Last Word: Summer Escapes

There is something particularly exciting about taking a trip on a whim. From necessity, I plan most of my travels up to a year in advance. But sometimes, I feel an urge just to book a ticket and to head off — next month, next week, maybe sooner. I am particularly susceptible to this yearning in summertime; after all, everyone else is away, so why not join them?

Personally, I am rather averse to many of the classic summer destinations. Nothing would persuade me to spend August in Nantucket. June or September would be delightful, but I’ll leave the height of the season to others. I feel much the same about the Mediterranean. In August, the Côte d’Azur now requires fluency in Russian; and the meltemi winds gust through the Aegean, confining would-be sailors to quayside tavernas.

Many of my favorite summer getaways are here at home, in the Rockies. And contrary to popular supposition, often they’re not fully booked, even for spur-of-the-moment departures. Inquiries at the time of writing — mid-June — revealed that places such as Smith Fork Ranch, Dunton Hot Springs, Triple Creek and Paws Up do indeed have some availability in July and August. (I also checked on the Silver Explorer, a 132-passenger expedition vessel that cruises the Arctic in summer, and found that it, too, has space.)

Although August is winter in much of the Southern Hemisphere, it is still the best time to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon. And in much of Southern Africa — places such as Botswana and Zambia — it is the end of the cool, dry season. In fact, I think I’ve just decided to take an impromptu summer trip to Namibia. The idea that I could be on the edge of the Kalahari the week after next is an irresistibly alluring prospect. And should you feel a similar inclination to exclaim, “I’ve had it; I’m off!” our travel advisors will, of course, be more than delighted to assist you.