Some Alone Time

Several years back, I started treating myself to a few days of mini-adventure.  While I offer my wife a chance to join me, she has other things she wants to do.  Moreover, my two or three day outings sometimes challenge my determination.  I've visited Pennsylvania State University and surroundings during their deep freeze, not to mention some hazardous return driving.  I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not much campus, as they closed much of it, including the museums, in response to cold weather.  The town of State College offered some pleasant poking around, entering stores to warm up, buy a thing or two, while my glasses fogged from the abrupt temperature change.  And some nice brewpubs which I'd expect at a university center.

Another year I went to the Poconos, snow tubing at Camelback, refreshing myself at Aquatopia Indoor Water Park, driving around a bit, enjoying a somewhat isolated hotel.  Seasonal temperature rise that trip.

Maybe time for another, one of perhaps the same distance.  Something a little too far for a day trip.  I thought about eastern Long Island.  Have been to Hyde Park.  And there's Atlantic City, which is really more of a day trip unless I want to take advantage of pampering in a major Casino Hotel where rates plummet in January.  And there's Kalahari Water Park in the Poconos, though I don't know what else might be nearby.  Baltimore is more of a day trip.  Washington is a place I'd much prefer to visit with my wife in the spring, and perhaps lacks some of the novelty and even pampering that I seek for these couple of days.  Or maybe even Penn State again, this time with the campus more functional.

As a place to go, Long Island has some attractions.  Even out of season, though, staying there far exceeds any of the others I considered.   Snow tubing someplace other than Camelback would be another option.  While fun to slide down the snow, there was a lot of waiting in various lines to do it,  

I think I have to first decide whether I want to tour new places, or just have a few quiet days mixed with amusements and creature comfort.  Not an easy choice.