March is Women’s History Month. This year, the theme is #BalanceforBetter, a balanced world is a better world. I can’t think of a better reason for marking the occasion of women’s achievement and trying to raise awareness against bias.

Celebrating women who travel is just one of the many categories of impressive females in our history. We’ve all heard of Amelia Earhart, Jane Goodall and Nellie Bly, the list of inspiring women is a comprehensive one.  Intrepid explorers all: one part bravery, one part brains and a whole lot of wanderlust and passion.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, I thought I’d share the stories of  a group of relatively unknown women with very different histories. One a survivor, one a wealthy explorer, one a remarkable artist and a group of women scaling new heights of adventurer. The common thread- women who travel runs through and changes their lives in unexpected ways.

The words of the Hawaiian language are melodic. From the voice of the right storyteller, they roll off the tongue in a form of lyrical poetry. When joined by the ukulele and hula, they combine to tell a verbal history that is passed from generation to generation. This is what they call in the Hawaiian Islands Talk Story. It was one of the highlights of my trip when I had the opportunity to cruise the islands aboard a 36 passenger expedition ship.

What makes a good storyteller? It’s a question I often ask myself as I try to translate the experiences I have as a traveler into words for my readers. As one who loves the telling of tales, I don’t think I could have been luckier than to have Danny “Kaniela” Akaka Jr. and his wife Ana as our onboard hosts during a 7 day island exploration with UnCruise Adventure in Hawaii.  I had the chance to interview them both during a quiet moment on deck overlooking the Pacific and volcanic mountains of Maui.

When I asked my favorite Baby Boomer travel writers to let me in on their dream destinations, I had to admit, the answers surprised me more than a little. This group knows their way around the globe, and if I did a tally, they’ve probably visited almost every one of the 195 countries on  earth. After all, this demographic has the means and desire to learn and broaden their horizons thru travel.

Photo of Tetiaroa via The Brando

According to AARP 2019 survey:

• Boomers anticipate taking 4-5 leisure trips in 2018, for which they will spend~$6,300 across all trips.

• Of the trips planned for 2018, Bucket List destinations are mentioned most often among Boomers.

Experiential, more authentic trips have them looking to local entrepreneurs for eating and touring.

The Outer Banks is well known as the birthplace of flight, and while the Wright brothers might hold the mantle as the Pioneers of Aviation, this coastal retreat is the perfect spot for visitors to also take their first flight on an Outer Banks vacation.

Hmmm, your thinking, is she talking about an airplane flight, because I’ve already put that feat in the rear view mirror? The answer would be no, I’m talking about soaring above the dunes yourself, attached to a kite, on an adventure in Kitty Hawk North, Carolina.

Looking for a romantic destination? Vienna for couples certainly has more than its fair share of  the dreamy quotient. The capital of Austria is filled with music, art, culture, history and of course, swoonworthy sights certain to steal your heart.

This centuries-old city comes complete with magnificent opera houses, majestic castles and quaint cafés. My husband and I chose Vienna for couples as the first stop on our anniversary celebration; a perfect beginning for combining romance and Mozart on  European tour.