I wrote this right before the Fourth of July.
This post is about the joys of the repeat vacation, the comforts of returning year after year to the same place, and the anticipation that goes along with it. It's the kind of vacation many of us took as kids, whether it was to a family cottage (for those lucky enough), or in my case, a Howard Johnson's near the Astrodome in Houston, where we spent many summer weekends. The anticipation of repeating the simple pleasures we experienced there each year--the swimming pool, the duck pond, stopping at Stuckey's store for pecan logs, were almost as fun as actually experiencing them.
One of my our favorite repeat vacations these days is Calistoga, California. Tomorrow, we leave chilly, windy San Francisco to head up to Napa town for the weekend. It's a destination that's been establishing itself as a sort of ritual getaway for us for years--first for our more indulgent pre-baby selves, sometimes for me and myself alone, and now, as a place to go as a overscheduled, relaxation-starved family. The draws of Calistoga are obvious--it's an adorable small town in the gorgeous Wine Country, it's geologically blessed with an abundance of natural hot springs and a handful of cheerful motels to stay in while you take the waters, and this weekend, we were delighted to learn, there's an annual Fourth of July parade and county fair. I can't wait to ride kiddie rides with Alice, and actually feel the heat of summer as I watch a small-town parade.
Perhaps the best part of our ritual vacation is that we're returning to a hotel we stayed at last Labor Day, the Calistoga Spa Hot Springs Resort, a slightly kitschy complex of pools and motel rooms that is a bit past its prime, but it has a children's pool, picnic tables, and a main pool that hits the perfect 102 degrees at night--heaven. The room almost smells a little like the HoJo rooms i remember from childhood--your basic motel. We know exactly what we'll do for the two days--just like our last couple of trips, we'll spend much of it soaking in the mineral waters, browsing around Lincoln Avenue, a cute Main Street with a good book store, lots of cafes, and a breakfast place we like called Hydro Grill. We'll also watch TV while the AC drones, a summer pleasure that is exotic for San Franciscans.
The actual experience of the trip will be, I'm sure, relaxing and enjoyable, but fraught with the unpredictability any travel with a small child brings. I know reading a magazine in a chaise lounge is going to be just what I need for a couple of days. But, I truly believe the best part is the way Bill and I keep looking at each other and saying "Calistoga," as if it were an endpoint, a light at the end of a tunnel. We smile and wink, and roll our eyes as if to say, "soon enough, we'll be relaxing."
