Victoria Falls

Should You Travel to Zimbabwe Now?

Published November 20, 2017 | By Clark Norton

Victoria Falls at dawn — the “Smoke That Thunders.”Photo by Dennis Cox/WorldViews

If you’ve been following the news out of Zimbabwe of late, you know that the country’s long-time president, Robert Mugabe, may finally be nearing the end of his repressive regime.

Mugabe, now age 93, has been placed under mostly house arrest by the country’s military, who have denied that they are engaged in an actual coup — a good public relations move, but probably not very reflective of reality.

The idea seems to be to head off Mugabe’s much younger wife, Grace, from succeeding her husband as head of state. Mugabe’s own political party, ZANU-PF, has withdrawn its support for him, and he now finds himself without any real authority.

Under Mugabe, who came to power in 1980 after leading the resistance to Ian Smith’s white nationalist regime in what was previously Rhodesia, much of Zimbabwe had… Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Baby boomer travel, Bucket Lists, Natural wonders | Tagged Lake Kariba, Matusadona National Park, Robert Mugabe, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe | 3 Comments

Fun With the World’s Most Extreme Adventures

Published September 23, 2016 | By Clark Norton

You can Bicycle the “World’s Deadliest Road” in Bolivia on this fun trip. Photo from Travel Supermarket

The infographic below from the UK-based TravelSupermarket.com came across my desk recently and I thought I would pass it along as a public service. It’s essentially a compendium of Extreme Adventures around the world that I can cross off my bucket list even before trying them.

Oh, I might try riding the Alpine rollercoaster in Austria or give the world’s fastest zip line in Wales a shot at pumping my adrenaline to warp speed.

But bungee jumping into a volcano in Chile, cliff camping in Colorado (yes, that means sleeping on the edge of the cliff), or riding a bike along Bolivia’s notorious Death Road?

Thanks, but I’ll leave those to another lifetime, which I would probably be starting soon if I succumbed to the temptation to try any of them, which… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Baby boomer travel, cycling, Travel safety | Tagged Alpine rollercoaster, biking Haleakala, Bolivia's Death Road, bungee jumping, cliff camping, Extreme Adventures, SCAD diving, TravelSupermarket.com, Victoria Falls, volcano boarding, zip lining | 5 Comments

Must-See Sites for Baby Boomers Around the Globe

Published January 27, 2014 | By Clark Norton

Utah’s Monument Valley, author Patricia Schultz’s absolute must-see sight for North America. Photo from Utah Tourism.

Jordan’s ancient stone city of Petra. Photo by Clark Norton

I just read an interview with Patricia Schultz, author of the extremely successful travel guide “1000 Places to See Before You Die,” whose first edition publication in 2003 presaged the bucket list craze.

She has since published a second edition, which includes another 200 entries, so if you’ve somehow managed to see the initial 1,000, you still have your work cut out for you.

Depending on how much travel baby boomers — the youngest of whom turn 50 this year — have done earlier in their lives, they face a daunting task of keeping up with Schultz, who says in the interview that she has now visited all the places she’s written about, though when the first edition was published, there were about… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Cities, Countries, National Parks | Tagged baby boomer travel, baby boomers and tourism, Petra, Taj Mahal, travel marketing, traveling baby boomers, Venice, Victoria Falls, Yap | 2 Comments

A Theme Park at Victoria Falls? No Way to Promote Tourism

Published August 29, 2013 | By Clark Norton

Victoria Falls at dawn — no theme park needed? Photo by Dennis Cox

The news that Zimbabwe is planning a Disneyland-style theme park near Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, is yet another example that Robert Mugabe’s corrupt, brutal and clueless rule is ruining that beautiful central African country — for both its citizens and tourists.

One writer has likened it to building casinos next to the Pyramids in Egypt, and I can’t disagree. (Cairo has enough tacky papyrus shops near the Pyramids as it is.)

I’ve been lucky enough to twice visit Vic Falls — also known in local tradition as “The Smoke That Thunders” — and consider it among the most stunning places I’ve ever seen, on a par with Arizona’s Grand Canyon or China’s mist-enveloped, multi-peaked Mt. Huangshan.

The last time I visited Vic Falls, I saw Mugabe speak, shortly after he… Continue reading →

Posted in Countries, Theme Parks | Tagged baby boomer travel, baby boomer travelers, baby boomers, baby boomers and tourism, Mugabe, travel, travel marketing, traveling baby boomers, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe | 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.