31 Jan 2022 Senior travel club assures assistance, safety and new friendships

Posted at 10:48 PMh in Neighbors by

By Stefanie Brazile

Active seniors want to travel, and joining a group can provide safety and help with planning, mobility, and new friendships.

Judy and Randle Tomlinson moved to Conway from El Dorado in 2019 to be near their son. They have membership in the First Service Travelers Club at First Service Bank. The program is for customers 50 and older who have flexible schedules, enjoy travel, social events, and unique experiences.

“As I have grown older, it gets easier to let someone else do the driving, and all of the planning and all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the trip,” Mr. Tomlinson said. “We’ve only been on four in-state trips so far. There are four out-of-state trips planned this year, and we’ve signed up for all of them because COVID-19 has really kept us in the house. Even though we’ve been to three of the places already, they are visiting sites where we haven’t been.”

Dealing with the traffic and hurried pace of larger cities can be daunting at any age, even with GPS. “You have to consider the effort and time of planning a trip and the mental state you’re in when you’re in a large city,” Mrs. Tomlinson said. “We figure that into the cost, but the cost is extremely reasonable. Besides your hotel, it covers many meals, plus entry fee into museums and other planned stops.”

Traveling in a group is safer, and there is an opportunity to meet new people. Ina Standridge is the club’s Director. She accepted the position in March 2018.

 “The first year was awesome, and we went to Ireland,” she said. “We canceled the second year because of the pandemic. However, we hope to go on all trips planned for ’22. 

“Seniors get to make new friends,” Standridge said. “You are going to see some of the same people on the trips, and it’s a great way to cultivate friendships and renew acquaintances.” 

Mrs. Tomlinson praises the VIP treatment offered to the First Service Travelers group. “We’ve been traveling all our life, but we always did it on our own,” she said. “They handle your luggage, have frequent stops and drop you off right where you should be and pick you up.”

Judy and Randle Tomlinson and the First Service Travelers Club enjoyed a day trip to the Edgemont House in Little Rock. It is a historic Spanish Colonial Revival style home that is open to tourists.

For seniors with mobility issues, this is especially helpful. “Even if you’re handicapped to the point of using a walker or scooter, you’re still able to go,” Standridge said. “The bus driver is wonderful to get those out for you each time we stop.”

“Ina [Standridge] is one of the most caring people I know,” Mr. Tomlinson said. “When we travel, she makes sure that we have every convenience that we could want. She is a very personable lady.”

The trips planned for this year include Savannah in April, Niagara Falls in June, Mount Rushmore in August and Maine in October. To become part of the First Service Travelers, you must maintain a certain amount in an “Earn 50 Plus” checking account. 

Learn more by calling Standridge at 501.514.2340 or ask any of the bank’s representatives for assistance.