Bombardier CRJ900 looking for clear skies. (Photo: Luis Argerich/CC BY 2.0) 

It’s hot outside, so hot that even standing up, sweat is dripping down both legs, pooling visibly on another commuter’s foot. (Something that, you know, happened to a friend of mine.) Or it’s cold, so cold inside your air conditioned office tundra that you end up bringing a Snuggie to work. Or maybe you live in California, where cars are currently catching on fire—on the highway.

Escape, then, seems not only rational but necessary. For the next five days, it’s Escape Week at Atlas Obscura, and we’re going to be publishing dozens of stories exploring all possible permutations of escape. On today’s slate alone, we have a how-to on the art of vacationing (hint: think hard about who you are bringing with you); a feature on capes (the origin of the word “escape”); a look at the science of quitting; an interview with former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa auf Der Maur on how she left a rock career behind; an interactive map of literary road trips. There’s got to be an exit that appeals to you. Bon voyage!