Thomas Mayer lived a full and joyful life. He loved boating on the Susquehanna River, traveling-especially to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands-playing golf, writing, painting, and swimming laps.

Like many in America, Todd Martens grew up with parents who devoted the bulk of their vacation time to Disney’s theme parks. He now understands them as places to make sense of the world rather ...