eight ways to extend summer

8 Ways To Extend Summer

[trip style = any]

Yesterday I had an end-of-summer freak out until I realized nature's heat lamp usually blasts heat into late-September AND we're getting into a CRAZY  period for booking cheap fall travel. Here are some local and international ideas to keep the summer sun shining into the fall:

1/ Don't write September off for fun in the sun. Even though every rule in the book is telling you to change everything from the colors you wear to the foods you eat after labor day, resist the urge and stay in the summer state of mind. Fall-schmall.

2/ Sizzling shoulder season. We've written about low season travel deals at length in the past. Travel at a trip style = budget-friendly price for a trip style = luxury getaway. Here are just a few of the deals that have come across my desk in the past day: - Fairmont Mayakoba {Playa Del Carmen, Mexico}: $199/night includes a DAILY $100 dining credit! Book by Aug 23 for stays through Dec 20. - Hawaiian Airlines: Seattle to Maui from $351 return. Book by Aug 27 for travel through Dec 15. - Parker Palm Springs: $169 for stays Sunday - Thursday. Book by Aug 23 for travel Sept 3 - 27. Fall shoulder season usually lands between Sept 3 and Dec 20 in most sunny destinations. Check your destination of choice for some of the year's best deals.

3/ Daycation: book a spa treatment and sit at the pool {like I did Monday}. Most hotel spas allow guests to sit by the pool pre- or post-treatment without an added fee.

4/ Plan a endless summer party. Keep the dream alive with a salmon bake, oyster-shucking fest, beach BBQ or Mexican fiesta!

5/ Visit a tiki bar. It's summer year round in the South Pacific.

6/ Plant yourself on a patio from happy hour until sundown.

7/ Plan an impromptu night away {by monitoring the weather report}. Sunny skies ahead? I hear a hotel pool calling your name. Have you heard of Hotel Tonight? This indispensable travel app is our fave way to book a hotel at the last moment.

8/ Wear white beyond labor day. It's no longer uncouth, plus, when the snow starts falling you can sport a monochromatic look.

[photo by @tripstyler taken in Vancouver at the Westin Bayshore]