Grace Lichtenstein's Blog
Posted by Grace Lichtenstein
Being a senior is great when it comes to discounted food, opera and transportation, among other things. When I was in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, I asked for and got a 10 % senior discount at one of my favorite already-inexpensive "healthy eating" chain restaurants, Souplantation.
The Brentwood branch at San Vicente and Montana was hopping on a weekday night with families and senior couples. I am a salad lover and at Souplantation (or its sister cafeterias, called Sweet Tomatoes) you can pile your plate high with good salad ingredients, add a muffin, a soft drink and a dessert, all for about $10.. This ain't fancy dining, but if you long for a fast, nutritious meal, these are great spots. They are located all over the West and Midwest.
In New York City recently, I got my hands on an orchestra seat for only $20 at the Metropolitan Opera to see "Aida." A friend scored one of the 50 tickets reserved for seniors at week-night performances and heard Natalie Dessay in "Lucia di Lammermoor."
Discounts don't get better than that. The Met reserves 200 orchestra seats (mostly on the side of the orchestra, but still...) for performances Monday through Thursday only. Of those 200, 50 may be available on the day of performance only to seniors online or over the phone. As these become better known, they'll be harder to get, and even now you have to keep redialing (phone) or refreshing (on the Web site.)
While in New York, take advantage of the senior discount on buses and subways -- the cost is half-price: $1 instead of $2 for a single ride. Plan in advance and you can order a discount card by mail. There is also a walk-in site in downtown Manhattan.
Posted by Grace Lichtenstein
Worst airline in the U.S.? There are lots to choose from.
Worst terminal in a major hub? No contest: American Airlines at LAX.
I left my Santa Monica hotel 3 hours before my 1 p.m. flight, as friends urged. I even stopped at a supermarket to buy prepared foods for both lunch & dinner.Then I took Lincoln Boulevard rather than the freeway toward LAX.
This is the 21st century, yet it would seem that going Greyhound from Los Angeles might be more scenic, and about the same level of comfort. The American Airline LAX terminal is a low-ceilinged slum with endless lines, long, long hallways and crowded check-in facilities.
Pulling my carryon, I waiting for 25 minutes while the passenger line inched toward the security area. American's security portals are so ancient they don't even have conveyor belts or rollers to get your stuff smoothly to the X-Ray machine. If you are a senior, it is helpful to have a strong, young gent in line nearby to help you lift your bags.
Did things improve past the security choke point? Mais non! The waiting area for the NYC-bound plane was so filthy it reminded me of the Calcutta airport (the worst I ever saw) minus the beggars. It should be busted by the Board of Health.
We boarded an hour late, despite all signs indicating the flight was "on time." We arrived at JFK after 10 p.m. Then it was a 20 minute shlep from the gate to the AirTrain.
If this is what it means to get old and cranky, I am returning to age 20 tomorrow. Icelandic Air to Luxemburg, anyone?
Posted by Grace Lichtenstein
Last night, past midnight, I finished reading The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook, a novel that takes place in present and past New Mexico. I stumbled upon this book in the gift shop at Pecos Pueblo, where I stopped recently.
I had never heard of this author and wondered why a novel was featured at a National Parks shop, along with the usual histories and archeology books. I discovered that the book took place in the very spot where I had bought it. My only regret was that I had not read the book while in New Mexico, so I could return to the prehistoric pueblo and "walk in the footsteps" of the chatacters. If you love New Mexico and ancient Puebloan places, I recommend this title highly.
During my summer in New Mexico and Colorado I learned about other titles and authors whose names were not familiar. That is the great attraction of reading what I call books "in situ" -- Latin for "in the place." The current best seller Eat Pray Love, which I reviewed, is fun on its own. But it must be wonderful to read it in Italy, India or Bali, where it takes place. When in California, I often read books by the likes of Joan Didion (perhaps its most gifted native writer, even though she no longer lives there) or Wallace Stegner (who was not a native, but whose Angle of Repose takes place in part there and is perhaps the finest work of historical fiction about the Gold Rush frontier west.)
Any recommendations of other great travel reads for specific places? Seniors, as we know, are the greatest class of book readers and buyers these days. Please share your favorites.
Posted by Grace Lichtenstein
It has been a thrill to follow 75-year-old Herb Schon on his bicycle trip across the U.S. As an avid senior cyclist, I know how he feels when he let out a "yahoo!" upon reaching the tour's midpoint in Kansas. In 1992 I rode cross-country on a bicycle adventure, from Seattle to Asbury Park, NJ. We took a different, more northerly route, but it was just as strenuous. I admire Herb's outlook:
"Time was flying by. Lots of good roads, rollers and better scenery began to appear. At day's end I surprised myself with the thought of wanting more miles. Hmmm, I must be losing it."
When Herb's group reached St. Joseph, Missouri, they were at one of the famous departure points in American history. From here,the Forty-Niners headed for California and the Gold Rush, and thousands of emigrants began their pioneer journeys here seeking a new life in the American West.
Herb said that his "body needed help" after four weeks and serious Kansas headwinds. Thus, "a rest day on July 2 was welcomed. Slept until 7:30, relaxed by the pool and did an easy 20 miler to make sure the knees functioned. A big WOW tinged with some sadness. Only three more weeks," he said.
I will admit that on my cross-country ride, I was really, really happy when there were only three weeks to go. But I'm not as tough -- and I didn't train as rigorously -- as Herb Schon. He is a role model for every senior bicycle rider. I look forward to visiting him later this summer in Santa Fe.
Posted by Grace Lichtenstein
On your mark, Herb! Our intrepid senior cyclist Herb Schon of Santa Fe, NM writes that he's just about ready and fit for his epic bicycle ride across the U.S.
Earier this month, he said that with just a few weeks to go before leaving for San Francisco, "I feel in good shape. I recover well overnight and have no lingering sore muscles."
Herb has cut down on the number of ride days. He's doing "fewer but longer days in the saddle--" lots of rides over 60 miles and a few over 100. "The totals since my training began on March 1 have been 2,460 miles and 205 hours in the saddle." Herb's last local hurrah in New Mexico will be to take part in the Santa Fe Century on May 24.
Celebrating his 75th birthday with this ambitious agenda, Herb says "I can feel the excitement building as the start day approaches. Already worrying about what I'll forget to pack and something happening to the bike (never me!) the next few weeks. Good signs."
The departure date from San Francisco is June 2. Herb and others on the America By Bicycle tour will wind up their journey in Portsmouth, N.H. July 24.
The only thing Herb asks is where we think he might find the "replacement butt" he might need. Any suggestions?
Meanwhile, let's all give a cheer for Herb as he shows that it's not your age or your butt, but your enthusiasm (and your training) that counts when it comes to being a senior fitness poster boy.
