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THE TOPIC OF TRAVEL pops up occasionally on HumbleDollar, and I’ve even written about my own travels. The reasons for not traveling go from “can’t afford” to “no interest.” I can understand “can’t afford.” But the “no interest” is a mystery to me. The only budget we have in retirement is for travel. It’s funded with our Social Security checks.
When I was in school decades ago, my favorite subject was history. That interest has never waned. Few days go by when I don’t watch a documentary on YouTube. Understanding history is vital. What happened in the past is how we arrived at our world today, both good and bad. I believe that, to understand the past, we must see it and feel it.
That has driven me to view firsthand where things happened, to stand on the spot where a major event took place, and to absorb the atmosphere of the location and its people. You won’t find us traveling to lounge on a beach somewhere, but you might see me where the Battle of Little Big Horn was fought, looking out from the highest point.
Several years ago in Sicily, we hired a driver to take us to the small village where my wife’s grandparents had lived. At the town hall, we obtained copies of their birth and marriage certificates, and visited the church where they were married. Even the town clerk was emotional when he gave the papers to my wife.
In the center of the town square was a monument with scores of names engraved. I assumed it was a war memorial. But in speaking with an old man, I learned it was people killed by the Mafia.
In Crimea, we walked the site of the Charge of the Light Brigade. My great, great grandfather fought in that war, before coming to America and joining the Union Army. In Ukraine, I touched the chair where Franklin Roosevelt sat at the Yalta Conference. When I watch footage from today’s war in Ukraine, I occasionally see places we’ve visited.
I’ve walked on Omaha Beach, into a gas chamber at Auschwitz and on Hadrian’s Wall. I’ve kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland and drank from the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida—don’t rely on it.
For me, it was overwhelming to climb the Eiffel Tower, stand where Joan of Arc was executed, and walk among still-thriving 2,000-year-old olive trees in the Holy Land. On Malta, we visited a church bombed during World War II. The unexploded bomb still sits near the altar.
Overcoming claustrophobia, I entered an old bomb shelter in Malta. I also overcame my fear of close places to walk through the catacombs of Rome and enter what’s traditionally accepted as the tomb of Jesus in Israel.
Understanding our world is essential, and seeing and feeling it is important to that understanding. Three weeks in Russia provided a better understanding of a truly different culture, as did visiting Israel, and speaking with Palestinians and listening to their stories.
People in other parts of the world relate to Americans differently. One July 4th in Ireland, the driver decorated our bus with red, white and blue ribbons and American flags. It was quite a feeling. On the other hand, when flying out of Moscow, they let Russians jump ahead, seemingly making it as difficult as possible for us to leave—a somewhat scary feeling.
While visiting Edinburgh Castle, we walked on cobblestone lanes built by Colonial prisoners from the American Revolution. Sometimes, I just stand in a spot, trying to imagine the past.
Who knew I would walk among the penguins on the Falkland Islands, or speak with people who lived through the Falkland’s invasion in 1982? We’ve visited many European families in their homes, some poor and others well off. It can be very different from the way we Americans live, but always a good experience.
Once in the backcountry of Russia, we visited an old widow living in two rooms, sleeping on a cot in the mini kitchen and living on $250 a month. It makes you wonder what they think of “rich” Americans. Children aggressively wanted to sell us their crayon scribblings.
We always try local food. The best meal I ever had was in a home in Bordeaux. I can still taste the cassoulet—as I can the paella in Madrid, the octopus in Rome and the ox tails in… where was that? Don’t get me started on the farm in Italy, with its homemade pizza, rabbit stew and cannolis. On the other hand, don’t make the mistake of ordering a bacon omelet in Jerusalem.
Travel provides an education like no other. No book and no news report can capture the feeling of places and people. History teaches so many valuable lessons, and yet it’s often dismissed as no longer relevant. Every aspect of our lives is affected by the past, by some other place, by some other people.
Richard Quinn blogs at QuinnsCommentary.net. Before retiring in 2010, Dick was a compensation and benefits executive. Follow him on Twitter @QuinnsComments and check out his earlier articles.
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Wow!
Richard is absolutely right about the joys and inspirations of travel, but not necessarily about travel in retirement. I’ve enjoyed spectacular travels in my life as well — a dozen trips to China with my Chinese wife, European and Italian tours (one with a choir that sang in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Church of St. Francis in Assisi), Hawaii, Britain. I love history too. I’ve walked the Great Wall and the walls of Dubrovnik, Lucca and Edinburgh Castle. Just a few weeks ago I stood in a church in Herefordshire that was built in 660. Wow.
But we find ourselves traveling less as time goes on, not more, and we likely will see that trend continue into retirement. Airline chaos, tiny coach seats and two hours in a TSA line just aren’t worth the stress anymore. Special places we loved and would go back to have been buried in tourists (Rome, Yellowstone), closed to us (China), altered by climate change (Kauai) or burned away (Lahaina, Big Basin). We feel ourselves looking at the challenges of travel and becoming homebodys.
I have been retired nearly 14 years and most our traveling has been done during retirement – all fifty states, 45 countries and many more than once, but you are right as one ages it becomes more difficult and stress, but there are still road trips.
I know several people still traveling well into their eighties though. Don’t give up. We can still take cruises not involving flight.
Love this!
I once visited a place in history by sheer accident.
Years ago, I attended a training class in Dallas, Texas. Driving with a friend from the airport to the hotel, we passed through an area I instantly recognized — Dealey Plaza where JFK was assassinated.
We parked the car and walked around. I even walked up the infamous “grassy knoll” that was featured in so many books and articles about the events of that day.
One feature of the area that really impressed me was how narrow was the road that passed in front of the infamous book depository where Lee Harvey Oswald lay in wait. So narrow, in fact, that the people standing on the curbs to watch the motorcade pass by literally saw the assassination right in front of them. I’ve never heard that any of the spectators was splattered with the president’s blood, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some were.
There was a plaque at street level on the book depository with two or three paragraphs describing the history of the building. Only the very last sentence mentioned Lee Harvey Oswald and the events of that day.
There is an eternal flame in Dallas commemorating the late president. Interestingly, it is not in Dealey Plaza, but at another site in the city.
I have to agree about seeing things and places. By complete surprise, this year I came upon the hometown of John Witherspoon in Scotland. There is a plaque on a wall, and not much else. Signer of the US Declaration of Independence. Not part of our plan, but a thrill even so.
Stumbling on unique finds is always fun. On our last trip across country we found Thomas Edison birthplace.
We just returned from a two-week trip though southern Spain: Madrid to Malaga to Granada to Tarifa (plus a daytrip to Tangiers) to Seville to Cordoba. The history lessons learned through walking tours, audio tours, and plus hop-on & hop-off bus trips were outstanding.
Did the same trip a few years ago. Got to ride a camel in Morocco
Wonderful piece – thank you. In a related way, I reflect on the history of the land when I hike, wondering what the land was like a century or a millennium ago. There is historythere for us to learn, even when we can’t see or hear it.
Thank you Mr. Quinn. About 15 years ago when our 2 kids were 6 and 7 we had the good fortune to spend a year traveling the world. I have little doubt the journey had a significant impact on how well-rounded “citizens of the world” they have each become. Most friends thought we were making a big mistake when we told them our plans to take the trip. The 4 of us have continued to enjoy many great trips together and travel has been such a gift in enriching all of our lives.
Great article and it reminded me of places I have been, and those I haven’t, but most importantly, it reminded me of some of the reasons I love to travel. Your opening and closing paragraphs also brought to mind one of my favorite travel quotes, from St. Augustine: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Your reminiscing spurred two thoughts of two of our domestic trips:
Just this month we traveled to the Adirondacks of New York not far from where we live. On a rainy day we were looking for something to do inside. My wife discovered that the building where US Grant died was nearby. The building has been maintained as it was on the day he died. Inside was his clothing and even some of the flower arrangements that were sent for the event.
Another was our trip to Maui. When the wild fires struck I felt devastated for the people of Lahania. I was able to associate with their feelings about the loss of the oldest town in Hawaii, and the potential loss of the Banyan tree which was planted by their last king. It seems with all the loss of life and property that loss of the tree would be trivial, but it is not. I knew that if the tree showed signs of renewed life it would be a sign of hope for the people.
I’m getting goosebumps as I write this because in fact the tree is regenerating.
We’ve had lovely days in Lahaina as well, most notably my buying my wife an anniversary tanzanite at a jewelry store on Front Street (three rounds of bargaining!), her first shave ice ever, and lunch at the upstairs restaurant overlooking the street. The store, the shave ice stand, the restaurant and the street are gone. Heartbreaking.
We bought a hand carved native wooden whale tail signed and dated by the artist. It is displayed prominently in our living room.
PS correct use of the Hawaiian ice treat… shave not shaved
What a great article!
Just a point of clarification regarding the banyan tree: it was not planted by King Kalakaua (Hawaii’s last king), who ascended to the throne in 1874. It was planted in 1873 by William Owen Smith to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Protestant missionaries to the islands. Smith was the sheriff of Lahaina and a member of the group that carried out the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Great comments. You make my points. Grant was dying of throat cancer and while in great pain he struggled in that house to complete his memoirs because he had little money and wanted to generate income for his widow which he did.
I have been to Lahaina several times and I didn’t think of that Banyan tree until you mentioned it. I believe it was the largest such tree in the world.
I had my wife in a location on the porch to recreate the famous photo of Grant working on his memoirs with the shawl covering him
Great article Dick. In addition to scenery and wildlife, our recent Alaska trip gave us a stark view of how indigenous people were treated. One highlight was talking to Marvin, the oldest member of a Tlingit village. He had been a forward observer and reconnaissance lead in the Army in Korea. I was very surprised at how many of elders in the time had served in the Armed Forces. It was an unexpected highlight.
Excellent. With today’s current events a study of the past is certainly warranted as it appears repetition is in the making.
Exactly, every society related problem in this world today can be traced to the past- sometimes centuries past.
Truly inspirational article, Richard. I have also been fortunate to travel a lot and I feel that there is nothing better than waking up somewhere new and looking forward to that day’s adventures.