May 9th guest speaker is popular blogger, "MommyPoints"

~ At Our Last Meeting ~
Stef Olson presided at our last meeting (May 9th) and our featured guest speaker was popular travel blogger MommyPoints (Summer Hull). Summer gave a great presentation on how to accumilate and really cash in on travel points! There were several first timers and many present gave short reports on recent trips and future planned adventures in travel. A good time was had by all. Check back for a video of the meeting coming in a few days,

Our meetings are held at the Austin Public Library's Oak Hill Branch, at 5125 Convict Hill Rd. in Southwest Austin and as always, admission is free.

Next Regular Meeting: Monday, July 9, 2012 See the (Map Link).
To All Attendees..
If you've been missing our informal "Coffee" (alternate months of regular meetings) you're missing an enjoyable experience indeed!

SEE Video of typical "Coffee"
Our Informal Coffee shedule is on 2nd Wednesday of even number months. Last Coffee was held on Wednesday, April 11.

Next Coffee date will be on Wednesday, June 13, 2012, at 9:30 AM, Panera's Cafe on William Cannon Blvd.

Directions: Heading West on William Cannon, go past Loop 1... after crossing Brush Country Rd, watch for Panera's Cafe on the left (South side) of William Cannon. The address is 4625 West William Cannon Blvd. Austin, TX 78749. See Map

Join us for a really good cup of coffee and very enjoyable company.

What We Do...

We Travel... a lot! From local travel, to world-wide excursions, Cruises, African Safaris and some of us even travel underwater (SCUBA Diving). You name the place and it's likely that someone in our group has been there! Although we have very diverse backgrounds and experience levels, we all just love the adventure of travel! We also exchange stories, travel tips, and experiences (good & bad) we've had. We very much enjoy the camaraderie that flows out of our common love for the adventures of travel.
We hold Regular Meetings, every other month (beginning January) - always on the second Wednesday of the month, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, and always in the Oak Hill Library at 5124 Convict Hill Road, several blocks West of Brodie Ln. in South Austin.

We always send reminder e-mails with date and time information. So,if you would like to be added to our "Reminder List" just click the "Notify Me" button below and say "please remind me of your meetings" in the Comments field..


OUR PRIVACY POLICY
We promise that your information will not be sold or given to anyone else, period!

Check the "Latest News" column on the right for Day, Date and Time information.


Dr.George Tereshkovich has a most remarkable story about a message he put in a bottle and dropped overboard during a cruise on the SS Rotterdam (Holland American Lines).

That was February of 1995... then April of the year...
But let's let George tell you the story in his own words.

Who You Can Contact...

Jim and Katie Robirds (pictured here) working with Jane Owens and DrGeorge Tereshkovich, launched "Retired Austin Travelers" in January of 2008.

With just a handful of like-minded individuals, they started holding "RATs" meetings, primarily to share information and swap travel tips and adventures. It soon blossomed into a sizable gathering!

As the name clearly implies, we are a group of (mostly) retired folks (singles and couples) who live in and around the Austin area. However, you don't have to be retired to join. All you need is a love of travel and a willingness to share your experiences with others. There are no dues nor elected officials--just volunteers.

Come On In... We do have a lot of fun.

Periodic Free Workshops...

On occasion, as requests arise, we will hold small group workshops. The subjects range from "Digital Photography Made Easier," to "Building Your Own Website."

Members who have expertice in various fields that relate to travel adventures, volunteer their time and expertise to hold our workshops. There is no fixed schedule (schedules are set by the workshop leader) and there is no fee charged! Everyone involved has a good time and very helpful information is shared. So just check back periodically to this location and click o the
"Up-coming Workshop" button below for information on upcoming workshop plans.


RATs on a Train!
A small group of RATs took a ride on
Captol Metro's new train!

News & Information

A group of RATs attended a nice presentation by Grand Circle Tours held at the RENAISSANCE Austin Hotel at the Arboretem. Our Thanks to Pat Murphree for the alert to this event. (Date: May 2, 2012)
~ Next Regular Meeting ~
Make Note of Date Change...
Due a conflicting schedule, our next regular meeting will be held on MONDAY, July 9th, 1:00-3:00 PM

Add your comments..

Our Next Informal "Coffee"
will be held on June 13, 2012 at 9:30 AM.
See more information left.
At the November meeting, folks were asking Carolyn Barkley about the French Alysas Lorraine private tour she took back in August. Below is the information.

Her name is Florence Lemoine and she lives here in Austin...

Her website is http://sites.google.com/site/glonville

Contact Carolyn Barkley to get an email address for Florence.

She grew up in Glonville, which is close to Nancy, France.

She resides in France during the summer only--half of May, all of June, July and half of August.

She picks up her guests at the TGV train station and returns them there when they're ready to leave.

Breakfast was provided each day, then the daily tour. Our bedroom was perfect, nice and clean. Our own bathroom was next to our rooms.

Florence is married and has 2 teenagers.

Anyone seriously interested, may contact Carolyn directly and she will show photos of their adventure with Florence.

No Dues or Fees!

We are just a group of mostly Retired individuals (singles as well as couples) who live in the Austin area and meet together to share the enjoyment of our travel adventures.

The only costs we deal with is a once per year voluntary collection to cover the $60 the annual cost of this website! As in all other group positions, our Webmaster is a member volunteer.

Currently Featured...

Ann Cabot is usually a world traveler, but she has recently discovered an amazing world much closer to home--in the swamps of Louisiana.

Read her personal account (with photos) of pink birds, white antebellum mansions and getting lost in the bayou!
The RATs Artwork in the Header is by Jim Robirds Jr.
Thanks Jim, really well done!