During World War II, your travel4seniors.com editor and Navy shipmates had lunch in the Palace’s beautiful Garden Court of the historic hotel. The bill for steak and drinks for a seaman earning $55 a month in October 1944 was an expensive $6. According to the today’s luncheon menu, just a serving of endive and watercress salad costs $15.

Second visit to the Palace: Following a year of living in a tent next to our outhouse with bucket shower in war-torn Manila, the Philippines. In October 1945, I was on my way home, WWII Navy service completed.

Before the train ride, I booked a room at the Palace, wanting a night in a linen-covered bed and soak in a real bathtub. I also needed to dine on anything but Spam in a real restaurant. The room rate was $15, and the expensive dinner was $7.

We who’ve wandered the world for many decades are always game to try something new. We’ve bunked in airport sleeping lockers, scan GPS locators in our cars and try all kinds of electronic tricks with Smartphones that weren't yet invented in our early travel decades.

We’ve driven with uber.com chauffeurs, slept in underwater hotels and bed’n’breakfasted with airbnb.com families. Now comes EatWith, offering family dining just about anywhere you’ll travel in the world. Simply, with private arrangements, traveling seniors can sit down for a meal with real local families in their private homes.

Starting at about $25, they can enjoy everything from tortillas, chitlins, sushi, linguini, lo mein, sausages, tapas, calimari, ratatouille to whatever home cooking they choose. For more info, go to www.eatwith.com

According to recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, life expectancy in the USA in now at its highest in history. The good news is that it’s at almost 80 years!

Therefore, all you seasoned citizens, including baby boomers hitting 65, make plans for up to 25 sunset years of blissful retirement. How can you make the most of it? Stop counting pennies, get your butt off the couch, make your wildest bucket list plans come alive and travel that wonderful world out there!

Your travel4seniors.com editor’s camera captures the magnificent vista from the terrace of the Presidential Suite at the InterContinental Marseille-Hotel Dieu. www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/.../marseille