that, you find out a lot about them.”
Not only did Smith gain a new friend, but she made new memories that she can share with others.
“When we went to Washington, it was during the time of the year when all of the kids were out of school,” Smith said. “We saw every college T-shirt I think that was ever made.”
On one trip to Ohio, a snag the group ran into at a hotel served as a reminder of just how rewarding the trips can be.
“When we left, the elevators weren’t working,” VanderSchaaf said. “That staff pulled in more people to take our suitcases down. We said, ‘No, we can do it,’ and they said, ‘No, we’re here. You guys did good for us, and we’re going to treat you right.’ They did. They were the happiest people.”
It’s experiencing a simple joy like that along their journey that reminds them of their ministry’s mission to others, and their church’s mission for God.
“We like showing our faith when we are on these trips,” Smith said. “It makes a big difference.” n
Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
For an up-to-date schedule of events or for more information on Emmanuel Church in Morrison’s senior ministry road trips, email rich@ecmorrison.org, call 815-772-3890, or stop by the church, 202 E. Morris St. from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday or Friday from 9 to 11 a.m. Trips may be altered or canceled if there is low turnout.
ou know what they say about taking a trip: The more the merrier.
Well, that’s what Marisa Perales says, anyway. She’s the transportation coordinator at Lee County Council an Aging in Dixon, and she’s helped make a lot of seniors merry.
Perales has been coordinating group trips at the county senior center for the past five years,
and she’s proud of all the miles and smiles she’s been a part of.
When she first came to LCCOA, there weren’t a lot of trips on the calendar — and just one big one at the time — but she would sometimes hear visitors to the center talk about how they wish they could take a trip to a popular tourist destination, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Maybe it was too far, or they didn’t want to make the trip alone.
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That’s when she set about turning wishes into trips. Today, there are more trips on the LCCOA’s calendar and more seniors enjoying the sights and sounds of new places. There are five on the schedule so far for this year, with two of them overseas.
The thrill of visiting a new place or a popular tourist destination can be exciting, but what Perales enjoys the most about being with travelers on their journey is seeing the fun they’ve had and the friendships they’ve formed.
“If we come home and not everybody knows each other, or they’re not friends, I feel terrible,” Perales said. “Everybody just gets together a lot. They’ll play games down at the hotel lobbies when we’re back at the hotel, some of them even go out to dinner together.”
The trips are open to anyone age 60 and over — you don’t have to be LCCOA member or live in the county, though there are discounts for members. If travelers need a younger companion to accompany them, they can tag along too. Each trip requires a minimum of 30 people and maxes out at 52. When a trip fills up, a waiting list is started and people are notified if cancellations are made.
Bridge that connects Lakes Michigan and Huron to Sault St. Marie. The third all-bus trip on the schedule is a ride through central California – Monterey, Yosemite National Park and Napa Valley – from Sept. 23-30.
The Straits of Mackinac trip is returning for an encore this year after a successful trip there a couple years ago that Perales organized. She got so much positive feedback, she decided to head back again.
This year’s schedule kicks off with a trip to the Massachusetts coast from May 4-12, with stops in Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Provincetown and Hyannis. Next up is a trip around the Straits of Mackinac from Aug. 19-23 with stops in Mackinac Island, Mackinaw City and traveling on the five-mile Mackinac
The two trips that will fly the friendly skies are to Hawaii from Aug. 24-31, and to various World War II historic sites in France and England from Nov. 1-10. The Hawaiian journey will fly travelers to Honolulu, and then on a boat cruise to the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, and back to Oahu. The war memorial trip includes stops at the beaches of Normandy and Juneau, as well as war museums in both countries; the flight lands in London and departs from Paris.
Perales also hopes to include single-day trips on the travel schedule this year as well.
Her first trip as transportation coordinator was to the Ark Encounter and the large Noah’s Ark replica in Williamstown, Kentucky, and the journeys have just kept on coming. Last year’s trips took seniors to New Orleans, Niagara Falls, various ports of Alaska, Atlantic City, Philadelphia and New York City. Trips to war memorials also have taken place.
Trip coordinator Marisa Perales doesn’t just plan the trips, she enjoys them, too. Here she grabs a selfie with some fellow LCCOA travelers at Niagara Falls.
Left: Among the trips LCCOA hosted in 2023 was one to Niagara Falls.
Below: Trip photos appear occasionally in the Golden Echo senior publication, the last Wednesday of the month in the Gazette and Telegraph.
“When we went to Niagara Falls, there were people who had never been there before, and it is just so magnificent that you’re standing there with everybody and you’re just in awe,” Perales said. “When we go to the veteran museums, and when I’m with vets, some of them get in tears because it’s such a memorial, but they would never had been there without us. It would have never been planned on their end, but here they get to do it, and with other vets too.”
Trip costs include transportation, hotel, a majority of meal costs and admissions to tourist sites. Groups are mostly together while on the trips, but may separate at larger destinations such as museums.
Perales makes sure travelers are well taken care of along the way, and prepared beforehand. She holds sessions with them two weeks before each trip, where she goes over itineraries, general guidelines and other information. On bus trips, she’ll also keep riders entertained along the way with movies, trivia contests, and games of quarter Bingo.
More info
Lee County Council on Aging’s Senior Center, 100 W. Second St. in Dixon, can be reached at lccoa@comcast.
net, 815-288-9236, or stop by from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Find it on Facebook or go to leecountycouncilonaging.net for up-to-date travel schedules, prices, or more information. A list of upcoming trips also appears in the Golden Echo section, which appears the last Wednesday of the month in the Gazette and Telegraph, and at shawlocal. com/sauk-valley/enewspaper/ (scroll down to the Golden Echo button).
“There are places that you probably have never gone to before,” Perales said. “You’re with a group and you can enjoy those places with other people. They don’t have to worry about anything when we’re on the trip.”
Travelers are welcome to come alone, but Perales encourages them to bond with fellow travelers on the trip. They may even make a new friend, as one traveler from Iowa discovered
“I had six people from Sterling who were in a group, and the first night we get there, one of them goes, ‘Marisa! Look, we have a new best friend,’” Perales said. “They have their arms around her, and she didn’t know a single person. She just came because she wanted to. When we came home, she even canceled her hotel room and stayed with them that night before she headed back to Iowa. That’s something I think is just the best.”
They say that “getting there is half the fun,” and for Perales that’s true. The other half: the people you meet along the way.
“They all socialize, they go to dinner, they go on more trips,” Perales said. “To me, that’s honestly the biggest reward.” n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
