Summer is winding
down, and vacation season is coming to a close. Taking a cue from the classic
first-day-of-school essay that teachers tell children to write, I will ask, what
did your family do this summer and, more importantly, was it a vacation for
you?
“The kids had a
great time, but it wasn’t a vacation for me,” said Yehuda, a father of seven
after a family trip. When asked what would be a vacation for him, he said, “A
vacation for me includes my own bed, food that I like, and cool
air-conditioning. Obviously, to Yehuda, a real vacation is spent in his
bedroom!
Indeed, one
website touting vacations describes them like this: “A vacation is when you take time away from the stresses of work and daily
life. It can improve physical and mental health, motivation, relationships, job
performance, and perspective. A vacation can help you feel refreshed
and more prepared to handle whatever comes when you return.” According to this description, even a
nap in a hammock or a trip to a local park could be called a vacation if it
takes the person away from the stresses of work and daily life.
Are Vacations a Modern Phenomenon?
We might think
that vacations are just another frivolous indulgence of our materialistic
society. Yet, in Europe, the town of Marienbad – a small health resort in
Czechoslovakia, near the German border, surrounded by forests, mountains and
streams – was the location of choice for the vacations of rabbanim. In his book Marienbad and Beyond, Dovid Leitner,
whose grandfather grew up there and whose family ran a local hotel, describes
the town:
“Ah! Marienbad! It
brings back so many memories…. For most of the year, a quiet town with only
about 15 frum families, and then the season! All the hotels were packed,
private rooms taken; the whole town changed. All the Gedolei Yisroel came
there. The Lubliner Rov, Reb Meir Shapiro, occupied a large room with a balcony
in our hotel…. Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman regularly had a small room in the house
of a widow, which was cheaper and less luxurious than staying at the hotel, and
it therefore suited Reb Elchnon better….
“In 1937 the
Kennesio Gedolah of Agudas Yisrael took place there. The fresh air was so
beautiful in Marienbad that everyone who visited had to pay a special tax on
their hotel bill called a Kurtaxe for benefiting from the good air.”
A story is told about Rabbi Samson Rafael
Hirsch, a great rabbi in 19th century Germany. He once surprised his
students by insisting that he wanted to travel to Switzerland. When his
students asked him why it was so important, he answered, “When I reach the
gates of heaven, I will be asked many questions. And I will have good answers
for most of them. But what will I say when G-d asks me, ‘Did you go see my
beautiful Alps?’”
Is It a Vacation?
Some people differentiate between a family trip,
which can involve a lot of work and tumult, and a get-away-from-it-all trip.
Mrs. J, a friend who lives in Israel and
came to Baltimore this summer to visit her children and grandchildren, said,
“For me, beautiful scenery is one of
the keys to feeling I am on vacation. It makes be feel inspired and
renewed. Last summer we went to the Alps. They are
overwhelmingly majestic, and awe-inspiring. That was a true vacation – no
obligations except to enjoy the experience. By contrast,”
Mrs. J continues, “A family visit, like the one we just had, while deeply
rewarding and meaningful, was not a vacation. We were on the go daily,
visiting our kids and grandkids while trying to tap into their interests and
energy levels.”
Big Vacations…
Rachel Green,* who recently traveled to St. Lucia, an island
state in the Caribbean, explains why she and her husband went, leaving their
baby with her mother. “I think it is necessary for relationships to go away
together every so often. It’s important to prioritize your relationship. If
it’s not constantly worked on and nourished, it’s hard for it to remain
a happy relationship. Every couple needs to figure out what works for them,
what they can do, and what they need.
“We chose Saint Lucia. It is breathtakingly beautiful, with
many exciting things to do. We went on a volcano mud excursion where we rubbed
mud all over ourselves and then swam in natural hot springs to wash it off. The
water is different colors of blue with stunning mountains all around. The
island grows almost everything tropical. Bananas, mangos, and coconuts are
everywhere. The people are super laid back and seem genuinely happy with their
simple tropical life.”
Another friend of mine went on a cruise to Alaska. “It was so
peaceful and beautiful,” she said. “I felt like I was just emptying out my
brain.”
Dovid Klein* describes the one-week vacations he and his
family took out West the last two summers. “The trips were long and expensive –
but worth it. It’s been a great bonding experience for us. It seems like we
spend the entire year talking about funny things that happened or amazing
sights we saw on last summer’s vacation.
“The first summer we saw the Grand Canyon and other national
parks in Utah, and last summer we went to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National
parks in Wyoming. We take lots of pictures and short videos and turn them into
one long family vacation video that we can watch the whole year to bring back
some good memories. I would highly recommend going to one of the national parks
for a family vacation.” And, as if to paraphrase Rabbi Hirsch, Dovid concludes,
“As I once heard someone say, ‘G-d created the Grand Canyon for us to enjoy.’”
…and Mini-Vacations
Then are those who pride themselves on entertaining their
family right here in Baltimore. Chaya Moses, a mother of four small children
five and under, is a fan of mini-vacations. She spends the summer at home with
her kids and has become an expert on trips that are fun for the kids and enjoyable
for her. The most important criteria for Chaya are activities that are fun for
the kids, have bathroom facilities, and are free. See the sidebar for some
places within a 30- to 40-minute drive from Park Heights.
A Vacation from
Vacation?!
To conclude, a vacation can be far away or close by. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. It can be just a couple or a whole family. It can
involve beautiful scenery and fantastic views, or it can be sitting on a park
bench watching your children play. It can be a lot of work, or it can be being
served like a king. It can cost a lot of money or none. The definition of a
vacation is up to the person who is experiencing it.
And to end on a humorous note, as my nephew
wrote when describing his experience with vacations, “I love going on vacation, but after a few days, I need a
vacation from my vacation. I come home and go back to work, and then after a
few days I’m ready to go on vacation again.”
Sidebar
Mini-Jaunts
by Chaya Moses
Thomas A. Dixon,
Jr. Aircraft Observation Area: This
park near BWI airport has a nice playground and some walking trails. You can
see planes taking off and landing. You are so close it will seem as though you
can touch the planes. There are no bathrooms here, only a Port-a-Pot.
Airport Observation Gallery:
Watch planes take off and land. You can also
watch the men and the trucks that work on the airplanes and load the suitcases.
There are comfortable chairs to sit on and some climbing structures and, of
course, bathrooms.
Oregon Ridge Park: The nature center has live snakes, turtles, ducks,
bunnies, and chickens. The other side of the park has short trails and a big
playground with lots of climbing structures.
Angel Park, near White Marsh Mall has many unique structures and a
playground for younger and older kids. This playground was built for children
of all abilities. The ramps are wide enough for wheelchairs, and there is a
special swing for children in wheelchairs and special slides for children with
cochlear implants. Signs are in Braille for the blind. They even have a little
buildings for children who need to retreat to a quiet spot.
Sykesville playground: The best time to go to this playground is in the fall,
when the kids have a great time playing in the piles of leaves from the many trees.
There are also short walking trails that feel like you are in the woods. There
are bathrooms, but they have hours when they are not open.
Meadowwood Regional Park: This playground is close by and has bathrooms. Sometimes
you can go stream walking, and if you bring bikes, there is a nice place to
ride.
Baugher’s Farm: The petting zoo and playground are free. Fruit picking
costs money, but you can bring home what you pick.
Hampton Mansion, near Towsontown Mall, features beautiful gardens on three
levels. The children enjoy running around in the gardens and rolling down the
hills.
Sudbrook Park is located in Pikesville, at 616 McHenry Street,
behind Caramels pizza. This small oasis of calm has picnic tables, benches, and
plenty of room to play ball. It includes playground equipment and a paved trail
to walk or bike on.
Storyville in the Woodlawn and Rosedale libraries have opened again.
They are fun for children five and under. Only three children per adult are
allowed.
Patapsco State
Park-Hollofield Area: Kids love to play on a
structure that looks like a boat; it even rocks. The playground is shaded and
has bathrooms and picnic areas. It is close to the B&O railroad museum.
The B&O Museum in Ellicott City is a very small museum, and it is free
right now. In addition to the old locomotives, the kids enjoy watching the
electric train set at.
