My City July 2022

MYMUSINGS

Nothing Says “Sum er Vac i n” Like Bear Spray BY LESLIE TOLDO I am going on my rst summer vacation in years. I don’t mean since the pandemic started – I haven’t slipped sunscreen and ip- ops into my carry-on in nearly a decade. Blame it on being busy or life getting in the way, but for the last several years my summer adventures have happened in my backyard, aka staycations. Don’t get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed lounging around in my pajamas for one week every summer. In fact, that’s what summer vacation has always been about, only instead of napping in a lawn chair on my deck, summer vacations past were always spent loll ing on the beach with my toes in the sand. is summer vacation will be a little diŠerent. My husband and I are headed to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. ere will be no lolling. We will be hiking diŽcult terrain, crossing rocky rivers, and maybe even white-water rafting.

“essentials” lists, which tells me it’s not a matter of if we will encounter a bear, but when . Doesn’t that just scream summer fun? None of the lists I found included ip- ops, either. I will be trading mine in for hiking

boots, along with smart wool socks and anti-chafe stick to help keep blisters at bay.at’s important because it is much harder to run from a bear when your feet are covered in blisters. e Ultimate Yellowstone Packers also highly recommend warm clothing because it can get chilly at night. So where is the “summer” in this summer vacation? Technically, it will be a vacation taken during the summer and there is really nothing carved in stone that says summer vacations have to be beachy, although Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello might disagree.

Also, summer vacations my family took when I was a child were always road trips. I won’t be ghting with my sister in the back seat, but I can annoy my husband with sing-alongs, frequent pit stops and games of “I Spy.” I can also throw together a nice summer playlist for our long car ride and our hikes. I wonder if bears prefer reggae or calypso… ®

is will be a long road trip with no baggage limits, but my goal is still to pack light. I want to be well orga

nized and only take the necessities, so I turned to the internet for packing advice. I found several lists touted as “the ultimate Yellowstone packing list.” ey were all about the same: sunscreen, mosquito repellent, bear spray. Bear spray? “What are we thinking ?” I won

expressiovisual / stock.adobe.com

An Emmy-nominated anchor/meteorol ogist/reporter at FOX66 and NBC25, Leslie Toldo has worked in TV news for over 30 years, nearly 20 in Flint. She is a blogger, writer, wedding and funeral officiant. Born and raised in Baton Rouge,

LA, she graduated from the University of Wyoming. An avid kayaker, boater and runner, Leslie lives in Linden with her husband, Ellie the cat and three dogs: Bear, Gus and Lucy.

dered, “Why would we willingly drive 20-plus hours to hide from bears?” Bear spray topped most of the

7 8

MYCITYMAG.COM