No trip is too big or too small for local travelers

By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

The distinct salty aroma of steamed crabs and sweet corn fills the air of Eastern Boulevard’s Crab Quarters in Middle River, Md.

Old Bay covers hands accustomed to summer after summer of picking sweet back fin meat; a watermelon rind and naked corn cob rest among the empty crab shells; and the waitress sets another pitcher of cold beer on the newspaper-covered table.

This monthly Maryland feast is one of the most popular summer trips to depart from Oak Crest, according to Trip Coordinator Susanne Howard. A monthly oyster run to Harris Crab House in Grasonville takes its place every winter, but Howard laughs when asked if they take anything more than daytrips.

Time to travel
She spouts off destinations like the Caribbean, Canada, Memphis, Alaska, Las Vegas, Spain, and Denmark. The list seems neverending.

According to the Domestic Travel Market Report, older travelers continue to generate the highest travel volume in the United States. No one knows that better than travel offices at Oak Crest and Charlestown.

“We have a lot of people who want to do a lot of traveling because now they have the time and freedom to do the things they’ve always wanted to do,” Howard says. “With 18 to 25 trips a month, we do about 250 trips a year and take out about 700 people on average each month.”

One such Oak Crest traveler, Shirley Dietrick, says she travels more now in retirement because she has more time to do it and because of the convenience provided by Howard and her team. “We’ve been on many trips through Oak Crest, which we probably wouldn’t do if we weren’t here,” Dietrick says.

Local limelight
With bus excursions to New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Eastern Shore, as well as Caribbean cruises, Canadian rail rides, and Oregon expeditions, Dietrick and her fellow travelers have plenty to choose from.