Latest news with #RoadScholar
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
More Married Women Are Traveling Alone Than Ever Before—Here's Why
According to research from multiple studies, more married women are choosing to travel by themselves than ever before. While older women are leading the charge, younger women are becoming more interested in solo travel as well. Best of all? Many are saying that it's actually been good for their a surprising shift happening in the world of travel: more married women are booking solo getaways than ever before. According to a 2024 study by online travel agency over 54 percent of women surveyed said they wanted to travel solo. And according to previous studies, such as one from 2023 by Boston-based tour operator Road Scholar, found that 60 percent of its solo travelers were married women traveling without their spouses. In that same year, another report from Australian travel agency Flight Centre found that women going it alone was the company's most common type of traveler. But don't be mistaken. While some are opting for quiet beach vacations or leisurely wine tastings. More and more, women are choosing bold, immersive adventures—think of destinations such as Morocco, Colombia, Egypt, and Cuba. Places that challenge and could potentially transform them. 'I think there are multiple reasons, including the fact that women are exhausted at being defined as mothers, wives, grandmothers, career women, etc, and they're facing the if not now, when' question head on,' Stacey Ray, owner of the female-founded travel company Sisterhood Travels, says. For many women in older generations (such as baby boomers and those in Generation X), travel may have once felt exclusively like something reserved for family vacations or something that you would do with a husband. But more and more women are taking the plunge and booking a ticket for one. 'Approximately 40 percent of our clients are married women traveling solo," Rays says. '[That's] up about 15 percent over the last couple of years. The median age range is between 58 and 68 for married women traveling solo, and I think this demographic will continue to rise as other married women share the wonderful experiences they're having.' For Kelly Lewis, founder of the boutique travel company Damesly, says many of her clients travel simply because their spouses can't or don't want to. 'Most of my guests have partners or are married, but choose to travel solo because their partners can't take time off work, or they don't have an interest in traveling,' Lewis says. For writer and blogger Megan Padilla, she and her husband have different traveling styles. Plus, she loves the freedom. 'It's incredible to travel exactly on your terms —to choose what matters most and how you want to spend your time and money without having to bend, cave, or compromise,' Padilla says. 'For example, I love lingering over a spritz at a tiny café in Rome. My husband doesn't drink and isn't interested in food, so if I were with him, I'd miss out on those little moments that make the trip truly mine.' However, for L.A.-based writer Carrie Bell, traveling alone became a necessity during a period of bereavement. And it ended up being exactly what she needed. 'After my dad died, I took a solo road trip to the high desert—Joshua Tree, and Palm Springs—for work. My husband couldn't travel with me because he didn't have the time off, so I had to go alone,' she said. 'It ended up being incredibly special. The desert, especially Joshua Tree, was a place my dad took me as a kid on camping trips, and being there felt like reconnecting with him. I spent my days walking, crying, soaking in hot springs, watching sunsets, and trying to figure out how to move forward without him. That trip became a turning point. Now, I return often to the desert for solo escapes, it's where I go to recenter, reflect, and remember.' Traveling alone, whether it's to it's a wellness retreat in Sedona or a bustling photography expedition in the Galapagos, offers many women an opportunity to reconnect with themselves, away from the demands of daily life. It's not about leaving their marriage behind, but rather, about leaning into rest and independence. For Bell, traveling alone is part of her formula for keeping a healthy marriage. Time apart reinforces her and her husband's time together. 'It's important for me to have these experiences on my own as a way to forge my own identity and feel like a whole person,' she says. Nancy Arehart, a retired photographer from the Raleigh–Durham metropolitan area of North Carolina, says that solo travel has only strengthened her marriage and was born out of necessity, as well as a love for the camera. 'At the time, my husband and I were caregiving for my elderly parents, and we found it pretty necessary to go on solo vacations because one of us needed to be home to care for my parents,' she says. 'I decided, at the encouragement of my husband, to do a photography-focused trip with a friend. I quickly discovered that I loved traveling.' Since then, solo travel has become a shared passion for both her and her husband, and Arehart has visited over 15 countries alone, including Antarctica, the Galapagos, Botswana, India, Africa, Brazil, Svalbard, and Peru. 'We don't always need to be physically next to each other to keep our marriage strong and thriving,' she says. 'Even though my parents are both deceased now, we still do our solo travel, but we make a point of scheduling a few vacations that we can do together each year as well.' Though older women are certainly leading the charge (in that Flight Centre study, the average age of a woman traveling alone was 52), younger women are also becoming more interested in traveling solo. According to travel public relations company ASA Luxury's Travel Trends Report 2025, 58 percent of Gen Z women expressed an interest in traveling abroad alone, and 83 percent said they were inspired to do so by social media influencers and celebrities. For some, however, it's as simple as considering the experiences of the women closest to them—and wanting more for themselves. 'My husband's grandmother did everything right for her generation,' Bell says. '[She] raised a family, kept a home, but never traveled because her husband didn't want to. After he passed, she realized she'd never seen anywhere beyond her hometown. That conversation made me realize: I'd rather dine alone and wonder if the maître d' pities me than miss out just because my husband can't come." Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
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Travel + Leisure
5 days ago
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
More Married Women Are Traveling Alone Than Ever Before—Here's Why
According to research from multiple studies, more married women are choosing to travel by themselves than ever before. While older women are leading the charge, younger women are becoming more interested in solo travel as well. Best of all? Many are saying that it's actually been good for their marriages. There's a surprising shift happening in the world of travel: more married women are booking solo getaways than ever before. According to a 2024 study by online travel agency over 54 percent of women surveyed said they wanted to travel solo. And according to previous studies, such as one from 2023 by Boston-based tour operator Road Scholar, found that 60 percent of its solo travelers were married women traveling without their spouses. In that same year, another report from Australian travel agency Flight Centre found that women going it alone was the company's most common type of traveler. But don't be mistaken. While some are opting for quiet beach vacations or leisurely wine tastings. More and more, women are choosing bold, immersive adventures—think of destinations such as Morocco, Colombia, Egypt, and Cuba. Places that challenge and could potentially transform them. 'I think there are multiple reasons, including the fact that women are exhausted at being defined as mothers, wives, grandmothers, career women, etc, and they're facing the if not now, when' question head on,' Stacey Ray, owner of the female-founded travel company Sisterhood Travels, says. For many women in older generations (such as baby boomers and those in Generation X), travel may have once felt exclusively like something reserved for family vacations or something that you would do with a husband. But more and more women are taking the plunge and booking a ticket for one. 'Approximately 40 percent of our clients are married women traveling solo," Rays says. '[That's] up about 15 percent over the last couple of years. The median age range is between 58 and 68 for married women traveling solo, and I think this demographic will continue to rise as other married women share the wonderful experiences they're having.' A group in Havana. Stacey Ray/Sisterhood Travels For Kelly Lewis, founder of the boutique travel company Damesly, says many of her clients travel simply because their spouses can't or don't want to. 'Most of my guests have partners or are married, but choose to travel solo because their partners can't take time off work, or they don't have an interest in traveling,' Lewis says. For writer and blogger Megan Padilla, she and her husband have different traveling styles. Plus, she loves the freedom. 'It's incredible to travel exactly on your terms —to choose what matters most and how you want to spend your time and money without having to bend, cave, or compromise,' Padilla says. 'For example, I love lingering over a spritz at a tiny café in Rome. My husband doesn't drink and isn't interested in food, so if I were with him, I'd miss out on those little moments that make the trip truly mine.' However, for L.A.-based writer Carrie Bell, traveling alone became a necessity during a period of bereavement. And it ended up being exactly what she needed. 'After my dad died, I took a solo road trip to the high desert—Joshua Tree, and Palm Springs—for work. My husband couldn't travel with me because he didn't have the time off, so I had to go alone,' she said. 'It ended up being incredibly special. The desert, especially Joshua Tree, was a place my dad took me as a kid on camping trips, and being there felt like reconnecting with him. I spent my days walking, crying, soaking in hot springs, watching sunsets, and trying to figure out how to move forward without him. That trip became a turning point. Now, I return often to the desert for solo escapes, it's where I go to recenter, reflect, and remember.' Traveling alone, whether it's to it's a wellness retreat in Sedona or a bustling photography expedition in the Galapagos, offers many women an opportunity to reconnect with themselves, away from the demands of daily life. It's not about leaving their marriage behind, but rather, about leaning into rest and independence. For Bell, traveling alone is part of her formula for keeping a healthy marriage. Time apart reinforces her and her husband's time together. 'It's important for me to have these experiences on my own as a way to forge my own identity and feel like a whole person,' she says. Nancy Arehart, a retired photographer from the Raleigh–Durham metropolitan area of North Carolina, says that solo travel has only strengthened her marriage and was born out of necessity, as well as a love for the camera. Nancy Arehart while on a safari in South Africa. Stacey Ray/Sisterhood Travels 'At the time, my husband and I were caregiving for my elderly parents, and we found it pretty necessary to go on solo vacations because one of us needed to be home to care for my parents,' she says. 'I decided, at the encouragement of my husband, to do a photography-focused trip with a friend. I quickly discovered that I loved traveling.' Since then, solo travel has become a shared passion for both her and her husband, and Arehart has visited over 15 countries alone, including Antarctica, the Galapagos, Botswana, India, Africa, Brazil, Svalbard, and Peru. 'We don't always need to be physically next to each other to keep our marriage strong and thriving,' she says. 'Even though my parents are both deceased now, we still do our solo travel, but we make a point of scheduling a few vacations that we can do together each year as well.' Though older women are certainly leading the charge (in that Flight Centre study, the average age of a woman traveling alone was 52), younger women are also becoming more interested in traveling solo. According to travel public relations company ASA Luxury's Travel Trends Report 2025, 58 percent of Gen Z women expressed an interest in traveling abroad alone, and 83 percent said they were inspired to do so by social media influencers and celebrities. For some, however, it's as simple as considering the experiences of the women closest to them—and wanting more for themselves. 'My husband's grandmother did everything right for her generation,' Bell says. '[She] raised a family, kept a home, but never traveled because her husband didn't want to. After he passed, she realized she'd never seen anywhere beyond her hometown. That conversation made me realize: I'd rather dine alone and wonder if the maître d' pities me than miss out just because my husband can't come."
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Yahoo
Learn about railways' influence on history
Volunteer Millers of de Immigrant Windmill will be hosting a program about the influence of railways on American history. Illinois is the nation's railroad crossroads. They dramatically shaped the state's economy and communities; while creating an industry with a cultural allure. The speeding locomotives became icons of population growth and corporate America. Historian, Mike Matejka, will outline the influence the railways displayed. This program is supported by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholar program. Come out on Monday, March 31 at 6:00 p.m. in the Windmill Cultural Center at 111- 10th Avenue Fulton. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation. The facility is accessible to persons with disabilities. The event is free and open to the public. If you have questions, please contact 563-249-6115. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
18-02-2025
- Associated Press
Road Scholar Celebrates 50 Years of Transformative Learning Adventures Engaging Older Adults Across Generations
Yearlong Festivities to Include Special Events & Inaugural Educator Legacy Award - Nominations Now Open for Retiring Educators to Win Once-in-a-Lifetime Trip Boston, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - February 18, 2025) - Road Scholar, the not-for-profit world leader in educational experiences for older adults, celebrates its 50 th anniversary in 2025. To mark this milestone and further its mission of inspiring adults to learn, discover and travel, Road Scholar is hosting a special FREE online keynote event with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, and is accepting nominations for the Road Scholar Educator Legacy Award, honoring one retiring educator with the learning adventure of a lifetime. 'For 50 years, Road Scholar has empowered older adults to explore, learn and connect with the world around them,' said James Moses, CEO of Road Scholar. 'Beginning with our first program at the University of New Hampshire in 1975, we have partnered with thousands of colleges, universities, museums, and cultural centers around the world, and with exceptional teachers, professors, and expert instructors to provide educational experiences to more than 6 million older adults across generations. We are proud of the work we've done changing perceptions of aging, and of the educational community we've built united by curiosity, adventure and a passion for discovery.' To kick off its anniversary celebration, Road Scholar recently announced the winners of its first-ever Great Global Giveaway, which awarded seven winners the opportunity to experience an educational adventure for two on each of all seven continents. The lucky winners announced this week include Rosemary and Tom S. from Washington, who are off on an expedition to the glaciers and islands of Antarctica, while Anita and Larry N. from Tennessee will travel to Asia to dive deep into the ancient cultures of the Mekong. Elizabeth W. from Florida will experience the unique wildlife of Australia, and Noreen O. from Hawaii will head to Africa. Julie M. from, Maryland will visit six national parks in North America, Terri M. from Wisconsin will travel to Europe for a French art voyage, and Dottie P. from Colorado will venture to South America to climb Machu Picchu and learn about Incan culture. The seven lucky winners were selected from Road Scholar's entire community that included both long-time members and those who joined the mailing list in 2024. Moving forward in 2025, Road Scholar Is Celebrating Its 50 th Anniversary with several exciting new initiatives, including: Educator Legacy Award - Road Scholar's inaugural Educator Legacy Award will celebrate one remarkable retiring educator who has left a lasting legacy in their students' lives. Designed to honor an impactful career, the award recipient will receive a $5,000 Road Scholar voucher to embark on a lifelong learning adventure of their choice. To nominate a retiring educator, complete this form. Entries close on March 31, and the winner will be announced in May, coinciding with Teacher Appreciation Week. 2025 Keynote Event: Doris Kearns Goodwin 'Leadership in Turbulent Times' - As part of its anniversary events, Road Scholar is offering a free virtual lecture by acclaimed presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin. Taking place on Thursday, April 3 this special FREE one-hour lecture and Q&A session will explore leadership during challenging periods in U.S. history. Registration for the virtual lecture is available here. 50 Roads to Learning - To honor 50 years of transformative learning adventures, Road Scholar has curated 50 unique educational adventures that reflect the depth and richness of educational travel. Each program offers travelers the chance to explore captivating destinations such as the Azores, South Africa and Egypt, uncover profound insights, and connect with extraordinary people who share a passion for discovery. The collection of 50th-anniversary programs can be found here. 'Fifty years ago, our founders set out to prove that learning has no age limit. This year, we celebrate those who have explored the world of learning and discovery with us. We look forward to inspiring older adults for generations to come with 50 more years of discovery and adventurous aging,' said Moses. For five decades, Road Scholar has pursued its mission to empower older adults through learning and redefine aging. Its educational experiences are offered virtually online, in over 100 countries, seven continents, and across the United States. # # # To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Media Note: Hi-res images can be found HERE. About Road Scholar Not-for-profit Road Scholar is the world leader in educational experiences for older adults, serving 90,000 lifelong learners annually. Founded as 'Elderhostel' in 1975, Road Scholar is celebrating their 50 th anniversary in 2025 with a Great Global Giveaway, among other special projects. Road Scholar programs combine travel and education to provide experiential learning opportunities featuring an extraordinary range of topics, formats, activity levels, and locations-on all seven continents and throughout the United States. Alongside renowned experts, participants experience in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning opportunities by land and by sea on educational travel adventures designed for curious adventurers over 50. 617-521-5301
