*Foot Notes

The idea of taking a vacation is relatively new. In her book, “Working at Play: A History of Vacations in the United States,” Cindy Aron tells that in the early 19th century vacations were a privilege of only the wealthy and socially elite. In those days, vacations were usually not taken for fun but for religious or health reasons. Places that offered clean air and mineral water, such as Saratoga Springs, N.Y., or Hot Springs, Va., became vacation meccas for wealthy Americans with ailments such as consumption, gout, asthma and rheumatism. It was not until after the Civil War that railroads made travel more accessible to the middle class--and not until the early 20th century that employers began offering paid vacations.

* Getting away is what’s important. Some people, including camping and fishing enthusiasts, have favorite places they go year after year. But if you want to travel, where and how depends largely on your budget. Travel writer Arthur Frommer (https://www.frommers.com) says that although everyone loves a bargain, there are some places with rock-bottom prices that you really would not want to visit. However, he lists several destinations that offer a balance of being cheap and wonderful at the same time, including Costa Rica; Spain; Bali, Indonesia; Thailand; Turkey; and the interior of Mexico. Also, he says recent political conditions have produced travel bargains in China and Greece.

* Today, agencies can offer travel packages tailored to your special interest--including tennis, golf, history, scuba-diving and archeology. Also, packages cater to the special travel needs of certain types of travelers, including women, families, vegetarians, and gay and lesbian travelers. The Internet offers a wide selection of online vacation resources, such as travel clubs, home exchange and rental services, and auctions that let you bid on travel packages and cruises.

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It’s finally summer, the time for vacations. If you’re lucky, you have two weeks. If you’re really lucky, you have three. But even if you can manage only a couple of days or a long weekend, the time away should do you good. *