Day trippers

Suzie Harrison

It’s an epidemic that knows no discrimination and is seen on a global

level, with most afflictions found in the summer, though it’s still

pretty much a year-round occurrence. It’s called “the travel bug.”

To help seniors with a cure, Phyllis Daugherty, administrative

director of the Costa Mesa Senior Center’s travel department, has

volunteers planning trips year round for the seniors.

She’s been volunteering in that position for more than five years

and loves it. It came to her attention after she retired in 1993. The

center’s newsletter, the Chronicle, had some information about a

travel class they were having. Her involvement She said it just

blossomed from there, she said.

“At first, I was doing day trips. After that, certain people left,

and the next thing I knew, they asked me to head it up,” Daugherty

said. “Maybe it’s been even seven years now.”

There are six people on the travel board, and each of these

volunteers has a task, she said.

Anita Middleton heads up the gambling trips, which Daugherty said

is a favorite among the seniors. Evie Tuell is in charge of the day

trips. Beryl Daniels does the theater trips. Eleanor Hodges is in

charge of making sure everyone has a time to work the travel desk.

Marge Walker is the treasurer.

“I do the mini-trips and the long trips,” Daugherty said. “At

least once a month is a theater trip and gambling. The seniors love

it, so we go a couple times a month.”

For example, they’d have three-day trips to Laughlin or Las Vegas.

They schedule the trips three months ahead of time, and because of

their popularity, they are usually filled up within two weeks of the

posting.

“Plus, they’re cheap, too, so it helps,” Daugherty said. “We’re

all-volunteer, so any money we make goes to the center. Last year,

[the travel center] made $12,000.”

They’ve been to China twice. The 10-day trips cost $1,100, which

included airfare, lodging at a five-star hotel and most meals.

There has been a train trip to Montana, a Russian river cruise

from St. Petersburg to Moscow, a trip to Washington, D.C. to see the

Smithsonian and other museums, and trips to Maryland, Delaware, New

Orleans, Williamsburg, Va., Atlanta, Alabama and Branson, Mo.

Daugherty is working on a trip to Japan, an Alaskan cruise and a

trip to Northern California.

“It’s been fun, it’s tiring, but I get rejuvenated,” Daugherty

said. “The best thing about it is working with people and going on

the trips and seeing how much fun people are having. We have had some

good times.”