Associated Press / YouTube

RUBY HOLT HAD just one wish ahead of 101st birthday: to see the ocean for first time.

Having spent her life working farms and raising children in rural Tennessee, she had never been able to afford the 400-mile trip to America’s east coast.

When her nursing home staff heard of her wish, they contacted the Wish of a Lifetime organisation, who organised an all-expenses-paid trip to the Gulf of Mexico.

She says that hearing people talk about it made her want to visit all the more.

“I’ve heard people talk about it and how wonderful it was and wanted to see it, but I never had the opportunity to do so.”

And her reaction once she got there?

“It’s cold.”

Read: A bedroom frozen in time – the interiors of a life 100 years ago

Read: 14 never-before-seen photos from the world’s best photographers

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100-year-old woman sees the ocean for first time, says "it's cold"

Read: A bedroom frozen in time – the interiors of a life 100 years ago

Read: 14 never-before-seen photos from the world’s best photographers

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.