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Childhood Vacations

scrapchyck

scrapchyck

I scraplift, therefore I am
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What is your most vivid childhood memory of a summer vacation or camp trip?

My most vivid memory of a childhood vacation was from 1971 when we took a road trip from Oregon back to Iowa/Illinois where my mom and dad were from. My dad set up a platform in the backseat of our car and put a foam pad down and we kids slept a lot while my dad drove. I remember seeing the Mississippi River, seeing lightning bugs for the first time, going to a city fair with my great, great Aunt Vera and cousin Mindy, seeing a remote control for a TV for the first time, and also visiting Old Faithful, Mt. Rushmore, and the Corn Palace on the way home. Also, some spectacular lightning in the sky! Definitely stood out to me as an 8 year old!
 
My parents worked running a country store 7 days a week for much of my childhood, and then had land and animals to care for so we only had one real 'road trip' vacation together, when I was about 7 or 8. I remember it vividly because it was a rare chance to spend a lot of time with my Dad and he was fun on that trip. We explored the South Island of NZ, and he and I were the ones climbing into the middle of rivers and up rocks. We went to ghost towns and old gold mining sites, and wild beaches. It was also the first time we had takeaways (KFC!) and one day my Dad came back to the bed and breakfast with an 'avocado pear' that he had read about as the new fashionable food. He didn't rate it - not surprising as it was rock hard!! :lol
 
In 1969 when I was 13, my parents, a cousin and I along with another couple that had 2 boys went to Carter Caves State Park in Kentucky for a week. We spent time swimming, even rode horseback along some trails. But the most memorable part of the week was that we all gathered in one room along with another couple we met there and their 2 kids to watch the moon landing.

When we got home, we found out that Neil Armstrong's mother kept trying to get hold of mom and dad because they were having a neighborhood get together to celebrate the moon landing. They lived in our neighborhood. Neil's mom finally called my grandma (who was one of her close friends) to ask where Mom and Dad were since they weren't answering the phone! Mom was so sad she missed it!

But we had a great time talking with anyone at the park about our "hometown boy" that just did something quite amazing!
 
I think my most vivid memory is of a time when we went camping in the Smoky Mountains and my sister and I wandered off from our campsite and got lost in the forest. We started hollering for help and my parents heard us, but they thought we were just having fun. Finally they came and found us and we were sobbing. Lol. I definitely pay WAY more attention when I go out into the woods even on trails now. The rest of the trip was super fun, but I definitely remember that part the most!
 
Early 1970's. I had two older brothers, 10 and 12 years older than me, and we used to do driving vacations. I don't have a ton of vacation memories, other than being squashed on the "hump" of the middle seat and not being able to see out because I had a stinky teenage brother on both sides of me. My parents couldn't afford to fly anywhere so they would toss us in the back seat of the station wagon and we would drive from dawn to dusk every day, stopping at a Motel 6 or Howard Johnson's. Swimming pool! That's the part I liked best, the swimming pool at the end of the day. When I was a little older, they let me lie in the back of the station wagon with the suitcases so I could have my own space, and I would do little dances in the back window with my feet, back in the time when we didn't have to wear seatbelts and it was perfectly normal for a kid to roll around in the back with suitcases.

Trigger warning - bad sunburn after-effects

The most vivid part besides a swimming pool was when we drove to Mexico. We were out in the heat all day, the boys looking at ruins and me bored as a rock. A few days later, I screamed bloody murder, "Snake! EEEEEEE!!!! Snake!!!!" when I went into the bathroom because it looked like a snake had shed in our sink. It was my brother's sunburn skin, peeled off in sheets. EEEEEWWWW
 
When I was 10 or so, my mom got annual passes to Sea World. Teachers get in free and they had a promotion to upgrade your daily ticket to an annual pass for cheap. Basically, our trips costs us gas, parking, and food. I made friends with a lot of the employees and ended up getting to guest run the talk at the stingray tank. One of the keepers gave me a stingray tooth to bring home too.

We did some of the behind-the-scenes tours too so we got to pet a penguin (felt like the softest blanket) and some polar bear fur (but not the real bears).

There were just lots of moments of magic because we didn't need to rush and could spend all day at our favorite attractions. And then we'd go to Pizzeria Uno's afterwards. Our friend/favorite waiter/honorary sibling knew the timing of the fireworks show, how long it took to get to our car, average Orlando traffic, and our orders so we walked in to cold drinks and like 5 min wait on our appetizer after.
 
My family traveled almost never, but when I was in junior high my older sister (12 years older than me) moved to Tempe, Arizona to go to graduate school. My parents decided to make it a family trip. This was around 1994... in August... in a 1982 Suburban with NO A/C and no radio. The way down we were packed so tight because all of her stuff filled the back of the car. My brother brought his boombox and ran it on D batteries, playing his favorite UB40 cassette single over and over and over...
Typing this out makes it sound so miserable, but I actually have fond memories of the trip! Probably because it was all such a new experience for me, I had never been on a road trip, stayed in a motel, or seen a different area before. I remember loving the big saguaro cacti!
 
LynnG said:
My parents worked running a country store 7 days a week for much of my childhood, and then had land and animals to care for so we only had one real 'road trip' vacation together, when I was about 7 or 8. I remember it vividly because it was a rare chance to spend a lot of time with my Dad and he was fun on that trip. We explored the South Island of NZ, and he and I were the ones climbing into the middle of rivers and up rocks. We went to ghost towns and old gold mining sites, and wild beaches. It was also the first time we had takeaways (KFC!) and one day my Dad came back to the bed and breakfast with an 'avocado pear' that he had read about as the new fashionable food. He didn't rate it - not surprising as it was rock hard!! :lol
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I was just talking about KFC with friends this weekend...that used to be fancy dining for my family! As my dad aged, he started looking like The Colonel! LOL
 
HavaDrPepper said:
In 1969 when I was 13, my parents, a cousin and I along with another couple that had 2 boys went to Carter Caves State Park in Kentucky for a week. We spent time swimming, even rode horseback along some trails. But the most memorable part of the week was that we all gathered in one room along with another couple we met there and their 2 kids to watch the moon landing.

When we got home, we found out that Neil Armstrong's mother kept trying to get hold of mom and dad because they were having a neighborhood get together to celebrate the moon landing. They lived in our neighborhood. Neil's mom finally called my grandma (who was one of her close friends) to ask where Mom and Dad were since they weren't answering the phone! Mom was so sad she missed it!

But we had a great time talking with anyone at the park about our "hometown boy" that just did something quite amazing!
Click to expand...
What a bummer to have missed out on that celebration! That was big doin's in 1969. I remember watching it...I think it was in July and I remember which house I lived in then.
 
Karen said:
I think my most vivid memory is of a time when we went camping in the Smoky Mountains and my sister and I wandered off from our campsite and got lost in the forest. We started hollering for help and my parents heard us, but they thought we were just having fun. Finally they came and found us and we were sobbing. Lol. I definitely pay WAY more attention when I go out into the woods even on trails now. The rest of the trip was super fun, but I definitely remember that part the most!
Click to expand...
Scary! I've never been lost, but lost my kid in a store once. The panic was real!
 
Aerobigirl said:
Early 1970's. I had two older brothers, 10 and 12 years older than me, and we used to do driving vacations. I don't have a ton of vacation memories, other than being squashed on the "hump" of the middle seat and not being able to see out because I had a stinky teenage brother on both sides of me. My parents couldn't afford to fly anywhere so they would toss us in the back seat of the station wagon and we would drive from dawn to dusk every day, stopping at a Motel 6 or Howard Johnson's. Swimming pool! That's the part I liked best, the swimming pool at the end of the day. When I was a little older, they let me lie in the back of the station wagon with the suitcases so I could have my own space, and I would do little dances in the back window with my feet, back in the time when we didn't have to wear seatbelts and it was perfectly normal for a kid to roll around in the back with suitcases.

Trigger warning - bad sunburn after-effects

The most vivid part besides a swimming pool was when we drove to Mexico. We were out in the heat all day, the boys looking at ruins and me bored as a rock. A few days later, I screamed bloody murder, "Snake! EEEEEEE!!!! Snake!!!!" when I went into the bathroom because it looked like a snake had shed in our sink. It was my brother's sunburn skin, peeled off in sheets. EEEEEWWWW
Click to expand...
We really did live recklessly! LOL I remember crawling over the front bench seat to get into the back...back and forth. And the parents were basically hotboxing us with their cigarette smoke the whole time. Sheesh! As for the peeled skin...I would've been helping him peel it! One of my favorite things to do. No one will ever know the satisfaction now with all the sunscreen and lack of serious burns! LOL
 
Brendazzle said:
When I was 10 or so, my mom got annual passes to Sea World. Teachers get in free and they had a promotion to upgrade your daily ticket to an annual pass for cheap. Basically, our trips costs us gas, parking, and food. I made friends with a lot of the employees and ended up getting to guest run the talk at the stingray tank. One of the keepers gave me a stingray tooth to bring home too.

We did some of the behind-the-scenes tours too so we got to pet a penguin (felt like the softest blanket) and some polar bear fur (but not the real bears).

There were just lots of moments of magic because we didn't need to rush and could spend all day at our favorite attractions. And then we'd go to Pizzeria Uno's afterwards. Our friend/favorite waiter/honorary sibling knew the timing of the fireworks show, how long it took to get to our car, average Orlando traffic, and our orders so we walked in to cold drinks and like 5 min wait on our appetizer after.
Click to expand...
How special!!! This must've shaped your love of conservation, what a wonderful way to spend vacation days!
 
Lynnette said:
My family traveled almost never, but when I was in junior high my older sister (12 years older than me) moved to Tempe, Arizona to go to graduate school. My parents decided to make it a family trip. This was around 1994... in August... in a 1982 Suburban with NO A/C and no radio. The way down we were packed so tight because all of her stuff filled the back of the car. My brother brought his boombox and ran it on D batteries, playing his favorite UB40 cassette single over and over and over...
Typing this out makes it sound so miserable, but I actually have fond memories of the trip! Probably because it was all such a new experience for me, I had never been on a road trip, stayed in a motel, or seen a different area before. I remember loving the big saguaro cacti!
Click to expand...
This reminds me of a trip I took with my friend's family in highschool to Arizona. We had one cassette tape we listened to over and over in the family Winnebago.
 
scrapchyck said:
What a bummer to have missed out on that celebration! That was big doin's in 1969. I remember watching it...I think it was in July and I remember which house I lived in then.
Click to expand...
Moonwalk was July 20, 1969, a Sunday night. First step was at 10:39 p.m. EDT. So past the bedtime for the younger kids but the parents all wanted the kids to see the whole thing. He was on the surface for over 2 hours.

Even though Mom and Dad missed that party, there were bigger things happening in town in later weeks. The town had a huge welcome home parade Labor Day weekend. And, I mean HUGE for this small town of 8,000 people. Streets were packed. Celebrities showed up and over 80,000 people descended on the town that day. Bob Hope was the grand marshal. My grandparents lived on the parade route so we had a prime spot and didn't have to deal with the crowded sidewalks of the downtown streets.

Every July, the weekend that falls closest to the date of the moon landing, the town has a Summer Moon Festival. This year is July 14 - 19. Some activities start on Tuesday and Wednesday and starting Thursday night, the downtown streets are closed through late Saturday night. Activities are also held at the museum that weekend. Several times in the last 5 to 8 years, the frogmen that recovered the capsule have attended events at the museum. NASA astronauts have also attended (museum has a good relationship with NASA). One year Sunni Williams was here (who knew she'd make news for staying in space longer than her 8 day mission some day!) In 2019, there was a supersized festival to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
 
HavaDrPepper said:
Moonwalk was July 20, 1969, a Sunday night. First step was at 10:39 p.m. EDT. So past the bedtime for the younger kids but the parents all wanted the kids to see the whole thing. He was on the surface for over 2 hours.

Even though Mom and Dad missed that party, there were bigger things happening in town in later weeks. The town had a huge welcome home parade Labor Day weekend. And, I mean HUGE for this small town of 8,000 people. Streets were packed. Celebrities showed up and over 80,000 people descended on the town that day. Bob Hope was the grand marshal. My grandparents lived on the parade route so we had a prime spot and didn't have to deal with the crowded sidewalks of the downtown streets.

Every July, the weekend that falls closest to the date of the moon landing, the town has a Summer Moon Festival. This year is July 14 - 19. Some activities start on Tuesday and Wednesday and starting Thursday night, the downtown streets are closed through late Saturday night. Activities are also held at the museum that weekend. Several times in the last 5 to 8 years, the frogmen that recovered the capsule have attended events at themuseum. NASA astronauts have also attended (museum has a good relationship with NASA). One year Sunni Williams was here (who knew she'd make news for staying in space longer than her 8 day mission some day!) In 2019, there was a supersized festival to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
Click to expand...
How amazing!!! What a great legacy for the town!
 
scrapchyck said:
How special!!! This must've shaped your love of conservation, what a wonderful way to spend vacation days!
Click to expand...
Definitely.

She & I were just reminiscing about how we also had a pass from a local parenting magazine that got us in to a bunch of attractions for super cheap: Butterfly World, the science museum, the Seaquarium, and a few other places I don't remember off the top of my head. She did not realize until yesterday that most kids didn't have a childhood like the one she gave my brother and I. Now I just have to figure out how to take her to the Georgia Aquarium...
 
scrapchyck said:
How amazing!!! What a great legacy for the town!
Click to expand...
Yes, it is. We've got an awesome museum about space and the moon because of it. The museum sits right beside an interstate so is seen of a multitude of people every single day. My mom's photo is actually in the museum. It has Neil's childhood and history displayed and a photo of him with the rest of the band is exhibited. My mom was also in the band so is in the photo. Both my parents knew Neil in high school. He was actually my dad's age but skipped a grade in school so graduated the year before my dad. Mom was 2 years behind my dad so 3 behind Neil.
 
HavaDrPepper said:
Yes, it is. We've got an awesome museum about space and the moon because of it. The museum sits right beside an interstate so is seen of a multitude of people every single day. My mom's photo is actually in the museum. It has Neil's childhood and history displayed and a photo of him with the rest of the band is exhibited. My mom was also in the band so is in the photo. Both my parents knew Neil in high school. He was actually my dad's age but skipped a grade in school so graduated the year before my dad. Mom was 2 years behind my dad so 3 behind Neil.
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I'm having a Six Degrees of Separation moment!
 
Road trip to Washington, D.C., from Ottawa, Canada, late 1970s. We used to stay at Holiday Inns with swimming pools (swimming pools!!), and we kids thought we had died and gone to heaven. A brochure in a Pennsylvania hotel advertised Hershey Park; and oh please, Da, can we go to this amusement park?; and our Dad said ‘Yes’! One of the most magical and unexpected moments from my childhood.
 
I love all your fabulous stories! Ahhh the good old days! Love it.
We didn't really go on family holidays sadly. My dad was in the Army and it seemed like every time they talked about taking a holiday somewhere we got posted.
I think we all consider the two years Dad was posted to Papua New Guinea (1973-74) a bit of a holiday. My brother and I pretty much ran wild for two solid years while Mum and Dad were busy with work. We couldn't get into too much trouble as we were living in an Army compound but all us army brats roamed around like every day was vacation :giggle. We all went to school but most classes were outside under a tree so it still felt free and easy.
 
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