Vacations For People Who Hate The Beach

Rideau CanalPhoto credit: CC license  by Robbie Sproule
Time for a vacation! Europe? Nah, too expensive. How about Cabo San Lucas? Oh, not another beach destination! The warmer climates have their place in leisure trips. But there’s only so much sunbathing you can do before you fry your brains. It is odd that people talk about chilling out in warm locales. When if you really want to go someplace cool, you just have to point your compass north.

It’s undeniable that winter above the 45th parallel north is going to be cold. Very, very cold. Visiting the more remote places requires specialist equipment when the region is buried under several feet of snow. So unless you plan to go skiing or snowshoeing, you are probably better off to plan your trip during the summer or early autumn. Alaska is quite beautiful in the summer, with luscious green valleys beneath snow-capped mountain peaks. You may pay more to travel in the peak season, although that’s more for your safety than mere convenience.

That said, there is still a lot of fun to be had up north, even in the winter. You can dress warmly and go out to see the sights. In Canada, winter is big business. Each year in Ottawa, you can go ice-skating on the Rideau Canal, which features a skating “rink” nearly 12 miles long. Locals set up stands right on the ice, so you can grab a hot drink or a snack with your skates still on. And no trip to the north would be complete without witnessing the famous Northern Lights, which are best seen from Manitoba. If all else fails, try out that trick you saw online where you boil water and then fling it into the air, watching it instantly turn into vapor.

OK, so perhaps you’re not prepared to layer under your parka and slap on a ski mask. You can find lots of interesting things to see in the northern United States as well. When you must have a trip with a beach, try something more interesting than just tanning or surfing. Head to the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver Island, and enjoy the rock sandy beaches. On the upside, this area offers more moderate year-round temperatures than you might find in the northern Midwest.

And don’t forget about the beauty of American national parks. If you crave clear skies and beautiful mountains, you can do no better than the Rockies. You may find yourself at Devil’s Tower, an enormous natural monument made of solid rock. Or you could interact with the local wildlife at Yellowstone National Park, one of the first national parks in the world.

Vacations are meant to give you a break. But if you always do the same thing when you travel, are you really getting that much of a rest? Refresh your mind with a luscious change of scenery. If you head north this year, you will be pleasantly surprised by all this continent has to offer.

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