Farewell, First-Born....Hello, Fun

This week's cover story in The New York Times, “Students, Welcome to College – Parents, Go Home” brought back vivid memories of saying good-bye to our two sons when we deposited them at their colleges as Freshmen.

But, unlike the picture painted in Trip Gabriel’s engaging story, ours was not a scene of hand-wringing, hanging around, and hysteria. Rather, my husband’s and my memories of those days are of Champagne in front of the fireplace in a cozy room at The White Barn Inn; a luscious, over-the-top dinner at The Inn at Little Washington; biking along the deserted coast of Kennebunkport, Maine; and hiking a woodsy trail in the Appalachians.

Don’t get me wrong. We were devastated that Nicholas and Ben would no longer be involved in in our daily lives. But, we were determined not to be part of the boo-hooing throngs of parents who, quite literally in some cases, were raining on their kids’ “parades.” Instead, I devised a plan for dodging all the drama. And I wrote about it for the Travel sections of The San Diego Union-Tribune and The Oregonian:

 

"The strategy is simple: Plan a romantic getaway that begins with the last wave goodbye."

Sure there was a little sniffle as we walked away from each son, but there was also great excitement about the coming adventure. My husband and I got to discover the quintessential Yankee town of Kennebunkport where we road bikes, walked empty beaches and were dazzled by the candlelight setting (in a restored 19^th century barn) and  sensational food of Chef Jonathan Cartwright at The White Barn Inn.

With son #2, we settled into a luxurious room at The Inn at Little Washington in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. We hiked Old Rag Mountain and were pampered by the Inn’s chef/co-owner Patrick O’Connell. Sweet corn risotto with frizzled leeks; a Lilliputian, pistachio-crusted lamb chop;  and a luscious cobbler with local peaches made it totally apparent why the James Beard Society named O’Connell “Outstanding American Chef” in 2001. (Photo of O'Connell's cobbler trio from a cool Web site called Dinner Cakes: Culinary Adventures for Everyday People.)

 

Click here to see the entire article about these strategic “adventures” on the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Web site.

 

 

Comments

[Amy K]

I celebrated my son's college farewell with....giving birth to a brand new baby! I guess I will have to wait another 18 years for a yummy childless adventure like yours! : )