 In 2006, Cecile Jones moved from Ohio to Atlanta and joined The Wellness Center at DeKalb Medical. “It’s close by and I don’t have to drive on the freeway,” Says Jones, who, at age 84, has always exercised even with her heart problem and enjoys the fitness facilities at The Wellness Center. “One day, I saw the sign for a Senior Spectrum trip (I love to travel!), signed up, and I’ve been traveling with them ever since. It’s a chance to see parts of Georgia and Tennessee that I would never see.”
Senior Spectrum organizes outings and trips for members and is run by a devoted team located inside The Wellness Center: Leah Van der Kooy, manager and Kate Smallwood, specialist. “Leah is fantastic. The trips are always well-organized; they always have a waiting list. Kate sends out a notice in the mail about two months ahead and you sign up for what you want to go on. They average about $40-60 per trip, which covers the admission, dinner and travel expenses.” A plush coach bus (with bathroom facilities) picks up and returns the Senior Spectrum group in front of the Stubbs Auditorium in the 2665 Professional Building on the North Decatur campus of DeKalb Medical. With a 60-person capacity, the bus is usually full!
Some of their recent trips include:
- The Tellus Museum in Nashville
- Rock City tour
- The Atlanta Symphony performance
- Cirque du Soleil performance
- Blue Ridge Mountain Railroad trip in Tennessee/North Georgia
- The High Museum of Art in Atlanta
- An apple orchard in north Georgia
“They’re all so different, it’s hard to pick a favorite,” says Jones of the outings (not the apples!). |