We created The Roaming Boomers® in 2010 with the hopes that we might create an informative website that would encourage baby boomers to pack their bags and explore this beautiful world of ours.

On January 3rd, 2011, we were greatly honored to have our labors recognized with a front page report in the business section of the Arizona Republic.

We also found ourselves making regular personal appearances on various television lifestyle programs sharing our travel experiences and tips.

This was a wonderful shot in the arm and brought a great many new “roaming boomers” to our website.

Let us share with you some of the remarkable places we took our readers in 2011…

Travel Guide – Sedona, Arizona

We started our 2011 travel season by taking our readers to Sedona, Arizona.  With Sedona only 90 miles down the road from our home, we’ve amassed quite a bit of wonderful travel information for you to explore.

Click here to view our features on Sedona, Arizona…

Travel Guide – Scottsdale, Arizona

Living in Scottsdale, Arizona, a travel destination in its own right, we spent a great deal of the month of January sharing our own backyard with our readers.

We have produced scores of travel information on resorts, restaurants, hiking, museums, and much more.  We are certainly experts on travel in Scottsdale and invite you to spend some time in our informative videos, browse our beautiful photography, and learn about the wonderful experiences awaiting you in Scottsdale.

Click here to view our features on Scottsdale, Arizona…

Travel Guide – Hawaii, the Big Island and the Island of Kauai

February found us in Hawaii.

Unquestionably, Hawaii tops the bucket list of many a baby boomer.  Knowing this, we have made it our mission to bring our readers to Hawaii each year.  We have produced videos, photographic slide shows, restaurant reviews, and scores of other helpful information to make your visit to Hawaii unforgettable.

Click here to view our features on Hawaii…

Spring Break – Miami Beach, Florida

In March, we decided to do Spring Break in Miami Beach, boomer style.

We brought our readers to the world-renowned Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa to enjoy the beach, learn some healthy habits, and take in some of the beautiful Latin culture.

Click here to view our features on Miami Beach…

A Baby Boomer Road Trip

April’s adventure was a road trip with friends from Michigan.

Here, we brought our readers along on a journey that made stops in Sedona, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, driving through the Painted Desert, a few nights in Sante Fe, New Mexico, and ended with a wonderful stay at Hidden Meadows Ranch in Arizona’s White Mountains.

Check out our features on Santa Fe, New Mexico…

Delta Vacations Sponsors our Trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic

In May, we were off to Punta Cana.

As our website has grown in influence, we’ve found that major travel organizations find it valuable to sponsor our travel to various locations to expose our readership to their travel services.  Therefore, we were able to take our readers to spend five glorious nights at Tortuga Bay Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

We flew first class with Delta Vacations Luxury Lifestyle Collection.  Wow!

Check out our features from Tortuga Bay Punta Cana…

Travel Guide to the Canadian Rockies

June was a very busy month of travel.

First, we brought our readers along on a glorious two-week journey of the Canadian Pacific and the Canadian Rockies.  We visited all of the historic Fairmont hotels in Whistler, Jasper, Vancouver, Lake Louise, and Banff.  We also spent two-days upon the world-famous luxury train: the Rocky Mountaineer.  Furthermore, we rode monstrous vehicles on glaciers, saw grizzly bears, and indescribable mountain views driving down the Icefields Parkway in the Canadian Rockies.

Check out our features on Canada…

Alaska’s Inside Passage Cruise with Norwegian Cruise Lines

In late June, we were back in the Pacific Northwest for an Alaskan Cruise.

An Alaskan cruise is found in the top ten “wish list” of every baby boomer traveler.  After this experience, we clearly understand and can’t recommend it highly enough.

You must go on an Alaskan cruise!

Check out our features on Alaska…

Travel Guide – Seattle, Washington

This was the summer of the Northwest as July found us back in Seattle, Washington.

We love Seattle and brought our readers a week full of adventures to explore.

Check out our features on Seattle, Washington…

Traveling to Tucson and Tubac, Arizona

In August, we stayed close to home and brought our readers to the famous Canyon Ranch in Tucson and then to Tubac, Arizona to enjoy a few nights at the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa with four friends from the Scottsdale area.

Check out our features on Tucson, and  here’s our features from  Tubac…

Hangin’ at the AARP National Convention

In September, we slowed our pace to catch up on all the articles that we had to get posted to our website.

However, we did take time out to visit our friends at the AARP National Convention in Los Angeles.    Here’s a photograph I snapped of Lionel Ritchie from our stage-front seats.

Travel Guides – Santa Barbara and Paso Robles, California

In October, we journeyed with our readers to Santa Barbara and Paso Robles, California.

We shared our nation’s only AAA Five-Diamond Bed & Breakfast (The Simpson House Inn), and scoured the California Central Coast for some of their best wineries.  It’s hard work, I know, but somebody’s got to do it.  Right?

Here’s our features on Santa Barbara, and here’s our features on Paso Robles.

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley, California

While we seemed to be on a wine tasting roll, November found us taking our readers for a little wine tasting in Napa Valley.

As of this writing, we haven’t prepared all of our Napa Valley features, but be certain to check this link and follow our progress.

Travel Guide for Catalina Island

For December we journeyed to Catalina Island off the coast of California.

As of this writing, we have yet to post any of this content to our website, but trust me, you’ll want to come back.  We stayed in a Wrigley mansion, watched beautiful sea life from a submarine, toured the island in a Hummer, enjoyed fabulous cuisine, buzzed around the town of Avalon in a golf cart, and much more.

Travel Destinations for 2012

As you can see, we were very busy bringing exciting destinations and experiences to our readers in 2011.

However, we’re pinching ourselves as we consider what’s in store for 2012.

We’re headed back to Hawaii, going across the pond to London, taking our first Mediterranean cruise, as well as heading to the South Pacific to explore Bora Bora, and much, much more.

Stay tuned, and for heaven’s sake, get out here and join us!

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Week #10, of our Top Ten Sunday Brunches of Scottsdale & Phoenix series, found us at the Camelback Inn Resort and Spa.

We made our first visit to this AAA Five-Diamond winner back in June of 2010 and quickly fell in love.

Sunday Brunch at the Camelback Inn Resort and Spa brought a gargantuan selection and was hands down the largest buffet we visited on our tour.

We started out with endless flowing champagne and mimosas. There was a breakfast station with every imaginable morning favorite, danishes, fresh fruit, and made-to-order omelets.

Week #10– Camelback Inn Resort & Spa

We found a seafood station with crab claws, shrimp cocktail, seared ahi tuna, and smoked salmon.  Nearby was an antipasti station with salads, roasted and grilled vegetables, artisan cheeses, cured meats, and fresh baked goods.

Endless Mimosas

Breakfast Items

Healthy Fare

Tacos and Quesadillas

Crab Cakes

Lamb

Pastries

Charcuterie

Filet Mignon

Prime Rib

Lemon Meringue

Carrot Cake

Note: click on the photographs for larger views and an available slide show.

On the outside patio we found a “south of the border” station hosted by a delightful Mexican woman making hot-off-the-grill tacos and quesadillas. YUM!

Further exploration found a pasta station, and an entrée station where we delighted in carved prime rib, grilled filet mignon, lamb skewers, seared scallops, crab cakes, shrimp scampi, roasted chicken, and seasonal fish.  WOW!  We all made return visits to this station.

And last, but certainly not least, we found the dessert station.  Here we found a chocolate fountain, flaming bananas foster, éclairs, cream puffs, cakes, pies, tarts, and cookies.  The warm apple pie á-la-mode was a big hit at the table.  YUM!

A great challenge of many buffet-type meals is that the food quite often gets cold and loses its freshness.  We saw none of that here.  The staff was very attentive to keep everything hot, fresh, and looking beautiful.

There were four of us dining at the Camelback Inn Resort and Spa.  When I surveyed the table, I saw eight thumbs up!

As of this writing, the Sunday Champagne Brunch was $59 for adults, and $20 for children ages 4-12.

The AAA Five-Diamond Phoenician Resort is one of our favorite Scottsdale, Arizona resorts.

It was just a little over a year ago that we made our first visit to The Phoenician (here’s our video).  We were now back again to sample one of their newly renovated suites and share the experience with you.

The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona

The Phoenician has just completed an $80M renovation project, with $4M of that earmarked for their luxurious suites.

We greatly enjoyed a 1,475 sq. ft Phoenix Suite with timeless amenities that were designed to pamper, indulge, and would make even the fussiest of movie stars feel like royalty.

…timeless amenities that were designed to pamper, indulge, and would make even the fussiest of movie stars feel like royalty.

Take a peek at the video of our most recent stay:

Note:  If you can’t see the video, click here.

If you are looking for a good spell of being waiting on hand and foot, with amenities that are certain to leave you spellbound, then head on over to The Phoenician’s website and see if you can find just the perfect luxurious hideaway for your next vacation.

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, and on Twitter.

Disclosure:  our wonderful experience was provided by the kind folks at The Phoenician.  Thanks!  It was fantastic!

Week #6, of our Top Ten Sunday Brunches of Scottsdale & Phoenix series, found us at Elements restaurant, inside the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa.

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain found its way into our hearts when we were invited to spend a night at the resort nearly a year ago.  Here’s the video from our stay.

The legendary history of Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain began in the early 1950s when Charlie Chaplin’s son (Sydney) and a group of prominent Hollywood investors and stars envisioned a prestigious racket club modeled after the elite Racquet Club in Palm Springs.

Week #6 – Sunday Brunch at Elements, Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa

Today the property features 81 luxury mountain casitas, 24 spa casitas, and 7 distinctive mountainside estates for their guests to enjoy.  All enjoy remarkable views from their perch on the slope of Camelback mountain, offer world-class amenities, and have a very special designer’s “funk” added to the 1950s Frank Lloyd Wright style architecture.

Elements restaurant enjoys world-renowned fame from its celebrity chef, Beau MacMillan.  Chef MacMillan has won the prestigious Iron Chef America and is also a Food Network star.

Pumpkin Zucchini Five Spice French Toast

Fresh Baked Cinnamon Rolls

Smoked Salmon Benedict

Ranchero Frittata

Dessert Table

Iron Chef America Beau MacMillan w/ Carol

Note: Click the photographs for large view and available slide show.

 The Sunday buffet at Elements comes in two different options.  You can enjoy the buffet only for $32, or for $42 you can enjoy the buffet as well as ordering one of their signature entrées from the menu.  Both options include sparkling wine, coffee, and tea.

The buffet includes an omelet station, a whole host of wonderful delicacies, and also includes a fabulous dessert station.

As we were present to sample and report on their Sunday Brunch, we received the $42 option and started out with piping-hot cinnamon rolls.  Holy what a way to start a meal Batman!

For our entrées Carol opted for Ranchero Frittata (spiced chicken, jalapeno jack, black bean relish), and I was tempted by the very photogenic Pumpkin Zucchini Five Spice French Toast (macerated strawberry, pink pepper caramel).  I can’t begin to tell you what a treat the french toast was.  My taste buds were dancing in a melee of pumpkin, zucchini, and wondrous spices all vying for my attention.

My step-son Jerome was along on this journey and he was all smiles as he quietly swooned over Smoked Salmon Benedict (croissant, tomato, spinach, yuzu hollandaise).  Wow!  I was tempted to go havsies with him, but the thought of  sharing my french toast found deep wells of selfishness from within my soul.

Our waitress also told us about their Red Velvet Pancakes (white chocolate sauce, razz cherry syrup).  I was tempted to beg my way into two entrées but I figured a sugar coma whilst doing a Sunday Brunch review was probably not a good idea.  However, those pancakes are haunting me even as I type.  I’ve got to go back and try ‘em out!

Our Sunday Brunch at Elements restaurant was a wonderful culinary treat, and we even got to spend a few minutes before we left with Chef MacMillan.  When I surveyed the table at the end of the meal, I found six thumbs up!  We highly recommend the experience.

Note: don’t forget to check back next week when we’ll whisk you off to another exciting and mouthwatering Sunday Brunch experience.

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, or on Twitter.

Disclosure: our wonderful Sunday Brunch was provided by the kind folks at Elements restaurant.  Thanks!

Es una fiesta de tacos!

Named as one of “The Top 10 Fall Fests to Feast At” by USA Today, these two boomers roamed to the recently held 2nd Annual Arizona Taco Festival in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The event pitted 42 taco teams competing for a prize purse of $7,500.  The teams were comprised of local restaurants, bars, amateur competitors, and even a taco-fanatic from Bend, Oregon.

The Second Annual Arizona Taco Festival

The competing categories were chicken, pork, beef, and fish tacos.  All submitted to a sequestered panel of 50 National Taco Association judges.

There were 10,000 others joining us as we all chowed down over 40,000 tacos in the unusually warm, nearly 100-degree weather.

If you can’t see the video, click here.

In the end, only one team walked away with the title Grand Champion Taco and it was a group who had never cooked together in Arizona – Chef David Conn and his team from the soon-to-open Distrito restaurant in the soon-to-open Saguaro Hotel. Distrito is owned and concepted by Iron Chef winner Chef Jose Garces, who encouraged his team to enjoy their first cookout together at the Taco Festival.

Defending second place for the second year in a row, La Hacienda, under the direction of Chef Forest Hamrick, took home the title of Reserve Grand Champion. La Hacienda at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort is managed by famed Mexican Chef Richard Sandoval.

2011 Arizona Taco Festival Winners

Grand Champion
Distrito ($1,500)

Reserve Grand Champion
La Hacienda ($700)

Chicken Taco
1st: Tacos el Mauri ($500)
2nd: Distrito ($250)
3rd: T. Cook’s ($125)

Pork Taco
1st: Loco Patron ($500)
2nd: Casa Poco (Petite Maison) ($250)
3rd: Spotted Donkey ($125)

Beef Taco
1st: La Hacienda ($500)
2nd: Distrito ($250)
3rd: Cien Agaves ($125)

Seafood Taco
1st: La Hacienda ($500)
2nd: Blanco ($250)
3rd: Macayo’s ($125)

SIDECART CATEGORIES

Salsa
1st: El Palacio Cantina ($250)
2nd: Team Taco Kisses ($150)
3rd: El Hefe ($50)

Guacamole
1st: El Palacio Cantina ($250)
2nd: El Hefe ($150)
3rd: Sandbar Chandler ($50)

Anything Goes Taco
1st: Loot N’ Booty ($250)
2nd: The Herb Box ($150)
3rd: Sandbar Chandler ($50)

Best Booth Design
1st: El Sancho ($250)
2nd: T-Licious ($150)
3rd: Dos Gringos ($50)

If you enjoyed this article, please follow us at our website, our Facebook page, or on Twitter.

We have noticed this trend in our travels, and when the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa invited us to come spend a few nights and enjoy their upcoming five-course, tequila-pairing dinner, we decided to invite four of our boomer friends to join along in the fun.

What is now the town of Tubac first began in 1691 when Jesuit missionaries entered the Santa Cruz Valley and began to build missions, ranches, and farms.

In coming years, the area was engulfed in Apache Indian attacks, went from Spanish rule to Mexican rule, became a ghost town, became an Arizona territory, endured the civil war, became a  US state , and today is a well known artist commune set in a fertile valley which enjoys one of the largest stands of cottonwoods in the southwest.

Also interesting, the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa was started by Bing Crosby on what was once one of the largest cattle ranches in all of the southwest.

However, we were six baby boomers descending upon Tubac for a little luxury, pampering, shopping, and a spectacular five-course dinner with tequila paired from a fifth-generation Mexican tequila maker.

Here’s a short video highlighting our experience…

Note:  if you can’t see the video, click here.

When visiting the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa, you will certainly want to explore the town of Tubac. Here are a few things that we enjoyed:

• Tumacacori National Historical Park.  Located just a couple miles outside of town, you will want to visit this historic Jesuit mission which began in 1691.
• We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Shelby’s Bistro in Tubac.
• While strolling about the town, we really enjoyed the artwork in the Cobalt Gallery.  Although, there are art galleries and unique boutiques at every turn of the head.
• And guys, if you don’t feel like strolling through art galleries with your wife, there’s even a “daddy day care” where you can sit on a porch, rock in a rocking chair, and enjoy a fine cigar from the cool guys at Grumpy Gringo Cigars!
• For dinner, we enjoyed a fabulous meal at Elvira’s Restaurant.  Authentic Mexican cuisine in a setting where the ceiling is absolutely covered in colorful blown-glass.  We highly recommend this dining experience!  Mr. Roaming Boomer, being ever the adventurous eater, enjoyed beef tongue in a very tasty mole sauce.  Don’t worry, if you aren’t adventurous with your cuisine, there are other fabulous, more traditional Mexican items to enjoy.  The restaurant is well known for their mole sauces.
• You should also know that each February, tens of thousands of people flock to Tubac for the Annual Tubac Festival of the Arts.  They’ve been doing this for 53 years, and we can highly recommend it from personal experience.

The Tubac Golf Resort and Spa is just 45-minutes south of Tucson, Arizona, and together with the delightful town of Tubac, makes for a perfect baby boomer friends’ getaway.

There were big thumbs up from all involved!

If we have one regret, it is that the Fortaleza Tequila is not yet available in Arizona.  We are greatly looking forward to it being available as we really did enjoy the Fortaleza Anejo.  Who dreamed we would become tequila aficionados?

Disclosure:  our wonderful experience was provided by the really nice folks at the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa.  Further, being the great people they are, they gave a fantastic getaway deal to our friends.  Thanks!  We had a great, great time!

When we made our reservations to stay at Hidden Meadow Ranch, we had no idea that we would be visiting a ranch that even the most discriminate of luxury baby boomer travelers would enjoy.

The original property that became Hidden Meadow Ranch was homesteaded by frontiersman John Chellis Hall and his family in 1916.

Since that time, the property has served as everything from a homestead ranch to a church youth camp until the property was purchased by successful Scottsdale developers Tim and Casey Bolinger, and Gary and Jeanne Herberger

The two couples turned their attention to this unique property making the transformation from church youth camp to luxurious mountain destination an outgrowth of the owners’ friendship, love of Arizona, and interests in horseback riding, snow skiing, and fly fishing. The couples set out to create a luxury lodging experience that complements the naturally beautiful, secluded setting, while providing a high level of service and comfort. By providing the highest quality staff, facilities, and services, the couples have done just that.

We think they scored a home run, and this is backed up by the fact that they have won Most Excellent Ranch in USA & Canada – Condé Nast Johansen’s Luxury Travel Guide for the last two years running.

If you are an Arizona resident looking for a wonderful place to get out of the summer heat, or a baby boomer luxury traveler looking for a very unique mountain ranch experience, we highly recommend great consideration be given to Hidden Meadow Ranch.

It has worked its way into our hearts, and we look forward to a return visit for a much longer stay.

Disclosure:  this wonderful, high country experience was provided by the very kind folks at Hidden Meadow Ranch.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

We awakened to greet the new day from our comfortable beds in the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel.

The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel is set in a picturesque Western setting. Designed to resemble the century-old train depot that housed the original Fray Marcos Hotel, opened by the Santa Fe Railroad as a Harvey House, the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel provided us a relaxing night’s sleep before we journeyed aboard the train for the Grand Canyon.

In the morning, we explored the historic Williams Depot, and then were ushered to a mock western town where we were entertained by Marshall John B. Goodmore as he attempted to keep the Cataract Creek Gang in line.

At 9:30, it was “all aboard” as we climbed up into the luxury parlor class car for the two-hour and fifteen minute journey to the Grand Canyon.  During our journey we were entertained by strolling musicians, enjoyed continual jokes and information from our wonderful hostess, noshed on fresh fruit, pastries, coffee and juice, and luxuriated in comfy leather seating worthy of a railroad baron.  If you can swing the price of the luxury parlor car, do it!

All four of us were in complete agreement that the Grand Canyon Railroad experience was fantastic and highly recommended.

Disclosure:  our turn of the century railroad experience was provided by the kind folks at the Grand Canyon Railway.  Thank you very much!

Today is day #1 of our 7-day boomer road trip.  The challenge:  four baby boomers, one vehicle, seven days, and no first degree murder.

With the back of “Babe the Blue Benz” packed full of luggage, we headed off to Williams, Arizona where we will spend our first night at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel & Resort.

Tomorrow morning, we will climb aboard the Grand Canyon Railway and chug our way to the Grand Canyon, where our friends, Bob and Karen Schroeder, will get their very first glimpse of the Grand Canyon.

In the photograph above, you can see Carol, Karen, and Bob trying to decide which way to go.

This ought to be fun.

Stay tuned!

Oak Creek with Cathedral Rock ~ Sedona, Arizona - Sedona, Arizona is certainly in no short supply of beautiful locations to snap a photograph.

However, if you look at a great many of the glossy publications touting the area’s red rocks, you are very likely to encounter a photograph of Oak Creek with Sedona’s Cathedral Rock in the background.

Photographers flock here during the various seasons , and you can find them here for sunrise, for sunset, for moon glow, for starry nights, for snow covered peaks, and for fog.  Why, there must be millions of variations of this very scene.

For years, as I have traveled all around Sedona, I never found a spot where I could capture water and long range views of Sedona’s red rocks.

Well, thanks to a stop in the Red Rock Country Ranger Station, the mystery has been solved.

Now, if I share this with you, you have to promise not to tell anyone.  Promise?  Is your right hand in the air?

Head west on Verde Valley School Road.  Go to the very end where you encounter signs that says “drive no farther”.  Park your car in the parking lot, and walk down to the very end of the road (about 1/4 mile).  Do not hop on the hiking trail that has a trail-head at the parking lot.  Stay on the road.

When you reach the end of the road, go down to Oak Creek, turn right, and walk another 1/4 mile until you find the perfect spot to snap your photograph.

There!  I shared a photographer’s secret with you.

Now, as payment for this grand gesture, you must promise to refer one of your friends to our online travel magazine.  That’s only fair, right?