What is the perfect summer vacation?

[Vanessa Tilley]

One of my favorite parts of summer is the vacation! When I was younger, my favorite summer vacation was going to the beach with my family. As I have grown older, I have changed my mind and I found that I enjoy visiting the mountains now more than going to the beach.


What is your idea of the perfect summer vacation?

[Silvana Mandeville]

My perfect idea for summer is going to the beach. I love going to the beach, and eating coconut, making sandcastles, sitting on the sand while reading, taking pictures of the sky, but no swimming then since I can't swim . If not the beach then I would like to go fishing in the river or lake even if I'm just watching people doing it rather than doing fishing. But, playing in the water when summer is perfect for me. If I can't go outside then I would spend my summer with books and movies.

[Hannah Lovegood]

I might go to Disneyland or Harry Potter Land because I have heard that they are fun.

[Cailyn Woodenvale]

My idea of THE perfect summer vacation is just going to Hawaii, to a white beach with a beautiful blue, clear sea/ocean. Just laying there, doing nothing, getting tanned, eating ice cream, swimming a bit... Just something like that, doesn't have to be Hawaii, can be Bora Bora, or any other place that looks like that

[Emily Spencer]

My perfect summer vacation would be getting the opportunity to spend some quality time with my husband and daughter. The destination really doesn't matter much, but if I had to choose, it would be a week spent in the southern part of Maine. My husband and I went a few years ago and I fell completely and totally in love with the area. This time, my daughter would be old enough to enjoy the experience.

We would, of course, spend time exploring the lighthouses; that simply can't be missed. This dream vacation would also have us lounging on the beach (which is more like the shores of Ireland than southern California, just for context) while munching on delicious lobster rolls (I LOVE lobster). Then it would be off to historic Monhegan Island, which boasts some wonderful museums and restaurants. A week in paradise, indeed!

[Maeve Madden]

My perfect summer vacation is a mix of exploring a new place and relaxing near a beach/pool. I love exploring places I've never been to before, but having some time to relax is always nice. I went to Southeast Asia a few years ago and that vacation was perfect in terms of scheduling; I started by travelling to cities, filling my days with tours and exploring, and ended with a resort by the beach where I could unwind before heading back to my real life.

[Prof. Felicia Hartwick]

Summer might be over, but the memories of my favorite place is still fresh in my mind. For the last 5 years, my family and I have been going to Wells Beach in Maine. To some this kind of beach might not be their cup of tea because the Maine ocean tend to be colder compared to beaches down south. I will admit, that doesn't bother me because I normally don't actually go into the water. I'm more of a sitting on the beach, listening to the sounds of the ocean and enjoying the conversations with family and friends.

When we're not at the beach, we are exploring the little towns around Wells. One quaint place we like to go is a place called Perkins Cove. There you will find all kinds of little shops. Do you want a sweat shirt... you'll find it there. Do you want sea glass jewelry... you'll find it there. Want some chocolates... there a great chocolate shop there. Feel like going on a lobster boat tour, the Finestkind Company will take you out and show you how it's done!

And the sea food! Lobster rolls, whole lobsters, clam chowder, scallops, shrimp, haddock and so much more. Don't worry there's other dishes to eat if you don't like seafood. My family likes to try the clam chowders at every restaurant we go to and rate which one they think is the best.

As much fun as we have during the summer, for the Columbus Day Weekend, the ladies of the family have a Girls' Weekend there and do a bit of shopping in the outlets and one night that weekend, we go on a ghost walk.

If you're even looking for a relaxing place to go, and you are in that area... give Wells Beach, ME a try.

[Kalgri Sicaria]

My perfect summer vacation is one where I get to experience lots of new things - I love visiting multiple places in one vacation and packing in as much as possible! My dream is to travel around multiple countries in Europe, exploring new cities and meeting interesting people. I am particularly interested in museums and historical sites, and I have always found that visiting ones I had never heard of before to be much more enjoyable than the overly-hyped locations. The best part of a vacation is finding something special that you hadn't heard about before you arrived - filling my time with experiences like that is the best!

I actually prefer to go abroad when it isn't summer - it's much less expensive and the weather tends to still be good, whereas in the UK it is cold and miserable for a lot of autumn and winter. Plus the top travel destinations tend to be less busy, so you can get more done than you would be able to in summer!

[Prof. Will Lestrange]

I'm going to say that the perfect summer vacation is one that gives you two summers instead of one! Personally I HATE the cold (I call myself "literally cold blooded" and there may be some medical stuff involved here) and always enjoy when the weather allows me to actually do stuff outside. So I think that what is perfect is the following: when it's winter in your hemisphere, go to the other hemisphere for a beach vacation in their summer! For Northern Hemisphere dwellers such as myself, that likely means Australia, New Zealand, or Chile sometime in the month of February, making an extra beach vacation. And if you live south of the equator? Then go up north in August: probably not California (whose beaches are too cold anyway) but most East Coast US beaches are perfect for this, as are quite a few places in southern Europe - such as coastal Spain, Portugal, Italy, or Greece! The point is to have two summers a year to spend twice as much time relaxing on the beach!

[Hiya Debnath]

I would say that the perfect summer vacation is one during which you get to eat a lot of different varieties and flavors of icecreams and drink different flavors of milkshakes. Being a foodie, my primary goal remains experimenting with food, and I feel dehydrated during summer holidays, therefore, my perfect summer involves a lot of cool and delicious foods and drinks.
Besides that, I would love to be productive, so my perfect summer vacation would also involve a bit of studying.
Other than studying, I would love to catch up on re-binge-watching some of my favorite old movies and/or series, and a few new ones, overall a blend.
I would also work on a few creative projects, whether DIY, or creative writing, or both.
If I could do all of these, I would call it a perfect summer vacation - a productive one and a delicious one.
However, the only reason I would sacrifice these and still call it a perfect summer vacation is if I get to travel to the forests, to a place where it isn't too hot but just bright and sunny and yet pleasant. I would love to watch a few animals and birds, and nestle close to them in the lap of nature, day and night.
I would also read at least one classic novel or one novel that ends up becoming one of my favorites, ideally, and I would preferably read it in the lap of nature, to make it the best and most perfect summer vacation that I ever have.

[Galena May]

For me, the perfect summer vacation involves a lot of beaches and travelling. Going for a swim to beat the heat keeps me chill and travelling to distract myself ensures that I make the most of my vacation.
Another must- do is catching up with friends because you never know when it will be vacation- season again.
Getting away to a relatively quieter place, away from lots of people, also helps to refresh and rejuvenate myself, so this is something I try not to miss as well, even if for just a day.