Adventures for the Seasoned Traveler

Many of the baby boomers who trekked around the world in the 1960s and '70s hung up their backpacks long ago. People with families and mortgages often choose safer, more cushy trips, pushing adventurous travel into the back corners of the storage room - and maybe, with a deep sigh, into the realm of fantasy.

Now, many boomers are empty nesters and retirees with more generous schedules and bank accounts. Don Mankin, co-author with Shannon Stowell, of "Riding the Hula-Hula to the Arctic Ocean: A Guide to Fifty Extraordinary Adventures for the Seasoned Traveler," says people in their fifties and sixties should seize the moment and seek adventure!

And we hear a commentary from native New Yorker and world traveler Ethan Todras-Whitehill, who says he deals with culture shock often – but it’s when he’s coming home, not setting sail. After returning from a long trip to South America, he describes struggling to reacquaint himself with his beloved hometown.

(Photo by Kelly Nicoll)