My summer plans are simple: if it's as hot and humid, this summer, as it is most of the summer months in the Mid-Atlantic, I'll stay inside in the A/C, except when I go to our neighborhood pool in the evening.

DH and I aren't going on long trips, anymore. Even a two-hour ride on Sunday to go to our great-granddaughter's birthday party--she will be two later this week--was hard. When you consider that it took two hours to get there, four hours there to visit and party, then another two hours to get home, it was a very long day. DH is not driving, anymore, so, it's me or nobody!

But it was worth it to see our great-grandchildren. Great-granddaughter's brother is 5 1/2 and very grown-up. He told us, "I've had lots more birthdays than she has!" "You're right", I told him, "but you've been around a few more years." We live far enough away, that unless it's a very special occasion, we usually don't do it in one day.

We don't have any special travel plans. It will be mostly spur of the moment kinda thing. On a hot day here in the valley, we will probably drive to Half-Moon-Bay or SF to escape the heat. It is usually 20-30 degrees cooler there.
I am looking forward to lighter cooking, a lot of salads.
A little bit of gardening.
The AC is my friend in the summer time.
I do remember our "young family" summers. The public swimming pool, the swim lessons. Going to Russian River, rent a cabin, swim in the river, rent a canoe. Go fishing in the lakes, camping in the woods by a river, play tennis etc...
I'm glad to have the memories and our children have fond memories from that time.

That sounds fantastic mwheel! It'll mean just as much to them that you came and saw them, I'm sure. I remember nieces and nephews holding up their sweet little hand, saying, "I'm this many", and I'd flash them both hands three or four times and then add on whichever single digit was left after decades. Many more birthdays. Wide saucer eyes! The wonder of children.

West, did ya have to say Half Moon Bay? Why don't you just stab me in the heart why doncha?! Summers in California. My goodness, that brings back so many memories. We'd go camping, for real camping, not in a cabin or camper, in sleeping bags, at Big Sur or Yosemite. Of coure, I'd try to follow the older kids as they waded across the stream to the little "islands", and I'd slip on the rocks and I'd be wet all day. Many times a day. We hiked a lot, but not any fishing. The coldest, freshest water I ever had was a spring at the top of a Yosemite hike. I never knew you could get cleaner water out of the ground?! Totally cool. We did eat pancakes made with beer, and that totally fascinated me. Can you tell I was really young? Heh. We had access to a pool in Monterey, but it was on base and it wasn't really all that much like public swimming. Nice, but not mainstream. That, I had to wait until we traveled to, and lived in,Tennessee. Why are childhood memories the fondest?

mwheel, I'm with you when it comes to special occasions.
DS had the big 50 birthday, and a friend hosted a party about 15 miles away, at the evening hour, and we had to drive the freeway home in the dark.We don't do driving in the dark much anymore, but we went and DS was so happy we were there. We were glad to make it back home.

rob, you paint a wonderful memory of your early childhood in CA. If you have a chance, introduce LF to your early life. Take a trip through your real life memories.