Not everyone comes to Washington in the springtime to beg for bailout money, gloat about multi-million-dollar bonus rip-offs or to lobby Congress for special hometown pork barrel deals. For nearly 100 years, residents and visitors have had more important things to do. They stroll out into the sunlit D.C. streets to wonder at clouds of bright red that have descended on the Nation’s capital city. There they enjoy the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, with week-long events until Sunday, April 12.

The 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade starts festivities on Saturday, April 4, running from 10 am to noon. The colorful and musical procession struts along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW. Every minute, crowds of kids and young-at-heart viewers can thrill to giant theme balloons, tuneful marching bands and circus-act performers.

A good travel plan for senior summer ventures in America’s Far West is a visit to beautiful Lake Tahoe. The vast recreation area straddles the borders of Nevada and California, some 60 miles from Reno.

Old Faithful is one of the most popular attractions of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. In spite of its fame, it isn’t the largest geyser there. When you visit, be sure to check out the other spouters at Upper Geyser, Black Sand and Biscuit Basins. They can be as spectacular, or more so, if you’re there at the right time.

Old Faithful is called that because it seems as if some mechanical device controls it. Caused by earthquake rumblings miles below the earth’s surface, it’s not quite precise, but if you wait patiently, you’ll see it erupt about once every 80 minutes. You’ll stand in wonder watching the huge 200-foot high spout spray hot water and steam for up to five minutes.

When we visited Yellowstone last summer, my first impression of Old Faithful was to compare it to we older guys. Geezers can relate to the geysers, because we have similar regular experiences many times a day, and most annoying, several times a night.

Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico

Some people believe the IF is a very big one, while others think of it as an insult to the Mexican people. So, let’s begin by saying you are much safer in Mexican cities and its countryside than you are in some areas in the U.S.

Of course, there’s crime in Mexico, and as with the major reason for crime in the U.S., it is almost always drug business related and the gangs who go with it. Therefore, for seniors traveling south of the border, they can assure themselves of maximum safety by following just a few suggestions.