Tuesday, June 20, 2006

What actually constitutes a vacation? Part One

I have a dear friend who shall remain nameless. To this friend, any time when a person is not working is vacation. I don't feel that way. I think there is more involved.

Yesterday I tried to analyze what actually makes a vacation a vacation. I tried to figure out what I wanted or didn't want in one. For one thing, I don't really care how far I have to drive to get to my vacation spot. But once I get there, I don't want to get in the car again for any length of time. This is awkward, since my better half (and he really is) considers driving part of the vacation. Any day that DOESN'T include taking the car out for three hours or so is a bad day for him. If we DO go for one of those three-hour+ rides, there had better be something good to do wherever we end up!

That probably goes back to the childhood trips. When I was little, before we picked motels with at least swimming privileges, we would go for a ride alongside the creek to find a "wading spot". Criteria--it had to have a good place to park, and the creek had to be accessible without pylons and ropes. The first one we found (which became our favorite), Daddy said, "Well, we can go in here, but I don't think we'll be able to do much swimming! It only looks about knee deep." Ah, the deceptiveness of clear water! It was about five feet deep, which was plenty deep enough for swimming. Actually, though, we (at least Mom and I) didn't do much swimming. We sat on rocks and let the water swirl around us. We also picked up rocks to take home. Somehow those rocks weren't quite as lovely once we got them out of the creek. But we had fun.

Going to the wading place was an acceptable drive. Also acceptable was the ONE annual trip over the mountain to Cherokee. No more than once. Daddy and Mama didn't like Cherokee all that much, and Mama was afraid of heights.

A third acceptable trip--up the mountain to the Chimneys picnic grounds. This was acceptable because we would eat there, we could wade in the creek, and we could look for bears. Gee, that was the whole point of the mountain drives, as far as we were concerned, seeing the bears. The parks system has done us all a disservice by removing the bears from the sides of the roads! Who wants to ride all that distance just to see mountains? One trip to the picnic grounds was especially memorable--a bear came down the creek while folks were wading!

Otherwise, just let me stay put. I don't want to spend my whole vacation doing recreational car riding.

Love everybody, and God bless.

11 comments:

Everett said...

I think I'm between you and Daddy on the car rides. I definitely like just looking at the mountains and I enjoy driving with y'all. The 200+ trip over to Cherokee and then around the southern end of the park a couple of years ago was definitely too much but we did hear Ann's wonderful rendition of "Found a Peanut". I liked the trips up the Blue Ridge Parkway. Last year's trip was definitely made worthwhile by the sliding rock in my opinion.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Maybe with gas prices the way they are, David won't be so eager to drive a whole lot. LOL.

Love ya'll!

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

You guys could always come to San Antonio for a vacation!

LOL

Love ya!

Becca said...

We used to drive to PA 2-3 times a year to see my grandmother when I was a kid. Sometimes, we'd go up the Blue Ridge Parkway which is absolutely beautiful in the summer. Most of our trips I recall were in an old blue, woodpaneled Mercury station wagon--Mom would draw a chalkline down the middle of the back vinyl seat, with a box for my sister and I to play cards. No crossing the lines!

We used to drive to Cynthiana every Saturday to see Dad's mom, along the old 62 that isn't there anymore. On Sundays, we'd drive around the backcountry roads around Sadieville, out to Burton Pike, etc. We discovered that eventually, all roads lead to Muddy Ford.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

You're right, all roads do lead to Muddy Ford - which makes you wonder what made that community die away like it did. It would seem that, if all roads lead to Muddy Ford, there would then be a thriving community centered there. Unless, of course, there was in horse and buggy days, but the advent of the automobile as the main mode of transport killed it. I bet Ann Bevins could tell you what happened to Muddy Ford! She's such a neat lady.

Tooz said...

Of course the roads that lead TO Muddy Ford also lead OUT OF Muddy Ford. That explains the death of the community.

ann said...

Part two! Part two!

just kidding. couldn't resist.

anyway, i think y'all will have fun anywhere you go, because you love to be together. (i'll email the other thing i was about to say). but remember, if it's you and daddy and bubba, you'll be in the back seat for this car trip. oh, and doesn't the bluegrass parkway look nice in teh summer? and isn't it handy that 65 connects your two favorite couples so handily? handidly handily? and both couples are good cooks? isn't it?

ann said...

(sure you have other favorites, too)

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

part two part two!

I just had to echo Ann.

Tooz said...

Who else lives on 65?

ann said...

libby