5 less-expensive summer beach vacations

BY NATALIE B. COMPTON The Washington Post

It was supposed to be the Lee family’s first big post-covid vacation. Last winter, they decided on a trip to Spain and Portugal; matriarch Jody even got the guidebooks for Christmas. Then she managed to wrangle a break in their summer schedule — an impressive feat between the school and social calendars of her 16- and 19-year-old sons — and found a perfect six-day trip with Rabbie’s tours.

They kept their eye on flight prices and planned to book with miles.

“Then I just didn’t do anything for like two months,” Lee said.

As the Lees found out, it’s a bad year to procrastinate. Demand has been high since last year, and experts say tons of people locked in their 2023 plans ages ago. That means many of the remaining summer vacation options aren’t cheap — especially abroad. According to data from the travel booking app Hopper, average airfare to Europe this summer is nearly $1,200, higher than it’s been in the last six years.

By the spring, there were no more seats available for the Lees to purchase with points; it would cost the Washington state family of four upward of $10,000 for airfare alone, a fatal blow to their Europe plan. They pivoted to a beach house closer to home in the Pacific Northwest, where they’ll be able to hike and kayak and spend time on a beach like they first planned. “Obviously it’s going to be different,” Lee said. “Probably wouldn’t need a wet suit in Portugal.”

Embracing the summer of the swap can save you substantially. As Hopper’s lead economist Hayley Berg points out, “airfare to Europe for summer and fall (July — October) is averaging $924 per ticket today, compared to $381 per ticket to islands in the Caribbean and $450 for trips to Mexico and Central America,” she said in an email.

You can find your own swaps by signing up for airfare deal newsletters or using a tool such as Skyscanner’s “Every- where” search function to browse what’s cheapest. Or, you can consider these seven alternatives to pricier summer travel spots.

1.

Instead of Santorini, try Crete

Don’t be fooled by the social media images of Santorini’s quiet stone streets; the Greek island is a poster child for overtourism, said Sandra Weinacht, travel planner and co-owner of Inside Europe Travel Experiences. And with Santorini’s popularity comes prices to match. For a much better value destination with similar piercing blue water and charming seaside towns, Weinacht vouches for Crete, Greece’s biggest island.

Because it’s less popular than the country’s other islands, Weinacht says you can get more bang for your buck and less crowds.

“You have the magic of being on a beach that is not crowded with hundreds of others, or being stuck having to wait in line for a bus or taxi for hours, which is the situation in Santorini right now,” she said.

2. Instead of Miami, try Cartagena

While you can find decent airfare to Miami this summer, your accommodations will cost you. According to Hopper, the median price for hotels in town is $204 (up 33 percent from last year) and travelers can expect to pay an average of $308 for a home rental.

Slash those prices by traveling instead to Colombia’s vibrant Caribbean coast, says Meg Kinnerk, president and founder of the luxury travel agency Traveluxe. Even though the flight will likely cost you more up front, Kinnerk recommends Cartagena as a swap for Miami, particularly for more affordable accommodations and dining, delicious seafood, interesting cultural heritage, lively atmosphere and warm beaches.

3. Instead of Amalfi, try California’s

central coast

Packed and pricey, Amalfi is not the move this summer. You could pivot to a lesser-visited European beach — like the more affordable Algarve in Portugal or Spain’s Costa del Sol — or you could stay stateside. Kinnerk suggests California’s central coast for rugged cliffs, scenic drives, lauded wineries, sandy beaches and pleasant climate.

Depending on your home base, you could save on airfare by getting there by car, bus or Amtrak. Instead of staying in pricier parts of the state like Santa Barbara, where average hotel prices for July and August run more than $300 per night, according to Skyscanner data, try destinations like San Luis Obispo or Morro Bay ($195 and $180 per night on average in July, respectively).

If you must go to Italy this year, consider visiting closer to the offseason, like in September or October. Going travel expert Katy Nastro says by the final weeks of August, as kids go back to school and demand drops, airfare to Europe becomes significantly more affordable.

4. Instead of the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico’s ‘Emerald Coast’

Darryl Jenkins, a travel adviser with InteleTravel, recommends the U.S. “Emerald Coast” on the Gulf of Mexico for those priced out of the Bahamas. The domestic alternative — which covers five counties of northwest Florida and the coast of Alabama — Jenkins says, has white sand, crystal-clear water and a laidback vibe with reasonably priced beachfront condos and hotels. You can find bungalows tucked away on long stretches of beach, family-friendly activities like paddle boarding and fishing, and plenty of fresh seafood.

5. Instead of Hawaii, the Azores Heidi Bocianowski, owner of Astonishing Travel, had been planning a trip to Aruba earlier this year and nailed down everything but the airfare. “Then I looked at flights and said forget it,” she said. Bo-

(See VACATIONS 16)

BY CRYSTAL SCHELLE Special to The News-Post

hen Jose Marin suddenly lost his wife, Dinora Mendoza, on May 16, he lost more than his best friend and the mother of his children. He also lost his partner in his La Carreta Tacos y Tortas food truck business. She had been by his side ever since they officially hit the road in May 2022.

“We’ve known each other since we were 18, and we worked at the same restaurant,” he said.

When she died, Marin was faced not only with how to raise his 16-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son but how to keep his business afloat. Just a week after the funeral, he had no choice but to re-open his food truck because he needed to make money.

His friends in the Frederick County Food Truck Owners Facebook group wanted to do something for Marin and his family, so they put together T-shirts and raised $2,600.

Marin was surprised at the outpouring of support.

“I didn’t know anything about it,” he said. “I had just put on my Facebook page that my wife passed away and we would be out for a week, and they decided to help me.”

Mike Passarelli of Grilled Cheese

Please started the Facebook group a few years ago. He and his wife, Hillarie Hough, started their food truck in September 2020. Both had been working in industries that shut down during the pandemic. She had a bartending back- ground, and he was a contractor and cabinet maker.

After they took the jump and opened, they found that fellow food truck owners have not only made the couple feel like a part of a community, but they’ve willingly shared their knowledge, Passarelli said. He shared several stories about how food truck owners support one another. During an event last year at the Washington Commanders name reveal party at FedEx Field, for instance, a few trucks were missing miscellaneous items that they needed to pass their health inspections.

“That day, we leant out a couple of thermometers, as well as a jug of water to other trucks to pass inspection and be permitted to serve at the event,” he said.

Earlier this year, Rob Bugos, who owns In10se BBQ with his wife, Robin, came to their rescue. Passarelli and his wife were at an event when they realized the carburetor on their generator needed to be replaced and mentioned it to Bugos.

“He offered to allow me to go pick up one of his generators to use for as long as we needed it,” Passarelli recalled. “I ordered a new carburetor for our generator and ordered an additional carburetor that I gave to Rob, in case he needed it in the future or someone else needed it.”

Passareli said that’s just one example, from helping with electrical cords, adaptors and other equipment that can make or break a day of business.

“A lot of these are small gestures, [but] unless we can open our windows and operate, we are out of luck and losing money,” he said. “The food truck owners community will always do what they can do to help anyone who is facing a setback that prevents them from operating. With so many moving pieces and parts required to operate a mobile kitchen, it is very comforting and helpful to know others will look out for you.”

Just a few months ago, Grilled Cheese Please began offering online orders but quickly realized their point-of-sale provider wasn’t food-truck friendly.

“Subsequently, I reached out to the food truck owners community for feedback on what POS would better suit our needs,” Passareli said, and several people responded options for which ones to use.

One person to respond was Carlo Serio of Pretzel and Pizza Creations.

“Not only was he available for me to ask questions and look at his current system, but when I was having issues with my initial setup, he spent an afternoon with me,” Passareli said. “He drove all the way out to where we park our trailer in Libertytown and helped me troubleshoot.”

Serio is not new to the restaurant industry. His business already had brickand-mortar locations of Pretzel and Pizza Creations in Frederick and Hagerstown before he decided to jump into the food truck industry about two years ago. He wanted to expand, but he and his wife, Katie, had little kids, and they weren’t ready to take on the demands of a third standalone restaurant.

Even though the Serios are restaurant veterans, a food truck runs a little differently. Having experienced firsthand what it’s like to be the new kids on the block, Serio said the food truck community fully embraced them.

“If you have questions, any of the other trucks are willing to answer them,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re in competition with everybody. It feels like there’s room for everybody, and people are willing to help each other and want them to do well.”

Brett Novick of Boxcar Burgers said it’s not unusual for other operators to help another food truck. It’s just who they are as a community.

Food trucks have been part of the Frederick landscape since 2017, when the city allowed mobile vendors to sell freely throughout the city. But it was only a few years ago that Frederick area food truck operators started their own Facebook page. The page brought the community together, informed one another on upcoming events and created a space where people could ask for help or offer supplies. The page has fostered an even closer community that extends be- yond the business of running a food truck, such as giving support when someone is going through a personal crisis, as Marin was when he lost his wife.

“We knew that as a family-run business with an unexpected death, there would be some unexpected expenses,” Novick said. “And not running the truck would have a big financial impact.”

He wasn’t surprised by how quickly the food truck owners came together.

“People always ask me, ‘Oh, aren’t you worried there are too many food trucks?’ or that it’s too much competition,” Novick said. “I think people would really be surprised how closely we work together.”

Yes, they are on some level competitors, Novick admitted, but “more than that, we really do have a good relationship and help each other out — loan equipment, help cover dates, all sorts of ways.”

When Novick started seven years ago, he recalls only about a half dozen food trucks in operation in the area. Today, he estimates between 40 and 50 that actively work in Frederick County, and this growing community is often seen as a family. That means when new food trucks are starting out, Novick often gets calls or emails asking for advice, which he freely gives. As Novick sees it, more trucks actually help the market.

“We’re happy to have more trucks, and it has expanded the market for us as well, because now a lot of neighborhoods have food truck nights, and the places that we can go has expanded as the number of trucks has expanded,” he said.

With 12 years of experience under their belt, the Bugos are also veterans to the food service industry. Before they opened their food truck, In10se BBQ, about seven years ago, they were previously doing mobile set-ups at events in tents. Rob Bugos jokingly said they got into it because “it was a hobby that got out of hand.”

Over the last four years, he has seen the bonds of the community get tighter.

“We’ve grown our community, and a lot of us have gotten to be good friends. We do work together and we help each other out when somebody’s out of something,” he said. “Over the last few years, I think we’ve all found out that we do a lot better when we work together.”

Being a food truck owner is not for the faint of heart, though. “We all have to be a little crazy to want to go freeze our behinds off in the winter and roast in the summer,” he said.

Sometimes during the summer, with fryers and grills going, it gets up to 110 degrees on the truck, he said. And in the winter, it gets extremely cold.

“You’re just constantly moving from place to place, and we deal with all the same things that all the restaurants do, as far as supply challenges and prices going up and down and rules and regulations and changing from styrofoam to no styrofoam. Now it’s plastic bags to no plastic bags beginning of the next year, so it’s always something,” he said.

The upside of owning a food truck rather than a brick-and-mortar restaurant is owners can go to the customers. Bugos owned a restaurant in 2015 in Kemptown but didn’t have the customers to justify it, he said.

Plus, he’s noticed the community of food truck owners is not that of restaurant owners or even other businesses.

“I come from the automotive business and it’s very different. You might have it in your own shop with your fellow technicians and the people you work with, but [not] other shops.”

“My wife and I, being food truck owners, we really can’t do it without the people that we have that help us and support us and our customers,” he said.

Marin, too, knows how meaningful this support can be. He said he’ll always remember the kindness of the food truck community. In the year since he opened La Carreta Tacos y Tortas, he and his wife had been becoming friendly with other food truck owners while working the same events.

“Some other truckers, I never met before, and when this happened, they were offering help,” he added. “And that makes me feel good. I never expected something like this.”

Crystal Schelle is a journalist whose work has been published locally, regionally and nationally. She enjoys trivia, cats and streaming movies.

Acrylic paintings by Jim Klumpner — July 29 to Aug. 6, with an artist talk at 2 p.m. July 29. Klumpner creates surrealist art, and this show features more than 20 untitled creations — untitled because half the fun is analyzing the painting and forming an interpretation of what it means to you. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and weekdays by appointment. Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. 301-466-2413, linksbridgevineyards.com.

”Contrast & Contours” — through July 28, Just Lookin’ Gallery, 40 Summit Ave., Hagerstown. Known for his masterful pencil work, Michale Gibson’s drawings reflect on universal humanity. Hampton Olfus’ adroitness with ink takes us on a journey, both inward and outward. Gibson is visiting from Canada and D.C. native Olfus resides in southern Maryland. 301714-2278 or justlookin.com.

”Spectrum: Realism to Abstraction” — through July 29, Gallery 50, 50 W. Main St., Waynesboro, Pa. 12 featured artists. Gallery hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and by appointment. artsalliancegw.org or contact@ artsalliancegw.org.

”Frederick In Spires” — through July 30, Gallery 322, 322 N. Market St., Frederick. Gallery 322 celebrates the 275th anniversary of Frederick County. This group show features artists Michael Douglas Jones, Jan Kaufman, Linda Kirvan, Ann Schaefer, Anne Gibson Snyder, Russell Schofield, Tom Ritchie, and Homer Yost, along with associate artists Roberta Staat, Leo Ramos, Lissa Abrams, Paul Wilson and Karen Winston-Levin. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 240-815-7777 or gallery322.com.

”Infinite Surface” — through July 30, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. Mixed media exhibit by JG Orudjev and Todd Frankenheimer. Gallery hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 240-3679770 or nomagalleryfrederick.com.

“The Herbalist: Cyanotypes from Fox Haven Farm” — through July 30. Jillian Abir MacMaster recently spent a week living at Fox Haven Farm in Jefferson, created cyanotype prints about and using the farm’s herb garden, and led three workshops with demonstrations there. This exhibition will showcase the work created during the artist residency. Part of the Black Cat Studios artist collective and was funded by the Frederick Arts Council. 4 W. Fifth St., Frederick. jillian.macmaster@ gmail.com.

“All Fired Up” — through July 30, Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Steven Gibson (fused glass artist) and Stephen Dill (blacksmith) exhibit their individual art, as well as collaborative pieces that combine glass and steel. View the work from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through July. eastsidearts313@gmail.com, eastsideartistsgallery.com.

Frederick County 275th Anniversary Exhibition — through July 30, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Works in a variety of media created by local and regional artists and inspired by storied from the county’s past. Presented in partnership with the Frederick County Historic Sites Consortium. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org.

”HUE: An Ode to Color” — through Aug. 25, Gallery 44, 44 S. Bentz St., Frederick. Multimedia art exhibit that explores color in art in a myriad of ways by seven DMV area artists. Open by appointment only. gallery44south@gmail.com or gallery-44.com.

”Over 70 Show” — through Aug. 27, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Works in a variety of media. A signature of the Delaplaine’s Creative Aging Month, this annual exhibition celebrates local artists over age 70 and showcases a wide range of styles, techniques, and interests. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Heavy Metal” — through Aug. 27, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Oil paintings by Raymond Burns. Easily mistaken as merely utilitarian and unattractive, Burns hopes to elevate the character and the beauty that exists in the form, color and texture of railroad equipment, engines, cabooses, boxcars, and railroad structures in various states of use and decay. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”On Beauty and Revolution” — through Aug. 27, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Featuring the work of Sasa Aakil. For gallery hours, call 301-473-7680.

“The Hot Button” — through August, Hot Button Gallery, 129 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Carol Williams exhibits textiles and poster art that reflect her passion for social responsibility through artistic communication. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The artist will be available for conversation at these times. anothercarolwilliams.com.

Crestwood Gallery Spring Exhibit — through Sept. 8, Crestwood Center, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Original artwork including photography, watercolors, oil, acrylic, mixed media and wood carvings by Frederick artists. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-215-1460, frederickhealth.org/crestwoodart.

”Mandy Chesney is gaudy” — through Sept. 10, Black Rock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. Baltimore resident’s first solo show, born in Mississippi. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Reception and artist talk 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 18. 301-528-2260 or blackrockcenter.org.

”Landscapes & Legends of Norway: William Singer & His Contemporaries” — through Sept. 17, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This exhibition uses Singer’s work and that of his contemporaries in the museum collection to look at the impact of Norway on the imaginations of various artists. A series of watercolors depicting Norse legends (yes, Loki and Thor) by American artist Frank Morse Rummel are also a highlight of the exhibition. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-7395727 or wcmfa.org.

”Treasures of State: Maryland’s Art Collection” — through Oct. 22, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This collaborative exhibition, co-organized with the Maryland State Archives, features over 90 American and European paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and decorative arts from 1750 to present. Notable artists represented include the Peales, Jasper Cropsey, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, George Inness, Hugh Bolton Jones, Eastman Johnson, Giuseppe Ceracchi, and Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-7395727 or wcmfa.org.

“Truth” by Robin Davisson — Aug. 2 to 27, DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick.. Featured artist Robin Davisson’s lyrical, processdriven work is rooted in eclectic curiosity and the material surprises she discovers working with her finely-developed visual vocabulary. Rooted in relentless curiosity and a love for the visceral qualities of the materials themselves, her work seeks to create knowledge in visual form. Opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 5. districtarts.com/ robin-davisson.

“Bedwetter” — Aug. 4 to 27, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. Work by Phyllis Mayes and Lily Sellers, daughter of gallery member Annie Quinlan. Noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 5, artist talk from 5 to 6 p.m. Aug. 12. 240-367-9770, nomagalleryfrederick.com.

“10x10” — through Aug. 12, Gribs Gallery and Studio, 208 Main St., New Windsor. Each piece is 10 inches square and for sale. Gallery hours are 4 to 6 p.m. Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays or by appointment. Hours are 4 to 6 p.m. on Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. 443-5369198.