Thursday, November 11, 2010

Day 23 of 30 Day Blog Challenge

Favorite Vacation

Growing up I took a lot of family vacations. We were always driving cross country to go see whatever we could. We went everywhere it seems like. I always remember all the different places and sights that we saw. My favorite place that we went either South Dakota or North Carolina.

I remember going to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. 

I remember going to Devils Tower in Wyoming.

I remember going to Mount Rushmore.

I remember going to see Crazy Horse monument even before the face was started.
I even remember going to pet the prairie dogs, standing up, and kicking one because it scratched me. 

We went panning for gold, and we even got to go down in the mine and see where they used to pull rock from underground. My mom and dad got to go WAY down in the mine. It was over a mile down underground and it was really humid I remember them saying.

When we went to Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina I remember all the great memories of the Highland Games. I loved that place. It was so different from anything we have here. There were men wearing kilts, Scottish dancing, bagpipes, AWESOME food, and lots of highland games. There was sheep herding by the sheep dogs, there was log throwing, there was marbles, there was dance competitions, the was even wrestling! I remember the music being what I loved best about it thought. There is something about the sound of 10-15 bagpipes all playing at once that just gives you goosebumps. Not to mention we met two of our favorite Celtic musicians while we went there. Alex Beaton and Clann an Drumma.
Clann an Dumma is amazing to see in person. The music just pulses through your body as the beat on the drums. You can't help but want to get up and dance with them. It's like one big party.

Fast forward 15 years.

Derek and I haven't been able to really take any family vacations together. We have either not had enough vacation time to take one or we haven't had the money to take one. The first "vacation" we ever took was really our honeymoon to Knoxville, TN to see Uncle Jimmy and Shana. Which happened to turn out being a disaster. I had the flu all weekend and only got to get out of bed once. We didn't get to go to the Kentucky vs Tennessee basketball game because I was so sick and we really didn't get to do anything outside of the me laying in bed. The day we drove back to Jackson was the only day I could get out of bed without feeling like I was going to throw up all over my shoes. 

The first place all three of us ever went was Chicago to go see Derek's mom and step dad. That was probably our first real family (including Stratton) vacation. We got to go to the Milwaukee zoo and we got to go shopping. It was fun but way too short. 

My goal for next summer is that all three of us do a family vacation somewhere nice and somewhere we can all three enjoy it.  Maybe somewhere like South Dakota. ;)