We don’t take many vacations. Most of the ones we do take involve going to see family. Still, it occasionally is nice to do something outside of our ordinary day-to-day routine. We’ve figured out a couple of kid-friendly getaways nearby to escape from the everyday.
How Amusing
The most common destination is a local amusement park. Now, I’m not a big fan of wild rides. NHL, on the other hand loves them. When we go to Six Flags, NHL’s favorite ride is the bobsled. We’ll get in our seats, lower the safety bar and up we go. Then, all too suddenly, we’re going down along a bobsled track, moving up and down the sides. Once, late in the season, B, NHL and I were the only ones in the bobsled and the sled actually left the track somewhat. Not enough to fly off and and injure us, but just enough to seriously scare us. Over time, I’ve learned to cope with these intense rides and perhaps even enjoy them a little. The one thing that I don’t want to do is dissuade him from doing something he enjoys because of a groundless fear of mine.
Pick Your Favorite
Growing up, a lot of my favorite moments were going to a local farm and picking our own fruits and vegetables, especially strawberries. There’s just something about getting down close to the ground and plucking a nice, red berry fresh off of a plant that I love. Even sneaking the occasional berry snack is part of the whole experience. Of course, the time that my parents filled the back seat of the car, necessitating that I stand in the back seat going home was memorable for all the wrong reasons. My father accelerated a bit too much and I went backwards, sitting right in the freshly-plucked strawberries!
We’ve taken the boys strawberry picking and they love it. They love hunting for ripe berries and filling up the containers. And, yes, they’ve also (when I let them) snuck a bite. The best part of berry picking is that even when the trip is over, you can relive the day by taking a bite of one of the sweet berries that you picked.
Don’t think that all summer trips need to be long affairs to far off destinations. Sometimes, the best trips don’t involve packing a suitcase or expensive hotel rooms. Sometimes, they merely involve getting out to a fun place right in your own backyard. What fun, but not far getaways have you done over the summer?
