Vacations
Over the course of my earthly years, the phrase ‘vacation’ has come to mean many different things. When I was little, it meant leaving the house and staying in motels and playing on the motel playground and drinking ginger ale. A lot of times, these early vacations involved the automobile clubs that we were in. I frankly didn’t care if we were two cities over or across the galaxy as long as I had new toys and books to occupy me on the way there…and I got to swim.
Vacations came to mean something different as I reached my teen years. Lots of times these vacations had to do with going to summer camp and associating with friends…and girls. Other vacations were Laurel and Hardy conventions and I got the taste of meeting real-life celebrities and basking in the films that I loved so much.
They could mean going off with my friends and having wild nights of unbridled drinking. They could mean spending time at my all-time favorite places Disneyland or Walt Disney World. The could mean large gatherings of family or smaller excursions with just my parents.
In more recent years, they have become a way of life – an exploration of our country and its rich history and an exploration of other countries and different cultures. Many times this means a road trip, jumping from place to place and not resting your head on the same bed more than one night in a row. By all counts, this seems almost diametrically opposed to the very idea of vacation.
But by my definition, a vacation is any significant getaway from home with the intention of leisure or exploration. Most of the trips listed below are at least a week-long, but many are also mere two- or three-day jaunts. I don’t necessarily consider an overnighter at a friend or family member’s house a ‘vacation’ but when that overnighter is in Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York – suddenly the ante has been upped and I now consider myself on vacation.
Below is the list of every trip that I consider to be a true ‘vacation’ . The live links will take you to the posting(s) for each vacation that I have thus far completed chronicling.
Early 1970′s
1972 – Woodland Altars weekend
Curtis, Michigan / Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
1973 – McLean, Virginia / Washington, DC - Louise and Carroll’s house
1974 – Land Between the Lakes, KY
Late 1970′s
1975 – St. Pete Beach, Florida / Disney World
1976 – Reading, PA – Hudson National Meet
1977 – St. Pete Beach, Florida / Disney World
Indianapolis, IN – Hudson National Meet
1978 – Youngstown, OH – Hudson National Meet
Charles City, West Virginia – Louise and Carroll’s house
1979 – Myrtle Beach, SC
Dearborn, MI – Hudson National Meet
Early 1980′s
1980 – Siesta Key, Florida
Hollywood, CA – Sons of the Desert Convention
1981 - Woodland Altars – Junior Lodge (Joe Sakaguchi)
Dearborn, Michigan – Classic Chevy Club Convention
Front Royal, Virginia – Louise and Carroll’s House
1982 – Detroit, Michigan – Sons of the Desert Convention
New Orleans, Louisiana – Classic Chevy Club Convention
Woodland Altars – Junior Lodge (Jim Barnhart)
1983 – Chicago, Illinois – Classic Chevy Club Convention
Woodland Altars - Junior Lodge (Dean Wenger)
1984 – Glen Helen – 6th Grade trip
Florida / Disney World
Woodland Altars – Junior High Lodge (Dean Wenger)
Late 1980′s
1985 – Clearwater, Florida / Orlando, Florida / Disney World
Woodland Altars – Eco-Adventures (Scott Sliver)
1986 - Colorado Springs
Woodland Altars – Eco-Adventures (Brian Bohlander)
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania – Sons of the Desert Convention
1987 – Key Largo, Florida (Arline and Carl’s)
Cleveland / Upper Sandusky / Bucyrus, OH
Woodland Altars – Youth Camp (Harold Wenger)
1988 – Los Angeles, CA / Disneyland / San Bernardino
St. Paul, Minnesota – Sons of the Desert Convention
Woodland Altars – Youth Camp (Kevin Dull)
1989 – Myrtle Beach, SC
Disney World / Florida beach
Woodland Altars – Youth Camp (Mark Flory-Steury)
Early 1990′s
1990 - Little Rock, Arkansas
Woodland Altars – Youth Camp (Kevin Dull)
Clearwater, Florida – Sons of the Desert Convention
1991 – Panama City, Florida
1992 – Las Vegas, NV – Sons of the Desert Convention
Hollywood, CA – Disneyland / Catalina Island / San Bernardino
Disney World / Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida (first time at the condo)/ Disney World
1993 – Ormond Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida / Disney World / Georgia
Myrtle Beach, SC
Disney World / Daytona Beach / Largo, FL
1994 – Tareytown, NY – Sons of the Desert Convention
Late 1990′s
1995 – Hollywood, CA / San Bernardino
1996 – Minneapolis, MN / Block-Heads Anniversary
Cruise / Disney World / Miami / Cozumel / Key West
1997 – Chesterton, IN / Wizard of Oz festival
California / Monterey / San Francisco
Disney World / Panama City / Seaside
1998 – Hershey, PA / Washington D.C.
Tour of Ohio / Detroit
Disney World
1999 – Honeymoon in Gatlinburg
Disney World
Early 2000′s
2000 – Myrtle Beach, SC (Spring Break)
Seattle, WA – Sons of the Desert Convention
2001 – Myrtle Beach, SC
2002 – Daytona Beach – Universal Studios
Nashville, TN – Sons of the Desert Convention
2003 – Memphis, TN
Columbus, OH – Sons of the Desert convention planning session
Honeymoon – Disney World & beach
2004 – Columbus, OH – Sons of the Desert Convention
Tour of Ohio / Detroit / Indiana
Plains, GA / Disney World / Daytona Beach
Late 2000′s
2005 – Florida – Carolyn’s family
2006 – Myrtle Beach, SC
Augusta, GA / tour of GA / Sons of the Desert Convention
2007 - Hollywood, CA / Las Vegas
Disney World / Plains / Daytona Beach
2008 – Savannah, Georgia
Europe: Amsterdam, Germany, Lux, Belgium, France, Switz, Austria
California / Lone Pine - The “Dreams Come True” Tour
2009 – Chicago Collectors Show (with Heidi)
New York / New Jersey Collectors Show
Road Trip: West Virginia, Delaware, NJ, Pennsylvania
Myrtle Beach, SC / Raleigh, NC
Chicago Collectors Show (with Mom)
Early 2010′s
2010 – Chicago Collectors Show (with Denise)
Sons of the Desert convention – Sacramento (and road trip)
Disney World / Plains / Destin / St. Augustine
Sarasota / Atlanta / Disney World
Chicago Collectors Show (with Denise)
Hollywood Collectors Show / Universal
New York / New Jersey Collectors Show
2011 – Miami / Key West and Cozumel Cruise / LA
Disneyland / Las Vegas / Utah / Arizona / Grand Canyon / LA
New York / New Jersey Collectors Show
Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL