Where Was Your Favorite Place to Vacation as a Kid?

[911]

I was OK with staying home, but not my Dad. He had to take the family on a vacation. One year, we drove all the way to California. Another year, we drove to Florida. Those long drives for 2 young kids, my sister and I, were pure misery. Going to California was the worse. I thought we had left the U.S. by the time we got to St. Louis. I even asked Mom what country are we in now. Her and dad looked at each other and laughed.

I asked Dad why we were going to California. He said he wanted us kids to experience the whole trip and he had a big surprise for us kids. His big surprise was he took us to Disneyland, which we did enjoy. I liked staying in the hotels. We even ordered breakfast in our room one morning. That was fun. We saw a tornado in Kansas. That was cool. My sister got real excited seeing cactus in Arizona. She met a boy on the beach in California and he invited her to a party that night, but Dad said absolutely not, unless he was also invited, so no one went. I was glad Dad took a different route home so we saw different things. I think Mom said she took 5 or 6 rolls of film. Although I was bored to tears, I learned a lot about different things.

 

[Paco Dennis]

I loved to go camping with my family and friends to the mountains in California. We would go to National Parks like ones in the Sierra mountains, or near Lake Tahoe. We loved to hike, cook meals ( mainly fresh trout from the drinkable streams. ), of course fishing, and making smores and having a group sing and storytelling. So much fun.

This the kind of camper we had.

and these kind of fun experiences...

 

[jujube]

We would go visit my grandparents in Virginia and then rent a house at Ocean View or Virginia Beach. That was paradise to a land-locked Midwestern kid.

 

[Hopeful1]

We would go camping as a family at a several state parks. We would sleep on cots under the trees or sometimes in a tent or in a pavilion.
But I liked under the trees the best.

We would sleep under quilts my grandmother had made.

We would eat fried chicken or chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and cream gravy, my grandmother and my mom prepared.

Mornings my dad would cook breakfast on a Coleman stove.

I feel blessed to have such wonderful childhood memories.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

My parents loved to travel and we went quite a few places by car that were exciting but camping was the most fun. Why? Us kids spent the day away from my parents, swimming, hiking, building fires and cooking hot dogs and marshmallows which was so much fun. I enjoyed my brothers company very much in the summer.

The best vacation I ever had though was going to BC in great 8 with my class. It was the second time I’d gone on a vacation by myself and it was very exciting. Whoever organized the trip did a really good job. We stayed at the nicest places each province had to offer, saw many exhibits, public gardens, national parks as well as entertainment and we really got to know our fellow students and teachers in a completely different way.

It felt so good to get away without my family.
I didn’t have the same worries and concerns that I normally had on a daily basis and it was absolutely thrilling to be, what I thought, was on my own. I’d pretend to be Nancy Drew trying figure stuff out. lol

We got to fly home first class and it was a 3 week trip . For a 12 year old kid, it was beyond cool. For the first time in my life, I was acting grown up. I had to manage more money ( in the form of travellers cheques ) than I’d ever had to before and make important decisions for myself. The experience was almost magical to me. It was a real bonding experience that left a lasting impression.

 

[JustBonee]

I was OK with staying home, but not my Dad. He had to take the family on a vacation. One year, we drove all the way to California. Another year, we drove to Florida. Those long drives for 2 young kids, my sister and I, were pure misery. Going to California was the worse. I thought we had left the U.S. by the time we got to St. Louis. I even asked Mom what country are we in now. Her and dad looked at each other and laughed.

I asked Dad why we were going to California. He said he wanted us kids to experience the whole trip and he had a big surprise for us kids. His big surprise was he took us to Disneyland, which we did enjoy. I liked staying in the hotels. We even ordered breakfast in our room one morning. That was fun. We saw a tornado in Kansas. That was cool. My sister got real excited seeing cactus in Arizona. She met a boy on the beach in California and he invited her to a party that night, but Dad said absolutely not, unless he was also invited, so no one went. I was glad Dad took a different route home so we saw different things. I think Mom said she took 5 or 6 rolls of film. Although I was bored to tears, I learned a lot about different things.

Your Dad was like my husband ......
always the summer vacation trips around the country with the kids.

Over time, we covered the entire country -- Hubby wanted to educate - they wanted to be at home with their friends.
Every summer the same thing.

I have great memories of those years .... I hope as adults our "kids" do too.

 

[Murrmurr]

Lake Almanor in Northern Calif, Plumas County.

52 miles of shoreline, great fishing, swimming, water-skiing, jet skiing, and boating. Surrounded by forests and 2 National Parks with hundreds of hiking trails and camping areas. And in winter, there was snow-skiing, snow-mobiling, snow-boarding, and all the other winter activities.

We had a little 2-br cabin up there.

 

[Been There]

Your Dad was like my husband ......
always the summer vacation trips around the country with the kids.

Over time, we covered the entire country -- Hubby wanted to educate - they wanted to be at home with their friends.
Every summer the same thing.

I have great memories of those years .... I hope as adults our "kids" do too.

I went on a vacation with my parents before they died. My mom and dad kept talking all winter about this vacation we were taking. Heck, I didn’t even know what a vacation was. To me, vacation was 3 months out of school. I had just turned 6 and was finishing 1st grade. I remember my dad telling me at the start of the school year to save my pennies because he was taking mom and me to a very special place and I may want to buy a souvenir. I kept trying to guess, but was always wrong. I would guess and he would say “hot” or “cold.

Finally, the big day arrived. We spent 5 days in the Outer Banks. Fishing, swimming and boating. We all had a good time. My mom really enjoyed it because dad didn’t let her cook. We either ate at a restaurant or dad made dinner. I never knew my dad could cook. We had to drive awhile to get to a restaurant. My dad showed me how they grew peanuts, cotton and tobacco. My dad caught a small sand shark and mom caught a couple of flounder which we ate. We put crab traps out and caught a few dozen blue crabs. Our motor on the boat took a dump, so we didn’t have a boat for 2 days. The man dad talked to wanted a lot of money to rebuild it, so he just bought one already rebuilt. My dad said he was thrifty. My mom said he was cheap, but she was just kidding because as I remember it, my dad was very giving.

 

[Leann]

We lived in Maine so it was always a vacation there.

 

[Been There]

Lake Almanor in Northern Calif, Plumas County.

52 miles of shoreline, great fishing, swimming, water-skiing, jet skiing, and boating. Surrounded by forests and 2 National Parks with hundreds of hiking trails and camping areas. And in winter, there was snow-skiing, snow-mobiling, snow-boarding, and all the other winter activities.

We had a little 2-br cabin up there.

I always wanted to learn how to surfboard, so when I was in San Diego, I had a Marine that was a really good surfer try to teach me. On the fourth day of learning how to surf, we encountered a couple of sharks. The one shark took a hunk out of a girl’s foot just a few feet from us. Later that day, a shark attacked my teacher and I thought “the heck with this.” The Marine told me that they run in spurts. Sometimes you won’t see a shark for weeks. When I saw that girl’s bite, I thought she was very lucky. They saved the foot, but she was in shock. My Marine got off lucky. He just had a big long cut down his arm where he raked his arm on top of the shark’s tooth. I think he only needed a few stitches and a bandage. What surprised me was that the shark attacks didn’t stop the surfers from surfing. They all went back into the water surfing like nothing ever happened.

 

[Murrmurr]

I always wanted to learn how to surfboard, so when I was in San Diego, I had a Marine that was a really good surfer try to teach me. On the fourth day of learning how to surf, we encountered a couple of sharks. The one shark took a hunk out of a girl’s foot just a few feet from us. Later that day, a shark attacked my teacher and I thought “the heck with this.” The Marine told me that they run in spurts. Sometimes you won’t see a shark for weeks. When I saw that girl’s bite, I thought she was very lucky. They saved the foot, but she was in shock. My Marine got off lucky. He just had a big long cut down his arm where he raked his arm on top of the shark’s tooth. I think he only needed a few stitches and a bandage. What surprised me was that the shark attacks didn’t stop the surfers from surfing. They all went back into the water surfing like nothing ever happened.

Sharks really aren't interested in humans. Sometimes they're curious, though, so they'll get close. Whether or not a shark strikes depends on the human; their reaction when they see one, and/or their activity when a shark is near and the person doesn't notice it.

The waters off southern Calif are chuck-full of sharks during certain times of the year, mostly male juveniles. People don't realize that because the sharks usually keep their distance. But it would be a cool idea for those beaches to hire a shark expert or find a volunteer to give a class and instructions when the beaches get lots of visitors. Even just pamphlets would be good.

 

[Gaer]

Glacier National Park was MAGICAL to me! The lake water was as clear as glass!
Sequoia National Park astounded me, I remember! So close to Heaven!

 

[Been There]

Sharks really aren't interested in humans. Sometimes they're curious, though, so they'll get close. Whether or not a shark strikes depends on the human; their reaction when they see one, and/or their activity when a shark is near and the person doesn't notice it.

The waters off southern Calif are chuck-full of sharks during certain times of the year, mostly male juveniles. People don't realize that because the sharks usually keep their distance. But it would be a cool idea for those beaches to hire a shark expert or find a volunteer to give a class and instructions when the beaches get lots of visitors. Even just pamphlets would be good.

I was surprised to learn that New Smyrna Beach in Florida is labeled as the Shark Attack Capital of the world. I would never had guessed that. I have swam there many times and have only ever seen just a few sharks. New Smyrna is located just south of Daytona Beach.

Shark Bite Capital

 

[ElCastor]

Clearlake in Northern California. We rented a cabin, swam, and fished for Black Bass. As a kid I dreamed of retiring there, but as an adult realized that might not be such a good idea.

 

[Gary O']

Where Was Your Favorite Place to Vacation as a Kid?​

Goin' to the beach

Sand
Wet sand
Dry sand
Water, washing sand over yer feet

Waves
Weird sea life in the shallows
Waves, bigger'n me...pushing me back to shore
Covering me with salty bubbles

But, what really stood out were the aromas

Salt air
Cold or warm, still gets my blood running

But
The best, most prevalent aroma
was the smell of the beach cottages we rented
A certain musky, musty fragrance permeated those old cottages

Decades later, after renting old houses,
and their bouquet sending me to my favorite times,
I discovered it was the smell of mold I so enjoyed
Then I learned about black mold

Still.......it puts me at the beach

If my lady goes before me, I'm headin' to the beach


Hope to find an old cottage

 

[Gary O']

I was OK with staying home, but not my Dad. He had to take the family on a vacation. One year, we drove all the way to California.

Man, that was MY Dad
He had some kind of speed record to beat in his mind
Drove from Portland OR to Genoa Nebraska
Averaged 800 miles a day
I remember Nebraska
Corn fields flying by at 110 mph
Other than that, the backs of my parent's heads

Good times

 

[Murrmurr]

I was surprised to learn that New Smyrna Beach in Florida is labeled as the Shark Attack Capital of the world. I would never had guessed that. I have swam there many times and have only ever seen just a few sharks. New Smyrna is located just south of Daytona Beach.

Shark Bite Capital

Sharks aren't as aggressive as most people think. But they are wild animals, after all. You don't mess with them just to see what they'll do.

I didn't take my kids to ocean beaches much; 3 or 4 times. I preferred lakes.

 

[Feelslikefar]

Didn't start out to be the best vacation, because it was a 'Move' from one side of the country
to the other.

Mom and us boys piled into the stationwagon and left Panama City, Florida heading to California.
From there, on a plane to Hawaii. (Dad was riding a ship to Hawaii)

I can remember not talking much, as I had to once again leave friends I had made.
The futher we drove the realization sunk in that I was stuck and I starting enjoying all the new sights
along the way.

Was a 'Rockhound' back then, a picked up every interesting rock I came across.
The high point for me, was visiting Meteor Crater in Arizona.

 

[Pepper]

It wasn't the Kosher Catskills. If you saw Mrs. Maisel you know why

 

[Alligatorob]

Where Was Your Favorite Place to Vacation as a Kid?

As a kid we mostly lived in Florida and spent all vacations in Louisiana. I liked it, but it was a bit boring. We had to be one of the few families vacationing in mostly unairconditioned Louisiana in the summer, but I rarely noticed the heat.

One year, 1962 I think, we had a driving trip planned to Cuba, my father got tickets on the car ferry from Key West. At the last minute he canceled and promised we would go as soon as the political situation settled down... I'm still waiting... However instead,

One year, we drove all the way to California.

That was the one exceptional year, a trip to remember. The drive was long, central Florida to San Diego, and much of it without freeways. Still remember my mother saying "the sun has ris and the sun has set and we're in Texas yet". I really enjoyed it, the first time I ever saw a mountain! We also got to go to Disneyland, a high point, but not so much as spending a few days in my Aunt and Uncle's camp on the coast south of Tiajuana, it was also my first "International Trip", Mexico seemed quite exotic. I was impressed by the bargaining, did not realize it was mostly for tourists buying mostly junk...

Was a 'Rockhound' back then, a picked up every interesting rock I came across.
The high point for me, was visiting Meteor Crater in Arizona.

Meteor Crater was also a high point of our drive to California. I was amazed by the rocks, only soft limestone (coral rock) in Florida and no natural rock in south Louisiana. My first real experience with rocks, fascinating!

Felt as exotic as I had imagined Cuba, but looking back I am sorry we canceled Cuba, we'd have been amongst the last doing the ferry and it would be years before we could even go to Cuba. Still restricted today.

The best vacation I ever had though was going to BC in great 8 with my class.

That does sound like a great vacation. I once got to fly from Tampa to New Orleans, just my brother and I, we were 12 and 11. Unforgettable... the first time anyway.

Sharks really aren't interested in humans. Sometimes they're curious, though, so they'll get close. Whether or not a shark strikes depends on the human; their reaction when they see one, and/or their activity when a shark is near and the person doesn't notice it.

Absolutely! More people die from the Brazilian Butt Lift surgery than shark attack. When visiting Florida you have more to worry about from plastic surgeons (and a lot of other things) than sharks...

 

[Lewkat]

Ocean City, NJ.

 

[Jackie23]

I remember the long trips across the deserts to California, the highlights were Carlsbad Caverns and staying in 'tourist cabins'....another vacation was camping trips to the river with several families, the kids would play 'jungle', the men would run the 'trot lines' while the moms would provide the food and wipe our dirty faces.

 

[Murrmurr]

Glacier National Park was MAGICAL to me! The lake water was as clear as glass!
Sequoia National Park astounded me, I remember! So close to Heaven!

Have you ever been to Arches National Park or Monument Valley?
Judging by your artwork, I think you'd really enjoy them.
Monument Valley is in Ariz...probly not very far from you.
My sons got super excited when we spotted native hieroglyphics along some of the hiking trails there.

 

[Alizerine]

We lived in Maine so it was always a vacation there.

I know what you mean. Maine is wonderful. I felt the same way about growing up on the south shore of Long Island. The bay, the beaches, the ocean. No vacation necessary. And we probably couldn't have afforded one anyway.

 

[Timewise 60+]

Tent camping in the Colorado mountains...

Still is my favorite, although we travel around quite a bit!