Plitvice Lakes National Park

Seven Top European Hiking Spots

Published July 20, 2017 | By Clark Norton

Today’s guest post is from travel blogger Shawn Michaels, who loves to write about his outdoor travel experiences ans shop for hiking gear. You can read his blog, which focuses on hiking boots, thesmartlad.com, here.

In this post, Shawn reveals his seven top hiking spots in Europe. Note that most of these are not exactly walks in the park — although one is just that, and another is relatively easy — but active backpacking boomers can set their sights on some or all of them.

I was only familiar with a few of these, but the photos alone make me want to grab my hiking sticks and see how far I can go through some of Europe’s most enticing scenery.

Story and photos by Shawn Michaels

Plitvička Jezera:

Plitvicka is a series of 16 adjoining lakes displaying emerald waters and waterfalls.

Croatia’s Plitvička Jezera (also… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Baby boomer travel, Europe, Hiking, Natural wonders | Tagged Alta Via trail, Bernese Oberland, European hiking trails, French Alps, Haute Route, High Tatras trail, Hiking in Europe, King's trail Sweden, Mont-Rebei Gorge, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Plitvička Jezera, Swiss Alps | Leave a comment

Ten Hidden European Travel Gems

Published December 8, 2016 | By Clark Norton

Mont-Saint-Michel is a remarkable sight as you approach. Photo from Normandy Tourist Board.

As regular readers of this blog know, I have a soft spot for off-the-beaten-track destinations.

Yes, I love Paris and Venice and London, but I also like to explore the lesser-known out-of-the-wsy places that many travelers never reach.

Once years ago, I set off by train from Paris to visit Mont-Saint-Michel, a medieval abbey off the coast of Normandy that I had read about in college in the Henry Adams’ book, Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres.

The trip took two full days because the train connections were awful, but I made it, and didn’t regret it. It’s a dramatically situated Gothic masterpiece, rising atop a rocky island with a maze of narrow streets surrounding it.

Traditionally, Mont-Saint-Michel has only been reachable by land when the tides are out, via squishy mud flats. When the tides come in,… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Bucket Lists, cultural travel, educational travel, Europe, Germany, History, Tours | Tagged Cesky Krumlov, Croatia, Cuenca, France, Germany, Goreme, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Skye, Italy, Kylemore Abbey, Lake Bled, Lake Maggiore, Mont-Saint-Michel, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber, Scotland, Slovenia, Snaefellsjokull National Park, Spain, Turkey | Leave a comment

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.