newelty

I can be somewhat nostalgic at times, particularly when I think about summer vacations. I loved the final weeks of school, when glorious and infinite summer days, and unbridled adventure stretched in front of me.

I’m experiencing a grown-up version of that now, as this Friday will be my final day at my job. After that, I will have two free weeks before I launch into my next gig.

Photo credit: Todd Klassy

What to do? Where to go?

It’s kind of fun when you have zilcho time to plan for a holiday. While Lia has been working on her Dutch Princess School excursion for months now, I basically have a week or so to figure out if…and where…I’ll go.

I first called my frequent flier plans to see if I could cash in any of my miles at the last minute. I wasn’t that interested in flying within the US (prefer to use miles internationally or on swanky hotels state-side), or Latin America (too hot)…And I didn’t have enough for Asia. Only one plan was able to find a flight to Frankfurt, but nothing on the return. Boo.

I was relieved in a way.

Seattle is notorious for its “June Gloom.” It always rains on the 4th of July, and then, miraculously the week after, the region becomes this out-of-control-this-is-why-we-live-here type of paradise. Today it’s 80 degrees and sunny. Not an ounce of humidity.

So I think I’m going to stick around, but will take long weekend road trips. Right now, I’m considering one or more of the following:

• Methow Valley – Incredibly, I’ve never been here and I’ve lived in the Pac NW for a long time. It’s apparently a breathtaking valley with wonderful hiking on the east side of the Cascade Mountains.
• San Juan Islands -The long ferry lines can sometimes be a drag, but once you land, each island has its own magical character. I’ve been to the islands of San Juan and Orcas many times. Lopez Island is supposed to be fantastic for biking as it’s really flat.
• Vancouver Island – The novelty meter goes way up because you get to go across the border, and the majority of the island is a park. I’ve been to Victoria, BC, but never explored the island.
• Olympic Peninsula – It recently gained fame as the setting for the Twilight zeitgeist, but I’m not going to let that get in my way. Olympic National Park is one of my favorite parks.

Any other suggestions?