Month: March 2025

She defied gravity, but can she defy death too?

For seniors with mobility challenges, finding the right travel experiences can be daunting. However, many tour operators now offer travel tours for seniors with limited walking, ensuring that accessibility is a top priority. These tours provide accommodations for those using wheelchairs, walkers, or simply needing a slower pace, allowing everyone to enjoy exciting destinations comfortably.

What Are the Best Accessible Tours for Limited Mobility?

When choosing a tour designed for seniors with limited walking abilities, look for companies that specialize in accessibility. The best accessible tours for limited mobility include:

Cruises with Shore Excursions – Many cruise lines offer wheelchair-friendly excursions with accessible transportation and minimal walking.

Bus and Train Tours – Luxury motorcoach and rail tours eliminate the need for excessive walking while providing stunning views and stops at major attractions.

Guided City Tours with Accessible Routes – Many travel companies offer urban experiences with step-free access and wheelchair-friendly routes.

National Park Tours with Accessibility in Mind – Parks such as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite have accessible pathways, shuttle services, and viewpoints designed for individuals with mobility limitations.

European River Cruises – These small, intimate cruises focus on smooth, accessible excursions without the need for excessive movement.

Read more: 9 Reasons Why Cruising Is Great for Solo Women Travelers.

Read more: National Park Bus Tours for Seniors.

How Can I Find Wheelchair-Accessible Travel Tours?

Finding wheelchair-accessible travel tours is easier than ever. Many reputable companies provide itineraries specifically designed for seniors who need reduced walking requirements. Key features to look for:

• Fully accessible transportation – buses with lifts, wheelchair ramps, or priority seating.
• Step-free accommodations – roll-in showers and accessible hotel rooms.
• Excursions with little to no walking – and optional transportation assistance.
• Trained guide – experienced in assisting those with mobility challenges.

Some of the most well-known accessible travel providers include:

• Road Scholar – Offers educational tours with accessibility considerations.
• Collette Tours – Provides accessible group travel experiences worldwide.
• Tauck Tours – High-end tours with options for limited walking and mobility assistance.
• Viking River Cruises – Features European cruises with accessible excursions.

Read more: 7 Best Senior Travel Groups.

Are There Tours That Allow Mobility Scooters or Walkers?

Yes, many travel tours for seniors allow guests to bring their own mobility scooters, walkers, or other assistive devices. When booking a tour, be sure to:

• Confirm with the travel company that they accommodate mobility aids.
• Check airline policies if flying with a mobility scooter.
• Ensure hotels and transport options have proper storage and accessibility features.
• Request assistance if needed—many tours offer support staff to help with accessibility needs.

How Do I Choose the Right Accessible Tour?

When selecting the best travel tours for the elderly with limited walking, consider the following factors:

• Level of Accessibility – Ensure the tour provides step-free access, ramps, and wheelchair-friendly transport.
• Pace of the Tour – Look for tours with a relaxed schedule and optional excursions.
• Medical Assistance Availability – Some tours include access to healthcare professionals or emergency services.
• Group Size – Smaller group tours often provide better support and personal attention.
• Customer Reviews – Check feedback from previous travelers with similar mobility concerns.

Travel Tours for Seniors with Limited Walking

These tours have been selected for their dedication to providing accessible travel experiences, ensuring that seniors with limited mobility can explore new destinations comfortably and safely.

Road Scholar’s New York City at a Slower Pace: The Best of the Big Apple

This six-day program offers an in-depth exploration of New York City, featuring expert-led visits to iconic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The itinerary is designed to minimize walking and includes accessible transportation options.

Why we included it: Road Scholar specializes in educational travel for seniors, and this particular tour is tailored for those seeking a slower-paced experience with limited walking, ensuring accessibility throughout.

Iceland Unlimited’s Accessible Iceland Tours

Iceland Unlimited provides customized tours for travelers with mobility challenges. Their accessible Iceland tours include visits to natural wonders like the Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle, utilizing wheelchair-friendly vehicles and accommodations.

Why we chose Iceland Unlimited Accessible Tours: Iceland Unlimited is renowned for its commitment to accessibility, offering personalized itineraries that cater to the specific needs of seniors with limited mobility. 

Sage Traveling’s Accessible European River Cruises

Sage Traveling offers European river cruises designed for travelers with mobility limitations. These cruises provide accessible cabins, step-free access throughout the ship, and shore excursions tailored to accommodate wheelchairs and mobility aids.

Reason for Including: Sage Traveling focuses exclusively on accessible travel, ensuring that every aspect of the journey, from accommodations to excursions, is suitable for seniors with limited walking capabilities. 

Easy Access Travel’s Accessible Alaskan Cruise

Easy Access Travel organizes accessible cruises to destinations like Alaska, offering accessible staterooms, accommodating public areas, and shore excursions designed for those with mobility challenges.

Reason for Inclusion: Easy Access Travel specializes in accessible cruise vacations, ensuring that seniors with limited mobility can enjoy a seamless and comfortable travel experience.

Scotland & Ireland Accessible Tour

Travel for All offers this fully accessible trip through Scotland and Ireland, featuring wheelchair-friendly accommodations, step-free sightseeing, and accessible transport. This tour includes visits to historic castles, scenic landscapes, and charming towns, all designed with accessibility in mind. 

Why we included this tour: Travelers can enjoy hassle-free transportation and accommodations that cater to those with mobility challenges.

What Should I Pack for an Accessible Tour?

Preparing for accessible adventures requires careful planning. Be sure to pack:

• Comfortable, slip-resistant shoes (even if walking is minimal)

Read more: Best Walking Shoes for Senior Women.

• Lightweight, portable mobility aids (if needed)
• Medications and medical documentation
• A portable ramp or threshold mat (if traveling independently)
• Emergency contact details and travel insurance information
• A travel-sized seat cushion for long journeys

Exploring the world doesn’t have to stop due to mobility challenges. With an increasing number of accessible tours for limited mobility, seniors can continue to enjoy travel experiences tailored to their needs. Whether it’s a scenic train ride, a luxurious cruise, or an accessible guided city tour, there are plenty of options designed for comfort and ease. 

By choosing the right tour, planning ahead, and ensuring accessibility features meet your requirements, you can enjoy a fulfilling travel experience without limitations.

Read more: 8 Slow-Paced Tours for Seniors.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you have limited walking capabilities? Do you like to travel with tours that cater to the elderly with limited walking? Which tours have you been on? Tell us about it in the comments below. 

Ladies, I always enjoy reading your feedback and comments – and after 30 years, I still learn from all of you! Considering about 35-40% of my clients are men in the 50–80-year-old age group, believe me, after a recent divorce or being widowed, they definitely need help from the opposite sex on what resonates with you.

So, here are my thoughts – and at the end, I’d love to hear from you if I may have missed any!

1. Choose High-Quality Photos That Show the Real You

Don’t post one or two photos – post at least five. And they must be from the last two years. So, no photos from 10 years ago or your high school yearbook shot!

• A clear headshot with a genuine smile is a must.
• Include a full-body shot with natural lighting.
• Show off your hobbies with an action shot – whether you’re hiking, playing sports, or doing something else that defines you. We don’t care about your LinkedIn photo!

2. Write a Bio That’s Authentic and Captivating

Ok, wait a minute – maybe we should just say WRITE A BIO! Why do so many men skip that section? We want to hear your voice, your tone – it doesn’t need to be 10 paragraphs but at least one would be nice.

Your bio is your chance to introduce yourself beyond photos, so make it count. Keep it real, fun, and to the point – and skip generic lines like “I love to travel” or “I’m a foodie,” and share something unique about yourself.

• Highlight a quirky hobby or fun fact.
• Keep it short but intriguing… or ask us a question! As in “Where would you like to travel to next?” That can be engaging!
• Add a touch of humor if that’s your style.

3. Start Conversations with Confidence

Your first message can make or break your chances of getting a reply, so start strong. We can tell if it’s a copy/paste! And, always start by using our name.

Skip the “Hey” or “What’s up?” and take a moment to reference something specific from our profile to show you’re genuinely interested.

• If we love hiking, ask about our favorite trails.
• If we mention a pet, ask about its name, breed or personality.
• If we are into movies or music, ask for recommendations.

Confidence paired with a personal touch will show you’re serious about getting to know us.

4. Understand What Works for Women

Many online dating tips for women emphasize honesty, clear intentions, and great communication – and guess what? These principles work for men too.

So, please don’t lie about your age or height. Whether you are 71 and 5”6’ or 67 and 6”2’, we appreciate your honesty. And we are promising not to do the same!

• Be upfront about what you’re looking for but be respectful.
• Don’t send a message, then another, then another – it looks desperate – and give us a chance to respond. So, no double or triple texting.

5. Keep the Conversation Flowing (And Balanced)

A good conversation is a two-way street, so don’t dominate the chat or stay silent. Ask open-ended questions, share bits about yourself, and match our energy to keep things flowing.

After two messages back and forth each, ask us to lunch or coffee with a specific date and place in mind – it is so appreciated! When we do the same with you, please answer us back with a “great” or “your seem great, but I don’t think we are a match.” Be upfront and don’t leave us hanging!

Share a personal story or experience to deepen the conversation.

6. Skip the Cheesy Pickup Lines

You wouldn’t believe how many of these we get! Most pickup lines are a turnoff. Instead of relying on cliches, offer genuine compliments and focus on shared interests.

• Comment on something in our profile that caught your attention.
• Keep it light but engaging.
• Express genuine curiosity about who we are.

7. Be Patient

If we don’t respond quickly, know it may not be you. We may be on vacation or have a family issue going on.

Respect our pace and don’t rush the interaction.

8. Plan the First Date Thoughtfully

A well-thought-out first date will help set a positive tone for the rest of our relationship.

9. Be Positive and Self-Assured

Confidence is key, but it’s important to strike a balance between self-assurance and humility.

Be confident without coming off as arrogant. What can come off as arrogant to us is a list of “must-haves” – we are not talking 2 or 3 – but over that is quite a bit!

10. Keep Improving Through Experience

Not every match will turn into a relationship, and that’s okay. Learn from each interaction and refine your approach over time.

• Pay attention to what works (and what doesn’t).
• Get feedback from trusted friends or a good dating coach.
• Page 401 of my new book: 2nd Acts: Winning Strategies for Dating offers a simple log you can use to keep track of your online encounters! You may think you are messaging many people – but this way you have accountability. Each time you are online, send 5 thoughtful new messages.

And remember: online dating is a fast-paced game, so don’t overthink your messages. If you’ve got a great line or question in mind, go for it – waiting too long might cause you to miss out on a great woman!

Reader Questions:

Tell me ladies – what else should men know? Which tip do you think most men have a tendency to skip?

You can count on these LED masks to help smooth fine lines and keep acne at bay.

Do you remember back in the 90s and early 2000s when much of drugstore makeup was. quite honestly, a hot mess? It didn’t apply well, it wasn’t very long-lasting and for the most part, it just didn’t look very good.

Well, fortunately, in the mid-2000s, drugstore makeup seemed to flip a switch and transform from caterpillar to butterfly. But now – with manufacturing costs soaring, drugstore prices are climbing and drugstore brands are often trying to replicate current high-end makeup trends. So, the questions many of us have are: Are drugstore brands still able to give high-end brands a run for their money? And – most importantly – do drugstore products work on our mature skin?

So, our mission today is to answer these questions by discovering if some newer drugstore products are indeed worth purchasing, or will they end up just sitting unused in our makeup drawer. I’ll also share some recent great affordable skincare finds.

Affordable Skincare Finds

Let’s start with skincare. I’ve recently started applying the Versed Weekend Glow Brightening Serum from the clean beauty drugstore skincare brand Versed. Versed launched in 2019 with the goal of providing clean, effective formulas packaged in environmentally conscious materials at affordable prices. They’re dermatologist tested, safe for sensitive skin, vegan and cruelty free.

And something I personally really love about this brand is that they very clearly state on each product who the product is for, how to use it, where to use it and when to use it. It’s amazing to me that this very helpful information is often missing from many skincare products. Versed was very kind to send me the products I’ll be sharing with you in the accompanying video, but I’ve used a number of their products previously and have had really good experiences with them.

The Brightening Serum is a daily-use antioxidant serum formulated with Vitamin C to brighten the skin, licorice root to even out the skin tone and Niacinamide for hydration and additional radiance.

Two more key skincare products from Versed that I’m really liking are their under eye brightening gel and their moisturizer. The eye gel is a lightweight, caffeine infused gel which cools on contact with the skin due to its metal tipped applicator. It helps reduce puffiness and targets dark circles.

The Versed Skin Soak Moisturizer is ultra hydrating with hyaluronic acid, squalane, sodium hyaluronate and red algae extract. I’ve found this to be a perfect moisturizer to use under makeup since it’s not too heavy. Moisturizers which are too heavy absorb our makeup which means the makeup disappears into our skin. And it’s important to let any skincare ingredients completely dry before applying any other skincare or makeup products.

Eye Makeup Options

Now let’s take a look at my eye makeup. On one eye I applied eyeshadows from the $3.00 “I Love You a Latte” four-pan matte eyeshadow palette from Elf and on the other side I applied eyeshadows from Natasha Denona’s new Mini Eye Sculpt Eyeshadow Palette which consists of five matte shades and costs $27.00.

Since I wanted to create eyeshadow looks that were extremely similar, I did not use the black shade in the Natasha Denona palette. Can you tell in the video which eye has the more expensive Natasha Denona eyeshadows on it? If you guessed my left eye, you’d be correct.

Although these eyeshadow shades are extremely close, the three midtone shades in the Natasha Denona palette are slightly darker and slightly more neutral. Both eyeshadows glided on very easily and provided good pigmentation that was long-lasting.

However, I occasionally notice a bit of irritation in my eyes when I wear the Elf shadows, so if you have extremely sensitive eyes like I do, you may want to try a mid-priced brand such as the Juvia’s Place Warrior II palette.

Bronzer/Contour Showdown

In a recent video I mentioned how much I loved Makeup by Mario’s Softsculpt Bronzing and Shaping Serum. But, that was before I found out that Elf recently launched a very similar product: their Camo Liquid Bronzer and Contour. The Makeup By Mario product contains 1.01 fluid ounces, costs $36.00 and comes in seven shades. In the video I’ll wear “Medium Light.” Unfortunately, there’s no indication of where the product is made.

The Elf Camo Liquid Bronzer and Contour sells for $7.00, comes in 10 shades, but it contains only .13 fluid ounces. It doesn’t say where it’s made, but does say that it’s made in fair trade certified locations. I wear the shade “Light.”

In the video you can check out each side of my face to see how these products actually look after they’re applied. I found them to be extremely similar in terms of how foolproof they were to apply and how good they looked on the skin.

Blush Comparisons

I recently discovered a drugstore blush duo that was very similar in concept to the high-end blush cream and powder blush duos created by makeup artist Patrick Ta. This drugstore blush duo is from Catrice. In the video I’ll apply the Catrice shade “Pleasing Pink” and Patrick Ta’s “She’s a Doll.”

The Catrice Duos sell for $7.00 each and come in four shades – pink, strawberry, apricot and peach and weigh in at 6 grams. Catrice is a European clean beauty brand and interestingly, these blushes from Catrice are made in Italy which usually means quite high quality.

The Patrick Ta blushes come in 18 shades, are made in the U.S. with globally sourced materials, and the weight of his duos has powders and cremes listed separately so it’s difficult to compare the two. Patrick Ta recommends applying the powder first and then applying the crème over the powder so that’s how I’m going to apply both of these products.

Do you notice any major differences between the two blushes in the video? The colors are very similar, but I did notice that the Catrice product didn’t wear quite as long as the Patrick Ta blush.

Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!

Two other great blush dupes are the Rare Beauty Liquid Blushes and the Elf Camo Liquid Blushes. I compared them in this earlier video in case you want to check them out.

Drugstore and High-End Highlighter Comparison

The two highlighters I want to compare today are Rare Beauty’s Positive Light Liquid Luminizer and Hard Candy’s Just Glow Vitamin Infused Luminizer. The Rare Beauty Luminizer is made in France and has eight shades. It’s a weightless formula that has superfine light catching pearls, lasts all day and layers well over other makeup. It costs $27.00 and is .50 fluid ounces.

The Hard Candy Just Glow Vitamin Infused Luminizer is $9.00, comes in three shades, is also lightweight and is infused with Niacinamide, Vitamins C and E, and grapeseed oil to boost the radiance. In the video it looks like the Rare Beauty Luminizer is a bit brighter, but that could just be a result of the pink color. It also glides on a little more easily than the Hard Candy Luminizer, but both work extremely well.

Lip Gloss Comparison

I also want to compare two lip glosses: the Essence Extreme Shine gloss “Sparkling Purple,” with the Lawless Gloss “Daisette.” The Lawless glosses are clean beauty products, .11 fluid ounces, are made in the U.S. and are not tested on animals. I’ll apply this one on the top lip only. On my bottom lip, I’ll apply the Essence Extreme Shine gloss. 95% of Essence products are manufactured in Europe and ingredients comply with the strict standards of the European Union Cosmetics Directive and US FDA.

I definitely prefer the applicator of the Lawless gloss because of its shape and the amount of product that it dispenses. As for the lip gloss itself, both feel comfortable on the lips and are stunning.

Also read, Tips to Make Our Lips Look Fuller and More Uplifted (VIDEO).

I hope you found today’s video helpful. I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether you could see any differences between how the high-end products looked vs. how any of the drugstore products looked. And if you’d like to see more great drugstore products in action, be sure to check out this video. And you’ll find many more videos about good drugstore products on my YouTube channel. After you click on this link, you’ll find the drugstore makeup videos listed along the right side.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you wear only drugstore makeup or both high end and drugstore? What are some of your favorite drugstore makeup products?