Jayne Muses on Family Vacations

Okay, it's going to take a while to bring this blog around to the subject of books, but I promise you, we will get there.

You know the old saying about how there are two types of people who go on vacation: those who can't wait to get back to nature and those who can't wait to get back to the hotel? Me, I'm in the second group. When I vacation I want Amenities with a capital "A". So when Frank and I decided to do a family vacation with my two brothers and their wives (all of whom are adventurous travelers) we decided there was only one way to go -- a really, really big boat. And Seattle is a great place to find a lot of big cruise ships in the summer.

Yep, we're all going to do an Alaskan Cruise in mid-July. We're talking glaciers, bears, rivers choked with salmon, whale-watching, bush plane rides, dog-sled rides, motorcycle rentals and all sorts of exhausting activities. But the really cool part is that while everyone else gets off the boat at every port to go do something breathtaking and adventurous, I'm going to head for the on-board spa or a deck chair.

No kidding, if you're worrying about the stress of entertaining the family this year, wondering if you'll all get through a week together without someone reaching for someone else's throat, I highly recommend going on a cruise. This is the ideal way for a family to get together, as far as I'm concerned. Everyone has his or her own private space (separate cabins), they can do whatever they want on board the ship. And there's always lots to do: organized activities for kids, nature talks, lectures, cooking exhibitions, swimming pools, movies, on-board shopping, bars, casinos, dancing and entertainment in the evenings, movies, etc., etc. And the variety of port excursions is almost endless.

The beauty of a cruise vacation is that no one has to be responsible for entertaining anyone else. No one has to worry about the cooking. Families can spend the day apart doing whatever they want and then gather around a big table in the dining room in the evening to talk about what everyone did all day. Did I mention that all the food (an endless array of it that runs twenty-four hours a day) is included in the ticket price? So is all your transportation and lodging for the duration of the cruise. As vacations go, this is a deal, believe me!

I took the accompanying photos on the Seattle waterfront to show a couple of the many cruise ships that come and go every week all summer long here. Soon my family and I are going to be on one of those ships. You will find me either in the spa or stretched out on a deck chair with a good book (one of the three I'm planning to read on the trip). See? I told you we'd get around to the subject of books, before this blog ended.

Now, all I need are the three good books to pack. Any advice? I want recommendations for three books that are new and available in bookstores as we speak. Thanks!