My Itchy Travel Feet- Donna Hull pretending to ride a Harley
TRAVEL INTERVIEW WITH DONNA HULL OF MY ITCHY TRAVEL FEET
American Donna Hull is the adventurous woman behind the very popular travel blog My Itchy Travel Feet. Her site focuses on travels for Baby Boomers, especially those who like travel adventures of all kinds. Luckily for Donna and her readers, My Itchy Travel Feet fills in a huge gap in the online travel industry, and helps thousands of people in their 50s, 60s, and older fulfill their travel dreams.
Today we learn about Donna’s own personal travels as well as Baby Boomer travel interests, styles, and preferences. Without further ado, here’s Donna:
Q1: You’re obviously an avid travel fan. How / when did you catch the travel bug?
I’ve always loved to travel, but my interest escalated when I met and married Alan in 2000. He introduced me to fun adventures like 4-wheeling. And, we discovered a mutual love of small ship cruising. For the last 12 years, our motto has been go, go, go.
hot air ballooning at Red Rocks Utah- USA
Q2: What’s your preferred type of travel- destinations, type of accommodation, activities, length of trip, and so on? Why the preference?
I have an eclectic travel taste, although I’m a bit of a travel princess; so you won’t find me camping or staying at a hostel. My favorite destinations are the off-the-beaten-path places, both domestic and international, that offer opportunities for soft adventure. I prefer a unique inn or bed and breakfast over a glitzy resort. But, small ship luxury cruises that include plenty of sea days are my favorite way to travel.
Q3: Could you please tell us about one or two of your very best trips and what made them so great?
It’s so hard to narrow my best trips down to just two but I’ll give it a go. Several years ago, Alan and I traveled with another boomer couple on a road trip in Northern Italy. We hired a private guide who made all of the arrangements and acted as our driver. After arriving in Milan, we used Lake Como, Lucca, and Sovana in Tuscany as headquarters for exploring the area. Along the way, we toured Italy’s motor valley where the guys drove Ferraris, explored inside a marble mine, and spent a day at Cinque de Terre. Sampling the regional cuisine, which our guide Claudio explained to us in detail, turned out to be the highlight of our trip.
A small ship cruise in Southeastern Alaska with American Safari Cruises is another of my favorites. We explored the Inside Passage on the 26-passenger Safari Quest, anchoring at night in isolated bays. Waking up to the quiet of Alaska is an experience that I’ll never forget. I have fond memories of learning to kayak in Thomas Bay, hiking on Baird Glacier and floating with the icebergs at LeConte Bay.
Q4: You mentioned that you initially started My Itchy Travel Feet as a platform for your growing freelance writing work. How / why did you decide to focus on Baby Boomer travel, of all the travel topics possible?
I believe in writing about what you know, so I decided to focus on active travel for baby boomers because that’s the type of travel that my friends and I were doing. When I started My Itchy Travel Feet in 2008, there weren’t any sites on the Internet about active travel for boomers. In fact, there were hardly any boomer blogs, no matter the topic.
Q5: Could you please clarify for us what exactly a ‘Baby Boomer’ is?
A baby boomer is someone who was born during the years 1946 to 1964. We represent the increased birth rate that happened when the soldiers returned from World War II and Korean War.
My Itchy Travel Feet- Donna kayaking in Alaska
Q6: Based on your readers and your experience, what type of travels do most baby boomers prefer? Length of trip, destinations, activities, purpose of trip, type of accommodation, etc…
There are 77 million baby boomers, which means that our travel tastes reflect a wide range of preferences and experiences. Voluntourism, experiential travel and authenticity are three of the current hot topics in boomer travel. Because so many of us have already had the opportunity to travel, we’re looking for unique destinations and experiences. The type of accommodation, destination and length of trip depend on individual budgets and preferences. Boomers do not like to be pigeonholed. We’re known as a generation that thinks of ourselves as independent and unique.
My Itchy Travel Feet- Bergamo- Italy
Q7: Are many baby boomers into outdoor adventures for their travels- hiking, mountain climbing, camping, cycling, and so on? If so, what percentage of your readership?
I can’t give you a percentage, but many boomers are interested in travel that includes outdoor adventures. It might be a one-off experience like snorkeling in Fiji or a trip that focuses entirely on hiking or cycling. Visiting national parks is an ongoing interest as well as RV travel. While we might not be up to climbing Mt. Everest (although I’m sure you’ll find a boomer doing that), we’re interested in experiencing the outdoors in whatever way our aging bodies allow.
My Itchy Travel Feet- photographing sunrise at Arches National Park- USA
Q8: Are any of your baby boomer readers / fans / travel friends into long-term travel or nomadic travels? If so, what percentage of your readership enjoy that type of travel?
The content at My Itchy Travel Feet is based upon our personal travels. Since, we’re not long-term or nomadic travelers, the percentage of our readers who travel this way is probably low. While I appreciate the long-term traveler, my goal is to encourage the average baby boomer to get up off the couch and go, whether that means a long weekend, two-week road trip or 42-day cruise.
Q9: What are the top 3 questions that your readers / travelers ask you when planning their trips?
How can I do that?
What is it like to travel on a long cruise?
How did you find out about that out-of-the-way destination, lodging, activity?
My Itchy Travel Feet- Donna and Alan celebrating New Years Eve on a Silver Cloud cruise
Q10: How popular are cruises among baby boomers? Which top 2-3 cruises are especially popular and why? (could be particular cruise companies, certain length of cruise, specific destinations or routes)
Obviously, not all 77 million baby boomers are interested in cruising. The ones who embrace that mode of travel do so for a couple of reasons. If they are new to international travel, a cruise in the Mediterranean, Baltic or through Southeast Asia makes a good introduction. It’s like a destination buffet that helps you decide which area to come back and explore in depth. Many boomers also enjoy the social aspects of a cruise and then, there is the convenience of unpacking only once.
The cruises that I write about at My Itchy Travel Feet are mostly small ship luxury cruises. Alan and I have accrued almost 300 nights between at sea between Silversea, Seabourn and Regent cruise lines. The all-inclusive nature of these cruise lines appeals to us.
Where do boomers cruise? Once again, that 77 million number comes into play. It all depends on the boomer’s interest. Caribbean sailings are still popular as are Mediterranean ones. But I’m seeing a big increase in interest about cruises to more adventurous locations such as the Arctic and Antarctica. Those traveling with their children and grandchildren (multigenerational travel) find that Alaska cruises make a good choice. Personally, my favorite cruise is a Pacific crossing that travels through French Polynesia. Alan and I enjoy the itinerary so much that we’ve repeated it three times, and we’re sailing on one again in 2013.
Donna and Alan in S Africa
Q11: Are there any places in the world or special trips that you’re just dying to visit / take?
Antarctica is at the top of my boomer travel bucket list.
Q12: What’s up for you and My Itchy Travel Feet for the rest of 2012?
In September, Alan and I will be traveling with Road Scholar on a 6-day hiking tour in Glacier National Park. I’m especially excited about staying at the Many Glacier Hotel in a particularly beautiful corner of the park. Then, in December, I’ll be checking another item off my want-to-do list when we travel on a European Christmas Markets cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland with AMA Waterways.
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Thanks so much, Donna, for telling us about your own travels and travel habits/interests of Baby Boomers in general. Sounds like you’ve got another full travel itinerary ahead for this year and next. Enjoy! Hope to meet you out on the road one day. Cheers, Lash
Follow Donna:
Facebook: MyItchyTravelFeet
Twitter: DonnaLHull
Pinterest: MyItchyTravelft
Hi! I'm Lash, an American nomadic world traveler who's been traveling solo since 1998. I’m passionate about traveling the world nomadically and then sharing it all with you. I hope to inspire you to travel the world, to entertain you with tales from the road, and to help you reach your travel dreams. Welcome! 
