I like sleeping, because it allows me to forget about the problems of the day. It allows me to rest and recharge. If I sleep well, and I usually do, I wake up refreshed and ready to go. I’m ready to tackle the challenges, and welcome new opportunities presented by each new day.

For the same reasons, it’s important for me to take a vacation. Or better yet, several a year!

My break can be an active vacation, filled with moving about, soaking up new places, and creating special experiences. Or it can be the opposite. Sitting under an umbrella at the beach or poolside with a good book is just as wonderful. Sometimes, I get a chance to combine both types of vacations in a single getaway.

I just returned from such a trip. My wife and I flew to Oregon, celebrated our daughter’s college graduation, partied with about 75 of her “closest friends,” and went out to dinner at nice places including a winery perched high in the hills outside Eugene. Then, we took in a few days as a family to visit Crater Lake and marvel at the beauty of one of America’s most pristine spots.

At first it felt strange, then liberating. I found a sense of calm at 7,100 feet up, watching the full moon rise over the shimmering waters of Crater Lake. We stayed at the historic National Park Lodge, which is hitched right along the rim. There is no Internet access up there. My cell phone did not work – so my Blackberry was strangely silent. And there were NO TVs in the rooms or the public areas of the lodge. Just a lot of nature. And time to enjoy it. Seeing the sun rise at 5:27 one morning, and the full moon at the other end of the day was amazingly restorative for me… as were the slow-paced meals and long walks in the mountain-crisp air.

It reminded me of why, at least for me, it is worthwhile to go “off the grid” now and then.

What about you? What kind of vacation restores your outlook and your energy?