BLOOMFIELD — Bloomfield’s Willa Harter loves to travel. Not just once in awhile and not just for special occasions. Besides visiting all 50 states — some more than once – she has touched ground in more than 25 countries on most of the continents in the world. She has traveled by car, ferry, ship, train, and plane and sometimes a combination depending on the destination.

“I started keeping track [of her trips] in 1964, but I don’t have record of the ones before that,” Harter said, referring to the summaries she writes up after each excursion.

Her burgeoning collection Is organized into a travel diary requiring two three-ring binders to hold it. One book is for short trips, such as the afternoon visits with her Red Hat friends, and the second contains descriptions of her longer trips, such as her overseas voyages to various countries in Europe.

“When my husband was alive, he took slides. I still have them and the projector and screen” that he used. “Now I take some pictures and buy postcards or books.”

Harter has also cut back on souvenirs.

“I used to collect salt and pepper shakers and get a pair on all my trips, but when I reached 500 pairs, I stopped. I ran out of places to display them.”

She does, however, have a soft spot for jewelry, especially earrings, and has a large collection of them that she wears on a regular basis.

Harter is no shrinking violet. You might not guess she’s in her 80S as she is up for exploring any place and appreciates her good health allowing her to continue being active.

Favoring five tour group companies, she generally travels with her good friend, Helen McElderry. “Usually Helen and I go together. I never travel alone as I have hearing problems, but Helen has eye problems,” so together “we make one fairly good person,” Harter laughed.

The tours make travel easy, providing the itinerary and guide along with transportation, lodging and most meals. Harter receives brochures and announcements from tour companies and then “picks the best” trip, mixing and matching destinations to her interests. She has her favorites.

“The prettiest was Austria,” she said. “We saw the monastery where they made the movie, ‘The Sound of Music’ and saw where the Von Trapp family hid in the cemetery. When you see those places on TV, I can say ‘I’ve been there’.”

She was also very moved by her trip to Russia in 1996. “There are 25 rich people to 75 poor,” and the difference in status is very obvious. “The best thing when I got back to America was the water,” Harter said, still with some surprise in her voice at her discovery 13 years prior that not everyone has fresh drinking water.

“Traveling is very different now than when I started,” she said.

She and her husband often traveled with another couple, but usually in their car and staying at motels that “were little dinky things with kitchenettes.” This allowed them to cook their own meals along the way and save money for sightseeing.

“We [Harter and her husband] could take a two-week vacation for $300. Now, it’s very expensive,” Harter said.