If you have retired, do you still enjoy traveling?

oldman

oldman

Well-known Member
Location
PA
OK, so this question is probably unusual because of posting it in the travel section. Some may think I should be posting it or on a psychology board forum. My question is; if you have retired, do you still enjoy traveling? The reason that I ask is because I no longer really want to do this anymore. My wife always wants to go someplace and I just don't know how to say no. Quite honestly, I even faked an illness two weeks ago to keep from going to the Northwest. Actually, she wanted to explore the Oregon coastline, which I have heard is beautiful with lots of great fishing, but I just did not want to go.

I am pretty sure my problem stems from the fact that I was a pilot for a major airline for 21 years and flew to a lot of places. I may have not stayed long, but nonetheless, I did get around. I discussed this with a friend of mine and he told me jokingly to get some therapy. Later, after I got home and I thought about what he said and although he thought it was funny, I began to think maybe I should consider this. I feel this way because I know my wife is not going to relent on her wish to travel, so I either need to change my thinking or get ready for a looong retirement.

By the way, we get free travel with my airline and another partnered airline, so expense is really not an issue, so I can't use that as an excuse as to why we shouldn't travel so much.. I really should discuss this with her, but she may be dis-heartened by it and I would not want that either. As they say, I have gotten myself into quite a pickle.

Anyone care to comment?
 

Well,first off let me say that the Oregon coast is one of my favorite getaways-it is beautiful there! But I really can understand,with you having been a pilot,why you might not want to travel anymore. This sounds to me like one of those times in a marriage when you both just really have to compromise. Be honest with her about your feelings and decide just how many trips you are willing to put up with a year.
 
I agree with Mrs. R, the Oregon coast is very nice, we loved it there when we went camping in the area. We were driving though, I don't like to fly and only will if I had to. Years ago we flew to Hawaii and visited various islands, now that was worth the plane flight, IMO. But since we were young, we drove across the country and vacationed by camping, that way our pets could be with us too. We've been to Canada, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, etc. Any chance of you driving somewhere, or that's not an option? :drive:
 

My parents had the same problem. My father travels alone and meets with friends and/or relatives. Mom stays home - she just does not want to fly anymore. Maybe if you talk to her and let her know, she can think of someone else that can accompany her? A son/daugher/friend?.
 
Mirabilis said:
My parents had the same problem. My father travels alone and meets with friends and/or relatives. Mom stays home - she just does not want to fly anymore. Maybe if you talk to her and let her know, she can think of someone else that can accompany her? A son/daugher/friend?.
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Like your parents, my husband was the one who always wanted to travel, right until his death; I was at my happiest at home.
I think your answer of finding someone who enjoys traveling is a good solution for everyone.
 
I used to travel a lot with my work and used this to provide free breaks for my wife and myself. Now we still enjoy travelling and foreign holidays, but I no longer enjoy dining out. I've eaten well on company expenses but I enjoy cooking at home and resent paying silly prices to eat in a restaurant. I think my wife would like to eat out more often.
 
Our last holiday abroad was to Spain last year, the weather was bad all week, I worried about the cat with good reason as it turned out! We've decided not to go abroad any more, we've had enough, it's tiring hanging around the airport and being delayed, then there's the travelling to your resort, it's a day out of your holiday!
We're enjoying going to different seaside resorts for day trips, at least we can check the weather before we go so we know it's going to be nice
 
Thanks. I picked up some good ideas. The issue for me is that once I get to a place, I am mostly OK, it's getting to it, or the travel part that I am just tired of. If I could be magically transported to the Oregon Coast, great. Sign me up. However, when I think about the packing, taking the cat to the Kitty Day Care, driving to the airport, parking the car, taking a shuttle to the terminal, checking in, waiting to board, waiting to take off, then the 4-6 hour flight and hopefully, we can get a non-stop flight. Then getting off the plane, picking up the rental car and driving to the hotel and checking in. Once all of that is over, then the vacation begins. THAT'S the issue I have. All of the travel crap I have to go through just to start the fun part.

I told my wife to go ahead and book the hotels and we are going to be going in late August. First, we are heading back to our home in Florida for a few weeks and just relax and fish. We are taking out two oldest Grandchildren, so that will be fun. My Grandson loves baseball and fishing, so it will be like having my son with me. My Granddaughter will hang around my wife and they will do the women things, like shopping and hitting the flea markets and so on. We are leaving this morning. If I learn how to post pictures, I will post some here.

Bon Voyage!
 
Have a safe trip, oldman. I know exactly how you feel about the traveling part. I've been making the drive to Florida for 15 years and it's getting old real fast. 1310 miles, door to door. Going down, we usually make it in two days. Coming up to NY usually takes three. I guess we do more sight seeing coming up.
Again, safe trip to all. Pappy
 
Well, we left for Florida on Thursday and drove to Louisville, Ky where we stayed the night. On Friday morning, we toured the Louisville Slugger bat factory. After that, we drove to Bowling Green, KY and toured the Corvette Museum. I own a 2001 Corvette and have always had a love affair with the Corvettes. After that, we then drove to Nashville where we had dinner at the Wild Horse Saloon and then walked up and down Broadway, which is also known as Music Row. Because we had our two Grandchildren with us, we were not allowed in, but we did stick our heads in a lot of the honky tonks along the street. I just wanted them to experience what went on down there.


On Saturday we completed the drive and got here to our Florida home at 10:00 p.m. It rained all the way from Nashville to northern Florida, which made it a long day. But, we are here, everyone is well and safe, so now we can start to have some fun and go fishing.

Talk to all of you later. Or, as they say here in the south, "Talk to y'all later."
 
Traveling for work and traveling for pleasure are entirely different experiences. I did extensive work travel before retiring and never enjoyed it until retiring and having the time to really smell the roses.
 
Thr first several years after retirement, we traveled a lot. We've slowed down some but still like to go places.

We don't fly though. We travel by car. When flying you only get to see the final destination, by car you get to see the country and you can change directions at any time.
 
rkunsaw said:
Thr first several years after retirement, we traveled a lot. We've slowed down some but still like to go places.

We don't fly though. We travel by car. When flying you only get to see the final destination, by car you get to see the country and you can change directions at any time.
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You brought a good point and I would like to expand on it. I flew for a major airline for 21 years and a regional carrier for another 6 years. If business people have a great distance to travel, then flying is their only choice. If families are going a great distance for vacation or if anyone needs to get to a certain destination and their time is limited, again, flying is their best option. For those of us that are now retired, if we enjoy stopping along the way or just viewing things or places that we have missed over the years, then auto is a good choice.

If I have to travel I prefer doing so by auto. I really do not have much desire to travel because of flying for so many years to so many places, but my wife loves to travel, so I endure it. Someone on this thread suggested that I make a suggestion to her that we take only so many trips or are gone only so many days per year and she was good with it. She knew that I was having problems with all the traveling that we have been doing and as she told me, I have been good about it. So, she has agreed to only take up to four trips per year and be gone from the house no more than 60 days per year.

Being a former pilot and getting free travel has its benefits, but also its drawbacks. This fall, we are going to Oregon and we will be driving up and down the coastline. She saw this area on the travel channel and she says that it is just beautiful. I told her that I have flown up and down the Oregon coast and it appears to be a wonderful place. I enjoy looking at the lighthouses and would really enjoy touring one, maybe even at night.

So, yes, I am now looking forward to this trip.
 
Been on a Cruise to Nassau/Freeport, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone, Custer State Park, Mt. Rushmore, Florida Keys, Orlando, Tampa Bay, Las Vegas, Wrightsville Beach, Myrtle Beach, Cheyenne, WY, Laramie, WY and Curt Gowdy State Park..........all while still employed. Drove and flew. Got plenty of video and photos from all trips. Wife wants to take me to a few places she's been, but I haven't: Washington D.C. (Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, etc.), Niagara Falls and Paris. After she retires in a few years, we may travel some, but travel does take money.
Driving can be as dangerous as flying with so many drivers out there to day "flying" down the freeways.
 
You all seem to have been great travellers! Of course it's different here, you can drive from England to Scotland in about 6/7 hours so we don't have all the wide open spaces to explore. So, we go to other places in Europe, France, Spain, Italy etc.We have had some lovely holidays in the past, but I have to agree with the original poster, getting older means you often no longer want all the bother of the airport. That's why so many people go on cruises I think.We are going to Madeira next year, and will take a break in England or Scotland as well, but that is all we will do now, one or maybe two holidays a year [it's expensive to take too many holidays, as well.]
 
oakapple said:
You all seem to have been great travellers! Of course it's different here, you can drive from England to Scotland in about 6/7 hours so we don't have all the wide open spaces to explore. So, we go to other places in Europe, France, Spain, Italy etc.We have had some lovely holidays in the past, but I have to agree with the original poster, getting older means you often no longer want all the bother of the airport. That's why so many people go on cruises I think.We are going to Madeira next year, and will take a break in England or Scotland as well, but that is all we will do now, one or maybe two holidays a year [it's expensive to take too many holidays, as well.]
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I am not familiar with traveling in Europe. What are the more expensive places or countries to visit? Like here in the U.S., Hawaii is fairly expensive as is New York City. I know my wife has been looking at travel books for Europe, so I want to be ready for her when she springs this on me. We are going to the Oregon Coast in early October. We were going this month, but it isn't going to work for us.
 
Well, Oldman, I think that Switzerland is the most expensive place to visit in Europe. Lovely country though. I like Italy the best, Rome, Florence, and the Italian Lakes in particular. Lake Garda is beautiful, Sirmione at the southern end of the lake is a small ancient place, a good place to stay to explore the area.I also like Paris, but not everyone does, the Dordogne area of France is wonderful to stay or drive through the scenery.Interlaken in Switzerland is a really nice holiday destination. It all depends on what you like, museums, galleries, opera, just walking about old places and sitting having a coffee and people watching [Venice is good for that].
 
Sounds like you may soon need a passport to drive from England to Scotland!

I'm heading for England in a few days, going on a tour of the Cornish coast. I can't wait! Also spending a few days in London, and I'm going on a day trip to Stonehenge, Bath, and Salisbury, none of which I've ever seen. I have been to London once, many years ago. Wish I had a few more weeks to spend there!
 
We travel a lot more since retirement, and our trips are longer. Many are for a month including the annual trip to the US to visit my family. This winter we are spending two months in Thailand.
 
Sunny said:
Sounds like you may soon need a passport to drive from England to Scotland!

I'm heading for England in a few days, going on a tour of the Cornish coast. I can't wait! Also spending a few days in London, and I'm going on a day trip to Stonehenge, Bath, and Salisbury, none of which I've ever seen. I have been to London once, many years ago. Wish I had a few more weeks to spend there!
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Actually, even if Scotland had voted yes for independence you wouldn't have needed a passport to go from one country to the other.
 
I retired TO travel. I am a widow and had planned to keep working til 65 or 66, but I met a great guy five years ago who was retired and was ready to buy a camper and take off to see America. He didn't want to wait another three years, so I finished out my obligations and retired at 62 and we spent a 4-5 month chunk of the year on the road every year. We come back to the stick-and-brick when it cools down and spend the winter at home. I want to see everything I can reasonably hope to see before I get too old. I also like to travel outside the country, which he doesn't, so I travel with my sisters and friends during the winter and spring. The day I want to stop traveling will probably be the day they plant me.
 
jujube said:
I retired TO travel. I am a widow and had planned to keep working til 65 or 66, but I met a great guy five years ago who was retired band was ready to buy a camper and take off to see America. He didn't want to wait another three years, so I finished out my obligations and retired at 62 and we spent a 4-5 month chunk of the year on the road every year. We come back to the stick-and-brick when it cools down and spend the winter at home. I want to see everything I can reasonably hope to see before I get too old. I also like to travel outside the country, which he doesn't, so I travel with my sisters and friends during the winter and spring. The day I want to stop traveling will probably be the day they plant me.
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Same here. I'll always want to travel. Could never understand people who don't want to see the world, but to each his/her own.
 

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