Continuing travel

As a recent widow, I want to encourage others in my situation to not give up traveling now that your spouse is gone. Changes can be made.

I spent 10 days in London showing my 21-year-old granddaughter the sights of that great city, Jan. 18-28, 2008. It was a good time to do sightseeing, as most of the must-see attractions were inside and the crowds were waiting for better weather. We had some rainy days but not enough to dampen our enthusiasm.

The Houses of Parliament were so interesting. Other favorites were the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Borough Market, which is somewhat like the Pike Place Market in Seattle.

Also, figuring out free things to do and see plus eating reasonably priced food gave us a fun challenge to see how creative we could be.

Our hotel, purchased on www. hotwire.com, was our big bargain. Paying $106 for a 4-star hotel made us happy every time we had a 25-dollar lunch with tap water.

My 19-year-old granddaughter is waiting in line to go to Paris with me next. So remember: travel is not over just because you are now in a different situation.

All the good tricks learned about traveling, sometimes the hard way, now can be passed on to another generation. In addition to having a great bonding time with your relatives, it’s a great opportunity to be able to discuss all sorts of interesting things like culture, history, politics, religion and food. It is great fun to see how young people view things.

Working out the travel arrangements, schedules, budgets, currency exchanges, etc., provides real life chances to teach them how the world works. Great memories and photos of all the things you do together will create a special bond between you and your grandchild. Try it!

Research, research, research! There are so many resources available to us today online and in excellent travel books that there is no reason not to have a good trip.

Visit www.tripadvisor.com. It is an excellent place to check out accommodations and the experiences of other travelers.

But even when things don’t go exactly as planned, disappointing hotels, unusual meals and rude waiters all can be chalked up to learning experiences that you will work to avoid next time.

Keep the attitude that as long as you are safe and healthy, you’ll survive and live to travel another day.

PATRICIA ADAMS

Prescott, WA