There is a lot of talk these days about the trendy resorts where everything is provided for you. The kind of place where they offer structure for your complete day, including defined recreation areas and supervision. That couldn’t be farther from what I would view the perfect day. I hate structure, I hate acting like an adult, I hate following schedules–especially on vacation.

I’d rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.
— Steve McQueen

1. Have no firm schedule or plans, just limited by the rhythms of nature and daylight.
2. Drive somewheres up in the woods where I could hike up a fairly remote mountain, starting before most people are even awake.
3. Arrive up to the top of the mountain, peer down into the valleys below.

4. Spend some time looking down into the wilderness or farmland below.
5. Take lots of pictures for my scrapbook to look back at.
6. Descend the mountain and enjoy the fresh air of the afternoon.

7. Paddle around on a lake or flatwater stream in my kayak for a couple of hours into the evening, while sipping a beer and enjoying the wilderness around.
8. Snaps some pictures, maybe even toss a fishing line over and do some fishing.
9. When I get too hot, hop out of the kayak and go for a swim for a while.

9. Find a roadside campsites along the way, somewhere far away from anybody else, where I won’t be bothered by anyone else or noise of other groups.
10. Park my truck with it’s fiberglass cap/shell, unload my gear.
11. Set up my lights, Christmas lights and other appliances.
12. Build a campfire and cook some dinner on it.

12. Enjoy the flickering fire, listen to some music as the night goes by.
13. Drink some beer, look up at the stars.
14. Read a book, stay up as late as I want, listen to music as loud as I want to.

… my perfect day is not expensive or formalized,
it’s just wild and free.