Deborah
Vacation – a time we all look forward to. Even when you are not working a nine to five job, you still look forward to the planned “vacation.” Everyone’s idea of a vacation is just as diverse as we are as humans. Some of us just want to find a beach and not move for the entire time, while others want an all-out adventure. A few just want to vacation solo or with just one significant other, and others want it to be a full-blown family affair… lol I guess we all vacation differently depending on the destination and the time. But can we all agree we LOVE to go on vacation? Whether it be to relax or to explore, we look forward to an escape from our everyday stresses and responsibilities.
I personally am a combination of both types of vacationers. There are times when I absolutely want to find the most pristine beach, stick my toes in the sand, and feel the presence of peace. Have you heard the song “Saltwater Gospel” by Eli Young Band? Well, if you haven’t and you want to take a quick trip to the beach in your mind, it’s a great listen.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_yOrDBSbBY This song encapsulates how I feel when I’m sitting at the beach. It makes me feel great when I know I literally cannot be there. The beach, for me, is the greatest of escapes and puts me in a happy place almost immediately upon arrival. Choice #1 for me, beach destinations.
Beaches are where most Americans escape to according to Statista (https://www.statista.com/statistics/667802/leading-vacation-types-us-adults). As the Saltwater Gospel perfectly describes, it’s as if you find peace in the sound and sights of the ocean. At least I do. Some beaches are just so absolutely stunning. One of my most memorable beaches was in the Bahamas on the isle of Eleuthera. Crystal clear waters and pink sands couldn’t get any more heavenly. But it was the pig beach in the Spanish Wells (one of a few pig beaches) that provided me with quite an adventure. Never in my life did I think I would be feeding pigs in the water and cradling piglets. I would never equate beaches and pigs as a vacation attraction. To my surprise it was very popular!
2021 we were making up for the lack of vacationing from the previous COVID hell as we took a family vacation to the Azores. I was so grateful that we were able to make this trip come to fruition. It was the first trip I got to go on with my parents which in itself was a blessing. Growing up we didn’t’ really do vacations as my dad was always working. All work and no play for my dedicated father trying to provide his family with the necessities in life.
It was and always will be my most enjoyable vacation due to the destination and family. Sometimes family vacations can get a little hairy. Especially when you have a large group and you have never vacationed together. In all we had twelve; my parents, all my kids, my only sister and her kids. So, this was the first time we would all be traveling together. To my surprise it turned out to be a great experience with minimal controversy.
We only visited one island in the Azores, São Miguel, which is known as the Green Island. This is the main island of the Azores, and it was chosen because it was the one from which my grandparents emigrated. The island held so much beauty and history. The countryside was rich with greenery and floral beauty. You could gaze into the hills and imagine your ancestors working the land. We explored the pineapple plantation and learned how they grow them in greenhouses since the island receives a steady amount of rain, which is not conducive to farming. The lakes of Sete Cidades, the Green Lake and the Blue Lake, were visually astonishing.
The city of Ponta Delgada was so charming to explore and had special meaning for me as my grandmother’s house was next door to a drive in theater called the Ponta Delgada. No, I’m not making that up… We visited the hot springs of Poca da Dona Beija and lavished in them for quite some time. The hydrangeas were the most beautiful I have ever seen. They lined the countryside and it felt like we were in a picture book. This island was truly magical and I’m not sure why my ancestors ever left it. Hopefully I will get to go back and explore the other islands. My other grandparent was from the island of Terceira. The beauty of the Azores will forever hold a special place in my heart. Click on the video below to see the highlights from our trip.
Vacations for us appear to be island-oriented, as you can see. Although, as I stated previously, beaches tend to be my happy place. They don’t necessarily have to be on an island. One of my mainland favorites is Siesta Key on the West Coast of Florida. This trip was a birthday destination for me. The company and the beach couldn’t have been better. The sand is so fine; it’s like walking on powder. The waters are so clear, you feel like you are on a tropical island. This is a beach I have every intention of returning to, God willing. If you haven’t been, put it on your bucket list. I promise, if you like beaches, this is worth the trip.
Our island fixation kind of lends itself to having a boat which is my husband’s passion. (see previous blog post –https://femininefindings.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=422&action=edit ) Although not my passion, it has afforded me to see and experience the beauty of the islands off of our NE coast. We have and continue to explore Block Island, Cuttyhunk, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. Nantucket and the Vineyard have some similarities but are distinctly different. Cuttyhunk is completely out there on its own as it is barely populated. You couldn’t get a quieter place if you are looking for solitude. The Block…. What can I say? Is the Block… somewhere in between the Vineyard and Nantucket depending on where you are on the island.
I have to say, it seems like I mostly vacation on islands… I guess I shouldn’t complain as I AM getting to go to some pretty incredible places. But part of me really does like history and exploring other parts of the world. There are so many places on my bucket list that I hope I get to visit. When I am not seeking to escape the real world and sit on a beach, I would love to step back in time and visit historic places. Being present in locations that hold so much history gives me such an appreciation of how far we have come as human beings. I love learning about our progress and what life was like before us. Hopefully, I will get to visit those places in Europe and explore our family heritage. I can’t think of anything more fulfilling when on the search for an adventure.
But alas, there is nothing better than coming home after any trip. The anticipation of the trip never seems to go by fast enough. The trip itself seems to fly by. But the return is usually so welcoming. To come home to your own bed, your familiar surroundings and loved ones is the best source of comfort in the world. I hope you all get in some summer vacationing and create some wonderful memories whether it be a beach escape or a wild family adventure!
Natalie
I would bet most of us have at least one (likely several) bucket list items that start with “Visit…Travel to…Vacation at…”. For me, my #1 goes to South Africa for a safari. While I am far from crossing that one off, I have spent the last few months in some new places.
My vacation started in the off-season this year. This past March, I took a cruise with my boyfriend, one of his best friends (Kyle), and Kyle’s fiancée (Sydney). It included many firsts for me. My first plane ride, cruise, and first time out of the country all in the span of seven days. That’s a lot of firsts in such a short time span! We left out of Miami on a Sunday evening and visited Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas of the American Virgin Islands, Tortola of the British Virgin Islands, and Nassau in the Bahamas, spending one day at each location and two days at sea.
Our ship was the Encore with Norwegian Cruise Line where we spent day 1 and day 6 at sea. The cruise ship had an extensive list of activities and events going on each day. We spent a lot of our time at sea looking for a spot outside by the pool or figuring out what activities to do. We did attend a few entertainment shows and hit the casino.
Our time in the Dominican Republic was the unanimous favorite. We had done a waterfall hike excursion where our tour guides then took us to a family restaurant for lunch and a local farm where they grew passion fruits, cinnamon, tobacco, mangos, and many other things. The humor, graciousness, and gratitude of the locals was overflowing.
The next day we made it to St. Thomas in the American Virgin Islands. We went snorkeling in two spots on a coral reef and sea garden. Our guides were great, originally from Florida and Connecticut who now spent many months on the island running snorkeling and scuba excursions. They were knowledgeable and welcoming. We saw hundreds of different fish and a barracuda even zoomed up next to us. Snorkeling was my favorite activity from the trip.
Tortola was the only place where we didn’t have an excursion planned so we spent it on the beach. Easily the most beautiful one I had been too. For lunch a local man, Nigel, made us a meal at his beach shack which we all greatly enjoyed, especially with his “pour your own floaters” bar policy.
The last place we visited was the Bahamas. I had been especially excited for this stop as I had heard so many people loved it. Unfortunately, it ended up being our least favorite day. As we got off the ship, so did 5 or 6 other shiploads of people. The crowding and confusion made it difficult to navigate and enjoy any of the downtown. Our excursion for the day was horseback riding (misleadingly) on the beach. Instead, the 2-hour excursion consisted of only about 15 minutes of beach views and the majority of it through a neighborhood. Nonetheless, what we did see was beautiful but between the terrible arrival and letdown of an activity, it just felt as though the day was a wash.
Overall, I couldn’t be more grateful for the time we all spent together and the experiences. My biggest takeaway on cruising is the difference between traveling and vacationing. I would say cruising caters to those who want to just relax for vacation. The drinks and dining were the highlight of our time on the ship, and there really was no need to “go” anywhere. If you are looking to lounge, indulge, and be entertained in some new scenery, the ship had all of that. If you are looking to really explore and embrace some new places and cultures, it’s probably best to plan separate trips or at least find a ship that docks in destinations for more than one day. While we got to go to four islands in one week, we only had a matter of a few hours on each.
My summer consisted of a few long weekends instead of one full week anywhere. At the end of June, I went camping with my extended family in Lake George in the Adirondack Region of New York. It was one of the larger family trips we’ve taken with a total of 19 people. Quite the group to coordinate and organize meals and supplies for. Big thank you to Google Sheets for that! It was our first time there for all of us, and it did not disappoint. The lake itself was beautiful and clean, perfect for swimming and kayaking. Despite the rain, we attended the Adirondack Wine and Food Festival. Especially in poor weather, good company makes all the difference.
The following weekend was a trip to as far north in New Hampshire as you can get. The 4th of July is, as I described, my boyfriend’s Super Bowl. An annual woodsy trip with all his favorite activities, not easily done in suburban Massachusetts. We spent most of our days ATVing, and most of our nights drinking, haha. I promise there were other activities as well.
The last weekend of July, I spent in Martha’s Vineyard. It was my first time visiting since I was a little girl. During that visit, I caught a couple of Porgy fish which I mistakenly referred to as Pierogis (Polish dumplings) for the next few years. However, my memories of that trip are limited. I have an aunt who goes to Martha’s Vineyard for a week every year, so last summer, my cousin and I decided to take the ferry for a day. This year, we planned a weekend trip with our boyfriends. We stayed on the island from Friday to Monday, and it felt like the perfect amount of time. We had the chance to do some sightseeing, including visiting the alpaca farm and exploring the Gay Head lighthouse and cliffs. Sunday was our beach day. We spent the morning at South Beach and then headed to Inkwell Beach in the afternoon. For our meals, we dined out for lunches and dinners, but we enjoyed cooking breakfast at our cabin.
Consistently, across all my trips this summer, the people you are with matter the most. For something meant to be relaxing, there are a lot of moving parts in any trip or travel. These are expected stresses, but more often than not, something doesn’t go right. Whether it’s torrential downpours, a scam of a taxi ride, or an ATV accident (all of which happened in our travels this summer), nothing was ever ruined. Being with reliable people who can find the best in simple activities like playing cards or eating meals makes it impossible to have a bad time.
Whether or not it was your bucket list location, I hope you got to spend some time in some different places this summer either new adventures or a return to favorites!
Awesome girls! It was like I was there with you. Of course I was on our Portugal trip, which was such a wonderful experience, that I probably would not have taken if not for you Deborah!❤️