First!

oh, I meant to say "primoris!"

When I was growing up, we didn't take "vacations" for the sake of taking vacation. We would pile into our large car and drive from DC to Florida to visit my grandmother, aunts and uncles, and cousins. That was it! Granted, we were near the beach and spent a lot of time swimming and hanging out on the beach, and we even went to Disneyworld a couple of times, but that was the extent of it.

Today vacation seems like so much else these days - it's a competition, a tit-for-tat, which European city did you go to, or where do you have a beach house, etc.

We are temporarily living overseas so our recent travel plans have been out of the ordinary - we have traveled more with a toddler than I ever would have wished to - but I look forward to moving back to DC and having our vacations be a bit more relaxing. Sometimes hanging at the beach with the grandparents isn't such a bad idea....

When we lived in Los Angeles, we took a small trip from LA to Chicago and back. For 3 weeks, the 10 of us were in a hugh RV. This was about 1963. I still remember seeing Mt. Rushmore, Old Faithful, the Great Salt Lake, Wyoming, the Snake River and the Bad Lands. I also remember a terrifying and terrific lighting storm that covered miles of the sky. Seeing all my relatives in Illinois. They still have a Super 8 film of us 8 boys coming out of the RV.

I also remember my older brother breaking both arms riding over a wooden bridge and flipping his bicycle. The same brother dropped a 1 gallon glass milk bottle on his toe about 1 week later. He had lots of casts on that summer! I also lost a $20 bill walking from the RV to a grocery store. Dad was not pleased with me about that one!

What a trip!

Our childhood trips were something along the line of Leslie's. Two parents, three kids, a dog and a cat in a tiny car for an 8 hour trip from CT to Maine - also unconditioned. I don't know how they kept their sanity and it was hot, crowded and we would be stuck in traffic.
Once we arrived it was all out fun.

The most memorable vacation I had was when I was 12, my brother was 13, and my mom and dad took us on a 10 day canoe trip up in the Canadian wilderness (Algonquin). It was a grueling vacation starting out with sore muscles from paddling a canoe for several hours a day and the mosquitos were so thick we wore nets over our heads on the portage trails, but that didn't prevent us from getting bit hundreds of times. ITCHY! Then it poured down rain for 2 days strait leaving us cold and miserable without anything to do except sleep, scratch and look out the tent wondering when it would stop. We brought no radio and for the most part there wasn't a single person for miles around, much less a flushing toilet.

But the call of the loons, catching fish to subsidize dinner, and gathering the fresh water mussels, (even though they were tasteless and chewy as rubber), swimming in the lakes, (even though I had to pull a few leeches off my foot), hanging around the campfire, watching the sunsets, suspending our food from a tree with a rope so the bears, skunk, raccoons, and all the other animals wouldn't get it, somehow made it all worth it.

A vacation like that sure makes one appreciate a roof, bed, running water and appliances!

OT to Chris

You know, of course, that your Kidneynuts song is already half way around the world!

"What does "family summer vacation" mean to you?"

Nothing. My family never took vacations. There were no cars, no pets, no junk food, no suitcases and NO FANTASIES!!

Every summer, our family piled into our VW bus and headed to southwestern VA to Hungry Mother State Park. It's a beautiful location! We stayed in a cabin for a week. However, we had to bring our own sheets, towels, radio (no TV), even lightbulbs (the provided ones were so dim). (This was the 1970's and early 1980's.) My poor mom--it was hardly a vacation for her! But I have great memories of spending time in the lake, hiking in the woods, and discovering that you can buy mashed potato flakes in a box. (We cooked in the cabin and used more "convenience" foods.) My husband, daughter, and I went back a couple of years ago. The cabins have better furnishings now, including linens. It's still a beautiful area--a great spot for a family vacation.

My dad was a workaholic and so for us, "family vacations" were usually combined with his attendance at a medical conference -- usually in some scenic destination like Cleveland or Baltimore. We went to lots of museums but never had a wilderness experience. I remember envying all those classmates of mine who got to go to Wildwood, New Jersey and walk on the boardwalk and lie on the beach. Since then, we've taken beach vacations in Chincoteague, Cape May, Rehoboth and Myrtle Beach (which I love). We've also camped in Shenandoah and gone canoeing and would love to try beach camping sometime.
We've done some hiking in Shenandoah and when we lived abroad.

Fantasies? We talk from time to time about renting an RV and touring the US with our kids. Would love to hear what others experiences have been with RV's. Also, if anyone has ever gone rafting in West Virginia with their kids, since we frequently fantasize about that as well.

For those of you who like active vacations, how old do your kids have to be for activities like climbing, rafting, etc.?

Also, has anyone ever hiked part of the Appalachian Trail? That's also on our fantasy list . .

Growing up, my parents, with my 2 brothers and I, did the annual road trip thing, usually crossing 1/2 the country. Amazingly there were no fatalities.

Now, with two daughters (4 and 6), a week in a rental house on the beach, w. grandparents, is about as good as it gets.

This year it will be DisneyWorld, I think.

I have to say, having lived in Texas, I'm not sure why camping in Big Bend would be anyone's fantasy. Maybe in the winter it would be pleasant, I guess.

Please, a moment of remembrance for Mstislav Rostropovich -- musician, freedom fighter and international citizen -- who brought world-class musicianship to Washington DC.

My family was kind of like Vienna Mom -- our "vacations" were basically car trips between relatives, because it was too expensive to fly. So between picking up/dropping off my step-siblings who lived 10-12 hrs away, 12-16 hr trips to visit the grandmas, occasionally driving to FL to visit the great-grands, and then the grandparents taking several cousins different places, I spent a lot of time in un-air-conditioned cars.

We also did some camping vacations -- not the greatest spots, since the location was usually determined by where my mom did her research. Not a big camping fan, so that was sort of eh. It got a lot better by the time I was in high school: my mom had a friend who had a beach house, so we got to rent it cheap for a week in the summer. Real beds, indoor toilet, hot showers -- plus boardwalk. MUCH more fun for a teenager than camping in Xenia, Ohio. :-)

Now we tend to do a few long weekends at the beach -- my folks upgraded to their own condo there, and my daughter LOVES the beach. So we pile everyone in for a few long weekends over the summer. My dream family vacation, though, would probably be toodling through the national parks in the Rocky Mountains/desert southwest -- Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Grand Canyon, etc. (but NOT camping!!). The one thing I was looking forward to when we moved out west was being within driving distance to these fantastic parks. But we moved away before our daughter was old enough to do that kind of trip. So maybe in a few more years, when the boy is old enough, we'll all just pile onto an airplane, rent an RV at the other end, and go.

Of course, there's a reason it's a "dream" vacation. In reality, the kids would probably whine the whole way about how bored they are, my husband would be hugely po'd at traffic, and I'd be ready to throttle the lot of 'em by the end of the first day. :-) I seriously don't know how my parents survived us.

I'd love to hear any ideas on exotic trips to do with little ones. I'm itching for a getaway in a different culture.

As a kid our vacations were pretty limited. A few days in Ocean City or a trip to a farm in Pennsylvania. Now, we head to the Outer Banks for a week every year. Usually, my mom and my brothers and sister with their families come too. Our goal is to relax as much as possible.

We would go to the beach every summer for a weekend. I don't recall my parents ever taking a full week off for anything.

We are in the process now of where would like like to spend our family vacation. I'm leaning towards Disney as I hear they have great package rates or maybe the Poconos. I would suggest camping but my son's allergies would go bonkers.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I remember going camping with my Grandparents around Natural Bridge in the rain. We learned all sorts of card games. I also remember hearing "Jackson" on a tinny transistor radio and singing along with Johnny Cash and June Carter.

As a family we moved around every couple of years all over the US and world, so we did vacations whereever we were. We didn't travel in a car long distances because we were busy exploring where we were. Anyone else overlook the obvious: that stuff close to home, whereever home is?

Summer vacation was always a 200-mile (each way) car trip to visit my mother's parents who lived on a subsistence farm in the wilderness, without utilities. Once we left our greater urban area the roads were one-lane each way -- hot, twisty, dusty and mountainous, which tended to give a young child carsickness (though I was encouraged to warn my parents ahead of time so my father could pull the car over by the side of the road and let me out for a minute or so). The farm was a great adventure for me, and as an only grandchild I got spoiled for a week each year. When my father started getting two weeks' paid vacation, my parents would add a few days' sidetrip each summer to a different scenic attraction before we'd wind up at my grandparents' place, which the three of us enjoyed immensely (but my grandmother resented). Obviously our vacations were inexpensive compared to many families' "tit-for tat" competition trips nowadays (as ViennaMom put it so aptly), but we were glad for what we had.

Dr Mommy: consider San Antonio. Exotic, colorful, but yet close to home and romantic. Riverwalk entranced one son as a toddler. He just toddled along and kept going and going. I remember being scared whenever he came close to the edge, but he never jumped in! The Alamo is smaller than I expected. Food was great!

My parents never went anywhere. When I was 12 my sister took me with her family to Nags Head NC. It was nice, except she wouldn't let me in the water past my knee because she was afriad a shark would get me (sigh) My daughter has been on vacation every year since she was born. VA beach, Nags Head, and Mrytle. I think this year we are going to do a few small trips around the area.

OT: who do you all think won the debate last night?

tit for tat competition trips? You're kidding right? I can't imagine competing with friends and neighbors on vacations. I personally would never care what others did, as long as they had a good time. Friends and neighbors are a good source for vacation ideas. You look at a idea source as competition?

I'd like to bring this to the here and now--basically I've realized that vacations without another caretaker aren't vacations for dh and me--they're simply changes in venue! Kids are 3 and 4 mos so having a grandparent, aunt, etc. along is what gives us time off--place isn't as important as free time.

My family is foreign service and has different ideas--they just got back from Egypt and were surprised I didn't want to meet them there with two kids under 3! My criteria for kids at this age are:
1. First class medicine
2. First class roads
3. A language I can pronounce (don't have to speak--have to be able to read a sign)
4. Safe food and water
5. Nonstop flight if possible

So far we've done Spain, cruising, vegas, and FL. I'd love to hear more ideas!

When I was 1 years old my parents started going to the beach with another family that had 3 kids the same ages as us - we kept up the tradition for over 30 years. Over that time several other families or relatives joined us and it was always a busy, fun and cheap week of fun. We have tons of pictures and Super 8 film - from toddlers to teenagers - then us "kids" as adults with their own kids.

We planned for that week all year. Made lists of things to do, which ice cream we would eat and what we would buy at the boardwalk. We still go to the beach but it is hit or miss who will be there, a lot of "remember whens" all week.

The last 2 summers we (my husband and kids) have gone to Williamsburg/Jamestown/Busch Gardens/Water Country USA. History and rides - they were both great weeks. The trip had something for everyone and I highly recommend it.

This summer we are going to MI for a family reunion - not sure about this trip.......

Yes, dotted, my family also took a number of day- or weekend-trips within 100 miles of where we lived, exploring our region's scenery and history. Not expensive, but always an adventure. Only problem was that my mother was not much of a map-reader, so one day when I was 10 I snatched the folding gasoline-company map out of her hands (after she'd directed my father to take a wrong turn one time too many) -- quickly figured out how to get us back to the main road -- and due to my success thereafter became the family navigator.

Well, I loved going to Arches National Park in Utah. There is also another park close by too. So far it is the best vacation we've had.

I am loving reading all these stories.

Hey Scarry, Have you ever heard the one about how hard it is, wheeling West Virginia? LOL!

(To answer your question, we don't have cable so don't know who won the debate).

We are also thinking of doing the RV thing out west. I think it is a great experience for kids. My parents did it with us in an unairconditioned VW camper - and I do remember and cherish so much of those trips. The Grand Canyon is a definite. Pls chime in if anybody has done this - in particular renting the RV....

If the venue dosen't have maid & room service, it's not a vaction for me.

Hey Scarry, Have you ever heard the one about how hard it is, wheeling West Virginia? LOL!

Do you mean the Alabama song? Wheeling is about 45 minutes from my parent's house.

Leslie, I have to agree with ViennaDad about camping out in Big Bend Texas. It is wonderfully sceenic, and there is the occassional spotting of roadrunners and coyotes, but there isn't really much out there except rocks and catcus. I spent a week out there when I was a teenager over Christmas vacation, and I remember it being really hot.

Hmmm, now that I think about it a little more, I remember risking my life with my brother climbing the cliffs of an ancient volcano. We also hiked out into the desert for a few miles and looked across the Rio Grand, which by east coast standards resembles more of a drainage ditch more than a river. We also slept under the stars, which was the most spectacular night sky I've ever seen.

"basically I've realized that vacations without another caretaker aren't vacations for dh and me--they're simply changes in venue!"

I hear you, ptjobftmom. With my daughter the electron, we discovered that trips with my parents worked great -- a 4:1 ratio was just about perfect.

Then we went and had No. 2, so now we're undermanned again. :-)

You're looking for an exotic trip in a different culture that still would be doable with little ones? Check out the recent Washington Post article on the Azores, an island chain that are part of Portugal, in the midatlantic:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031600749.html
Nonstop flights from the east coast are under 5 hours (shorter than to California!). A fair portion of the natives speak at least some English. The food there is fresh, the water's safe to drink, the scenery is breathtaking and still unspoiled, and there's lots of ecotourism activities like hiking, bicycling, whale-watching, fishing and diving (how little are your little ones?). Accomodations range from luxury hotels to inns to camping. The currency is the Euro. Best of all, the weather isn't nearly as hot as in Washington DC in the summer. I've been there and loved it.

We used to go to Cape Cod. Of course, since I grew up in MA, everyone I knew went to the Cape. It was just where you went for a week or two in the summer.

My husband grew up on Nantucket, and I took my first trip there with him last summer. I never thought I'd find a place more beautiful than Chatham, MA, but wow, that was it. I cried when we left, and if I have anything to say about it, we'll be going back there on a regular basis for the rest of our lives.

No, Scarry, I knew you'd mentioned being from around Wheeling -- and that's just a corny old pun ;-)

We just took our second trip with our 13-month-old daughter. We rented a little old house on Ocracoke Island right on the sound. It had no heat, so one day we had to flee to a hotel (it was windy and in the 40's inside and out). Otherwise it was fun, relaxing, peaceful. I really enjoyed getting a lot of time watching my daughter's mind grow and her walking skills (running skills!) improve. I think this will be our kind of vacation for the next few years.

We took a month off rented a mini-van and did Yellowstone, Glacier, and Banff. We camped sometimes if it was nice and we would be there several days.

Some of the lodges in the parks didn't have TV. So when we'd stay in a place with a TV that was a big deal.

I want to go back and get up to the glaciers again before they melt.

Never really took long vacations as a kid. The best trips looking back were 3 or 4 day long weekends to AFRCs (Armed Forces Recreation Centers, to those who don't live in acronym-land) in places like Berchtesgaden, Chiemsee, Garmisch, and the like when living in Munich.

Those un-airconditioned car rides weren't for vacation; they were for moving across the country from Ft. Carson to Ft. Holabird by way of Louisiana (to see relatives) or from Ft. Jackson to Ft. Huachuca by way of Louisiana and Colorado (to see both sides of the family). They usually took 3 - 5 days, almost all of which always seemed to be in Texas. I became fascinated with maps and geography trying to figure out how we could go from Maryland to Georgia in less than a day, but "yesterday we were in Texas, today we're in Texas and tomorrow we'll be in Texas."

In terms of my own kids, their favorite "vacation" was the trip to Ireland for the former au pair's wedding three years ago. They got to spend a few days in London (made the plane tickets cheaper), then get fawned over by an extended Irish family for a week. Spoiled 'em rotten; they loved every minute of it.

Traveling abroad with a young kid (3-10 years old) opens all the doors! We were welcomed to unimaginable places, and he even remembers his time in Mexico when he was 4. Not all the time, but disctinct bright flashes. In China a blond blue-eyed boy is everybody's pet. In Northern Europe they are more reserved, but as you go towards Spain or Italy everybody smiles at your kid again. You'll never have to buy sweets or toys...
Of course, both of us, parents, have about 6 weeks vacation time accumulated, since our jobs don't alow us to plan ahead and take a regular scheduled vacation. So all these trips are work-related, and a kid tagged along with either or both of us since he was 6 months.

My family dream vacation would involve a fossil dig in the Badlands. Or going to Wales. But those are not actually going to ever happen.

More likely is visiting relatives. Maybe a day at Hershey Park, or Williamsburg.

But I would also love it if my husband took the kids on a vacation for a week and I got to stay home and enjoy the quiet. Imagine, only my own dishes to wash; no bickering; being able to sit down and read without interruption!

Actually my family summer vacations were usually those same 10-12 hour car trips from Maryland to New Hampshire to visit grandparents. We would usually stop along the way to visit varying relatives in other parts of New England. This was economical for my family since we weren't paying to stay somewhere. Other trips were always camping, Great Smokies, Cape Hatteras, Niagara Falls, Acadia. For a while we lived in California, so those summer trips were to various national and state parks, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Grand Tetons, Crater Lake, etc. All in the car, but still pretty great. Lots of swimming and touring and just the fun of camping. One thing I appreciate about my growing up is even though my parents didn't have a lot of money, we always went on vacation for at least a few weeks in the summer. Other people I knew had parents making more money but they only rarely went somewhere. We didn't do the fancy vacations but we had them regularly.

My own family now goes to NH for a week or two in the summer usually at the same time as my parents and brother's family. A lot of swimming, some hiking, some shopping, some eating out, a lot of sitting around reading a book and lots of socializing.

The most serene vacations we ever took was to Waukulla Spring, Fl. There is a lodge that was build in 1937 in the typical Florida style. The lodge is inside a wildlife preserve that has a clear lake. An underground stream supplies the lake which turns into the Waukulla River. (At least the last time we were there) the lodge has no tv's or radios in the rooms, no Coke machine, no background music blaring in the lobby. On a warm summer's night, I could easily imagine a Hemmingway pounding on his keyboard, writing and rewriting some novel, the staccato key strokes floating from room to room through the transom windows.

The springs is a swinning hole by day and a calm moonlight pleasure by night. The lodge has glass bottom boats for tours thru the preserve where you can see down some 180' to the bottom of the spring. One time we were on the boat and I saw an alligator sunning itself on the bank, with three turtles on its back!

The lodge is a beautiful and restful place for recharging the soul. Here are some pixs.

http://www.wakullacounty.org/wakulla-24.htm

Michelle- we did the RV thing in the west and I don't recommend it. In retrospect, it would have been better to just rent a minivan or 4WD. RVs don't go fast, hate hills, get gas, expensive, hard to park and you can't get away from each other. There are just so many more options without an RV. You can go offroad (where allowed), sleep in a real bed, etc. Buy a cooler after you arrive and pack breakfast items, snacks, beer in the cooler to save money. The big benefit of having an RV is the kitchen. I never wanted to cook dinner after doing things all day. Breakfast okay. Lunches, maybe. Dinner NO WAY...so the supposed big benefit was a bust for us.

Army Brat - Fort Huachuca! I remember that place. My Dad was almost sent there so we visited once when I was a teen.

Zuni New Mexico/Arizona...ancient indian site, old old Spanish church, hottest indian/mexican food known to mankind. My Dad's neck was sweating so hard. Go to Winslow Arizona and continue east to get to Zuni.

We didn't take many vacations as a kid, by the time I could really remember, they were just about nonexistent.
We did go to disney the year it opened and I barely remember the plane ride, and I remember the haunted mansion-i was SO scared. And I was so scared of the alligator I didn't go on the peter pan ride. Of course I wasn't worried about the rest of the family. We then drove to my aunt's house, but I don't remember that. My mom told me we stayed at the polynesian(which looks so dated these days) but then I realized, there couldn't have been too many places to stay back then.

We went to philly and boston(I remember following th freedom trail with dad while mom took my sisters shopping- I wanted to know where it went!). I remember going from one hotel to another in the dark trying to find somewhere to stay. But, as I said, I was young. When I was older, we took day trips to six flags or stuff like that. Which was just as well.

We've taken the kids to jamaica twice (one to a resort where they give you a vacation nanny-that was awesome). And last year we went to disney b/c I wanted to visit my grandmother and she's in fl. We were at disney 3 days and that was enough. But it was *tons* of fun. I'm already planning for next year.

This year I envision a week at the beach, but beach houses are *expensive* I don't care where: ga, nc, sc, fl, al. Just the least expensive. Then I look to caribbean sales and wonder if that is less money...

Dang, Army Brat, you just reminded me of the best family vacation ever: when I was 5, and my mom and dad had just divorced, my mom decided, what the hey, I'm young, I'm single (again), time to drive around the country (teacher = summers off). So we got in the car and headed west out of Houston, and just drove. I remember sitting by the side of the road in West Texas, when she pulled the car over because I was pitching a fit; I remember buffalo, and Crater Lake, and San Francisco. And the really, really bad clothes (1971 -- lots of polyester). But mostly I remember sitting in the car, both of us with bandanas around our heads and elbows out the windows, just driving along with the hot wind in our face and talking.

Find kid friendly beach spots that are a reasonable drive wher you can get near enough to the water to notneed central air: LBI, Rehobeth, Montauk, Cape May, Outerbanks

Skiing: Make sure the ski school is kid friendly (and reasonably priced) and there are other things to do. Middlebury Snow Bowl in Vt for example, ski in the morning, go to a museum and watch a college hockey game at night. Plenty of reasonable hotels in town too.

Washington D.C.! Do a miniweekend at a reasonable hotel that has a pool - silly not to consider the Dulles Air&Space.

Combine Gettysburgh and Hershey Park for education and fun.

Enjoy the journey, books on tape, playing cards, harmonica's and a guitar. Play charades - ban TV. Drive safely it can be a long way to Wally World.

Theme Parks? We have done them but they are very pricey. Sea World is my favorite. But be sure to check schedules etc in advance to get the perks at the likes of Disney and Cinderella's table, or you may end up like Sparky and Ellen:

Moose shoulda toldja - Park's closed.

Laura: What a marvelous adventure for you and your mom! But polyester in summer in Houston? That verges on child-abuse ;-)

,Fred - Wakulla is GREAT! Very relaxing and I loved the glass-bottomed boats as a kid. These days my parents aren't so heathy so for their anniversary we get them a night or two at the lodge and they can totally relax. It's probably too laidback for people who want a more active vacation, though.
We take some mini-vacations nearby throughout the year. A night or two in Baltimore is fun for everyone -- the adults enjoy the waterfront area as much as the kids, especially with the Aquarium and Science Museum. It's easy - no long car trips, just 1.5 hours - but still different enough to feel like a getaway.

"I remember envying all those classmates of mine who got to go to Wildwood, New Jersey and walk on the"

You missed out on NOTHING by skipping Wildwood! It's congested, dirty, and a party beach- not great for young kids

Armchair mom: The AT is awesome, but don't romanticize it too much. Try to pick a time when it won't be too hot and you can avoid the through-hikers (the shelters will fill up too fast). Backpacking isn't for the faint of heart (it HURTS til you get in the groove, which takes days). Car-camping somewhere remote with day hikes is much easier.

Going out to the Gorge in WV is a pretty close place that's really fun. The town of Fayetteville is geared towards outdoorsy people (with some really good pizza) and there's a ton of stuff to do. I'm a big fan of WV. It's a beautiful, beautiful place in our backyard with so much to: hiking, climbing, rafting, canoeing, biking. It really does live up to its "Wild, Wonderful" name (and I'm not even a WVian).

"If the venue dosen't have maid & room service, it's not a vaction for me."

Posted by: Born Free | April 27, 2007 08:37 AM

Fred and Frieda feel the same way. The army cured me of any desire to go camping!

Haven't posted in quite a long time, but I guess I'm alone in wanting to travel to Asia, Europe, and other foreign locations for my fantasy trips?? I have a list of places I must visit in my life and we're starting next year (when the kid is 4 1/2) with #1, Ireland. I hope for an every other year exotic dream trip, with the off years at a DE/MD beach.

The world is such a big place and I truly want to see it all (I'm not in the trips for a "one-upsmanship" kind of thing at all). I think nothing would be better than bringing my little one with me!

I'm also not one to "relax" much. I start going stir crazy with sitting on the beach after the first day- heck, after the first hour! I love new restaurants, museums, just strolling the streets in another culture.

Anyone else? Or do I need to learn to relax...lol :)

Fred, Same here. My idea of roughing it is no mint on the pillow.

"Fred, Same here. My idea of roughing it is no mint on the pillow."

And an assortment of mustards and catsups delivered by room service!

SAHMbacktowork,
Far be it from me to tell you to chill but there is something wonderful about sitting in a public place with either a cup of coffee or an adult beverage and simply people watching and having some quiet contemplation time. Or reading that book that you have wanted to read forever. It is delightful in it's simplicity.

When I was a kid, my family took a 10-week camping trip across the country. It was amazing. My parents were/are big national park fans and that's where we stayed as much as possible. I realized how big this country is and how much variety there is right here in America. We truly have it all.

My favorite trips as an adult have been to Hawaii, Italy and Spain. (No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.) We travel with our kids to the western part of the country and up and down 95 on the East Coast. When they are a bit older, we're going to take them to Europe. Travel is something that is important to my husband and I and we will share that love with our children. We don't have new cars but I'm willing to drive something for 10-15 years so that we can afford "big" trips with the kids.

"Fred, Same here. My idea of roughing it is no mint on the pillow."

"And an assortment of mustards and catsups delivered by room service!"

And sex is sooo much better!

How sweet it is!!

Building upon KLB's suggestion: Reading a book set in a place while you're actually visiting there!

Re "And an assortment of mustards and catsups delivered by room service!"

Small wonder you need those mints on the pillow!

Like the anon poster, our childhood vacations were where ever the World Bank sent my dad. We went all over the world. Ah, the memories of falling asleep to gunfire in a finca outside Bogota! In China, people got their pictures taken with our family.

We also did the long trips from MD to FL to see grandparents.

Our dream vacation now is Dominica. Black beaches, boiling lakes, and cabanas on the beach for $80 a night. We just need to figure out how to pay for airfare ($700!).

And sex is sooo much better!

How sweet it is!!

Maybe its cleaner, but the view from the top of a MT is wonderful in the after glow.

and the coolness of the beach at night!

catlady

Re "And an assortment of mustards and catsups delivered by room service!"

"Small wonder you need those mints on the pillow!""

Ha! Ha!

Where I go, my cats go!!!!

To each his own!

what is an MT?

At my age, it seems like all my vacation hours in the summer are used up going to weddings of friends and family. When did this whole "spend a four day weekend with us seeing the city and going to dinner before the big day, and then stay another day for brunch" event start becoming popular?

I'm with you on the beach, SAHMbacktowork. It's boring. My family did plenty of overseas vacations courtesy of the USAF. I plan on doing them myself even when I have kids. My suggestion to people going overseas is that it's perfectly possible to not spend too much money with a little research and not being fearful of hole-in-the-wall places (or camping!).

On the other hand, there's plenty of different cultures to visit here in the in US and Canada if you look around.

MT = Mt = mountain

Sahmbacktowork: I used to be the same way and am still mostly. We go to my inlaws cabin in the woods and it frives me crazy. But a beach vacation is good these days too. There is stuff to do or nothing. I can't sit at the pool and 'relax' but I go windsurfing or go in the pool with the kids or do something else.

We went to ireland and had a great time. We stayed at b and b's and it was fabulous. I'm not sure with an almost 5 yo, but you know your kid.

"MT = Mt = mountain"

Does that mean doggy style?

Darn you, dotted, now you've done it: "Go to Winslow Arizona and continue east to get to Zuni."

Well, I was standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see,
it's a girl my lord in a flatbed Ford
slowin down to take a look at me...

Now I'm never going to get that song out of my head. Sheesh, if I was going to be stuck all day with an Eagles' song, it could at least be Tequila Sunrise!

"MT = Mt = mountain"

Does that mean doggy style?

Posted by: | April 27, 2007 09:56 AM

Maybe for you, not for me.

One summer we were leaving my grandma's apartment building, where we regularly visited her and went swimming in the community pool. My dad said to me, "Let's go see the Grand Canyon". (We were in McLean, VA at the time.)

Fast forward a week and my brother (9), dad and I (age 12) were in a rented dodge caravan driving across the country. My brother and I played with toys in the middle and back seats half the time, while my dad scolded us for not appreciating the various cows from different states. We ate at Denny's a lot and slept in cheap motels and visited the whole south/south west, camping and stopping anywhere we felt like it. It was an amazing three week trip.

Two other times after that, when I was 14 and 15, we took similar road trips across the country, passing through California, Canada, the Pacific NW and my favorite place of all, Kansas. The last time, I even brought my best friend a long, which was hilarious because she was used to cruises and Hawaii vacations, whereas we slept in our van behind a Texaco on our first night on the road.

I thank my parents for taking us on those trip because they not only allowed me to appreciate the beauty of our entire country and the classic American excitement of "hitting the road", but they gave me some wonderful (and some not-so-wonderful) memories of spending time with my family in my teenage years. Without those trips, I think my memories of those time would probably be lost to the angst of middle school crushes, high school drama, typical mother-daughter fights and my really bad fashion sense.

I think there are vacations and then there are Vacations. There are vacations for relaxing and Vacations for creating lifelong memories for your whole family. I'm not saying the road trip is the only way to do that, of course!

"MT = Mt = mountain"

Does that mean doggy style?

Posted by: | April 27, 2007 09:56 AM

Actually better to lay side by side so you can both enjoy the night sky!

Army Brat-I knew you would pick up the music line! Yesterday the Doors, today the Eagles- tomorrow?

Great topic!

My family went camping in VA, PA, TN, WV, KY, and maybe other places. We saw historical sites, took hikes, etc.

My daughters and I have had overnights to places in VA. We go to TimeTravelers sites in the day and go to the pool afterward. One or two nights away from home is the maximum we have done.

I'd love to find some low cost things to do. I'm wary of camping. As a single person, I'm not sure I would feel safe camping. Do other single people take their kids camping? Do you feel safe? It is such a great low cost vacation, I would love to try it.

To Army Brat: Or "Lyin' Eyes"?

Flat bed Ford

Dotted, I am off today and it is the Doors right now. But I did sing along with Lime in the Coconuts using Chris's lyrics!

Light my Fire!

scarry,

Have you ever been to Cedar Point? Would love info about the area. What is there to do besides the amusement park?

"Now I'm never going to get that song out of my head. Sheesh, if I was going to be stuck all day with an Eagles' song, it could at least be Tequila Sunrise!"

Ditto. Where the heck is Chris when you need him?

Hey, Sahmbacktowork, I want to take my kids to Europe too. I started going there myself at the age of 20 with a backpack and a map (and the high dollar which made everything so affordable). Over the years I have graduated to a more upscale travel. I am just waiting for my kids to learn how to eat with knife and fork so they don't get kicked out of some restaurant in France. Logistics also scare me. Can we rent car seats there? Where am I going to feed them at 6 pm when the only thing that's open are tapas bars? How am I going to explain "peluses interdit" to a 3 and and 5 year old? What is the earliest age we can take them? Any advice?

Army Brat - I attended Holabird Junior High School 09/67 - 06/71. When were you in the area?

Leslie, make it to BB before its too late!

Big Bend is absolutely stunning in the spring (now). I have been to many of the national parks but BB is one fo the best. It is remote, simple and has a unique ecology. We went three years ago and stayed at the cabins. It had rained and all the cactus were flowering. The sad thing is that despite the perfect weather at Easter, there was just our family and a bunch of Europeans who were there to see some of the wild birds that are indigenous and unique to the area. Stop whining about balance and taking the time to smell the roses...skip the Disney trip and go to a National Park (Did you know that Great Falls is a NP? and of course the Shenandoah is close). THe US national parks are one of the world's treasures -- we are so lucky to have them.

Catlady: Least appropriate wedding reception song, ever: "Lying Eyes".

I was best man at my friend's wedding. I was dancing with the maid of honor, the groom's sister Maureen, whom I had known for years. Third or fourth song played at the reception: "Lying Eyes". Both my wife and Maureen's husband got pictures of her and I looking at each other in sheer horror - precisely what dance does one do to "Lying Eyes" at a wedding reception?

The only close runner up as most inappropriate song at a wedding reception: Meat Loaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", played at my cousin's reception, but fairly late in the evening. The highlight of that was my uncle emerging from the restroom during the Phil Rizzuto part, looking quizzical and telling people "but the Yankees aren't playing tonight. They had a day game in Cleveland."

Laura and Army Brat,

Try this one for a replacement "brain" song. An oldie but moldie as they say

We'll Sing In The Sunshine

(Gale Garnett)

We'll sing in the sunshine
We'll laugh every da-a-y
We'll sing in the sunshine
Then I'll be on my way

I will never love you
The cost of love's too dear
But though I'll never love you
I'll stay with you one year

And we can sing in the sunshine
We'll laugh every da-a-y
We'll sing in the sunshine
Then I'll be on my way

I'll sing to you each mornin'
I'll kiss you every night
But darlin', don't cling to me
I'll soon be out of sight

But we can sing in the sunshine
We'll laugh every da-a-y
We'll sing in the sunshine
Then I'll be on my way

My daddy he once told me
"Hey, don't you love you any man"
"Just take what they may give you"
"And give but what you can"

"And you can sing in the sunshine"
"You'll laugh every da-a-y"
"You'll sing in the sunshine"
"Then be on your way"

And when our year has ended
And I have gone away
You'll often speak about me
And this is what you'll say

"We sang in the sunshine
"You know, we laughed every da-a-y"
"We sang in the sunshine"
"Then she went away"

classic wedding song "Our Love's in Jeopardy".

xyz: I was at Sandy Plains Elementary from October 67 through February 68 when Dad was at MI school (right after getting back from Vietnam). The parents made me start on the day that Bob Gibson beat Jim Lonborg to give the Cardinals a 4-3 series triumph, despite my protests that nothing would be hurt by my missing just one more day of school!

"Dotted, I am off today and it is the Doors right now"

Doggy style was Morrison's favorite.

"MT = Mt = mountain"

As in "Brokeback Mountain?"

Army Brat, for your consideration as least appropriate wedding reception song ever:
The theme from "The Godfather" -- played as the first dance for a couple where the bride's late father was widely known to have been "in the rackets." Everyone at our table (all of us friends of the groom) looked at one another in utter horror and embarrassment.

"Haven't posted in quite a long time, but I guess I'm alone in wanting to travel to Asia, Europe, and other foreign locations for my fantasy trips??"

SAHMbacktowork, I'm with you! My husband and I were lucky to have some great trips before we had our son, and we definitely want to do more when he's a little older. I don't know how we'll ever afford three plane tickets to those locales, but I sure as heck hope we'll figure that out.

But, I also intend to do lots of smaller camping trips around the American West. I remember my family going on a 5 week camping/road trip when I was 5 or so - it was amazing. We did a lot of shorter trips too, which is what I hope we'll do a lot of with our son.

MdMother: But I would also love it if my husband took the kids on a vacation for a week and I got to stay home and enjoy the quiet. Imagine, only my own dishes to wash; no bickering; being able to sit down and read without interruption!

______________________

Sounds like my wife! We go to NC for a few days a couple of times a year to visit my mother and brother. Last summer, I took the kids and went for 5 days; DW stayed home by herself with just the dog for company. (She went down to NC by herself a month or so later to keep peace in the family.) DW said it was the best "vacation" she's had in years.

Innappropriate WEdding Song:

Let's All Get Drunk and Screw by the great philosopher, Jimmy Buffet

I've camped as a single mom, and it was through PWP, meaning we camped with other single parents, could combine group activities, the kids could socialize and the parents had some supervisory advantage. This was about 10 years ago. We kept trips to within 4 hours of the Baltimore metro area. We camped at Harper's Ferry, OC, Lancaster PA, Skyline Drive, Thurmont, near the AT, Jamestown/Williamsburg, near the Susquehanna. Some had pop-ups, others had tents, and I discovered this wonderful directory (especially for car-camping) called WOODALL's. I learned that private campsites are MUCH more affordable than h/motels, are VERY family-oriented, most have bath houses and showers, some have pools and organized activities for the kids. It was great. I mention PWP because while most folks know of dances, they are the FUNDRAISERS that subsidize the kids' activities. Our group was large enough to support a camping contingent (you need a planning committee as well as money) Usually a campfire every night, adults to talk to so you didn't have to be in "mommy" or "daddy" mode all the time, you could hang out with the older kids and get a preview of ages & stages - it was GREAT. This was about ten years ago, though. I hope it's still a resource, because being a single parent can be isolating, and this was a real life-line.

Back to camping - Woodalls shows you that there are campsites EVERYWHERE. We looked at it to see if there is one in Cooperstown NY (there are several) when we were contemplating going for the Hall of Fame induction. They even mention if there are rentable cabins, RV hookups, water and electric hookups, tent camping, etc. I do agree that there are seasons for camping, and in the NE and the mountains, most campgrounds close up between October and April. I'd never tent-camp in the summer in Texas, though my family tent-camped near Slide Rock State Park in AZ (HIGHLY recommended the park for school age kids) comfortably in May, but tent-camping near the Grand Canyon was REALLY rocky. I learned a lot by camping with these people, and have since gone on to enrich my family's life through camping as well. There is also a tent called a Hennesey hammock that keeps your back off the ground, if an aging spine if thwarting anyone.

Or maybe MT refers to the state of Montana. Sometimes an abbreviation is just an abbreviation. So get your mind out of the gutter.

Hey, Sahmbacktowork, I want to take my kids to Europe too. I started going there myself at the age of 20 with a backpack and a map (and the high dollar which made everything so affordable). Over the years I have graduated to a more upscale travel. I am just waiting for my kids to learn how to eat with knife and fork so they don't get kicked out of some restaurant in France. Logistics also scare me. Can we rent car seats there? Where am I going to feed them at 6 pm when the only thing that's open are tapas bars? How am I going to explain "peluses interdit" to a 3 and and 5 year old? What is the earliest age we can take them? Any advice?

Posted by: ISO of European vacation | April 27, 2007 10:11 AM

I have friends who have been traveling internationally since their kids were infants, but I'm not sure I'd do it! I think in your situation 5 and 7 years would be a good age to start. That way, they're in booster seats (no lugging huge Britax car seats around), no more strollers, etc...

As far as food, just hit the markets in the morning for bread, cheese, fresh veggies, so you'll have food for the kids throughout the day. i did this when I was travelling in my single carefree days to save money on going out to eat.

What a nice topic for a rainy day! Dreaming of fabulous vacations...

I've had Me and Bobby McGee in my head all day...How about a little Janis (I know, Kris Kristofferson) to kick off the weekend?

"Army Brat-I knew you would pick up the music line! Yesterday the Doors, today the Eagles- tomorrow?"

Posted by: dotted | April 27, 2007 10:00 AM

Tomorrow is Bela Fleck or Minnie Riperton, I forget which!

As a kid we took vacations every year - sometimes to the beach other times to family. I loved them all. My husband's family never vacationed.

I now get the thrill (and stress) of planning vacations for our family. Last year to Seasame Place (great), this year to the beach. Next year - who knows.

I hope that my kids grow up with the same good memories that I had, and it seems like most everybody else did. They are already looking forward to the beach. I think the time away together is good for all of us. Can't wait for August and the Outer Banks!

Piece of My Heart is a much better song and performance!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Piece Of My Heart Lyrics

Oh, come on, come on, come on, come on!

Didn't I make you feel like you were the only man -- yeah!
An' didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can ?
Honey, you know I did!
And each time I tell myself that I, well I think I've had enough,
But I'm gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough.

I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it,
Take it!
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby!
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, oh, have a!
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby,
You know you got it if it makes you feel good,
Oh, yes indeed.

You're out on the streets looking good,
And baby deep down in your heart I guess you know that it ain't right,
Never, never, never, never, never, never hear me when I cry at night,
Babe, and I cry all the time!
But each time I tell myself that I, well I can't stand the pain,
But when you hold me in your arms, I'll sing it once again.

I'll say come on, come on, come on, come on and take it!
Take it!
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby.
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah,
Oh, oh, have a!
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby,
You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good.

I need you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it,
Take it!
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby!
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart, now darling, yeah, c'mon now.
Oh, oh, have a
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby.
You know you got it -- whoahhhhh!!

Take it!
Take it! Take another little piece of my heart now, baby,
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart, now darling, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Oh, oh, have a
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, hey,
You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good.

"So get your mind out of the gutter."

What gutter?

Your mind is in the gutter.

SAHMbacktowork, re: Ireland: I recommend the western part of country for vacations. I've been to Dublin, but the former au pair is from Galway so we spent a week there for her wedding. Fantastic place! Go south into County Clare for the Cliffs of Moher; go north into Mayo for the whole "Connemara" experience - the Cong/Ashford Castle area is amazing, in between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask. Best of all is the boat trip to the Aran Islands - take the trip, rent bikes, and explore the place. The kids will love it - mine did!

SAHMbacktowork's suggestion applies equally well in the US and Canada:
"As far as food, just hit the markets in the morning for bread, cheese, fresh veggies, so you'll have food for the kids throughout the day. i did this when I was travelling in my single carefree days to save money on going out to eat."

Not only saves money but can be more nutritious, time-saving and less hassle than going to a restaurant.

MD mother said, "But I would also love it if my husband took the kids on a vacation for a week and I got to stay home and enjoy the quiet. Imagine, only my own dishes to wash; no bickering; being able to sit down and read without interruption!"

Yes! Yes! That's my idea of the perfect vacation! Significant time alone in my own house with no one to take care of.

My family actually enjoyed theme parks-I went to Disney World 4 times as a kid! My parents (who are now granndparents to our 14-month old) are Disney Vacation Club members now and can't WAIT to take our daughter there in a couple years. We did many trips to Busch Gardens, Great Adventure, Kings Dominion and Hershey Park when I was young

The only other place we took longer vacations to was Myrtle Beach. I still remember the day my dad and I played as many mini-golf courses as we could and then walked several miles in the 90 degree heat back to our hotel.

Other than that, we did long weekends at the beach. For a while, my grandparents owned a house near Rehoboth and we would go down and stay there as much as we could. Many summer weekends with friends and/or family were spent in that house! I'll never forget listening to (on the beach) and watching later in the day the LiveAid concert. Gotta love Funland, the waterslides on Route 1, minigolf, tank tag and renting bikes and riding on the boardwalk in the morning, too.

We were lucky enough to spend one vacation in England when I was 10 because my uncle was living in London at the time. I don't know that I would want to drag a little one along on a trip to Europe, but I had a wonderful time with my parents. We went to the Tower of London, the London Zoo, Madame Toussauds, Bath, Stonehendge, Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral (my dad and I walked to the top!) and of course a ride on a double decker bus. Oh, and the ultimate experience was going to Wimbledon-my uncle's company had tickets and he was able to get us in. I have so many great memories from that trip and I think I was the perfect age to enjoy an activity packed trip like that.

As an adult, I tend toward active trips rather than beach trips. When I go somewhere, I realize I may never go again and want to see as much as possible. I'm not a beach vacation person-while in Hawaii, I spent one day on a beach and was sightseeing the rest of the time.

My husband and I took our last pre-baby trip to Canada-we did a road trip through Ontario and Quebec for 2 weeks. For kids, I highly recommend Toronto or Ottawa. In Toronto, get a CityPass and it will get you into the city's biggest tourist sites for cheap.

I also agree that traveling with a young child is not necessarily a vacation unless you have extra hands on deck!

Looking forward to other responses...

scarry,

Have you ever been to Cedar Point? Would love info about the area. What is there to do besides the amusement park?

Sandusky is about three to three hours away from where I grew up , but I have been there and I like it. I went to sea world and Cedar Point with my brother and sister. Here are some other things to do. Trip advisor is great.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g50940-Activities-Sandusky_Ohio.html

Hey Blog Stats, who holds the record for the most posts in a day? Top Ten please!

(I hope it is me!)

Worst song at a wedding - "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. Nice message - you're a jackass, I don't need you, and I'm better off without you.

So get your mind out of the gutter."

What gutter?

Your mind is in the gutter.

No gutter, sex is a wonderful thing between people who love each other. The mountain was a nice get away from the stresses of life.

In summer, a trip to Montreal is like having Paris right here in North America. Accessible by car, plane and train. Subway makes it possible to get around town without a motor vehicle. Great botanical garden, for those who enjoy such things. Olympic Park, Mt. Royal, the old city, neighborhoods with foods of many nationalities, much much more.

As a kid, we usually did the 8-12 hour drives to the beach and stayed for 1-2 weeks. There was one trip to Vail, but my dad opened 2 WV ski resorts, so it didn't make a whole lot of sense to pay to ski, even if it was tons better out there. Once I was old enough to travel on my own, I over-did Europe, without really seeing the US. So, now I'm on a quest to see the US! We've done Yosemite and Sonoma, which are wonderful adult trips. We're pretty serious backpackers, and kids just can't do the kinds of trips we used to do. There are some beautiful stretched of the AT, but they can be pretty busy, and it's much better to hike and backpack on lesser used trails. Since the baby has come along, our fantasy trips involve meeting the extended family in a place with some sort of water, and mountains make it all the better. We all met at the Biltmore last year. There is some talk of some place in Mobile, AL for the next trip. My parents have a house on Galveston Bay, so visiting them is a pretty good vacation. It may be Houston, but at least we can fish and go on the jet ski. Not to mention the family is there!

Just realized I need to tweak something, "I wish my husband COULD take the children and..."

But I know it would be a disaster.

Still, I would love to have a peaceful week alone with myself, my books, my critters, maybe have my family come over to MY house for once.

Since we're strolling down wedding lyrical lane today, have to throw in a little Neil Diamond:

Money talks
but it can't sing and dance and it can't walk
As long as I can have you here with me
I'd much rather be forever in blue jeans

also

Sweet Caroline!
Good times never seemed so good
I'm inclined
to believe they never could . . .

Dr.mom - take 'em to Europe. If your kids are little (ours were 3 and 5), I would recommend renting a house (there are villas for rent in Tuscany - truly haha) in a central location. That way you have a home base where they feel comfortable and settled and then you can do daily car trips to lots of different places. Scotland is also just amazing (my then 5 year old loved the castles) and the nicest people in the whole world. Just keep your expectations low, not a lot of museum time. Its a great family vacation, just different than vacations abroad before. I would also mention that a week in Italy including house rental is really no more expensive than a trip to Disney and I think more edifying.

SAHMbacktowork - I'm with you. Why would I go somewhere else to just lay around? I like doing and exploring. This is not to exclude a relaxing lunch in a town square, but I'm not going to Italy to sit on the beach the whole time. Go, go, go.

My mil is taking the family on an Alaskan cruise this summer. Anyone have experience with that with smaller kids (4&6)

I forgot Hawaii!!! And it was my honeymoon! Again, I'm not sure it would have been fun with kids. We stayed on Kauai, so it's pretty basic. Mostly we just chilled out on the beach. And the backpacking is brutal, though beautiful.

The only other place we've frequented is New Orleans, another non-kid friendly place. Vegas, too! I'm glad I got the adult trips in!

I had a friend whose dad traveled enough that each summer he cashed in the FF miles, and the 5 of them (3 girls!) would fly out to somewhere they could camp. My friend loved it and still backpacks. Not so much for her sisters. It sounds GREAT to me.

When I was a kid, the most memorable vacation was a car trip to Niagra Falls for a week, and then back down to Florida and finally to Disney World. We stopped in many places along the way, but right now, I can only remember New York City, Savahnna, and Jacksonville. It was great fun. I was about 10.

Another summer, we flew to San Antonio and I spent a month with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. I remember driving to a lake near Corpus Christie and baking in the sun one hot week (ouch).

We also took long weekends at the beach (good old ocean city, md) and long weekends in the mountains near Skyline Drive.

These days, I like the Jersey Shore for our yearly family vacation. We rent a condo on the beach and I get to read escapist junk for at least 3 hours a day. I love going out to eat every evening, and going for icecream afterwards. We also a day at the water park when we are there. The Cape May boadwalk is absolutely my favorite, and I indulge in funnel cake each and every week at the beach. My son loves it too, but I think I love it more.

worst wedding reception song-- Sting's "Roxanne". seriously, the first song the guy played-- what a joker! i thought the groom would punch his lights out!

I'd love to spend time in Amish country-- maybe we'd live on a real farm for a few days. there is also that toy train exhibit in the area that I think my son would love.

Thanks for the Cedar Point info - I think we'll try it this year.

My parents were schoolteachers, which was both a blessing and a curse when it came to my childhood vacations. They were very passionate about their subject areas (geology and American history), so we spent lots of time wandering around Civil War battle fields or poking around waterfalls and beaches in the Michigan UP for rock specimens. In retrospect I appreciate the exposure to history and nature, but at the time my sisters and I thought these vacations were BORING and would have given anything to vacation at some "normal" destination like Disney World.

I agree 100% with those who say going on a vacation without an additional caregiver isn't really a vacation, its just a change of venue. That is the primary reason why my husband and I rarely take our 3 children on more than a long weekend to the Wisconsin Dells or to visit relatives. Don't feel too badly for them. My husband's parents, who are natives of Greece, took the kids to Greece for six weeks a few summers ago. They stayed (with relatives) in a seaside village and went swimming in the ocean everyday. They've already had their vacation of a lifetime!

Fred,

I presently live about 30 minutes from Wakulla Springs, Florida. The glass bottom boats haven't run for a few years since the water is so murkey. It is beautiful, though.

Our family is driving from Oregon to the Grand Canyon this summer, with overnight stops in Boise, Salt Lake City, Zion National Park, 4 nights in the GC, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Redding, CA. According to Mapquest the trip will be about 2800 miles and take 46 hours total. We were originally going to tent camp but decided that 6 people in a mini van for 11 days would be enough "roughing it" so we're staying in (fairly) cheap motels instead. We do a trip like this (although this one is a little bigger than usual) every couple of years. It's not really fantasy but it's family oriented, doable from a financial pov, and fun.

Jen - the real steam train in Strassburg, PA is wonderful for little boys and girls. I recommend paying for the first class ticket (not to expensive) its enclosed and more comfortable, esp. on a hot day. They also have times when they outfit the huge steam train like Thomas which makes the kids go bananas I hear, but I believe you have to reserve that in advance. We had a really fun day the day we went!

--I agree 100% with those who say going on a vacation without an additional caregiver isn't really a vacation, its just a change of venue.

I disagree. My definition of vacation is a break from work, not a break from my family. No blackberry, cell phone, or emergency number left at work. Just being away from everyday routine with my family is wonderful.

Oh, and you did mention dream vacations, well, I had one last year. My sister and I have fond memories of visiting my Dad's family in TX, every year, complete with 23 hours STRAIGHT THROUGH in the '71 Dodge Coronet station wagon and 4-5 kids. I'm #2 and she's #4. This stopped when I was 13, for a variety of reasons. My eldest aunt passed away last May, and she and I decided that the ONLY way we were going to maintain some semblance of connection with my non-travelling Dad's side of the family (who are 75+) was to fly out :) , rent a car from Dallas (our 2 brothers live in the 'burbs there), pick up our other aunt (who wrote our family geneology) and go see the uncles, aunts and cousins. We stayed in Muenster, TX (great Oktoberfest, but wrong time of year), Abilene, Post (named for the Post cereal guy, but its industries are oil and prisons), Midland, and had some stops along the way. Saw stuffed rattlesnakes in Sweetwater (that has a rattlesnake rodeo every year) the quail capital of the US? plenty-o-cotton being farmed, zero-water landscaping and got to soak up LOADS of time with cousins that I hadn't seen since I was five. I had my infant son along, and the previous posters are right, there is nothing like a child to get a conversation going and break the ice. In a lot of ways it was like dedicating my son to some of the family elders, as well as talking about the family from the context of my Aunt, and getting a lot of family history. A lot of my uncles' lives were unknown for us, so we asked questions like, where did you meet Aunt X? And for the most part, they humored us, sassed us some, and were their fun selves as well. We tried to swap recipes (and ate a lot of FABULOUS barbeque) with mixed success. We really made a connection, though and even exchanged email addresses. So that was my fantasy vacation, a rolling family reunion (of sorts). They were too old to visit us, and my Dad in MD wasn't really initiating anything, because he is much like them, so my sister and I took it upon us to do it ourselves. If we had more money, I would've brought my teen son and husband, because we thought they might be too bored. So that it our different family vacation.

While I'm still partial to "Lying Eyes" as the worst, I'm convinced after reading this blog that there are a LOT of wedding DJs out there who really shouldn't be. Some of these songs make you wonder if the DJ isn't paying attention or is doing it on purpose to get in a dig at the people paying him.

For those who want to travel abroad: Central America! Specifically, I recommend Grenada, Nicaragua or Antigua/Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Beautiful, cheap, fun and off the beaten path! And if you're worried about safety -- the only real issue is the same one you face anywhere there is a large income discrepancy: be smart about it and come with a plan for talking with your kids about seeing their peers begging for money on the streets.

How about best wedding songs?

My vote is for As Time Goes By. I also like the one that goes, "What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love"

Not very original. But I like them.

To momof4: Have been to Zion Park twice in spring, and love it -- but have read that it's pretty hot in summer, like close to 100°. So plan accordingly.

Worst Wedding Song

"Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places"

SAHMbacktowork, re: Ireland: I recommend the western part of country for vacations. I've been to Dublin, but the former au pair is from Galway so we spent a week there for her wedding. Fantastic place! Go south into County Clare for the Cliffs of Moher; go north into Mayo for the whole "Connemara" experience - the Cong/Ashford Castle area is amazing, in between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask. Best of all is the boat trip to the Aran Islands - take the trip, rent bikes, and explore the place. The kids will love it - mine did!

Posted by: Army Brat | April 27, 2007 10:36 AM

Thanks Army Brat! I am so excited already!

Or Summertime, of course

Summertime, time, time,
Child, the livings easy.
Fish are jumping out
And the cotton, lord,
Cottons high, lord, so high.

Your daddys rich
And your ma is so good-looking, baby.
Shes looking good now,
Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby,
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, dont you cry.
Aahhhh!

One of these mornings
Youre gonna rise, rise up singing,
Youre gonna spread your wings,
Child, and take, take to the sky,
Lord, the sky.

Until that morning
Honey, n-n-nothings going to harm you now,
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
Dont you cry,
Dont you cry,
Cry.

I make it a point to go on a good vacation with the kids. All we ever did was drive from LA to a small small town in Texas to visit my grandma. What a waste of experience (regardless of our feelings for grandma-who i liked). I felt so backward when my friends went skiing or went to florida or somewhere. That is the experience we want for our kids especially since their grandma lives 30 minutes away.

"How about best wedding songs?"

An oldie but appropriate: There Must be 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.

To Scarry (and anyone else who's interested), the Post political chat from 11-12 is on last night's debate: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/04/26/DI2007042601503.html

Fo4 - If that is the BEST wedding song you can think of, I am worried about you. Come on. Get into a romantic frame of mind. It's Friday, and Spring is here.

What is your collective opinion about a married couple where the wife puts "Girls Rule" bumper stickers on both of their cars? By the way, they have 3 kids....all girls.

Well...I'm probably biased, but Europe is pretty easy with kids since it is fairly accomodating to tourists in general. London is very expensive at the moment because of the weak dollar, but a great place for kids regardless of age. Good, easy transportation around the city so you don't have to worry about car seats and lots of really fun places for the kids to hang out (zoo, science musuem, safari park, acquarium, lots of parks). We've also done some traveling around Europe with a toddler and find that most places are good (Spain, Italy, Greece). The trains are fantastic and flights are usually pretty cheap - so lots of options to go about Europe.

My vote for best:

Say a Little Prayer (both Dionne Warwick and Aretha versions)

The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little pray for you
While combing my hair now,
And wondering what dress to wear now,
I say a little prayer for you

Forever, and ever, you'll stay in my heart
and I will love you
Forever, and ever, we never will part
Oh, how I love you
Together, forever, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only meen heartbreak for me.

I run for the bus, dear,
While riding I think of us, dear,
I say a little prayer for you.
At work I just take time
And all through my coffee break-time,
I say a little prayer for you.

Forever, and ever, you'll stay in my heart
and I will love you
Forever, and ever we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, forever, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only mean heartbreak for me.

I say a little prayer for you

I say a little prayer for you

My darling believe me, ( beleive me)
For me there is no one but you!
Please love me too (answer his pray)
And I'm in love with you (answer his pray)
Answer my prayer now babe (answer his pray)

Forever, and ever, you'll stay in my heart
and I will love you
Forever, and ever we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, forever, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only mean heartbreak for me (oooooooooh)

Worst:

ANYTHING Celine Dion or Whitney Houston, etc.. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! haha
or 80s hairband songs, except for maybe Bon Jovi (just kidding)...

Dotted,
I think it's cute and funny. The poor dad is outnumbered. The sooner he accepts his reality, the happier he will be.

Worst: Toxic by Britney Spears~! (Even though it seems she followed her own lyrics with her choice in a husband!)

Baby, can¡¦t you see
I¡¦m calling
A guy like you
Should wear a warning
It¡¦s dangerous
I¡¦m fallin¡¦

There¡¦s no escape
I can¡¦t hide
I need a hit
Baby, give me it
You¡¦re dangerous
I¡¦m lovin¡¦ it

Too high
Can¡¦t come down
Losing my head
Spinning ¡¥round and ¡¥round
Do you feel me now

With a taste of your lips
I¡¦m on a ride
You¡¦re toxic
I¡¦m slipping under
With a taste of poison paradise
I¡¦m addicted to you
Don¡¦t you know that you¡¦re toxic
And I love what you do
Don¡¦t you know that you¡¦re toxic

It¡¦s getting late
To give you up
I took a sip
From my devil cup
Slowly
It¡¦s taking over me

Too high
Can¡¦t come down
It¡¦s in the air
And it¡¦s all around
Can you feel me now

With a taste of your lips
I¡¦m on a ride
You¡¦re toxic
I¡¦m slipping under
With a taste of poison paradise
I¡¦m addicted to you
Don¡¦t you know that you¡¦re toxic
And I love what you do
Don¡¦t you know that you¡¦re toxic

Don't you know that you're toxic

With a tast of your lips
I'm on a ride
You're toxic
I'm slipping under
With a taste of poison paradise
I'm addicted to you
Don't you know that you're toxic

Intoxicate me now
With your lovin' now
I think I'm ready now
I think I'm ready now
Intoxicate me now
With your lovin' now
I'm ready now

Serious best wedding song:
When a Man Loves a Woman as sung by Percy Sledge. It doesn't get more romantic that this:

When a man loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothin' else
He'd trade the world
For a good thing he's found
If she is bad, he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he puts her down

When a man loves a woman
Spend his very last dime
Trying to hold on to what he needs
He'd give up all his comforts
And sleep out in the rain
If she said that's the way
It ought to be

When a man loves a woman
I give you everything I've got (yeah)
Trying to hold on
To your precious love
Baby please don't treat me bad

When a man loves a woman
Deep down in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she is playing him for a fool
He's the last one to know
Loving eyes can never see

Yes when a man loves a woman
I now exactly how he feels
'Cause baby, baby, baby
I am a man
When a man loves a woman

What is your collective opinion about a married couple where the wife puts "Girls Rule" bumper stickers on both of their cars? By the way, they have 3 kids....all girls.

Posted by: dotted | April 27, 2007 11:24 AM

Cheesy, but who cares? They are obviously an estrogen-run household. it's funny

Posted by: KLB SS MD | April 27, 2007 11:27 AM

Sorry KLB, Michael Bolton ruined that song!

"there is also that toy train exhibit in the area that I think my
son would love."

I'm going to put in a plug for the toy train museum next to the Strausburge railroad in PA. My late fil served as president of TCA (Train Collectors Association) for a term and work very hard for much of his life to make that museum a success. Just last year, they dedicated the Presidentual Caboose exhibit to him as it was his design and dream to have it constructed at the museum.

Also, if you go later in the summer, there is a corn maze nearby. Lots of fun for kids and adults too.

Two words: Tainted Love

Now just try to go to the next post without humming/singing the tune

What is your collective opinion about a married couple where the wife puts "Girls Rule" bumper stickers on both of their cars? By the way, they have 3 kids....all girls.

Posted by: dotted | April 27, 2007 11:24 AM

If it was my family, my husband would be the one who bought the bumper stickers. His daughters are everything to him.

SAHMbacktowork: What an awesome pick!

Fairfax, Based on the following line, I think our dads were separated at birth. I'm still laughing, ten minutes after reading this:

"My brother and I played with toys in the middle and back seats half the time, while my dad scolded us for not appreciating the various cows from different states."

When I was growing up, our vacations operated like our real life. We were always housepoor. Dad would budget for the cabin, the gas, and minimal food (no eating out), and then we did nothing else. So, for example, on year we rented a little cabin 20 miles from Montreal. I loved the lake for the first three days, but we did nothing else and there was so much we could have seen and done within a short drive. On the other hand, my husband's family never took a vacation other than for the purpose of visiting relatives. The concept of a vacation to somewhere where we don't have family was odd for him the first few years we were together. I am loving all the ideas here though.

In response to someone who asked how old your kids need to be before you can take an active, e.g., hiking/rafting, etc. vacation: based on my research 6 or 8 are the magic numbers. I"ve only found one dude ranch, for example, that will let a child under 6 ride. The more physically demanding vacations, like GORP, I think, require kids to be at least 8.

okay, I like Shania's Still the one and I like Vince Gills's look at us. I don't even like country that much, but I like those.

Worst song has got to be Love Hurts, which has been played at every wedding I have every been at.

I'm always amazed at how many people miss the point of the road trip--that you can stop whenever you want. When I was growing up, my parents took us on massive car trips. We covered lots of ground and saw vast areas of the country--but we didn't cover that much ground in any one day. In fact, 400 miles was a really long day for us. The result was that we saw a lot of sights and visited more of the U.S. than most people (my brother made it to all 50 states before turning 25; I'm only missing Alaska)--and no one was miserable about it. Marathon driving sessions are self-imposed misery, and totally unnecessary unless there's some sort of emergency at the end of the trip. And we often traveled with our pop-up trailer, so we were able to keep costs down by camping, but maintaining a base level of comfort.

This is easier to do when you're dealing with military leave timeframes, as we were, but it's not at all impossible with standard corporate vacation either. It just requires you to see the trip as having a midpoint instead of a destination.

"What is your collective opinion about a married couple where the wife puts "Girls Rule" bumper stickers on both of their cars? By the way, they have 3 kids....all girls."

Anything is better than the God Awful
"My child is an Honor Student at the
Stick-up-the-Butt School" bumper stickers!

The wunderkids in those vehicles are usually eating snot out of their noses while playing with their private parts!

How was that drive to Hawaii?