Here’s the answer I got, “Yes, revenge travel is still a thing, though some say the trend is softening…Travelers are still willing to spend…Travelers are still making up for lost time.”

Revenge travel isn’t too well known of a phrase with some people. But when it’s explained, then people seem to “get it.”

It’s the phrase for the travel we’ve missed out on because of the pandemic. Many seem to want to make up for the vacations, trips and getaways that were missed out on during the restrictions. It’s a version of “cabin fever.”

I don’t think that revenge was a factor for the trip we got back from a week or so ago. It was more of a “reunion’y, nostalgia, get-together” trip for my wife and three of her high school friends from Enrico Fermi High School in Enfield, CT.

Four couples met in St. George, Utah. Over the course of a week, the following main places were visited: Snow Canyon, Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, and Dead Horse Point.

The four couples were from Rochester, NY; Groton, CT; split-time between Maine and Florida; and Sanpete, UT. All the ladies are retired or mostly retired: A professor of engineering, a database manager, an insurance executive, and a Snow College professor.

One of the common bonds among these “girls” is that they were all co-workers at McDonald’s during high school. I believe they said that were making the big bucks back in those days, being paid $1.85 an hour.

The thought crossed my mind that I should have had an investigator do some checking to see if these “working at McDonald’s” allegations were true. Some of that sort of thing has been in the news recently relative to presidential politics.

I decided that my research money would be better spent on Big Macs and Frozen Cokes. These women seemed pretty credible with their sesame seed bun and all beef patty knowledge. Plus, they knew the Golden Arches lingo – for example: “If there’s time to lean, there’s time to clean!”

You might wonder how four couples got along on a trip like this. Over the years, we’ve done some traveling with family and friends. It can be risky.

I like to quote Mark Twain. He famously said, “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”

Sometimes you wonder if a friendship or family relationship is going to be damaged as the result of a trip together. We’ve been fortunate, that hasn’t happened in the past. And our string of good luck has continued. Whew!

I’m not just saying that the trip was a success because I know that some of my fellow travelers might be reading this piece (though that is a valid reason). Really, we had a great time.

Put me on a polygraph machine and I’ll report the same thing without any increase in blood pressure, galvanic skin response, or pulse rate. (However, keep attractive girls away while I take that test. A psychologist recently told me that lie detector results for many men were affected by that variable.)

The trip taught me, once again, that every person has a story – a complex history that shapes them into who they are. Here’s some tidbits I learned and enjoyed about my travel mates.

Tom and Sheryl are “birders.” They’ve traveled around the world to add new species to their list of birds encountered. Their binoculars were always at the ready. They had us noticing birds everywhere we went.

At Butch Cassidy’s Boyhood Home near Circleville, we saw a golden eagle and a covey of quail. We waited at Rainbow Point in Bryce Canyon for the California Condors to show themselves, but no luck.

Rick and Jean have the goal of golfing in all 50 states in the country. They’ve got a half-decent start, but aren’t quite half-way to their goal yet.

As Hurricane Helene took aim at their home area in Florida, they taught me a healthy perspective on life. “Our most important things, are right here in Utah right now – us! We can’t do anything about what’s happening in Florida at this moment.”

Dan and Kathleen were “poster kids” for being good sports on the trip. They were “all in” for the hike to famous Delicate Arch. It’s a three-mile hike round-trip. It’s quite demanding on a hot day – especially for people like me who have attained a certain age (old).

The trail for the last part of the hike, as you get close to being able to see the arch, takes you along a reasonably wide, yet narrow’ish pathway. There is a drop-off on one side and a stone wall on the other.

Kathleen showed us her grit and determination to complete the hike by hugging the wall and ignoring/fighting her fear of heights. The “pay-off” of seeing the arch, up close and personal, made it all worth it.

A couple of regrets from the trip: First: I should have insisted that we dined at McDonald’s. Second: I should have insisted that Sanpete be put on the itinerary. (I could have given them the “little white lie” that Sanpete was under consideration as the next national park.)

A couple of highlights: First: Dark Ranger Telescope Tours. It’s a “star gazing” company outside of Bryce Canyon. It was an entertaining and impressive astronomy show including personal viewing of stars and planets through big telescopes. Their motto is something like: Everyone wants you to have a nice day. We want you to have a “Bryce Night.”

Second: Dinner at Bryce Canyon Lodge. And dinner at El Tapatio in Moab.

Some of us tend to spend money on travel that, by all rights, should be going into home improvement or updated vehicles. But, from our point of view, taking trips and seeing new territory is an investment in memories that appreciates in value over time.

Once again, Mark Twain had something to say about the subject: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do… Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Maybe some of you Sanpeters have been getting some revenge travel on your minds. I say, “Do it.” If you’re getting older, like me, you need to ask yourself the question, “If not now, when?” If you’re younger – well, you’ve got some time, but don’t procrastinate too long. — Merrill