VACATIONING & TRAVELS

On submitting my blog to Billy Mac to be Critiqued his advice to me was to blog some about our travels since Mickey & I had lived in our 30' 5th Wheel for 4 years and traveled across the U.S. and Canada. Since my reason for submitting my blog was for advice I decided I would heed what he told me and do some posts on our travels.

Rather than starting with our RV travels I decided to give you a brief run down of our vacationing prior to RVing.

Mickey and I are from very different backgrounds. I was raised by a much older father, and somewhat older mother, who were very conservative. We did absolutely no camping, a very few yearly picnics and a pretty much indoor, very orderly existence. I've stated that I never saw my father in anything but a business suit except once in my life.

So, begin my life of marriage with Mickey who loves the outdoors, camping, fishing, hunting-- you get the picture. Mickey decides we are going on our first outing (this was after our honeymoon which was to Las Vagas). Since I have no equipment whatsoever he goes to Sears and buys me: a fishing pool, lures, line, bait, etc. Even a new 2 person bedroll.

Now in New Mexico there are not a lot of lakes and most of the fishing is for trout in the Rio Grande. You don't sit on the side and cast your pole......oh no, you wade up and down the edge of the river casting your line

I, of course, being your inside girl, raised almost as an only child brought: my Bible, journal and pen, and several other books!! I REALLY did try fishing......I did, but it wasn't for me :o( So, I quite contentedly proceeded to lay on my pallet, read and do my thing. I was having a perfectly wonderful, enjoyable time, enjoying the fresh air and the out of doors and doing the things I most enjoyed doing; reading and journaling about the wonderful time I was having.

My new husband was very disappointed. He thought I was not happy. I was! He thought I was not enjoying my self-------but I was! Need I tell you......that was the end of our "camping and fishing trips".

Like most young couples without much money and raising a family most of our vacations consisted of trips back to visit my parents in New Mexico or his family in Tennessee.

In the late 60's and early 70's Mickey was working for the local Chevy dealership as a new car salesman. One of the perks of the job was a once a year state wide dealership meeting in Oklahoma City. This meant an overnight, expense paid mini vacation for us and a very rare night away and alone from our children. On the first such trip I was awaken by the phone ringing at 6 a.m.and our 5 year old son, David, saying "Hi mommie. Are you having a good time? I miss you." He had seen the emergency number we had left by the phone for my mother who was staying with the children.

HOW do you get mad or upset over THAT?!!!!

In 1974 Mickey won an ALL EXPENSE PAID trip to Acapulco, Mexico as a prize for being one of the lead New Car Chevy Salesman in Oklahoma. It was our first REAL vacation and we had a blast. Everything was paid for. We literally only bought a few soft drinks, while sight seeing, and the souvenirs we brought home. It was a wonderful time.

This is a picture of us from that trip on one of the local tours having fun with one of the local sightseeing crew. When we got back home I remember remarking to one of my friends, "It was like coming back to brute reality" when we got home!!!

Our next real vacation was in 1978 when we went to Hawaii and Maui for our 20th wedding anniversary.

Here we are just posing in front of one of the beautiful sights.

This is Mickey standing on the balcony of the hotel room at Maui.

Here I am boarding the Hawaiian Air plane to return home to Oklahoma after a wonderful 10 days.

Hope you enjoyed my little vacationing recap and some younger pictures of us.