The sun is shining, the temperature boiling, and the sound of the ice cream truck fills the air. Summer is in full swing. Since summer vacation is out for me, I’ve been reminicing of years gone by…
Like the summer of 1980, when my parents and aunt decided to take a trip to visit my grandfather in South Dakota. We loaded up my aunt’s 1975 Pontiac Bonneville –three adults, five kids, luggage, cooler, a high chair– and hit the open road. Looking back, I could swear the car was red; looking at photos, I realize it was white. Apparently I recall only the interior …
{cousins–Heid, Mags, and me}
Which, I might add, was a tad stifling with an air conditioner that continually blew hot air and refused to be shut down. It was, however, the perfect excuse to cool off with the best of summer…
{Mmm…ice cream!}
{kickin’ back with those you love}
Parking lots became our diners and Point of Interest markers our excitement…
{learning and having fun–who knew?}
Old Faithful was kinda cool, staring at faces carved in rock took ENTIRELY too much time, and the “wild Indians” running amuck in Cody, Wyoming totally FREAKED ME OUT. Museums, on the other hand, were a highlight … especially if they had gift stores and sweet shops.
After many an adventure, we did finally make it to our destination…
{who are those people?!}
Where we spent some time with my grandfather and his new family … my brother split his chin open … and we experienced life “on the farm”…
{my brother moves on whilst us girls contemplate the turkey}
Three adults, five children, one car, some 935 miles, and we made it there and back with little incident. My dad didn’t even throttled the two “backseat” drivers sitting alongside him.
Guess it just goes to prove, adventures don’t have to be grand to be great. Sometimes the least perfect holidays are the ones that hold memories that float to the top…
oh my goones, those are some cute photos! (Little Josh looks soo much like Micah, and David looks soo much like Big Josh…) Fun! you 8 people in one car!!!!?? wow!
Oh my goons is atually oddly appropriate! 🙂
hahahaha..oops
What a beautiful post!! I felt like I was taking that journey with you! Yes, I remember some of our family trips: some were good, some were bad, but mostly, they were unforgettable! We once had 16 people pile up into a van for a road trip down to Florida…Insanity!! But nonetheless, an adventure!
Sixteen people in one van, on the road to Florida? I bet you could tell a story or two! 🙂
Love this–it totally took me back to my own family vacations every summer, crammed into the backseat (in shorts, sitting on hot vinyl) of an old station wagon (with no functioning air conditioner) between my two sisters. All of these pictures could have been our pictures, right down to the outfits. And I have to add that it is strangely comforting to me that every person I know that grew up in the 70s& 80s has that same picture of themselves lined up with their cousins, sitting on a step, eating ice cream cones. What a nice trip down memory lane. 🙂
We had a Chevy Malibu wagon growing up … so I can totally relate to the skin sticking to hot vinyl. And the outfits … did you notice the knee socks and sandals?! Good times…
What a fun adventure! You are so adorable! I mostly remember moving as an adventure {military family}. But oh gosh, this makes me want to dig through old family photos! 🙂
Yes, I think you must–it’s some good times … then share them, so we can join the fun! 🙂
We took a family trip (including Grandma, the perennial back seat driver) to New England from Indianapolis one summer that all three kids refer to now as simply The Vacation From Hell. I am glad that yours has happy memories! – Mindi
HA! I can only imagine! I have my own Vacation from Hell … but it was as an adult. Oh my word! I get a nervous tick and started mumbling to myself just thinking about it…