Well, yes, the main thing most people think of when approaching 62 is the social security aspect, but that’s far too complicated to get into in this blog. And while many readers may already be aware of this benefit, others might not, Whether you’re getting to close to the age or you know someone who is, the National Parks Senior Pass is a great benefit to know about. From their website: “A $10.00 lifetime pass that provides access to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by five Federal agencies, with up to 100% of the proceeds being used to improve and enhance visitor recreation services.” (http://store.usgs.gov/pass/senior.html)

You can also apply on-line for an extra $10 in processing fee, but even with that, you’re talking $20 for a lifetime pass and that’s still a good deal. If you’re like many of us, you have these travel lists and while not all the National Parks charge a fee, most do these days. Although the fees aren’t very much in most cases, why not take advantage of this? For us, with the Everglades practically in our backyard, it comes out to be a small annual savings.

Back when Daddy and my mother, then step-mother were traveling, they made a point to go to a lot of the national parks, some more than once. Then a couple of years ago at the Homestead Book Fair, there was a lovely couple who had retired and set out to visit a large number of the parks and chronicle their experiences. I can’t for the life of me recall if they had actually written a book or they intended to and since I was part of the fair, I didn’t have too long to chat with them. I heard several people mention how much they enjoyed their lecture. So, if you didn’t know about this, now you do. If you did know, make sure you spread the word.