What do I want my summer vacation to actually look like? 🏕️

New adventures or relaxed and laid back?

The trip from North Harmony State Forest to Nordhouse Dunes in Michigan is giving me pause. While on paper I can do this leg of the trip in one day, I worry about in practice. Google Maps says it’s 550 miles and 7 hours and 53 minutes which can be done in one day but that ignores the major cities it routes you through with delays and stressful urban traffic. I could overnight somewhere in Ohio or Lower Michigan but the options are pretty limited for quiet dispersed camping as much of the lands around there are either developed or private farm lands.

I’m not totally against staying a few nights in a campground but it seems like just more time lost in the journey and a lot of days on the road. In contrast, just going to the Finger Lakes National Forest might be boring but also quiet and relaxed. Should summer vacation be relaxing but the same old? Or should I create a new exciting journey seeing more of America? It’s the 250th anniversary of America and maybe my best chance to travel before my parents get too old with a brand new and hopefully reliable rig, still I don’t know if I want to spend so much of my vacation cooped up in side of the cab of my truck driving.