My favorite places to spend the summer

We’ve managed to have a lot of variety in our summer vacations over the years. There are a couple places that have been a repeat, but they typically have the beach in common.

Our honeymoon was spent over 2-1/2 hot days on the beach of Myrtle Beach, SC, because that’s all the time off my Squadron Commander would give me. I never did understand that, because I wasn’t on a B-52 crew yet, so it wasn’t like I had to go on Alert, or needed to fly some important exercise, it was just him exercising his control on the new guy, despite the fact I had approached him about it six months in advance. The beach was fun; despite the short time there, but that was due to the company and occasion.

Since then, we’ve gone to Bethany Beach, Delaware; Bar Harbor, Maine; Emerald Isle, North Carolina; Wilmington, NC; Duck, NC; Hunting Island, SC; Cape May, and Virginia Beach. We also took the kids out to Anacortes, Washington, and stayed with my folks in our house on the beach. I always loved that place. The beach was rocky and full of driftwood, and a great place for kids to play pretty much all year long. It has a big bay out in front, and a spectacular view of Mount Baker. Great things to do include visiting Deception Pass Bridge, climbing Mount Erie, hanging out on West Beach or Sunset Park. My favorite thing is taking the ferry out to Friday Harbor. What a great time.

Locally, I like going up to Pat & Stew’s cottage, though it’s pretty booked most of the year. its relaxing to just go be in the woods and hang out on the deck. The lake, when the water level is up, is nice to kayak on, and you can even toss out a line and fish every now and then. Only being an hour away makes it a nice getaway. Emlenton, the nearby town, is right on the Allegheny River, and is slowly blossoming with restaurants, a winery, and new brew pub overlooking the water.

Other places I like to hang out in the summer are Lake Arthur, kayaking with Laura; wineries; hikes along the various trail systems we have north of Pittsburgh; and the explosion of brew pubs that are all the rage these days. The Pennsylvania summers make them a great place to just hang out with friends, and they usually allow dogs!