Summer, summer, summertime …

I am happy that hot weather has finally arrived. Having spent most of my life in Phoenix, I love the heat. I also appreciate air conditioning, as spending time in most buildings in Arizona requires wearing a sweater. Not many places have temperatures of 115 degrees outside and 60 inside. 

Nor does everyone care for sweltering temperatures, so heading out of town to beat the heat can be a real lifesaver. Summer vacations are probably the best part of the hot months and I’ve been lucky enough to experience a few getaways. I want to share them with you in the hopes that you will do the same with some of your memorable summer escapes.

My dad's side of the family has cabins in Northern Minnesota and is where I’ve spent most of my summers. It's a place I know every inch of, from the curves of the hills to the lush trees along shoreline. To me, it's the most perfect place on earth. Some of my fondest memories are from "the lake," such as learning to drive a boat, waterskiing, croquet, spitting sunflower seeds, lazily swimming, fishing with my grandfather, card games after dark, and catching up with the many visitors who come and go throughout the summer.

Most 4th of July holidays were celebrated in Annandale, a small town in rural Minnesota where my cousins live. In Annandale on the 4th, the townspeople and thousands of others from the nearby lake country head out early to get good spots for the parade.  Dozens of small communities in the area have festivals for one reason or another, most likely an excuse to enjoy good weather before the snow falls again in August. These festivals are similar to the Olathe Sweetcorn Festival, but on a much smaller scale. Corn Days, Swedish Midsommar Festival, Wood Duck Fair - you name it. It’s true Americana, where little kids wave paper flags and have ice cream smeared across their faces.

I had a chance to study abroad one summer while a student at Arizona State. Traveling to London, Paris, and Dublin was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, visiting places I had only read about.  My mom is an art dealer and trudging through galleries and museums has been a major part of my life, so it was breathtaking to wander through the Lourve and view world-class paintings and sculpture. It would require weeks to see everything there and I only had a day, but it was one of the most wonderful days of my life.

While in high school, I played on a volleyball team that traveled throughout the country. The national tournament was held in the summer, and one year it was in Salt Lake City, where we visited the Olympic Training Facility in Park City. Since it was summer, skiers trained on a huge ski jump on wheels, landing in a pool. We watched them for hours, completely fascinated. Volleyball took me all over the country, to places I might not have otherwise visited.

A summer trip I’ve gone on for years has been with a best friend and college roommate. Her family has a houseboat on Lake Shasta in Northern California and somehow I nudged my way in and joined them for water skiing, wakeboarding, and "floating".  Floating is when everyone get a cushion and floats in the water, playing catch or just chatting or basking in the sun. At night we’d sleep on the top of the boat under the stars. The sun woke us up early, but falling asleep seeing all the stars in the galaxy was worth it. My friend's entire extended family comes along and I am thankful they have included me for the past five summers.  

My family thought it was important to travel,  making sure I saw some of the world beyond my front door, and I am grateful for that. Travel expands your horizons, teaches you about different cultures and how alike people really are, wherever they live.

What are your favorite summer trips? This is my first summer in Grand Junction and I am looking to add to my vacation memory bank. I'd love your suggestions, Grand Valley-ites.

- Lauren