Making Memories

Multigenerational Travel Adventures with Road Scholar

What began as an educational program led by five New England universities with a few hundred senior participants has grown dramatically since the 1970s. Today, 80,000 to 100,000 people of all ages enroll each year in Road Scholar’s 665 learning adventures in 42 US states, 91 countries and aboard ships on rivers and oceans worldwide. Although Road Scholar is geared to those aged 50 and older, its multigenerational programs are increasing in popularity, retaining education as a key component of the organization’s mission.

Road Scholar offered its first grandparents-grandchildren programs in 1985, and they have grown by leaps and bounds since then. Activities are engaging and age appropriate (children’s age ranges are specified for each program). Friendly, energetic group leaders are great at helping youngsters foster friendships.

The Journey Begins

Flashback: 1974. Educator Marty Knowlton had just returned from a four-year backpacking trip across Europe that included stays in youth hostels and visits to “folk schools,” which started in Scandinavia in the early 19th century to serve rural workers who had neither the time nor the money to attend college. Instead, the schools offered an alternative form of education focused on skills and experiences instead of the usual classroom instruction. Students lived in the same community as their teachers, learning about the area’s history and customs through books, songs, crafts, traditional foods, explorations of their surroundings and more. No grades or tests were given, and frequent social gatherings cultivated a strong sense of camaraderie.

Knowlton shared story after inspiring story with his longtime friend, David Bianco, the University of New Hampshire’s director of residential life. From their animated conversations came a novel idea. UNH was looking at ways its facilities could generate income during summer breaks. So why couldn’t empty dorms be used to house adults attending folk school-based classes akin to those that Knowlton had seen on his trip? The two visionaries won support from UNH administrators, and Knowlton was hired as the director of the new American Youth Hostel program.

A Fork in the Road

One day, Bianco spotted a white-bearded buddy sitting beneath a “Youth Hostel” sign. “This campus ought not to be having a youth hostel,” Bianco reportedly told Knowlton. “It ought to be having an elder hostel.”

Thus was born Elderhostel and its mission to offer quality non-credit educational programs and modest, affordable accommodations to older adults. The concept provided a new income stream for the university and learning opportunities for active seniors still hungry for knowledge.

In the summer of 1975, 220 people attended Elderhostel’s first programs, which were led by faculty at five New England colleges, including UNH. Elderhostel became a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 1977 and grew dramatically in subsequent years. To more accurately reflect its evolution, Elderhostel was rebranded as Road Scholar in 2010.

Multigenerational Travel Programs

“From our earliest days, we have strived to create innovative experiences for participants of all ages, and our multigenerational programming reflects that,” says Meghan Flynn, Road Scholar’s associate vice president of programs. “Grandparents think it’s important to pass on their love of learning and adventure to the young ones, and the programs are just as meaningful for kids. We’ve received feedback saying children decided to make a topic their focus in college because of a Road Scholar trip they took with their grandparents.

“We frequently hear that the grandparents and children love having time together on their own, not with the parents,” says Flynn. “It deepens their relationships, especially when both generations are trying new things and sometimes even getting out of their comfort zones. Those are the kinds of memories that last a lifetime.”

Grandparent-grandchildren programs are offered during the months of June, July and August. Over a typical summer, Road Scholar hosts about 5,000 participants on those trips. More than 60 options are available in 2025 (see Just for Grandparents and Grandchildren sidebar on page 26–27), including several new offerings.

Travels With Jane & Maya

For the past six years, Kailua resident Jane Austgen has lived around the corner, just 250 steps from her 12-year-old granddaughter, Maya Arfman (yes, she actually counted them). Before that, Jane was an even closer neighbor: She occupied the ‘ohana unit behind her daughter and son-in-law’s home.

“Because of that, I’ve been lucky—I’ve been able to help Maya’s parents, who are both busy professionals, care for her since she was an infant,” says Jane. “I take her to activities, get her ready for school and am there when she gets home in the afternoon. But she’s getting older, and I know the time will come when she won’t need me as much.”

A retired nurse, Jane, 77, keeps busy with pickleball, mahjong, travel and other activities, but she’s committed to nurturing the bond she has developed with Maya. In 2022, an acquaintance told her about Road Scholar programs geared specifically to grandparents and their grandchildren. Although Jane had never taken a trip with the nonprofit organization, she had known for years that it specialized in educational travel for adults 50 and older. Further inquiries led her to other seniors who had taken intergenerational tours with Road Scholar and thoroughly enjoyed them. It sounded like a great thing for her and Maya to do.

“We started looking at Road Scholar’s website to see what programs were available in Maya’s age range,” says Jane. “I had lived in Virginia, right outside Washington, DC, for nine years. In addition to being held in a place that was familiar to me, the itinerary for Spy Kids: Sleuths & Secrets with Your Grandchild sounded really interesting to us, so that’s what we did in July last year. At the time, Maya was going on 11 and an incoming fifth grader at ‘Aikahi Elementary School.”

Spy Kids is a six-day program for children aged 10 through 14. It was Maya’s first trip to DC. She says, “Being in a big city was very different from Hawai‘i, and I loved it! My favorite part was the International Spy Museum [ISM], where our tour group was divided into three teams. Our mission was to find the scientist who was giving classified information to the Russians, using clues we got by putting keycards into kiosks.”

ISM is the only museum in the US that’s dedicated solely to espionage. Ample time was allowed for Road Scholars young and old to peruse exhibits on their own, including the world’s largest collection of spy artifacts on public view. Among the fascinating pieces: pistols doubling as a flashlight and a lipstick holder; cameras concealed in a watch, fountain pen, cigarette lighter, even a bra; and the sleek silver Aston Martin DB5 sportscar that James Bond (Sean Connery) drove in the 1964 blockbuster “Goldfinger.”

Jane and Maya also learned about famous covert operations, both successes and failures, among them, the true story that inspired the movie “Argo.” Ben Affleck starred as CIA officer Tony Mendez, who helped six American diplomats escape Tehran in 1980, at the height of the Iran hostage crisis.

The highlight for Jane was Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, America’s first president. “When I lived in Virginia, it was about a 30-minute drive from my house,” she says. “When friends and family visited, I always took them there because it’s one of my favorite attractions. Thanks to the Road Scholar trip, though, I looked at Mount Vernon totally differently; I didn’t know about its spy activities before.”

Washington authorized the formation of America’s first spy network, which operated on Long Island and in and around New York from 1778 to 1783 during the Revolutionary War. It was comprised of eight primary agents, including farmer Abraham Woodhull, whose code name was Samuel Culper. “The Culper Spy Ring” gathered valuable intelligence about British military campaigns and reported its findings to Washington. The secret group played an instrumental role in the American colonists’ victory over British forces.

“When I visited Mount Vernon previously, the focus was on George and Martha Washington’s family and their lives,” says Jane. “I had taken the regular tour of the mansion and grounds many times, but our visit with Spy Kids was longer and more informative.”

She and Maya appreciated unique experiences not available on other tours, including a presentation by a former CIA agent; figuring out how to crack a code during a cryptology session; and using wigs, clothing and makeup to explore the art of disguise.

Maya was happy to find her grandmother was a compatible, laid-back travel companion. “She let me be more independent, which I liked,” she says. “It was fun doing and learning new things together and meeting people from all over.”

They went with the flow, says Jane, and relished their time together. “This was our first trip as grandmother and granddaughter, and our priority was to relax and have fun.

“Road Scholar makes everything so easy,” says Jane. “All you have to do is book your flights; they handle everything else. The night before, your guide will tell you where you’ll be going and what you’ll be doing the next day, the time and place you should meet, what you need to bring and how you should dress.”

Tips for ‘Smooth Sailing’

Although trip planning is a snap with Road Scholar, some independent thought is required to ensure a smooth trip when traveling with your grandchild. Jane offers these suggestions:

Consider your health and mobility. “One woman in our ‘Spy Kids’ group had a walker,” says Jane. “She and her husband brought three teen-aged grandchildren on the trip. If she thought an activity would be too hard for her, she didn’t go. Road Scholar accommodated her well, and I think she did just about everything even though sometimes she was a little behind. Look at itineraries closely, and be honest about your abilities. You’ll want to participate as much as possible because every activity is a chance to strengthen your relationship with your grandchild.”

Choose a destination together. For their Road Scholar vacation this year, Jane and Maya chose the Music, Magic & Nature: The Great Smokies program in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. “Maya and I talked a lot about where we wanted to go this year, and we thought this trip would be a perfect fit.

“Maya takes piano lessons, and she loves singing and all kinds of music. She was happy to find out that learning Appalachian folk songs and building a musical instrument are on the itinerary. I love Dolly Parton, who grew up in the Great Smoky Mountains area. Music, Magic & Nature goes to Dollywood, a theme park that honors her, and I’m sure that’s going to be a highlight for me.”

Do some pre-trip reading. “Road Scholar has a recommended book list for each of its programs. To get in the right frame of mind for Spy Kids, Maya read ‘Spy Science: 40 Secret-Sleuthing, Code-Cracking, Spy-Catching Activities for Kids.’ It got her excited about things we were going to see and do on the trip.”

Pay attention to programs’ age ranges. “Even a few years makes a noticeable difference. The range for Spy Kids is 10 to 14. Maya was almost 11 when we went, and some of the activities were a bit advanced for her. She understood everything, but the older kids caught on to concepts quicker. Some of them were almost 15; four years (11 to 15) is a big gap. The range for our Great Smokies trip is 8 to 12, so Maya is at the upper end of the spectrum for that.”

For East Coast programs, arrive a day early. “It’s a long flight from Hawai‘i, so doing that will give you time to rest and adjust to the time zone change. Don’t go straight from the airport to the orientation, which begins in the late afternoon, or you’ll be exhausted from the get-go!”

Set ground rules in advance. “I limited screen time except on flights. Our itinerary was packed and there wasn’t much downtime anyway. At the most, I think Maya might have had 20 or 30 minutes on her iPad in the evening. Also, be sure you know where your grandchild is and who he or she is with at all times.”

Bedtime is non-negotiable. “You will be sharing a room. It’s important for both of you to get enough sleep because you’ll be on the go from morning to evening every day.”

Be flexible and agree there will be no arguing. “When you travel, things don’t always go exactly as planned. It’s important to hang loose and maintain a sense of humor.

“The goal is to have a good time and enjoy each other’s company. This is a great opportunity to connect with your grandchild and make wonderful memories together.”

Jane and Maya are already planning to enroll in Road Scholar’s American Mosaic: An NYC Exploration in 2025.