Among all the wonderful things summer means to us, one of the best has to be the long anticipated vacation. How hard we work for it, how much we enjoy it, how quickly it is over, how precious those memories are. I once read a story about a man who raised his family in a typical rancher in a typical subdivision. After his kids were gone, one of his neighbors observed that he was the only guy on the block not to have updated his kitchen and bathroom, and didn’t he wish he had spent a little more on his house along the way? The man thought about the wonderful vacations he had taken his family on, and how excited they still got over holiday dinners when they would reminisce about special memories they shared. He realized then that they would never have shared memories about a remodeling project, and felt pretty good about how he spent his money.

I probably won’t be indulging in a vacation this year, but I like to dream of far off destinations, dreamy accommodations, and fun times in the sun. Here are a few facts and figures to start us off. How about sharing some ideas for great getaways and fun things to do. We aren’t necessarily looking for that once in a lifetime dream vacation – I haven’t had mine yet, that’s for sure – but any place you enjoy, especially if it might be something we could do in a few days, or on a limited budget. Help a Treeper out. Give us another view from a different branch.

Number one destination choice for American vacationers: you guessed it, the beach. Almost one third of vacationers prefer the beach to any other locale, and this preference crosses all age groups. The average family spends $1600.00 per week on vacation. Those who take destination vacations are two to three times less likely to suffer depression, and have significantly reduced risk of heart attacks. 2.5 million people visit Yellowstone National Park each year.

Now get those picture albums out, remember some good times, and share them with us, for a little vicarious vacation thrill or two. Share any funny stories and special memories. We might just find the idea we’ve been waiting on.