Jack Richardson for the boston globe
Vacation, at least to my wife and me, used to mean sleeping in after a night of live music in a new city, and lingering over late lunches while people-watching at a coffee shop. Even after we had a child, we spent as much leisure time in pubs and museums as we did in the woods or on the water. But now? Vacation means waking with the sun, cooking over a fire, and falling asleep to the sultry set list of a bullfrog band.
Forced to reimagine our 2020 vacations to fit pandemic parameters, our family fell in love with camping. Where we used to be energized by the dazzle of city lights, the pandemic has taught us to be enthralled by starry nights. And weâre not going back to vacation as usual any time soon. Why would we? Our nature-loving 8-year-old daughter insists our camping trips last year â which cost us about $40 a night â were âbetter than Disney World.â