At the moment when I was writing this column, social media and traditional news outlets are focusing on Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice for running mate as she runs to succeed incumbent President Joe Biden. Had this sentence been written a year ago, let alone a week ago, it would seem preposterous to read.

The most watched primary contest this summer pulled off an upset against two-term Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who leaned hard on an anti-Israel campaign that received national attention in a presidential election year with the war in Gaza litigated among Democratic voters. Westchester County Executive George Latimer will now be representing the 16th Congressional District in Washington.

Among the rites of passage in the summer for overnight campers is Visiting Day, when parents spend many hours on the road to reach campsites in the backwoods of the Catskills or Poconos. With my daughter having her first summer away from family in the distant town of Gilboa, I did not want to devote the day merely driving to see her and then returning home. Leaving very early, I had time for my own sightseeing last weekend. As we’ve done with our Chol HaMoed guides, perhaps this quick list of Catskills destinations can offer parents and grandparents their own experience with nature, if only for a day.