My Turn: Fond summer memories of exploring what's nearby

It’s summer and just about everyone is focused on vacation. Often, they’re dreaming of other places, exciting fun or serene relaxation. Meanwhile the news is focused on flight delays, cancellations, lost luggage, traffic jams and high costs.

I am brought back to the ’60s when, in my neighborhood, Queens Village, we were focused on summer vacation as a break from school, a chance to spend time with the other kids on the block and an occasional treat in the evening when we went to Frozen Cups in Floral Park.

But the best week of the summer for me was when my father had his one-week vacation, his only vacation of the year. We were four siblings, and Dad devoted one day of that week to each of us. (Little changed for Mom, who was still at home with three kids.)

My father had a love of gardening, so we all learned about planting seeds and nurturing them to produce vegetables or beautiful flowers. My brother, Joe, took particular interest in gardening, so he and our dad would visit an arboretum within driving distance each year. Joe is now a floral designer.

Mary liked to visit local points of interest, so she had the pleasure of visiting museums, lighthouses, boat rides and more on Long Island. They usually visited one place each year. She continues to have a love of artistry and history as she paints and works on our family tree.

Jo-Ann and our dad went on an annual clamming trip on Long Island’s South Shore. They always proudly displayed their catch upon returning home. It was all about the excitement of the hunt and the time spent together since none of us liked eating clams.

I thought I was the luckiest of all. Dad and I would spend a day in Manhattan, arriving home exhausted and full of stories.

We would start our planning early. I was in charge of sending for the annual “I Love NY” publication. We decided to begin our exploration at Battery Park and gradually take in what Manhattan had to offer as we moved farther north each year. We would identify the places we hoped to visit that year and then plan out the transportation, usually by subway and bus. We would also make reservations for any of the sights that required them.

Over the course of five or six years we were able to see the Fulton Fish Market, the former U.S. Assay Office (then in lower Manhattan), the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Museum of Modern Art, the Central Park Zoo and the Cloisters, to name a few. We always tried to eat at the Automat. The last year of our day trips, which ended around 1965 or 1966 because I had a summer job, we had planned to walk across the George Washington Bridge, but it rained.

In addition to great day with my dad, I learned the importance of planning ahead, navigating public transportation and developing a street-wise awareness of my surroundings. I’ll never forget that annual day with Dad.

In case you’re wondering about day five of Dad’s week of vacation: We went to the beach. Zach’s Bay was the location of choice since none of us knew how to swim.

I must end where I started — pondering other people’s vacation plans. We never took a plane, packed bags, stayed in hotels or paid expensive admissions. But we always had a time to remember.

Linda Mancz,

Amityville