Remember, it's your vacation.

• Author: Puterbaugh, Dolores T.
• Position: PARTING THOUGHTS

OUR FAMILY DOES NOT go on vacation nearly as often as we ought to, so consider the source of any advice given here. Most of our travel has been family-visit related, which is much the same as vacationing at airports and rental car counters, and then very different. For instance, I cannot count on any vacation spot being safe for my dietary restrictions, but I can rely on my mom going above and beyond to be sure that i have plenty of no-gluten/no-nut/no-fruits I cannot eat options, even if I beg her not to overdo. Mom stocks the guest room with extra blankets, chocolates, and a good book. Hotels and restaurants are not your mom. That being said, I offer some suggestions for vacationers of every type:

Have your vacation, not someone else's. Merely mention your destination and people have strong opinions on what you simply "must" do while you are there. Perhaps you will hear of something you had not considered. On the other hand, you might find yourself adding to an already-full roster and now you are not having "your" vacation; instead, you are having someone else's. Put another way, some people are go-go-go and others not, not, not. A friend and his wife went to Ireland and apparently covered the entire island in one week. We spent one week in Dublin and its immediate surroundings (about 12 years ago) and still felt shortchanged in adequately experiencing that city. Some people want to see everything; I want to capture a bit of what it is like to live there, wherever "there" might be. Both approaches are "right," but are not "right" for the same person. So, take your vacation.

Do not go to the hotel "free" breakfast in your pajamas if you are older than five. I should not have to mention this again. I cannot even discuss the man who decided to bring a box with new sneakers and change shoes at breakfast.

There are tour guides, and there are tour guides. Some are certified experts and well-trained; others have memorized a lot of stuff to say aloud on the trolley or bus. Sometimes I suspect they just make it up as they go along. If you are going to spend money on a guide, be sure you know what you are getting. In a related tip ...

Entertaining banter ... often is not. If you agree, stay in the back of the sightseeing van/bus/trolley, otherwise you will endure what passes for friendly teasing and engaging commentary as a participant or victim. If, on the other hand, being drawn into loud dialogue intended to break up the boredom for the guide...