Dear 1036: Staying Cool in Summer Heat/Humidity

Dear 1036 Clarence,

The recent hot spell in Chicagoland makes me think about ways to stay cool in summer heat and humidity.

I remember early on in my childhood, I had a window air conditioning unit in my bedroom window.  One night, I had the idea that we would all sleep in my room together to keep cool, since not all the bedrooms had those units.  I have a memory that as Eric and I relaxed before bed on one of those nights, Dad came into the room and said, "Room service" as he handed us a plate with cut-up apples.

Then, we had a central AC system installed. And it went through some changes over the years.  We got great service from One Hour, a company that would service our heat and air conditioning.

I have always enjoyed the feeling of walking from a hot/humid outdoors into a cool, refreshing room chilled by air conditioning, especially after being out and knowing I could relax so well inside of you.

With gladness and gratitude for you, I declare that you shall not fade into the background but remain ever in my heart.

All my relations,

God's Blessings,

Paul

The Delights 20 Years Ago in OBX and the Journeys

My Mom has long had an affinity for North Carolina.  It's only fitting that we ended up going there on a vacation 20 years ago during the summer of 2003, from July 25-August 3.  I'm fairly certain that was the first extended road trip we took in the Matrix that my parents purchased toward the end of 2002.

I have so many fond memories because the trip tapped into my historical and geographical interests.

Since we took a road trip there from Oak Park, it became a delightful experience because of all the historical sightseeing we did.  By that point in my life, I had already developed an intense interest in US history, especially around the years of the American Revolution.

After spending the night in the Pittsburgh Metro Area, we headed toward Washington, D.C.  We rode along the Geoge Washington Memorial Parkway to reach Mount Vernon which provided great views along the way, and then stopped in Alexandria for lunch, a place I would come to visit numerous times since that trip.

Visiting Mount Vernon was a fascinating look into the life of George Washington, as was visiting his birthplace further south in the Virginia Tidewater region the following day.  And to continue the REvolutionary spirit, we visited Yorktown and went on a ranger-led tour of a portion of the battlefield.

It was really interesting to visit the Outer Banks because it has a fascinating appearance on maps, being a strip of land out in the waters beyond the main shore of North Carolina.  When we realized the hotel we booked for our week's stay wasn't the greatest, it reminded me of what happened when the Read family on the show Arthur took a trip to the ocean.

However, I enjoyed my time in a beach area, probably the first since we spent time in Virginia Beach a few years earlier--and I only have faint memories of that trip.  Our hotel was right by the beach, even if tall sand dunes blocked our ocean view from our first-floor room.  There was lots of other natural scenery up and down the Outer Banks, including Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and the classic marine icon of the lighthouse, with 5 of them.  Dad and I climbed the 200+ steps of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which was a feat of great delight for me.

And there was plenty of history there too.  We time-traveled quite a ways visiting Fort Raleigh, hearkening back to the 16th Century.  We also visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which was particularly special during the Centennial Year of the First Flight.

During that trip, my parents started seriously considering the idea of purchasing ownership with the Fairfield vacation ownership company.  (It's now called Wyndham, which is a name that may work well for its hotels, but not having quite the right fit for the sprawling resorts they have all over the country.)  That would add a certain touch to our future vacations.

On the return to Oak Park, I got to enjoy even more historical sightseeing, including the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, a brief visit to St. John's Church in Richmond, and then Charlottesville, with Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello and the nearby Michie's Tavern.

Indeed, this trip left quite an impression on me in how it tapped into my interests so wonderfully.  We had a good time experiencing a good portion of the USA.