The Terrible Catsafterme

Brad's Musings and Meanderings

random acts of quoting

"Instead of getting a cat, why don't we all just stop flushing?" - Red Foreman, "That 70's Show"

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 introduction to other countries and different cultures. Many times this means a road trip, jumping from place to place and not resting my 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

Camping (Cowan Lake)

Lake Cumberland, KY

1974 

Land Between the Lakes, KY

Woodland Altars weekend

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

Woodland Altars – Youth Camp (Allen Mack)

Cleveland / Upper Sandusky / Bucyrus, OH

Key Largo, Florida (Arline and Carl’s)

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

Destin, Florida

Sebastian, Florida (Disney)

1991

Panama City, Florida

Myrtle Beach, SC

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 / Hollywood Show / San Bernardino

Disney World / Clearwater, FL

1996 

Minneapolis, MN / Block-Heads Anniversary

Cruise / Disney World / Miami / Cozumel / Key West

Myrtle Beach, SC

1997

Chesterton, IN / Wizard of Oz festival

California / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / 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

Myrtle Beach, SC

2001

Myrtle Beach, SC

Disney World / Carolyn’s aunt

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 & Fort Myers

2004

Columbus, OH – Sons of the Desert Convention

Tour of Ohio / Detroit / Indiana

Plains, GA / Disney World / Daytona Beach

Late 2000’s

2005

Florida – Bradenton Beach

Hollywood, CA / Disneyland / Hollywood Show / Las Vegas

2006

Myrtle Beach, SC

Georgia Roadtrip / Sons of the Desert Convention

Plains, GA – Peanut Festival

2007

Hollywood, CA / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / Las Vegas

Myrtle Beach, SC

Chicago, IL

Woodland Altars weekend

Los Angeles weekend

Tour of Virginia

Disney World / Plains / Daytona Beach

2008

Savannah, Georgia

Tour of Texas

Indianapolis road trip

Fort Wayne, IN road trip

Europe: Amsterdam, Germany, Lux, Belgium, France, Switz, Austria

Ohio/Michigan/Pittsburgh Tour

California / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / Lone Pine – The “Dreams Come True” Tour

2009

Chicago Collectors Show

Guatemala

New York / New Jersey Collectors Show

Italy

Kentucky weekend road trip

Road Trip: West Virginia, Delaware, NJ, Pennsylvania

California / Las Vegas / Disneyland / Hollywood Show

Myrtle Beach, SC / Raleigh, NC

Chicago Collectors Show (with Mom)

Early 2010’s

2010

Chicago Collectors Show (with Denise)

LA / Disneyland / London / Paris

Gatlinburg weekend

California / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / Jimmy’s Wedding 

Knoxville weekend

Dollywood weekend

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 Show / Universal

New York / New Jersey Collectors Show

2011

Miami / Key West and Cozumel Cruise / Hollywood Show / Disneyland

Disneyland / Las Vegas / Utah / Arizona / Grand Canyon / Hollywood Show

New York / New Jersey Collectors Show

Denver, Colorado

Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL

Nashville / Memphis / Little Rock road trip

Myrtle Beach

Chicago Comic-Con

Indianapolis weekend

Chicago weekend

Hollywood Show and Knotts Scary Farm

2012

Winter Hollywood Show / Disneyland

Disney World / Hollywood Show / Disneyland

Spring New Jersey Chiller collectors show

New England Road Trip / Sons of the Desert Convention

Summer Los Angeles Weekend and Hollywood Show / Disneyland

Chicago Comic-Con

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Germany

Knoxville, TN / Parsippanny, NJ Celebrity Shows

Indianapolis, IN / Chicago, IL Celebrity Shows

2013

Winter Hollywood Show weekend / Disneyland

Daytona Beach / Universal Studios

Spring Hollywood Show weekend / Disneyland

Spring Chiller Theatre New Jersey

New York City / New York road trip

Myrtle Beach

Chicago/Indianapolis weekend

Walt Disney World / Siesta Key / Plains, Georgia

Los Angeles / Disneyland / Fall Hollywood Show

2014

Mammoth Cave

Pittsburgh Steel City Con

Philadelphia, Chiller, New York City

Hollywood Sons of the Desert Convention / Disneyland

Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa

Nashville, TN

Fall Chiller

Late 2010’s

2015

Walt Disney World with David

Gatlinburg, TN

Knoxville Fanboy (June)

Pittsburgh Steel City Con

Chicago Wizard World

Walt Disney World

Nashville Wizard World with Dean

Cedar Point

Knoxville Fanboy (October)

Fall Chiller

California / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / Film Locations

Wrestlecade North Carolina

2016

California / Hollywood Show / Theme Parks

Pittsburgh Steel City Con

Spring Chiller Theatre

Detroit / Motor City Con

Disney World with Silas

Cedar Point

L.A. Hollywood Show / England / Convention / Paris / Spain

Flashback Weekend Chicago

Chicago Wizard World

Kings Dominion, Virginia

Chicago Hollywood Show / Indy with Dean

Fall Chiller Theatre / Dorney Park

Wrestlecade North Carolina / Fort Bragg

2017

California TV Locations / Hollywood Show / Disneyland

Cruise: Key West / Cozumel

Chicago Hollywood Show

Spring Chiller Theatre

Spring Hollywood Show / Disneyland

Knoxville Fanboy

Summer Hollywood Show / Disneyland

Missouri & Kansas Road Trip

Myrtle Beach

Disney World

Knoxville Totally Awesome Weekend

Fall Hollywood Show

Fall Chiller Theatre

WrestleCade North Carolina

2018

Winter Hollywood Show