Ponchos is New Orleans!Rainy day in Chicago! How beautiful is the architecture though?
No one plans for rainy weather on your vacation and I don’t think anyone purposely goes on holiday to be rained on. However, sometimes it happens. I’ve experienced it in Mexico, Chicago, New York, Panama, Destin and New Orleans! None of these were trips where I wanted it to happen. I thought I would share a few ideas of ways to make it better.
In Panama the rain, in dry season, is usually short lived. We had our kids with us so we used the time to head into a museum. My father-in-law was our tour guide. He is the best guide in Panama! We are so lucky! He taught us about the history, customs and food of Panama. We also took them to the mall. *SHRUG* we had teenagers, they love any mall! The food court is a great way to eat cheap and the international malls often have very different clothing. Even designers that we have in the states generally offer different products overseas. Example: Kenneth Cole had fun bright colors in Panama and prints that were not available in the states.
In Destin we used the storm to go to dinner and then to unwind and play some board games. I try to travel with a deck of cards for downtimes like….layovers, flight delays and rain. It’s an easy way to pass the time and it doesn’t take up much room in your luggage. The power went out and we ended up on the balcony of our condo watching the storm and relaxing. It is one of my favorite memories.
In Chicago we grabbed a cab (pre Uber or Lyft) and went to the Willis Tower. We knew we wanted to do the glass balcony so we changed our plans around and went during the storm. Be Flexible. The schedule can be changed.
New Orleans weather forecast called for rain the entire time we were there. Thankfully, it wasn’t bad at all and rained HARD for a bit and then lightened up. But because it was in the forecast I brought a six pack of ponchos that I ordered from Amazon.
New York is a city that doesn’t let a little rain stop it! We just put our umbrella up and kept going. There are, honestly, so many things to do to get out of the rain. You can pop into a museum, restaurant, a bar or a cute boutique. We used the rain time to get some New York style pizza and relax!
The one trip that the rain really affected was in Mexico. We were at an all inclusive resort (which I’m really not a fan of) so we were pretty limited on our options. We ended up going to the gym, eating a LOT and staying in our room. As soon as there was a break in the rain we got a cab and headed for the town. We explored the ruins and although it rained on us some we just decided to chance it. Sometimes, it works out.
My takeaway from all of these situations is to BE FLEXIBLE! Enjoy yourself and relax. It can be easy to get caught up in seeing EVERYTHING but it won’t be fun if you are stressed or irritated. Sometimes, a quiet night on your patio with no electricity is exactly what you need!
