With recovery slowly returning us to baseline, with Osher Institute on a month's intercession, I could use a briefer but more sedentary time away. While it had been my intent to take a brief overnight trip in December, commitments did not permit that. January mini breaks had a short track record. For two or three nights, I would drive off by myself with some defined destination. I visited Penn State during the region's deepest freeze, which kept some of the campus attractions closed. One winter I went snow tubing at Camelback, then enjoyed a day in their indoor water park. Another year I returned to the Poconos, this time seeking an afternoon at the Kalahari water park. I stayed at budget hotels each time, though all with pools, but not always fully functioning pools. For supper, I went to brew pubs. One outing took me to a casino buffet, a great value with senior discount.
This winter, my mind returned more to hedonism. What I envisioned resembled a stationary cruise ship. Sign in. Put luggage in room. Get food. Change into resort attire for pool and hot tub. Get more food. Explore. Go on treadmill. Get more food. Excursions optional. Such land equivalents sort of exist in several forms. Las Vegas does this. So does Atlantic City, though less well. I've been to such a place near Phoenix but I had to buy meals separately. The excursion to Sedona needed a car rental with me as responsible driver, so not quite the cruise experience. I've been to Pocono ski resorts as a day tripper. They have water parks. Snow tubing makes for a good excursion. There are expensive overnight options, as the slopes need upkeep. And there are premier resorts designed for people willing to spend much more than me, much as cruise ships have different tiers.
The best combination of economical, accessible pampering seemed Atlantic City, until you read the fine print. This being off-season, the posted room rates are about half what I would pay for a standard motel on a road trip. Just like ski slopes need maintenance, so do their theaters, aquatics, spas, and casinos. Thus they add another $30 or so per night as a Resort Fee. The casinos depend on day trippers who have to park their cars, so a daily fee for that, though less than what city parking facilities typically charge for 24 hours. Even with these add-ons, I'm within budget. Then the fine print. Check-in times 5 or 6PM with a significant nuisance fee for early arrival. That means the first night I pay for lodging without any access to the pools or spas, the purpose of the trip. I don't find casinos particularly entertaining and the shows, unlike cruise shows, are not part of the registration fee. So if I arrive Sunday and depart Tuesday, I would pay two nights but really only have one day of resort. Or pay the early arrival fee and have one and a half days. For a longer stay, that would be worth considering, for a quick escape, it's not.
That leaves me other alternatives. Osher Institute and my wife's choral obligations drive my schedule. Since it is pampering that I seek, and a cruise is the model, I could arrange a short cruise in the spring, either during the university break or after the semester concludes. There are now ports in driving distance during warm weather and flights to Ft. Lauderdale are plentiful and economical. That better satisfies my intent. I can continue to explore AC for another week, but a spring trip seems increasingly attractive. I'm less willing to settle for less than a few days some authentic R&R, the very best imprints that previous experiences have put in my retrievable memory.
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