Take a Vacation, Already!

According to a new poll released by Harris Interactive, only half of Americans will be taking a summer vacation this year. Half of those vacationers will be visiting family and friends, whereas 35% will take a scenic trip and only 30% will visit the beach.

We’ve all heard that American workers receive fewer paid vacation days from their employers than do workers in other countries. Apparently, however, many Americans don’t take advantage of the small amount of vacation days they are granted. Thirty-five percent of respondents to an Orbitz poll said they take 0-5 vacation days per year. And nearly one in five workers said it has been three years or more since they took a weeklong vacation.

What’s the deterrent? Cost seems to a be a frequently cited reason. But a vacation need not be expensive to be enjoyable. This morning, The Today Show began a new series called America the Beautiful. They’re counting down the most beautiful destinations in the US of A, and I’m guessing there will be one not too far from the backyards of all those non-vacationers.

Okay people - you know who you are - turn off those CrackBerrys, take a couple days off, and get out there!

Fourth of July -- Small-Town Style

Is it just me, or do spontaneous trips often turn out to be the most memorable?

Earlier this week, CJ and I pointed the car east and headed for Brunswick County, home of our favorite beaches and Southport’s North Carolina 4^th of July Festival. The festival is billed as North Carolina’s biggest, and includes a nearly weeklong series of events. As we drove into town Wednesday at 8:30am, residents and visitors had already lined both sides of Howe Street with their lawn chairs in preparation for the parade, which started at 11:00am.

We had bypassed the free preservative-laden continental breakfast at our hotel in favor of the pancake breakfast at Trinity Methodist Church. The line there was long, but I found myself smiling, regardless. Young and old were dressed in various combinations of red, white, and blue. Lion’s Club volunteers sold raffle tickets. Neighbors greeted each other with hugs. A sea breeze rustled through the live oaks.

Southport is everything that is wonderful about a small town. The historic area is devoid of chain restaurants, chain motels, and crass commercialism. Even on a day when the town is crowded with festival-goers, it still feels like the quaint fishing village it has been for 200+ years.

After breakfast, we took a slow walk through the arts and crafts booths at Franklin Square Park and then down to the banks of the Cape Fear River, where a lone sailboat drifted across the sparkling water.

It probably goes without saying, but I would definitely recommend a visit to Southport – preferably a slow, spontaneous visit. Just make sure you don’t tell too many people about this little treasure by the sea.

A Sunrise Memory

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. -- Kahlil Gibran

I ran across this quote today and it reminded me of taking Zoe for a sunrise walk on the beach. The sand is cool between your toes and the breezes are calm. Best of all, the rest of the world is still asleep, so you have nature’s landscape all to yourself.