The American vacation was once defined not by the beaches of Florida or the peaks of Colorado, but by the lake. Families escaped to calm waters for canoeing, hiking, and long afternoons spent idling on the shore. Today, vacations are harder to pin down. Some travelers look abroad to Europe, others to the Caribbean or the Canadian Rockies. Yet there's a reason lakeside getaways became the country's first great escape: they're simple, restorative, and far easier on the wallet than an overseas flight.
Every year when Labor Day rolls around and end-of-summer sales start, I make seasonal upgrades to my travel gear to prepare for fall trips. That means swapping my breezy linen for cozy layers, sandals for sneakers, and sundresses for sweaters. Mostly, I stick to classic travel clothing pieces instead of trendy ones so they can stay in my closet year after year.