The Summer season is upon us, and for many people that means it’s time to get out of town for a few days. There are plenty of traditional options for summer vacations, from driving to the nearest beach, to flying off to the tropics, to simply visiting family members. But if you’ve reached the beginning of the season without any concrete plans, don’t worry – you’re not alone.
There’s always time to plan a getaway at the last minute. Sometimes you just need a little bit of inspiration. So, keeping that in mind, here are some ideas you probably haven’t thought of before that might just get you thinking about the ideal vacation for the coming months.
Take A Road Trip – With A Brand New Car
A road Trip is a fairly traditional summer vacation, and particularly if you have someone to go with and a fun route planned out, it can be a great time. If you happen to live in the U.S., you’re lucky. The country is home to a number of established road trips that take you by beautiful sights and interesting roadside attractions. But if you want to spice things up even more, consider stopping by a car dealership while you’re planning the trip. You don’t necessarily have to buy a new car to make it fun, but if you’re in the market anyway it’s a great time to bite the bullet. Or, depending on the dealership or establishment, you might even be able to rent a car that you wouldn’t ordinarily consider buying, and enjoy it for the duration of the trip.
Seek Out Interesting Performances
Too often, we focus trips solely on destinations, rather than on what we can actually do when we get there. But if you want to organize a summer vacation around more than a city, country, or even a specific attraction, consider basing your plans on an interest instead. For example, if you’re a fan of theater or live performance, spend a little bit of time researching some of the country’s interesting venues, and find a way to visit them and check out the surrounding areas. This is a great way to find a local performing arts center that’s doing particularly well, or wind up at an old concert venue that still features iconic acts. In a broad sense, the arts can actually make for some great vacation inspiration.
Hit The High Seas
Remember our idea about renting or buying a car and hitting the road for the summer? Well, it’s even more adventurous (in most people’s minds at least) to apply the same concept to the open water. You won’t find as many planned routes as you will when researching road trip options, and boats for sale tend to be bigger commitments than car purchases or rentals. But if you’re interested in the sea or you happen to have any experience boating, this is an amazing way to spend a summer. You can pick a stretch of coastline and simply sail or motor along stopping at the coastal cities that most appeal to you along the way. Just be sure to take the proper measures to ensure your safety!
Think Lakes, Not Oceans
If you feel like your summer vacation options are getting a little bit stale, it might be because you equate the word “summer” with the image of a beach. That’s all well and good, but a lot of beaches are good all year long. Lakes, on the other hand, are particularly pleasant to visit during the summer, when you can often swim in them without freezing your toes off. And as it so happens, America is home to some truly gorgeous lakeside vacation options. Whether hiking through the Rocky Mountains enjoying crystal-clear waters, or trekking along Lake Michigan’s towering dunes, you might just find a trip you never expected.
Chase Your Favorite Movies
As a last idea, you might consider the idea of on-location vacations, which is to say exploring movie sets or filming locations. You can’t always manage this while your favorite shows or movies are being made, of course, but with some advance research you can have a great time checking out certain related destinations. Plenty of people spend the summer catching up on favorite shows or binging new seasons these days. It can be pretty cool to one-up that idea and actually get out into the world of production, so to speak.
