Got some spare time? Our research staff has evaluated hundreds of Web sites covering sports and outdoor activities, hobbies from wine and cars to gardening and books, pets, online games, museums and art, cooking, dining, shopping, music, online communities and more. We've narrowed the list to the best sites–the most useful and comprehensive of the bunch–and provided concise descriptions of each.
Rate the sites and suggest others!
Learn any language in 10 days. Employ effective methods currently used by the FBI and CIA. Essential spoken language proficiencies in more than 38 different languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish and more. Establish rapport and basic respect on your trips abroad. Celebrate and explore the many interesting facets of language!
Word 2 Word Language Resources
Online dictionaries, language courses, chat and automatic translation. Break down the language barriers and learn to communicate in Spanish, French, German, Italian and more.
Leader in the language translation industries. Provides its services worldwide, connecting you with 7,500 certified professional translators with expertise in over 42 languages. Contains links to translation engines sorted by English, French, German, Italian, Portugese, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. Offers English as a second language training.
The all-encompassing museum search engine. Contains official links to every museum on the planet. From virtual museums to the world’s largest and most obscure. Locate museums by state, country or origin.
Web-based guide containing over 20,000 museum related resources. Thousands of museums, libraries and educational links to help you interact with museums in the digital age. Links to virtual exhibits, educational and entertaining games, activities and extensive learning resources promoted through art, science and history museums.
Explore and learn about history & culture, art & design, science & technology or other Smithsonian Museums. Browse links to online resources including books, magazines, images and recordings. Become a national member to get exclusive deals and opportunities or shop for gifts, jewelry and accessories at the store.
Top resource for information on artists and art galleries, museums, shows, publications, history and education. Tons of links to art related sites sure to bring out your artistic side.
Leading online artist resource. Thousands of links to museums, fine art galleries and artists sites from all over the world. Browse by subject, medium, movement, nationality and more. Biographies, poems, short stories, songs, letters and other material submitted by authors from around the globe. Free artist resources to help you advertise your own art online!
The best technology-based solutions for learning languages. Learning a language should be fun, easy, and effective. They approach language learning the same way that you first learned a language—using a natural method that teaches new language directly, without translation. That means no more confusing grammar explanations or mind-numbing vocabulary lists to memorize. They make learning a new language second nature. Their interactive software offers immediate feedback, vivid pictures with sounds, and real-life conversational simulations—all without translation. And with computer-based learning, you can learn whenever and wherever you like!
Ultimate directory of nationwide catering companies. Fill out one form and receive estimates from four catering companies in your area. Learn catering skills and advance towards a career in catering and gourmet cooking.
Top international catering services directory. Tons of links to help you locate a catering company in your area. Enter your zip and get the information you need to plan any business or personal event and fast!
World’s greatest recipe collection. Recipes, menus, wine, drinks and cooking demos and tips from expert chefs. Browse the popular columns, features archive, forums and more. Online home of Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines. For people who love to eat!
Complete resource of over 40,000 free recipes and cooking tips. Healthy, seasonal and popular recipe collections to cover every course of your meal. Search for recipes by keywords or ingredients. Save, organize and share recipes, meals, reviews, photos and more. Menus, book recommendations and cooking advice and all for free!
Directory of thousands of recipes and cooking and recipe links. Restaurant recipes, celebrity recipes, even a daily recipe swap. Cooking forums, message boards, a shopping center and all the ingredients needed to bring out the master chef in you.
Guide to Recreational Cooking & Wine Schools
Free online directory for recreational cooking & wine schools. Detailed descriptions of recreational cooking schools and 500+ cooking & wine vacation programs worldwide. Plan ahead with a calendar of upcoming programs and events!
Worldwide best-selling publisher of restaurant guides. Search thousands of ideas for the best places to eat with top rankings, user reviews and ratings.
Global guide for local lifestyle and entertainment. Browse 12 major topics for a wide range of information by city, country or region. Entries are provided by users and customers alike and published in a standardized way for quick viewing.
The best place on the web to download and play free online games. Huge collection of over 190 word, puzzle and arcade games. Mobile games. Access to chat, track scores and see sneak previews of upcoming games. Free trials, special offers, member discounts, prizes and more!
The best place to play free online games. Arcade, board, card, word and casino games. Community gaming forums. Make new friends and have fun at the same time!
One of the world’s largest, most secure and trustworthy online poker environments in the industry. PC & Mac users alike can enjoy this site developed and maintained by poker experts. This casino promises you’ll find the games and content that appeal to you, be it Texas Hold’em, Black Jack or the possibility of finding friends in the community. Play on-the-go with games developed for your mobile phone!
Award-winning online wine reference. A rich guide to wine with recommendations, message boards and tons of links. Learn about wine. Join a wine club. Shop around on their searchable database.
Most comprehensive wine site in the world. Wine ratings, articles, blogs and videos to further your knowledge. Learn to pair wine with any meal. Expert guides to wine regions and tips for the best places to stay and eat. Browse listings of 4,300+ wineries by name, region and more. Find hotels, restaurants and recipes with search engines. Follow the wine market trends.
The complete guide to arts and crafts. Search through over 100 categories and subcategories of quality arts & crafts related listings. Purchase supplies and learn to make your own item, or shop for the finished product. Browse the unique database of over 5,000 quality links. Post, market and promote your own site.
Best online store for hobby items. Features a huge selection of arts & crafts, kites, plastic models, model rockets and trains, radio controlled vehicles and more at low prices. Search by category or manufacturer.
Complete guide for all types of crafts. Browse patterns, project kits, books and supplies for many types of crafts, including knitting, crochet, paper quilling, jewelry making, cross stitching, doll making, scrapbooking and others. Holiday crafts, kids crafts and more. Download thousands of free embroidery designs with membership. Free printables, coupons and special deals. Subscribe to the newsletter or chat on the message boards. Place an ad and sell your own crafts!
Ultimate reference for car and auto shows, automotive events, schedules, news and coverage. Get a free auto quote or sell your car with the used car classifieds. Browse the new and used car database and get buying and financing tips from the experts. Free vehicle history check from CARFAX. Save time and money with free insurance quotes from the best firms. Search by state to find an auto or trade show in your area.
Ultimate site for car profiling, financing and listings. Research new & used cars, prices and auto dealers. Place or browse personal ads. Car quotes, invoices, buying tips and more. Compare options, interest rates & rebates and find the right car for you.
Your most trusted name in Blue Book values, pricing & tips for buying and selling new or used cars, motorcycles and more. Search used car listings and values by category. List your car for sale. Get quick dealer price quotes on trade-ins. Browse new car prices by make & model. Reviews, safety ratings and free insurance quotes. Features and tips to help you save when financing.
Huge directory of links to gardeners and commercial gardening sites. Over 50 categories including seeds, flowers, trees, gardens, gardening equipment, articles and advice for all your plant needs!
Huge garden directory with hundreds of categories to find gardens, nurseries and garden supplies for wholesale and retail trade. Search by gardening, plant families, groups & types, seeds or supplies. Free gardening tips, news, coupons and copyright-free pictures. Find out-of-print gardening books or browse the most popular titles.
National Gardening Association
National Gardening Association. Reference offers expert advice and information on everything you need for your lawn and garden. Learn more about the plant world using the dictionary. Discover which plants are edible. Protect your garden with the pest control and weed libraries. Browse the buyer’s guide and find what you need for a healthy garden.
Largest community of gardeners on the web. Forums on general and specialized topics. Post offerings and wants or exchange to get that special plant or item you want. Searchable database of over 2500 gardening, landscaping, architecture, botany and horticulture terms. Worldwide web virtual gardening library. Horticultural database of over 100,000 species and cultivars. Links to related resources and discussion areas. Glossary of botanical gardens, comments, ratings, photos and more.
Search engine that finds the best values among 100 million new, used, rare and out-of-print books for sale. Includes textbooks and international titles. Browse major catalogs to find the best prices and selection. Buy directly from the original seller with no mark-up charge.
Best collection of Book Club deals. Compare over 20 popular book clubs. Browse by category to find the club with your favorite books. Lots of special offers and a ‘Deal of the Day’ section.
Most comprehensive introduction to the world of everything photographic. Photography articles, tips, artistry, techniques, cameras, digital & darkroom equipment and business aspects. Browse the reference library, photography gallery, bookstore and other related links to find what you need. Use the breakdown comparison to wage a battle of digital versus traditional photography.
Directory with hundreds of links to many outstanding photographers and photo galleries. Browse sites categorically and choose from various photography themes including fine art, digital, nature, nude, landscape and more. Add your own photography site. Provides a way for photography sites to share traffic of over 300,000 visitors a month. Great links to external sources for general information, free photos, forums and others.
Leading online photography directory. Offers a wide variety of photography topics in over 80 categories with 27,000+ unique listings. Member submitted listings. Locate photography professionals for all occasions. Subscribe to the feed and bring the latest news and sites to your favorite news reader.
Reference for classical music concerts, reviews, news and interviews. Single convenient location for in-depth information, stimulating ideas, opinions and exclusive performances in the world of classical music. Post or read reviews and testimonials submitted by users like you. This is the dream destination for classical music lovers.
Internet radio for Baby Boomers. Categories include Acoustic Café, Smooth Jazz favorites, Sweet Soul Music, All Hit Oldies and the Classic Mix. Offers sounds for your every mood and interest!
The music of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s holds a special memory for those of us who grew up with it. History, trivia and charts pertaining to the music you could sing along with, music you could dance to, music you fell in love with. Now, there’s a special place for all of us who treasure—Oldies Music!
Classicrockpage.com is an entertaining and informative classic rock, psychedelic, blues, folk and progressive rock music site. Inside you will find music interviews and reviews, rock artist biographies, trivia for prizes, monthly almanacs and for your listening pleasure—a great music station!
This useful site helps you find quality links to Oldies Music and Related Sites in a easy to use directory without all the advertising and annoying pop ups. Visit and discover great Oldies Sites that would ordinarily get overlooked or buried in the popular search engines. All links are checked for excess advertising, dead links, pop-ups, hijacking and Trojan scripting.
Rediscover your favorite songs from the sixties and early seventies. Find those long-lost tunes you thought you had long forgotten, with their searchable database of links to sound clips for over 4000 songs from 1960-1975 which can be browsed both by performing artist and by song title. Currently, over 1,200 bands and artists are featured. If you're not quite sure what song you are looking for, browsing through their extensive song lists are bound to help you jog your memory.
National service organization for opera. Leads and serves the entire opera community in supporting the creation, presentation and enjoyment of opera.
A great place for you to connect with people who share your passions. It's a place where you can contribute thought, art, commentary, or inspiration. Gather makes money by displaying advertising to people who use Gather's services. They share their advertising revenue with you based on the quality and popularity of the content you contribute. You're rewarded for your site participation with Gather Points™ you can use to purchase goods and services from Gather partners. And members who consistently publish great content and participate on the site can even earn cash!
A new website covering topics unique to our senior generation. Information provided is honest, trusted, and generated by seniors—for seniors.
Great site seeking to inspire people over 60 to celebrate the joys, navigate the challenges and discover the meaning of aging. With resources on retirement, aging, drugs and more, ELDR brings an enlightened, entertaining and sometimes edgy approach to aging through essays, stories, reviews, interviews and artwork. Regular columns include ELDR Law, ELDR Yoga and ELDR Tech and ongoing topics include Family, Caregiving and Brainpower, among others. ELDR offers fresh viewpoints on social issues and new ideas on health, travel, finances and activism!
Most popular site for people over 40 to meet others for romance, dating, friendship and more! Browse this worldwide database of profiles or post your own ad for free and find a mate, a date or love. Special features allow you to narrow your search to find the kind of person you’re looking for. Anonymous emails ensure privacy and safety. Interactive Magazine allows you to give advice or post questions, poetry or articles. Plenty to do to make connections!
Perfect online community where single seniors over 50 meet! Instant messaging, live chat rooms and all you need to enhance your social life.
An up-and-coming online community that hopes to evolve into "MySpace for grownups" when it gets up to full steam in 2008, Second Prime is currently getting underway with news and lifestyle links, an invitation for users to set up and share their own home pages, and the rollout of discussion forums.
Former TV producer Ronni Bennett has been "elderblogging" since early 2004, filling her site with articulate and thoughtful posts on, as she puts it, "what it's really like to get older." Her site makes a great daily stop (or have the posts sent to your e-mail address), and take some time to browse through the hundreds of links to other elderbloggers that Bennett has collected.
A low-key site that posts articles in seven lifestyle categories, Aging
Hipsters is most notable for the ease with which it lets its visitors
comment on the stories and makes those comments easy to see. It's fun to see readers spouting off on any and every topic from signs of aging to memories of drive-in movies.
Another Boomer community that follows the lead of the MySpace phenomenon, My Boomer Place has lots of social networking features. You set up your own page with as much personality as you like and then invite others to become your online buddies. Many of those people have already started their own blogs (more than 2,700 in a recent count). There's always someone new to meet and something new to read.
This interesting site is produced by noted psychologist Dr. Dorree Lynn, who writes eloquently on Boomer topics including sex after 50, spirituality, grief, and more, while also hosting expert writers on a wide variety of topics from tech to travel. There's lots of content, and it's fresh and updated regularly. A worthwhile stop in your Web surfing.
Building your own blog is easy and free at this site, which encourages
Boomers and Seniors to join the blogging crowd by easily setting up a blog and then just typing away. Still fairly new, there's plenty of room for more bloggers to show up. If you're more of a reader than a writer, browse by category to see what's on people's minds.
This useful grab bag of links and services for seniors is most notable for its included search engine, which is specifically oriented toward seniors and flags those results which it considers especially "senior friendly."
You'll also find home exchanges, travel guides, senior dating, and even a guide to online radio stations of interest to the 50+ crowd.
Provides a community that allows simple, quick, and proud usage of the internet to extend gratitude and respect to those who have become heroes in time. Our TimeHeroes are those who have experienced and endured significant social and technological change in their lifetime. Time Heroes have contributed to their families, communities, culture and humanity. Now they can be recognized and share their contributions, opinions and more with other TimeHeroes.
It's a backstage pass to info on jobs and life at 50+. Gen Plus is dedicated to baby boomers and the plus generation of age 50 and older. Read up and speak out on issues affecting your future: jobs, income, life and respect.
Biggest, best, most award-winning movie site on the planet. Complex title, name and character searches. Plot outlines, cast listings, character Bios, ratings, reviews and trivia. Movie release dates, show times and theater locations for your area. Movie and TV news, DVD release dates and all you need to become a true movie buff!
Best site for sending free e-cards. Electronic cards, greetings and postcards for holidays, birthdays, graduation, romance, pets and much more.
Electronic greetings, greeting cards, e-cards and postcards with personalized messages. Cards for all occasions with sound and music, movie and TV themed cards and free e-cards!
Online Yellow pages search engine for local and internet businesses across the nation. Search for local businesses, products and services with ease!
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States. Nation’s largest and strongest animal protection organization. Learn about pet care, adoption, laws and more. Tips to help you plan for the needs of your pets before, during and after any disaster. Information about wildlife, farm animals, marine mammals and animals in research. Make a donation and help defend the interests of animals.
Largest specialty retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. Foods, health products, medication, toys, collars, carriers and tons of supplies for all pets. Offers complete pet training, pet grooming and pet adoption services. While trotting through, browse Equestrian apparel and gear.
Web’s most colorful, exciting, informative pet experience! Loads of information, photos, articles and opinions about cats, dogs, birds, fish, horses, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and more. Pet care, rescue and adoptio
The ultimate search engine for pet adoption. Search through 225,000 adoptable pets. Use the advanced search to find birds, cats, dogs, pigs, horses, rabbits, reptiles and more of any breed or age. Post your own classified ads. Locate shelters and rescue groups. Volunteer to help a local shelter or rescue group.
Free comparison shopping site. Find the largest selection of products from the web’s top-rated stores. Compare product features, prices and reviews. Get the best deal every time!
Free search engine with smart price comparison, professional reviews and more. Browse top-rated stores for the best products at the lowest prices. Get the right product at the right price every time!
It's not the best-looking online store (not even close), but this emporium, featuring nothing but products targeted at Boomers and Seniors, is a good place to find the kinds of gadgets, clothing, and household items that can make life a little easier for you and/or your parents. Other features include basic health and wellness guides for both men and women.
Online store for hundreds of “As Seen on TV” products. Browse tons of unique and exclusive items! Shop directly from the manufacturers and skip the middlemen.
World's Online Marketplace®, enabling trade on a local, national and international basis. With a diverse and passionate community of individuals and small businesses, eBay offers an online platform where millions of items are traded each day. eBay's Trust and Safety team is responsible for keeping the marketplace a safe, well-lit place for people around the world to trade with one other.
With its discount prices, mind-boggling catalog, and free shipping, Amazon has always been the online bookstore to beat, both for new and used books. Book lovers are strongly encouraged to share their own reviews and create and share their own lists of favorites in any category that catches their fancy. Endlessly interesting for bibliophiles.
Ultimate luxury portal for high-end products and services. Links, articles, news and features on luxury living and shopping. Browse the best luxury services, resorts, estates, autos, jewelry and more. The lap of luxury is just a click away!
In a world where ripoffs abound, people depend on the BBB to ferret out cheats and crooks. The site makes it super easy to check out any business or charity that you plan to get involved with and makes it equally simple to rat out someone who's done you wrong, including incidents of identity theft. Browse around for helpful tips on how to keep criminals and shady businesspeople out of your wallet.
Highly-used free e-commerce site for everyone. Name and design your lemonade stand however you want it. Choose products you love and put them in your stand to sell—then sit back and watch the money roll in!
The most frequently updated and complete deal site on the web! They provide you with the day's hottest deals every day. They also have over 800 coupons for all your favorite online stores. Browse around and you're bound to save more than a few bucks!
Earn Cash Back while you shop – in just 3 simple steps. Sign-Up so they know who to pay! (It's FREE.) Shop through FatWallet for deals from your favorite stores. Your online purchases earn Cash Back that builds in your FatWallet account. Get Paid by requesting a payment via check or PayPal. Every bit helps when saving for retirement!
The best comprehensive sports news coverage. Get the latest scores and updates on all your favorite NBA, NFL, MLB, College Football and Basketball teams. Stay on track with the latest NASCAR results.
A member of the CBS family. Cutting edge sports coverage including MLS, PGA, Tennis, Boxing, Horse & Auto Racing, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA, Arena Football and more. Features the latest news, scores, schedules and standings. World News headlines keep you informed. Join a fantasy sports league. Buy your favorite official sports gear and get exclusive promotional offers.
Unique sports news site. Daily stats, scores, articles, blogs, photos, columnists and more. Expert editorial analysis and member perspectives. Comment on articles or create your own sporting blog and showcase your sports knowledge. Sound-off on live, on-air, sports news radio. Browse the bookstore for your favorite books, magazines and magazine covers. Sign-up for Free Fantasy Football leagues and win great prizes!
In-depth sports coverage for NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, College Football & Basketball, Golf, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cricket, Fishing, Horse Racing, Poker, Rodeo, Rugby, Tennis and more. Browse thru team news, rumors, schedules, stats and standings. Post your comments on a message board or get the latest fantasy news for all your favorite players and teams. Tons of official apparel to buy at the shop!
Leading resource for mountain resort vacation planning and booking. Find the best resorts, weather conditions and other important aspects of travel. Check out the latest skis or learn about America’s top 10 half-pipes. Follow the skiing and snowboarding world professional championships. Details about races and events in your area.
Global guide to skiing and snowboarding. Worldwide resort and area information, snow and trail conditions, special events and more. Browse tons of skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking gear. Search and compare thousands of mountain vacation packages and find the best deal. Message boards, tips and lots of links. Tune it to see the ‘Crash of the Day’!
Browse various directories to find everything you need for active travel, outdoor sports, activities and equipment. Choose from biking, climbing, canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, skiing and whitewater rafting. Product picks, an outdoor marketplace and other related shops for the adventure guru in you.
Leading retailer of sporting goods to individuals and teams, specializing in indoor sports and games. Browse fitness, aerobic, boxing, martial arts, badminton, racquetball and bowling gear and equipment. Pool, darts, table tennis, snooker and many other table and casino games. There’s something here for everyone!
Best marketplace to buy and sell tickets for sporting, concert, theater and other live entertainment events. Find your event, choose your tickets and place your order. Get tickets to “sold out” shows. List your tickets for sale and set your own price!
Popular site for buying movie tickets in advance, finding theaters and showtimes, viewing movie trailers, reading reviews and more. Find schedules for any theater in the U.S. or share your opinion about the latest flicks!
Best site to buy movie tickets, read reviews, see trailers or look up showtimes. Free registration includes great benefits. Store your credit cards for quick checkout. List your favorite theaters on every page. Choose & set the color theme of the site. Weekly email newsletter, special promotions and more!
Major distributor for all concert, show and game tickets in America. Specializes in providing premium seats at cheap prices and ships the tickets right to your home. Sell your unwanted tickets and make big bucks!
Leading retailer for travel packages, sports, concert, theatre and airline tickets. Tickets for family and children’s events, holidays and lots more. VIP tickets available for every show. Beat the lines and shop at Tickets.com!
Ultimate guide to operas broadcast on television, radio and the internet. Browse the Live opera schedule database, or expand your knowledge with tons of links, related information and distance learning courses to keep you singing for more!
<
