Beach boy

In my mind - which admittedly is a strange place - there are two ways to spend time off so that you truly feel like you were on vacation.

The first involves some kind of physical challenge, and for me this usually has been a backpacking trip. Since my job requires a lot of time in front of a computer, it makes me feel good to get outside, get a little dirty and hike to some spot where the only "white noise" I hear are the rustling leaves and the crickets. I always come back in a better mental state than when I left.

The only other type of acceptable vacation is when you do nothing productive. And I mean nothing. That's why beaches are so great.

Because my mother loves the ocean, we always headed for the beach when it was family vacation time. And when we visited her side of the family in Greece one summer, we went to the beach almost every day. As a 10-year-old, I thought it was the best vacation ever. Now I know it was.

I remember with video-like accuracy going to the store with my Uncle Panos. Since he spoke no English - and my Greek vocabulary was limited to, Kala efharisto, a polite response to, "How are you?" - I had no idea what he was buying. When we left the store, I was the proud new owner of a scuba mask and flippers.

Thanks to that blue mask, I would become Vasilaki the Great Sea Explorer, searching the waters off the beach in Corinth for Mediterranean treasure. I wore that mask so much it left a perfect oval of untanned skin around my eyes. But my smile that summer was easily the most prominent feature of my face.

In more recent trips to the beach, I have perfected the art of doing nothing. The most activity I was able to muster in Key West last year was digging my toes into the sand while sipping a Corona. Admit it, that sounds great right now, doesn't it?

And while Cincinnati is a long way off from the Florida Keys, there are places nearby where you can dig your toes into the sand and enjoy a break. At the very least, head for a local swimming pool and do nothing but get wet. From lakes to water parks, we point you in the right direction this week in CiN Weekly.

Here's to a summer of good memories.