STORM2K

What are you doing for a vacation this Summer?


I still had 9 days of vacation left, but we can't go on a big trip. So I put in a request to take off fridays from July 8 thru Sept 2. Throw in 4th of july, and I'll have all 3-day weekends for the rest of the summer!

Our vacation will be coming in August when we go up to VA. to see our son and his ship when they leave to go out on 6 month cruise. We also intend to meet up with his girlfriend and see our new grandson, Tyler who was born on June 14.My son is a Petty Officer 2nd class on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

This is the first year in over 12, we're not taking our usual family vacation. We're saving up for college tuition and taking a 4 day trip to northern Ohio (Cedar Park area and Maumee State Park). We just planned this trip yesterday and leave in 2 weeks. I have never planned even a short trip so late before. But we were able to reserve rooms and are now looking forward to getting away. Course with any trip, we HAVE to start the Kennel's calendar. Since there was an opening for our Golden, we decided to break away for a few days.

Never thought I'd miss the trips our family took years ago - sippy cups, crayons/coloring books, snacks, Fruit rollups I remember most of all, the back seat cluttered with Barbies, blankies, stuffed animals. We'd pull into a rest stop and there'd be barely room for our kids to sit back down again.

Sigh.....those trips wore on my patience but now I miss them! Sure is different when you have older teenagers.

Sooooo.....anyone been to Cedar Point before? And if so, any recommendations, suggestions, etc. - especially the best way to get a discount ticket? Right now, the best deal I can find is a one day ticket thru AAA.

Mary

My rundown of summer roadtrips as far back as I can remember.

We had in the 1980s and sstill do have some extended family on my dad's side who lives in Sioux City, IA (about 90 miles north of me). Back when I was younger we would take at least one trip up there to visit (usually in the summer) with my grandpa and grandma.

This was not as frequent in the 1990s; however, we did vacation many times. My grandma on my mom's side lives near Dallas; the last time we visited was in 1991!! A long 14-hour drive (where we wake up at 2:30 am to depart and arrive at 5:30 pm). In 1993, we went to see my aunt (on mom's side) and cousin in St. Louis at the time of the floods. No fields along the interstate, just water! In 1994, we visited St. Louis TWICE. Once in the summer around the Fourth of July and just after Christmas. 1995 and 1996 we did one trip each year around the Fourth of July to St. Louis. From 1997-1999 , our family did not do much.

In 2000 and 2001, we went west for a change, to Colorado during the summer for a week each year. It was awesome seeing snow atop the peaks (in fact, on Trail Ridge Road, right next to the roadway!!) while in Denver it was 85 degrees!! 2002 we made a visit to St. Louis (after 6 years) around Independence day, while in 2003 and much of 2004 saw no big trips. Last Christmas (2004) we visited St. Louis again.

my family and I are traveling to the outer banks in about two weeks...we are driving with 1 teenager and two toddlers....it's going to be a trying ride but I got the margarita mix ready so everything should be juuuust fine once we get there!

Ed, I'm blessed with many things, but holidays and three-day weekends are not one of them. I'll be working this 4th of July (and the 3rd) as I have done ever since arriving here on the job in Phoenix. I admire that you have those lined up like that. I would love it.

And Mary...haven't been to Cedar Point, but my nephew did when he was in Erie for a few years. Can't tell you much, but enjoy the trip. Isn't it strange how we do miss those years when the kids we're little and saying "are we there yet? when you could still see the house in your rear view mirror.

Here in Arizona, we don't generally DO summer trips. We stay inside or make a dash for the pool. However, this year we are headed to Maui and Kauai in Hawaii in late August. Our second trip to Maui in three years. Something about living out west that makes that 5 hr 30 min flight more palatable We work hard, and are blessed with respectable health still...and so we are looking forward to it.

what vacation??? its a working vacation right now in norfolk (Military) and pretty soon another working vacation in Charleston (Military)

We haven't taken a "regular" summer vacation in years. "Vacation" is the unpaid week off between terms for me.

For the last ten years or so, we've basically tried to make Kurt's summer/fall business trips double as mini-breaks when (my daughter and) I could take off the days, too.

Now that she's married, it's even easier for me to pack up and go with Kurt (depending on my teaching schedule). We just got back from a 3-day Key West trip for my b-day; we'll take a 4-day weekend to visit friends in the Chicago area in late July; and his major yearly professional conference is in Minneapolis-St.Paul mid-September (I'm going to play hooky for a day so I can go and visit my sister there, too). Also, we may take a 3-day weekend cruise to the Bahamas at the very end of October because the price is so low.

[Of course, the Sept. and Oct. trips are contingent on hurricanes. As city manager here, the minute the EOC is set up, Kurt's gone (and I'm left to fend for myself, although my neighbors are great and now my daughter/son-in-law live in a nearby evac zone so they'd be here with me). Needless to say, we're waiting until the last minute to book those trips, considering last year's record in FL.]


[NOTE TO MISS MARY: Re college expenses: Remind me to tell you about the all-expenses undergrad scholarship we let Sarah pass up to go to another (out-of-state) university ...and how we also "helped" with living expenses during grad school when her job as a TA barely covered tuition for her courses.... ). On the plus side, today, she's a grateful, budget-conscious, happy, successful professional. I tell her she's my pension plan, since adjuncts are rarely eligible for one !]

pojo wrote:what vacation??? its a working vacation right now in norfolk (Military) and pretty soon another working vacation in Charleston (Military)

I know what you mean POJO. When I was in the Navy every holiday was a working holiday...

Going to Nashville, Lexington, and Indianapolis for a family reunion and random other fun stuff! I'm actually leaving tomorrow and i'll be gone through July 8th. The irony of it all... I'm doing this to get away from my immediate family, non of whom are attending the reunion. WOo!

Nothing big planned. I may sneak over to Destin late next week, some friends of mine are renting a villa and I was invited over for a couple of days.

In mid September going to a cousin's wedding in St. Louis and a side trip to a new Lincoln museum in Springfield, IL.

Eric

Had our vacation in early June. Parents are talking about just them going on a trip for a couple days next month.

We usually take our vacation in the winter instead of the summer. We live in Puerto Rico, so you could say we are always on a summer vacation. We usually take a week cruise around all the islands, but we are trying to finish our house to sell and move into a condo, so no cruises till we move. We need all our leftover money for remodeling.

Bobbysocks

Heading to Albq. New Mexico in October as usual, summer here is BUST BUTT time.......besides, I can't STAND going on vacation when the majority of the WORLD is on vacation, I HATE crowds!

Dennis

What's a "vacation"? I could USE some time to myself...which I haven't had in 18 years.

Leaving to go to Destin, Florida August 4th-11th. I am really excited! I fell in love with the Destin area. Even if I am really nervous about the sharks and any tropical event ruining my vacation. Because the first week of August is when the season starts cranking up.