Vacations
Over the course of my earthly years, the phrase ‘vacation’ has come to mean many different things. When I was little, it meant leaving the house and staying in motels and playing on the motel playground and drinking ginger ale. A lot of times, these early vacations involved the automobile clubs that we were in. I frankly didn’t care if we were two cities over or across the galaxy as long as I had new toys and books to occupy me on the way there…and I got to swim.
Vacations came to mean something different as I reached my teen years. Lots of times these vacations had to do with going to summer camp and associating with friends…and girls. Other vacations were Laurel and Hardy conventions and I got the taste of meeting real-life celebrities and basking in the films that I loved so much.
They could mean going off with my friends and having wild nights of unbridled drinking. They could mean spending time at my all-time favorite places Disneyland or Walt Disney World. The could mean large gatherings of family or smaller excursions with just my parents.
In more recent years, they have become a way of life – an exploration of our country and its rich history and an introduction to other countries and different cultures. Many times this means a road trip, jumping from place to place and not resting my head on the same bed more than one night in a row. By all counts, this seems almost diametrically opposed to the very idea of vacation.
But by my definition, a vacation is any significant getaway from home with the intention of leisure or exploration. Most of the trips listed below are at least a week-long, but many are also mere two- or three-day jaunts. I don’t necessarily consider an overnighter at a friend or family member’s house a ‘vacation’ but when that overnighter is in Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York – suddenly the ante has been upped and I now consider myself on vacation.
Below is the list of every trip that I consider to be a true ‘vacation’ . The live links will take you to the posting(s) for each vacation that I have thus far completed chronicling.
Early 1970’s
1972
Curtis, Michigan / Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
1973
McLean, Virginia / Washington, DC – Louise and Carroll’s house
1974
Late 1970’s
1975
St. Pete Beach, Florida / Disney World
1976
Reading, PA – Hudson National Meet
1977
St. Pete Beach, Florida / Disney World
Indianapolis, IN – Hudson National Meet
1978
Youngstown, OH – Hudson National Meet
Charles City, West Virginia – Louise and Carroll’s house
1979
Myrtle Beach, SC
Dearborn, MI – Hudson National Meet
Early 1980’s
1980
Hollywood, CA – Sons of the Desert Convention
1981
Woodland Altars – Junior Lodge (Joe Sakaguchi)
Dearborn, Michigan – Classic Chevy Club Convention
Front Royal, Virginia – Louise and Carroll’s House
1982
Detroit, Michigan – Sons of the Desert Convention
New Orleans, Louisiana – Classic Chevy Club Convention
Woodland Altars – Junior Lodge (Jim Barnhart)
1983
Chicago, Illinois – Classic Chevy Club Convention
Woodland Altars – Junior Lodge (Dean Wenger)
1984
Glen Helen – 6th Grade trip
Florida / Disney World
Woodland Altars – Junior High Lodge (Dean Wenger)
Late 1980’s
1985
Clearwater, Florida / Orlando, Florida / Disney World
Woodland Altars – Eco-Adventures (Scott Sliver)
1986
Woodland Altars – Eco-Adventures (Brian Bohlander)
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania – Sons of the Desert Convention
1987
Woodland Altars – Youth Camp (Allen Mack)
Cleveland / Upper Sandusky / Bucyrus, OH
Key Largo, Florida (Arline and Carl’s)
1988
Los Angeles, CA / Disneyland / San Bernardino
St. Paul, Minnesota – Sons of the Desert Convention
Woodland Altars – Youth Camp (Kevin Dull)
1989
Myrtle Beach, SC
Disney World / Florida beach
Woodland Altars – Youth Camp (Mark Flory-Steury)
Early 1990’s
1990
Woodland Altars – Youth Camp (Kevin Dull)
Clearwater, Florida – Sons of the Desert Convention
1991
1992
Las Vegas, NV – Sons of the Desert Convention
Hollywood, CA – Disneyland / Catalina Island / San Bernardino
Disney World / Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida (first time at the condo)/ Disney World
1993
Ormond Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida / Disney World / Georgia
Myrtle Beach, SC
Disney World / Daytona Beach / Largo, FL
1994
Tareytown, NY – Sons of the Desert Convention
Late 1990’s
1995
Hollywood, CA / Hollywood Show / San Bernardino
1996
Minneapolis, MN / Block-Heads Anniversary
Cruise / Disney World / Miami / Cozumel / Key West
1997
Chesterton, IN / Wizard of Oz festival
California / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / Monterey / San Francisco
Disney World / Panama City / Seaside
1998
Hershey, PA / Washington D.C.
Tour of Ohio / Detroit
Disney World
1999
Honeymoon in Gatlinburg
Disney World
Early 2000’s
2000
Myrtle Beach, SC (Spring Break)
Seattle, WA – Sons of the Desert Convention
2001
2002
Daytona Beach – Universal Studios
Nashville, TN – Sons of the Desert Convention
2003
Memphis, TN
Columbus, OH – Sons of the Desert convention planning session
Honeymoon – Disney World & Fort Myers
2004
Columbus, OH – Sons of the Desert Convention
Tour of Ohio / Detroit / Indiana
Plains, GA / Disney World / Daytona Beach
Late 2000’s
2005
Hollywood, CA / Disneyland / Hollywood Show / Las Vegas
2006
Georgia Roadtrip / Sons of the Desert Convention
2007
Hollywood, CA / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / Las Vegas
Disney World / Plains / Daytona Beach
2008
Europe: Amsterdam, Germany, Lux, Belgium, France, Switz, Austria
California / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / Lone Pine – The “Dreams Come True” Tour
2009
New York / New Jersey Collectors Show
Road Trip: West Virginia, Delaware, NJ, Pennsylvania
California / Las Vegas / Disneyland / Hollywood Show
Myrtle Beach, SC / Raleigh, NC
Chicago Collectors Show (with Mom)
Early 2010’s
2010
Chicago Collectors Show (with Denise)
LA / Disneyland / London / Paris
California / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / Jimmy’s Wedding
Sons of the Desert convention – Sacramento (and road trip)
Disney World / Plains / Destin / St. Augustine
Sarasota / Atlanta / Disney World
Chicago Collectors Show (with Denise)
New York / New Jersey Collectors Show
2011
Miami / Key West and Cozumel Cruise / Hollywood Show / Disneyland
Disneyland / Las Vegas / Utah / Arizona / Grand Canyon / Hollywood Show
New York / New Jersey Collectors Show
Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL
Nashville / Memphis / Little Rock road trip
Hollywood Show and Knotts Scary Farm
2012
Winter Hollywood Show / Disneyland
Disney World / Hollywood Show / Disneyland
Spring New Jersey Chiller collectors show
New England Road Trip / Sons of the Desert Convention
Summer Los Angeles Weekend and Hollywood Show / Disneyland
Knoxville, TN / Parsippanny, NJ Celebrity Shows
Indianapolis, IN / Chicago, IL Celebrity Shows
2013
Winter Hollywood Show weekend / Disneyland
Daytona Beach / Universal Studios
Spring Hollywood Show weekend / Disneyland
Spring Chiller Theatre New Jersey
New York City / New York road trip
Walt Disney World / Siesta Key / Plains, Georgia
Los Angeles / Disneyland / Fall Hollywood Show
2014
Philadelphia, Chiller, New York City
Hollywood Sons of the Desert Convention / Disneyland
Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa
Late 2010’s
2015
Nashville Wizard World with Dean
California / Hollywood Show / Disneyland / Film Locations
2016
California / Hollywood Show / Theme Parks
L.A. Hollywood Show / England / Convention / Paris / Spain
Chicago Hollywood Show / Indy with Dean
Fall Chiller Theatre / Dorney Park
Wrestlecade North Carolina / Fort Bragg
2017
California TV Locations / Hollywood Show / Disneyland
Cruise: Key West / Cozumel
Chicago Hollywood Show
Spring Chiller Theatre
Spring Hollywood Show / Disneyland
Knoxville Fanboy
Summer Hollywood Show / Disneyland
Missouri & Kansas Road Trip
Myrtle Beach
Disney World
Knoxville Totally Awesome Weekend
Fall Hollywood Show
Fall Chiller Theatre
WrestleCade North Carolina
2018
Winter Hollywood Show