For folks who enjoy travel like my wife and I do, there are so many elements of a trip to consider during the planning process. Now that we are early in our retirement phase and also in the last half of our sixties, our priorities for travel have changed to some degree. We are still physically fit and able to get around fine; however, we no longer try to fill each hour of every day trying to hit all the museums, monuments, theatres, churches, etc. in the places we visit. We have become more selective while leaving plenty of time to relax and observe the scenery and the people. It’s a different experience than what we once had when I felt compelled to see as much as possible in the short time we had available to us. My wife has been so gracious over the years in this regard.

I don’t know how much time travelers spend thinking about their hotel rooms or other available lodging options, but in recent years we have been much more deliberate about not only where we stay but the views available to us while we are in our rooms. Perhaps one of the best examples of this new approach was our room in Paris in 2024. My wife handles virtually all our arrangements when we travel, primarily because she is quite good at it but also because she enjoys it – lucky me. She booked a room for us in Paris on an upper floor with a panoramic view of the Parisian skyline that was postcard perfect, especially at night.

We are willing to splurge for an ocean front room if at all possible when we are on the coast. Sitting on a balcony looking out over the water and hearing the constant sound of waves crashing onto the sand is about as peaceful as it gets. The same can be said for views of mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, cityscapes, and other vistas. We both like to read, and a beautiful landscape serves as the perfect backdrop for curling up with a good book or magazine. We have spent countless hours just enjoying this simple pleasure on most of our trips. Here is a small collection of views from our rooms in various locations from our travels.