Summer is officially on the way! Are you tired of the same old, same old type of family vacations? We have all done the been there, done that a million times — those automatic go-tos such as cruises, cabin stays, water parks, beaches and visiting family. Well, this summer, break away from the easy and convenient, get off the beaten path, strive for the quirky and think outside the box for a truly memorable experience.
Here’s the deal. I will give you the ideas, and you can do the research. In past articles, I have given specific places and/or links; but in hindsight, I was robbing you of exploring on your own. I find that when I am researching specific places, new places emerge that I would not have expected and am excited to uncover.
And so, here goes:
- Find places that have old-fashioned swimming holes.
- Stay on a houseboat with a slide off the roof.
- Train trips
- A dude ranch
- Do an archaeological dig.
- Stay in a treehouse, lighthouse, castle or caboose.
- Stay at a resort that offers old-fashioned fun such as lawn games, s’mores by a bonfire, making boats out of cardboard and racing them on a lake.
- Hike the John Muir Way in Scotland.
- Go fossil or gem digging.
- Stay at the Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo.
- Genghis Khan warrior training in Mongolia (way out of the box!)
- Immerse yourself in a country to learn the language.
- “Go in Search Of” trips: Dracula, King Arthur, Holy Grail
- Think about what fascinates you (e.g., abandoned places).
- And finally, what trip have you always wanted to take? Why put it off? Time’s a wasting, so take it now!
This summer, create a magical memory. Commit to making this year’s summer vacation unusual and novel in some way. Do something completely different and think outside the box. Have fun and safe travels!