Three Vacation Types for a Long-Lasting Summer
By Emily Carlson, We Do Travel Right
Published in Longmeadow Neighbors April 2025
EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR
Emily Carlson
Travel Agent
We Do Travel Right
413 297 4094
wedodisneyright@gmail.com
www.wedotravelright.com
When spring arrives, it’s like clockwork. I look out the window and spot those first seedlings and know that it’s just a matter of time until my email inbox is filled with a forest of summer camp offerings. It seems too soon to be thinking of summer when you’re still wearing a winter coat, but it is essential to ensuring you have a long-lasting summer break.
Each year, my summer break feels longer and longer, and by the time school starts, our family is more than ready to get back into that routine. But Emily, we have the same amount of time off, how do you make yours feel “longer?”
The trick to making summer have the illusion of being long-lasting is easy, and something I’ve been doing personally for years with my own family. Each summer, I incorporate a mix of three different vacation types into my plans. Having this trifecta in place is crucial to making your vacation feel longer and will force you to be more intentional with your time, providing more meaningful experiences.
Vacation Type 1: Day-Trips and Local Camps
Staying local for portions of summer vacation can help support local businesses and residents, which stimulates the local economy, enabling money to stay within the community. Doing things within the 413 shows your kiddos how special Western Mass is and can help foster a stronger sense of community and belonging. Attending local summer camps can also provide great practice for skills such as developing patience, maintaining conversations, and being inclusive.
Vacation Type 2: Overnights
The beauty of living in Massachusetts is that we can drive to different states or parts of the state in less than three hours. Being so close to NYC and Boston alone is perfect for an overnight trip. Find a really neat museum or show and build a trip around it by finding a cool hotel or bed-and-breakfast nearby and exploring the town. Doing these types of vacations are great practice too for vacationing for longer periods of time as a family.
Vacation Type 3: Distance
While there is always so much to do locally during the summer, it’s also a really great time to get away for longer periods of time together. Flights are typically cheaper in the summertime, especially to warmer locations like Florida or the Caribbean. Besides flights, the cost of vacations is generally lower in the summertime because it is considered “slow season.” Many locations run amazing promotions to try to incentivize summer travel, which can save you some serious money.
Traveling in general is an excellent life skill. Plus, more experiences mean more material for your kiddos to write about on the first day of school when their teacher ultimately asks them to write about their summer vacation. Life is short—take the trip.
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