Travel blog

Thelma Tiambeng-Bright is more than a tourist, she’s a traveler. At 73, this former teacher is still crisscrossing the globe in search of new experiences. Even though she has been widowed for 10 years, she has never let being single stop her from exploring what’s next. Here are her recommendations for seniors looking to pack their bags, fill their passports, and see what comes next in this great, big world:

The blue skies over Albuquerque, New Mexico are filled with bursts of color the beginning of each October. The city’s famed International Balloon Fiesta is perhaps the most photographed hot air balloon festival on the planet.

Drawing thousands of professional and amateur shutterbugs to a site the size of 54 football fields, the greatest hot air ballooning event in the world offers unforgettable moments and jaw-dropping images you’ll be dying to capture.

At the shout of “all burns,” hundreds of pilots fire-up their burners in unison. The call signals the exact moment the scores of hot air balloons are to inflate, lighting themselves from within with bright yellow flames. The glowing “ornaments” are secured so they hover just off the ground like floating Chinese lanterns, brightening the night and illuminating themselves and each other from below like a kid with a flashlight telling stories around a campfire. Talk about a bucket-list experience!

Matcha, or green tea, is not what most Westerners think of as the regular “cuppa.” Matcha is thick, grainy and somewhat resembles pea soup. Chanoyu, or the way of tea, is the Japanese ceremony that celebrates this unusual drink. Far from simply pouring a cup of tea, the heavily symbolic ceremony requires years of training to perfect its ritualistic movements and prescribed order. Here’s why you’ll want to be sure to “take time for tea” on your upcoming travels to Japan.

After a year of planning and about 80,000 hours of manpower, the world’s most famous New Year’s Day parade took off with plenty of pomp and circumstance the first morning of 2018. Beneath sunny California skies, the 129th Rose Parade began with an announcement from Lieutenant Dan himself, grand marshal, actor Gary Sinise, and a military flyover by B-52 stealth bombers. Starting at the corner of Orange Grove and Green, the procession of military veterans, marching bands, equestrian units, and 44 floats decorated entirely with flowers, seeds and organic materials began.

So, you’re planning a trip to Hawaii. How will you experience its many different destinations or get from island to island? How will you know where to best spend your time? With YMT Vacations’ Hawaiian Islands Cruise & Tour, you’ll enjoy a 12-day vacation with no hassles and no planning because we take care of it all--—from creating your itinerary, to choosing which sights can’t be missed, to arranging accommodations and providing delectable shipboard meals. And because this journey includes both a cruise and land portion, you’ll enjoy the best of both worlds. Still not convinced? Here are 12 reasons CruiseFever gives for seeing paradise on YMT’s extraordinary tour aboard the Pride of America:

Prince Edward Island’s tiny capital of Charlottetown is a quaint coastal city and one of the jewels of Canada’s southeast coast. With walking tours and local markets, culinary adventures and a strong literary history, this charming island community is an amazing escape for travelers looking to experience a slower pace of life. Here are our top 10 to do’s across Canada’s Prince Edward Island:

Thelma Tiambeng-Bright knew her husband Jay’s birthday was approaching but rather than mourn the loss of his passing, this widow of 10 years decided this year she would “celebrate with a bang.” So, she spent his birthday amid the pomp and circumstance of the Rose Parade.

You’ve probably heard of Cafe Du Monde and Commander’s Palace, Bourbon Street and Preservation Hall, but what about the lesser-known side of New Orleans? The places locals visit that tourists rarely do.

Here are some sights that may not be on your travel radar and some tips for experiencing another side of NOLA:

What struck Thelma Tiambeng-Bright about the 2018 Tournament of Roses Parade was not just the designs of the floats or the pounding of the snare drums, but the sense of camaraderie she felt all along the parade route.