So, I kinda consider myself a little bit "traveled." I mean, I meet some people that have never been on an airplane, so I guess I'm more traveled then they are. Here's a fun website to make a map of your travels. Out of the country I have been to London, Edinburgh (Scotland), and Israel (Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, Galilee and every little town in between). I was going to make a map of that, but it looked awfully sad with the tiny little red dots on the big map of the world.
Here's what's in the works in the next couple of years. . .
Arizona--My Dad moved down to Tucson a couple of years ago and we need to visit (sometime when he actually IS in Arizona--he's doing tons of traveling with his new company)
North Carolina--we SO need to go there. My brother got remarried a few years ago and we've been trying to coordinate a family trip with everyone to rent out a beach house soon!!
New York--Ok, I'm crazy. My brother actually has access to an apartment not far from Times Square (he's up there probably 1 week a month for work), and I haven't gone yet!! We're also trying to coordinate a siblings/spouses trip for a long weekend!! Let's GO!!
Ok, here's where I've been. . . (I didn't count the "drive-thru" only states, and yes, I would like fries with that.)
Alabama--Point Clear, right on the coast. I went with my Dad when I was about 10 or so on a business trip. My little sister Julie and I got to go. I remember thinking how cool it was. We stayed at "The Grand Hotel" (If you look at that link, that pool was NOT there when we went--maybe I need to go again!), we played at the pool and the gulf, and one day we even went deep sea fishing. Dad got seasick so he slept, but we had a great time.
California--Anaheim, Santa Rosa, San Jose, San Fransisco, etc. The first time was for my sister Lisa's wedding at the Oakland Temple. Her husbands family is in Santa Rosa. We've been back several times since then. LOVE it there. After I graduated from dental hygiene school, Matt and I took 3 weeks off to play with my sister and her family. We did way too much "outlet" shopping and drove down to Disneyland too. Marine world, the aquarium, Six Flags, Paramounts Great America, all the sites in San Fran, the redwood forest, fun, fun, fun!! My sister Heidi moved to San Jose just last summer so now we have another great reason to visit! Matt and I secretly dream of moving there someday (after we win the lottery to afford a small 1 bedroom home). We also usually go to Lake Tahoe with Lisa and Scott (his family has a cabin/home there) every March to go skiing. It's a great house right on Donner Lake (yes, named after the famous "Donner party" cannibals), and the skiing/snowboarding/sledding is great.
Colorado--When I was young we had a time-share condo in Vail. We would usually go once in the summer and once or twice for skiing in the winter. Beautiful. I love Colorado. My favorite picture of my Mom and I is when we were at the condo in Vail.
I also remember (vividly) when we all went horse back riding as a family bonding time. Right. I cried and cried because my horse kept wanting to eat and I dropped the reins about a thousand times. My brother kept trotting right on ahead without us, and everyone kept going in different directions. Yep, lovely family bonding. For some better memories, when I was young, we were in the Denver Temple district, so we used to have night-time bus rides to Denver and stay at the temple most of the day, then do other activites before we headed home. One time, we even toured the Denver coin mint. I've been to Colorado for several other activites too, my dad scored great tickets for the Colorado/Nebraska FB game when I was at BYU, so me and three others drove out. It was great and Nebraska won (thank goodness--or else we would've feared for our lives--those fans are little drunken crazies!)
Florida--The first time was for a trip to Disneyworld when I was about 9/10?? All of my sisters and I went with my Dad when he went on another business trip. I remember playing at the beach and taking pictures. I think I tried to stand in the water as it rushed up on me and act all serious like I was a model or something. Oh my. I also went when I was a Senior in High School with my Dance Team to the National Competition. My mom came as one of the chaperones too. We had a fun time, I got to be in the 'opening number' for the show, cool, but, I missed seeing most of Sea World that day, so that kinda stunk. They had a night at Universal Studios for just the Dance Team groups, so we had the run of the place. I LOVED the back to the future ride and convinced my mom it wasn't so bad. Boy, was I wrong. She eventually forgave me. We've been back to Disneyworld for a few trips with my siblings and all the nieces and nephews. Those were some of the best trips ever. We want to go back soon!!
Georgia--Atlanta. I went to Atlanta shortly after graduating from Dental Hygiene school. In my senior year, a classmate and I presented a "table clinic" that won the competition so we were able to go to the National Dental Hygiene Meeting in Atlanta that year. It's a fun town and we were able to go on a few tours of the city. The Coca-cola factory was fun. They have a huge room at the end where you get to sample all of the sodas that they manufacture throughout the world, some great, some not. . so. .good.
Idaho--I went on a trip one summer with my Dad and younger sister. En route to Washington state, we stopped in Moscow, Idaho (not quite the same as Red Square), where my Dad's family settled when they came from Switzerland.
Illinois-Chicago--My first trip to Chicago was on another Youth Temple Trip. We also went to the Sears Tower. My good buddy Cimony also lives just outside of Chicago and Lisa (Oh Judy!) and I took a trip to her place to "celebrate" our 30th birthdays. We ate a lot of great food and even took in a show at The Second City Comedy Club. Hopefully we'll be back soon for a girls weekend. --Nauvoo--growing up in Nebraska, one of our youth conference trips for church was to Nauvoo. I remember seeing the Old Nauvoo Temple site with the corner stones. It's amazing to travel there now to see the rebuilt Nauvoo Temple. My mom and step-dad Joel are now temple worker-missionaries there. We traveled there for the open house of the temple before it was dedicated and made a road trip to visit last summer with my sister and her family from California. The kids had a great time and we had a wonderful experience at Carthage on the anniversary of the matryrdom of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. We also surprised my Mom by showing up for Christmas last year, and singing carols at her door.
Iowa--hello, it's right next door to us. Been there, done that.
Kansas--yep, right below our fabulous state. Several trips to Worlds of Fun (on the border of Kansas and Missouri), when I was a kid.
Maryland--Matt's mom grew up in Maryland, so soon after we were married we took a road trip to Maryland. It's beautiful and we had a fabulous time at the Baltimore Aquarium and visiting family. We took a trip back when Madison was about 18 months old. We went to Ocean City and Madison got to meet her Great-grandparents. Hopefully we will get back for a visit this summer or fall.
Minnesota--The summer before my senior year, I went with a young womens group (back when it was called Summiteers) on a canoe trip to the boundary waters. It was a week long canoe trip. We spent all day on the water and all night covering our sunburns and mosquito bites, oh, and ate some yummy food. It was a lot of hard work but a lot of fun too. That shower I took when we got back to the main camp after a week was the best one I ever had. Also, I was a demonstrator for Stampin' UP for a few years and went to a fun convention in Minneapolis. Matt and I also made a road trip to Minn. for the baptism and wedding for a friend of his. Of course we took in the Mall of America too!!
Missouri--Several trips to Kansas City when I was young--Worlds of Fun, and shopping too. Before we were blessed to have the Winter Quarters Temple, St. Louis was our temple district. Also, my brother graduated from Washington University so we had a fun time as a family when we were there for his graduation.
Nebraska--HOME!!
Nevada--a convention trip to Las Vegas and a trip for my brothers first wedding. Fun town, maybe a girls weekend is in order? Matt and I always take our roll of nickels to blow in the slots (it's "entertainment" right?)
Oregon--Matt and I took a trip to Portland in '98. Great town. That's a possibility of a place I could live. It was beautiful weather the whole time we were there.
Pennsylvania--My little sister (smarty pants) graduated from Swarthmore University. Most all of the siblings were there for the graduation. Madison was about 5 months old and did great on the trip. It was while we were packing up her room that her then-boyfriend, now hubby Sterling, introduced me to the addicting game of Snood.
South Dakota--I've just barely been into South Dakota. Before a canoe trip down the Niobrara River in Nebraska, we walked around and ate in a small town there. One of these summers I need to take my kiddos to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills area. It's crazy that we live this close and have never been!
Texas--my only trip to Texas was a great family trip for Thanksgiving to my Uncle Carls house in Plano. Almost all of my Dad's side was there.
Utah--MANY, MANY trips to Utah for the summer when I was a kid. Long, forever rides in the family truckster to Ogden and my Grandma Batemans house. She spoiled us, fed us full and we played cards like crazy. My Grandpa had a stroke when I was about 6 or so, but he had a little card holder and could beat us at hearts every time. I can still picture all of us around the table together. I was at the BYU for 2 years. Myself, Oh Judy and our friend Cim took over Heritage halls and terrorized our other roommates in great form. Then we headed over to the Richmond Apts. (really just a big, overpriced closet) for another year. Good times. I can still smell the wretched boiling pot of our roommate Shu. (I still need to write that blog)
Virginia--When we made our trip to Maryland (the first time), we took a road trip to Richmond to visit my sister Lisa and her hubby Scott while he was in Dental School at MCV. We played endless games of Gin Rummy and stayed up WAY too late.
Washington--My Dad grew up in Pullman. We made a few trips there while I was young. I remember being in my Grandma's house and eating my Dad's favorite dessert "baked Alaska". We also had a fun trip to my Uncle's cabin and lake. I remember my Aunt Lynn pulling us on the tube and purposely freaking out my uncle (on the wind surfer) by leading us right over the tip of it. I don't think I've ever seen a face quite like that. LOVE Aunt Lynn.
Wyoming--oh, the endless state of Wyoming. What other state could make 8 hours feel like 15? I will have to say that somewhere in there is a really old gas station that is actually called "Major Gas." Cim and I took pictures of it once when we were driving out to BYU. It was good for a few laughs as we drug ourselves across the state.
2 comments:
I can't believe you haven't been to the great state of Oklahoma...land of mosquitos as big as your head, mistletoe is the state "flower", and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame is there! Yeehaw!
This was a really great post, btw! Major Gas. Love it.
Wow, what cool links. I especially appreciate the map generator. I'm going to use that on my blog about lifestory writing. In fact, I'm going to link to this blog as an example of using links to illustrate stories.
Write on!
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