For Curious Travelers Over 50: Real Stories, Smart Road Trips & Slow Adventures

After 40+ years of slow, real travel, solo, with kids, or deep in the wild, I’ve learned that the best stories don’t come from tourist maps. This is a travel blog for curious travelers over 50, and for anyone who wants more than just beautiful places and top attractions. Here you’ll find honest travel stories, road trip guides, self-drive tips, and off-the-beaten-track gems you won’t find on Google Maps.

Real Travel Stories from the Road

From solo mishaps in Namibia and backroad surprises in Saudi Arabia, to slow food trails in Portugal and self-drive chaos in India. These are the kinds of real travel stories you won’t find in glossy travel magazines. This travel blog is packed with smart road trip tips, things to do in places like Spain, Canada, KwaZulu-Natal and Kerala, and honest reflections from over 40 years on the road. Expect beautiful destinations, off-the-beaten-path adventures, and a few unexpected left turns.

Real Travel Guides for Beautiful Places Around the World

From sketchy mountain passes in Peru to wine roads in southern France, my travel guides weren’t built at a desk, they were built while driving, getting lost, asking locals, and occasionally swearing at road signs in three languages.

Each Google Maps itinerary includes destinations I’ve personally pinned: wild viewpoints, ferry crossings, back-alley food spots, remote beaches, camping sites, unique resorts, and beautiful places that don’t come with selfie lines or surprise entrance fees.

You’ll find smart travel tips, off-the-beaten-track routes, practical things to do, and free activities in places like Tanzania’s backroads, Sri Lanka’s hill country, the highlands of northern Thailand, and Jordan’s desert roads. Whether you’re searching for top attractions, hidden gems, or food stops that don’t feel like tourist traps, these travel guides are built to be used, not just browsed.

I’ve also made the mistakes, fallen for lion cub photo ops, visited elephant riding camps, and smiled for the camera next to sedated orangutans. Like most travelers, I meant well. But the more I learned, the more I changed how I travel. That’s why each guide includes real ethical travel insights, not judgment, just experience. Because we all start somewhere.

Self-Drive Adventures You Can Actually Follow

No filters, no fluff. Just the real routes I’ve driven myself. From boondocking in the Namibian desert to ferry-hopping in Kerala, every guide is mapped out with the stops I’d recommend to a friend: remote beaches, wild campsites, honest food spots, and the kind of roads that stay with you.

These self-drive travel guides include Google Maps itineraries, tips for dodging tourist traps, and plenty of off-the-beaten-path detours. Whether you're planning a long haul or a weekend wander, this is how to travel better, not faster.

No idea what a Google Maps guide even is? Let me show you.

Watch how the travel guides work and how pinned destinations, off-grid tips, and custom routes come together in one simple map.

Got questions about how the travel guides work, how to use them offline, or what to expect? Check the FAQ. It’s short, honest, and probably answers what you’re wondering.