Caught a scene that warmed and brought joy to my heart this morning as I was on my way out for a run.

It was as beautiful as the colors of the Grand Prismatic Springs,

As breathtaking as the sunrise at the Mesa Arch,

And as exhilarating as hiking in the cold waters of the Virgin River.

It was the sight of school children, with their school bags slung over their shoulders, waiting at the school bus stops!

Kids may beg to differ, but parents everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief and doing the happy dance, now that their mini-mes will be out of their hair for hours on end. For those of us without a dog in this fight, it means we’ll soon be thawing out of semi-hibernation. With school back in session there will be less people clogging the roadways, airports will be emptier, and lodgings cheaper. For most people there are four seasons. For us there are two — travel season, and travel-at-your-own-risk season. We are entering travel season, which entails less planning, more spontaneous trips, and having the option to wake up after sunrise to enjoy a less crowded destination.

Travel season will be in full swing in 13 days as we wait for the rest of the nation to catch up to the West Coast, for some schools don’t start until after Labor Day. Thirteen days!

Now, about those pesky digital nomads and Instagrammers. I kid.

• Travel