My own vacation memory.

Good Morning, PUAC Pups!

So…. it’s June 2012. Dad’s, grad’s and Vacation Time!

Maybe I should have said Family Vacation Time, because the main reason one would want to take a vacation in the summer – when the Gas Prices are so High! and, okay, no politics – ha, saying it is sometimes unavoidable — is that that’s when the kiddies are out of school. That, and maybe people living in The Northern Latitudes of the US where it like Snows want to visit a more warm temperate climate. Or, people who live in or near the deserts of Texas, or Southern California, or Arizona (but those poor folk have even more things to worry about), or New Mexico, may want to head to the cooler temps of the Beaches or High Mountains.

When I was a child (I thought like a child, etc.) my parents always took their three daughters on a several-week camping trip. Living in Southern California, we usually headed North. Back in those days, when we walked uphill both ways to school, my parents didn’t have to make reservations like we do now. Mom was the map girl, and told Pop where the next couple of places were, and of course where the next Mission was.

We followed the trail of missions north, visiting those that were established by Father Junipero Serra along the Camino del Real (The King’s Highway). Yeah, if he don’t do it, somebody else will, so that’s a whole ‘nother conversation, or Thread. Oh, and yeah, that’s Dr. John, for your foot tappin’ pleasure at this wee hour of the day.

Southern California History was always a big part of those trips. Even when we got to the camp site, set up, checked out where the potties were, we’d go the the bulletin boards and read about when there’d be a campfire where the Ranger would give a lecture about the plants and animals. Then, we’d do campfire songs after the lecture or slide show. (We can talk about our memories of those songs if ya wanna in the thread. Oh, Boy.)

The thing is, I learned alot about the SoCal Natives’ lives by seeing those museums and relics. The handwoven baskets, the tools, and photographs.

I’ve been camping on vacation for a lot of years. One of my favorite places to camp is Yosemite National Park. The falls are stupendous. The meadows are awesome. The glacially carved valley sides make one breathless. The view coming through the Wawona Tunnel into the valley will stop your heart.

I got to go to Hawaii once, on vacation. I had a friend at Warner Bros. whose boss had a timeshare in Kona that he let us use for 10 days. Nice man. That was 28 years ago and I spent many beautiful days breathing moist sweetened air. I sat on a beach that was so wide I felt I could see the curvature of the earth at the horizon above the ocean. We traveled to Hilo where I stood on the black sand beach. It was unreal. Like a foreign landscape. New view. New attitudes.

I think vacations are fun and needed. Whether you go by your lonesome or with a friend, it’s always good to get away.

I’m gonna go on Reserve America and book me some camping spots, like, right now. Okay, maybe in a few.

Glad to see all your happy shining faces this morning, Pups.

Plan a getaway. Keep dreaming, and thinking and keep the faith. That’s Faith In Humanity, brothers and sisters.