There wasn't going to be an opportunity for me to have a getaway type of vacation this summer. So when my husband told us he would be going out of town for 8 days (part business/part pleasure), I thought I could try to do some local stay-cation types of outings to make my week feel like I'd gotten away. One daughter is house-sitting for the month, but she was able to join my other daughter and I for 3 outings.
On the first outing, we visited the vintage and antique town a short drive from our home. Again we brought a picnic lunch, this time a simple one. I made a container of egg salad and brought slices of homemade bread and a rice cake for me, plus apples, nuts, and jugs of water. We treated ourselves to dessert at the locally-owned fro-yo spot. We'd gone into this place to check it out on another visit. I loved that they made many of their offerings from scratch. And they had a sorbet that would work for my dietary restrictions. Since I was shopping for a birthday gift for a friend, we visited shops we'd never been in before, which made this outing feel special to all of us.
On the second outing, the three of us visited our town's farmer's market. It's located in the central part of the business and retail district of town and just up the hill from the beach. Our main goal at the farmer's market was to buy some peaches and for my daughter to buy a gift for a friend. The guy selling the peaches gave us great tips for picking ones that would be ripe very soon. He told us the peaches we chose would be ready in two days, and he was right. After visiting the market we ducked into the lavender shop to enjoy the fragrance and a complimentary cup of tea, the the art supply shop for my daughter to pick up a needed item for a job the next day. And we weren't done yet. Remember I said the beach was just down the hill. The three of us walked down the hill and spent an hour at the beach with a kite. Fun day!
The third outing was our biggest adventure. We got up and out early to catch a ferry across the Sound to the peninsula. A short drive from the opposing ferry dock brought us to the Norwegian town of Poulsbo. This is a fun place to visit. Lots of Scandinavian atmosphere, a couple of great little museums, a free aquarium, shops, restaurants, a waterfront with a nice park, and locals who never fail to entertain us with their stories. We enjoyed the town for the entire day, walked close to 5 miles, enjoyed our breakfast by the water, had a picnic lunch in the waterfront park (we're big on picnics), walked a beachside boardwalk around part of the bay, enjoyed the sights of a frolicking sea lion, and basically exhausted ourselves on fun. On the ferry ride back to the mainland we spotted a harbor porpoise and some flying fish.
In addition to taking these outings, we tried to make the 8 days feel like a vacation in other ways. We ate meals outdoors, had a movie night at home, barbecued, and even had a couple of nights where I didn't cook dinner instead each fending for oneself.
The stay-cation came to an end with this evenings dinner of hotdogs and fresh produce from the garden. My husband will return late tonight and tomorrow life will go back to non-vacation time.
For a variety of reasons, away-from-home vacations rarely work for us in summer. The garden needs constant attention from June through September. My daughters are more and more becoming busy with their own lives and jobs. Summers are actually the good time of year to remain in the Seattle area. And frankly, I find so many places I enjoy going that are a short drive from my house. So a summer stay-cation will likely be in my plans for many years to come.
How about you? What kinds of activities are there to enjoy near you in summer?
