Redartz: Hello, and welcome once again to another exercise in leader following! If everyone is ready, let's be seated and await our first 'contestant'; whose prize is setting the topic of discussion for the week! "Come on down", and let's get rolling...
20 comments:
Good morning, friends.
In a few days my wife and I are joining her sister's family on a weekend Disney cruise in celebration of my sister-in-law's 50th birthday. My wife and I have not gone on a cruise previously, so this is literally uncharted waters for us.
Which brings me to today's query - what is your most memorable vacation or trip?
In 2008, my sons and I accompanied my father-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephew on a once-in-a-lifetime one-week vacation. Here's the itinerary:
Fly from Chicago to Hartford, CT
Tour ESPN Studios
Tour Basketball Hall of Fame
Red Sox game at Fenway Park w/ stadium tour before game, including on field during batting practice
Driving tour of Manhattan (Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Center, 9-11 Ground Zero)
Yankees game at old Yankee Stadium; on field and tour of Monument Park after game
Walking tour of Syracuse University
Tour Baseball Hall of Fame
Niagara Falls
Fly from Buffalo to Chicago
One week. We rented a minivan at the airport and returned it at a different airport with 3000 miles on it.
It was a fantastic trip!
Doug
Another good topic.
My wife & I went to Disney World and Universal Orlando on our honeymoon. I think my top 3 favorite rides, between all the parks, were Space Mountain, The Adventures Of Spider-Man and Star Wars Star Tours. Another highlight was Disney's Halloween Parade, which was led off by the Headless Horseman! Plus it was cool to see costumed characters like Mickey Mouse in Halloween costumes.
Runner-up trip:We took a train from Richmond, VA to NYC to see Bill Bailey, one of our favorite comedians, since he rarely performs in the US. Bailey was super-friendly when he came out to meet us afterwards (he said we'd traveled further than anyone who ever came to one see him perform in the UK). It was a 48-trip, but we managed to also fit in visits to Central Park, the NYC public library, Natural History Museum, the Guggenheim and Mid-Town Comics!
Given that this has sat here for almost six hours with no action, I will gladly retract the topic.
Please -- someone, anyone, make Red and Marti's day and post a disussion-worthy topic!!!!
Doug
Ha, JA - same time!
Thank you for validating me, old friend.
Doug
I haven't been on too many vacations; I've never even been to the USA, even though the border is only a few hours away by car ... I guess I'm more of a staycation guy. However, I have been to England 3 times; my dad is from there, so we went over to visit relatives and tour a few historic sites (Shakespeare's House, Carlisle Castle). That was pretty cool.
Oo-- quick break from some impromptu yard-clearing, here (while muh knee holds out--)--
While we've had several enjoyable & memorable trips with our kids (all now likely behind us, as they're pretty much grown--), by far the most memorable one of my entire life was the summer after my third grade year (summer of. . . '70, maybe?). Literally a month-long across-the-nation-and-back Odyssey that begin in our little town of Cassopolis, MI, trekked to Colorado (Garden of the Gods, and then Boulder, I think), down to Paragould, Arkansas for a visit with my Mom's family, continued on to fabled, only-dreamed-of Anaheim, CA to visit Disneyworld, then back across (IIRC) for a 2nd Paragould, Arkansas visit. And then home. This trip had so many eerie parallels to National Lampoon's VACATION that I often wondered if somehow some of my accounts of it had gotten passed on, eventually reaching the ears of the Esquire writer who penned that first short story that it was based on.
Big station-wagon hauling a HUGE new 25' luxury camper they'd purchased. Dad chain-smoking throughout the long hours in the closed car. Neither of them being great at driving or parking that monstrosity. Tooooo many relatives. (Another batch in Anaheim, in fact-- nice folks, tho-) We did keep a terrific stray dog that attached himself to us at the campground in Arkansas. God-- the HEAT in Needles, Arizona when we stopped for the night. (Picked up Avengers #81 at that KOA!). Haunted Mansion was still the new, hot attraction-- and was totally worth it-! Learning to swim for real at a motel pool. Food poisoning in the midst of an astonishing two-front thunderstorm at a different desert campground (Mom decided to fry some fish in the camper that evening. . . )
Honestly, though, I could fill a book with individual essays & stories about different events on that trip.
As an indication, though, of the caliber of parenting skills we were raised with--- the day we left, we were of COURSE trying to "leave before it gets light, and get an early start!" But that morning my Mom decided that she wanted to make a big, BIG breakfast to start the long trip-- so she did that (pancakes, sausage, etc), and it took for flippin' ever, and we just wanted to go, and my Dad was already twenty miles past his legendarily low boiling point-- and they both started snapping at each other, and we ended up woofing our food down, and LEFT EVERYTHING RIGHT ON THE TABLE and set out. Dishes, leftover food, orange juice, everything. Imagine what this looked like when we returned 4+ weeks later, in an un-airconditioned little house. Plus, our cat (who we'd just left there with a bag of food and an open basement window for access) had knocked everything over on the table as well.
I think my Dad started mowing the yard before we'd all gotten our stuff out of the camper. . . .
Not exactly "good" times, per se, but definitely "memorable" times-!
HB
Doug- a most appropriate topic, as here in the states we're coming up on Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of Summer. By the way, that trip you describe sounds incredible! I'd LOVE to make a trip like that. And with the companions you had; wow, what memories. On field at Yankee Stadiium and Fenway. Oh man...
HB- Great, great story! They could indeed have made a movie from your script. Picking up a dog along the way; like a bit from a Disney film. But the capper is your tale of the 'sudden departure'. It staggers the imagination to picture that dining room after four hot weeks. Bet you all kept the windows of the house open day and night for days...
And now, my answer to Doug's question:
Most memorable vacation as a kid: 1973, we took a family trip to Florida. Our first night down there we kids were left with some cousins we'd never met before (relations of my Mom's); and we all spent a long evening playing Monopoly. Then the next day we hit the beach, first time I'd seen the ocean. We had rented a condo, so we had plenty of beach time. Also spent two days at Disney World (brand new, at that point), and took the tour of the Kennedy Space Center. Oh, and HB, there were some elements similar to your adventures.
My Dad, bless his heart, had a fondness for taking 'off roads' rather than the Interstate, liking to see the sights. Which often was pretty cool, but not always. On the trip back north from Orlando, my parents started debating a side trip to Missouri to visit more relatives. This took place as we drove back and forth along obscure state roads in God-Knows-Where, Alabama; in pouring rain with three tired kids in the back seat. Mom finally had enough and insisted we find the Interstate and head for home.
As an adult: Two come to mind. Several years back for our anniversary my wife and I took a few days in Memphis, Tennessee. As music fans, it was quite rewarding; toured the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum, walked Beale Street, sat in on some great live Blues, and visited Graceland. Also had some fine meals; great catfish.
And two years ago, I had the pleasure of taking a road trip with my youngest son; driving him back to Arizona from a visit east to see us. Just the two of us, driving, reminiscing, and discussing everything from music to comics to politics to film. Spent a night camping out in a tent in the Kansas flatlands; drove awestruck through the scenery of New Mexico, and discovered a terrific little brewery/restaurant in Albuquerque. Great trip.
Doug - I would have written in, but can't do it until evening hours, Chicago time.
I've had many a family vacation in my 57 years...
The best as a kid was driving from Chicago to Galveston around 1967. My dad's uncle, a bit of a war hero, owned a "house of ill repute" where we stayed for a week, lol. The poor alchies... my brother and I drove them nuts at 6:30 AM when we started putting quarters in the juke box and they were looking for some "hair of the dog" lol!
Ha, Charlie - I thought I'd killed Follow the Leader!
Some great stories, though. And yes - I'd pay to watch The Motoring Exploits of Young HB.
Doug
The best as a dad is tuff...
Either a long drive from Chicago to Cape Cod. Or, a round trip in France (my wife is french) from the battlefields of Normandy to the beaches of Provence.
Perhaps one memorable event was when we finally drove, instead of flew, to FLA. We overnighted in Montgomery, AL and when we awoke the children were incredibly "into the moment" in downtown Montgomery. They had learned far more about the civil rights movement than I ever did and were quite moved to be where so much inhumanity had occurred.
Now I leave with my son to Germany for 3 weeks. He really wants to see Dachau and I am note encouraging it as I do not want him in a depression and hating Germans for the remainder of the vacation. (I've been a few times and know how this plays out, having lived there for 4 years.)
Thoughts anyone?
Charlie- I certainly don't know, never having been to Europe. But if he's interested in history...? It's a lesson that everyone should learn. If I ever make it 'across the pond, I plan to visit such a site...
Charlie -
We stopped in Montgomery on our way to Disney several years ago. Our sons had a powerful experience seeing some of the key sights in the Civil Rights struggle. In 2016 we had a family vacation at Disney again, but my wife and I drove while our sons and daughter-in-law flew. We took advantage of a no-hurry trip back north and went through Montgomery again. But this time we drove the historic route of the Selma to Montgomery march (albeit backwards). That was a very moving experience, and to stand at the foot of the Edmund Pettus bridge and recall the horrors of those days was an experience I'll not forget.
As to Germany, Dachau, etc. As one who has taught about social injustice and specifically the Holocaust for 30 years, I'd say everyone on earth should go to those places. While one could not (and should not) hope to "experience" what others before them went through, one can certainly learn. And I'd add, in response to your comment about hating Germans - isn't painting entire social groups with the same brush a key component of these problems? Hopefully, again through education, your son and other visitors can begin to compartmentalize the complexities of the Holocaust. But we need to stay away from "all Germans", and perhaps even "all Nazis". There's a dense history attached to that era, and it's a history that continues to have new light shed on it. So encourage the experience, as well as thoughtful meditation.
Doug
Great response, Doug--- I was very much hoping you could add a perspective on CH's question, there.
I don't know myself if I would be able to visit the sights of such horrific atrocities-- I've not been to our own Holocaust Museum, in fact, in spite of it being right downtown, there. Drive past it often.
But I might add that the possible take-away from visiting those sites (once the initial wave of emotional trauma and horror and rage has passed) is that it hopefully enables a person to recognize that the fiends from the past aren't the people there now in the present. That a nation or a people or a culture can grow and find its moral center again (difficult though that may be) even after an episode as deplorable and unthinkable as this. It's reasonable and understandable-- normal, in fact-- to hate who they were. And it's commendable to then try to help them be a better who-they-are-NOW. If that makes sense.
It's hard. And it's not exactly forgiveness. But it's moving-on-and-make-the-world-better-ness, I'd say---
HB
Hello.
Love the feedback!
My thinking is that Dachau is simply going to show humanity's ability to be inhumane. I mean, whether one views the lynching of Roosevelt Townes and Robert McDaniels in Mississippi or Nazi political prisoners, it's all inhumane, and none of it more painful than the other.
However, visiting Nurnberg, we can get a sense of how the Nazi system came to exist and thrive. We can see the grandiose parade zone built by Speer featured so prominently in Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will and her other propaganda films (on Youtube) which I am encouraging he view. Importantly, we can also see where the head Nazis were tried and executed.
And I guess, as a father, in this current political climate (and given Bush Sr.'s and Bush Jr.'s willingness to outright lie us into Gulf Wars 1 and 2) I want him to understand that just because your country is militarily strong and has so-called legal authority via its own government to wage war, bad things can still happen.
So... that is my objective. But he is 20 and I will roll with his interests. I've had my vacations in Germany and this is for him.
Red - we need to find a comic book show for when we retire (hopefully soon enough) in the UK or someplace, where we can hang out with our fellow blog mates and do a vacation at the same time!
Doug and HB- nice, thoughtful responses. Well said.
Charlie- quite so! It would be great to 'return the favor' of a trans-atlantic visit!
And, fwiw, our german vacation will not just be "nazi stuff."
Indeed, my son and I are really looking forward to the 3.5 hour "Sound of Music" bicycle tour with Fraulein Maria out of Salzburg!!!
Yes indeed we sing the songs as we peddle along!!! Doe a deer, a female deer... LOL!
. . . CH: Ya gotta be wearing casual outfits made out of re-purposed draperies, or else you'll just come off as a tourist/poseur. No half-measures, man-!
HB (More of a Lonely Goat-herd, me---)
HB - Charlie about fell off his throne this A.M. when he read that, LOL!
Well, Mrs. Charlie isn't much into re-purposing our drapes, mostly b/c they are SO old that as soon as Charlie paints a room or something they somehow miraculously find their way to the Goodwill! Although, now that this idea has been planted...
FWIW, Charlie's mom re-purposed the wall paper in the house, during my youth. For the next several Xmass everyone's present was wrapped in that wall paper. It was really sturdy stuff and for some reason did not have the glue all over it. Quite nice actually and provided some conversation fora few years!
Hey - you don't suppose Charlie could wrap himself in old metal window blinds as a sort of cloak of invisibility?
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