Day 947 Family Vacations

 

Family vacations—remember those? When the whole crew would pile into the station wagon for a road trip to who-knows-where? No fancy tech gadgets, no GPS, just a map (if we were lucky) and plenty of time to stretch our legs in the "way back." If you're a child of the '70s like me, chances are, you’ve got some wild memories of those trips. One of my favorites takes me back to a summer in 1971, when my family took the long drive to South Carolina to visit my uncle.

The scenery in South Carolina was the perfect backdrop for kite flying. There we were, a group of kids running wild through endless fields, laughing and taking turns holding onto the kite’s string. It felt like the world was ours to explore. We had no worries, no responsibilities—just the wind in our faces and the joy of the simple things. It was pure bliss. Even now, I can still picture the green fields stretching out beneath a bright blue sky, the kite dancing high above us. What a carefree time that was!

Our family vacations were always a little bit chaotic—and that was part of the charm. We’d pile into the station wagon, with me, the six-year-old, happily wedged between my siblings. No seat belts, no car seats—just a lot of space to stretch out in the “way back.” Sure, it was a little unsafe by today’s standards, but we survived. And honestly, those trips were some of the most memorable times of my childhood. The freedom to roam, the endless road signs, and the anticipation of what awaited us at each stop—those little things have stayed with me all these years.

When we finally reached my uncle’s house, it felt like we had entered a world of luxury. My uncle's house had an intercom system. Yep, you read that right—a system where we could speak to each other from different rooms. As kids, we were completely fascinated by this newfangled technology. It was so high-tech, so futuristic—it might as well have been an alien spaceship for all we knew...after all, it was 1971.

The backyard of my uncle’s house was a bit unconventional, to say the least. It bordered an old graveyard, which, as you can imagine, gave us plenty of room to run around and explore. But we didn’t just run for the sake of running—oh no, we were on a mission. We searched the graveyard for tombstones with the name “Smith” on them, and sure enough, we found one. Naturally, we thought it was the perfect spot for a little impromptu photo op. We all were excited for our find and eager to lay down and play dead, pretending it was ours. The four of us kids, lying in front of the tombstone and pretending to be "dead" for the photo was, in retrospect, a little morbid—but at the time, we thought it was the funniest thing ever. 

No trip to South Carolina would be complete without experiencing the local food. And boy, did we ever. We ate at local restaurants where we could hardly understand the thick southern accents of the waitresses. When one of them asked if we wanted “white bread or hush puppies,” we couldn’t help but stare blankly at her, not understanding a word she was saying. After a few repeats, we just nodded and asked for hush puppies, with no idea what were were ordering—but what the heck, when in Rome, right?

When the hush puppies arrived, we were intrigued. They looked like little fried balls of mystery. As it turns out, they’re actually deep-fried cornbread, and they were pretty darn good. They were like a clam cake without the clams, but I’m sure the locals wouldn't like that comparison. Along with the hush puppies, we devoured grits and anything else that was suggested to us, our young palates happily accepting whatever was put in front of us. No picky eaters in our group!

Looking back, I’m incredibly grateful that my parents were adventurous enough to pack up four kids and drive across the country for a family vacation. Sure, we didn’t have the comforts or conveniences of modern travel, but what we had was something far more important: memories. The smell of the salty sea air, the sound of our laughter as we ran through the fields, the taste of southern cooking we’d never experienced before—those are the things that have stuck with me all these years.

It’s amazing what kids remember. It’s the smallest details that stand out—the kite soaring high in the sky, the way the grass felt between our toes, the thrill of discovering something new and exciting every day. Those moments are treasures, the kind of memories that stay with you for a lifetime.

So here’s to family vacations—may we all be brave enough to make a few more memories like that one.