Summer Trip 2013 Revealed

 No need to drive to a trail to find this gorgeous azalea!  It's in my own backyard!

April, 2013

Sorry for the delay in posting what was promised last Monday!  One of these days I'll learn not to say I'm going to post something on a specific day when it seems as if some days, I don't even know what day it is myself!  For some reason that I just can't put my finger on, this spring has found time simply flying by for me.  I'd like to think that it's another accomplishment in my sincere desire to slow down and enjoy every moment while continuing to wage on all-out war on "busyness" or the idea that frantic activity equates to productivity.  

However, getting ready to leave for our Summer Trip each year usually does require some scrambling around as departure day draws nearer.  Packing and loading the car for an extended time away from home is actually the EASY part.  What's difficult is making sure all the bases are covered so that the house is secured and things are all taken care of so that it appears as if nothing is different.  Bill and I are leaving separately this year, so that adds another dimension in that he'll be responsible for closing up the house the final time and making sure everything is secured.  That's usually MY job, so it seems I'm making endless lists all of which he will have to accomplish early one morning before making it to the airport for a 6:00 a.m. flight!  Should be interesting!

For several reasons, Summer Trip 2013 looks a bit different this year.  Long time readers know that Bill traditionally teaches the July Summer Term at the college.  This year, he had the opportunity to teach both the June Term AND the July term.  We talked about it for a long, long time as this would require us to have a much abbreviated summer trip, but in the end, decided it was a good opportunity for some additional income plus he really enjoys teaching summer classes.  He will have two full weeks in May before the June term begins and then we will take advantage of another two full weeks after his July term ends.  In both cases, we are headed to one destination and he will fly in order to maximize his time at each place.  I am actually looking forward to being at home during the month of June as our mountain laurel/rhododendron season is simply incredible and I have totally missed it for the last several years because we are always traveling somewhere else!!

I haven't revealed specific plans until now because they keep changing.  I've mentioned how ill my mom has been with acute bronchitis and until late last week, I just did not feel comfortable leaving.  Thankfully, the solo trip plans I had made were changeable, so I simply elected to cancel them and wait.  I met my mom and dad for breakfast yesterday morning and except for a still horrible sounding cough, she has recovered and couldn't get through breakfast quickly enough because they were headed to the golf course.  LOL!  She's still only playing a few holes at a time, but just being well enough to ride in the cart with daddy is enough for now.  How blessed I am to have two parents who, at 85 years old, still play golf 2-3 times each week!

But now I'm headed out and when you read this on Thursday morning, I should already be heading north out of Tennessee, through Virginia and into Washington D.C.  I spent a lot of time in DC during my career and it never grows old.  There is ALWAYS something new to see.  Bill will fly in Friday evening for a long weekend.  We've got several things on the agenda that we hope to accomplish in addition to lots and lots of walking.  

Bill still has finals week at school before his semester ends completely, so he will fly back home after a long weekend and I get to have some "me" time.  I'll be leaving DC and driving north up the I-95 corridor (I'll need some kind of mega stress reduction pampering after THAT) to the shores of Connecticut and will be spending a few days at Inn at Harbor Hill Marina.  Our ultimate destination for this trip is Long Island, New York.  Following my days at the Inn, I will cross Long Island Sound via the Cross Sound Ferry and pick Bill up at Islip's MacArthur Airport.  We intended to explore Long Island as we returned home from New England last year, but time ran out.  I had done a good deal of research on the area and found much to like.  We have rented an apartment which is the second floor of what looks like a grogeous Victorian home on a tree lined street two blocks from Long Island Sound.  It is all the way out on the eastern end of Long Island, an area described as being much more like southern New England than the metropolitan area of New York.  There is so much to do and see that we will need two weeks to get it all done. 

Somewhere in there, we will make a trip to the city.  We have a friend there with whom we are hoping to connect plus I have never been to Ground Zero.  We hope to visit the Empire State Building (a tradition we always honor when in NYC) and Bill wants to check out Chelsea Market.  

It promises to be an exciting, yet low-key adventure in a place we've NEVER even been close to and we are both looking forward to it.  I'll work hard at sharing it with you along the way.

And just for the curious among you, part two of Summer Trip 2013 will be a return to one of my favorite places, Rocky Mountain National Park.  Our prior trips have been in May and we are so excited about returning in late July/early August.  There are parts of the national park we've been unable to access and trails we've been unable to hike because they are still closed due to snow and avalanche danger in May.  But we'll cover all that when the time comes. 

For now, let Summer Trip 2013 commence!

What travel plans do you have coming up?