It has been 240 years since Ben Franklin, John Adams and the rest of the guys made history in Philly. The travel4seniors.com editor grew up in the city, and Independence Day always had a special meaning. I recall when my Mom took me to visit the Liberty Bell when I was four.

I reached out to feel the rough iron and the famous broken side. In those long-ago days, visitors were allowed to touch the bell. Today, it’s enclosed in its own space, and because of all kinds of security visitors can only look at it.

Guest writer PJJ, Staten Island NY: Last year we took a cruise that started in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. There was no Evita there singing, “Don’t cry for me, Argentina.” The only time we cried was with happy tears when we found a little mom and pop café just a few blocks from our hotel in a residential area.

The specialty dish of arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) was delicious. The price was very reasonable, because it wasn’t in a downtown tourist area. In Buenos Aires and any other city, visitors should look for well-recommended, unpretentious restaurants where locals go.

On your very first visit to the ancient city, and happen to have just a couple of days to spend there, here are some suggestions. First, make sure you’re in good physical shape and wear sensible walking shoes.

Have a virtual smartphone map, and work out your itinerary in English or other language you prefer. Refer to your schedule as you roam Rome. Consider starting at one of the city’s most famous landmarks, the Trevi Fountain.

Are you seasoned enough to remember that tearjerker 1954 movie, “Three Coins in the Fountain”? Do the traditional gesture with a tossed coin and a silent wish into the sparkling water. If you’re too old to wish for romance, at least wish for a rising stock market and/or lowering medical bills.

Of course you’ve heard: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. This includes your trysts, troubles, worries and your bank account. A more applicable motto for Sin City refers to its most luxurious hotel rooms: if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

If you're a whale, you can luxuriate free in just about any of the poshest penthouses in the most upscale resorts in Vegas. A whale is a wealthy usually male, gambler with a fat bankroll, and will put as much as $100,000 on each turn of a card or spin of the wheel. A whale's free penthouse suite in any of a dozen of the most luxurious hotels lists for from $5,000 to $50,000 a night.