Cynthia Glidewell - The Red Hat Society Travel Guide: Hitting the Road with Confidence, Class, and Style

by The Red Hat Society, 2008

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Glidewell, Cynthia, 1956
The Red Hat Society travel guide : hitting the road with confidence, class, and style / Cynthia Glidewell.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4016-0364-9
1. United States--Guidebooks. 2. Middle-aged womenTravelUnited StatesGuidebooks.
3. Older womenTravelUnited StatesGuidebooks.
I. Red Hat Society. II. Title.
E158.G625 2008
917.304009'05--dc22

2008003177

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 QW 5 4 3 2 1

For my grandmother, Virginia Pence,
who defined sass and style before sass and style were cool

Contents

Writing The Red Hat Society Travel Guide has been truly a blessing and an adventure. The opportunity to write this book came about by something I can only describe as a God thing, and I am ever thankful for His blessings. Writing this book gave me the chance to collaborate with my son, Cole Wakefield. His significant contributions helped pull all of this together.

I would also like to thank and acknowledge the following people:

My dear husband and helpmate, Jerry Glidewell, who makes any place he is my favorite place to be. I could not have done this, or so many other things, without his amazing love and support.

My children at home, Emily and Jay Glidewell who, along with Jerry, meet me at the airport, not at the curb but inside, with open arms each and every time I travel; they make it all worth it.

My children with their own homes: Zack, Laura, and Noah; Cory and Chris; Cole and Jason, who motivate me and tolerate me, and have blessed me so incredibly.

My parents, Eldon and Betty Pence, who have encouraged me to always be my best and a little more.

The members of the Royal Red Hat Sisters of the Road, my Red Hat travel partners and an awesome group of sisters, spread out across this great country, who allow me to be Queen. Their contributions, encouragement, support (some gentle and some not so gentle when I needed that extra push), and prayers helped shape The Red Hat Society Travel Guide into what it is today.

Until six or seven years ago, about 90 percent of my life took place within a fifteen-mile radius. I worked as an RN less than ten miles from my house, my children went to neighborhood schools, and my dry cleaner, grocery store, and church were all within a ten-to fifteen-minute drive of home. And, quite frankly, that suited me just fine. An interesting turn of events led to my joining a consulting firm to write an adverse event reporting manual for RNs. (Id written another instructional book for nurses several years earlier.) I was warned that some travel would be necessaryabout 20 percentbut my husband insisted that would be no problem and at the very least I should try it. (His vision, support, and encouragement have pushed me to grow and achieve more than I ever believed I could.)

My role with the consulting company evolved rapidly. I went from writing an instructional manual in Chicago to managing an international regulatory compliance team. My 20 percent travel escalated to 85 percent travel, and before I knew it, I was working in places like Copenhagen, Amsterdam, New Jersey, and San Francisco. As a matter of survival I soon learned the tricks of the Road Warrior trade. I learned every alternative airport, airline, and flight schedule that had any chance whatsoever of ensuring that I would get home by Thursday night. I was forced to rent my first rental car, ride my first subway, hail my first taxi, and eat in a restaurant alone for the first time. I never would have attempted any of these things (or even had the desire to) had circumstances not necessitated it. I learned there was a whole new world outside my little fifteen-mile radius. And even though some of my travels were international, my most interesting travels were right here in the continental United States. I also learned the importance and value of having friends in every port. Being part of the Red Hat Society gave me an instant network of dinner companions, chapters to visit, or just a contact for a restaurant or show.

Sure, I have my passport, as do my husband and all my children, but honestly there is so much to do between the shores of the U.S., you will never grow bored. Whether you are shopping in view of the Brooklyn Bridge or the Golden Gate, I hope the tips and tales in The Red Hat Society TravelGuide help to make your adventure a pleasant one and one to remember.

Cyndi Glidewell

My husband and I raised our family in southern California. In less than an hours drive we could be at the beach; a two-hour drive got us to the nearby mountains. In less than a day we could reach Yosemite National Park, Mammoth Mountain Resort or San Diego and the Mexican border. In 1985, we surprised ourselves by taking our family on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe. It was one of those If this is Tuesday, this must be Belgium type of trips. Despite the hectic schedule, it was still glorious, and our eyes were opened to new realities in an unforgettable way. I believe that we can trace our love of travel back to that summer.

Travel expands your world. Seeing new sights, meeting new people, sampling local culinary specialties, visiting museums, restaurants, and shopping areas take you out of yourself and your own circumscribed world. You get a chance to examine your life from a new perspective and when you arrive back home, with your memories and your souvenirs, you feel renewed. Everything just looks a little different, and, if youre like me, it wont be long before you are planning your next trip!

In my capacity as Exalted Queen Mother of the Red Hat Society, I have been privileged to travel widely throughout the United States. Ive discovered the immense varietygeographically, traditio nally, culinarily, economiallyour country has to offer. There is a whole new world out thereor, perhaps I ought to say in heresince Im referring to destinations within our own borders. The rodeos, upscale shopping, and fabulous BBQ of Dallas or Houston offer an experience totally different from the quaint, rocky ter-rain, whaling museums, and clambakes of Boston. A jaunt to the concrete canyons of New York City bears very little resemblance to a sojourn in the wooded hills of North Carolina. Every destination offers something for every-one, yet every town or city retains its own unique character.

Since one of the primary values of the Red Hat Society is encouraging its members (actually all women) to embrace middle age and beyond with gusto, there is an obvious need for a book like this. Hundreds of thousands of like-minded women have responded to our battle cry, Were not done yet! Seeing the worldbeginning with the United Statesis on our to do list. Since travel has changed during the past few yearsand so have wewhat could be more helpful than a whole book of tips created especially with the mid-life woman (member of the RHS or not) in mind?