This article has been edited since it first appeared in print.
Henrico residents Anne and Bill Burch (at right) and their family enjoyed a visit to Costa Rica as part of a Road Scholar trip. (Photo courtesy Anne Burch)
Henrico residents Bill and Anne Burch, 79 and 76 years old, describe their visit to Tanzania last year with their 11-year-old grandson and his mom as an “eye-opening” adventure.
The family, traveling together on a Road Scholar trip, left in late December and visited two schools in Tanzania, meeting and spending time with the children there. “Some of the children walk several miles every day to get to the school and have to be on the lookout for wild animals along the way,” Anne Burch says. “Our grandson participated in a soccer game with the boys, and my daughter and I jumped rope with the girls.”
At the end of the day, the group walked home with several of the children and visited one of their homes. “The children did not speak any English (they learn Swahili in school, though most speak a tribal language at home with their families), but they loved having their pictures taken and simply hanging out with us while we waited for their mom to come home from work,” Burch says in an email. “Our visit in their home was brief since we didn’t speak their language, but the mom could not have been more gracious.”
Road Scholar (founded as Elderhostel in 1975) is a not-for-profit organization that offers domestic and international excursions focused on hands-on experiences and learning opportunities. It has offered a program geared toward grandparents and grandchildren since 1985, says Kelsey Perri, director of public relations. “We also do three-generations travel.”
Multigenerational travel is a growing trend, with 40% of active leisure travelers having taken at least one multigenerational trip in the past year, according to a study by MMGY Global, a marketing company that specializes in travel and tourism.
The goal of the worldwide multigenerational trips through Road Scholar is to have everyone enjoy their time together, in addition to the interactive learning experiences. “Everything when you travel with us is going to be educational,” Perri says, noting all group leaders know the history and heritage of the areas they visit.
The Burches have taken 20 Road Scholar trips. Five were multigenerational — two to Costa Rica, one to Iceland, one to Tanzania, and one to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.
The Galapagos trip was especially memorable, with all 15 members of the family across three generations traveling together. “That summer our seven grandchildren ranged in age from 7 to 15, and having them and their parents all together with us was a dream come true,” Burch says.
The family traveled around the islands for a week on a catamaran. “Our family and the crew were the only ones aboard. The cousins had a wonderful time with each other, as did all of us adults,” she adds.
One of the big advantages of traveling with kids and grandkids is “spending that precious time together, making memories that we all can look back on and cherish,” Burch says. “Learning what life is like in other countries and experiencing different cultures is priceless. Traveling internationally with our children has been educational for all of us.”
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