Most Americans know the timeless bliss of getting away to the lake. I’m enjoying two weeks at my favorite, Lake Okoboji (Iowa) right now. Amid a menu of docks, pontoons and board games are “new” toys like wifi joints, gi-normous TVs and video games. Tempting, yes. But in this weeks’s BreakAway BreakThrough (BABT) I must remind myself of why I am here, and then dive in!
BABT8: Big Break Lake Vakay … 11 ways I’ll keep the lake break timeless & real
- Find nostalgia. Tonight, the kids will experience their first drive-in movie.
- Rest. For just one day, I’ll mostly sit on the dock, from sunrise to sunset.
- Read. For classic enlightenment, it’s Fitzgerald’s “This Side of Paradise.” For modern motivation, I’ll ponder Daniel Pink’s “A Whole New Mind.”
- Play games. The Boy loves bocce and now knows cribbage; even the Girl finds “Apples to Apples” appealing.
- Get wet. Swim every day; make heroic throws and catches with a tennis ball.
- Celebrate tradition. Dare to ride the old wooden roller coaster at 120-year old Arnolds Amusement Park.
- Go local. I’ll chat up fellow Boji brethren at Harold’s Fisherman’s Wharf, not Godfather’s.
- Love rain. It keeps trees green and lakes blue—and offers the chance to do puzzles, play guitar and take naps.
- Try something new. Okay, I’ll finally climb aboard a Jet-Ski…and likely love it!
- Embrace family. All my living relatives will visit—and I’ll grill up a feast.
- Feel music. I’ll soak up legends like torch-songstress Marilyn Maye, then hit the bars where the cover bands crank it up.
What’s YOUR favorite summer escape? Leave a comment please!
August 9th, 2011 at 4:38 pm
[…] The Pirate Break. After a summer of untellable pillaging, high-end parenting, and stormy weather, this BreakAway advocate has snuck away to Okoboji—a neverneverland where pirates rule the day and few other rules apply. We all need a few places that provide such good booty and revelry. Happy sails! […]