Day Trippin’ and other cool summer stuff

Hard to believe but we’ve already officially past the mid way point to summer. Technically summer just began back on June 21st a few short days ago. This past Tuesday we hit the Fourth of July which means that the next summer holiday is the last one despite the fact that summer continues on for a few weeks by the calendar.

Here’s a thought I’ve been having as time moves beyond quickly this season. I don’t know what it is about summer, it’s as long as the other seasons, but it flies by in comparison to the others. So don’t waste a minute, get out there and have fun. What I’ve decided to do with my family this year is spread out the fun.

Since summer began our family has been out to The Willow Grove Air Show to see the fabulous Thunderbirds ( not the music group, the actual USAF flying squadron ), we’ve been camping, we’ve hit the Quakertown Pool a few times and have a lot planned this week. The Kutztown Folk Festival is going on this week and we’re planning a trip, also heading up to Knoebels for an overnight and to top things off a few days at the shore in August. I am sure we’ll stop at the amusement parks closer to home and we’re bound to make the round of carnivals going on around these parts what feels like every weekend between now and Labor Day. I am finding that the break up of vacation time in this way is more attractive than the entire week off in one spot. The week off has its advantages, you get to rest a bit more and settle in and experience one vacation area. The breaking up approach of day trippin’ allows you to do a lot in a short time span. I am sure it’s psychological but somehow it feels like the summer is stretched further when I work this vacation model. Left to the boys, they’d do both and we’d be broke. So, the planning gets left to yours truly. Speaking of money the day trip approach and frequent stops to area attractions can be more affordable. You eliminate hotels mostly or cut costs further by working in some camp ground overnights which are relatively inexpensive. If you bring along lunch and leave after breakfast you can cut food costs down, which is important to keep your vacation budget from swelling out of proportion. One more item as you go to select your vacation choices this season, be they for the week long model ( traditional ) or the day trip excursions broken up over the course of the next several months.

Here’s another thought, you can vacation in your own back yard. Find something you enjoy and make it a treat/mini break from the same old routine. You also get a warm feeling knowing you spend some of your vacation dollars back in your hometown. With all the road and construction work going on in the main part of Quakertown, our merchants are more than eager to see you come in and spend some time and money with them this long hot summer. Summer is typically slower for our hometown merchants and a traveling road crew shutting down blocks of business isn’t helping.

Here’s something the other day I tried that was fun and enjoyable. I saw on the Food Network Cable Channel where a restaurant in Cincinnati has a special menu called the ‘Do Me’ menu. All this means is you and I visit and let the chef make your dinner, his or her choice. You just sit back and eat what the chef feels is that days best creation. Sounded kind of fun so I paid a visit to my friend Vince at Dominic’s Pizza and asked for him to give me his best culinary concoction and he emerged with a Grouper fish dinner that was beyond superb and didn’t break the bank. I suggest that you find your favorite restaurant or eatery and let the restaurant pick your dinner, just be sure to tell them if you absolutely hate something! That wouldn’t be fun.

Don’t forget the parks, pools, libraries and baseball games all around us. Stick around this summer, find a way to make your vacation be a part of every day between now and when September beckons. If you can pull this off, day trippin’ will make your summer last and who knows, you may even feel like summer didn’t fly by. Have a great summer season

See ‘ya around town.