Peaceful vacations presented through excellent rhetoric.....I'm convinced!

Everyone loves a good vacation.  A sunny day on a serene beach with the warm sand around you and the waves crashing in the background is often an ideal setting for the typical vacationer.  This environment is hard to find when you expect to find solitude among the rolling surf.  Since these vacation spots are so popular, one often finds themselves in the middle of an unexpected whiffle ball game or being bludgeoned by a passing dog.  To escape the discord and pandemonium one has to look for alternative spots or times to vacation.  In an article by Cheri Lucas titled “Off-Season Hotspots” she adequately describes spots in northern California that are perfect for the introverted traveler.  According to her, there are busy spots like Yosemite Valley and Redwood National Park that remain well visited in the spring, summer and autumn months.  When winter hits however, Lucas claims that these spots become deserted and one can find themselves alone with the sites and trails.  With the crowds gone and a good companion by your side, these sites can become your paradise.  In Lucas’ article she effectively convinces seclusion seeking travelers to take unprecedented trips through her use of examples, personal experience and useful contact information which allows the reader to visualize and then commence on his or her journey. 

Lucas does a good job of peaking the reader’s interest when she presents examples. In her article she gives good evidence that certain off-season spots are the place to be.  In her description of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk she says “The kitschy, old-school beach boardwalk in sleepy Santa Cruz remains a family favorite destination, and rides, the arcade, and bowling lanes are open on the weekend.” This detailed description of a place that some might find trivial allows the reader to picture the serene setting.  Alone on the boardwalk, travelers would be able to get the vacation they wanted. The peace and quiet that the boardwalk provides is an instant selling point for the reader and convinces them that this is the place for them to be.

 She tells of other real places like Yosemite and Redwood to convince the reader of vacations they would like to have much more than vague descriptions would.  To remind the reader of the aversion they have toward crowds she speaks of Yosemite Valley by saying “you must share the trails, the creeks, the meadows, and the views with everyone else.”  This description makes travelers seek solitude even more than before and Lucas follows that comment up with an appeal to the reader by stating “Come in the winter, however, and you will experience the vast, desolate wilderness that Ansel Adams captured in his shots.”  Lucas effectively gains the reader’s trust and compliancy by providing this intricate example. The reader is then also able to get excited and prepare to visit a real place and enjoy a break.  By providing specific examples she allows the reader to see in their mind what that certain spot would look like.  The examples are accompanied by pictures which also help to capture the reader’s attention.  Vacationers who desire to be alone and rejuvenate while on their vacation will be assured of the peace the boardwalk brings from Lucas’ well worded rhetoric.

Through the use of personal experience Lucas also helps her argument relate to the common man.  Much of her paper is focused on personal experience and readers are able to feel that emotion coming through.  While she is telling the reader about Redwood National Park she includes her own experience by saying “The trailhead may be hard to find, but the misty trek down the narrow path to the 10-foot falls is worth it.”  Her inclusion of her experience helps travelers visualize the falls and Redwood National Park.  The details she provides are appreciated and a good break from computer printouts.  She goes on to describe the “open spaces” and “lovely… winter days” that frequent these vacation spots.  Her detailed description helps travelers also know that the place Lucas talks about is real and they can have the same experience she had.  She makes it sound as though she has been to the places she mentions and has spent significant time there.  Not only has she been there, but she knows when the best time to visit is, which gives her authority and adds to her credibility.  Her wisdom as a traveler is taken into account and the reader can thoroughly rely on her insight.

The final aspect that makes this piece convincing is the addition of contact information. While a description of a great vacation sight is nice, a way to get in touch with that place is even better.   Lucas tells you about real places you should visit and then lets you know how to do that.  She gives numbers of attractions at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and also how to reserve a camping spot on Angel Island.  This specific information is relevant to the reader and puts them in the driver’s seat.  They are not only called to action, but are given the tools to help them build their vacation.  This addition by her was a selling point for the reader and helped convince them to go on one of her vacations.  By allowing the reader to secure a vacation spot while he or she read the article, she made that process quick and easy.  This final inclusion in her opinion editorial seals the deal and gives the reader what they need to succeed.

Through the use of different rhetorical strategies Lucas was able to convince the reader to go on off-season vacations to northern California.  She presented good evidence and backed that evidence up with personal experience and a way to get in touch with the sites.  This relevant information guided the reader to choose from a previously set list of vacations.  Her specificity to detail gave credibility to what she said and was a contributing factor to her well thought out paper.   She also did a good job of capturing the reader’s attention with the promise of a secluded vacation which draws them in for the remainder of the paper.  The reader’s keen interest on being alone while on vacation kept them reading and allowed Lucas to provide intimate details of certain sites. These details were backed by personal knowledge and related this piece to the common traveler. Her rhetorical strategies were successful as they provided all that was required by the reader to become fully convinced of her point.