Having Fun!!
Have you noticed, lately, how hard it is to have fun? Whether going out to dinner on Saturday night or taking a two week trip, everything is sooo hard. My wife and I still enjoy going on vacations, but only to a degree. As a very tired wise man once said: “I can either go on vacation, or get ready to go on vacation. I don’t have the strength to do both.”
Airport hassles, flight delays and cancellations are modern day travel nightmares. In Arizona, the TSA is now experimenting with a new x-ray machine that twirls you around while they look at your altogether, and I mean your altogether, in another room. Add packing at the front end of the trip and car rental hassles at the other, you need to rest up for a week after you get to where you are going. Then it is time to do it all again going home. I don’t like having to work so hard to have fun.
Driving to a destination is even worse. Construction and dodging orange barrels is now permanent no matter what time of year. Freeways have been built up to 6 lanes in either direction, and they are chock full of old people driving slow, young people driving fast, with you caught in the middle of cell phone hell all of the time. I have a per trip deal with Nationwide to buy accidental death insurance each time I get into my car to drive anywhere.
I keep reading how awful the economy is. But restaurants are packed on the weekends with all of us poor middle classers. No, we can’t afford health insurance, but try booking a table at Hyde Park Grill in Cleveland to buy a $35.00 steak ala carte. Many restaurants have simply stopped taking reservations at all, leaving us to queue up for an hour to spend gobs of cash on mediocre food. Friday and Saturday nights? Fuhgetaboutit.
Here are some recommendations to make having fun easier:
1) Keep your weekends low key. I work hard during the week and can actually use the down time. Bring carryout home and watch a movie or football game.
2) Eat out on Tuesday or Wednesday nights. You avoid the crowds, and can usually pick up some dinner specials that might not hurt the wallet so much. An unexpected side benefit: it feels like a luxury and actually makes the week go faster.
3) Make the most of Saturday afternoon. If we want to do some Saturday shopping, we get to the stores around 11:00 and shop for a few hours, then go to eat mid-afternoon. This is the best kept secret going. The Saturday night crowd has spread to the middle of the day, particularly in larger cities like Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Popular chains like Bravo! Cucina, The Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, and Claddagh Irish Pub are still busy but accessible mid Saturday afternoons. And, no, it isn’t the senior early bird special!!!! People of all ages have learned that it is a great time sit back, relax, have a drink and enjoy a leisurely meal. It is sinfully mellow.
4) When driving, look for the back roads. Before there were freeways, there were State Routes on two lane highways that will take you anywhere you want to go as you approach a metropolitan area. I hate the beltway in Washington. So I get out my trusty map (OK! I Google) and look for alternative routes in and around DC to lessen the aggravation factor. The roads are still busy, but at 35 mph you can relax a tad and see some local scenery that you would otherwise miss.
5) Look for equivalent but alternative vacation spots. I love New York City, but Pittsburgh is a closer substitute with much the same atmosphere and amenities. New England is great in the fall, but you can get the same, if not better, scenery in the Laurel Highlands in Pennsylvania. As a bonus, B&B’s are everywhere.
6) Stay at classy hotel in a close by city. For a weekend refresher, Cleveland has a Ritz Carlton which is equal to any in the chain, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gives you a fun place to visit.
7) Take alternative transportation when it is reasonable. I like trains. Time wise, it is a viable alternative to driving or flying when going to New York or Washington, or Chicago the other direction. You can also drive part of the way and then train it to the final destination. The trains take you right into the heart of the city. If you don’t want to drive in Toronto, drive to Niagara Falls, Canada; park your car and take the train.
8) Go to a destination more than once. Planning a trip is hard work. So is learning your way around. I like to go to a city numerous times so I get to know it. After awhile, it becomes a home away from home, and getting around is second nature.
Happy Stress Free Fun!!!
Airport hassles, flight delays and cancellations are modern day travel nightmares. In Arizona, the TSA is now experimenting with a new x-ray machine that twirls you around while they look at your altogether, and I mean your altogether, in another room. Add packing at the front end of the trip and car rental hassles at the other, you need to rest up for a week after you get to where you are going. Then it is time to do it all again going home. I don’t like having to work so hard to have fun.
Driving to a destination is even worse. Construction and dodging orange barrels is now permanent no matter what time of year. Freeways have been built up to 6 lanes in either direction, and they are chock full of old people driving slow, young people driving fast, with you caught in the middle of cell phone hell all of the time. I have a per trip deal with Nationwide to buy accidental death insurance each time I get into my car to drive anywhere.
I keep reading how awful the economy is. But restaurants are packed on the weekends with all of us poor middle classers. No, we can’t afford health insurance, but try booking a table at Hyde Park Grill in Cleveland to buy a $35.00 steak ala carte. Many restaurants have simply stopped taking reservations at all, leaving us to queue up for an hour to spend gobs of cash on mediocre food. Friday and Saturday nights? Fuhgetaboutit.
Here are some recommendations to make having fun easier:
1) Keep your weekends low key. I work hard during the week and can actually use the down time. Bring carryout home and watch a movie or football game.
2) Eat out on Tuesday or Wednesday nights. You avoid the crowds, and can usually pick up some dinner specials that might not hurt the wallet so much. An unexpected side benefit: it feels like a luxury and actually makes the week go faster.
3) Make the most of Saturday afternoon. If we want to do some Saturday shopping, we get to the stores around 11:00 and shop for a few hours, then go to eat mid-afternoon. This is the best kept secret going. The Saturday night crowd has spread to the middle of the day, particularly in larger cities like Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Popular chains like Bravo! Cucina, The Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, and Claddagh Irish Pub are still busy but accessible mid Saturday afternoons. And, no, it isn’t the senior early bird special!!!! People of all ages have learned that it is a great time sit back, relax, have a drink and enjoy a leisurely meal. It is sinfully mellow.
4) When driving, look for the back roads. Before there were freeways, there were State Routes on two lane highways that will take you anywhere you want to go as you approach a metropolitan area. I hate the beltway in Washington. So I get out my trusty map (OK! I Google) and look for alternative routes in and around DC to lessen the aggravation factor. The roads are still busy, but at 35 mph you can relax a tad and see some local scenery that you would otherwise miss.
5) Look for equivalent but alternative vacation spots. I love New York City, but Pittsburgh is a closer substitute with much the same atmosphere and amenities. New England is great in the fall, but you can get the same, if not better, scenery in the Laurel Highlands in Pennsylvania. As a bonus, B&B’s are everywhere.
6) Stay at classy hotel in a close by city. For a weekend refresher, Cleveland has a Ritz Carlton which is equal to any in the chain, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gives you a fun place to visit.
7) Take alternative transportation when it is reasonable. I like trains. Time wise, it is a viable alternative to driving or flying when going to New York or Washington, or Chicago the other direction. You can also drive part of the way and then train it to the final destination. The trains take you right into the heart of the city. If you don’t want to drive in Toronto, drive to Niagara Falls, Canada; park your car and take the train.
8) Go to a destination more than once. Planning a trip is hard work. So is learning your way around. I like to go to a city numerous times so I get to know it. After awhile, it becomes a home away from home, and getting around is second nature.
Happy Stress Free Fun!!!
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