Favorite Young Man and I were out running errands Sunday afternoon. After our first stop, we got in the car and I locked the doors, as I always do.
But it reminded Favorite Young Man of our favorite vacation moment and he asked me, Did you see a bear?
When FYM was about 10 and The Hurricane was 3, Dr. X attended a conference at the Disneyland Hotel in California. We tagged along and had a great time. He conferenced during the day, and we rode the rides.
Then Dr. X had more business in a different part of the state, so we went along to see the giant sequoia trees. They were amazing! This one is the oldest. It's called The General Sherman. ( I hope the photo is here when you see this. It disappeared earlier, and it may do so again, just to drive me crazy. Everyone is out to get me.)
After our visit to the sequoias, we got in the car to return to the Disneyland Hotel for our last night in California. Suddenly Dr. X shouted, LOCK THE DOORS! IT'S A BEAR!
And there in the bushes by the road was a little tiny black bear, staring at the crazy tourists with amazement in his eyes.
The next Christmas I found a very funny sweatshirt for Dr. X. It pictured cartoon bears approaching a man and woman in a car. The man says, They have coat hangers, Martha!
So that's why FYM and I laughed about locking the car doors to keep the bears out. We agreed it was our favorite vacation moment.
How about you? Do you have a favorite vacation memory?
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
Hahaha! I love the shirt and that you got it for him! I've been to the sequoias and it was amazing. It's hard to pick a favorite vacation memory. When I was a kid, we used to go on trips with my Aunt, Uncle and 3 cousins. One time we were camping in Oregon and there were cute little ground squirrels everywhere. The boys set up a cardboard box, propped up by a stick with a string attached and put some 'bait' under the box. It was very Coyote and Roadrunner! They sat for hours trying to catch a squirrel and finally, after days, they did! But they ran to the box and realized they hadn't figured out what to do next but in their moment of thinking, the squirrel shot out from under the box and they all jumped as high as they could! They were wearing flip flops and were freaking out that the squirrel would bite their toes! They also screamed like little girls and we all laughed our heads off! Ahhh, great days :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad all those little boys still have their toes.
Deletethat's all very sweet :)
ReplyDeleteyeah, my fav vaca memory is in this island on the east. lots to drink and party. and new friends made. i miss that time.
I'm sure you'll have more good times, Jaya.
DeleteHaven't really gone on many vacations. The last one was 5 years ago for a family reunion in North Carolina. The whole trip was fantastic. My grandpa wa a little cranky because so many people were in his house and my nephew was teething. Since my husband had to do a comparison paper he compared my granpa to a teething baby. I laughed my head off! I gave you an award today miss Jane!
ReplyDeleteOld people and babies -- sadly there isn't much of a difference sometimes.
DeleteOh it was fun, back when we were a family.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I have a favorite vacation. I've been on so few of them in my life that anytime I can go on one it's pretty much my favorite moment...even if I'm having a miserable time. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of great vacation memories, but I'd like to share this one about my son, Blake. It's from a yet to be published post:
ReplyDeleteBlake was about 8 when we borrowed a station wagon & took our 3 & Bud’s sister’s 3 kids to Las Vegas, Bryce Canyon & the Grand Canyon. That meant there were 8 of us at every meal. It almost always took 2 people to bring us our order. One night a waitress brought our entire order on ONE tray. We applauded! A couple of days later, Blake was reminiscing. He asked, “Do you remember when we gave that waitress the clap?” (I have absolutely NO idea where he’d heard that term.)
Ohhhhhh. I hope nobody overheard. That's so funny.
DeleteLots of good vacation memories, but at the moment, I'm smiling over yours. Let's see. One year, after driving to Panama City, our exhausted family stopped at a cheesy-looking Chinese restaurant to "enjoy" their buffet. The food was less than stellar, but we were hungry, and all through dinner, we all made gross jokes about the food. When our daughter opened her fortune cookie, she wanted to know what her fortune meant. It said, "Someday, you will move the world." Without missing a beat, one of our sons said, "It means you're gonna be fat!" Not sure why that particular memory popped up. Maybe because we all laughed so hard.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wonderful when a family laughs together?
DeleteDr. X was right. There was a momma bear nearby watching YOU watching her cub. But 'locking' the doors has to be one of the best over-statements I've ever heard. I glad you weren't screaming at the time so you could hear him.
ReplyDeleteI knew he was being silly, lotta joy. The look of terror on his face was priceless. But I knew better than to jump out of the car and try to take a closer look at our little bear.
DeleteSo many memories, too little space Miss Janie.
ReplyDeleteYes, Boomer, years of good and bad and in between.
Deletemy favourite vaccination is a close tie between safari in my native Zambia and a salsa holiday I had in Cuba...both were awesome
ReplyDeleteGosh, G. I bet you never get sick after Zambian and Cuban vaccinations. tee hee
DeleteI have had many wonderful moments on vacations with Judy and the grand-kids. Times from when they could hardly walk to now that they are great teenagers. But there was one special moment for me that no one else appreciated.
ReplyDeleteWe were vacationing in Massanutten, VA, and was on a road trip to D.C. I am a huge Civil War enthusiast and have been to many battlefields. Well, riding through VA you pass through many CW sites. But while daydreaming or talking to the kiddies, I missed a turn. So I pulled over to the side of the road to check out the GPS and see how to get back on track.
I just happen to look out the driver’s side window and saw a sign that said that a few yards away was the sight Stonewall Jackson was wounded. That was not a battlefield; it was on the edge of one and at night. So no fighting was going on. He and his aides were returning from scouting the next morning’s battle field, and a sentry from GA thought their group was a Yankee Calvary trying to sneak by.
No big signs or tourist traps. Just a clearing in the woods.
But it was hallow ground to me.
I love visiting Civil War battlefields, too, Coffey, and have been to a number of them. I think the most interesting and memorable was Sharpsburg, walking Bloody Lane.
DeleteDEar Janie, . . . thanks for asking! My favorite vacation moment happened in Dodona, Greece, at the site of a oak tree that was sacred to Mother Earth. I stood beneath its sheltering limbs and asked a question of the Universe. All had been quiet for many minutes. Then suddenly, as the question left my lips, a breeze wafted through the leaves and the rustled. It was the sound of holiness. I'm sure.
ReplyDeletePeace.
That's so beautiful, Dee.
DeleteYou didn't publish my comment...didn't like it?
ReplyDeleteHave patience, Coffey dear. I just received your comment.
Delete