When I was a child we didn’t take many vacations.  We usually went to Kentucky and stayed with my Aunt Ola.  My parents would visit friends and family that lived close to her.  We kids would run around barefooted and play in the yard.  My aunt’s sons, Gerald and Emerson, were a lot of fun.  We played games and even played guitar and sang songs.  I loved going to my Aunt Ola’s house so much.  She always had baked chocolate pies for our visits.

I do not recall much of our first vacation but remember it because of everyone who talked about it.  We packed up the car and drove to the Smokie Mountains.  I don’t remember if my sister came along but I know brother Russ was.  It seems as though Russ saved all of our lives.  We were driving along and Russ fell asleep.  When we stopped for whatever reason they couldn’t wake him up.  I don’t know if we took him to the hospital or what, but it seems that our exhaust was coming back into the car and my brother was susceptible to the carbon monoxide, more so than the rest of us

We got the vehicle repaired and continued on our journey.  We stopped at a restaurant and ordered breakfast.  When the waitress asked daddy how he wanted his eggs, he replied, “Done.”  I guess everyone got a real chuckle out of that reply.

I also remember that the mountains were so high and beautiful.  We stopped at a lookout and mother got so dizzy from the height that she reeled and almost fell before daddy grabbed and caught her.

I must have been very young because I really don’t remember this, it is just what I had heard from my family.

I do remember a trip we took when my brother was in the Air Force.  He was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC.  We decided we would go see him and packed up the car and drove to the air force base.  Russ joined us and we set off for Myrtle Beach, SC.  I remember distinctly the first time I saw the ocean.  We drove through the town of Myrtle Beach and went up a hill.  When we got to the top you could see the ocean and how vast it was.  As far as the eye could see and further than my mind could believe.

We stayed in a motel that had a pool but we spent most of our time at the beach.  You could rent these little inflatable rafts and paddle out to the buoys.  Then you climbed on the raft and the waves would carry you into the shore.  I have never seen my father whoop and holler so much.  He had the best time.  We all did.  Well except for my mother.  She couldn’t swim and was scared of the water.  We did finally convince her to doff her shoes and wade in the waves.

My first trip alone, without my family, was in my Senior year of high school when my friend, Shirley Smith, and I flew to Akron, Ohio to visit my sister.  My first airplane trip was wonderful.  I was really afraid at first, but as soon as we got in the air, I was fine.  I do believe we applauded when the pilot landed the plane.

My most memorable trip with my family was when we once drove to Florida for spring break.  The girls were so funny.  Addi hung her Barbie doll in the window by her hair and would wave to people driving by.  The girls had monkey noses that they got in their happy box from McDonalds.  Addi put her dunking bag (why she had it I don’t know) over her head and put on the monkey nose.  She waved to everyone going by.  We got caught in a traffic jam and we made signs to hold up for our neighbors to read.  We were behind a car from Alaska and dad suggested we hold up a sign for them that read, “Had any good blubber lately.”

We caught vacation lunacy and giggled our butts off.  We stopped at a facility that sold fresh oranges.  The girls got these little gadgets that you screwed into your orange and you could suck the juice right out.

We stayed at a place right near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge connecting Tampa and St. Petersburg.  Jess and I sat on the beach that evening and looked at the stars.  She started singing “When the lights go down in the city” and I joined in while hugging her.

The next day Jess and I went into town and viewed “The Red Couch” display at the Art Museum.  It was about a book that has photos of famous and not so famous people sitting on this red couch.  It was really cool!

I remember on our trip back we saw a hot air balloon in the air and watched it for several miles.  Years later, the girls and I were part of a hot air balloon crew.

Peace be with you.