Now's probably as good a time as any.
It was an immediate family tradition for the three of us to head to Niagara Falls every July for almost 20 consecutive years. It was the only place my mother could get away to in order to truly relax. She had much stress in her life in later years, and was thankful for that 5 or 6-day getaway from the regular routine. As I entered my teens and began picking up on the local history at Niagara, I grew a deep appreciation for the area and its relaxation potential.
We went to Myrtle Beach twice & Orlando once. The days were crammed with stuff to do and places to see. More time was spent napping in-between outings than we probably cared to believe. However, being to Niagara Falls as often as we were, we no longer branded ourselves "tourists", but "vacationers". That's about the highest compliment which can be paid to those who enjoy getaways.
Unfortunately, times changed for me and as a result, I've only been to Niagara twice since my mom's illness in 1997-98. That would be unheard of a decade ago, but the responsibilities of real life came upon me by then, and I just couldn't spare the time to get away. I now seem to be on a 3-year cycle of going there (2000, 2003), and this year would be the year to go.
I only hope I can, if for nothing more than to snap me out of the funk I've been in for years. At least now, unlike then, I have a car, and I'm beginning to trust it more. I even laugh when I tell friends that a 5-hour trip to Niagara will take me ten hours, because I'll be stopping to rest every half-hour. Now, more than ever, it would definitely be worth it.
So I'm checking out all the Niagara sites (and there are some darn good ones out there), as well as pulling out old travel literature from the 1960s & 70s my parents collected. Those simple brochures take me back to a simpler time & place where you actually didn't have to worry about life.
Perfect cure for the worry-wart in me.
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Addenum to previous post: I'm happy to say my friend from work is not going to Lebanon after all. It didn't even take my convincing him; he was able to watch the news himself & find out that the entire area is one dangerous place. I fear even opening a newspaper now. In 35 years of walking around the planet and in 30 years of reading newspapers, I can never remember so much bad news & terrifying images squeezed into a single edition.
