THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
Late Summer Blues.
August is just around the corner.
When I was a kid, that meant another month of summer vacation. Labor day (the beginning of school) was far off in the distance.
Thank goodness we did not have air-conditioning allowing an early return.
Remember the sun on your face and a pool or lake?
What great memories.
Later summer was the time to start buying school supplies with only a few weeks left.
But it’s still vacation time.
So what happens when schools begin August 1?
Where did late summer go?
August is the family vacation month.
My family would spend most of late summer on the shores of Lake Michigan. Such happy memories.
Swimming in the morning, swimming in the afternoon. Watching incredible sunsets, with a better one the next day.
And feasting on the fresh fruits and vegetables, we picked ourselves or found at a roadside stand.
Now finding roadside stands can be a quest.
Remember the taste of fresh fruits?
When Did Late Summer Stop Being Summer?
Many families are on the current school schedule and must plan around that.
But I know people whose kids are through college and they are still on the program around the school schedule.
As Alice Cooper told us back in 1972, School’s out for summer. School’s out forever.
So get some vacation back in your late summer. Live!
Europe is probably out as reasonable plane tickets are disappearing. And the travel restrictions can be restrictive.
So what do you do with a perfectly good late summer?
Why not relive a happy memory from your past?
Laughing, carefree, wonderful day after day adventures.
What did your family do in Late August when you were a kid?
Did you camp in the Great Smokie mountains? Go back and see the Appalachian Trail.
Hike a part of the trail. This time, stop, take a deep breath of fresh air. Enjoy the scenery instead of worrying if a small one just plunged over a cliff.
Get some taffy at the Smokey Mountain Candy Kitchen.
Have breakfast at that place dad always took us. Remeber that incredible gooey roll you would split?
But leave the tent and gear at home and Glamp it (glamour camping). Stay somewhere with a good mattress and consistent hot water.
You don’t need to relive EVERY part of the trip.
Your back will thank you.
Google “historic ____” and “____B&B” for the area you are visiting.
Going somewhere you already know you like can create more great memories.
Go to the beach! Leave the Nook at home and find a real paperback to read. There is just nothing like the feel of a paperback book.
This vacation is about reliving memories.
Drink a soda from your childhood. Without guilt and with pure enjoyment.
Is that cottage or motel still there? See if you can still reserve a few nights mid-week. If not, upgrade to something with better mattresses and soaps.
What’s new in the area since you were last there? Wineries? New restaurants and shops? What hasn’t changed a bit since you were last there?
Think of the possibilities.
Where You Took Your Family?
What did your kids look forward to doing? Why not revisit one of those happy memories.
Ask the kids to join you, even if it’s only for part of the time.
Once again, glam it up a little. The five of you do not have to share one room.
The mega theme parks are at peak admission prices during periods when families can travel. (Spring break, and late summer)
Do you need to do two parks a day? Or even two parks during your whole stay?
Use the pools while everyone is off sweating in long lines.
Try the hotel restaurants. Some are quite good. Have lunch off-property.
Or if you have a refrigerator, buy some deli salads or sandwiches to balance out the food budget.
Today, many of the large parks offer much more than only amusement rides.
This is getting exciting.
I Always Wanted to Go To _____?
How about somewhere you said you would visit “when the kids grow up.” A National Park?
By the third week of August, I see availability at several major parks. Some on weekdays, others weekends.
They will still have crowds in late summer, but not like earlier.
The “best view” rooms may not be available. Good thing you didn’t travel to a national park to see it through a window.
Please get out and experience them.
The Place You Would Never Go With a Child.
What about that incredible restaurant? The fancy hotel or beautiful museum?
Celebrate you!
Why not do a two-night get-away to THAT grande hotel, bed, and breakfast, wine lodge, etc.
Tour that museum or historical building and treat yourself to a dining “experience.”
It’s time.
Remember your late summer vacation?
Get it back. You deserve it.
Even two days of memory-making can be a great vacation.
It’s time to start living.
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“Where would you like to go on summer vacation?
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“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.