Month: July 2026

Retirement travel offers a chance to slow down and see more

By Gary Bennett

Gary and Ellen Bennett in Pittsburgh.

This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of Frederick News-Post’s “Prime Time” magazine. Published July 29, 2026.

For most of us, retirement offers the perfect opportunity to explore destinations we’ve always dreamed about. We now have the time, motivation and resources — hopefully — to make those dreams a reality.

Besides the excitement, relaxation and expanded horizons travel offers, it is an excellent way to remain young at heart. Travel expert Rick Steves puts it this way: “I’ve long noticed that older travelers seem younger than average in their appearance, attitudes, and energy levels. Travel is an excellent way to stay young in spirit.”

Who wouldn’t want that?

Now that you’ve reached your golden years, it’s time to plan that trip you always wanted. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a new traveler, the options and considerations are almost endless, but of course, there are people who can help.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

According to seven-time Best of Frederick favorite travel agent Barb Cline, top travel destinations for seniors prioritize accessibility, rich culture and relaxed pacing.

Whether you’re looking for coastal relaxation, history or guided, stress-free adventures, your personal travel style will lead you to an extraordinary trip designed for seniors. Here are some of the top destinations for seniors by travel style:

Stress-free cruising

• European river cruises: Perfect for unpacking once while exploring delightful villages along the Danube, Rhine or other iconic, old-world rivers.

• Alaska cruises: Offers the opportunity to view ocean creatures, glaciers and vast wildernesses from the comfort of an observation deck.

Culture and relaxed city exploration

• Savannah, Georgia: Known for its flat terrain, slow pace, Lowcountry cuisine and historic gardens.

• Montreal, Canada: Provides a distinct European experience right in North America, complete with open-air cafes and French cultural immersion.

Scenic escapes and resort towns

• Sedona, Arizona: Famous for spas, peaceful vacation rentals and accessible red-rock viewing areas.

• Mackinac Island, Michigan: A wonderfully nostalgic, car-free island, perfect for enjoying horse-drawn carriage tours and the grand waterfront.

Accessible nature and parks

• National parks, including Acadia, Yosemite and Rocky Mountain: All offer stunning scenic drives, accessible visitor centers and paved trails.

• Cape Cod, Massachusetts: A leisurely coastal destination offering relaxing drives, whale watching and accessible museums.

Gary and Ellen Bennett in Hawaii.

International

• Ireland: The Emerald Isle features lush landscapes, legendary hospitality and a lively pub culture.

• Italy: Romantic Italy offers thousands of years of history combined with unforgettable cuisine and a leisurely lifestyle.

• United Kingdom: The U.K. blends rich history and timeless traditions for a unique quality of life.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO GET THERE?

Your transportation options are limited only by where you want to go and your travel style, but all modes offer pluses and minuses.

• Car: Go by car if you feel comfortable doing so. Long trips by car can be tedious, and you bear sole responsibility for a safe, stress-free trip. On the other hand, driving offers complete flexibility and a front-row seat to endless sightseeing and personal experiences.

• Bus: Book a trip by motor coach if you enjoy traveling with others, don’t mind sticking to a fairly strict schedule and want to leave the driving to someone else. Traveling by bus often offers a more comfortable experience than traveling by car.

• Train: For excursions of 500 miles or more, it is hard to top traveling by train. For those with an uneasiness about flying, train travel offers a safe, reliable and comfortable alternative. As a senior with minimal time constraints, the extra time spent traveling long distances on a train is well worth it.

• Air: Traveling by air is almost always the fastest mode of transportation. If you value time savings, air travel is for you. However, don’t discount the time it takes to get to the airport, wait to board, deplane, retrieve your bags and arrange for ground transportation. It can get tedious and tiring.

• Boat: Trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific voyages as transportation are largely a thing of the past. But if you wish to see many destinations and unpack only once, river cruises in the U.S., Europe and Asia can be delightful. Caribbean cruises are an American staple and can be wonderful. But be warned: Large cruise ships can be crowded, overrun by children and focused on food, shows, gambling and livelier activities than you may want.

WHEN DO YOU WANT TO TRAVEL?

This may be the easiest decision of all.

Now that you’re retired, you can pretty much travel whenever you want. Even so, it is smart to aim for off-peak times, which for most destinations are spring and fall. Traveling in early spring and late fall allows you to largely avoid several of the most exhausting things about travel — crowds, kids and the heat of summer. Often, it saves money, too.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

According to Cline, senior travel is all about pacing yourself and prioritizing comfort. Slow down your itinerary. Plan for no more than one or two main activities per day, and allow for plenty of rest days.

• Take advantage of travel insurance. Many of us avoided that expense when we were younger, but now we are more likely to need it.

• Learn how your medical insurance works overseas. Medicare is usually not valid outside the U.S., so check your supplemental coverage before departing.

• Keep all medications in your carry-on luggage and take a picture of them to keep on your phone. Bring a change of clothes in case of delays or cancellations.

• Claim senior discounts when available. For example, travelers 62 or older can purchase the discounted America the Beautiful pass, which provides access to all U.S. national parks.

• When sightseeing, go late in the day or early in the morning to avoid crowds and hot temperatures. Touring a city by bus or boat can provide a stress- and fatigue-free overview of the city.

• Follow an intense sightseeing day with a day of rest to recharge. Grabbing a table at a sidewalk cafe, leisurely sipping a beverage and watching people can be a surprising highlight of your trip.

• Hotels vary widely in their amenities and layouts, so think about your needs before you book. European hotel rooms are often smaller than their U.S. counterparts, and many have features we don’t often see, like twin beds, bidets and half-showers. Be sure to pack your international electrical adapters, too.

• Although some do it, Cline does not recommend traveling alone. “You never know when something could happen.” Instead, travel with a partner, even if you don’t know them. “Some river cruise and land tour companies offer matching services, and some even have ‘solo’ specials where the entire boat or tour are singles. It is so much fun!”

• Be sure to take advantage of wheelchairs and electric carts at airports and early boarding for seniors.

• Book aisle seats for easy stretching, use compression socks if needed and make it a point to stay hydrated.

Gary and Ellen Bennett in Venice.

SENIOR TRAVEL GROUPS

If planning and organizing a trip feels overwhelming, even with a travel agent, consider joining a senior travel group. They provide excellent benefits such as social connection, organized itineraries and cost savings.

Before choosing one, be sure to consider the amount of physical activity required, size of the group, travel duration and style, cost and value, social opportunities, safety and support.

Cline escorts 14 groups each year. “The pricing is usually better with more amenities and savings. I provide transportation to and from the airport. Most are small groups, which are more immersive. Travelers always make new friends!”

Here are some of the top travel groups that cater specifically to older travelers:

• Road Scholar: Focuses on lifelong learning, outdoor adventures and experiential programs across more than 100 countries.

• Trafalgar: Known for stress-free escorted tours and river cruises on six continents.

• EF Go Ahead Tours: Offers specialized senior tours that feature guided cultural exploration, comfortable pacing and dedicated support.

• AARP Travel Resources: If you are an AARP member, you can utilize the Expedia AARP Travel Center or AARP’s preferred providers to find member discounts and itineraries tailored for older adults.

• ElderTreks: Offers relatively small group tours to various locations around the globe.

• Intrepid Travel’s Senior Adventures: Offers a range of travel experiences for older adults, including local interactions, cultural insights and scenic explorations.

IN FREDERICK

Don’t forget about your local community groups and senior centers. They can be wonderful travel resources. For regional day trips, overnight excursions and local socialization, your local senior center or AARP chapter can offer affordable escorted group packages.

For example, Frederick County’s Division of Aging and Independence offers same-day bus trips to nearby locations like the National Mall, Black Hill Regional Park, Seneca Creek State Park and Frederick destinations. AARP Frederick Chapter 636 features multi-day trips to places like Iceland, Mackinac Island, New York City and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Gary and Ellen Bennett in Vienna.

Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.

Hot Dogs deserve their day

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the July 16, 2026 issue of the Frederick News-Post’s entertainment magazine, “72 Hours.”

As modest and pedestrian as they may be, hot dogs are still an undisputed workhorse of American cuisine. They even had their own day this week.

National Hot Dog Day is celebrated each year on the third Wednesday of July — July 15 this year — and marks the peak of National Hot Dog Month, a broader celebration honoring the iconic American food. Be on the lookout for specials all month long.

Hamburgers actually dominate hot dogs by about three to one in total U.S. consumption. You only need to scan the menus of fast food and fast-casual restaurants to see this must be so. Hot dogs are almost nowhere to be found. But hot dogs partially make up for it in supermarket sales, outperforming ground beef by about two to one.

What hot dogs lack in pizzazz and restaurant popularity, they more than make up for with steadiness and staying power. They seem to be everywhere. They turn up at outdoor barbecues, baseball games, kids’ lunches, as a last-minute dinner for adults and even in a few popular Frederick eateries you might not expect.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

You may realize “hot dog” is a nickname for this unassuming meaty treat, but do you know where the name actually comes from? The answer is a mix of 19th-century immigrant history and dark humor.

In the 1800s, German immigrants introduced thin, elongated pork and beef sausages to New York. Because the long, slender sausages resembled the German dachshund breed, sellers and consumers jokingly called them “dachshund sausages.” Over time, the literal translation was shortened to “dogs.”

On a more mischievous note, widespread public skepticism regarding the meat content of this newfangled food bubbled up shortly after its introduction in America. Rumors circulated that unscrupulous butchers were using dog meat in their sausage casings. College students of the day sarcastically referred to the carts selling the sausages as “dog wagons” and the food inside as “hot dogs.” For better or worse, the name stuck.

SO, WHAT’S IN A HOT DOG ANYWAY?

Most of us are aware that hot dogs are highly processed and not too good for us. It is a misconception, however, that a hot dog is simply ground-up fatty meat shoved into a casing. The truth can be a little more ominous and may involve the term “mechanically separated meat.”

Spoiler alert! If you wish to enjoy your tasty, meaty treats without thinking too much about them, you may not want to read the following paragraph.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says mechanically separated meat is “a paste-like and batter-like meat product” made by forcing bones with attached edible meat through a sieve or similar device. In other words, the final product has a paste-like consistency and cake-batter form.

Can’t say I didn’t warn you.

Most hot dogs are made from beef, pork, chicken or turkey, and sometimes a combination of two or three, as the main ingredient, followed by salt and water. Some brands also add a combination of corn syrup, sugar, dextrose, mustard, flavorings and colorings, garlic juice, sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite.

Brands vary widely in how many of these items are in their hot dogs, so be sure to read labels carefully. For example, Hebrew National franks list only two ingredients — kosher beef and water — but taste a little too beefy for me. Kirkland Dinner Franks, which are served at Costco for $1.50, are very tasty but made up of a murderer’s row of ingredients: beef, water, dextrose, salt, spices, sodium lactate, garlic, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, paprika and extractives and sodium nitrite.

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST HOT DOGS

For some reason, the main hot dog chains have avoided Frederick. For a short time, we had Windy City Red Hots, but they lasted only a few years on Carroll Creek.

The most famous hot dog chain is Nathan’s. They operate globally and feature a hard, almost crunchy casing enclosing a tasty beef frank. Nathan’s dogs are definitely on the small side, so they are popular on the hot dog-eating contest circuit. Other top hot dog chains include Wienerschnitzel, Portillo’s, Dog Haus and The Original Hot Dog Factory. None have called Frederick home.

Even so, there is no shortage of tasty wieners in Frederick. No, I’m not talking about local politicians. Hot dogs can be found on the menus of many local, fast-casual restaurants.

Here is a list of the top hot dogs in Frederick according to my taste. As with most things, tastiness is in the mouth of the beholder. I have tried all these hot dogs over the last month. I have to admit that I never ate an entire dog, opting for just a bite or two of each. I didn’t want to be like Morgan Spurlock, who gained over 50 pounds by eating only McDonald’s for a month.

This is not an exhaustive list in the least. For example, I did not include any hot dogs found at gas stations or food trucks.

1. Maxwell’s

This fun restaurant on Patrick Street features the Frederick Dog with a beef-and-pork combo, sauerkraut, mustard and diced onions for $9 and a footlong Chicago Dog that is all-beef and served with all the trimmings, including diced tomatoes, for $14. The presentation is wonderful and the taste is top-notch. I prefer the beef-and-pork combo taste to all-beef or all-pork.

Nikita Khrushchev gets his first taste of an American hot dog during his tour of the Des Moines Packing Co. plant, Sept. 22, 1959 in Des Moines, Ia.

2. Beef ‘n Buns ‘n Paradise

This Frederick favorite serves up jumbo all-beef dogs, plain for $6.99 or loaded with chili, nacho cheese, sauerkraut and mustard for $7.49. There’s also a Chicago Dog or a Hawg Dog, with pork barbecue added, for $8.49. I really liked the latter. These franks are tasty and juicy and have a great internal texture.

3. North Market Pop Shop

Their all-beef hot dog can be customized with the largest selection of toppings I’ve seen: all the usuals plus sriracha mayo, sweet pickle relish, hot deli relish, sauerkraut, pickle slices, Old Bay, bacon bits or jalapenos. The price is just $3.99. The dog is on the small side but very tasty and juicy.

4. Pretzel & Pizza Creations

The 2025 winner of Frederick’s best hot dog features a well-grilled dog wrapped in a chewy, salty pretzel. I can see how this would be a Frederick favorite, but if you’re not a big pretzel fan like me, their hot dog can be just a little too much to handle at one sitting. A plain, wrapped dog costs $7.50.

5. Boxcar Burgers

The Brunswick location serves a superbly fresh, all-beef, Maryland-made hot dog sourced from Roseda Farm. If you like to buy local, it doesn’t get much better than this. The dog is served on a warm bun with a good choice of toppings, including candied jalapenos and bacon jam, for $4.50.

6. Five Guys

For a chain known for its hamburgers, Five Guys spends an admirable amount of time on its all-beef hot dogs. They are split lengthwise and grilled to a caramelized consistency on a toasted bun. All imaginable toppings are available. Prices range from $7.50 to $11.

7. Bollinger’s Restaurant

This Thurmont restaurant’s quarter-pound, all-beef dog is served with chips. Toppings include cheese, sauerkraut, bacon, onions, green pepper, pickles or hot pepper relish for $8.24. The dog is silky smooth inside, with a beefy savoriness that calls for a bit of ketchup to bring some sweetness.

8. Costco

Even without a Costco membership, you can finagle your way into the food court and order up the famous $1.50 lunch special of a quarter-pound Kirkland Signature dinner frank with a soda. The dog is tasty, but since I now know how packed with preservatives the Kirkland dog is and because the frank is much larger than the bun, giving it too much of a meaty taste for me, I have it well down my list and would not recommend it.

9. Oh K-Dog

This new offering within H Mart on the Golden Mile offers Korean street food, including deep-fried rice cake hot dogs and corn dogs. There is a little too much breading for me surrounding a dog inside with an off-putting gray color. The taste was bland. Prices range from $3.99 to $7.49.

10. Harry Grove Stadium

Naturally, you’ll need to buy a ticket to a game to get one of their all-beef Dugout Dogs with sauerkraut, chili or cheese, or the Keyote Dog with crab mac and cheese. Prices start at $6.50. The dog was a little dry and the taste was only OK, but it naturally benefits from baseball ambiance and tradition.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

7th Street Café, Airway’s Inn, Anchor Bar, Birdies Bar & Grill at X-Golf Frederick, Black Hog BBQ, Bushwaller’s, Glory Days Grill, Little Red Barn Ice Cream Café, Masser Toll House Inn, Mountain View Diner, Sonic, South Market Sandwich Shop and Watson’s Carry Out.

Cleo, the famed movie and TV basset hound and his small chihuahua friend, Candy, pose for a picture illustrating National Dog Week in Los Angeles, Calif., Sept. 24, 1956.

Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.

As America prepares for its 250th, a look back at the arts and culture of the 1976 bicentennial year

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the July 1, 2026 issue of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment magazine.

As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026, it is the perfect time to look back and consider how things were in 1976, our last big birthday celebration.

The bicentennial year of 1976 was a much simpler and gentler time, at least in my estimation. The excitement surrounding America’s 200th birthday was contagious, with celebrations planned in communities across the country.

Come with me.

We had a grandfatherly figure in the White House and a humble peanut farmer from Georgia waiting in the wings. The 1976 Olympics were on the horizon, and we were excited about the countless celebrations planned for our 200th birthday. Heck, even the presidential campaigns paused for two weeks around July 4 to make way for the festivities.

As a 19-year-old college student, I was glad the draft had ended and the Vietnam War was in our rearview mirror. We’d already put about a dozen men on the moon and had moved on to space shuttles, space stations and landing an unmanned vehicle on Mars. We had color television and souped-up cars.

Things were looking pretty good, but, as today, not all was sunshine and roses. Inflation was high. Gasoline prices were rising. Relations with the Soviet Union remained strained. Like today, the country was navigating its share of political divisions and uncertainty.

However, as so often is the case, pop culture came to the rescue in 1976. The case can be made that this was an exceptional time for the arts.

The sensitive, folky singer-songwriter craze of the early ‘70s gave way to all sorts of new music: punk rock, Southern rock and even disco. The movies gave us classics like “Network,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Rocky.” Definitive television shows like “All in the Family,” “M*A*S*H” and “Happy Days” were in their heyday. A new late-night show had recently burst onto the scene called “Saturday Night Live.” Exquisite albums were released, including some of the best-selling of all time: “Hotel California” by the Eagles, Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life” and Peter Frampton’s “Frampton Comes Alive!”

With a sentimental smile on my face and a skip in my step, here’s a brief look back at the key cultural happenings of 1976.

•••

BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS

• The American Freedom Train departed on its two-year, 25,000-mile tour of the U.S.

• A large, international fleet of “tall ships” gathered in New York City and Boston

• Elaborate fireworks illuminated the skies above U.S. cities of all sizes for weeks at a time

TELEVISION

• “Live from Lincoln Center” and “Family Feud” debuted on PBS and ABC, respectively. Both are going strong today

• Top watched shows were “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “M*A*S*H” and “Charlie’s Angels”

• Emmys went to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (Best Comedy), “Police Story” (Best Drama) and “Eleanor and Franklin” (Best Special or Limited Series)

EMMY-WINNING TV ACTORS

Jack Albertson (“Chico and the Man”)

Mary Tyler Moore (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”)

Peter Falk (“Columbo”)

Michael Learned (“The Waltons”)

Ted Knight (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”)

Betty White (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”)

MOTION PICTURES

• “Rocky” won Best Picture Oscar and was highest grossing film of the year

• Other Best Picture nominees included absolute classics: “All the President’s Men,” “Network” and “Taxi Driver”

• Alfred Hitchcock’s final film was released (“Family Plot”)

• “King Kong” was released to record crowds, and the Waverly Theater in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village began showing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” once a week at midnight, which is really when it became a phenomenon

MOVIE ACTORS

• Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway (“Network”) won Oscars for their leading roles in that film

• Robert De Niro (“Taxi Driver”), William Holden (“Network”), Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky”), Talia Shire (“Rocky”) and Sissy Spacek (“Carrie”) were also nominated

• George Burns, 80, became the oldest actor to win an Oscar as best supporting actor in “The Sunshine Boys”

• John Wayne appeared in his final film, “The Shootist”

BROADWAY SHOWS

• Top grossing shows were “A Chorus Line,” “Chicago” and “Grease”

• Tony Awards went to “A Chorus Line” (Best Musical) and “Travesties” (Best Play)

• Leading Broadway actors were John Wood (“Travesties”), Irene Worth (“Sweet Bird of Youth”), George Rose (“My Fair Lady”) and Donna McKechnie (“A Chorus Line”)

MUSICAL ARTISTS

• Stevie Wonder, Peter Frampton, Rod Stewart, Eagles and Barry Manilow were top-selling artists of 1976

• Diana Ross was the only artist with two number one songs: “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To?)” and “Love Hangover”

• The Eagles released their “Greatest Hits” compilation early in 1976 followed by “Hotel California” near the end of the year. They went on to become the second and third best-selling albums of all time

SONGS

• “Silly Love Songs” by Paul McCartney and Wings was the best-selling song of the year followed by “Tonight’s the Night” by Rod Stewart and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee

• Grammy for Song of the Year went to Bruce Johnston (songwriter) for “I Write the Songs” (sung by Barry Manilow)

• Grammy for Record of the Year went to George Benson for “This Masquerade”

OLYMPICS

• Montreal hosted the Summer Olympics for the first time

• The Soviet Union topped the medals count with 49 gold medals followed by East Germany and the U.S.

• Bruce (now Caitlyn) Jenner won the decathlon for the U.S.

• Nadia Comaneci of Romania became the first person in Olympic history to score a perfect 10 on the uneven bars. She won three gold medals

THE COSTS OF THINGS

Median household income: $15,000

Median home price: $43,000

Average monthly rent: $200

Average new car: $5,400

Average annual college tuition: $2,500

Gallon of milk: $1.60

Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.