BY MAGGIE BEAMGUARD | Insider Editor
My bags are packed, I’m ready to go — on summer vacation. This year, we embark for the region of Andalousia, Spain.
This trip snuck up on me. I intended to brush up on my Spanish. And by that, I mean, to learn Spanish. Alas, my longest Duolingo streak lasted three days. Real life simply got in the way.
Thankfully, we will be intercepting our oldest, who has been studying in Seville. She doesn’t know it yet, but her immersive education will be put to use as the family translator.
Flamenco dancers, gazpacho, bullrings, Moorish architecture, renaissance art and refreshing rebujito await.
As vacations go, this one will be active with plenty of sightseeing and art museums, but also ample siesta time. I expect my step count to blow well past my average. I’ve packed the moleskin and ibuprofen in anticipation of blisters and shin splints.
Summer vacations come in many varieties, each with their perks and problems. Whether navigating flight delays through Charlotte or a flat tire on I-95, anyone attempting a holiday escape needs to be fortified with humor and patience.
It would be a shame for bumps on the road to ruin a great time. The whole idea of a getaway is to get away from niggling problems of work-a-day life.
While my family dines on tapas and churros this year, there is a full range of experiences to be had.
The hardiest souls will gas up for the quintessential road trip. Pile everyone and the dog into the car and set out for the Grand Canyon, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Outer Banks or the Everglades or the World’s Largest Ball of Twine (in Kansas, where else?). Plug in a banging playlist and press that pedal to the metal. Keep a close eye on how far the next rest stop is. And for state troopers hiding turn arounds.
When a road trip feels like a little too much effort, the weary opt for a more restful sojourn. Get your R&R at an all-inclusive tropical resort while a handsome waiter plies you with mai tais and the masseuse hits the right spots. Or fill your cruise schedule with time on the pool deck, a game of chance or trivia and dancing at a club. Let your troubles melt away and the credit card balance inflate.
While it may be summer break, there is no break from learning for those in pursuit of loftier goals. A visit to the nation’s capital, Colonial Williamsburg, Wounded Knee, Gettysburg, the Freedom Trial, Laura Ingles Wilder historic sites makes for a learned, well-rounded person. Just make sure to include a dip in the hotel pool. It is a vacation, not a master’s program.
The gluttons for punishment will brave the theme parks. Seek the thrill of the drop of a rollercoaster drop, the hug from a princess or the taste of a turkey leg. It will only cost one daily tantrum (child or adult); a few hours standing in line and a blistering sunburn. But isn’t that worth the memories?
Adventurous spirits and the physically fit will be up for a challenge. Climb the Tetons or the Half Dome, raft the Colorado, view the synchronous fireflies of the Smokies, cave trek in Vietnam, cage dive with sharks in South Africa, camp in the Australian outback, paraglide in Bulgaria, ride horses in Argentina or a camel in the Moroccan Sahara. The world is your oyster. Just make sure to up your medical coverage and life insurance.
And don’t forget the entertainment avenue: casinos and shows in Vegas, a concert at Red Rocks, a Broadway musical, tickets to Wimbledon, a game at Wrigley. Sit down and enjoy the show.
There is a summer vacation for every personality and persuasion. But the one-size-fits-all is the stay-cation. Rest in the resort of your own making. Sleep in. Venture out. If you want. Read a book. Nap on a hammock.
When we return to 35.2785° N, 79.5645° W after our jaunt across the Atlantic, how lucky we are that this is what we will find. There is no place like it.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.