WS Chronicle

By Judie Holcomb-Pack

July is National Parks and Recreation Month and what better way to recognize this month than to hit the road for a day trip! Day tripping is one of the most popular activities of older adults. Just ask the members of the Salvation Army Seniors group that meets at the center on New Walkertown Road. Kelly Stellato, who organizes activities for the seniors, has planned trips to such places as the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, Buffalo Creek Goat Farm in Germanton, the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, and the Mendenhall Plantation in Jamestown. In May the group toured the Shallowford Popcorn Farm in Hamptonville and had lunch at the Amish Shiloh General Store. The cost for most trips is minimal and trips sell out almost as soon as she announces that reservations are being accepted.

Kelly said she often hears seniors say, “I have lived here for years and I never realized how many different places are right here or within a half hour.”

Susan Meny, Vital Living program director at The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, says that their seniors also enjoy taking trips. The Shepherd’s Center collaborates with Travel On Tours and Ardmore Journeys, as well as plan trips on their own. Earlier this month their seniors took a day trip to Mount Airy to “stroll through 12 private gardens and dine under an outdoor pavilion.” They also took a three-day trip to Blennerhassett Island, which included a stay in a luxury hotel, island tour, music and theatre. They have a day-trip “safari” planned for July 18 where visitors can see several types of exotic animals. They have also visited Asheville, Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theater in Wytheville, Va., as well as dinner and a night at the symphony with door-to-door pick-up and return.

If you’re hankerin’ for some adventure and not sure where to go, check out the website https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/north-carolina/15-unique-nc-day-trips/. The site lists 15 must-see trips ranging from panning for gold, sapphires and rubies in Franklin, to rafting at the White Water Center in Charlotte, and touring Fort Macon on the coast.

Our State magazine also lists popular day trips. Check it out at https://www.ourstate.com/day-trips-in-north-carolina/.

Don’t let being single keep you from enjoying all our state has to offer. Get involved with a senior’s group and sign up to take a day trip. You will quickly make new friends and travel companions. With someone else doing the planning and driving, you can sit back and enjoy a mini-vacation with these adventurous folks.

As one senior remarked to Kelly, “People think because we’re old we just sit home and do nothing. But that’s not true. We go out and visit all sorts of places with the senior center.”