Question of the Week: What is one of your favorite vacation memories?

+14 votes
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in The Tree House by Eowyn Walker G2G Astronaut (2.4m points)
I just returned from my favorite vacation. My husband and I went to Bermuda to celebrate our 50th  wedding anniversary. We had gone to Bermuda 50 years ago for our honeymoon, and this was our first trip back in 50 years.

21 Answers

+13 votes
...hand in hand with my great aunt Ethel, wading in the ocean and watching the sun rise over Waikiki beach.
by
That sounds wonderful, Kelly! What a great memory!
I love the way the sun rise reflects off the ocean around Hawaii. I haven't been to Waikiki at sunrise. I have similar memories at a few beaches. I love that you shared this memory.
Waikiki looks at the sunset.  But the sunrise or sunset looks amazing from where ever view in Hawaii. I look north off my coast and get reflections of both sunrise and sunset.
+11 votes

Sitting with my husband, on Christmas Day, peeling and eating cold prawns, from the paper they were wrapped in,  on a secluded tropical beach in Far North Queensland.

No dishes at the end of the day is always a great vacation for me.smiley

Cheers ... Sharon.

by anonymous G2G6 Pilot (131k points)
edited by anonymous
+13 votes

One of my favorite vacations was a trip that my sister and I went on with our parents. I was in 5th grade and she was in 3rd grade.

My dad NEVER wore shorts. We all thought he had great legs, but we were young. My mom convinced him to wear them to drive, insisting he would be cooler. 

We were headed to Mississippi to see my Aunt Kathleen and Aunt Elizabeth. My mother was the co-pilot, and, as all women do, she had him going in the wrong direction. 

We were on the interstate and there were no roads to turn around. We would have to drive to the next exist and they didn't know how far away that was.  However, they did have the U-turn lanes that were for emergency only.  My mom told dad to turn around in one of those. Dad told her that as soon as he did, a cop would show up and give him a ticket.

Mom insisted there were no police around, so dad made a U-turn. As soon as he did, we all heard sirens. And then we heard my dad. "Jan, I told you I shouldn't have turned, and now I am going to have to get out of the car in these shorts."

Dad pulled over, and the policeman asked him to get out of the car. I don't think I mentioned that I had a brownie camera. When dad got out, so did I - to take a picture. From the look my dad gave me, it could have been the last thing I did.

I got back in the car, and we were all snickering in the car. The policeman wanted to know what was so funny. (Were the cops friendlier then, or were we lucky?) 

Whatever the case, dad got off with a warning, and so did I.

We had a great time in Mississippi, and then stopped in Kentucky to visit with some of my dad's cousins. 

I didn't mention that we were in a new car. Dad was very proud of his car.  My sister and I had crayolas to entertain us while we were driving.  When we were using them, we put them in the back car window. They ended up melting and made a huge mess.

I guess all of these things are why this is one of my favorite vacation memories.

by Cheryl Hess G2G Astronaut (1.8m points)
edited by Cheryl Hess

⚘Great story Cheryl.

Now I now why my parents did not provide writing implements on our road trips. smiley  We played Eye Spy and The Number Plate Game when driving with my parents. 

Great memories.

Cheers ... Sharon.

 

Thank you Sharon. My sister was too young on that trip to play those games. We did on later games. You just brought back some good memories.

Thank you! smiley

Bet those crayons did make a mess! Thanks for a great vacation story.
You are welcome, Mike. Thank you for reading it!
Love your vacation story, especially the part where you got out to take a picture. You were ahead of your time with all the filming of live police shows on television now.
Perfect Vacation Cheryl !  How brave you were with your Brownie Camera.
Thank you Alexis. You are too funny.  My dad wasn't amused.
Thank you Peggy. I WAS brave that day.  It was probably the last time I was brave.  lol
+7 votes
My wife and I had an interesting vacation in about 1998. She had to fly out to California for business but I flew out when it was over and we rented a car and toured the Napa Valley. This was in the early spring so there weren't grapes growing, but we were more interested in meeting a doctor (Dr McDougall) we'd been following.  He worked at Saint Helena hospital so we stopped there and while we were there we met him and said hi and take a few pictures. Then we went and took some of the tours which the local vineyards had cheap or free.  And after getting back to San Francisco, we went to the Dr. McDougall Right Foods plant which have supported Dr. McDougall views and produce low fat "Vegan" meals.
by Dave Dardinger G2G6 Pilot (437k points)
+11 votes

When my mother took my two sisters and I to Biloxi, Mississippi.  I remember even the way the air smelled when we arrived there. Now when I visit, I am always reminded of this, and cherish this memory.  heart

by Chris McClendon G2G Crew (540 points)
+12 votes

My first really vivid vacation memory was the summer of 1957, when I was 11, my mother and Grandma Nellie decided to take my two cousins and me to Yellowstone. My cousin Carolyn was 9 and cousin Jeffery was 7. There were signs everywhere to not feed the bears, but grandma was always one to do her own thing. So when the car in front of us stopped to see the bears, grandma started throwing all our cookies and snacks out the window. Consequently the bears were all over our car with claws trying to get in the widows. That night poor Jeffery was up most of the night crying with nightmares about bears trying to get him.  He mainly kept grandma from sleeping, as he was in the bed with her. My mother's only comment was that grandma should have not fed the bears.

by Alexis Nelson G2G6 Pilot (842k points)
Alexis, I am sorry, but this had me laughing, as this is something that my grandmother would do. She didn't think the rules applied to her.

Thank you for sharing.
Cheryl, I called my cousin Carolyn before I put this on, and we laughed and laughed. We must all have a lot in common with our grandmothers.
Alexis, I guess we must have. My grandmother was so much fun to be with. I miss her very much. But I was blessed. She lived to be almost 98.

Have a wonderful evening.
Nellie lived to 93, but was in perfect heath except for stepping on a toothpick and getting a foot infection that she did nothing about. Today’s wound care would have kept her alive longer. The women from that era were strong, they had to be, glad your grandmother made it to 98.
Alexis - that is horrible. You are right. If Nellie would have had today's healthcare, she would have easily made 100.

I was really blessed to have grandma that long. She was a hoot!
+10 votes
My family summer vacation to the west coast (of New Zealand) in 1993. We had so much fun for 2 weeks, and got to do so many things....
by Robynne Lozier G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
Oh, you are very lucky. I would love to go to New Zealand. I bet it was beautiful.
+11 votes
Hard to top Cheryl's memories.......   

As a child we never vacationed,  we just moved.

As a adult,  my husband and I took our first cruise in October,  just after the 9/11 attacks by terrorists.    I  claim this as my favorite because my husband finally bonded with the idea of vacations  (he's really a homebody, and traveled a lot for work)...... he loved the cruise because once you got on the ship: no driving or trying to catch an aircraft,  no more worries about where to sleep, you know where to eat and your stuff is safe.   (Not to mention entertainment if you choose to leave your cabin.)    

But the most interesting part of this cruise was the navel escorts.   It seemed  4 or 5 cruise ships were clustered together as we sailed from Ft. Lauderdale,  and discretely further out  were 2 U.S. naval ships..... as we got further south, the U.S. ships were replaced by Mexican Naval Ships.     But the stars are endless.

Despite the "suspense" of the times,  Princess Cruise Lines presented a vacation of normal relaxation.  

This was the beginning of our Cruise Vacations.....
by Peggy McReynolds G2G6 Pilot (470k points)
Peggy, I think this was a very interesting vacation, and you two were brave to go on a cruise so soon after 9/11. I would have been terrified.

But the coolest part is that you have won your husband over on vacations. I hope you will be sharing more of them with us in the future. I look forward to hearing about them.
Cheryl,

I think we were "brave" because we had non refundable tickers booked well before 9-11.....

But you're right about the cruises continuing...... in fact, my husband mentioned how people in their 90's were still cruising.

WOW, I guess you were, Peggy.  But you enjoyed your trip, so that is all that matters. I have never been on a cruise, and we will never go on one. My husband is terrified on water. He has the same dream over and over that he drowns in water.

So, I will let you enjoy them for me. laugh

My husband has a saying, “Your first cruise is the best one.” He never gets sea sick, but I have often had to wear a patch, so I don’t ruin things by getting sea sick. Glad you have enjoyed cruising.
My childhood was lots of moving. One summer. My mother Sent me to visit my aunt and uncle in Nebraska. That's where you go on vacation when you live in Hawaii. Anyway, just under 2 weeks later, I saw my new home in Lincoln, Nebraska. I have similar "vacation" stories to the one I just shared.
Paul, were you a military family? When I was married to my first husband, we were in Texas, and Arizona within six months. We spent a couple of years in Arizona.

Just wondering.

Were you joking about visiting Nebraska when you live in Hawaii? I am wondering why? There is not too much there, right?

Have a great weekend.
I wasn't in a military family. My father died when I was 6. My mother moved us around a lot to be by her side of the family. Her father was from Omaha. So when we lived in Hawaii, we visited Nebraska. Then when we moved to Nebraska we visited Hawaii. I could go on forever about the places I loved as a kid.
Paul, I am sorry you lost your father when you were so young. Sorry for so many questions. You sound so nice. Have a wonderful weekend.
+8 votes
I stayed at my grandmother's during summer vacation while my mother worked.  My grandmother had two large looms for making rag rugs. My most treasured memory was her allowing me to operate one of those looms.  How I wish I had them now.
by
Ruth, I am jealous. That is something I have always wanted to do. I crochet and knit, but have never worked on a loom.

How fun!
Cheryl, thank you for your comment. I understand from what my mother told me that Nana  had sent away  for the kit to make those looms. I do have a small one she made that is for table scarves and and place mats.  I also enjoy knitting and crocheting as well as sewing. Isn't fun to work with our hands?
Ruth, it is. Before I began genealogy, I thought it was a waste of time to just sit and watch TV. I was always knitting or crocheting. Now I have my laptop in front of me, and watch TV and research at the same time. I still would like to try a loom once before I die, though.
Cheryl, I think it is important to try to reach  for those opportunities we want so much. My mother had a poster that said "Tomorrow is a dream that leads me onward." I hope you get a chance to fulfill your dream.
+10 votes
During the two years we were stationed in Bulgaria, we took our four daughters to the UK for vacation.  London-Winchester-Bath-Shrewsbury-Darby-Lake District-Edinburgh-York-Nottingham and back to London to meet up with my brother and his family who came over for a vacay at the same time.  It would take forever to detail everything we saw and did - but what memories we created as a family!
by Anneliese Kennedy G2G6 Mach 1 (17.9k points)
Wow, Anneliese, that sounds like a Great vacation.

Lucky you.
+9 votes
Going to the beach every summer with my sister, grandmother, & grandfather. We eventually stopped. Because of money, my grandfather's age & health, etc. But I still miss those days... I loved doing that with them. I remember spending the night at their house, waking up early the next morning, walking into the living room & see everything we were taking packed up & set in front of the TV, ready to be put in the car. I wish we could do that again. But we can't with just the 4 of us anymore. My grandfather passed away a couple years ago..
by Clayton Martinez G2G6 (7.7k points)
Clayton, grandparents are great fun. The best days of my life were spent with my grandparents.

Mine have been gone for some time, I am sorry for the loss of yours.
+9 votes
Grandpa John F. Olson announced on his 90th birthday that he wanted to go home to Sweden to visit his sister and brother. After some health issue delays, his son and I and 3 kids accompanied Grandpa to Osby, Sweden. He had been gone for 72 years! When he arrived at his childhood home and met his siblings, they circled, hugged and cried together for several minutes. Their reunion was my most memorable vacation moment.
by Roberta Malcheski G2G Crew (470 points)
Blood certainly runs deep.  What an incredible 90th birthday.
That sounds like the best vacation your grandpa could have asked for!

I am glad that you were able to enjoy it with him.
+8 votes

One of my favourite holiday memories is of cockling on Ryde beach. We would then take them home and cook them for our tea. Well Gran cooked them.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockle_(bivalve)

Delicious

by Janet Wild G2G6 Pilot (329k points)
+8 votes
One of my favourite vacations was the two weeks I spent on the Holy Isle of Iona in Scotland in the summer of 2008. It is a special Celtic spiritual space and strengthened my spirit.
by Robin Barrett G2G3 (3.1k points)
+9 votes
My brother and I spent our vacation at Sunriver, OR. From there we visited Crater Lake, Christmas Valley, and the Cowboy Dinner Tree.
by Living Stubbs G2G2 (2.1k points)
When I was in high school. I loved in Washington. I used to go to Oregon to visit relatives for a weekend or a random week in the summer. Crater lake was one of my favorite places to look at.
+8 votes
It was the summer of 1992.

My immediate family. Which would be my mother, step father, 2 sisters, and my half brother. Took a trip to Maui and Oahu. We spent time with my biological fathers family. As well as my mothers side of the family. It was 2 weeks of fun just hanging out with eachother. My biological fathers family was very open and welcoming to My step father and made him feel welcome.

On Maui we had a great time with my maternal grandmothers family. We also went to My dad's grave. It would've been his 40th birthday.

One of the highlights was 8 of us Kreutz cousins traveling around Maui doing stupid, fun teenage stuff. As well as wrestling each other on the slopes of Haleakala.

One of my cousins and I went camping on a beach on Oahu. Can't remember the name of it. But on the journey there. We stopped for gas. Then in heavy traffic the good popped open like in the movie Tommy Boy. My uncle was so angry when he saw his car the next day with a bent up hood.

That was also the last time I saw my great grandmother. She was a loud, obnoxious lady. I could go on and on forever about that trip.
by Paul Kreutz G2G6 Pilot (129k points)
That sounds light an awesome vacation. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could revisit our childhood one more time!

Thank you Paul, for taking me back with you!
It was one of my better vacation memories. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wish I could go back to age 16 and relive those 2 weeks. Another funny moment from the same vacation. We were at this park.  Having a family gathering on Oahu. Eating, playing on the beach. Just a good time. Then a bird flew over head and relieved itself right on to My cousins pork and beans. No he didn't eat them, he almost did. His head was turned when it happened. He thought we were messing with him until he finally looked down at his plate.
Paul, that is funny. Sounds like you have great vacation memories. I would love to have seen his face when he realized it wasn't a joke! lol
I thought were all going to take a beating from him. When he looked at his beans, he just laughed with us. As for your comment above. It was horrible losing my dad at that age. I have a couple of super funny memories of him. I also have some just good memories. It's nice getting to share some of them with people. As for me seeming nice. Don't tell my coworkers or the boy dating my 17yr old daughter. He almost loses bowel control when I look at him.
My lips are seals. You are funny!
+8 votes
Two weeks in Chiang Mai, the most beautiful village in Northern Thailand!  Quaint simple living among lovely people. This was in the 70's.  I understand that progress has overtaken it now. There's even a Holiday Inn!  Too bad!
by Raymond Dotson G2G5 (5.6k points)
edited by Raymond Dotson
I have always wanted to travel to Thailand and look at historical temples. As well as just travel the country side. I bet it was beautiful.
+8 votes
Another Vacation

Back in the 80's. Summer time.

My grandmother and I boarded the first of many flights. At Kahului Airport on Maui. We flew to Omaha, Nebraska. My Aunt and Uncle picked us up and took us to Lincoln. It was the first time I met my cousin Kimo. I think I was 7.

We did normal things that little boys do. Bike riding, hanging at the park across the street. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just hanging out. It was my first summer after my dad past away.

I remember my Uncle Jerry took us to Grand Island, and St. Paul, Nebraska. Uncle Jerry took us to a museum in Grand Island. I remember we rode a train at the museum. I don't remember much else about the museum. I believe it's called the Stuhr Museum. I drive by it sometimes for my jpb. Every time I drive by there it reminds me of the first time I saw a train in real life and got to ride it.

Also, we went walking around my Uncle's mother's farm in St. Paul. I started crying because I thought spiders were on my shoe. Uncle Jerry looked at my shoe and said "hey Paul, that's a tick." I immediately stopped crying and Sent back to running around. He had to chase me down and pull the rocks from my shoe laces. He still laughs every time he tells that story.
by Paul Kreutz G2G6 Pilot (129k points)
+8 votes
Driving through the redwood forest of California in the 1950's.
by Leigh Anne Dear G2G6 Pilot (138k points)
+7 votes
Having been raised in Southern New Mexico, my first big vacation was to California in Summer of 1950. We drove out and I saw San Diego Harbor, with active Navy flying boats, to be seen from Point Loma and the Pacific Ocean. I knew this must be Heaven!  We traveled north and swam in the ocean at Carlsbad, Ca.  We kept going, and visited an uncle in west LA and he took me flying out over the ocean in his plane. We finished that day, by dining at Knotts Berry Farm. As we started toward home, we stopped to visit a Great Aunt near Hemet, where they had an orchard and fruit stand. Grapefruit, on the tree, can you believe that???
by William Harrison G2G1 (1.0k points)

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