Road to Retirement
Sue Garton didn't take a camera on her trip last year to Peru, but she arrived back home in Slippery Rock Township with photographs as well as new friends who shared them with her.
"It was perfect," said Garton, 74, of a trip offered through the Institute for Learning in Retirement at Slippery Rock University.
Though 22 travelers were on the 12-day tour, Garton was among eight from the Butler County area.
"We didn't know each other well, but it was wonderful," she said. "And we did become good friends."
The Peru trip was one of 13 offered since 2004, when ILR began coordinating trips to complement an existing lineup of classes geared toward people in retirement.The trips are offered in conjunction with Collette Vacations, a Rhode Island-based travel company that specializes in educational tours."We offer two to three per year, one is in the winter — and usually that's to the Southern Hemisphere," said Connie Smith, ILR registration coordinator. "We just head to where it's not snowing."Winter trips like the one to Peru usually occur in January or February. Others, to the Northern Hemisphere or Europe, are offered in the spring and fall.Since the program's inception, travel destinations have included everything from Mexico's Copper Canyon to an Alaska discovery cruise.Because Collette trips can accommodate 35 to 40 people, the ILR travelers are combined with other groups for maximum capacity."It's a good way to meet new people, but it's always nice to have at least a few familiar faces along with you," said Smith, who has been on several of the jaunts."I've met a lot of people I never would have met otherwise."Although Smith often attends the trips with her husband, Warren, the tours likewise appeal to seniors traveling alone.The Peru trip marked a first for Garton, a widow for three years."It was fine when I had my husband to travel with. It was fine to be by ourselves," she said. "I've reached the stage I don't want to do that anymore."Also a widow, Claire Schmieler of Marion Township has been traveling with ILR since 2007, when she went to Costa Rica and saw the Canadian Rockies by rail."That was the year I turned 65, and I treated myself to (the adventures)," she said. "You can complain about it or you can celebrate."
Schmieler's celebration continued through subsequent years to include the trip to Peru. Joe and Garnet Stahlman of Slippery Rock Township also signed up for that trip.Both in their 80s, the Stahlmans are veteran travelers, having attended multiple ILR trips as well as trips on their own.Like many members of ILR, the Stahlmans laud the travel program because it supports the group's educational goals."I'm always for learning new things, and that's what appeals to me. On the Canadian Rockies trip they had a geologist," Joe Stahlman said, noting those mountains are still growing, but the U.S. Rockies have begun to shrink.Even without designated educators, ILR members say trips offer authentic exposure to cultures — taking travelers into small towns and villages, where locals share aspects of their lifestyle.On a Danube River cruise during a 2006 Russia trip, for instance, the Stahlmans tasted drinks made from local elderberries and brandy made from local plums.Schmieler learned much in South America."Peru was probably the highlight of my cultural immersion, because part of that trip involved three different encounters with indigenous people," Schmieler said, describing riding a bus high into the Andes as far as the switchback roads would go."Some of the roads you didn't think a motor coach could navigate on, but the driver did it."At the bus destination, villagers were waiting to accompany travelers along the footpath to their village. Some served as personal escorts to travelers with mobility issues, stopping to rest in the high altitude."We brought gifts to the people: food items they didn't typically have," Schmieler said, noting grocery stores were accessed via a long trek on foot."We walked through an archway and they threw flower petals as we walked. They played the flute and drums," she said. "We stayed for a visit and they explained through the interpreter their way of life. They explained what they ate and how they lived their life."The lifestyle included making mud bricks and spinning and weaving alpaca fiber, then offering the goods for sale.The tour company alternates between villages to allow equal access to visitors, Schmieler said.Other cultural encounters included visiting a girls orphanage sponsored by Collette, where the girls told of their lifestyle and aspirations. As a parting gift, the girls placed a handmade bracelet on each of the female travelers' wrists.Schmieler's third rich cultural experience included a visit to Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America. Located on the border near Bolivia, the lake is at 12,500 feet above sea level, making it one of the world's highest navigable lakes.Despite that distinction, Schmieler said a more remarkable site was the small islands created from reeds, where tiny settlements thrive."The reeds are bound together and they are very, very deep," Schmieler said. "They go way down, but the islands float."Schmieler was impressed by boats made of reeds, huts made of reeds and little trout ponds created on the man-made islands."Every island has maybe three to seven families living on it, but there are many, many islands. They even have a (floating) school," she said.
Although visiting Lake Titicaca and other sites was planned as part of the tour, travelers say flexibility is possible.On one ILR trip, Schmieler noted she would like to attend Catholic Mass while traveling, and tour guides helped to arrange it.The Stahlmans said operators also consider potential issues related to aging, making oxygen available at hotels in high altitudes.Smith said travelers assess in advance their ability to endure a given trip, taking into account the lack of handicapped accessibility in places like Europe, where some landmarks contain stairs.But once in attendance, travelers can opt out of certain activities.Garnet Stahlman, for instance, has had knee, hip and shoulder replacements. At 84, she opted out of a few walking segments in Peru, but describes the trips as worth taking."They wand me all over," she said of the airport security. "(But) I can still go."Smith said travelers also are consulted during the selection process."We'll select maybe two dozen destinations we think would appeal to our people," she said. "We'll send out a survey to people who have traveled in the past."Joining ILR entails paying an annual fee that entitles members to take unlimited classes. Because some classes relate to the destinations visited, ILR members are aware of the trips — but the trips and selection process are open to anyone."We send out flyers to a mailing list of about 2,000 people in addition to our membership," she added, noting paid annual memberships hover just below 200.Local attendance on trips ranges from several travelers to as many as 20, with costs ranging between $2,000 and $4,500. Trips usually last between one and two weeks."We're looking for value — of course, who isn't?" Smith said. "But we try to have at least one trip a year that's reasonably priced. It's getting harder and harder to find trips that are priced like that, because our trips always include air to and from Pittsburgh."Although the Alaska cruise was among the most expensive offered since the trips began, Smith said that trip was based on demand — with 18 people going."The Alaska trip was an expensive trip, but there was so much desire on the part of our people," Smith said."This was a once-in-a-lifetime: They always wanted to go to Alaska. We went and it was successful."
The Institute for Learning in Retirement is a member-directed organization sponsored by Slippery Rock University.Benefits of membership, which costs $100 annually or $60 for six months, include unlimited access to the institute's classes, activities and social events.ILR also coordinates multiple annual trips, which are open to nonmembers. Upcoming trips include.• Italian Lakes and Greek Isles — 12-day trip departing May 21• Hidden Treasures of the Maritimes — 10-day trip departing Aug. 8• Glory and Ruins of the Maya — 10-day trip departing Feb. 21, 2011Prices vary and often depend on the type of accommodations desired.For information, contact the center at ruth.hoffman@sru.edu or 724-738-1604.<BR></BR><BR></BR>
Road to Retirement is the latest in a monthly series about Butler County residents and their travels. To share your vacation with Butler Eagle readers, call Sandy Marwick at 724-282-8000, Ext. 252.
