What do you like to do? My suggestion is a road trip. It could be an overnight trip or even just a day trip.

One year when my kids were little we took them camping at Big Bend National Park. We had the Easter hunt at our campsite. Lots of fun except the silly ol Easter Bunny didn't predict 105 degree temperatures in April and the chocolate melted.

Spring usually brings festivals and flowers. Do you have any places you can locally sightsee? We have fields of blue bonnets within about an hours drive. There are plenty of places to get some renowned food or just something quick. You don't have to go anywhere specific. Just pick a place with scenery and see where a tank of gas can take you.

When my son was in his early 20s, we went off together for a couple of days to a nearby small but quite quaint and recently become semi-hip seaside town. We got a Bed & Breakfast in a cosy cottage - one of us in the big bed, the other on the flip down sofa in the sitting room. We had lunch out at a lovely cafe, went for a wonderfully scenic walk, and spent a long time watching a sea-lion hunting/playing in the surf, amongst the rocks. I left DS doing something (I've forgotten what, now) while I delved into a few of the interesting shops. Then in the evening we went out to an open mic night in an old-fashioned pub to check out the local musical talent. I have to admit my oh-so-knowledgeable son was rather scathing.. ;-) On the way home, we were going to call in at a country micro-brewery to taste some of their interesting craft beers and snacks, but found they were closed.

It was a lovely and relaxing bit of Mother and Son bonding/catching up time together, when we hadn't seen much of each other for a while, and I was due to go overseas for a few months afterwards. Your US alcohol age limits might make some of we did out of bounds for your son, of course, and I'm not sure about your legal limits for driving either - here the 0.05 blood alcohol limit makes it perfectly feasible to sip a reasonable assortment of tiny 'taster' glasses without breaking the law (or being unable to drive safely). But you get the general idea...

My son and I once spent Easter weekend giving his room a "mini makeover". Prior to the weekend, we chose new bedding, curtains and paint. Then, Friday night we emptied his room. Saturday AM scrubbed and painted walls, re-coated later Saturday and Sunday re-assembled room with new window treatments etc. All thru the weekend we ate his favorite foods, enjoyed board games together etc. He'll be 26 later this month and still talks about that weekend together.

I hope you find a new tradition that is just yours. It'd be a good time to make it. That said, I wish I could do something different. I live close to my family, and it's practically a requirement (and sometimes imposed) to get together. For every holiday. Go, enjoy it enough for the both of us :)

Thank you all for your input - you've given me some great ideas!

rob333 - though I never would have opted out of family gatherings while my parents were alive, it is very freeing to say sorry, I just can't do it this time. I did that on Thanksgiving and everyone was fine with it. My son went to his father's and I enjoyed a quiet time at home.

See that's the thing, mid-late 70s and poor health. I'm not skipping any ;)

Happy Easter!

Check out the list of national and state parks around your area. Many have little cabins that are perfect for a little getaway. You do have to make reservations.

For Easter this year, I want to do something meaningful. Two
possibilities I’m considering is going to a nursing home (with daffodils) and
visiting with whoever needs some company and a hug.

Second option is bringing
my dog to the palliative unit to visit. We were regulars there a little while
ago, and everyone knows her.

Besides that, I will go to church in the morning.

Maybe you and your son would enjoy a ‘mystery tour’. Pack a
lunch, hop in the car and go. If you see
something interesting, stop and enjoy whatever it is. I used to love doing that.

Arboretums are a nice thing to stroll through. We are lucky enough to have two very nice ones in our area.

Do something for yourself. Time for R&R. Make a nice meal for yourself or go out and get a special meal you really enjoy whether it's a burger or lobster. Maybe watch a favorite movie or something you've wanted to see. Put on some music and go with the flow. Send some emails or make some phone calls to people you have lost touch with but want to talk to a couple minutes. (Not a 3 hour chat, but say "hello, Happy Easter, talk to you later.") Depending on the weather, fire up the grill or make a campfire. Take a drive in the country and see some sights. Maybe there's something your son has wanted to learn (how to cook something, how to ____, family background, stories of when you were growing up, etc.

What about signing up for a habitat humanity type deal? Some kind of community service activity? Or make up your own. Not sure where you live but I know somebody who cleans up this one stretch of highway every single day.

As our numbers dwindled and my DH went into a nursing home, my DD and I were considering what to do for Easter about 3 years ago. She didn't want me to cook a big meal just for the two of us---she's practically a vegetarian---and I didn't want to go through all the hassle of restaurant dining. She came up with the idea of going to our local casino where the food is fabulous. So every Easter since we have enjoyed a little flutter at the slots plus a delicious buffet at a nominal price. This may seem an odd way to celebrate this day but I find it very cheering---especially if I'm lucky enough to win something.

I do not plan anything special, other than church, for Sunday, but my family is gathering at my daughter's in KC on Saturday and I am going to use my "IFly" ticket that they gave me for Christmas. I have waited to use it because my grandkids wanted to be home from college to see me take my flight!...and I am excited!

I love Summer's suggestion....I might do that on Sunday....

How about one of your relatives hosting Easter dinner....that would be a novel idea. Short of that, you could just stay in town and go to a movie and out for dinner.