| Each year, it seems like winter becomes more and more reluctant to leave us. It technically starts December 21st and is supposed to end March 20th, but it is often still damp, cold, and dark into late April. This year, escape winter's lingering depression and travel southward to discover summer's hiding place. Leave your snowsuit at home and bring your swimsuit; put down the shovel and pick up your scuba gear and push your sweaters aside to pack your tee shirts. In the middle of winter, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico's average temperatures are 80 degrees, with sea temperatures averaging 78-80 degrees, a stark contrast to Pennsylvania's average winter temperature of 31 degrees. Even the Gulf of Mexico retains summer's warmth in the dead of winter.So this winter, after you've had enough of 'the white stuff,' take a cruise around the Caribbean. Spend a week on an island adventure. Explore the Southern part of the United States. Soak in the warmth of the sun and let winter linger elsewhere. Summer is still out there. You just need to look for it. |