where do people rent for the (whole) summer in driving or train distance from DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard many stories of people doing this in the midwest lake country back in the early to mid 19th century. The father would drive up on the weekends. It sure sounds heavenly to me. Get to really live for a few months out of the year. I've also heard of people doing this in the Adirondacks.

But it was a simpler time when only the father worked, rentals were affordable, and kids weren't involved in so many activities and weren't so connected that they couldn't be away from their friends and their electronics for an entire time.

I think to do the same today, you'd want to be near a small town with a library and some cultural events going on. The outdoors simple life is great, but I wouldn't want to raise my kids today without also having them exposed to culture.

In the early to mid 19th C?!!! Did they "drive" their horse and cart?

[Anonymous]

Here is the 21st century I know a lot of people who do this, although usually in their own houses rather than rentals. With the miracle of modern communication and transportation we are able to work from various places, including our summer house. We do a mix of extended stays and long weekends over the summer and it works very well. We are on the Cape but have friends who spend the summer at the Jersey Shore, Rehoboth, Rhode Island.

[Anonymous]

Lots of people in the NY area do it. But the beaches there are closer and more accessible by public transportation than here so it's easier for the parents to commute back and forth very weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people in the NY area do it. But the beaches there are closer and more accessible by public transportation than here so it's easier for the parents to commute back and forth very weekend.

That's true--not a lot of public transportation options to our "local" beaches. Also, keep in mind that the traffic heading towards the beach is horrendous on almost any weekend during the summer so unless DH can leave early Friday (or take off Fridays) and can drive back Monday morning, its going to be awful for him.

I have also found (and this is just my experience) that the places that rent for the summer on the beach are usually geared towards college kids working at the beach or shared houses, not so much family rentals. Most of those places are weekly and many are already booked. But I'm sure there are options if you look.

But the Eastern Shore is certainly not the only option. Deep Creek is nice.

[Anonymous]

You could live in downtown DC for the summer and act like a tourist.

Stay at the Watergate, see the sights during the day. Let the kids play videogames all night long and have sex on the balcony with your spouse every night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard many stories of people doing this in the midwest lake country back in the early to mid 19th century. The father would drive up on the weekends. It sure sounds heavenly to me. Get to really live for a few months out of the year. I've also heard of people doing this in the Adirondacks.

But it was a simpler time when only the father worked, rentals were affordable, and kids weren't involved in so many activities and weren't so connected that they couldn't be away from their friends and their electronics for an entire time.

I think to do the same today, you'd want to be near a small town with a library and some cultural events going on. The outdoors simple life is great, but I wouldn't want to raise my kids today without also having them exposed to culture.

A month without culture is the end of the world?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys all know that the DHs left behind in the 95 degree heat of the city are banging the junior staffers, right?

And I say this as a wife of one such biglaw DH. My private shame.

Anyway, it's weird to separate the children from their father all summer long, don't you think? Haven't we ... evolved from 1952?

The Seven Year Itch.

[Anonymous]

"I have heard many stories of people doing this in the midwest lake country back in the early to mid 19th century. The father would drive up on the weekends."

Automobiles in the early to mid 19th century? Who knew?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I have heard many stories of people doing this in the midwest lake country back in the early to mid 19th century. The father would drive up on the weekends."

Automobiles in the early to mid 19th century? Who knew?

Must have been covered during the whole month of going without culture.

[Anonymous]

It seems this is done more commonly in NY and Boston and Philly because thos cities are much closer to beach towns than DC. Here i only know people who do this who own, not rent, and even then they tend to rent out to others families much of the summer.

[Anonymous]

We do a modified version of what is described by 10:26, except we do it in Maine. Cheap flights out of BWI work well for me at the weekend (DH has a lot more vacation time than I do, and can telework as well). We own but I am sure you could find people willing to rent for the whole summer, lots of rentals up there. Probably about $1200-1500 per week unless you want really fancy locales. Never boring up there, and such a wonderful change of climate.

[Anonymous]

OP, this is going to turn into a sisboomba D.C. debate. I know plenty of people who own and rent out their CC houses. In their area (and most, from what I understand) it is not cheaper than the area beaches here, so consider that some consolation.

As for the situation you describe, it is more a Northeast thing than a D.C. thing, as we are 3 (!!!!) hours from the beach here. I am sorry for you because I know what it is like. Nothing three hours from here compares to what you are used to (chime in N.C. dump here).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys all know that the DHs left behind in the 95 degree heat of the city are banging the junior staffers, right?

And I say this as a wife of one such biglaw DH. My private shame.

Anyway, it's weird to separate the children from their father all summer long, don't you think? Haven't we ... evolved from 1952?

I was thinking the same thing. These DHs are living large during the week. Then, they play the perfect husband/father on the weekends.

[Anonymous]

I know lots of folks in Wahington who do this but they all own in Nantucket or Maine. The wife and kids go for most of the summer with DH joining on some long weekends and all of August. Many of these husbands own their businesses and/or can work in the summer remotely.

[Anonymous]

I will cast another vote for Cape Cod. If that is what you know, nothing else will feel quite right, mostly because of the climate and the feel of the towns there. I think Maine or Rhode Island would work, but really, not much is within a 3-hour drive of DC. You could consider a college town in New England, too, which might have a number of summer vacancies. Or somewhere like Stowe, Vermont, or Ogonquit, Maine. This may be an unusual suggestion, but another local option is Annapolis.