Harry Potter

Buckingham Palace? Nah — Hogwarts

Published April 21, 2017 | By Clark Norton

Budapest’s Parliament building is Hungary’s top must-see attraction . Photo by Clark Norton

Most of us, when we travel to another country, probably have in mind at least one “must-see” attraction., usually an iconic structure, museum, historic site, or natural wonder.

Examples might be Machu Picchu in Peru, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, the Roman Colosseum in Italy, and the Parliament building in Budapest, Hungary.

Recently, TripAdvisor — which has propelled itself into the world’s leading travel site and travel data bank — released a map of Europe displaying the “one thing you must do in each country, according to tourists.” (I found it in the Huffington Post.)

For most countries, the results were pretty true to form: The Roman Colosseum in Italy; The Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium; the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Tallinn Old Town in Estonia; the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece; the… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Countries, cultural travel, Film Locations, Florida, Germany, museums, National Parks, Theme Parks, Tours, trains | Tagged Central Park, Disney World, England, Germany, Hamburg, Harry Potter, Harry Potter Studio Tour, London, Miniatur Wunderland, model railway, TripAdvisor, Warner Bros. Studio Tour -- the Making of Harry Potter, world's largest model railway | Leave a comment

Top Eight Reasons to Tour Bonnie Scotland

Published March 9, 2015 | By Clark Norton

Dunure Castle, Scotland. Photo by Oliver Clarke, Flickr.

Regardless of your feelings toward last year’s “nae” vote on breaking away from the UK, Scotland’s spirit of independence, natural beauty, and rich enduring cultural heritage make it a remarkable place to visit any time of year. (Yes, we know it gets a wee bit chilly and damp in the off season, but that just adds to its atmospheric charms.)

Baby boomers will have heard about many of these attractions most of their lives (Harry Potter sites and Edinburgh Festival Fringe excepted — but it’s always good to experience something new).

Here are my favorite reasons for booking a trip to this nation of 5.3 million people that has less land than South Carolina — but boasts an inordinate number of claims to fame:

Edinburgh and Its Castle

One of Europe’s most architecturally stunning capitals, Edinburgh lies a mere 332 miles… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Cities, Countries, Europe, Festivals | Tagged Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Festival, Gleneagles, haggis, Harry Potter, Highland Games, Inner Hebrides, J.K. Rowling, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Monster, Malt Whisky Trail, Military Tattoo, Munro Bagging, Orkneys, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, Shetlands, Sir Walter Scott, St. Andrews golf | 2 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.