ometimes summer vacation is merely an excuse to escape untenable temperatures and stifling routine. But it’s also the perfect time to take on a fact-finding mission — a way to slip into a dreamy destination, live like a local, and decide if a locale is right for rejuvenation, retirement, or even a ranch purchase. And while there are a lot of plusses to staying in a hotel — room service, cleaning service, spa services, to name a few — the best way to get the lay of the land is to rent a house in the middle of town and become
