RV Life - Back Issues

Summer Musts

Think of June as your get-out-of-jail-free card after a soggy spring. No matter where you live—OK, except for dopes like me in Illinois still waiting for a sub-zero cold front to blast through—the weather is nice, the kids and grandkids are free of school, and everyone’s thinking grand thoughts about the months ahead. Thoughts about travel, namely where to go and how soon ‘til we leave. Since I’m almost family at this point, allow me to throw in my two cents on the issue—although with interest and shipping & handling it’s really closer to three cents, but I digress.

You know the globe as well as I do, so I’m not going to spout off again about how you’re crazy not to haul your rig up Mount Cadillac in Maine’s Acadia National Park, despite its reward of being the first place in the United States to see the sunrise each and every morning, or taking the crew to Disney World, which is, well, Disney World. Where you go is up to you. Whether you finally decide to venture to Oregon’s Crater Lake or spend a week or so looking buff and trendy frolicking in the mountains of Telluride, Colorado, isn’t for me to say, but frankly, these are two can’t-miss spots. Still, I’m mum on the subject. However, I won’t stay silent in terms of a few summer requirements. OK, make it ten things every one of us should accomplish over the next 90 days until we’re seduced by the cool climes of fall and the debilitating allure of week one of the NFL season. No, it’s summer, and it’s time to start acting like it.

1. Go to the ballpark. And not just any ballpark, either, rather one you haven’t visited before. One void of Astroturf, preferably one of the newer stadiums with honest sight lines, or a classic baseball institution, such as Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. For the love of God, don’t even think about watching a game in a dome. That’s like cooking s’mores in the microwave. Better yet, throw a little money around a nice minor league park, where the customer—and values—remain king.

2. We all know that lemonade makes you even thirstier, but that’s not the point. It’s the official drink of summer and therefore must be honored accordingly. As such, when you see a lemonade stand, particularly one staffed by little kids and their dog, you stop. This is a non-negotiable.

3. Cook out. A lot. But vary it up, people. Smoke a pork shoulder. Grill sea scallops. Walk into a butcher shop (remember them) and say, “Surprise me.”

4. Why more people don’t adopt the mantra of “life’s a beach” is beyond me. Is there a better place to be in any season? There are beaches all over the place, so why don’t you find a stretch and dig in? Bring the lotion, some inane game with a ball and a paddle, and then bury your watch in the sand. You won’t be needing it until September. Extra credit points if you find an ocean—or Lake Michigan, like yours truly—to surf.

5. Let the dog run off-leash for a while. It does them good to remember their roots.

6. Just because school’s out doesn’t mean the kids have to stop learning. Your spouse, too, for that matter. Time to rev up your status as the coolest one in the family by teaching those around you a new outdoor skill. Doesn’t matter if it’s baiting a hook or flying a kite, snorkeling or how to wait back on a curve ball to drive it between the outfielders. Can’t think of anything to pass on? Maybe it’s time you learned a new trick yourself.

7. Travel to a to a different time zone. Drop anchor. Slow down. Stop planning for a second. Bask in your logistical accomplishment of getting you and your family away from home and out of your collective element. Do as the locals do, and do it better.

8. Eat a funnel cake, deep-fried Twinkie, or ice cream made right on the premises. I’m talking about digesting something really, really bad for you. Don’t worry, your polka dot bikini will still fit. But, skip the cotton candy, that stuff is for suckers. June is not a month for counting calories. July, well, that’s another story.

9. Give every member of the family the chance to plan an outing within reasonable limits. Remember, you’re all in this together. How about a maximum of 100 miles away and $500 to spend for the group?

10. Tell those you love that it’s going to be the best summer ever and then prove it.