Memorable Vacation

Daily writing prompt

Describe your most memorable vacation.

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, ha ha ha. No seriously, I was four years old, and we had a great time. We, me and my family, lived in Michigan at the time, and we took a two week vacation to Oregon to see my aunt and uncle. It was in the early ’70’s during more simple times. Well, in my four year old mind things weren’t that complicated. I was just focused on playing and having fun. Our two week excursion started out by train in Flint, Michigan and ended in Portland, Oregon. My mom packed snacks for my sisters and me in a suitcase, and all meals were eaten in the dining car.

At that age I sucked my thumb, and I remember one of the waiters enjoyed teasing me by saying he was going to put hot sauce on it. Aside from that, I remember the tables had white table cloths with fine silverware and white cloth napkins. The waiters wore tuxedos with a white linen cloth hung over one arm.

Then there was the observation deck on top, where my older sister and I liked to sit and watch the scenery as it passed by. The mountains in Montana burned such a beautiful impression on my four year old mind to such an extent that I want to make that trip again. Except now I live in Oregon and would travel to Michigan to visit my dad. I take an airplane normally, but next time it’s going to be the train.

While we were in Oregon, I ended up being homesick for a few days. But my mom was an expert at keeping us occupied so I didn’t think about home so much. One thing we did was pile into my uncle’s jeep and take a road trip down the Oregon coast south into Northern California. Along the way we stopped at the Paul Bunyan park (That’s not the official name, but there was a large statue of Paul Bunyan and the bull out front). While there, we walked along the trail through the woods. Along the trail there was a large gate ever so often, and my cousin and I would race to open each one. It amazes me what remains exciting to a four year old.

After we left Paul Bunyan, we stopped for a while at a section of beach. That was my first time seeing the ocean in person. It had such an impression on me that, now, I LOVE going to the ocean. The waves, the sand, the vast expanse of it all, fills me up and gives me peace. It’s an amazing God created beauty and one place where I feel His presence when I am there.

This trip to Oregon when I was four will be cherished always. It was family time well spent and something to look back on in a positive way.