All About Me #20

 "When you reach the end of the road, there’s only one thing to do; build more road." (Ashleigh Brilliant)

 

Hello, my lovely friends!

 

        Y’all know the drill, it’s Friday Funday! Last week I talked about my vacations as a kid and that was a lot of fun to think back to those times. At breakfast that morning I was telling my mom about the blog and what I put down and other facts popped in my head. I thought why those down too. So, here I am back with some more vacation facts. 

 

1. Every August for what felt like forever, my grandparents’ camper was our home away from home. Two glorious weeks of escape until the cruel year I turned fourteen. That’s when our trusty steed broke down, its engine sighing its final farewell.

The countdown to vacation began on Wednesday. Dad would roll up in our family van, and for two days, we’d transform it into a mobile storage unit. Early Saturday morning, adventure awaited. Mom, our fearless navigator, had mapped out our course, peppered with KOA campgrounds—our preferred pit stops. As a kid, KOA was synonymous with paradise: sparkling pools and the tantalizing glow of arcade lights. But when fate dealt us a non-KOA campground, the vacation sunshine dimmed a bit. No pool? For a kid, it was a catastrophe. KOA, you were my childhood dream come true!

 

2. My first Disneyland adventure was a hazy blur, thanks to being a mere two years old. The only clear memory I have is a strange story my family kept repeating. My parents and grandpa dared to venture into the spooky Haunted Mansion while Grandma stayed with my sister and me. When they returned, their faces were a mix of excitement and disbelief. They kept talking about a ghostly figure perched on Grandpa’s lap! As a toddler, I was utterly baffled. It wasn’t until years later, when I was finally tall enough to ride the Haunted Mansion myself, that the penny dropped. That mysterious passenger was a classic Disneyland spook!

 

3. Our South Dakota trip was awesome! Mom was super excited to see a real-life great white shark at this place we visited. We got to this big, dark arena with everyone waiting for the big reveal. Can you guess what happened? A fake shark dropped from the ceiling! We were so bummed. But hey, at least I was ten and got to ride a giant tortoise. That was pretty cool.

 

4. On one of our trips home from the magical world of Disneyland, we made a pit stop in the glitzy city of Reno. I was just a kid, maybe ten, so no gambling for me. But, I had a whole bunch of spare change burning a hole in my pocket. Every time we passed a casino with those towering slot machines, I’d hand my dad a handful of coins and become a tiny-time investor. Some spins were lucky, others... not so much. Crazy thing is, I think I actually ended up with about twenty bucks more than I started with! 

 

5. Nine of us, one big happy family, rolled into Florida for my sister’s wedding. We'd rented two cars, or so Dad thought. He was convinced Alamo was picking us up, but when a big yellow Dollar Rent A Car bus pulled up, he and Uncle Dave were already stuffing suitcases in like it was a Tetris challenge.

I tried to warn him, “Dad, it’s Dollar, not Alamo!” But he just winked and said, “I owe you a buck.” After the third time, I gave up. Hop on the bus, we all did.

Halfway to the hotel, it hit us. We were on the wrong bus! I triumphantly pointed out my earlier warnings, and Dad, ever the good sport, tipped the driver extra for the unexpected detour. Talk about a family vacation kickoff!

 

So glad you could stop by! Wishing you a splendid rest of your day/evening/morning, wherever you may be.

Until next time! Adios...