What better way is there to make a vacation count than to schedule your pleasure time around an activist event? In addition to taking part in social action that can make a difference, you can also enjoy the sights and flavors of the area, and schedule some well-earned down time.
There are annual protests, such as the one held each year at Fort Benning, in Georgia. This is a protest against what used to be called the School of Americas, but has been renamed. According to some, the renaming is an attempt at rebranding a site responsible for training Latin American military personnel in the finer arts of torture.
This event is held in November, the weather is likely to offer a quite pleasant getaway for those coming from northern regions, where the winter chill is typically just settling in. Fort Benning is located near Columbus, a nice sized city — big enough to offer the visitor plenty to do and small enough to feel safe and comfortable.
Columbus is home to seven museums, including two having to do with military history. The richly ornate Springer Opera House is more than a century old, and offers, in addition to a broad range of fine performances, many vintage artifacts and displays of a bygone era in American history.
Nearby Pine Mountain is the site of the F. D. Roosevelt State Park, with 10, 000 acres available for exploration, camping and a variety of other outdoors activities. The Callaway Gardens offer another outdoor adventure, with 14,000 acres providing great hiking and an assortment of activities and events.
Washington, DC, is another great place to combine social action and vacation. In January of 2007, United for Peace and Justice organized a rally and march on the capital. Numerous social action groups choose the nation’s capital as a site to make themselves heard concerning their cause. Recent years have seen immigrant rights groups, organizations devoted to the well-being of families and children, groups championing equality between the races, organizations seeking to end poverty and hunger, and many more staging demonstrations and rallies at the capital buildings.
Naturally, the DC area has a wealth of fascinating attractions sure to make any vacation a memorable one. In addition to museums, art galleries, performing arts, fine dining, and an active nightlife, there are also unexpected pleasures. The zoo could be classified as one of those, as a zoo of this size in the nation’s capital is a bit unexpected. Open every day, except for Christmas, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park is located at 3001 Connecticut Avenue. There is no admission fee to enter and enjoy the wide variety of animal life.
Blending a bit of social action in support of the causes and ideals that are important to you can be a great way to spend a vacation. This is especially true for families, as the children will learn and experience things that they will remember for a lifetime.