Days are longer. Children are out of school. The July 4 firework makes it official. Summer is here! This is particularly welcoming in the Pacific Northwest where bright sunshine is a rarity. You can literally see summer has arrived here. In the Seattle sidewalk, you'll find increased foot traffic and sidewalk café blossomed to life in July.
SUMMER VACATION
In the U.S., summer is synonymous with travel. According to a report from USA Today, 140 million Americans are planning to travel this summer. That is about half of the population in the country. It is not surprising that prices are higher and tourist locations are more crowded in midsummer. The encouraging sign is that travelers are increasingly making travel decisions based on sustainability criteria according to the US Travel Association. While they are still reluctant to shell out extra to pay for environmentally friendly travel providers, being aware of the environmental impact of their travel decisions is a good start.
STAY LOCAL
This summer, why not make the environmental decision, avoid the travel hazard during the peak season and take the road less travelled? Stay Local. I bumped into a conversation today that seems appropriate here. The person I talked to was born in Korea, studied in Paris and now lives in Seattle. While she had a lot of international travel experience, she said that she really enjoys it here. There are "many things to see and do around here", in her own words. She found it interesting that people often take their surroundings for granted. They always go far to seek "something better". Well, so very true. In the next few weeks, we are going to introduce you to some ideas to enjoy this summer that are close to home.
We'll start our summer series with planting your fall and winter veggies. This is a great project with your children. It is a great way to have healthy meals while enjoying family time, and introducing your children to a new hobby. Then we'll explore staycation, something I have been enjoying as I move around the country. We'll also test some recipes for homemade food for your road trips. I hope you'll enjoy our summer series.
Have a wonderful summer.
Photo credit: By Klearchos Kapoutsis