One of the group’s best dining memories is of a “candlelight” dinner they enjoyed at Morning Star Mercantile & Café. When thunder storms knocked the power out, the restaurant remained open specifically to host the Erickson group. With no electricity they lit candles in the dining room and cooked using a back-up generator. What could have been a travel disaster turned into an evening filled with laughter and great conversation.
In fact, the group says having opportunities to travel with friends is one of the best perks of living at an Erickson community. They say they get more out of the experience by sharing it with people whose company they enjoy. And when they return home from a vacation they can swap photos and relive the memories with their neighbors.
“I would go any place with these people,” says Carol Bonebrake, who strengthened her friendships with her Monarch Landing neighbors while touring Springfield.
Her husband Doug agrees. “It’s more fun sharing travel with your neighbors,” he says.
Residents say that living at Monarch Landing or Sedgebrook makes traveling much easier. Since the community has around-the-clock security, residents don’t have to worry about the safety of their homes while they’re gone. There’s no need to find a neighbor to collect mail, and with so many close friends nearby, finding someone to take care of pets is not a problem.
“I can leave and not worry,” says Millie Glenn, who lives at Monarch Landing and went to Springfield. “I don’t even cancel the newspaper. It’s very easy to travel living here.”
Travel buddies
Monarch Landing, Sedgebrook form joint travel club, visit exciting locations
By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
Travel, like so many things in life, is best when shared with good friends. A friend might suggest a museum or other attraction you may not have visited on your own. Or you might get the chance to share your love of architecture with a friend while on a vacation together. And then, of course, you can relive the good times over and over by reminiscing with your travel buddies.
That’s why adventurous Erickson residents from both Monarch Landing, in Naperville, and Sedgebrook, in Lincolnshire, have joined together to form a travel club. Last winter the club traveled to Branson, Mo., where they spent five days shopping, sightseeing, and attending several holiday musical shows for which the city is well-known. In June, the club headed south to Springfield, Ill., where they toured the historic sites of the state capital. The group even toured Europe by sea on a 12-day Mediterranean cruise that included stops in Portugal, Italy, and Spain.
Monarch Landing resident Marilyn Erwin was one of the people on the Mediterranean cruise. She says the best part of the European adventure was sharing it with friends.
“That was the attraction for me,” Erwin says. “It makes all the difference.”
One Monarch Landing resident in particular has devoted her travel expertise to planning several of the club’s recent excursions. Elaine Brinkman, an avid traveler and former marketing director and cruise shipsinger, put her travel know-how to good use by starting a travel club shortly after she moved to Monarch Landing. Brinkman also worked with Sedgebrook residents and staff to form a “sister communities” travel club and has executed several successful vacations for residents from both communities.
“There would not have been a Springfield trip for Sedgebrook residents if Elaine had not gone all out to arrange it and get it going!” says Sedgebrook resident Warren Breckenridge.
Next, the club will visit scenic Door County, Wisc., featuring stunning landscapes, quirky art galleries, restaurants to suit every palette, and some of the best golfing in the Midwest.