Travel

 Recently I came across an interesting post about Niagara Falls and it started me thinking about what makes a vacation.

Not long ago Mike and I returned from a “vacation” in Atlanta, GA. We chose Atlanta because our daughter is teaching there this semester and visiting her was as good an excuse as any to visit a new city.

Unfortunately the trip started falling apart on our first full day there when Mike tested positive for Covid-19. I continued my adventures in Atlanta, including a mini-seder with our daughter, for another two days until I, too, tested positive.

Oh well. There are still pleasant memories if you get rid of the part where Mike and I holed up in our AirBnb for several days.

Batya and I visited the Coca Cola museum and, after learning all about the history of the fizzy beverage, tasted a variety of flavors from other countries. We also spent a more serious few hours at the Center for Civil Rights. While she worked I wandered her neighborhood, checking out a rail trail and her local yarn store and just generally getting the flavor of her area. I also wandered a bit by her work neighborhood but got stymied on my indoor plans. Note to self: try to avoid traveling on the Easter Sunday weekend if you want to see indoor stuff. It will either be closed or booked solid. 

But back to the point of this post. 

Prior to the kids going off to college, travel was a family affair. We’d search out places that we thought would be interesting to both Mike and I, as adults, and the kids, as … kids.

Our travels tended to be car trips which included Montreal,Quebec, Cooperstown, NY and, still an annual favorite, Lancaster, PA.

One memorable summer we cycled the length of the Erie Canal from Niagara Falls, ON to Albany, NY. 

Once the kids were in college, Mike and I rediscovered the pleasures of traveling together, just the two of us. Until recently our official vacation trips were still confined to road trips but we also tacked on vacation days to conference trips. Through conferences we’ve had the pleasure of visiting Baltimore,MD,  Omaha, NE, Phoenix, AZ and, most recently, Toronto, ON. We spend a day or so together packing in the “must sees” and then, while Mike attends the conference, I experience the area alone and at my own pace.

We’ve wandered streets and sought out experiences. The Desert Botanical Gardens, La Jolla, Letchworth State Park, Fort Niagara, dinner at a culinary school, hikes, local ciders. All snapshots of time spent together, etched in our memories.

Gone (mostly) are the memories of the travel glitches and left are the smiles as we think about time together experiencing new places.

As we slowly venture into this new part of our lives we are looking to gather many more memories. Feel free to pop your suggestions in the comments, either here or back on your favorite social media platform.

Devorah