Enjoyable Short Vacations

For many years Linda and I enjoyed either trips to Hawaii or long driving vacations in our campervan. As we aged, shorter vacations became more appealing and necessary. The effort required to catch a plane or the long hours behind the wheel of our campervan seem to have caught up with us. We found also that two- to four-day vacations were easier for us to take, especially after we got our pet dog, Sparky.

Designing enjoyment into the journey part of a short vacation significantly adds to the whole vacation experience. Driving vacations are now generally limited to 300 miles and/or three days. 

When I posted my web page, www.rogersoutdoorchannel.com (which is temporarily out of service while Roger upgrades it), I made a point of including six different scenic driving routes and noted the many interesting sites that a person should try to see on each one. Most of these drives include at least seven or eight different scenic highlights that can be seen in a single day’s drive. 

It has been surprising to us just how many interesting things there are to see and do that are relatively close to home, especially if we take a little time for research.

Finding a motel close to the activities we wish to do allows more time to have fun. When we have trouble finding pet sitters, we take Sparky with us and look for motels that, with minimal extra room charge, allow pets. 

Walks on the beach, clamming, foraging, or a short outing with either bike or kayak might be our primary focus, while on other trips we enjoy visiting nearby casinos. 

Visiting a new museum or art gallery appeals to us, or just trying out a new restaurant that has good reviews. Taking a short ferry boat ride as part of the trip is always a nice break from driving and the scenery tends to be spectacular. Longer ferry boat rides into the San Juan Islands often remind us that it has been too long since we took our last one. 

It is important not to try to do too many things on a short vacation though, or we tend to miss the point of vacationing.

Train trips to Portland or Vancouver BC are considered once we locate lodging both near the terminal and a good restaurant. Both Portland and Vancouver have lots of interesting things to see. Vancouver has a World’s Fair site, the Capilano suspension bridge, Stanly Park, and a museum of anthropology. Portland counters with their famous Rose Garden, Japanese Garden and Chinese gardens. We also enjoy taking 'Around Portland Tour's to see the sights we might have missed on our own. Both trips are short enough that if we decide to see multiple points of interest, driving often proves to be more practical than the train trip.

Train rides can also provide good variety and awesome scenery without the constant distractions of a freeway. A few years ago, we took a four-day vacation to San Francisco using sleeping cars both directions. Our ride took 23 hours and was full of good scenery plus good food and turned out to be less expensive than either driving or flying -- once motels, parking, and secondary transportation were considered. We didn’t even need to rent a car as we stayed near the wharf and made good use of cable cars and busses.

We have found that the keys to getting full enjoyment from our short vacation is including the right amount of interest but leaving ample time to relax. A major perk of vacationing this way is that the cost is considerably less than we would spend on longer, a more distant vacation. 

Everyone loves to vacation. Short vacations allow us to vacation more often and still keep our entertainment budget.

Roger Urbaniak writes about the Great Outdoors and other topics from his home on Mercer Island. “Rogers Outdoor Channel” is the place to learn about the adventures of Northwest Outdoor Enthusiast Roger Urbaniak along with his lovely wife Linda and trusty pooch Sparky. In a month or so when he's finished upgrading his site, visit rogersoutdoorchannel.com for more information or email Roger at admin@rogersoutdoorchannel.com