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Summer Luxuries, Vacation Splurges
Now that I’m out of the raising kids stage of life, vacations aren’t linked to summertime schedules.
I still get the urge to roam when the temperatures rise, but during what I consider Northeast Ohio’s best months I like to stick close to home. I’ve got messy flower beds that need tending. My flock of 13 chickens that I share with a neighbor gets plenty of extra attention. There’s always a get-together or a festival or a yard sale going on.
When I was a kid, summer vacations meant a cross-country trip in our Rambler station wagon. My three younger siblings and I fought for a coveted window seat, dodged ashes from Mom’s cigarettes, and prayed there would be a pool at whatever budget motel or campground we landed at each night.
This being the ’70s, we didn’t have cellphones or DVDs or satellite radio to entertain us. Heck, we didn’t even have seat belts.
Each morning Dad carefully unfolded his AAA TripTik Travel Planner and plotted our course, pointing out whatever Civil War battlefield or mountain range or museum we’d see that day.
In these pre-breakfast-at-McDonald’s-days, we ate at the hotel restaurant. Our budget was strict, each of us limited to a specific dollar amount. Orange juice — we drank Tang at home — was an extravagance beyond our careful calculations. To this day I can’t bring myself to order juice at a restaurant.
One rainy slog across the country to Arizona, our family camped in tents. Each morning, Dad set up his Coleman stove on a picnic table and fried eggs that we gobbled down with a loaf of squishy white bread that we sometimes rolled into chewy balls.
When we were in a hurry to get on the road, we dug into a package of small, assorted breakfast cereals like they were jewels. We squabbled over who got the Sugar Pops and who was stuck with the clearly healthier Froot Loops.
Dad used his pocket knife to carefully cut the dotted cardboard lines on the boxes and split the inner waxed paper. A splash of whole milk and our roadside breakfast was complete. I still think cereal tastes best when eaten directly from a cardboard box.
Whether your summer plans are the orange juice-luxury variety or more modest ones, it’s always a good idea to keep your eyes open for local adventures.
Our cover story on farmers markets (page 22) showcases our region’s abundant farm produce. We also have a story about the Lake Erie Islands and the peaceful — and sometimes party-like — vibe on our north coast(page 10).
If you’re looking for freedom this summer, not necessarily a getaway, you’ll find both encouragement and great examples on page 19. We’ll show you how to embrace new independence that comes with life changes both expected and not.
This summer I’m going to think about ordering orange juice at a restaurant. And for fun, I may pour milk in a cereal box and dig in.
Here’s to a summer of splurges.
