Name: Betty Blocher.
Age: 86.
Residence: Bellingham for five years.
Family: Son Terry and wife Carolyn in Bellingham; son Ron in Ashland, Ore.; son Mike in Encinitas, Calif.; and daughter Sister Sarah Michael in Jemez Springs, N.M.
On the go: An inveterate traveler, Blocher owned a home-based tour company in Encinitas, Calif., named "Betty's Bunnies." She closed the business in 2002, retired and moved to Bellingham.
Travel memories: "Our motto was ‘we go hopping around' because that's what bunnies do. My clients were mostly seniors and I had clients all over the United States. It began as a small group of friends and just kept growing."
Favorite city: "Rome is at the top of the list, it's my favorite city because there's so much to see. I've been there eight times and every time I've seen something new." Vancouver, B.C., and London are other favorites. A map on her den wall is filled with travel destinations.
Favorite country: "Korea, because it's different. I also liked China, Malay and Singapore. I've done a lot in the tropics; we lived in the Philippines for 2½ years."
Flying tip: "Move, move, keep moving. If you're on a plane get up and walk. Don't just sit there. At least every hour go to the restroom or make a loop around the plane, otherwise you can't move when you get off."
Accommodating age: "When traveling by air, anyone of more advanced age (should) get a wheelchair. That will get you through the airport as well as through security," she says. "(The porters) will take you right through."
Keep on truckin': Blocher just returned from visiting a granddaughter in Texas. In two days she'll go to New Mexico to see her daughter, then leave in May for California to visit son Mike. In June she'll returns to California's Bay Area for a great-grandson's graduation and July will find her in Texas for another great-grandson's wedding.
Any limits? "That's as far as I go right now," she says. "I'd like to go back to Hawaii. I have a grandson on Kauai and I haven't seen him for a number of years now, but we'll see." Her daughter-in-law handles the trip scheduling.
Maintaining mobility: "I'm lazy so I don't exercise at a gym. I just walk, move. And I find that's very important," she says. "I love to read and if I sit and read for a while I can't move when I get up, so I try not to sit too long." She enjoys walking to her son's house to visit.
Managing without wheels: "I gave up driving three years ago," she says. "One day I called up my son and said ‘I don't think I should be driving any more,' then I sold my car and gave up my driver's license."
Period of adjustment: "You get used to having a car and if you want to go someplace and do something you just get in the car and go." Without a car, Blocher advises planning ahead; figure out how to get where you're going, either with friends or by bus, and schedule your transportation trips in advance.
By the bus: Blocher loves the Whatcom County bus system and its specialized transportation (with curb-to-curb service to a person's home), but cautions "you need to schedule trips at least a day ahead of time. You can't just decide you want to go somewhere, give them a call and they'll pick you up."
Favorite mode of transportation: "It used to be flying but I can't say that it's my favorite this day and age," she says. "So I would say boat or liner. I love cruising. I've been on about 30 cruises to all parts of the world. On a cruise you're pampered and I enjoy that. A train is nice, but driving cross country doesn't do a lot for me."
Flight plans: Blocher appreciates that airlines offer senior discounts. Her favorite, Southwest Airlines, has a plan that allows seniors to make changes or cancellations, without penalties, to purchased tickets. I always use them for travel within the United States if at all possible."
What she wishes she'd known about senior travel" "How easy it is."