When you're a kid, summer is the best. Nothing to do but play. Mom would schedule swimming lessons at the nearby state park and probably a week of vacation bible school but beyond that, the days were carefree.
I grew up in upstate New York and our family summer vacation destination was usually Atlantic City, NJ. The only preparation that I remember was shopping for new clothes and a new bathing suit. Kids didn't worry about hotel reservations, getting the car ready, finding maps because we sure didn't have GPS back then.
As an adult, my most recent vacation trip (2021) was a disappointment to say the least. All of the planning... I had such high expectations.
