Most 85-Year-Olds Aren’t Planning This Kind of Vacation
“You’re Too Old For That” is a regular series that explores inspiring activities being pursued by those over 50 years old who feel you’re never too old to do what lights you up.
For many, “vacation” means sunbathing on the beach, maybe sipping a drink sporting a colorful umbrella, or exploring iconic landmarks you previously only knew from textbooks. Not for John “Jake” Jacobi. He has traveled to 148 countries, hiked or traversed some of the most remote parts of the globe, and if given the choice, would pick a vacation that’s more adventure than afternoon nap every time.
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“My travel is different from most tourist travel in that I have to be doing something active,” he explains. “That’s the difference between me and a lot of my friends.”
As he approaches his 85th birthday this August, he has no intention of slowing down. His wife Kay is from Thailand and the couple travels to their home in that country twice a year. They recently visited Thailand and Japan for several weeks and is planning to visit British Columbia in the fall. Among his adventures, he’s sailed a boat halfway around the world, hiked to the Mount Everest base camp twice, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and has hiked the Milford Trail in New Zealand.
“When I got home from Mount Kilimanjaro, I attended my high school class reunion soon after. I was 75 at the time. My friends and classmates didn’t say, ‘That’s great!’ They said, ‘What are you, stupid?’”
But Jacobi’s never been one for taking it easy or doing things halfway. He credits his parents for exposing him to travel at an early age.
“In the 1940s, my parents took me and my three brothers on two road trips, where we saw all of the national parks. I admire [my parents] so much. This was back in the days before interstate highways, or air conditioning in cars. We didn’t have credit cards or GPS. My father had to pay for everything in cash, and when he ran out, he had to have more money wired to him. I look back and think, ‘How did my parents do that?’ It definitely gave me the travel bug.” He recalls his parents hosting dinner parties and their friends asking in disbelief why they took these family trips with three little kids rather than going on their own. “I was so mad—I loved those trips,” he says.
The family road trips started it all. “I hitchhiked across the country four times — once all the way to Alaska. By the time I was 18 I’d been to the Lower 48 states. By the time I was 21 I’d added Alaska and Hawaii. By the time I was 25 I’d been to all of the U.S. trust territories—Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. I’ve always been a traveler, though I didn’t go abroad until I was 59,” he explains.
He rode the rails and hopped freight trains. His adventures are the stuff films and novels are made of, but to Jacobi, it’s just how he chooses to live. He attended college and later taught health and physical education to elementary schoolers in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania for many years. During his teaching career, he launched a business, Adventure Sports, which kept him busy during the summer. Jacobi ran scuba diving trips in the Bahamas, canoeing trips in Maine’s Allagash Mountains, and multi-day trips in the national parks.
“These weren’t just sightseeing trips — we were backpacking, mountain biking, and more,” Jacobi explains.
Now, due to changes in regulations, Adventure Sports focuses on canoeing, kayaking, and rafting trips in the Delaware Water Gap near Jacobi’s home base in the Poconos. “I didn’t want to just do rentals — I wanted to be on the water with people, but the insurance got very expensive. Eventually we had to get out of the guided trip side and just do rentals,” he explains. “I didn’t get into it for rentals in my own backyard. I got into it for trips into the wilderness. But I love what I do and helping out now.”
His son now runs the business day-to-day, his grandson is a manager, and Jacobi helps out whenever he can. Jacobi started traveling internationally later in life, but went all in for his first trip abroad.
“The first time I went overseas, it was to hike Mount Everest,” he says casually. “I was 59. I always liked rock climbing and hiking, and I did so much reading about it, that I finally decided to do it. I hiked to the base camp. It was bitter cold, a very challenging hike. But it was always something I wanted to do.”
Jacobi doesn’t have a favorite country out of the 100+ he’s visited. He’s been to some of the most beautiful places on Earth but says he’s only ever wanted to live in the Pocono Mountains. “I like all four seasons. I lived in Hawaii for a year, then I couldn’t wait to leave. I got tired of just seeing seagulls. I missed seeing robins and sparrows and bluejays. I’m happy living right here,” he says. In each country he visits, Jacobi does a handstand in front of a landmark and now has quite a collection of photos. “I don’t do it for publicity. It’s just something I started doing. And it’s helped me meet so many local people,” he says.
He has plenty to keep him busy even when he and his wife Kay aren’t traveling. He loves hiking and traversing the mountains. With six children, 14 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, there is always a game or activity to attend or a birthday to celebrate. He brings his family along when he can. “For me, experiences are more important than things. I took some of my kids to Hawaii. I’d rather take them on a trip, go skiing or something, than give them a gift they don’t really need,” he says.
“I’ll be 85 in August, and I don’t feel that age at all, but I don’t take it for granted,” he admits. “I don’t take pills of any kind.”
Proof, maybe, that travel is good medicine.
“You’re Too Old For That” is a regular series that explores inspiring activities being pursued by those over 50 years old who feel you’re never too old to do what lights you up. Are you doing something inspiring? Do you know someone who is pursuing a passion in their older years? If you or someone you know is 50 years old or older and should have their inspiring story told, please email the editors at Nifty 50+
