Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Lesbian Resource Center, 2214
S. Jackson St. (
&
206/322-3953;
www.
lrc.net), is a community resource center
that provides housing and job informa-
tion, therapy, and business referrals.
The Gaslight Inn
is a gay-friendly
bed-and-breakfast in the Capitol Hill
area; see “Where to Stay “ in chapter 4
for a full review. For information on
gay and lesbian bars and nightclubs,
see “After Dark” in chapter 4.
SENIOR TRAVEL
Don't be shy about asking for dis-
counts, but always carry some kind of
identification, such as a driver's license,
that shows your date of birth, especially
if you've kept your youthful glow. In
Seattle, most attractions, some theaters
and concert halls, tour companies, and
the Washington State Ferries all offer
senior discounts. These can add up to
substantial savings, but you have to
remember to ask.
Discounts abound for seniors,
beginning with the 10%-off-your-air-
fare deal that most airlines offer to
anyone age 62 or older. In addition, a
number of airlines have clubs you can
join and coupon books you can buy
that may or may not increase your sav-
ings beyond that base 10% discount,
depending on how often you travel,
where you're going, and how long
you're going to stay. Always ask an air-
line whether it has a club for seniors or
sells coupon books, either of which
often qualifies “mature” travelers for
discounted tickets.
Many hotels offer senior discounts.
Choice Hotels
(Clarion Hotels, Qual-
ity Inns, Comfort Inns, and Sleep
Inns), for example, give 20% to 30%
off their published rates to anyone over
60 depending on availability, provided
you book your room through their
nationwide toll-free reservations num-
bers (not directly with the hotels or
through a travel agent).
Members of
AARP,
601 E St. NW,
Washington, DC 20049 (
&
800/
424-3410
or 202/434-2277; www.
aarp.org), get discounts on many
lodgings, airfares, car rentals, and
attractions throughout Washington.
Anyone over 50 can join.
If you plan to visit either Mount
Rainier National Park or Olympic
National Park while in the Seattle
area, you can save on park admissions
by getting a
Golden Age Passport,
available for $10 to U.S. citizens and
permanent residents age 62 and older.
This federal government pass allows
lifetime entrance privileges. You can
apply in person for this passport at a
national park or other location where
it's honored, as long as you can show
reasonable proof of age. For more
information, check out www.nps.gov/
fees_passes.htm or call
&
888/GO-
PARKS.
Many reliable agencies and organiza-
tions target the 50-plus market.
Elder-
hostel
(
&
877/426-8056;
www.elder
hostel.org) arranges study programs for
those ages 55 and over (and a spouse or
companion of any age) in the U.S. and
in more than 80 countries around the
world. Most courses last 5 to 7 days in
the U.S. (2-4 weeks abroad), and many
include airfare, accommodations in
university dormitories or modest inns,
meals, and tuition.
FAMILY TRAVEL
If you have enough trouble getting
your kids out of the house in the
morning, dragging them thousands of
miles away may seem like an insur-
mountable challenge. But family
travel can be immensely rewarding,
giving you new ways of seeing the
world through smaller pairs of eyes.
Families traveling in Washington
should be sure to take note of family
admission fees at many museums and
other attractions. These admission
