Five Favorite Friday’s are back! YAY! Even though it’s only the end of March, the weather in the Ozarks has been warm and Spring is definitely in the air! All of this warm weather has me thinking about vacation, so today I thought I would share with you my Five Favorite Vacations!
- Ocean City, MD 2016: Last summer we spent a few hot July days at the beach with the boys. I have never in my entire life had more fun frolicking in the ocean than I did those days with my happy little family. I grew up going to the beach, playing in the sand and surf, getting too much sun, but this trip was literally the most fun!! EVER! We raced go carts and played mini golf after a quick summer storm left us drenched, but we refused to let a little liquid sunshine ruin our day! There was good food, lots of laughs, and not a NUDGE to be found!
- Rafting in the Youghiogheny: The summer of 2015, right after we got married and blended our family, we took our first summer vacation together. A little “white” water rafting down the Yough. Jaxon was too young to raft where the action was going to be, so we took our little family of four, our raft and paddles and set off with a group of other families down a slow and easy section of the river. It was hot. It took forever. Someone fell out of the raft when we hit a rock (and this person did not find it very funny at the time). Someone forgot how to paddle because they were too busy looking at “nature”. Someone lost their paddle. Someone got a little cranky. Okay…at some point we ALL got a little cranky. BUT, we all had a ton of fun. We laughed and sang and told silly jokes and took turns splashing each other.
- New Year’s Eve in NYC: We rang in 2016 in the Big Apple! What an adventure that turned out to be! It was so very cold, but like true tourists, we visited many of the sites, from Rockefeller Center to Battery Park to the infamous “Carrie Stoop” from Sex and the City! We ate a delicious meal at Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles (which was AMAZING)!
4. Walt Disney World: In the Spring of 2010, I took my sweet, five-year-old Jaxon to Disney! (My folks came along!) It was his birthday gift that year…and it was a few months after my divorce was final, so I wanted it to be special. I’m not going to pretend that I love the crowds or the walking or the waiting in line or the prices. BUT, what I did love, was the look on my son’s face when he got to meet all of his favorite characters, and ride fun rides like the Tower of Terror and Splash Mountain! I wouldn’t trade those precious memories for all the money in the world!
And last, but certainly not least…
5. The Beach (as a child): I have many many memories of beach trips growing up. Happy memories. The excitement of drive hours and hours and hours to get there and then hitting a certain spot where you could smell the ocean in the air. That smell still triggers fond memories. Growing up, we often camped when we went to the beach which often brought with it it’s own challenges and adventures. From getting pooped on by a seagull to spending hours in the surf and sand and everything in between, these are memories that I will cling to for always. I’m sure if I looked hard enough I could find some pictures and take you along in the wayback machine, but for now I’ll save those memories for myself.
Trying to come up with a list of just FIVE turned out to be harder than I expected. It has made me realize that my life has been one big blessed adventure…especially since I met Samuel. We are heading to Colorado next month so the adventure continues!
What are some of your favorite vacations? Share with me in the comments! I would love to hear about them!
Until Next Time: Peace, Love and Adventures
Mountain Wife
Betting on the Betlyons 