The Joys of Grandparent-Grandchild Travel

There is concern that in determining the amount of money necessary to sustain income throughout retirement, some retirees may become financially paranoid, unduly tight with spending to the point that they fail to enjoy the fruits of their saving.

The primary wild cards in retirement planning scenarios are health status and longevity. Using 2007 Social Security data, Forbes calculated that an American male in reasonable health has a 40% chance of living past age 85; females, a 53% chance. If married, odds are 72% that one of them will live past age 85. If they are more healthy than average, chances of living to age 85 increase to 50% for men, 62% for women, and 81% for both of them.

It is said that we go through three phases in retirement—Go-go, slow-go, and no-go. If one is reasonably financially secure, the urge to travel and enjoy life “while one can drive at night,” becomes a high priority goal. Connections, family and intergenerational relationships, assume sharper focus.

In a recent conversation with a client, she told me that she has six grandchildren. She has pledged to each child that at age 11 she would take him or her on a trip somewhere in the world. She took one child to Spain and this summer will tour Ireland with another grandchild.

She wants the trips to be an active learning experience in the company of other grandparents and children within a similar age bracket. She is a fan of  the Road Scholar programs developed by Elderhostel, Inc. Strictly for a child and one or two grandparents, over 100 tours are offered in the U.S., South America, Africa, and Asia. Tours are designed for children within specified age ranges and feature educational and hands-on learning experiences.

 Intergenerational travel, which may include grandparents, mom, dad, and the kids, is increasingly popular. Adventures by Disney target family trips to Ireland, Italy, France, Scotland, S.E. Asia, Costa Rica, and western U.S.
The Sierra Club offers outdoor adventures in the United States for grandparents and grandkids.

My son and his wife are busy professionals with young children. Each year, for spring break they take a relaxing week to decompress, preferably at a warm weather beach location. Fans of Club Med, this year they invited my wife and I to join them at the all-inclusive beach resort at Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. An easy three hour nonstop flight from Atlanta, the resort sits on a palm fringed lagoon of impossibly turquoise-blue water bordered by a gorgeous white sand beach.

Since my wife and I are active travelers, my son said afterwards, “Dad, I was afraid you might be bored.” Hardly! No alarm clock, great food and drink, plenty of time to laze around on a beach chair in the shade of a palm tree, playing in the water with the grandchildren, taking a nap after lunch, reading a novel, time with family...what’s not to like? Club Med has family-oriented resorts all over the world with ample activities for children of all ages, teenagers, and “big kid” dads and moms.

If you are worried about medical complications while away from home, consider a membership in Medjet Assist, a domestic and global air medical transport service. If you are hospitalized more than 150 miles from home and meet transport criteria, Medjet will arrange medical transport to the hospital of your choice in your home city at no cost to you (other than your membership fee). Medjet is not travel insurance, which if a policy has repatriation benefits, requires you to travel by commercial air carrier. What if you cannot? Check out www.medjet.com/LTA.

A Moorish proverb declares, “He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” Early-in-life travel experiences for children are an education beyond compare in teaching values, appreciation for other cultures, God’s gift of creation and the wonders of nature. Travel is a lesson in patience, tolerance, and flexibility, traits useful in adulthood. A good travel agent is recommended.

 Lewis Walker is President of Walker Capital Management LLC. and Walker Capital Advisory Services, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor (R.I.A.) Securities and certain advisory services offered through The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA).  Lewis Walker is a registered representative of SFA which is otherwise unaffiliated with the Walker Capital Companies. ▪  3930 East Jones Bridge Road ▪ Suite 150 ▪ Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 ▪ 770-441-2603 ▪ lewisw@theinvestmentcoach.com