Enjoying Summer Getaways

ah, those crazy, hazy lazy days of…
Whoops, I promised myself that I wouldn’t use worn-out clichés this month, even as the subject matter of this July magazine literally cries out for readers to relax and (dare I say it?) smell the roses.

We start with my personal favorite, at least in terms of its ability to excite the imagination — weekend escapes. Back when I was a kid, summer getaways were simple. They usually included a couple of weeks at sleep-away camp and probably a few days visiting my favorite aunt, who lived in the next state. But what I liked best was spending at least two weeks at my grandparents’ camp on a tiny lake in Maine. This was not a “summerhouse.” This was a bona fide camp, complete with a pump in the kitchen to get water from the lake. (My parents carried in our drinking water.) As the only girl among assorted brothers and cousins, I was allowed to claim the tiny single bedroom — complete with a mattress that sagged in the middle until it nearly reached the floor. Being a really good dad, my father stuck a board under the bed to try to rectify the situation — I’m sure no one even considered spending money on a new mattress just for the camp. Days were spent swimming, fishing, using the rowboat to explore myriad coves and inlets (did pirates ever sneak into coves like these?) and going ashore to pick fruit at the special place we named Blueberry Island.

What Sherri Daley’s story of five summer weekend getaways offers is a little more refined (I don’t think there’s a lumpy mattress in the bunch), but can be just as rich in generating memories. Whether you’re itching to take the kids on an adventure, go exploring with friends or spend some quality “alone time” with that special someone, we’ve got suggestions and we’ve already done the legwork. Sherri has included a lot of specifics designed to eliminate guesswork, thus giving you more time to actually unwind and have fun. Best of all (if you’ve been to the gas station lately), you can get to these destinations on approximately one tank of gas.

Whether you’re going away for a few days or just planning an afternoon at the beach, there’s no more enjoyable companion than something fun to read. And this month you need look no further than the magazine you’re holding. Jane Kendall’s story about Waveny in New Canaan offers a look at the Lewis H. Lapham family’s lifestyle — from polo matches and biplanes on the great lawns to dancing at grand balls in the Big House. It was a way of life that ended with World War II. But thanks to the memories of the venerable Carol Valentine, who spent her girlhood summers at Waveny, the era’s magic has not been forgotten.

Then we have Timothy Dumas’s interview with Vito Colucci, a private investigator who has worked on some of the biggest (translate: most scandalous) cases to hit Fairfield County in recent years. You may think you know about these stories, but don’t underestimate the fascination of getting the inside scoop.

So grab the sunblock, pour a tall glass of something cold and settle back. It’s summer — take time to enjoy it!

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