Childhood Vacations

[scrapchyck]

Road trip to Washington, D.C., from Ottawa, Canada, late 1970s. We used to stay at Holiday Inns with swimming pools (swimming pools!!), and we kids thought we had died and gone to heaven. A brochure in a Pennsylvania hotel advertised Hershey Park; and oh please, Da, can we go to this amusement park?; and our Dad said ‘Yes’! One of the most magical and unexpected moments from my childhood.

Oh, the excitement of a motel swimming pool!!! How fun that your dad was open to going to the amusement park out of the blue!

 

[scrapchyck]

I love all your fabulous stories! Ahhh the good old days! Love it.
We didn't really go on family holidays sadly. My dad was in the Army and it seemed like every time they talked about taking a holiday somewhere we got posted.
I think we all consider the two years Dad was posted to Papua New Guinea (1973-74) a bit of a holiday. My brother and I pretty much ran wild for two solid years while Mum and Dad were busy with work. We couldn't get into too much trouble as we were living in an Army compound but all us army brats roamed around like every day was vacation . We all went to school but most classes were outside under a tree so it still felt free and easy.

What a cool experience!

 

[Karen]

I love all your fabulous stories! Ahhh the good old days! Love it.
We didn't really go on family holidays sadly. My dad was in the Army and it seemed like every time they talked about taking a holiday somewhere we got posted.
I think we all consider the two years Dad was posted to Papua New Guinea (1973-74) a bit of a holiday. My brother and I pretty much ran wild for two solid years while Mum and Dad were busy with work. We couldn't get into too much trouble as we were living in an Army compound but all us army brats roamed around like every day was vacation . We all went to school but most classes were outside under a tree so it still felt free and easy.

Well that sounds completely awesome!

 

[kelley]

As a child, almost all of our vacations were camping trips, many of them to camp at the Iowa State Fair.

I don't have a great memory, so I don't remember anything super young. I believe my most vivid memory is when I was around 12. We were camping at a small state park in Iowa, I believe it was Rice Lake. My sister and I are only 2 years apart, and everyone always used to say we looked like twins. On this particular camping trip, we decided to go with it that and look like twins. We dressed identically (even asked our mom if we could get matching outfits at Walmart), did our hair identically, and walked around together to see how many people would comment - a lot did, and it was funny. I also vividly remember our campsite being on a pretty wide open area with barely any other campers around, and there being a huge hill down to the beach area. We did a lot of running up and down that hill. There wasn't much for activities at that campground, so we just made our own fun by walking around with the camcorder.

I have lots of good camping memories, but most of them are from my older teen years.

 

[weaselwatchr]

What is your most vivid childhood memory of a summer vacation or camp trip?

My most vivid memory of a childhood vacation was from 1971 when we took a road trip from Oregon back to Iowa/Illinois where my mom and dad were from. My dad set up a platform in the backseat of our car and put a foam pad down and we kids slept a lot while my dad drove. I remember seeing the Mississippi River, seeing lightning bugs for the first time, going to a city fair with my great, great Aunt Vera and cousin Mindy, seeing a remote control for a TV for the first time, and also visiting Old Faithful, Mt. Rushmore, and the Corn Palace on the way home. Also, some spectacular lightning in the sky! Definitely stood out to me as an 8 year old!

So I must be tired because I read "Childhood Vaccinations" and your answer and was very confused

 

[weaselwatchr]

So my family never ever went on vacation when I was a child. The only time we went anywhere growing up was to go to my Grandmother's funeral. She came to visit the states and passed away here. We wound up driving from Illinois to Minnesota for the funeral. That was back in '78 when the actually arrested John Gacy. I remember watching the news in the hotel about it. Maybe that's why I like watching true crime? I don't know I was a weird kid.

 

[IntenseMagic]

I just finished going through 867,000 photos from my mom's house and sorting them by year...mostly the 70's, so it was my childhood. There were lots of vacation photos, but the trips I remember most were the ones we took to stay with my aunt and uncle in Charlotte, NC. I had a cousin who used a wheelchair because she was born with a hole in her spine. We were super close in age and going to spend time with her was so much fun. They took us to amusement parks and all kinds of things. They were told that Jennifer, my cousin, would never live to be a teenager. She passed away at 33. We made lots of great memories!

 

[scrapchyck]

As a child, almost all of our vacations were camping trips, many of them to camp at the Iowa State Fair.

I don't have a great memory, so I don't remember anything super young. I believe my most vivid memory is when I was around 12. We were camping at a small state park in Iowa, I believe it was Rice Lake. My sister and I are only 2 years apart, and everyone always used to say we looked like twins. On this particular camping trip, we decided to go with it that and look like twins. We dressed identically (even asked our mom if we could get matching outfits at Walmart), did our hair identically, and walked around together to see how many people would comment - a lot did, and it was funny. I also vividly remember our campsite being on a pretty wide open area with barely any other campers around, and there being a huge hill down to the beach area. We did a lot of running up and down that hill. There wasn't much for activities at that campground, so we just made our own fun by walking around with the camcorder.

I have lots of good camping memories, but most of them are from my older teen years.

I loved camping as a kid...I still love it, but don't really get to do it anymore. Not as much fun by yourself, though I have done that. I think it's hilarious that you twinned it up to see what would happen! My two oldest kids are just 16 months apart and there was a moment in time they were about the same height and we got asked "Are they twins?" a lot!

 

[scrapchyck]

So my family never ever went on vacation when I was a child. The only time we went anywhere growing up was to go to my Grandmother's funeral. She came to visit the states and passed away here. We wound up driving from Illinois to Minnesota for the funeral. That was back in '78 when the actually arrested John Gacy. I remember watching the news in the hotel about it. Maybe that's why I like watching true crime? I don't know I was a weird kid.

Influences are everywhere!

 

[scrapchyck]

I just finished going through 867,000 photos from my mom's house and sorting them by year...mostly the 70's, so it was my childhood. There were lots of vacation photos, but the trips I remember most were the ones we took to stay with my aunt and uncle in Charlotte, NC. I had a cousin who used a wheelchair because she was born with a hole in her spine. We were super close in age and going to spend time with her was so much fun. They took us to amusement parks and all kinds of things. They were told that Jennifer, my cousin, would never live to be a teenager. She passed away at 33. We made lots of great memories!

I bet you have just been walking down Memory Lane for hours lately! My sister was born with spina bifida as well...I remember my mom saying they didn't think she'd live past age 5, but she surprised everyone for sure. Lots of health issues, but lived until 39. I'm so glad you have some wonderful memories of Jennifer! Julie and I used to break out the Jackson 5 albums and sing our little hearts out!

 

[umyesh]

This is a great question for my terrible memory lol
What is your most vivid childhood memory of a summer vacation or camp trip?
Hiking to Delicate Arch because my brother proposed to his wife in the shadow of the arch.

 

[scrapchyck]

This is a great question for my terrible memory lol
What is your most vivid childhood memory of a summer vacation or camp trip?
Hiking to Delicate Arch because my brother proposed to his wife in the shadow of the arch.

Awww...how romantic!