Arts and Entertainment

Have you ever considered a vacation rental property? It makes a perfect option when friends and relatives assemble for a wedding or some other event and when traveling with a group. Recently, several members of my family visited from the West Coast to attend a family wedding. Our house could not sleep everyone comfortably and hotel rooms to accommodate everyone would have been expensive. So, we rented a three-bedroom place on the shore of Lake Ontario.

Children are often taken to beaches and amusement parks but there are many other places where young and old can have fun and learn at the same time. Many destinations touted as places to take the children are just as much fun for adults. Traveling with children allows adults to see the world through fresh, young eyes. Visiting Old McDonald’s Farm in Sackets Harbor is great fun for young and old.

On a recent shopping trip I was surprised to see designs that reminded me of the 1960s: bold, bright circles and flowers. Some clothing styles are back in style: strapless prom dresses and low-slung pants – once called hip huggers. The senate sit-in brought to mind what a turbulent time it was during the ’60s and ’70s. What was old is new again – or so it seems. Woodstock was a gathering of young people who wanted to escape to a peaceful place and listen to music.

Watertown may not seem like a typical tourist destination. But, there are interesting places to visit. Recently, John and I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Watertown had time to visit some of the local attractions. Obviously there is shopping – a lot of it, but there is shopping everywhere. Instead of shopping, we visited the historic Paddock Mansion built between 1876 and 1878 by Edwin L. Paddock, a successful local banker.

John and I have been to Nicaragua several times since our first visit in the ’90s. At that time the country was trying to recover from the devastation caused by the conflicts between the socialistic Sandinista junta and the opposition, the U.S.-backed contras. It wasn’t the first involvement by a group from the United States. Every school child in Central America learns about William Walker, an American who invaded Nicaragua with his private army.

Celebrate Independence Day by visiting one of these Revolutionary War sites to learn how the colonist fought to gain our independence. In Texas, NY, there is a sign pointing to Spy Island. Many people wonder what it is all about, but few bother to stop to learn about the spy. Spy Island is just one small part of New York’s Revolutionary past but it played a part in defeating the British army.

Travelers venture near and far but many have never visited the great places near home. It is the same all over the world. Many times I have asked the receptionist at a hotel to suggest local places to visit and they respond with, “I hear ‘such-and-such’ is great but I have never been there.” The same is true locally. I do many presentations and am amazed how few people have explored places near their home – or even in their hometown. Here are some places to put on your summer schedule.