Jane Parker, who started Retirement Explorations in...

Jane Parker, who started Retirement Explorations in 1979 as a way to combine vacations with research on foreign retirement sites, has a new hot prospect: Uruguay.

Uruguay is sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina on the southeast coast of South America. It is one of South America’s smallest countries, about the size of Missouri.

Uruguay has been called “the Switzerland of South America,” partly because of its topography, partly because it is more stable than other politically chaotic, inflation-ridden South American countries.

“I discovered that one could live an upscale life style there for half of what it costs in any of the major U.S. cities,” said Parker, a retired schoolteacher. “Not only were the economics rosy, but I found the people well-educated with a strong middle class, which is warm and friendly to outsiders.

“When I visited Montevideo,” she said, “I felt I had come to a moderate-size European city, not at all what one expects in South America.”

High Literacy Rate

Uruguay is made up mostly of transplanted Europeans, primarily Spanish and Italian and their descendants. It has better than a 90% literacy rate among its population of 3 million, half of whom live in the capital city of Montevideo.

The result of Parker’s inspection is a two-week Retirement Exploration tour that combines a visit to Uruguay and Argentina, set for Oct. 28 to Nov. 11.

It follows the same successful pattern Parker has used for similar vacation-retirement inspection trips to Costa Rica, Spain and Portugal.

Her trips cover the typical vacation highlights, balanced with on-the-spot meetings with retired Americans living in the country.

Travelers also will talk to doctors, realtors and other locals, and will be briefed by the American Embassy staff. Usually they visit an American retiree’s home.

Parker’s tours are not the hard-sell kind. There is no inducement to buy anything and no tie-ins with realtors, land developers or time-share and condo salesmen.

Visiting a Resort

Her October tour includes visits to Montevideo and Punta del Este, one of South America’s most popular summer resorts and retirement home for Americans. In addition to meeting with the Americans living in the country, there are other sightseeing and two free days.

Afterward, there’s a week in Argentina, visiting Buenos Aires and Iguacu Falls, plus other coastal resorts and other meetings with Americans living in Argentina.

There’s more sightseeing, plus five dinners or lunches, first-class hotels, tips, airport-to-hotel transfers and retirement meetings and inspections in the tour price of $2,590 per person, double occupancy, from Los Angeles, or $1,661 for the land portion if you wish to make your own South American travel plans.

For more information, including background information on Uruguay, contact Retirement Explorations, P.O. Box 57-6487, Modesto 95355, (209) 577-4081. Information is also available about similar Retirement Exploration trips to Costa Rica, Spain and Portugal.

Murrieta Hot Springs, which has upgraded its accommodations and dining facilities while retaining its health and beauty spa treatments, offers a special midweek rate for mature travelers through Dec. 31.

Those 55 and over pay $39 per person, double occupancy, per night. Price includes breakfast and lunch, plus unlimited use of the mineral pools, saunas, tennis courts, aerobics and pool exercise classes.

The resort is just north of Temecula off Interstate 15 at 39405 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. For information and reservations, call toll-free (800) 458-4393.

Embassy Suites Hotels in the Southern California area are offering a Suite Sunday Club for seniors 55 and older. The plan includes a two-room suite complete with two TVs, a refrigerator, a microwave and a wet bar, complimentary beverages from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and a cooked-to-order breakfast the next morning.

Cost for two is $69 at the following Embassy Suites Hotels: Anaheim, (714) 632-1221; Downey, (213) 861-1900; Buena Park, (714) 739-5600; Covina, (818) 915-3441, and Santa Ana (714) 241-3800. For the Embassy Suites in Arcadia, the price is $79; (818) 445-8525.

Those who stay five Sundays during the promotion (until April 30, 1990) will get a free weekend stay.