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Retiree Prefers Final Days In Holiday Inn To Nursing Home


Unless we’re hit by a car, catch a fatal disease or drink/eat/smoke ourselves to death at a younger age, we all must face the inevitable decision. Unable to handle daily life, we or our family decide to stash us in a nursing home.

However, in these days of never-ending inflation, a semi-private old folks room there costs an average of $7,500 a month. Just 30 years ago when my mother needed that care, it was $450 a month. Prices have gone up just a teeny bit since then. So recently, when a Texas guy hit his golden years, he priced nursing home vs Holiday Inn living he had experienced in many years of travel. 

Every senior wanderer is familiar with Holiday Inns. Costs for similar accommodations at one are $1,900 a month, plus advantages of private room and bath. When you’re a Holiday Inn resident, there’s another plus. Instead of other old people coughing and rasping in next-door rooms, the motel wall offers more interesting sounds from amorous one-nighter younger customers.
Orlando FL: Nearby Non-Disney Things To Do PDF Print E-mail


Everyone loves Walt Disney World, but is that all you can enjoy in the beautiful Orlando area? Of course, consider rival Universal Studios, a theme park just as entertaining as WDW. Here are some others to explore:

Lake Eola Park: Orlando once was a small Florida town, and you can experience a bit of it at Lake Eola Park in the downtown area. Enjoy the old-fashioned swan-shaped paddle boats ($25 per half-hour rental). For lazy senior travelers, they also offer electric paddle boats. Lake Eola Park, 195 North Rosalind Av., Orlando, FL, cityoforlando.net

SeaWorld: The Manta roller coaster swings up from the ground, providing great views of the park, then races down at breakneck speed. The main attractions in SeaWorld's large center pool are performing sea lions and dolphins. They display jumping, precision swimming and interactions with trainers. If you bring kids, they may be allowed to pet the dolphins. There are two other areas in SeaWorld, Blue Horizons and Busch Gardens. You can buy tickets for one or to all three. Costs range from $10 a month for an annual pass to each of the parks, to $200 for a Discovery Cove All-inclusive Dolphin Swim Experience. With that ticket, you get food, drinks and unlimited visits to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Blue Horizons. SeaWorld, 7007 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, www.seaworld.com

Orlando Science Center: This upscale museum offers many things to do in just one day and evening. Kids enjoy the many electronically animated and hands-on exhibits. Adult admission $20, seniors and kids $18. Through the Crosby Observatory's refractor telescopes, you’ll see stars close up in the clear Florida evening sky. Science Center, 777 E. Princeton St., Orlando, FL 32803, www.osc.org

Titanic The Experience: The museum features a full-sized replica of the elegant double-staircase. There are interactive displays of the ship's relics. The restaurant is a copy of the Titanic's main dining room, with the menu of that fateful 1912 day. Uniformed ghostly crew members serve visitors.

Adult admission is $30, kids $13. Dinner, including Titanic actors and musicians, is adults $70, kids $50. Titanic The Experience, 7324 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819, titanictheexperience.com
 
 
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