I’m just getting started with vacation planning for this year. I know…it’s only April. I remember a time when we didn’t make vacation plans until we were already on the road. At that time our only vacation plans consisted of an ultimate destination and staying within a REALLY REALLY tight budget.
My “Vacation Hack” for this posting is, always do your research and take heed of advice. Years ago when the internet was still in it’s infancy we had decided to go hiking, in Scotland for three weeks in August. I went to whatever sites where available at the time, on the topic of hiking in the Highlands. I found relatively good information, most of which, I decided not to follow.
- Was instructed to bring heavy coats, which should be water-proof and wind-proof
- Wool sweaters
- Two pairs of boots
- Wool beanies and wool gloves
The trip was in August, after all, what were the Scots talking about? What I did was choose to pack; lightweight coats, (none of them water or wind-proof), cotton sweaters, baseball caps, and no gloves. And each of us had one pair of hiking boots and one pair of tennis shoes. Needless to say, it was cold and rainy and we ended up buying all of the originally suggested clothing in Scotland. All of the clothing we had packed pretty much stayed in the suitcases, it just wasn’t warm enough. We each ended up buying about two days of clothing, which sort of got us by. This being said, Scotland is still considered by the Kirkley’s as the “Best Vacation Ever.”
So, do your research and follow the advice you are given. We were glad to contribute to the Scottish economy with all the purchases of outdoor apparel but we do wish the Scots hadn’t stared at us so blatantly when we wore our swimsuits to the laundromat, because all our other clothes were dirty. Yes, I was actually dumb enough to bring swimwear.
