Something is shifting in the way women over 50 are thinking about travel. They're not waiting for their spouse to be interested. They're not putting it off until retirement is settled. They're going. And they're going together.

There's a moment that happens on nearly every river cruise, and once you hear about it, you'll understand exactly why river cruising for women has become one of the most talked-about travel experiences of the last decade. You're standing on the sundeck of a beautifully appointed ship, a drink in your hand, watching a centuries-old village materialize on the riverbank as the sun begins to set behind its church steeple. The air smells like river water and fresh bread from a bakery you'll visit tomorrow morning.