Lush Summer Contest Giveaway – Boycott the Staycation

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It’s time for a Traveling Mamas Boycott the Staycation Summer Giveaway Contest! And what better to start off this giveaway series than with our good friends, the Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics company? After all, Lush was a sponsor for both our Mother’s and Father’s Day contests, and we just love their fresh, organic bath and body products.

Lush Retro Box Contest GiveawayRemember, the Traveling Mamas are urging fellow Americans to ignore that ridiculous media-invented nonword “Staycation.” Yeah, we know the price of gas is atrocious, that air fares are only shooting up and airlines are cutting back flights — but travel enhances our lives, and family vacations create valued memories for us and our kids. Those family trips are worth much more in the long term than a summer spent playing Grand Theft Auto or watching reruns on TV. Even a weekend away is worthy; don’t let family travel become a thing of the past. There was a time when just about every American family took summer vacations; it was an important cultural experience.

Our Boycott the Staycation Lush Summer Giveaway is a great Lush gift package. Just like annual family vacations should be brought back, Lush has brought back some previously discontinued (but well loved) products. The Retro Gift Box, available for a limited time only, contains an Uluru Bath Bomb, Bon Bomb Bath Bomb, Pineapple Grunt Soap, Red Rooster Soap, Slammer Shower Gel and Freeze Shower Gel. I’m particularly partial to the Pineapple Grunt Soap and Freeze Shower Gel, but I’ll resist temptation and send the complete package as is to the winner of this contest giveaway.

The limited edition Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Retro Gift Box sells for $49.95 (that’s 50 bucks before tax) but will be free for one lucky winner. To enter the contest, simply post a comment below detailing your favorite childhood travel experience, or a favorite family vacation you were able to share with your own kids. US residents only (sorry; it’s for shipping purposes) and family members of the Traveling Mamas may not enter. Contest remains open until Tuesday, July 8, 2008. Good luck, fellow Lush fanatics!

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July 2, 2008 | Filed Under Budget Travel, Family Travel, The Cookie Jar, Travel Gear 

Comments

318 Responses to “Lush Summer Contest Giveaway – Boycott the Staycation”

  1. Nora Scott-Platt says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Mine was going to the Syracuse State Fair. My parents and my sister and I went that is a year older than I. This was quality time as we had a large family of seven children and to be able to spend time with my parents in a place that was fun and exciting was just the ultimate experience.I really felt connected to them and to see them laugh and smile as my parents we older then many others.I saw my first country star singer.

  2. Gaye McGill says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My grandmother took me and my cousin (we were both about 11) on a train trip from St. Louis to Chicago. Back in those days, the train was a pretty fancy place and we had a great adventure.

  3. Carol says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    I remember going to a Holiday Inn in Amish Country Pennsylvania, and thinking how neat it was that there was a kiddie pool AND a big pool! I was very young, but I still remember the big meals we ate there, and the beautiful farmlands.

  4. Suzanne Campbell says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation was to Frankenmuth with my mom and brother when I was about 9. I remember shopping and shopping. It was the greatest! The end of our shopping in Christmas wonderland was topped off with swimming inside at a hotel with a huge slide!

  5. charline s says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation has always been the camping trips. We would go camping and fishing and swimming.

  6. Kelly says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My dad loves roller coasters and we would go to a different amusement park every summer for vacation.

  7. Katherine Frazier says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    The best family vacation was a two week camping trip in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with 4 kids in tents. We had a lot of fun!

  8. James Jenkins says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    family vacation to Maine

  9. Marilyn Wons says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite chilhood travel experience was when our family went to Pikes Peak in Colorado. I remember seeing the snow covered mountains as we rode down the highway. It was capativating, since we lived in the flat counties in the Mid-west. thank you for the contest

  10. Linda White says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation was to Galveston Tx, we swam in the hotel pool, the ocean relaxing and enjoying each other!

  11. klm says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Camping in Lake George and Disneyworld!

  12. Angela says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacation was our trip to Japan. It was quite the educational and cultural experience for my daughter. We had a blast.

  13. Jennifer C. says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My grantparents used to take me and my sister on a short vacation every summer. The best was when they took us to Niagara Falls and we took the tour under the falls in the tunnels.

  14. Lydia Wilson says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    The family vacation in the VW camper van was the best trip ever, though it did not seem like it back then. My fondest memory is my father nearly apoplectic because gas was over 60 cents per gallon!

  15. Jenn S. says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Our family vacation driving throughout Mexico for a month one summer was the best ever. We had a blast and still reminisce today.

  16. Julie Lawrence says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    I took my kids on a Disney Cruise to the bahamas, then we spent a few days at Disney world and Sea World. We had such a good time. :-)

  17. Shannon Baas says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Maybe not the best but the most memorable when I was a kid was the year we went to the Black Hills of SD. Our camper broke down 2 times the first day and my brother got really sick with his asthma. We still had a great time.

  18. Denise says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    We went on a lot of camping trips when I was a kid and just this last May I took my own kids to Yellowstone.

  19. Mya Brooks says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    I met my best friend at Six Flags when I was 9 years old. Not only did I have a blast with my family, but I met my BFF, and that was the best vacation of my life.

  20. airwinter says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    One of my favorite childhood vacations would be when we rented a boat in Clearlake, Ca. We would make the almost 2 hour drive up the winding, curvy roads that I couls almost not stand. Yup, I get car sick especially in the back seat. I even remember begging my dad to stop once and letting me walk the rest of the way! Yeah, we were miles away so he wouldn’t let me. Smart man! :) Anyways, it would all be worth it once we got the the clear, blue lake and rented that ski boat. We’d go fast and the wind would tousle my hair and sting my cheeks. Now I understand how dogs feel when they stick their heads out the car window.

  21. Jennifer Hemphill says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacation was right after my parents got divorced, and my dad decided he wanted to drive my brother and I to visit his family in Boston. We started at out on a Saturday in the heat of the summer, driving a dingy Toyota hatchback with broken AC. The drive was terrible, awful, and we were all really sick of each other when we finally got to Mass, but the wistful smile my dad had when he showed us where he went to high school was worth it. The best memory is of my dad standing over my brother on a dilapidated basketball course, offering a gentle pat on the shoulder, talking about the best game he ever played. They both looked so happy, and that made the drive back a lot easier.

  22. Becky Rosenberg says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    We took our kids on a Carinval cruise and it was the best family bonding time ever! Cruise ships are big enough that you can do differnt things, but not so big that you lose track of each other, you always know when and where to meet in the dining room. Yes gas is expensive but I will give up other things before traveling on vacations! It is so important for your mind, body and soul. Since then we have been on many more cruises and I believe it is the best bang for your vacation dollar!!

  23. Maja says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Last year I took my son to Croatia (Europe), where I am from. We also visited Austria, Slovenia, Italy (Venice and the islands), Tunisia (Africa).

    Being in a gondola was so cool. It was amazing.
    In Africa we went to Sahara and rode camels. Unbelievable experience.

  24. Angel says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    I love the time my wife and I went to Mendocino. We loved it there. The coast, cliffs, ocean, beaches…breathtaking. We had a great time.

  25. Ana says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    I think my trip to Mexico was the most memorable. It was a lot of fun, took a lot of pictures and bought a bunch of souvenirs.

  26. Reveille Patterson says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Last year I took my son, his wife and 3 grandkids to Fort Worth. We packed a lot of fun into 4 days! We went to the wildlife park, Fossil Rim, and what fun we had! The animals only seen in books before, came to life before their eyes. At first they were a little stand offish, but by the end of the trip we were all feeding the animals and laughing.

  27. Jennifer Barnett says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    We once took a family vacation in a rented Winnabego. It was great. As a kid, I was amazed at all the fun you could have in a “house on wheels”. We drove up the coast of California and saw the sites. It is a great childhood memory.

  28. Carrie says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    The summer before 6th grade, my family took our first big (and, it turned out, last) trip. We went to Canada and visited Calgary, Banff, and Jasper. The trip as a whole was memorable — hiking, staying in a cabin, etc — but the best moment was when we were stuck in traffic due to a baby bear wandering into the middle of the road and just sitting there. We had the windows rolled down to get a breeze. I stuck my head out of the car and found myself face to face with a ram!!

    Needless to say, we rolled the windows up and the next day took a different route into town haha

  29. Risa says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    When I was four, my family took a cruise on the Boheme (which no longer exists). We went to Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and St. Thomas. At four, everything is new–I remember the wonder of sucking on sugar cane in the DR. Who knew sugar came from a plant? I also won a hermit crab race – go yellow! With the couple dollars I won, I bought myself a pair of maracas in Haiti. i still have one of them…the first thing I ever purchased with my “own” money. The waiters used to carry me around on their shoulders…George from Greece and Mr. Pak from the Phillippines still have a special place in my heart for those rides. If they tried that now with my thirty-five year old pregnant self, they’d surely rupture something. The other thing that impressed me most about that trip was the poverty I witnessed in Haiti and the DR. I’d never seen anything like it before, and the mothers holding babies with bloated tummies made me cry. I constantly smuggled food off the cruise ship to give to the hungry mommies and babies. It was a trip of firsts, bittersweet and memorable, even 31 years later.

  30. Rita Cangialosi says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    The summer I spent at my fathers quaint mountain village is southern Greece…I was 8 and spent nearly 3 months there. The best time of my life. Farm animals, mountain trails, the ocean…what was there not to love? I regret that when I got older I was too busy to spend much time there…I really miss my family that still live there and hope to get back soon.

  31. Anna B. says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation was a childhood one where we returned year after year. We vacationed at the beach in Santa Cruz, CA for two to three weeks every summer, renting a house that I still recall fondly. After spending the day at the beach and some evenings at the Boardwalk, we would go to sleep in our sleeping bags upstairs. There was one large room with ten beds and we took delight in moving to different beds every night. Many fond family memories were created there.

  32. monica says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacations were a yearly trip for a week in northern Michigan on a smaller lake, Bear Lake to be exact, on the west side of the state. We would rent a cottage and swim and hike and generally have a good non tv viewing time for a whole week. There was always lots of delicious BBQ invovled as well, le sigh…

  33. Allen Rodney says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Lovely products!

  34. Alicia says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    When my family went to Gettysburg,P.A.
    History was always my favorite subject.

  35. Louise Brouillette says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Last summer we took our grandchildren to Kenya.

  36. Thomas Gibson says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite travel moment as a child was when we took my grandmother to a theme park. She is a very heavy woman. Unfortunately she got caught in one of the turn-styles and paramedics had to come and cut her out. There were several tourists taking snapshots of this ordeal. Needless to say we got a good laugh out of this.

  37. Jenna Caymaz says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    As a kid my family never had a lot of money but we always traveled to Michigan to see our relatives in the summer. As an extra treat we would veer off our path a few hours to visit Frankenmuth. Its a small German town nestled somewhere between Saginaw and Flint MI. We would start off with a big traditional Chicken dinner that made my mouth water just to imagine. It always ended with a big refreshing scoop of orange sherbet! After we ate we would tour the shops nearby. There was an old candy store, an antique arcade and or course the year round Christmas shop! We never bought a lot of doo-dads but spending time with my family in what seemed like a magical place was really special. There aren’t a ton of kid-friendly activities right in town but the hotel does offer a great pool! One for kids and one for the adults. You can even get a horse and carriage ride around the square! Its a quaint town full of charm that I will never forget. I plan on returning with my family to keep the tradition alive.

  38. Betty N says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Over Labor Day weekend each year, our family would get together with my husbands relatives and their families at a place called River Ranch. The cousins loved all being together; we cooked out together; there was even a small rodeo one night and come as you are church on Sunday morning.

  39. Sarah says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My family didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so vacations were few and far between.

    My favorite vacation was when my parents packed my brother and I into our family car and drove from Utah to Mexico. I remember my parents listening to old Marty Robbins tapes on the drive down, spending my time wondering what the ocean would look like, and how happy, relaxed and carefree we all were.

    Funny thing is I remeber the drive more than I remeber Mexico. Sure I remember the beach and a few other things, but mostly I think about driving through the desert with my family singing along with Marty Robbins.

  40. Margaret Smith says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Growing up, my parents would bring my brother and I each summer to Wildwood, NJ for a week. We continued this tradition into our late teens, always staying at the same hotel. Now that my brother and I both have children of our own, we again visit Wildwood each summer, along with our parents. We still stay at the same hotel, each renting a room next to each other. The kids especially look forward to spending time with all their cousins.
    Thanks for this great giveaway and for the great memories.

  41. Joanne A says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacation memories are of going up to Clear Lake with my grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I remember spashing around in the lake, playing pool, and riding in bumper cars with my cousins for the first time. I’d forgotten, so thank you for the sweet memories. ;)

  42. tiffany lane says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite trip is when we took both kids to disney. It was the 5th time for our 6 yr old and the first for our 2 yr old. Its was so much fun seein how the two year old reacted when each character came to her.

  43. Sara says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite summer vacations as a child were always the trips we took to the Poconos. My family didn’t have much, but we’d save all year to make that trip!
    The most memorable for me was the summer I was 8 years old. I saved my allowances all year so that I would have my own money to spend, and I saved $86.00. My father was so proud of me!
    We went to a place called Memorytown which was set up to look like an old fashioned town from the 1700’s, and it had the most amazing candy shop with handmade sweets. We had a wonderful time there and at the lakeside cottage we rented. I wouldn’t trade those memories for the world, and I’m going to make sure my kids always have a true summer vacation, even if it’s just a camping trip for a weekend. When your loved ones are gone, memories are all that remain. I hope that your contest inspires some new vacation memories for young moms and dads!

  44. Anna B says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    We went a lot of places when I was growing up (Dad travelled frequently for business–gotta love those frequent flyer miles!) but I think looking back my favorite vacations were the road trips we would take to Boston every summer. My dad, my sister, and I would spend a week at the Holiday Inn in Somerville, that had the best indoor pool ever–bathwater warm and you could stay in it ALL DAY! During the days, we would go to Quincy Market/Fanueil Hall–Ming Tree chicken wings, Pizzeria Regina pizza, and Joey’s Gelateria mint choc chip gelato, plus cool little stands with all kinds of things for sale. I remember one trip there was a woman who used the skinniest handsaw I’ve ever seen to cut your name out of wood (in one piece!) and then glue it on to your choice of mirror, name plate, sign, etc….I think I still have the name plate I picked out. That was a big deal to me because at the time, my name (Anna) was not popular at all, and I could never find “personalized” things with my name on them. We also went to the Children’s Museum (next to the giant milk bottle!), the Computer Museum, and the Museum of Science every time. We got to ride the T (subway) and I loved figuring out the different lines (Boston uses colors–Red Line, Orange Line, etc.) and what stops we would have to get off at to get where we wanted to go. That trip every summer stayed fun all the way from age 9 or so till I was well into high school and getting ready for college. Last summer, my father (now 76) decided that he wanted to take one more family vacation to New England–so we (me, my husband, my sister, her husband, and my dad) all made the trip (we were coming from Colorado and Hawaii, so a little longer than it used to be) back and were able to do a lot of the things we did all those years ago–it was a lot of fun. When my husband and I have one of our own, we’re looking forward to being able to take our own family vacations to Boston even if we won’t be able to go as often!

  45. Kathy Scott says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    We rented a houseboat at Lake Powell. We had a family reunion. There was so much to do and nobody was ever bored. I was only 8 at the time and I still remember this fantastic trip.

  46. victoria lynch says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    I cant pick just one. Everytime I get to go on a camping trip with my husband and kids is magical and I take something from each one that I store in the thank you god for my blessings box.

  47. Claudia D. says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    One of the many family trips that I will always remember happened in Summer 2001 when our entire family went to Scandinavia. At the time we lived in Austria. The reson behind this trip was our parents trying to keep things working between them and what better way than to spend a few months travelling with the entire family? The culture, the currency, the scenery; everything was new and unique to us! Unfortunately, things did not work out between my parents but we will all always have the memory of the last trip as a united family. :)

  48. Corinne says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Every summer my family would all pack up the minivan and go camping for a week in Eagle River, WI. The whole family would go – aunt’s, uncle’s, cousin’s – everyone! Every single year we did the same thing: fish, shop, campfire and fireworks. But every year seemed to be special in it’s own way…that one week always seemed to race by so quickly yet stand still at the same time.

    I went back to the same spot with some friends a few years back. While it was nice to be visiting the old haunting grounds again, there was something missing – it was more like revisiting a memory than creating new ones. I suppose that’s just part of getting older, but I miss that old feeling of time racing by and standing still all at once.

  49. Whitni says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Every summer we would head up North Michigan to Traverse City, Petosky, Charlevoix, Macinaw Island and the Sand Dunes. I would read the entire way up, while alternating the time arguing with my sister and brother and sleeping. (It was like a 4 hour drive LOL)

    My brother was killed in a car accident about a year ago. We’ll never relive those vacations, and I haven’t been able to relive them yet. Hopefully this summer, my husband and I can head up for a weekend so I can share those areas with him and remember my brother that way.

  50. Jeff Evers says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    I grew up in a large family (8 kids), and we were very poor, so we never took a ‘real’ vacation. Butonce, when we we were 12, my twin brother and I were allowed to go to camp for a week with church. I don’t know how my mom came up with her part of the money to pay for it, but we had a really great time. It was the first and only time that we were away from home, but we were together so we didn’t get homesick. My brother passed away when we were 20 (from a heart condition), but i will never forget that week at camp and the good times that we had together.

  51. Karen Ibarra says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My parents developed a tradition for our family. We would all pile into the car and travel to stay with my cousins in a cabin near the lake. Some of us would set up tents. Others went fishing or bike-riding on the tandem bikes. We’d make homemade ice cream. It was great fun.
    When my own children were old enough, we too packed up the car and drove to their grandma’s farm. That was a much farther drive – from GA to OH! We’d stay up late, play and make ice cream. My mom makes the best homemade berry toppings. The cousins and my sisters would visit. It was great.
    Vacations don’t need to be expensive and lavish. It’s all about building and keeping relationships, building memories and having some fun.

  52. Gina Stratos says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    As kids we used to love to go camping and hiking all over the California coast. Now that I have my own clan, that’s exactly how we spend our summers.
    gkstratos@ yahoo.com

  53. Jessie says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    When I was a kid, my family would travel down long dusty highways and up steep, curvy mountains for a weekend camping trip with our church. I loved it!

    Fumbling with the tent set-up, helping to drive stakes into the ground. Lugging everything inside, and then organizing our sleeping arrangements. The smell of the lantern fuel as I read myself to sleep…

    Waking up early in the morning to cold mountain air. Wrapping myself in one of my dad’s gigantic plaid puffy vests while he cooked up some eggs and bacon on a camp stove in front of our tent.

    There was a tadpole pond – nothing but frogs, in varying stages of development! Once my friend slipped and fell into the pond, and when I tried to get her out, she pulled me in too! We screamed and laughed and scrambled to pull ourselves out; the slick green slopes made it difficult. We snuck back to the camp bathrooms to clean up, hoping to dodge our parents. But they found us anyway, and I remember feeling clean and warm after a shower and some time under the hand dryers!

    And there was a fishing pond, ruled by domineering birds – geese, swans and ducks. You fed them in exchange for safe passage. :-P And there was a stream, with all sorts of plant life alongside it; I fell once and got poison ivy. (Notice a pattern? :-P )

    Swimming helped to counter the sun’s heat! And speaking of – ouch, sunburns! Aloe vera gel was a necessity. There were horses and sheep, and there was square dancing and impromptu softball games. There was a ‘wagon camp’ with old pioneer wagons, and the setting sun looked so majestic beyond their silhouettes.

    Yep, every year my parents and I would load into my dad’s old truck. And every year, we brought our friendly feathered companion: Brewster the Rooster! I had begged for a baby chick in first grade, when one of the kindergarten classes was keeping an incubator. My mom agreed, and we took a chick with us to live in our suburban home. (Little did we know I’d picked out the rooster!)

    Brewster loved going to camp, and everybody at camp loved Brewster. Kids from all over the campground would come to see him. He was gentle, attentive, interested, and entertaining. He would jump on a ball, balance, and wait for applause; then he would jump off and strut a bit, making pleased noises. Brewster loved attention, and he fascinated all who encountered him. He was a beloved family pet.

    All of that, and so much more…

    I love those memories, and I mourn for the loss of that camp (it was sold when I was about 13, and we couldn’t go anymore). But I am so thankful to have had those experiences with nature, and to share them with my loved ones. Family vacations are priceless!

  54. Catherine copeland says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    my favorite childhood travel memory brings to mine our trip to Chincoteague Island. There are wild horses there and I had read a book about them in school called Misty of Chincoteague. I really wanted to go. We didn’t have lots of money but Dad actually made that dream come true for me. it is the first of many times in my life that I was able to see a book come to life.

  55. Sandra - Illinois says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    In 1948 we took a family trip out West and went through wonderful country, particularly Yellowstone National Park. We stayed at Buffalo Bill’s Hunting Lodge right out the park and my Dad, a history buff, made it so special. Two years ago we took a trip to Yellowstone and it was so special to find the Lodge again. Dad always made history alive!

  56. Brian N. says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Just a simple trip to the woods where magic still lived and harmony still thrived.

  57. Judith Hopkins says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    The most fantastic trip of my life was in 1954, my family traveles from North Georgia to Cocoa Beach FL. I will never forget how big the Atlantic Ocean looked, how much the sun burned me and how darn bad it hurt when I got stung by a jellyfish! It took my 28 years after that to get here but I finally moved to Florida and have loved every moment since….

  58. Karen says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite summer vacation was to visit my aunt and uncle who lived on a farm. We got to feed the chickens and milk the cows and ride horses. I loved every minute of the adventure.

  59. Alicia says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Im a travelinb man

  60. Molly Capel says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My best childhood traveling memory, is of my grandparents taking myself & my brother to Washington DC. We were 6 & 7, and braved huge storms, getting arms stuck in a chair, and lots of fun.

  61. Elizabeth P. says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood memory always involved driving. One Father’s day, my birthday just happened to fall on, we were awakened by my parents who hustled 5 kids into clothes and out the door before the sun was up. We were treated to McDonald’s as soon as they opened. Our parents suprised us kids by taking us to Six Flags over Georgia. Each of us were given $20 to spend, which was a lot of money to us. We all savor that trip.

  62. Beverley Justice says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    I took my children to an island off the west coast of Florida. I remember swimming out a very long way with each of the three children. Then I saw Jaws! I’m taking my grandchildren to the beach this summer. I think we’ll stay in the shallow part of the beach…

  63. Jamie says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation, is probably because it happened when I was 16 and I think my family and I all realized it was probably going to be the last vacation as “the family” before I grew into an adult and things change:) I was (still am) an avid hockey fan, and my father surprised me by somehow managing to get our family standing room only tickets to the Chicago Blackhawks game vs the Detroit Redwings, when it was Chris Chelios’ first game back in Chi-town. This was a huge game.
    It meant a lot to me because I am an only child, and my dad lucked out having a girl who is a tomboy. It was wonderful because we all road the train up to Chicago, and even my mom came to the game with us, and after the game they took me out to Cheli’s Chili Bar to end that evening. The next day we went shopping and site seeing so my mom was able to enjoy some girl things with me.
    It was a wonderful vacation, one that I will remember forever because I was able to be their little girl for that last time, and that was their way of lovingly letting me move into being the woman I today.
    I love them very much for not only that vacation, but all of our other wonderful family experiences and time spent together.

  64. susan varney says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    i’m a traveling man

  65. Lynne says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My family took family vacations twice a year, during spring break and also in the summer. We traveled up and down the east coast so I visited places like Canada, Florida, Virginia, Maine and Pennsylvania to name but a few. I’m very grateful that my parents took my brother and I to see so many places, it really enriched my life.

  66. Shelley Johnson says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacation memories were the yearly trips to Rehobeth beach that we always took. We would always stay at the cheapest hotels on the beach that smelled like mildew. But my dad would always “splurge” for ocean view. Then I would play in the ocean and sand for three days straight. And eat nothing but crabs and hush puppies. It would be greatest trips ever.

  67. Hil'Lesha says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite was traveling to South Dakota.

  68. Bernadette says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Traveling to CA with my husband, son and parents was my favorite and now I live here in CA!

  69. Tinnelle says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation was when my best friend took me to Connecticut with her for a family event. When her family heard that I had never seen an Ocean before they decided that a family trip to see the ocean was in order. We all piled into a couple different vehichles and they drove me to New Jersey. When we finally got to the ocean it was rainy and a bit gloomy, but we played on the beach for a while anyways. Her extended family didn’t know me at all, but they went out of their way to make sure I had a new experience to take home to Missouri with me

  70. Donna S. says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite memory is bringing my son to Disney for the first time. His excitement at seeing Mickey, the rides and all the fun we had was priceless.

  71. Amanda K says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    When I was about 5, I went to my first amusement park! The first day there, I could barely take everything in. On the second day, I rode a swinging Pirate ship…. and unfortunately, got sick. I ended up throwing up on the woman in front of me. All I could do was cry and apologize over and over. That will be a trip I will never forget!

  72. jme says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    we often went to virginia to a naval base- and then travelled around the area to different beaches. i loves going to assateague and chincoteague to see the wild horses on the beach. i was so amazed they just ran by, i stood in awe!

  73. Yvonne says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation by far has been taking our kids to Disney World in Orlando, FL. It’s nice to see that some things have stayed pretty much the same!

  74. Gigi says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Going to Disney World after my youngest brother was born…that was the very last time we were ever able to vacation as a family together. Awesome memories.

  75. Cindi says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Actually, I am 14 years younger than my brother and 10 years younger than my sister. When I was very young, we took a vacation (so my sister tells me); and she kept putting my feet in a fountain and I didn’t like it. All I did was cry. I do think that part of the reason vacations stopped is because I was born with a large birthmark on the left side of my fact. It took my mom a long time to adjust to the circumstances. Thanks, Cindi

  76. Peggy Miller says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    I grew up in the country, so we never took vacations. The only vacation we went on was a one night trip to the rodeo, one hour away. The fancy meal we ate was “Burger King”.

  77. Tabby says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    My most memorable vacation was when I was 12 and my brother was 10. My parents had divored earlier that year and our mother wanted to treat us to a vacation, away from all the negative vibe at home. The plan was to drive to Disneyland. We got 200 miles down the road (over 500 miles away from Disneyland) and our car broke down. Getting the car fixed took a fair chunk of our vacation time and our vacation money. We ended up staying at a hotel outside of Scottsdale, Arizona for 3 days and called that our vacation. My mom was so disapointed, but my brother and I loved it! We got to swim all day long, play with lizards, and watch cable TV, which we didn’t have at home. My brother and I still thing it was one of the best vacations we ever had.

  78. Amy B. says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    When I was in high school, my family and I took a vacation to Reno/Lake Tahoe/San Francisco. Not only was the trip fantastic (you just don’t see that kind of stuff growing up in Nebraska), but it was the last one we took as a whole family before my mom was diagnosed with MS a little while after the trip.

  79. Joan says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    We had the most amazing road trip through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada. We visited fishing villages, historical sites, beaches, an indoor amusement park, and the amazing Bay of Fundy. We walked on the bottom of the ocean when the tide was out and we kayaked when it came in. We have taken a road trip every year for 12 years and this one remains our family favorite.

  80. Heidi says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Luckily camping doesn’t take much moolah. Just a bag of marshmallows and a couple of sticks next to a roaring campfire. Those are my memories from childhood and hopefully some of my childrens favorites too!

  81. Sierra says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    Our summer vacations were all about going to the lake. Camping out, fishing, waterskiing, boating … It was some of the best times of my life. And to this day, taking my family to the lake brings back some of those feelings and there’s nothing I’d rather do as a family.

  82. Shilo Beedy says:
    July 2, 2008 at

    When I was little I loved camping at Brennans beach with my family. We had our camping trailer right near my grandmas camping trailer. It was always so much fun there.

  83. Tracy Iglesias says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Amusement park vacations were a family favorite, we would be allowed to invite our bff which made the trip all the more special. After a day in the sun riding all the rides, we would all hit the beach in the evening. Have a picnic style dinner on the beach and then watch the sunset with a big ice cream cone in hand!

  84. Lindsay says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    The only vacation I can really recall is our trip to the Grand Canyon, I was nine and it was just a fantastic trip!

  85. Kristi C says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacation memory was the extended family trip to Daytona Beach when my grandparents surprised us all my showing up.

  86. Cynthia C says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My parents took us to Manhattan when I was seven. It was a fantastic place for kids from a small town. I still have vivid memories of the museums and skyscrapers.

  87. Amy C says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    When I was a kid, we would take an annual vacation to Florida with my grandparents. Florida was so much fun, with it’s beaches and of course Disney world. But I always thought that getting there was half the fun. See, we drove in a big van down from Michigan. As a kid, staying in motels, frequenting rest stops and roadside attractions, finding random museums, and eating out for every meal felt like a grand adventure! As an adult, I sometimes still prefer the trip to the destination.

  88. Tobye says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Our family once took a rafting trip on the Grand Canyon. It was four days of rafting, camping out, beautiful scenery, food cooked over a campfire, peeing in a bucket (hee hee), but an overall great experience and wonderful memory.

  89. Denyse says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My family vacation w/ my family was when we all went to Disney World.

  90. Theresa N says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Taking my daughter to Disney World.

  91. Susan C says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My parents always took us to the Oregon coast, and we always took our children there. They loved to ride the go-carts.

  92. Christine says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    I’d have to say that my favorite memory was taking our son to Horrorfind Weekend for the first time, first for us too and it was great fun. Meeting celebrities, watching great movies and a lot of funny times along the way. Thank you so much and have a wonderful 4th weekend!

  93. dianne says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    When my children were yound we’d spend time together at the Jersey Shore. I miss that.

  94. Kari Follett says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    We go to Disney World every three years and it always seems to be the kids’ favorite vacation.

  95. Jennifer says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Mine was a place called Fairy Tale Forest, in New Jersey. Sadly, it’s closed, as is Gingerbread Castle, my other favorite. The closest we can manage is to bring dd to Sesame Place every year.

  96. Carrie says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    I was pretty young, but I remember when we took a vacation to the Atlantic Ocean. We were from Ohio and that was the first time I saw the Ocean. We rented a house with rickety stairs and I remember playing Monopoly in the evenings.

  97. Megan B. says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    I remember traveling with my parents were younger and going to the Bahamas (the first time I ever stuck my toes in the ocean) and later going to Washington D.C. I remember we were at some historic location in D.C. and I was bored and put my foot against the fence, it slipped and my foot got caught in the fence. As the tour went on, everyone started leaving, not noticing and I freaked out and thought I was going to be stuck there. I yelled out for my mom and we had to get security to get my foot out. Even as a kid I was embarrassed, now I wonder how my mom felt!

  98. Julia Magrath says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    We didn’t really take family vacations when I was a kid. But my husband and I take our kids to Disneyland every year for a few days of nothing but fun and playing together. I think we actually love it more than the kids do!

  99. Julie Pripps says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite family trip was going to NYC and seeing “They’re Playing Our Song” on Broadway!

  100. Suzie Lockhart says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Growing up, we took quite a few “day vacations” so I really remember the 2 week vacation we took one year. We left Illinois, traveled down to Ariziona, over to California, up to Utah and then back home. We had family scattered over the West and made one big trip to see them all. It is definitely a vacation I have never forgotten.

  101. Amir says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    we went to the beach for a week on Memorial weekend. It was so much fun.

  102. Stephen Saunders says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    never had a vacation actually…

  103. Suzanne Rode says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    The summer before I turned 13, my family took our first vacation in 8 years. We splurged and went to the Cayman Islands for a week. It was tropical and magical and relaxing and all that a Caribbean vacation should be…until our last morning. Mom and I decided to get up early and take a long walk down the beach. We were about a half-mile from our condo when a frazzled-looking jogger approached from the opposite direction. She warned us not to go on, because “there’s a naked man hiding in the bushes up ahead!” We naturally thought she was just crazy and continued on, albeit a little nervously. After 5 minutes and no naked man, we relaxed…and then out of nowhere the mysterious naked man DID emerge from the vegetation, waving a pair of red briefs wildly at us. We screamed like little girls and tore off in the opposite direction. I have never been a runner, but we made it back to the condo in record time, never looking back to notice that the man was not following us.

    Every time we talk about family vacations, that story comes up and we laugh as hard as we did once we were safely locked inside that day.

  104. sarah says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Every summer, a few weeks before school started we’d go to Martha’s vineyard for a week. My parents would drive overnight while my siblings and i slept. We’d wake up parked to wait for the ferry to bring us to the island. Once we got to the main island, we’d drive across and catch a second to stay on Chappy island. We stayed at the same cottage every year that had an outdoor shower and a path to a private beach. On low tide, you could walk across the bay to the ocean. We didn’t watch any tv and only listened to the radio when we were there after a hurricane. At night we’d go to the main island for dinner and ice cream at Mad Martha’s. There were always celebrities there. Mic Jagger was in the harbor having a party on his yacht, i once told brendan frasier he had a weird looking dog without knowing who he was, i walked behind bruce willis into a book store (he’s surprisingly shorter than i thought). The book store was the best, they always had book signins with authos like judy blume and susan branch. i miss that place so much, i wish i could go back again…

  105. Monique says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    This is a wonderful giveaway!! I love LUSH!! Our best ever family vacation took place two years ago whn the kids were 5 and 2. We were so blessed to be able to travel to Walt Disney World and spend 6 days enjoying the whole experience. As a lifelong California resident I had never been to the Florida Disney parks so this trip was an amazing dream of mine. Everyone should see Walt Disney World at least once in thier lifetime – it is just the best place for a family to travel to. Magical!

  106. valerie mabrey says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    playing games on a long car ride

  107. Dana says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    for awhile in the late 80’s, times were pretty lean for me and my mom, and money for frivolous things like vacations got spent on things like… groceries. so we didn’t go on a vacation or any unnecessary trips for a couple of years…. then one night when she got home from work, she woke me up and said to pack a suitcase because we were going on a trip. we didn’t know where we were going, just that we were gonna drive until we ran out of gas (or almost) and find someplace interesting to stay overnight and then the next day do something fun wherever we were.
    we didn’t end up anywhere spectacular (i think it was Anniston, Alabama) but we had fun exploring a new town and just generally being silly. two nights in a cheap hotel and then we had to go back home – but even compared to all the expensive vacations we’d gone on when i was little, that one means more to me.

  108. Denise B. says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    I loved going to Seaside Heights and the boardwalk in New Jersey.

  109. Angela J says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Favorite? Being from such a large family, we didn’t take family vacations, but going to a nearby beach for the day was always fun.

  110. Jen says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Our first summer after moving from New York to California, my grandmother, along with my aunt, uncle and their 2 kids came out to visit us for a week. Then my mom and I flew with them to Colorado to visit another aunt and uncle. While in Colorado, we went to Pikes Peak, a red rock area, gold panning, and camping. I have fond memories of my grandmother braiding my hair while we were camping, and of my cousin Billy sleeping on the back dash of the car while we were driving around. It was an idyllic summer for a 9 year old, and I think of it often.

  111. Dan says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Family vacation to Disney

  112. Felicia Shapiro says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood memory was my first time travelling with my parents to Europe.

  113. Ronni Fox says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite was a cross-country bus trip from Arkansas to Seattle, Washington with my momma when I was 12. We went to the World’s Fair of 1962 togeather. That was in September and she died just a few months later. It makes the memory so much more poignant to me.

  114. Meaghan Fleming says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    The only vacation I’ve ever been on was when I drove to Chicago with my grandma when I was 13. I had to read the map and we got lost a few times; but, by the end of the week, I could read maps really well!

  115. Kasey says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Every summer my dad would take 3 weeks off work and we’d go camping somewhere and my sister and I always got to bring a friend. Those were some great vacations.

  116. Sharon Harmon says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacation trip took place when I was about 6 years old. My mom, gramma and sister and I took a train from Colorado Springs, CO, to Salt Lake City, UT. The train station in Colorado Springs is now a restaurant, but they have kept it as much like the train station as possible. The seats inside the train were wooden and wrought iron. No cushions at all! lol! The conductor checked your tickets, but your ticket did not assign you to a specific seat; so if you left your seat to do something, it was up for grabs! We did not know this, so when we left our seats to explore, we came back to no empty seat waiting for us! lol! It was a gorgeous rail trip through rugged mountains, covered in fall colors! The aspen leaves were golden pennies shimmering across the mountain sides, and we crossed many steep wooden bridges that made us hold our breath!! We were able to open our windows by our seats and poke our heads out to smell the crisp outdoor air and stare down at the gullies far below. It was an adventure we would never forget! Thank you for the contest!

  117. Judy G. says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My most favorite vacation I can remember as a child. I was staying with some foster care parents.
    We all took a trip to Florida. I remember setting on the beach and filling up plastic cups with the sand and turning the cups over and out came the design of the cup. I still love the beach to this day. If I had my chose where to live, I would live somewhere close to Florida so I could visit the beach whenever I wanted to. Thank you

  118. Megan Busse says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    When I was little, my mother, father, younger sister and I went to North Carolina. We stayed in a small house/condo, the place was family owned and felt very homie unlike a huge hotel line would. It was on the beach, and had an amazing view. That was one of the few times my dad was at the beach with us for an extended amount of time. Every other vacation he waqs not able to stay the entire time because of work. He took me putput golfing, and to the board walk where we played arcade games. He is going through chemo therapy now, and that memory is so fond to me.

  119. Mia F says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    I grew up with 5 bothers and sisters so there was always a need to share everything including time with my parents. One day, my mom asked each of us if we wanted to go with her without telling where she was going. I told her I’d go with her while my siblings were skeptical and decided not to go.

    So she and I went on a long road trip and wound up spending the day at New Smyrna Beach. It was nice being alone with my mom at the beach.

  120. Danielle Formella says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite family trip was to Disney World when I was a little girl.

  121. sarah says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite family trip was driving from MD to MO and back.

  122. djp says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    ok, i am in

  123. Anne Dreher says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    I’m from MI and my grandpa owned a cottage in Northern MI when I was a kid. We went there every summer and went fishing, swimming, etc. We loved it.

  124. Amy B. says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    I soooo miss those days of vacations where everyone piled in the car and drove for hours and hours to go camping on the beach! (At least that’s how our vacations went.) Yes, looking back, the trip was tiring, hot, and boring, all of us kids fought the whole time, dad threatening to turn the car around and go home, mom trying to get us to stop fighting by playing a game of how many different liscense plates we could spot, etc., but they were great. We would camp near the beach and watch the wild horses play in the sand dunes! I really miss it. Thanks for the contest!

  125. Cynthya Petzen says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacations were when we would go to the beach in Florida for a week each summer. We didn’t do much besides play in the ocean and the pool, but it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately we live in Indiana now which is a LONG way from the beach!

  126. Cindy Hochstrasser says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacation was a repeat EVERY year!! We loaded up the car and drove 13 hours to Kalispell, MT, to see all the relatives. It was AWESOME! Not so much the ride, but once we got there. Playing ‘No Bears are Out Tonite’, swimming in Flathead Lake, going to the country fair and watching the adults play poker until 2am. I really miss those days!

  127. Linda Moeller says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    We used to go to Grand Lake in Celina, Ohio EVERY YEARS but we loved it and had a great time. I even have a link on my computer to view a web cam of the lake!

  128. Deci Worland says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    Canoeing on a beautiful Northeastern lake.

  129. Pamela says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    We camped out at the Smokies and a bear visited the camp ground.

  130. cheryl says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    We had a condo in Florida and I remember my family plus grandparents all going there for the holidays to spend vacations together.

  131. Patty says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite childhod vacation was going to Traverse City and climbing the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.

  132. Anne says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    The summer after my grandma died, we went out to California. My dad grew up there, and because his dad (my grandpa) was buried out there Grandma wanted to be buried there as well (nevermind that we all lived in the midwest). Of course we did some of the typical SoCal things like going to Disneyland, but we also got to see the town and house my dad grew up in. We visited my grandma’s brother and sister-in-law and reconnected with that side of our family.
    The four of us (my mom, dad, brother, and I) went to Medieval Times and got placed in the stands for The Green Knight, who was from the swamps and sort of groady. To this day, my family and I still cry out “The Green Knight!” and cheer. I think it stuck with us because it was something we enjoyed as a family, and especially after Grandma died that wasn’t something we experienced much of.

  133. Danielle says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    my favorite was going camping, we went to Yosemite and had so much fun camping out and watching the wildlife there.

  134. kristi blackstone says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacation was to Galveston with our entire family, cousing, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and all, and it was just so much fun going to the beach spending time with everyone!

  135. Vicki Andrew says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    being a working, single mom we didn’t take very many vacations but I think the most fun was one weekend we drove up the coast stopping where we wanted. No real plans, just a lot of fun

  136. Angelique Hanschen says:
    July 3, 2008 at

    My mother and I were going to Indonesia for my uncle’s wedding, but when we arrived in California for our flight to Taiwan my passport had been expired and neither of us knew, it was a Friday evening, and we were stuck in California until Monday. It was a fantastic mini vacation to Disney Land, only to end up in Bali, Indonesia witnessing a traditional Indonesian wedding in paradise! Not to mention the fantastic addition to our family! I don’t even remember the horrible twenty-four hours on airplanes!

  137. Tari Lawson says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    We just recently took our kids on a cruise. It was very special beacause all of my husband family (brothers, sisters, wives, children and his mother) came along. There were 24 of us. It was truely wonderful. It reminded me of when we used to go to my dad’s uncles and everyone would come over and I would get to see all my aunts and cousins. Nothing beats getting together with family.

  138. Barbara Fox says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    We traveled across the country pulling a small travel trailer so my dad could apply for a job. It was a wonderful experience that ended up giving me an appreciation for handicapped children and a new dog!

  139. Lisa dePlacido says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    The year we were able to fly to California and go to Disneyland is so memorable. None of us had ever been there and to be able to experience it together as a family for the first time made the trip extremely special.

  140. Tricia Andrews says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    I am from Philadelphia. When my sister and I were in Elementary school my mother and her parents took us to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We did the whole car-on-ferry trip down the Carolina Coast until we got back to Kitty Hawk to see where the Wright Brothers flew the first time. Now that I live in North Carolina I will be able to do that same trip with my own daughter in a few years!

  141. Carla Spence says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    My parents took me and my cousin Josh on a cruise to the Bahamas when I was 8 and he was 10 and we met up with relatives from across the country on the boat. We had so much fun!!!!

  142. hazel hunt says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    my favorite was going camping.

  143. Pauline M says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    I never got to visit Disneyland growing up (my family was pretty poor and with 6 kids, money was very tight!) so when I had my son, I vowed that would be our first real vacation. We went after he turned 4 and it ended up being a last minute thing. My friends had given me some free passes, I had some hotel points I could use, and the plane tickets were really cheap (yes, it was a few years ago)! The best part other the the constant smile on his face was when we stopped by one of the parades and he saw the “real” power rangers! I could see the awe on his face along with his yelling hello and waving at them. I was the coolest Mom ever that day!

  144. Candie L says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    I am pleased that we as a family get to go on a vacation every year. We actually see how cheaply we can go. We go to a different state park every year; we eat off the dollar menus at fast food restaurants; find discounts where we can; etc. Our biggest thing is we find the programs that the parks sponsor. They usually have 2-3 activities a day and it gives us a chance to find out some information we would not have known otherwise.

  145. April says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    Growing up in TN I can still remember my first family trip to a beach in Myrtle Beach, SC when I was about eight. Now living in Florida I get to go to the beach whenever I want.

  146. Carolyn Nedrow says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    My most memorable vacation was one summer in which we went to Myrtle Beach, SC, the same week that a hurricane was coming along the east coast. It was far enough away that we were safe, but it scared most of the people away. We just about had the whole beach to ourselves!!

  147. Liadan says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    My grandparents have a cabin up in northern Minnesota, and my little sister, my two cousins would spend all summer up at the cabin, swimming, playing, running, just being kids. I miss those days. I haven’t even been up to the cabin in so long, since I live across the country now.

  148. Pamela says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    My all time favorite vacation with my kids (we didn’t vacation much when I was a kid) is a trip to San Diego. We used foam boogie boards to body surf and we all loved it! Hours of electronic free fun – we even cancelled some of the plans we had for theme parks and other places. Such great memories and photos!

  149. Ashley says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    disney world, it was magical for me as a child (and still is)

  150. Kiersten says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    My family used to go to Michigan every year. I think my favorite part was getting fudge from this wonderful candy store that smelled of chocolate & caramel as soon as you opened the door!

  151. Stacey Brown says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    My favorite memory is going down the Jersey shore with my grandma and she would always make our favorite foods for dinner!!

  152. Betty Curran says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    One of my favorite trips was the first one I took with my 5 children after my divorce. We went to Yosemite and loved it so much we stayed for 2 weeks instead of the one I had originally planned.

  153. Cheryl Free says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood travel experience was our first trip together to Disney World. It was awesome except for the dove that had an accident on my head :-D *Thanks* for the giveaway!

  154. Kathleen says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    LUSH LUSH LUSH!

    Um, pardon me, I got a little distracted there. :) When I was a kid we used to travel up to Mackinac Island every summer for a few days. It was actually so my father could go to a work conference, but I didn’t know that until I was a bit older–I just figured he was off playing golf while my mom and I went swimming and biking and fudge shopping. I haven’t yet had the chance to take my daughter up there, though we’ve stopped by a couple of times on the way to visit her paternal grandparents. Not to the Island itself–I’m sure that hasn’t changed much–but the City is all built up and really nothing like I remember. There didn’t used to be any fast food restaurants there (local ordinance) and there was space between the hotels right on the Lake. It’s kind of depressing to me.

  155. Autumn says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    The best family vacation I have ever had was just 2 months ago, when my family was able to visit Hawaii for a week, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish foundation. Our family relaxed and had a wonderful time at the beach, driving around Oahu, surfing and horseback riding. My daughter chose Hawaii because she loved “Lilo and Stitch,” and it was truly a magical experience for her. We never could have afforded it ourselves, but Make-A-Wish made it possible. My husband and I loved it so much that we plan to make it a regular vacation destination (when he is done with school). I don’t care how much it costs, it will be worth it to spend that time together in such a wonderful place!

  156. Terri D says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    Every year, my family would travel to Clearwater, FL. It was almost like a 2nd home. Now, we live there permanently and it is our home.

  157. brenda helgeson says:
    July 4, 2008 at

    my first trip to disneyland with my family was the best vacation ever. i can still remember thr awe and magical feeling i had. when my daughter was 5, we took her for the 1st time. made me tear up just seeing the look on her face when she saw the castle.

  158. rebecca says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My mom thought nothing of packing the old station wagon, six kids, a dog, and often a friend or two heading from San Francisco to Pearl River, LA to see her folks. She never allowed the radio to be on when she drove, but she had a beautiful voice and we passed many hours of travel by singing.

  159. Deena says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    Around the time I entered kindergarten my family lived in Italy (both my parents were in the army). Once I remember we took a train to Venice. I was so afraid the pigeons would poop on my head, but it was beautiful and I had my first taste of tortellini in a restaurant overlooking the water. I still have a scarf we bought there, along with lots of family photos.

  160. Terra Heck says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    I’d like to win this great prize.
    I enjoyed the trip I took to Branson, Missouri with my aunt and uncle one year. We stayed in a camper at night and saw all the great attractions during the day. It was much fun.

  161. trish says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    Every year packing the car up for the July 4th week at the Jersey Shore.

  162. Toni says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    When I was 13, my grandfather was dying of cancer and wanted to see his family one more time. We didn’t have alot of money, so he, my grandmother, my mother, my brother, my uncle and his friend all piled into a small RV for a road trip to the Prairies. We lost a tire, my brother and I spent some time in the trunk of a rental car (so everyone would fit), and we had to use an outhouse late at night with coyotes baying in the darkness. But I learned more about where I come from, ate alot of delicious food, and spent time with the people who mean the most to me in the world. Of course, I still have the pictures to help me keep the memory close to my heart.

  163. Tiffanie W. says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    I miss going to San Antonio on the weekends with my younger sisters and my dad.

  164. Kirsten says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    A couple of years ago I was able to take my family on a driving vacation from Washington state to California to see my dad. It was me, my husband, my 12 year old daughter, her 22 year old sister with her boyfriend and baby. All in one van. LOL It was wonderful with various stops along the Oregon Coast and then over to Crater Lake. In California we went to San Francisco and had a great visit with my dad. Amazingly good time.

  165. Alexandrea M says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My dad took us hiking and traveling along the dunes and parks of California – anytime I go back to California I find some other beautiful place to visit but I am bound to find my way back to the original spot eventually on a trip.

  166. Diane B says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    I have to say my favorite family vacations was when I was 16. My mom, my aunt, and their best friend took 4 teenagers to Myrtle Beach SC. I was so excited because my car got to come with us, and that perhaps I may get to do some driving (and I did). I recall one night begging my mom to let us go walk the beach and she said we could for 20 min, I guess we lost track of time, next thing I knew I see mom coming down the beach in her pjs!! I thought I was going to die!!We were chatting it up with some cute boys too!*die* Though its a good chuckle now, my cousin and my friends still laugh about it. Myrtle Beach is a favorite vacation spot for our family now. I have since lost my mom to cancer and our final trip together to the beach was just a 2 months before she passed but it was one of the best weekends we enjoyed together with my boys.
    Thanks for letting me share my funny beach story!
    I think now as a mother of a teen I would love to sneak up on him in my pj’s on the beach haha

  167. Tina Gibson says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    Picking one is difficult!
    My family was not rich but we always went on a family vacation each year and you guys are right, those are some of my best memories.
    My favorite might be our trip up to Amish country (PA) where began my passionate love for funnel cake. I remember sitting on my dad’s lap while my mom drove (this was the 70’s after all) while he sang to me Suzy Q (Susie? Suzie?) from CCR. I think we also hit Hershey, PA on that trip. That was a great trip.
    My other favorite was when we drove down to Mexico from VA. My younger sister (about 6 at the time) wanted to ride a horse so somewhere in OK we saw a farmer with a horse and stopped to ask him if my sister could have a ride. He said yes! He led the horse in a circle on his little dirt road while my sister got a thrill. People can be so nice and neighborly! He was great!
    My family always made a point to stop at the historical sites, the ‘antique’ (aka junk) shops, and the local diners so our trips were always so interesting. Thanks for letting me share.

  168. R Hicks says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My fav vacation was going to Disney World. WOuld do it again and again.

  169. Madonna says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation memory is actually a series. Every summer while growing up, my grandmother and I would get on the Greyhound and go visit one of her kids. She had 11 kids so there were alot to visit. I saw so many things thanks to her. I treasure those times with her now that she is gone even more.

  170. Rachel says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My parents took my and my sisters on a cruise to Alaska one summer, and it was amazing. Our room on the ship was about the size of my closet, but the ship itself was so much fun and Alaska is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

  171. Jenny says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My mom took my sister and I to the Florida keys. We went fishing and I caught a blowfish. We had to step on it to get it off the hook and throw it back.

  172. Debra Ford says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My favorite family travel memory is whenever we would road trip with the whole family, my grandfather convinced us children that each state was separated by a raised boundary line and whenever we crossed a state line he’d say “Did you feel the bump?” Of course we really thought we did, and now I’ve got my kids convinced as well! So fun, and brings back fond memories of my grandfather.

  173. Susan Smith says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    Going to Disney Land was our favorite vacation

  174. Margaret Yau says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My favourite childhood vacation was when my mom and I went up to Canada for my first ski vacation. The scenes of us stumbling to our hotel trying to hang on to all of our skiis, ski poles, and boots were comical. Needless to say, I was not very good and ran into a pole. It was magical.

  175. eva louis says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    I LOVED READING ALL THE TRIP IDEAS SINCE I AM A TRAVEL PLANNER MY ALL TIME FAVORITE TRIP HAS TO HAVE BEEN TODOUBLE JJ RANCH IN MICHIGAN THE PLACE IS AN OUTDOOR PARADISE AND VERY EDUCATIONAL AT THE SAME TIME THE PEOPLE THERE ARE SO KIND THANKS FOR ALL THE GREAT IDEAS!

  176. Carol S says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My Mom and Dad would always take us camping to Calaveras Big Trees state Park way back when and then a couple of years ago I found myself taking my husband and son there and reliving my old fond memories

  177. Sharon says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    fav vacation was our trip every year to the Cape…still love it, and have taken our son many years, he loves the ocean as much as I do!

  178. Ali says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    I was very young, probably only 6, but still remember having the most amazingly beautiful vacation in Hawaii. We stayed in a hotel that had PENGUINS in the lobby! Can you believe it? There was also a talking parrot by the restaurant in the hotel that cursed a lot, and we fell in love with her. I still remember her name-Delilah! I think the part of visiting Hawaii that stands out most is the sheer beauty- there were rainbows nearly every day, bright blue waters and lush plants and flowers. I hope to go again one day, especially when I have children, as it is a place where there is so much nature and wonder to see.

  179. General Lush discussion - Page 148 - The Fashion Accessory Forum says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    [...] lush giveaway!!! Just write about your fav family vacation Lush Summer Contest Giveaway – Boycott the Staycation | Traveling Mamas [...]

  180. A. Rivera says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    Last Christmas, my husband and I brought his daughter, who is 12 and has never traveled out of the state, to Orlando. We were trying to cut down on costs so we drove from NJ instead of flying. The drive there and back was part of the bonding and part of the fun. We watched animated movies in the car and had lots of laughs together. In Orlando we hit the parks and had a great time. My stepdaughter was so impressed with the trip and especially the experience of staying in a nice hotel, which she had never done before. It was one of the best vacations I have been on and was a great opportunity to bring the family together. We hope to go on this type of vacation again this Christmas. Incidentally, this trip was also where we first discovered LUSH (in the Florida Mall) and our whole family now shares a LUSH addiction, thanks to this trip!

  181. Suzanne Lewis says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My dad fell off the toilet one time at a restaurant right before we took a vacation. In the car driving, my brother and I made up a song about my dad falling off the toilet and sang it for hours on the drive to Colorado!

  182. Jeff West says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    My two kids very 1st trip to a beach was when they were 11 & 12 & it was to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. They loved it so much that now, that is the ONLY beach they want to go to now!

  183. Theresa Clift says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    We live in OHIO and have many amusement parks, I loved going them as a child, grew up watching the Brady Bunch and during one of their vacations they went to Kings Island. I remember telling my daughter that the first time we went there. She only knew whe the Brady kids were because they reintroduced them to a whole new generation at the movies.

  184. Debbie Christie says:
    July 5, 2008 at

    We always went to my grandparents’ home in the mountains every summer. There was little to do but eat and sit on the porch and talk, but it seemed so wonderful. My grandmother’s cooking, especially her homemade biscuits, made it a treat better than any restaurant.

  185. Tracy H says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    We always loved going to the beach as kids and my kids love it too.

  186. Vicky Boackle says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    panama city beach in florida.

  187. devilot says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My sister and I are very lucky… Our parents are so frugal. They save pennies every way they can. They don’t drive fancy cars or wear fancy clothes– and we live in an area where most do. We grew up never ordering anything to drink besides (FREE) water. ;) But it was all worth it because what my parents do spend money on?

    … is travel.

    We’ve gone to a lot of great places. Some historic. Some exotic. Some related to our heritage. But the one place I know without a doubt that I would not only love to visit time and time again, but would love to live at– is Greece.

    I’m not a water person. I don’t like the rain. And the one moment when it truly struck me how enamored I was with Greece, is when we were in Nafplion. A storm struck so quickly and with such force that the cobblestone streets were soon deserted save for my family. We scrambled into a tiny coffee shop facing the sea and though we were soaked to the bone, we sipped on some of Greek’s famous iced “kaffes” due to how hot out it was, and watched as the rain slammed against the windows and the wind battered the trees.

    It was absolutely stunning.

    The best part of it all? That wasn’t even my favorite city. I had truly and fully fallen head over heels in love with Greece.

    (Thank you for encouraging travel– it’s not cheap and it’s definitely gotten even more expensive, but I feel it can be such an integral way of enriching our lives especially when you start with younger children. It opens up your eyes and minds to learning and sharing. That not everyone does everything the same way and that the “right way” might just mean the right way _for you_. You can taste new foods, smell new smells. Speak new languages. Travel has been such a core influence in my life and I will forever be grateful for my parents having done their best to let my sister and me see beyond the bubble of our hometown. So again, thank you for letting us share our experiences, and a huge thank you for encouraging people to see beyond the dollar signs and to think of what will forever be stored in our hearts.)

  188. Roger Deming says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    Going to the beach and camping for the week was the greatest vacation we could think of. great times fishing and just exploring. found a great number of glass balls that we sold to others.

  189. Julie M says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My parents once took us to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. I loved looking at the rock formations. I liked hearing about the people who explored the caves and made maps.

  190. Jill Christine says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    When I was very young, my parents took me to Walt Disney World almost every summer. Then my brother was born, and travel became tougher — it was one thing to keep up with nine-year-old me in a theme park, and quite another to do so with a grumpy two-year-old in tow. When we finally braved a Disney trip with Little Bro, we worked around his schedule, leaving the parks early so he could nap or be put to bed. One night, my dad suggested that just he and I go back to the Magic Kingdom, leaving Mom with Little Bro in the hotel room. We had a fantastic time wandering around, eating Dole Whips, going on rides. At the end of the night, we were the last ones to board the Sky Ride; we rode over the nearly-empty park as it shut down. It was one of the best times I’ve ever had with my father; we still talk about the magic of Sky Rides and Dole Whips.

  191. rebecca says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    When I was little, my family always stayed at this old run-down hotel for cheap at one of the most expensive shore points in New Jersey. If we were frugal enough all week, my parents would sometimes be able to afford to tack on a couple extra nights if the hotel allowed us to. It was always so exciting to be able to extend our vacation like that. I never wanted it to end.

    Things are a lot different now. That hotel has since been renovated and now costs six times what we used to pay. We still vacation in the same town, but we stay elsewhere. Every year, I visit the hotel and walk through the lobby and reminisce. Some of the happiest days of my life were spent there.

  192. jan koontz says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    i was only 6, but i loved the trip to yellowstone

  193. Meredith says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    When I think back on family vacations the most vivid memories that come into mind are the summer lake trips to The Lake of the Ozarks that would take with my grandparents. We usually took two vehicles, one towing the boat and the other towing the camper. I loved to ride with my grandpa because he always had the best snacks in the car. He used to put in his Sinatra tapes and I would gaze out the window daydreaming along with New York New York playing in the background.
    My grandpa taught me how to fish on the lake and I became quite good, at night we would go out to different restaurants or see shows in the local theaters. I loved wading in the lake and meeting other kids that were also camping.
    These vacations were my escape. My mother was an alcoholic and at home with her every day was a struggle. I grew up too fast and didn’t get to be a kid for very long. On vacation with my Grandpa I was a kid, even if it was for one week out of the year.
    I am 30 now and my Grandpa passed away 4 years ago. He was a good man with a big heart. When I remember him I picture him driving that big burgundy Lincoln town car with his bass boat in tow, Sinatra blaring, and the summer breeze hitting my face as we made our way to the lake.

  194. Sarah D says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    Our favorite family holiday was going to Maui with 3 little kids, the flights were traumatic but it was well worth it to see them enjoying the beach and the rainforest.

  195. Marlena says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My fav. vactation was actually my honeymoon, does that count? We went to Hawaii and it was just so romantic because we were so much in love and still are. It was just so beautiful there and we plan to take our kids in 5 years and renew our vows.

  196. Tracy Ackroyd says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation growing up was a trip to Tennessee. We stayed at this great campground called Raccoon Mountain. There was an alpine slide, caverns and pool with a slide. We had a great time as a family visiting the local attractions.

  197. Jennifer Rippett says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    We used to go to Ocean City, NJ. as kids.

  198. Denise Montgomery says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    camping in the Great Smokey Mountains-touring the pioneer villages of Cades Cove, rafting down the cool mountain streams, it was and is the best family vacation.

  199. TanjaT says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    We had a an awesome vacation trips when I was a child, all over Europe and it always included either the mountains or the beaches!
    Thanks :)

  200. Sue Frazee says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My favorite summer vacation was heading to Cape Cod, Massachusetts with my parents. It was great to see the big crashing ocean waves for the first time. We got a hotel room right on the beach, and that was the best night’s sleep as a child that I ever got- falling asleep to the sounds of the waves. We saw a great castle near the ocean built by an eccentric man…very interesting! I collected shells, and still have some to this very day to remember the occasion. I’ll look at them, and smile to myself, remembering that wonderful vacation with my parents.

  201. Tonya Froemel says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    The only vacation my family ever took was a drive from our Wisconsin home to Michigan. We drove all day, stopped at a few tourist spots, took pictures and drove back home again in the same day. I actually hope to take a better vacation with my three kids very soon.

  202. Linda Wilson says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    I lived in VA at the time I went to visit my aunt in Edgewater, MD when I was 10 years old. She took me to a mall in Annapolis, MD. It was the first mall I had ever seen. I now live approx. 5 miles from the mall.

  203. Amie Mattson says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My mother went camping to this little campsite in the Nicolet National Forest in Northern Wisconsin every year as a child. She then took all three of us kids every year when I was growing up. Now I take my son. Three generations camping at the same spot. It is great to show my son the same things I enjoyed as a child. Although he doesn’t believe his Mom every loved to catch frogs!

  204. Brandy Holzapfel says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    Growing up in California as a child we either went to the ocean or the National Parks every summer…great memories and fun!!!

  205. Debra B says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood memory was going night fishing with my dad/mom and three sisters, we were afraid of the worms and made my dad put them on the hooks, but we loved being out after dark and running around the park, catching lightening bugs while we were waiting for the fish to bite our bait so we could reel them in and if we caught a fish, we got our pictures taken with the big catch (even the little bitty ones) was alot of fun back then with no worries and my mom would pack snacks for us or we would roast hot dogs over a fire that my dad would build, thanks for the great contest and reminding me of my happy childhood,

  206. Julie says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My family (7 kids in 12 years) made a big trip every 2 or 3 years. We didn’t go to theme parks, but we went to National Parks and monuments. We camped out (KOA in a tent!) In 6th grade, we crossed the Mississippi for the first time to attend my brother’s graduation from the US Coast Guard Academy. By the time I graduated from high school I had been in 43 states.

  207. Emmy T says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    Disney World with the family, our first, and last family trip. It was great, we all ate together, and met for rides.

  208. Jill L says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    Money has been tight for the last few years. Luckily my in-laws live near Traverse City, Michigan. The beaches and lakes there are fantastic. It’s about a 4 hour drive to get there, but definitely worth the gas. We have gotten to explore so much of the area and the kids don’t feel they are missing out on anything.

  209. Stephen Dell says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood travel memory is driving from San Diego to New York. It was a great time and got to see a lot of stuff with my family.

  210. peggy chandler says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My mother took us from Mississippi to California every summer. Some of those trips were unbelievable.
    Like the time my brother spiller margarine all over back of stationwagon.
    We went to Disney in Ca. Passed hitchhiker who waved us on, van was too full for anyone!

  211. Denise says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacation was a trip to Disney. Driving through the Mojave, we stopped in a town called Baker to eat. We had to run like bandits from our van into the restaurant- it was 113 degrees!

  212. Janet F says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My favorite travel memory is traveling to Greece with my husband and children.

    We had a wonderful time that we will always remember.

  213. Tracie says:
    July 6, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood memory is every year my moms family would get together at the Illinois river in Oklahoma we would all stay in cabins and campers. The highlight every year was renting canoes and all of us go down the river and the water moccasins would terrify us but no one was ever bit and we all had wonderful times.

  214. loki says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite memory was taking the kids to Europe and having them learn about the different cultures, foods, languages, sites, history, etc. It was alot of fun for everyone and was a hands on learning experience for the kids that they can’t learn from a book, or the internet!

  215. Pamela Ray says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation as a child was going to the St Louis Zoo. I repeated that with my child and she was so amazed at the animals.

  216. linda n says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacations were our yearly treck to the Jersey Shore and trip to the boardwalk. I love the smells of the ocean mixed in with popcorn, pizza and fudge. I now take my kids to the shore and they enjoy it as much as I do.

  217. Nanette Olson says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite vacations were our trips to Disneyland.

  218. Joan Koczon says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    I didn’t go on a vacation till I was married and had small children in the 70’s. We would go to Old Lyme Shore in Ct. for the next 20 years and I enjoyed the ocean smell so much. The last time I went was 15 yrs ago for a day trip and still oved it.

  219. Kathy Russell says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    Going to visit my cousins. They lived on a huge farm and we all would play hide and seek in the corn fields. The corn was twice as tall as we were and thought my one cousin would never find us. He cheated, used the hunting dog to track us through the field. Found us everytime. We didn’t figure that out until years later.

  220. Stephanie Holcomb says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    I remember never understanding why it took so long to get to Grandma’s house (she lived 4 hours away) but when she came to visit us, she just showed up. I never understood that she had to travel that far too, so it seemed like she lived right around the corner because she’d just pop in! We went there for several days every year, and my sister and I would walk to the Five and Dime store and blow it on cheap (but terribly irresistible) toys!

  221. Karen says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    We took our daughter to Belgium. It was her first trip out of the country and she loved it!

  222. Laura G says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    taking our girls to Alabama to visit Grandma. Too bad I can’t go with the family this year…

  223. Jodene Gildea says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    We would drive to Fl every summer to see our grandparents and I remember my mom, my sister and I all cramped up in a ford pinto one year – my sister and I took turns sitting in the hatch so we could lay down and do homework. There was just something about the 3 of us cramped up in that little car for all those hours that was fun.

  224. P. Harmon says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    We went to NC to Nana & Poppa’s house (at the time I had 2 kids, age 2 & 4) and my dad had bought a Christmas tree and stuck it in the ground out back like it had grown there, (their home is on a mountian side with a waterfall) so the kids would “find” the perfect tree. It almost NEVER snows there, and the most beautiful snow flakes started to fall, we strung popcorn, decorated the tree, it was just so perfect. I’d give anything to have a holiday like that again because he has since died and I miss him so much my heart hurts everyday!!!

  225. Jay French says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    We were able to take our kids to Hawaii and spend a day at Volcano National Park. We got to see the lava fields and were in the biggest rainstorm we’ve ever seen. The kids got to see that not everything looks like the cornfields they see traveling near home.

  226. Heather Curtis says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite memory (though, I’m sure my parents would have to disagree) was when we were coming back home from a roadtrip to Key West, FL… My little brother and and I had gathered up a good amount of little crabs we had found on the beach and we stored them in a bucket of water and sand. We had planned to bring them home with us so we could keep them as pets. I’m not sure how we managed to sneak this bucket of crabs past my parents and into the van, but we did… Fast forward 8 hours into the trip back home and the van had come to a sudden stop for one reason or another… Live Crabs, saltwater and sand EVERYWHERE!!! What a mess we had to clean up and we didn’t get to have pet crabs after all.

  227. Marion says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    One of my most memorable was going to Disneyland for the first time. I was so excited I couldn’t sleep the night before, then I conked out half way through the day!

  228. Samantha Pruitt says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    it would probably have to be the first time i went camping out in the wilderness. And having to dig my own hole (if yo know what i mean, hahah) anyways, the experience was a bit shocking at first, but a lot of fun, and i learned so much every year that we went.

  229. Jodi says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    One of my favorite memories are of our family reunions, with all of us kids sleeping on pallets on the floor, and telling stories and laughing all night.

  230. Sue Farrell says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacation memory is a fishing trip when I caught the biggest fish, and it flopped around in the boat and broke a fishing rod.

  231. Vicki Wurgler says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    my favorite trip as a child was when we traveled to Yellowstone Park-I can still remember all the bison and elk

  232. Carrie M says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    While we never took lavish vacations growing up, we did have a 2 week family camping trip each year that we all looked forward to. The area was quite and beautiful. You could tan on the beach or spend your day fishing. There was great hiking trails and the sky was always full of stars at night. Tranquil and relaxing is the best way to describe it.

  233. Miranda Allen says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    when I was young going to the beach with my grand parents as a child

  234. Tracy says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    Our family trip to San Diego, esp. the zoo was amazing. Memories we will keep forever.

  235. Amy Renee' says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation was when my family and I drove from Western New York to Texas to visit more family. It was the longest road trip that we ever did. The first stop was Cedar Point, OH. That is where I experienced the most amazing feeling of pure exhiliration. I went on every single giant rollercoaster that they had. It was a mix of both fear and pure joy. Going up and down those giant hills I felt like I was flying. We continued our drive down to Texas and to keep ourselves busy we tried to see if we could write down license plates from every state. I know it probably sounds really boring, but, we did actually see a plate from Hawaii! When we were in Texas we visited a number of the big cities, Houston, Austin, Corpus Christie, Dallas, as well as the Alamo. Since then I love going on roadtrips whether they are long or short. Especially if there is a chance to get on a giant rollercoaster! Whooo Whooo!!!

  236. Joanna Smith says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    When I think of summer and my favorite childhood travel experience the first thing that comes to mind is my parents packing the car and the family up each summer and we all headed to Cape Cod. We spent 8 consecutive summers in Welfleet, MA swimming in the ocean and building sand castles on the beach. I miss those carefree summer days where time just stood still and it was as if everything in the world was perfect. I am trying to carry on that family tradition now with my own family and we are heading to Welfleet this summer in August! I hope we can capture that same summertime feeling!

  237. Christine E. says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    As a kid, we used to travel to the Jersey shore with our cousins. We stayed in a tiny bungalow but had so much fun. We went to the beach every day and played in the water, built sand castles, and spent our nights perfecting our miniature golf skills.

  238. Beth says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacation was hands down DISNEY WORLD!!

    I can remember it like it was yesterday! The first night we were there my parents sent my brother and I to the “day/night care” (so they could have a quiet dinner alone–which I now totally understand) BUT this was no ordinary day care…it was the NeverLand Daycare! We got sprinkled with pixy dust and had to walk through a window onto puffy “clouds” — it was GREAT! I met goofy at chicken nuggets shaped like Mickey and did not want to leave. I guess when my parents picked us up I said, “Mom we don’t have to do another thing, this was the BEST!” ….AND it was DAY CARE!!!

    Needless to say the rest of the trip was so magical, I can’t wait to take my children there!!

    Thank you for the chance to win!! :)

  239. Bes says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    Taking the kids to visit their grandma and grandpas. They lived on a large piece of land and there were lots of all kinds of fruits trees that they could pick and eat and run all over the place and have fun and just be kids! I know they had alot great memories there!

  240. Rachel Fox says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    I have so many great travel memories from when I was a kid. I suppose the most memorable was when my Grandmaw and Grandpaw took me to the SC zoo. Another great travel memory was when my parents took me and my brother to Jekyll Island, GA. We rode bikes around the entire island, 12 miles!!! I was 8 years old! I thought I’d die before we got back to our hotel!

  241. Ed Nemmers says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    Our family planned a reunion in Kauai, Hawaii; it was a perfect memory.

  242. Kobi Hendrix says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My parent’s couldn’t afford much but we’d hop in the car and drive the whole weekend stopping at any attractions we’d come across. We once stopped at this really weird place where everything was made of concrete. There were sculptures of concrete people and garden made of concrete. I remember having lots of fun there.

  243. Therese C says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite facation with my family would have to be when we traveled to Drummond Island & toured the Upper Peninsula in our home state of Michigan. It was so beautiful & pure without all the tourist-trappings & crazy diversions. We stayed right on the Island with only a ferry to get us back & forth. The island had only one restraunt & general store & with it’s beauty & rocky beaches it was a perfect vacation. The best part is if you ask any of us four seperately, we will give you the same answer. We LOVED our “UP” vacation the best!!!

  244. Miss M says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    Camping! I loved, loved, loved camping. We went to something called a trail riding camp, where you took your horses. We stayed in the woods where the camp was on the site of a cold river running through the Missouri Ozarks. It was heaven.

  245. Colleen S says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    I loved getting my own copy of the map on our road trips. In stead of “are we there yet” it was “Where are we now?” we learned how to read maps, a bit about geography and even got to make some decisions on our next stop. It was a great way to get us engaged in the travel. I look forward to sharing this with my kids.

  246. Margaret V says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    I remember the last trip we took as a family, we drove down to florida and camped in a tent right on the beach. We spent almost the entire week right there cooking, hanging out, and playing on the sand. My favorite time was at night watching the moon’s reflection on the water.

  247. Gesi Lowe says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    I didn’t have too many summer vacations growing up because we had a large family and not much money. I remember one summer though that my older sister and her new husband decided to gather all of us younger kids up and give us a taste of what camping is like. They took us up to Bear Lake which is on the border of Utah and Wyoming (if I remember right). To get there we drove by Flaming Gorge and I remember being in awe at the beauty of it all. I was pretty much in awe during the whole trip because so much of it was new to me: the fresh fish, sleeping on hard ground, roasted marshmallows, bugs (uhhggg), and fresh dew in the mornings on the grass. Very serene. It makes me want to plan a similar trip for this summer. Thank you Traveling Mamas for helping me remember why it’s so important to take a vacation…even if it’s something as simple as a camping trip. :)

  248. Sand says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    When I was six my parents flew us out to California and they took me to the La Brea Tar Pits because I was crazy about dinosaurs at the time. It is by far the most memorable and meaningful trip I’ve ever taken.

  249. Carissa D. says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    I loved when my family went to Kings Island. My brother and I liked going there more than the beach, which made my parents happy because it was cheaper. I have very fond memories of us riding the kiddie rides when my brother and I were very young. It’s still my favorite amusement park.

  250. Lisa G. says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    We didn’t have our first family vacation until I was 15 years old. We went to Destin, FL and it was my first time looking at the ocean. I’ll never forget the feeling that this country girl had seening the vast, endless beauty of the ocean.

  251. Steve says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    Probably the puka shell hunting days! It was really alot of hard work, kinda like trying to find gold nuggets. Can see why stuff like that can cost alot of money, esp just the part of collecting the stuff, it’s not like buying beads and stuff at a craft store. But it was alot of fun and the whole family had a part in it so it was teamwork and of course the end product of your own handmade necklaces and stuff was a great! One of those things from a bygone era that they don’t have anymore, sadly!

  252. Steve Scott says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My dad was stationed in Guam. We got to spend a summer with him. I was in heaven playing on the beach, since I had spent all of my earlier years in the Idaho mountains.

  253. Chrysa says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacation was driving to California to visit my aunt. It was the early 70s and they lived in a “hippie” community. I ran around barefoot, swam in the river, baked bread, and got my very own set of bongo drums!

  254. Tracey M. says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacation was when my Dad would take me and my sister to Niagara Falls. He took us every year for 3 years in a row. It was so fun for us because we got to go on a boat called “The Maid of the Mist” It was called this because it went right up to the falls. They make you wear a raincoat so you don’t get soaked!

  255. reeva says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    My favorite one day vacations were fishing trips with my grandpa. All the grandkids would go in his mustang!

  256. Kyle Banderman says:
    July 7, 2008 at

    I don’t remember, but I was told that I was potty trained on a trip to Las Vegas! Thanks for the contest!

    indyfree07@hotmail.com

  257. christopher h says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    we went to disneyland when i was three, that’s the perfect age

  258. Melanie Miller says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation was when I took my kids to Lancaster, Pa. We stayed at a Mennonite farm and we played games and just talked, via the absence of tvs, etc

  259. Sharon Fairclough says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Growing up our annual family outing was a trip to South Carolina for a family reunion during the 3rd week in October (I still attend today 38 yr later) I can remember sitting in the back of the station wagon so excited. The highlight of the trip was picking pecan from a huge tree in my aunt yard. Thanks for the contest

  260. Melanie Coleman says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    I always loved trips out to the beach and lakes as a kid, and I still make it a regular thing to do. Just can’t worry about the gas sometimes.

  261. JESSICA G says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    When I was nine I flew out to Oregon & then went back (to Wisconsin) on a road trip with my grandparents in their Winnebago. Great memories!

  262. Belinda says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    The first vacation that I ever went on was a road trip to Atlanta. My great aunt and uncle had fun dogs to play with and they took us to Six Flags. It was my first experience with mountains and with theme park rides.

  263. Beth Carpenter says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood trip was a three week trip around various parts of the US and Mexico. Our family traveled with two other families, riding in a couple of station wagons. The adults rode in one with the kids (ages 8 to 17) rode in the other. We used CB radios to commnunicate (remember them!!).

    What made that trip especially memorable was being able to share the experience with my friends. It was amazing!

  264. Lynn H says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    I would have to say my most favorite family vacation as a child with my family and as a an adult with my son was WALT DISNEY WORLD! The happiest place on earth!

  265. Viv says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    I really enjoyed going to Ocean City as a child. We would go to a friend’s rental apartment on the beach for a week and enjoy the surf, sand and sun.

  266. Veronica Garrett says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My most memorable vacation was the first time we carried our daughter to Disney World. It was wonderful to see the look of magical woner in her eyes. It was a happy family vacation.

  267. Liz S. says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    I remember taking the train from Hong Kong, where I grew up, to Shanghai to visit relatives. It was a long trip filled with wonderful sights…and a real bonding experience for my three sisters and me.

  268. Tina Rath says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    The only family vacation my parents took us on was a road trip to Washington DC when I was 13. We spent 4 days doing all of the sightseeing we could cram into a day and then shared a motel room at night. I have often wished I had thanked my parents more often for their sacrifice to make this trip memorable for my brothers and I.

  269. shelly says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    one of my favorite trips was with my aunt and cousin going to the UP of michigan. We did all kinds of things from canoeing to fishing and hiking. what a blast!

  270. Sarah Z says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    To keep the kids busy… my uncle would pay us $1 for each different state we could find on a license plate while we were driving to our final destination. We made money and the adults had quiet!!

  271. Sylvia Porter says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    i remember when we went to my aunt’s farm in upstate NY, that was always a lot of fun, we got to feed the animals and ride the horses.

  272. Sandy M says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Our most memorable times vacationing were camping trips. The kids always loved every minute of it!

  273. Angela Palmer says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    We didn’t have much money in those days, but every summer we would drive up to the Smokey Mountains, staying in little Mom and Pop motels, eating pb&j out of a cooler. We met people, mined for gems, hiked and saw all the wonderful crafts made up there. I miss it.

  274. Deborah R says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Growing up, we always took a vacation “down the shore,” which means at the beach; for our family, it was Wildwood, NJ.

    I’ve taken my son many places, but we’ve never neglected taking our trips down the shore.

  275. Bonnie G. says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    my best friend from high school’s family and mine vacation every wummer together. Several years ago we decided to go to mexico to an allinclusive. the price was so great because the some of the kids were free(under 13). Everyone had a blast. The kids did not want to come home.

  276. Kasey Kollman says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Traveling from chicago to delafield, wi to visit my Grandparts, the Goodwins. (RIP) and drinking apple beer and eating candy dots off paper—I think we ate as much paper as dots.

  277. Jill Myrick says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation when I was younger was our trip to the Outer Banks of NC.
    It was the first time that I had ever seen the beach. And I loved sitting on the sand dunes early in the morning watching the tide come in. It was so serene and beautiful to watch the sunrise.
    Thank you for offering this wonderful giveaway.
    I would LOVE to win !!

  278. Debra Faulk says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Our family went on a camping trip every summer. Some of our best memories are these family trips.

  279. Renee Turner says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    We used to take my daughter to the Pocono Mountains in PA every year when she was little. When you grow up in the big city, the mountains are a really nice place to getaway

  280. Michelle Glenetski says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacation was when my family drove out west when I was about 7 (we live in Wisconsin). My parents were separated soon after this vacation, but it was wonderful because I remember being with the entire family. We hopped in our Dodge Charger with the sticky vinyl seats and headed off. We stopped everywhere we could; Mt. Rushmore, The Cosmos, the Black Hills, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Salt Lake City….I loved the old west and I loved being with my family. I have so many memories from that trip that are unforgettable, and they have re-surfaced as I have made the trip later as an adult.

  281. amira says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    During the summer right after the 4th grade, my whole family went on a long vacation to France and Egypt. My dad worked in Egypt and we always relished in his stories of sand dunes and pyramids, camels and the sea. Well it is very difficult to keep a child quiet on a 10 hour plane trip. Needless to say, we were out of our chairs and all over the other passengers. We were very quickly confined to our chairs by my mom.

    While in Egypt, I can still remember the days at the sea and the hot mornings spent climbing the pyramids. I hope to take my kids to a far off land for them to make beautiful memories.

  282. kathleen says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    I was able to travel to Alaska with my kids. It was a place I longed to see for ten years and we finally went. I have only my memories because the camera malfunctioned and all the pictures were lost. But, what memories we made.

  283. KristelH says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    We didn’t travel much when I was a child, but we did go to Branson, Mo one year. We watched live shows and even got to meet some of the performers!

  284. Kayce C. says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    As a kid, I loved staying on my cousin’s farm during the summer. I got to feed the pigs and cows, pick corn and tomatoes from the garden, and play lots of softball.

  285. Elizabeth M. says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    We used to take 3 weeks every single summer and go on a family vacation by car. We would visit many, many natural parks and I’ve visited every single state in the continental US that way. I’ve been so fortunate to see the wondrous beauty of this country and I’ve never forgotten those places of beauty.

  286. Kelli G says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My family always loved to go to the beach while on vacation, so we would go to a nearby beach about once a year. My mother hated the sun though, and would always be fully dressed– with a hat and long pants. I would always look in the sand for little holes, then dig to find these tiny clams. I would keep them in sand and water in a water bottle, not realizing they would eventually die!

  287. melanie coleman says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    I was born in Seattle, then grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. But.. every year when I was younger, my mom would fly me to Spokane for a month, to visit my Grandma. I always flew alone, but had one of the members of the flight crew lead me in the right direction.. or rather, escort me. Pretty exciting!

  288. Sylvia Belle says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Niagra Falls was a wonderful experience when I was young and I enjoyed it with my children and will enjoy it with my grandchildren

  289. Allyson says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    One summer my aunt and uncle took my cousin and me on a roadtrip to Yellowstone National Park. We stopped at Crazy Horse, Devil’s Tower, Mount Rushmore, and the Grand Tetons. It was a spectacular trip!

  290. Jeanine Price says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My husband and I took our boys to a hotel in Niagra Falls. They had the best pool and we had a great time!

  291. Trisha Dowling says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    being raised by my grandparents with many children to support, i dont have many memorable summers. but i make my kids, fun fun fun. they get to go to summer camp, we go on daily trips and sometimes to the beach. we plan on going to disney in the fall for the first time! and fishing tomorrow!!

  292. kathy pease says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    this is no lie i hated going anywhere because i always got car sick :(

  293. Vicki Dahlstrom says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My parents were farmers, who never took a vacation. Every summer, I would spend a week or two at my aunt and uncle’s cabin, swimming, fishing, driving their speedboat, etc. These memories are precious to me. Because of these trips, I’m still very close to my aunt(my uncle has passed) and my cousins.

  294. Tammy says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    One of our favorite family trips was went we took a little jaunt to Omaha (which is only 3 hours away from us), to take our daughter to see Veggie Tales Live when she was 5. She loved it! We also went to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo, which is amazing, even in the cold days of March!

  295. Janet says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite vacation has always been the camping trips. We would go camping and fishing and swimming down around ok.:)

  296. Connie says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite trip when I was a child was one to Rockport, TX. My older sis had sewn us all the cutest swimsuit cover ups and we felt like movie stars! =)

  297. Lisa Mooney says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite family trip was just this past summer. We went to Myrtle Beach, one of the top fun places in the southeast where we have been many times before. This time was especially memorable though for we went to an attraction called Preservation Station in which my daughter was able to hold a baby monkey and baby tiger. It was so awesome and the look on her 13 year old face was one of awe. All their proceeds go to the preservation of wildlife which made it even better.

  298. Suzann says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Going camping with my family at Pymatuning State Park, PA. Now that I am married with kids, we go there every other year for vacation. We stay in a cabin, but when I was younger we stayed in a trailer.

  299. Bev says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    It was always fun going to visit my grandparents, when I was a child. They were retired and lived in the city, where there were lots of corner stores and shops with all kinds of goodies displayed in the windows. My folks lived on a farm, way out in the country on a dirt road, so walking to the corner store for a popsicle or going window shopping was fun for us, when we were little. That was long ago, lol.

  300. tanya says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My trip to Yellowstone as a child was awesome. We had elk walking through our campground!

  301. Victoria P says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Disney World! It may be cliche, but I have the best childhood memories of vacationing there. My dad was disabled, and it was one of the only places where that didn’t matter in the slightest bit. We always felt welcome, and we always had fun. I couldn’t have asked for more.

  302. Alecia Gibson says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    When I was 14, me, my Mom and Brother, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt and Uncle, and 5 of my cousins drove from Boone, IA to Eugene, OR. We took a large van and a truck that didn’t have air conditioning. It was 113 degrees outside when we drove through the desert in Idaho. We camped out every night. In Oregon, the van broke down so my Grandparents traded it in for a camper. While in Oregon, we went to a family reunion and me or my cousins didn’t know anyone there but it was still fun. We went whitewater rafting, saw the redwood trees, and went wading in the Pacific Ocean. Now that everyone is grown up, we don’t see each other that often. 3 of my cousins are in the Army and are stationed in Iraq and the other 2 cousins I haven’t talked to in years. I’ll always remember that summer though.

  303. Suanne Giddings says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite chilhood travel experience was when our family went to Monterrey, Mexico. We hired a guide and he took us to all of the neatest places!!! We ate in the same restaurant as the soon to be governor, saw Horsetail Falls, and did all kinds of other sight seeing and SHOPPING! My poor Dad got Montezuma’s Revenge. Gads he was sick! We stopped for a few days at Padre Island and I got to try to surf.
    Thank you for the chance to win!

  304. Charlene Kuser says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite vaction was going to my uncles
    place at the river.We had so much fun jumping
    off the pier,cooking out and fireworks.My
    aunt made the best homemade sweet and sour pickles.We had homemade ice-cream too. We would play croquet and horseshoes.
    My aunt was a comedian which would keep us
    laughing the whole time.Lots of fun!

  305. alice tracy says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Beach vacations ~ we always went as children, and now I go with my own. Boy, the Boardwak sure has changed! Seems a lot smaller now!

  306. Christine says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacation was our annual trip to Yosemite. My entire extended family went so we had tons of cousins to play with. My grandparents came and would make breakfast every morning. We spent the days hiking, riding bikes, and digging in the dirt. It was so much fun. It’s the one place I really want to take my own kids to because it was such a special place to me as a kid.

  307. Donna Kozar says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    Our travel to Disney World was great.

  308. Janice says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    My best childhood memory was camping with my family. It was our first time camping, so we were clueless on what to do. Ill always remember that wonderful trip!

  309. Lily Kwan says:
    July 8, 2008 at

    I remember fondly going to the Bay Area and Yosemite National Park with my family when I was a teenager.

  310. alison says:
    July 9, 2008 at

    A few years back I was planning on taking my son to Washington DC and other historical east coast sites. My mom showed interest in going, so we invited her to come along. I never imaginged we would have so much fun! 3 generations – and one of the best vacations ever!

  311. Ashley Blauch says:
    July 9, 2008 at

    My favorite childhood vacation was when my older brother, mom, dad, and I drove from Pennsylvania all the way to Montana, back when you could still afford to do so. It was so fun to climb around the Badlands with my brother and experience the greatness of Mount Rushmore for the first time. However, the best part was spending some father-daughter time on a horseback ride through Yellowstone National Park.

  312. Carolyn Nedrow says:
    July 19, 2008 at

    My favorite memory of my childhood vacation would be the summer that we traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC. There was a hurricane that came up along the coast which caused most people to go home. We decided to stay which left us with a near deserted beach and a very interesting week. I loved the walks along the beach!!!

  313. Terri D says:
    July 19, 2008 at

    Thanks. Count me in!

  314. Lynn A says:
    July 30, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacations were the road trips to the lake. For 3 summers in a row, when I was 9, 10 and 11, we would rent a little cabin on Lake Payette, in Idaho. We would stay for 3 weeks, swimming every day, picking huckleberries and sailing to secret coves.

  315. Connie says:
    July 31, 2008 at

    When I was five my family took a trip to the Texas coast. I had never been before, that I could remember at least, and I instantly fell in love! Today I can’t even imagine feeling like I am on vacation unless I’m at the beach. My dream vacation is to visit the Maldives.

  316. Barb Wild says:
    July 31, 2008 at

    my favorite was going to cape cod. I would say going out west with my dad and mother for the summer on camping road trips but i hated being locked up with my brother all summer! Onset ma was the best!

  317. Sarah says:
    August 4, 2008 at

    My favorite family vacation hasn’t happened yet. Next month we are taking the wee one to Disney with all of my family. I’m sure that with this being the babys first trip to disney it will def be a fav.

  318. Naomi says:
    May 1, 2009 at

    When I graduated from college in Washington State, my parents and grandparents all came and we rented a van and drove up to Vancouver for a long weekend. My parents had been divorced since I was 10 and my stepfather was in there with all of us, too. It was surprisingly a lot of fun…

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