Your best summer vacation

[azsnowman]

With school in session for most of the members here at storm2K got me thinkin' (shhhhhh, I don't think that often "LOL!") what/when was your most memorable summer vacation?

For me........the summers of 1970 thru 1975, I got to be a *real cowboy*. My sister and brother in law down on the Fort Apache Reservation still run over 675 head of White Face Herefords on the rez.........come summer time, they would need some extra hired hands, on the days I wasn't working at the gas station, I would spend those days out punchin' cattle, riding fence, checking gates, puttin' out salt blocks, ya know......*real cowboy* stuff God I miss those days, I still, when time permits, help in the spring time branding, fall round up and moving the cattle to winter pastures. Yes folks, I found a horse big enough to haul my fat butt around "LOL!" There's something about riding a horse out in the boonies that clears ones head and settles ones soul, reckon that's why Gods a Cowboy at heart

Dennis

[David]

I've only had one real vacation that I can remember, and that was going to Colorado this year. Wasn't much fun, but it was nice to get away for awhile.

[Miss Mary]

Hi Dennis - I saw this topic yesterday and had to give it some thought.

Growing up my family didn't take real vacations. My dad's family (6 married siblings, nieces/nephews) would have a reunion in Wisconsin. You all know how old I am now.....this from 1960 until we stopped going, a few years later. Can you imagine that drive, from Cincinnati to upstate Wisconsin? No interstates!!! I can remember being stuck in the back seat with my 2 brothers, who teased me relentlessly, no A/C either.

So that is definitely not my favorite vacation times!!!!

I'd have to chooose our honeymoon in Hawaii - August, 1986, 2 weeks on Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. We also took a day trip over to Lanai. And I could see Molokai from Maui. And oh, I did see Niihau (sp?), the off limits Hawaiian island, from the beach on Kauai. So I feel like I did "see" 6 Hawaiian islands!!!! Road to Hana!!! I will never forget that trip - FYI, take Dramamine if you get carsick easily!!!! But worth it when you got there. If you like hair-pin turns, take that trip. Waimeia Canyon - took my breath away, so incredible to see. We hiked to a waterfall - where it started. That was a little creepy but you could hear the water roaring and only imagine what it looked like below.

I fell in love with Hawaii! My advice is to stay for 2 weeks, if you can afford the extra hotel expense. You pay for airfare anyway, why not stay longer I say, if it's feasable.

[azskyman]

Mary...Kathy and I go back for the second time to Hawaii in late September. Only six days this time...not the two weeks you recommend.

My favorite vacation was surely our Eurpoean trip in 1988...to Switzerland and Germany. 12 days. Zurich, Heidelberg, Lucerne, Zermatt, among other places. Was looking at photos of that trip the other day. How did we gain those pounds since then?

I have two pictures of me standing next to weather stations that were posted in parks and along walkways...so my interest in weather was great back then too.

Among other notable trips...NYC and Boston, Niagara Falls, Disney World, Gatlinburg, numerous to Colorado, Wyoming, Glacier Park.

These days....I so much enjoy a day or two along the ocean in San Diego or just two hours north in the red Rocks of Sedona or pines of Payson or Flagstaff.

[Stephanie]

I'd say that my favorite vacation had to be the week my family and I went went annually to an Upstate NY resort called "Villa Roma". Think "Dirty Dancing" and you'll understand. So many activites, friends that you meet in that short period of time, the shuffleboard contests my Mom & I won for a bottle of wine, the men's "Bathing Beauty contest" which was hysterical, "Caesar's Night" which was a Friday night Italian Food Fest. Everyone was "Italian for the week". The crushes on the lifeguards, waiters, the talent contests, etc. were wonderful! My family had gone there annually for about 12 years.

I have had many wonderful vacations since then, notably my Carnival Cruise in 1997 through the Eastern Caribbean, Bermuda with my Mom in 1999, Fort Myers in 2001 (I think) and this year to Mexico. I've been to Ocean City, MD on a number of occassions during the summer. It has alot of places to eat, shop, drink, etc. My FAVORITE place is "Seacrets" which makes the BEST DRINKS and it is decorated as if you were in Jamaica mon!

[Guest]

Mine was our annual two week vacation to Colorado - we would go the the first two weeks of August and camp in the NWestern part of Colorado called Grand Mesa. We towed a RV and rode in the back of a pickup truck two days to get there. Had so much fun camping - having campfires - hiking - fishing and just being kids and it was above 9,000 feet so we were wearing pants and jackets while everyone in Texas was sweltering in 90-100 temps.

We went on this trip until I was 16 years old. Next June I am planning a trip for my own family like this...won't be two weeks but more like 10 days.

This thread has bought back the memories...

[ColdFront77]

I have never really been on vacation until my move "down here" to Florida from southeastern Massachusetts in June 2000. (this being because all my trips except for one that you will see below were all shorter than three week... I am not counting my visits to Massachusetts; beings that I lived there for over 22 years, 10 1/2 months).

My first "real trip" was in 1992 to South Carolina to pick up my brother Matt from Basic Training at Fort Jackson in the capital, Columbia.

I've been a few times to see one my brother Chris in Morgantown, West Virginia when he was going to graduate school at West Virginia University. I spent twenty-three days there in late May and throughout the first half of June in 1997. The year before, my parents and Chris went to Virginia so he could check a college he thought about attending and briefly spent time in Charlottesville, Virginia; we were thinking about moving to that area before deciding on moving to central Florida in 2000.

One of my trips to Morgantown, was for Chris' wedding in August 1999. That was a three day weekend. Only one aunt out of my large extended family was able to go.

The later trips just so happen to be in the summertime... I don't recall off the top of my head what month I went to South Carolina.

[nystate]

My favorite vacation was surely our Eurpoean trip in 1988...to Heidelberg

How did you like Heidelberg? I lived there for 3 years, I loved it! Every day I want to go back...I was able to do and see so many things when I was there.

One of my best summer vacations was to London a few years ago. We flew on British Airways from FRA-LHR, and I almost got put in buisness class by a nice F/A but the travel agent had already assigned us seats. Anyways, we spent about 3 days in London, and saw all of the usual sights, before flying back home.

[JetMaxx]

No doubt....it was the three week vacation I took to Portland, Oregon in 1999. My grandmother and I went to visit my oldest sister (Becky) and her family -- and learn about the wonderful state where her husband (David) was born and grew up.

Not only was it our first cross-country trip on an airliner, but Granny's first airplane flight (she handled it better than me -- and the first time I'd ever been west of the Mississippi River (Tallulah, LA).

Just seeing Becky and her three little angels was very special (Jake was only 4 months old); but seeing so many new things made it such a memorable vacation....including witnessing heavy snow falling at the 6000' level of Mount Hood on July 2nd, and visiting all the scenic sights around western Oregon -- from the rugged Pacific Coast to the spectacular Columbia River Gorge...and everything in between.

Portland is a wonderful city....totally different than any large city I've ever seen; it's so clean...no air pollution...and the spectacular view of snow capped Mt Hood looming on the eastern horizion is beyond description. We also were privileged to meet many of David's family members unable to attend their 1993 wedding here in Atlanta; and find they were all just as friendly and gracious as he is (his aunt Roz and uncle Norm visited with us in May...their daughter lives in metro Atlanta).

One of my highlights from that vacation (among many) was visiting my brother-in-laws alma mater Willamette University in Salem, Oregon (located right across the street from the Oregon state capitol building)....and watching my sweetheart little niece and nephew (Maddie and Nick) as they were awed by the beautiful campus where they're daddy went to college.

Needless to say, I fell totally in love with Oregon, especially the Oregon Coast; and plan someday to make it my home.

Here's a spectacular example of what the eastern Portland skyline looks like on a sunny day
http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/fact-sheet/f ... X-Hood.jpg

[streetsoldier]

I haven't had a "real" summer vacation since I was in high school, and those with my family...'nuff said about that.

During my working/service years, I took no more than 4 days at the very most...not enough time to even call it a "vacation". I can say that the best "mini-trips" I took were in October of 1974, to Union City, TN, home of Dixie Gun Works (talk about a kid in a candy store!!); and again in 1990, also October, to the WW II Historical Reenactment Society "National Battle" held at Fort Campbell, KY, where the Society awarded me, through the "German" commander, the "Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, 1939" for dedicated service to the HRS over 10 years.

[azskyman]

nystate...Heidelberg was wonderful. We stayed at Hotel Zum Ritter....on the Neckar River and watched to boats from the grounds. Shopping was great...it was September and mornings were cool. Bought a wonderful wood and brass barometer in a shop along the main street..still hangs in our home.
Visited the castle for the tour, too! I really enjoyed Heidelberg...if you cannot tell. Have some nice pictures to look at now and then to remind me.

[JCT777]

The best summer vacation that I have had was my honeymoon 2 years ago. My wife and I went on a 5 day Caribbean cruise (to Grand Cayman and Cancun), then spent several days in Key West. We had a wonderful time - so much so that we went on a similar vacation this past January. But this time it was a seven day cruise (that also stopped in Jamaica) and we went with 14 other people (friends/family).