The canoe race hadn’t even started when another boat crashed into theirs, sending its occupants tumbling into the freezing April water. Beth Sobiloff and Marcia Rothwell, the two women behind the Plymouth-based travel show “Two Grannies on the Road,” were beginning to wonder what they’d gotten themselves into.
They had agreed to compete in a six-mile canoe race on the Millers River between Athol and Orange. It was the second Saturday in April 2023, the water was frigid, and Rothwell was leaving for Puerto Rico the next day.
“I cannot get dumped,” Rothwell remembered thinking. She suggested they start at the back of the pack, safely away from the serious competitors.
Sobiloff had other ideas. “That’s no fun,” she told Rothwell.
Once underway, they got caught in weeds, struggled with the wind and nearly ran aground as Sobiloff, steering from the back, shouted instructions. And had a lot of laughs. And cheers.
“Hard right. Hard right. Go, go, go. Right, right!” Rothwell recalled.
Finally, Rothwell put down her paddle.
“I don’t know what you want,” she told Sobiloff.
Somehow, they completed the course in about 90 minutes, finishing last but staying dry, with spectators cheering them on along the riverbanks.
“Go, granny!” people shouted.
“We never got dumped,” Sobiloff said proudly.
It was just another adventure for two women who have made it their mission to visit every one of Massachusetts’ 351 cities and towns, discovering the people and places that make each community unique.
Sobiloff, a Plymouth resident, and Rothwell, who lives in Sagamore Beach, have together visited 100 communities so far, documenting their travels for “Two Grannies on the Road,” produced for Plymouth’s PACTV community television station. Their programs now air on more than 40 community television stations across Massachusetts and in other states, including Texas, Colorado, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Along the way, they explore local history, discover regional products and how they’re made, and introduce viewers to entrepreneurs and baby boomers who have reinvented themselves. It’s a mission that reflects their own experiences of finding new opportunities and purpose later in life.
Sitting down with Sobiloff and Rothwell was a little like watching a slapstick comedy. They interrupt each other, finish each other’s sentences, dispute the details of their adventures and dissolve into laughter, together delivering the punchline. But beneath the comedy are two smart, accomplished women who have transformed what might have been conventional retirement years into remarkable second acts, finding new purpose in their shared curiosity, creativity and enthusiasm for the world around them.
“We have adventures. We have fun,” Sobiloff said. “We always find something fun.”
The story began in 2010, when Sobiloff was single, her youngest son was graduating from college, and after eight years running her own web design business, she realized she hadn’t taken the kind of vacation with him she’d hoped for.
“I had always wanted to travel across country in an RV with the kids,” she recalled. “And I felt like, ‘Oh, why didn’t I ever get to do that?’”
Then she reconsidered. “Well, wait a second. I have a job that I could do from anywhere.”
Long before remote work became commonplace, Sobiloff imagined traveling while designing websites for campgrounds and other businesses. She enlisted Ginny Just, a friend and fellow grandmother who owned a graphic design business.
“Two grannies on the road. It just came to me like a flash.” Said Sobiloff, who said Ginny was immediately enthusiastic.
“Her eyes got bigger and bigger and bigger, and she said, ‘I’m in.’”
Their plan was to secure an RV through sponsorships and spend several months traveling across the country, conducting marketing seminars for small businesses.
People loved the idea – but getting sponsors proved difficult.
“Nobody gave us any money,” Sobiloff said, laughing. Instead, they created a community television program interviewing baby boomers who had reinvented themselves after retirement or unexpected career changes.
The show began in East Bridgewater and eventually moved to Plymouth’s PACTV after Sobiloff married her husband, Roger, and relocated here.
Travel was always part of the program. They would explore the communities where their interview subjects lived, visiting restaurants and local attractions.
When Ginny retired, she decided to step away. Sobiloff continued with guest co-hosts until another Plymouth woman, Debbie Thelen, became the “new” second granny. During a visit to Yarmouth in 2019, Sobiloff proposed a new challenge.
“I think we should visit every city and town in Massachusetts,” she told Debbie.
“Okay,” Debbie replied.
The pandemic temporarily slowed their progress, but the women continued traveling as restrictions eased. In 2022, Debbie moved to Florida to be closer to her daughter, leaving Sobiloff in need of another partner once again.
“I figured I would continue on my own, but I was looking,” she said.
Less than a month later, Sobiloff attended a women’s luncheon in Plymouth, where she met Rothwell, a retired nurse who had worked at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut for 46 years. A mutual acquaintance suggested Sobiloff tell her about the show.
“Sounds like it’s right up my alley,” Rothwell said.
As luck would have it, Rothwell had produced community television programming in Connecticut, including a book club show and interviews with local businesses.
“I was interviewing and visiting small stores and different things in the community,” she said. “I loved that. I had a great time.”
Within a month, the two were traveling together. They’ve since visited more than 100 Massachusetts communities as a team, averaging approximately 25 towns a year. Ask about their favorite adventure, and Rothwell has a ready answer.
“The last one,” she said. But get them talking, and the stories tumble out.
Near Chesterfield, in western Massachusetts, the grannies rode behind a team of sled dogs pulling a wheeled cart along a wooded trail. Rothwell remembers holding on as the dogs maneuvered around fallen trees.
“Eventually, you go, ‘Okay, there’s some trees down. I don’t know what the dogs are going to do,’” Rothwell said. She was particularly concerned about the lack of a seatbelt.
‘I couldn’t figure out why she didn’t put the seatbelt on. That made no sense.’
When they returned, Rothwell said her helmet was sitting sideways on her head. “It was quite an experience.”
In Whitman, they climbed into a boxing ring. Elsewhere, they’ve helped make doughnuts, pretzels and chocolate.
In Chester, they spent a night sleeping in an old railroad caboose at a museum. The accommodations were charming, if somewhat lacking in modern conveniences. There was no bathroom in the caboose, and reaching the museum restroom required a key.
“They told us there was an outhouse – but I decided I was not locking and unlocking all these doors. I’m just going to pee in the woods,” Rothwell recalled telling Sobiloff.
They then discovered the caboose was parked directly beside active railroad tracks. “We didn’t realize there would be trains going all night,” Rothwell said. “The trains passed about 20 feet away, sounding their horns.”
Still, Rothwell took it in stride. “It was only for one night. It was fun.”
Food is always a large part of the grannies’ adventures. They’ve conducted informal taste tests of lobster rolls, clam chowder and cannoli, and regularly ask residents to recommend breakfast, lunch and ice cream stops.
“We never have a big meal,” Sobiloff explained. “Because there is so much to taste. But we always have ice cream. Yes, lots of ice cream.”
Rather than relying on conventional travel guides, the grannies ask local residents what makes their community special. “We go on a Facebook forum and ask the community to talk about their town,” Rothwell explained. “You usually get 60 to 160 responses.”
“We ask them – what are two or three things special about your town?” Rothwell said. “That’s when you really find these little gems.” They ask about historical sites, unusual businesses, favorite restaurants and hidden treasures.
“It’s not necessarily stuff that’s on Tripadvisor,’ Sobiloff added.
Their travels have introduced them to artisans, historians, entrepreneurs and some decidedly unusual businesses, including a woman who sold ice cream from a boat, traveling along the shoreline to serve beachgoers. “What a clever idea,” Rothwell recalled.
The women say they have discovered that even the smallest communities have stories worth telling.
Producing the show requires considerable work, much of it handled by Sobiloff, who films and edits their adventures. PACTV taught her to operate cameras and use editing software. Eventually, she purchased Adobe Premiere Pro and began editing from home.
A typical town visit produces five or six interviews, which Sobiloff edits into individual YouTube videos and shorter clips posted on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. “Usually, a town ends up being two half-hour shows,” she explained. “Sometimes it’s been three.”
Rothwell is quick to give her partner credit. “She does all the editing,” she said. “And she does a nice job.’
The programs are distributed through PACTV to other community television stations, extending their reach well beyond Plymouth – including 40 communities throughout the state as well as many other cities and states across the country.
Their social media audience is growing as well. Sobiloff said they just reached 20,000 Facebook followers, along with 2,000 YouTube subscribers and approximately 1,600 Instagram followers.
Occasionally, they encounter fans in unexpected places. During breakfast in Shrewsbury, a boy about 10 or 11 approached their table. “How are you? I just wanted to say hello,” he told them.
When Rothwell asked where he lived, he replied, “California.” He had spotted their car outside the restaurant and recognized the name. “I follow you,” he told them. He had discovered the show on YouTube.
The grannies’ growing recognition was evident during our interview at The Blueberry Muffin in Cedarville, when several women stopped at their table after noticing the “Two Grannies on the Road” name on their vehicle.
“I just found that to be so cool, to be honest with you,” one of the women said. The women chatted for a bit, sharing stories of retirement, spouses, and their experiences in the area. Sobiloff happily explained all the ways they could watch the show and described their mission to visit every Massachusetts community.
For Sobiloff and Rothwell, “Two Grannies on the Road” has become more than a television show. It’s a way to stay engaged, discover new interests and inspire others to do the same. Sobiloff knows something about reinvention.
After years working as an executive assistant and office manager, she changed careers at age 50, studying web design before establishing her own business in 2002. She still maintains approximately 60 website-hosting clients, although much of her time now goes toward producing the show.
Rothwell has embraced retirement with equal enthusiasm, organizing art retreats, playing pickleball, running a mahjong group and pursuing other creative interests.
Asked whether she volunteers or is simply having too much fun, Rothwell didn’t hesitate.
“Probably the second part,” she said. The women also occasionally speak at senior centers and libraries, sharing their adventures and encouraging others to remain active and consider what their second act might be.
As of this month, the pair has visited 100 Massachusetts communities including their most recent trip to Beverly. With more than 200 still to explore, the journey could continue for years. Neither seems particularly concerned about reaching the finish line.
“It’s never too late to live your dreams,” Sobiloff said. “Go for it. You have a goal. Think outside the box. Make it happen.”
“As we get older, we need to stay active,” she added. “So, every place we go, we meet new people. We have great food. We learn a lot, and we have a blast.”
Rothwell agreed. “And it’s a very positive day, no matter where we go.” On their website, Sobiloff is listed as the owner and Rothwell as “partner in crime.”
For more information about “Two Grannies on the Road,” visit twogranniesontheroad.com. To watch their latest adventures, visit their YouTube channel, where recent videos include a visit to Beverly, and an interview with Bob Hollis, founder of Plymouth’s Spire Center for Performing Arts.
Julia Marie Davis can be reached at julia@plymouthindependent.org.