Sitting in the shade with a cool drink and . . .

I know, it's been awhile since I blogged. But then again, it's been awhile since I had anything to say. Along with about a zillion other things I've been shelving new inventory, putting away 4th of July and redoing the window for this month's focus on summer travel.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, many people are staying closer to home for vacation this year, which doesn't prevent me from displaying books on Belize, Germany & Tanzania. Ya gotta dream a little, right? Along with more exotic travel books, though, there are books on camping in Oregon, Washington and California. I have a pamphlet in the shop, "Columbia County Car Free Vacation Guide" that talks about where to go and what to see by bicycle and includes information on connecting to our local transit system, Columbia County Rider, from more metropolitan areas.

As I'm sure I've mentioned, some of our best (and least expensive) vacations as a family were the camping trips we took when the kids were little. The older 3 kids (Kevin, Kelly & Colin) were seasoned campers, although as a teenager my oldest daughter, Kelly, was less than thrilled when some of the campgrounds failed to provide an electrical plug-in for her hairdryer and curling iron. We joked about finding her a kerosene powered curling iron. Although she wasn't laughing, we were amused, LOL.

Jake & Sadie were explorers when they were little and tended to wander off and make friends with anyone they encountered within walking distance of our tent. Luckily my middle son, Colin, was usually around to help corral them. No big surprise that Jake was chosen for the Student Ambassador Program when he was 13 and got to travel to Europe and meet other students in Austria, the Czech Republic & Italy. He'd had lots of training in extending a hand of friendship while still a toddler. We met some very interesting people while retrieving our two youngest from neighboring campsites.

If roughing it isn't your style, perhaps you'd rather pick up some info about Bed & Breakfasts or Country Inns and Historic Hotels. There's something to be said for waking up in the morning to espresso and croissants instead of campground coffee (complete with egg shells to settle the grounds).

Whatever you choose to do this summer, do some research and be prepared. My very good friend, Google, will be happy to help you plan. Knowing what to expect will allow you to relax and enjoy your time off. Have a wonderful vacation! And don't forget to stop by Word for Word Books & Espresso and pick up some leisure reading material to take with you!