Senior travel correspondent Walter O’D., Memphis TN: We've been on at least a dozen travel tours since our retirement several years ago. They include the US, UK, South America, Russia, Italy, China and France.

While many traveling seniors may disagree, I recommend choosing a tour not restricted to seniors. Our most enjoyable bus tour took a mix of seniors and some young families. We traveled together for a week from California's Marin County south 200 miles to San Diego. Maybe we were just lucky, but the companions we enjoyed most and who related to us best were the kids. With their parents and grandparents on our tour were youngsters from Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Africa and Scotland.

As an often impatient senior traveler, I've experienced unruly kids on cruises, flights, hotels, restaurants and elsewhere. However, on this trip, our new young friends must have been too busy enjoying the beautiful California coastline and other wonders to misbehave.

Those bright kids related to old folks in such a respectful, loving way, that the experience made the journey very pleasant. Maybe it was because, unconsciously or not, they shared their observations and wonders with us.

Next time you book a tour, consider one that includes young families, as well as the usual grumpy old folks like you and yours truly.