A Vacation Without Points or Miles

Each year for the past 5 or 6 years, our family has taken a trip that doesn’t involve miles or points.  It’s generally the only trip each year I take that doesn’t, and it’s not the type of trip that I would normally enjoy.  We head up to Deep Creek Lake in Maryland and hang out on a pontoon boat all week.

Lest you think I’m completely crazy (or to convince you I am), I bring my laptop on the boat and have been known to do a decent amount of work from the middle of the lake.

This year was no different.  And, it was mostly the same crew we have every year, including our family, my sister, my father and his girlfriend, my cousin and her husband, my friend Stefan and his family and our babysitter.  Probably the largest group we’ve had at the lake.

Our days consist of pulling a tube behind the pontoon boat, swimming and consuming alcohol.  Our cooler is probably the only one on the lake with sauvignon blanc and vintage champagne.

This year, we added a new activity, kneeboarding.  I was the guinea pig and managed to teach myself how to kneeboard.  Here’s a couple videos.  And, just to be sure you got the full balanced picture, the second video shows me wiping out.  A bit of humor for you at my expense.

There was some fun times on the mountain roller coaster.

There was our daughter scaling an elephant at the Honi-Honi bar and Charlie really getting into a snack out on the boat.

A fun week even without points and miles!