Friday Five - VACATION

1) What did your family do for vacations when you were a child? Or did you have stay-cations at home?
Our family vacations were almost always to Estes Park, CO. Camping in the summer, sometimes a cabin in the fall or over Easter. One year, we even had a stop in Kansas City, MO on the way to Colorado. (I grew up in southeastern NE - for the geographically challenged, KC is not on the way - however, Barry Manilow was playing a show there the night we were to leave 2 out of 4 enjoyed the show - Dad and sis sat way in the back on the lawn at the Starlight Theater). There was one year that we spent sometime around Colorado Springs too. The longest vacation ever had to be the year mom signed up for a workshop in Jackson Hole, WY. We drove, in the little car. On the way, we spent a few days in Estes, then on to Jackson where Dad would take Katie and I to all the cool things around the area while mom was at class and then in the evenings, we'd go back and do the really cool stuff again with mom. They had planned to stop in the Black Hills on the way home, but I remember quite a bit of protesting from the backseat - we were tired of being in the car and just wanted to be home. If I knew then what I knew now, I would have been game to go - the Black Hills are gorgeous!

2) Tell us about your favorite vacation ever:
There are several. The year my friend Megan and I came to Colorado for a couple of days of whitewater rafting (that would be the trip that got me thinking about guiding someday). The trip to San Francisco last fall - even if half of it was actually work. And the epic car trip through Estes Park on the way to Jackson Hole, WY. Backpacking with Bonnie last year, even if it was only two days, it was a good one. Oh, and of course, the year that I took Braden & Sam and their sister camping in Colorado...for a week. The boys were 4 & 7, and I think they loved every minute of the Gameboy free week...except maybe when I made them take a shower to send them home clean to their folks. They were just talking to me about that trip earlier this week.

3) What do you do for a one-day or afternoon getaway...is there a place nearby that you escape to on a Saturday afternoon/other day off:
Estes Park and neighboring Rocky Mountain National Park. Growing up I always wanted to live close enough to make having an annual pass worth the money. I find myself there often - it's a place that feels like home (especially Sept-May when it's not full of tourists). When it's too hot in the city, sometimes I load the furkid into the car and head "up the hill" for the afternoon. Or when my heart is aching for whatever reason, it's always been a place that I could go and get away from the troubles of the day and find some peace. Nothing seems to clear my mind like a drive in the mountains, grabbing a sandwich and heading into the park for a drive around - and usually a stop at the old fashioned candy store on the way home. :)

4) What's your best recommendation for a full-on vacation near you...what would you suggest to someone coming to your area? (Near - may be defined any way you wish!)
There are so many options. A week camping and in RMNP. Making a big loop from Denver down to Colorado Springs (Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, the cliff dwellings, etc.) on to Canon City to see the Royal Gorge, then on up the highway to Salida and Buena Vista for some rafting. A winter trip to any of the ski resorts (Keystone & Vail are my favorites) - even if you don't ski, there's plenty to do!

5) What's your DREAM VACATION?
I have a list...Hawaii, St. Lucia, San Francisco (again), Alaska, South America, Prauge...I can't pick just one.

Bonus: Any particularly awful (edited to add: or hilarious) vacation stories that you just have to tell? ("We'll laugh about this later..." maybe that time is now!)
There's a story, but I'm not laughing about it yet...