Editor’s Note: Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy

Finally — summertime is here! Summer, according to the dictionary, is merely a season. Yet that definition barely does justice to this most appealing of seasons. For kids, it’s a time of unfettered freedom to sleep in and to enjoy wide-open outdoor spaces; for adults, it’s often a trickier balance of work and play, but for everyone it means a chance to get out into the great outdoors and breath fresh, clean air in beautiful places, whether biking, hiking, kayaking, sailing, surfing or whatever. And, the nice thing is, the season isn’t just for adventure enthusiasts — for many of us, summer is a time to revert to that most childlike of states, slowing down and enjoying the sand underfoot at a lovely beach.

This month’s issue celebrates the special qualities inherent in summer in a couple of stories. In “Helicopter Hiking: British Columbia’s Purcell Mountains,” my family and I pick blueberries, swim in mountain lakes and revel in the scenery of Canada’s largest alpine meadow. And in “Summertime at the Seashore: Nantucket Island,” writer Susan Ward explores a very traditional East Coast summer spot.

Those who get the most out of their experience visiting another country are those wise travelers who spend time getting to know the locals and learning the inside stories of what makes a place tick. Several of our writers in this issue delve whole-heartedly into the local experience. Writer Cindy Patten is not only an observer of the Indian culture, she jumps in with both feet when offered the opportunity to be an extra in a movie filmed in the commercial capital of India, in “Bollywood Babe: Mumbai Movie-Making.” Cindy Dale finds the landscape just a bit eerier than before when she takes the time to talk to locals about the origins of some of the island’s folk customs in “Ghosts, Goblins and Giants: Supernatural Isle of Man.” And Kari Masson is impressed with the personal integrity of a very special Senegalese man who has fashioned his life around helping others in “Daouda: The Man Who Came Home.”

These are just the tip of the popsicle of good summertime reads in this issue. So sit back in your lounge chair, dip your toes in the inflatable pool and read on. Come to think of it, isn’t the downtime of summer a perfect time to plan for your next adventure? Dream on.

Happy Travels!

Leslie Forsberg
Senior Editor