Many Utah lodgings offer senior discounts, and more and more restaurants, attractions, and public transportation systems offer special rates as well. Mention the fact that you're a senior when you make your travel reservations.
Members of AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons), 601 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20049 (tel. 888/687-2277; www.aarp.org), get discounts on hotels, airfares, and car rentals. AARP offers a wide range of member benefits, including AARP: The Magazine and a monthly newsletter. Anyone over 50 can join.
The Federal government offers a Golden Age Passport that gives seniors 62 years or older lifetime entrance to properties administered by the National Park Service and other federal agencies -- national parks, monuments, historic sites, wildlife refuges, and so on -- for a one-time fee of $10, which must be paid in person at any federal recreation facility that charges an entrance fee. Besides free entry, a Golden Age Passport also offers a 50% discount on federal use fees for such facilities as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, and tours. More information is available at www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm or call tel. 888/467-2757.
Many reliable agencies and organizations target the 50-plus market. Elderhostel (tel. 877/426-8056; www.elderhostel.org) arranges study programs for those ages 55 and over (and a spouse or companion of any age) in the U.S. and in more than 80 countries worldwide. Most courses last 5 to 7 days in the U.S. (2-4 weeks abroad), and many include airfare, accommodations in university dormitories or modest inns, meals, and tuition.
Publications offering travel resources and discounts for seniors include: the quarterly magazine Travel 50 & Beyond (www.travel50andbeyond.com); Travel Unlimited: Uncommon Adventures for the Mature Traveler (Avalon), by Alison Gardner; 101 Tips for Mature Travelers, available from Grand Circle Travel (tel. 800/221-2610 or 617/350-7500; www.gct.com); and Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're Over 50 (McGraw-Hill), by Joann Rattner Heilman.
