At this stage in my life, spending time with my children and grandchildren takes far more precedence than most anything else I can think of. Especially in this day and age when a quick text message suffices over a phone call and even a physical visit. Everyone is busy, and if not for pictures snapped on smart phones and sent sailing onto MY smart phone via cell towers (which is a really simplistic way to explain it but you get the idea), I might not see much of my children and grandchildren at all.
I actually blame those cell towers for that. My life was much simpler without those darned cell phones everyone is so obsessed with–and I suspect yours was, too.
Thus, in my quest to spend more time with my family, we have turned toward taking nice family vacations together. The whole bunch. All twenty of us. Every year. It’s my husband’s and my treat, and it’s great incentive to get 100% attendance. These family vacations have been some of my most special memories ever.
Okoboji
One of the earliest vacations we took with the kids was Okoboji. Located in northwest Iowa’s Great Lakes region and only three hours away from us, Okoboji has long been a family friendly favorite around here. Lake Okoboji is a big, beautiful lake, and nearby Fillenwarth Beach offers their “Million Dollar Home Cruise” and “Booze Cruise” with special drinks for kids and adults alike, including platters of crackers and cheese to snack on. Of course, there’s biking, hiking, and even an amusement park in nearby Arnold’s Park. Something for everyone.
Honey Creek Resort
Honey Creek Resort is a southern Iowa lake retreat on Rathbun Lake, offering lodge rooms, cottages, outdoor recreation, golf, trails, and family-friendly amenities in a state-park setting, again only a few hours away. We rented cottages and had our own cul-de-sac for bike riding, cooking out, and game-playing. I do know they have been having some financial troubles, and if so, I’m hopeful they get those worked out soon, if they haven’t already. We loved going there over several summers.
Ponca State Park
For our more rustic vacation, we drove up north to Ponca State Park and rented cottages all tucked into the bluffs above the Missouri River. We enjoyed great river views, hiking, biking, kids activities, and so on. Again, only a few hours away from us and kid-friendly.
Bahamas Cruise
Last year, my husband and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with our biggest vacation yet – a cruise to the Bahamas. Oh, my goodness. It didn’t get any better than that, especially since no one in the family had been on a cruise before. Seeing their wide-eyed amazement at how BIG the ship was, all the food they could eat, the shows, the pools…
It was so wonderful, we went again. In fact, we only got home a couple of days ago, and since I’m still on a cruise euphoria, I was inspired to write this blog and share our vacations with all of you!
Now that this year’s vacation is over, I’d love to hear about your vacation favorites. (I need ideas for next year, and the year after that . . .)
Pam has written 30 romances, most of them historical westerns, but she's proud of her contemporary sweet romances featuring the Blackstone Ranch series published by Tule Publishing, too! Stay up on the latest at www.pamcrooks.com
My 50th is next year. Congrats to you.
These all sound like great family vacations. We can never manage them with everyone’s different work schedules. We have had to take ours with one family at a time. When our children were young, my aunt and nephew came out to stay with us for a few weeks one summer. We lived in Colorado Springs, CO at the time. After seeing what the immediate area had to offer, we rented an RV which handled the 3 adults, 3 grade school children and one infant pretty well. We then headed for a tour of the Southwest: Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, White Sands. There are any number of National Parks and areas you can visit, just arrange your loop to see what you want going West or North instead of South. Even just staying in Colorado there is much to enjoy. Out of Durango you can visit Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, the Durango to Silverton Railroad, and Durango itself. From Colorado Springs or Denver there is so much to do that all would enjoy: A. F. Academy,Pikes Peak, Garden Of The Gods, Cripple Creek, Flying W Wrangler’s Chuck Wagon Dinner and village,Rodeo Hall of Fame, Rocky Mountain National Park, Denver Museum of Natural History, Casa Bonita (look it up), there is an amusement park in Denver, and so much more.
If you decide on another cruise for just the two of you (it would cost too much to take the whole crew, but they would love it) go to Alaska. We took the Princess cruise out of Vancouver, BC. We did the cruise land tours trip. A week on the boat and a week on land. You take the train and bus, stay at their lodges and have some great stops included, including Denali National Park.
You can tell we usually don’t stay put for long on our vacations, but there is so much to see. Wherever you go, enjoy.
Haven’t been on a real vacation in years, just visits to family.
We went to Hawai’i on our honeymoon, and it was so beautiful.
I wanted to mention who I was to see the results of your vacation this year as I was born and raised in Iowa and have also vacationed in Okoboji as a youngster, along with Clear Lake. There are many beautiful places to go to in Iowa. Most love to be at the State fair in Des Moines where I viewed the visit of a president during my youth. I do not recall who it might have been anymore.
Arizona has some very interesting areas to visit such as old gold mines, an old town with friendly mules roaming the street as well as into businesses at will. It is Oatman, AZ, where Cary Grant and his wife (my mind has just gone blank). Being as desolate as it is, it is a wonder they would have wondered clear out there.
Tennessee has many beautiful wonders and a variety of scenery. My first love is the Smoky Mountains. Such relaxation and refreshing vibes when one needs a break. It clears the mind.