Volunteer puts travel experience to work

By: TOM MORROW - For the North County Times
Sandi Barnes coordinates trips for the Oceanside Senior Center | Monday, January 7, 2008 11:03 PM PST ∞

OCEANSIDE -- Sandi Barnes figures if she wanted to work a few hours less each week, she could take on a full-time paying job. As it is, she says, she spends more than 40 hours weekly volunteering as the Oceanside Senior Center's travel coordinator and loves every minute.

Travel always has been in Barnes' blood. Back in the 1960s, she worked as a flight attendant for about eight years.

"That was when we were 'stewardesses,' or 'airborne cocktail waitresses,' " she said with a laugh.

After her flying days, Barnes spent 16 years as a travel agent in Ramona and Escondido. Today, she volunteers her travel knowledge, putting trips together for seniors in Oceanside.

The center offers 100 to 150 trips a year, she said. The trips can be anything from an afternoon outing in Carlsbad to an 11-day adventure in Mexico.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't enjoy the work and, of course, the people who travel with us," she said. "We really have a lot of fun on these trips, which makes all the volunteer time I put in well worth it."

While Barnes coordinates the "Happy Wanderers" travel office at the center, she has about 10 volunteer travel escorts assisting her.

"Each of our escorts put their own trips together from beginning to end," Barnes said. "We're not a travel agency; rather, we're a travel service for our seniors, so it's important that each trip be done with them in mind."

First of all, the trips have to be affordable, she said.

Barnes says she tries to keep costs as reasonable as possible. A day trip typically costs around $68 to $75 per person, but there are one or two affordable bus trips going for as low as $5 per person to nearby Pala Casino.

In some cases, a travel agency is used, but many of the smaller trips are completely planned and organized by the escort.

Most of the trips are aboard motor coaches. Barnes said a half-day excursion can take eight to 10 hours of planning and organizing.

Volunteer escorts are required to have some knowledge of travel planning.

"There's a lot to consider when designing a trip," Barnes said. "Just because a person has traveled a lot doesn't mean they know what it takes to put together a trip for a group of people, especially seniors."

For example, Barnes said, factors such as mobility become particularly important. Each traveler must be able to get on and off a bus by themselves, or if they have a wheelchair, they must be accompanied by another person to assist them.

The price of all Happy Wanderer trips include a tip for the driver and snacks for the passengers.

"Our folks just want to know what the bottom line will be as far as costs are concerned," Barnes said.

What are the more popular trips?

"Well, that's a hard one because we have more than 400 seniors who travel with us on a regular basis throughout the year," Barnes said. "But, I can tell you that if we put a casino into the mix, it's almost a sure sellout."

The Happy Wanderers make at least one trip to Nevada's Sam's Town each year. In April, a four-day, three-night trip is planned for Reno and Virginia City.

A four-day, three-night trip to Zion National Park in Utah is also planned, she said.

"And, of course, we'll be staying at a couple of Nevada casinos on the way up and back," Barnes said.

The excursion that Barnes said should be the "trip of the year" will be a seven-day, six-night outing to the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota.