This Month's Features

If you are a fan of our country’s national parks, you’re in good company. More than 300 million people – about equal to the entire U.S. population – enjoy the National Park system every year. And 2016 is a special year, because the National Park Service is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The words “national parks” often conjur up images of soaring landscapes and dramatic terrain, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Among the more than 400 units in the park system are smaller, lesser-known sites around the country that have their own special appeals. They include magnificent scenery, overlooked chapters of American history and intriguing learning experiences.

This is the first of a two-part series. Part two will be published in the November 2016 issue of the Fifty Plus Advocate. In 1740, a Native American chieftain helped lay out an east-to-west route through Great Britain’s Maryland and Pennsylvania colonies.

At first glance, the setting is typical of France. A young boy saunters by carrying a long loaf of bread. Patrons at an outdoor café sip wine and speak in rapid French that defies my menu-level prowess.

In Gilroy, California, people line up to purchase watermelon, ice cream and chocolate, all of which are laced with fresh, pungent garlic. Underwater divers off Florida’s Looe Key are serenaded by sounds ranging from a song sung by the Beatles to the high-pitched call made by humpback whales.

After two recent hip replacements forced her to slow down, Ruth “Penny” Nikolajevs, 67, who had always lived an active hands-on lifestyle wanted to get back in shape.

Watertown – When Bernadette Holbrook was just 57 years old, she was diagnosed with Younger Onset Alzheimer’s; one of a rare 5 percent of people with Alzheimer’s who are diagnosed before their 65th birthday. Her husband, Alan, became a devoted caregiver and a passionate advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association. In 2013, after living with the disease for eight years, Bernadette passed away on May 27 at the age of 65.

Newport Playhouse & Cabaret Restaurant Website: newportplayhouse.com Phone: 401-848-PLAY (7529)   Foxwoods Casino Resort Website: foxwoods.com Phone: 800-369-9663   Boston Duck Tours Website: bostonducktours.com Phone: 617-267-3825   Kennebunkport, Maine – Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce Website: gokennebunks.com/pages/towns/kennebunkport Phone: 207-967-0857   Spirit...

As members of the 78 million baby boomer population retire, they are creating gaps in the workforce since there are not enough younger people to fill the positions.

A rooster strolls by colorful storefronts where vendors hack pieces of sugar cane, which passers-by purchase and chew to extract the sweet juice.

Like old friends, they chatted, caught up and reminisced.