Take a mental escapade
with these travel stories
I
t has been said everything is about
timing. That couldn’t be further from
the truth for this issue of Timeless
Meridian, which features articles and
photos centered around the theme of
travel.
Our initial goal was to spark the
getaway bug in our readers through
the fascinating stories of local travel
enthusiasts, as well as with informative
articles to help make your travel plans
go smoother. With current travel restric-
tions and bans due to the coronavirus, I
couldn’t help but wonder if this was “the
right time” to do so. Honestly, by the
time all the restrictions and bans were in
full mode, so were preparations for the
magazine issue.
Nonetheless, I worried.
While walking home from work one
evening, I noticed a single bloom in a
flower landscape area. I photographed
it with my phone and shared it on my
Facebook page. Several people not only
noted the beauty of the flower, but also
the beauty of seeing something on their
Facebook feed that wasn’t about the
coronavirus or the negativity surround-
ing it.
With a single image, I’d provided
others a diversion from the stress and
chaos our country is currently facing
due to coronavirus concerns. Imagine
just how freeing a magazine issue about
the travel adventures of several area
residents could be to readers. Especially
when many people are regulated to their
On the Cover
TIMELESS
MERIDIAN
homes due to current “shelter-in-place”
recommendations issued by officials.
The timing could not be more appro-
priate.
Our cover story features a couple of
day trippers — Donna and Ed Owen,
who enjoy taking fanciful adventures
close to home.
“There is so much to see and do, right
around here. You don’t have to travel far
to see things that are interesting or beau-
tiful or surprising,” Donna said.
Instead of hopping on a plane or boat,
the couple regularly hops in their car
and heads to — wherever the road leads
them. Reservations or time are the least
of their concerns. The two just “go with
the flow,” enjoying the time they are
afforded to talk and just be together as
they drive along the way.
Anne Dowdle is also a travel adven-
turer, who upon her retirement nearly
two decades ago decided she “ … did not
want to do the same old, same old.”
At 75, Dowdle has traveled to six
continents, 74 countries and 28 U.S.
states and seem to be perpetually plan-
ning trips. A recently planned trip to
see Patagonia, Easter Island and Chilean
fjords was canceled due to the threat of
coronavirus. But that is just a momentary
pause for this travel addict who says she
plans to keep going as long as she can.
And instead of toys and other
nonessential gifts, Daleville couple
Jeanie and Scott Sanders shower their
grandchildren with trips to the beach,
Disneyworld
and even Paris,
France.
“Sometimes
we have
‘no parents
allowed’
trips,” Jeanie said. “It is nice sometimes
to take the grandchildren by themselves.
And we find that they really do respect
and listen to us. We have been able to
enjoy that time together.”
Tanya Thompson discovered her
niche after age 50 when she began plan-
ning travel adventures for others as a
travel advisor.
“I like meeting people, and I like
making people happy,” said Thompson,
who has worked at Corrigan Travel in
Meridian for the past three years. “I
pay a lot of attention to detail. I love
researching places for people .... I want to
make sure everything about their trip is
just right.”
This issue also includes health, trav-
el and safety tips, as well as an update
on the local Retired Senior Volunteer
Program (RSVP), what’s in store for
the upcoming May is Older Americans
Month observance, our In the Kitchen
and Golden Threads spotlights and
more.
So take your time … Enjoy this mental
escapade.
Ida Brown
Timeless Meridian Magazine Coordinator
TIMELESS
MERIDIAN
May 2020
PUBLISHER — Bill Atkinson
EDITOR — Dave Bohrer
COORDINATOR/WRITER — Ida Brown
ADVERTISING SALES — Queen Jackson, Lisa Webb, Shannon Smith
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS — Monique Harrison-Henderson, Glenda Sanders
DAY
TRIPPING
Couple enjoys fanciful
adventures close to home
In the kitchen with
Jake Pearson
May is Older
Americans
Month
... and more!
A publication of The Meridian Star
PAGE 6: Donna and Ed Owen
enjoy hitting the road not knowing
when or where they will stop.
www.meridianstar.com
PHOTOGRAPHER — Paula Merritt
GRAPHIC DESIGNER — Helen C. Reynolds
TIMELESS MAGAZINE — 814 22nd Ave., Meridian, MS, 39301 —
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Timeless is published six times a year and is a publication of The Meridian Star. Annual
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