This Movie Will Make You Excited for Summer Travel

Ah, summer. School is out, work schedules are relaxed, and the whole country seems wide-open for exploration.

Some of our earliest travel-related recollections took place in summer and now have that unique sense of sun-soaked nostalgia: packing the kids into a wood-paneled station wagon for a trip to the beach, pitching a lopsided tent with one’s dutiful parents, dragging one’s father through Disney World for another nauseating spin on the Mad Tea Party ride.

With the spirit of summertime discovery in mind, Visit Idaho released a miniature documentary called 18 Summers about the adventures had and memories made during the limited seasons you have with the entire family. The video follows seven Idaho families as they plan, pack, and vacation around the state. While it’s surely an advertisement for Idaho as a destination, it’s also a lovely cinematic reminder of why we travel in the first place, not just to Idaho but to anywhere in the States and beyond. It perfectly encapsulates that summer-vacation magic, relaxed and unhurried, both planned and unplanned. The film is also beautifully shot and inspiring (and features adorably precocious kids).

Watch the mini-doc below or go to VisitIdaho.org; you can also enter to win a trip to Sun Valley, including a GoPro, for making lasting memories of your own.

(Video: Visit Idaho/YouTube)

Readers, what’s your favorite summer-vacation memory? Any plans this year with friends or family? Share them below! (If you need some inspiration to get you started, check out our gallery of classic summer getaways.)

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