Tag Archives: fishing

Play Hooky

Ditchin, Absent, Gone

break free, break loose, break off, break out
bolt, elude, evade, flee, fly, relief, vent

work slave zombie

Finding ways to ditch work or school has always been a challenge for dedicated students or work-o-holics. Generally (rat race) Americans work more hours, longer hours and take less vacation days than any other population on the planet, the studies have found.

Californians have a true recreation paradise at their back door… and very few get to enjoy it. Too busy in the city. There are so many neat places to go & cool people to see on the back roads of California, that a whopping 5 paid holidays we get per year just isn’t enough.

Plus there is always so much work to do. Well, guess what? The work will just keep on coming, and coming, until you decide YOU really need a break. Taking that break doesn’t have to cost a fortune either.

hookie, hooky?

The slang word conjures up 10 year old kids, neighborhood pals, riding bikes, running around old abandon shacks & exploring deserted mines. Swimming holes, rope swings and sunshine. A whole day of rest & relaxation, the fun kind. Yep. When you were a youngster, you knew the real meaning of enjoying a day. Free time was almost ALL the time and you lived each day with a fresh outlook.

NOTE to self: TAKE THE BACK ROADS, as much as possible.

Springtime, waterfalls, wildflowers. When it has been a long hard, snowy winter, a sunny day is a huge welcome in February. Come March and April, people want to be outside more, before the summer heat begins.

April 20 is a popular day to enjoy nature, annually. The month of April is prime time for traveling, with Easter weekend and Earth Day celebrations. 420 Camp Outs, Earth Day, River Festivals, Wildflower Blooms. Usually the first camping of the season for true die-hards.

A to Z California

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5 good reasons
to take that extra day off of work/school

As you may have noticed by now, adult-hood is not all it’s cracked up to be. Work, chores, errands, sleep, drive & more work. Time to re-evaluate what is or isn’t happening in your life. If it’s travel you desire you don’t hafta wait until your are retired. Total Escape is here to help with thousands of pages & ideas. Explore close to home. Travel local regions in California, more often, for less money.

1. Cuz You Deserve It

Yes, dang it, you do. And you know it.
Your year is becoming a series of uneventful weekends all strung together. You need a fresh dose of reality & a weekend away does wonders. Clears the head of daily worries, opens up a fresh perspective, makes you think a little better. Whether it’s fly fishing, antique shopping or laying in a hammock near a creek, it all helps you. Subtly, but it does.

At the desk

bodie ghost town

2. Mental Health Day

We are a nation of work-o-holics. It’s that simple. We are becoming an impatient, unpleasant, selfish society that is always in a rush. What kinda life of daily grind is that? As we all have heard, Europeans get x-number of weeks for holiday time. Twice or three times more than us Americans. Do they know something we don’t? Is it time to slow down & use our sick days for our mental health? When your body is healthy, you might not get sick so often, so go for a hike to celebrate. Stop the chatter about it & do it. Enjoy life, every weekend. Recognize every holiday, 3 day weekends & plan something special for yourself and/or your loved ones.

3. Nature’s Well of Wellness

Fresh mountain air, glowing orange sunsets, the scent of cedar pines, the crashing of ocean waves & the warmth of a fireplace or campfire. A full day of hiking the high Sierra or just lazily fishing from your boat. Nature has magical ways of healing even the most weary souls. Come back from your weekend, exhausted & amazed OR refreshed & fully rested … it’s all up to you. We live in a beautiful place. California has a thousand destinations for you to enjoy. Why not start a health habit of traveling?

HelpMeEscape

4. Less Crowds

Summer is slowing down & autumn will soon set in. The hordes of tourists are thinning out, now that all the kids are back in school. This is the time to plan that weekend in the mountains, rent a cabin, a historic hotel or camp out along the river. Ask for an extra day, a Friday off & make that weekend a 3 day mini vacation. Traffic heading outta town is way better on a Thursday night or Friday morning, than the usual ‘mass exit’ weekend jam. Sitting on the freeway not moving is no fun at all. It’s a horrible way to start a vacation & the weekend escape rush hours can be grueling, so try to plan around it.

5. Cheaper Off Season Rates

Many small independent lodges, like the ones we feature here on Total Escape, usually drop their rates in their off-season. Call ahead to find out when the rates are best. Often the same thing goes for recreational adventures, tour companies & air fares. Each season has it’s own unique characteristics, so plan your stay according to preference. There is always a nice balance with winter, as the Golden State has plenty deserts to explore, as well as snowy slopes. Summer always looks great for the high Sierra but the coastlines are best in Fall. So as you can see there is no use waiting for the perfect time to travel, cuz in California the weather is almost always gorgeous.

Marc at Sunset“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you…while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”
– John Muir

The California National Forests, State Parks & National Parks have a million & one things for you to do to enjoy your surrounding, or choose to do nothing at all in some pretty spectacular scenery.

your choice

California Weekends, Unexpected Day Off, Back to Nature

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