Sunday, April 6, 2014

Finding the Funny When Traveling

This trip was a blast for all of us.

That wasn't an accident.

The entire purpose was to have fun, and when trying to please 8 people, that takes some planning.

We may not have known where we were going, but we most certainly had a plan of how the fun was going to happen.

The rules of this trip:

1.  Even if the chosen activity isn't one of your choosing, you will not pout.  You will look for a way to have fun in a situation you don't think will be fun.

2.  When we stop for a photo, you do not have to be in the photo if you don't want to be. (One way to get kids to want to be in the photos is to let them come up with funny poses to do.)

3.  We will not take any boring tours or learn any history for learning history's sake.  (That was the kids' rule.  They vetoed tours of historical houses before we even found a historical house to tour.)

4.   We will not mourn our inability to do an activity.  (For example, we were going to go horseback riding, but the stables were closed for the week.)

Now, to explain, part of our family tradition is to stop and take impromptu photos of places we won't go in.   This tradition started before we ever had kids when Bryan and I took these "no planning" vacations.  We once drove 40 minutes to go to the house of Davey Crockett or some such pioneer.  Unfortunately, it was late and the admission a bit pricey, so we chose not to go in.  Instead, Bryan sat on the rock circling the house, I took a photo, and off we drove to find a hotel.

I look forward to the day when the kids are all grown and they go through the photo albums.  I will be watching them from afar.  I envision them having great debates about which activities we actually did and which ones we simply posed in front of.

The impromptu photos and funny quotes of the week:

Notice the boys on either side pretending to be the cement lions.

As we were driving out of town, we noticed this caboose in the middle of the intersection.  It practically begged us to pull over and take a photo.

As we were driving on yet another back road, out in the middle of nowhere, one of the kids asked if we were lost.  Another child answered, "How can we be lost?  We don't know where we're going!"

The kids are pretending to escape before being eaten by the pterodactyl.  This would be an example of a photo being taken without actually going into the place.
We must have 20 "Help me!  I'm falling off a cliff!" photos from around the country. 



The kids are up on that grassy hill I showed you in the last post.  My mom is asking, "Where did the kids go?"

The one problem we had was getting to the Hillbilly Garden.  While in our hotel, my mom put the address for it in her GPS.  Unfortunately, it took us to someone's farm out in the middle of nowhere.  I called the Hillbilly Gardens to see where we went wrong.  As she got to the end of the directions, she said something that reinforced our idea that this was a must-see attraction.  She said, "When you begin to see things nailed to trees, you have found us."

In a bathhouse "locker room" in Hot Springs.

As we walked through the bathhouse, we saw all sorts of old tubs and showers.  At one point, Turken pointed to this sign


and asked, "Is that a real bathroom?  Because I really need to go."


We saw "Goobertown" on the map and decided to head that way.  Apparently, Phoenix is trying to look like a goober.

Turken suggested we stop at the cemetery and look around.  He wanted to find the oldest date he could.  Most of the kids got out and helped him in the search.  Cuckoo was one of them until he found dandelions and other weeds to pick for me.  At one point, I turned around to see him handing me "real" fake flowers.  From a grave.  The oldest date search was changed to a "Where the hell did he get these flowers?" search.  

Didn't go in.

Reason #294 for driving back roads.  You won't see a sign like this on the freeway!

The day we went to "The Big Dam Bridge", the kids (OK, Mom and I, too) fully took advantage of their day of pretending to swear.  "Is there a dam store around here?"  "How long is this dam bridge?"  That sort of thing.  Cuckoo has no idea what "bad words" are or that the big kids were doing anything amusing.  He just knew that going to a bridge didn't sound like much fun.  His question, "Why do we have to go to the dam bridge?" sent everyone into hysterical laughter.


All week long, the big kids were trying to get their selfie duck faces in the photos I took.  (I can't stand the duck face.  They know it, so annoying me with them is a game.)  At our last vacation dinner, the kids told Cuckoo to do a duck face for them.  This duck face I like.  :)

One night we went to Dairy Queen for some blizzards.  A couple kids were trading bites to sample different flavors.  This conversation was a part of it.

Cuckoo (who had mint Oreo):  Nana, do you want to trade bites?
My mom:  No, I don't like mint.  You can just have a bite of mine, though.

(a minute later)

Cuckoo:  Here Nana.  How about you just take an Oreo?
Mom:  Oh, thank you!

(after popping it in her mouth, chewing, and swallowing)

Mom:  That didn't taste anything like mint.
Cuckoo:  Oh, I know.  I sucked the mint off for you!

Reenacting his mad sucking the mint off skills
Don't worry, only one more vacation post is planned.  :)

Have a lovely day!

41 comments:

  1. Ohhhhh but this was LOVELY :D

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  2. These are awesome! Goobertown and Old Lady crossing - hilarious! I love the photo of the kids peaking out of the stalls. And the cliff pic!

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    1. Thank you! For both signs, we had to do U-turns to go back and get the pictures. Totally worth it.

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  3. Oh I'm so happy I'm reading this on my computer instead of my phone so I can actually comment. You had me rolling the whole way through. I was going to try to pick a favorite photo but I just can't. They are all too awesome. Can you imagine if our families went on vacation together?? We'd have enough material for an entire book.

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    1. I have no idea how you read so much on your phone. I can't do it. It drives me batty to have to read on such a little screen.
      I'm glad you enjoyed it!

      Oh, a vacation together would be a hoot! If we survived. That's a whole mess of boys to have on vacation together.

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  4. Can I PLEASE come with you on your next impromptu vacation?!!! Oh, and can I take my kids too? We would LOVE hanging with you guys!! SOOOO much FUN!!!

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    1. I can't imagine you'd want to come without your kids. :) After seeing that video of your daughter, I'm game for a family get-together!

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  5. You all had a fabulous time. I think this is a fun thing to revisit where and what you did. I'm enjoying the trip from my office. Thanks.

    Have a fabulous day. Oh I loved the rules you had too. Smart thinking. ☺

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    1. We certainly did. I'm glad you are enjoying it. It's been fun going through the pictures. I'd actually forgotten some of the things that happened at the beginning of the week.

      I'm big on preemptive rules. :)

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  6. HAHAHA We used to have those get lost vacations pre-Boo. We would put the tent and the dog in the car (later Abby) and just take off for 3 or 4 days. There is nothing like it, I'm so glad you enjoyed yours and your mom didn't throw up her ice cream after realizing her angel sucked off the mint.

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    1. They are so fun, aren't they? Can't say I'd want to do it with a tent, though.

      I am thrilled to report that we made it through the week without one person tossing his/her cookies. :)

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  7. Every single photo is simply awesome! "Why do we have to go to the dam bridge" and the little hand duck face may be my favorite. Except for the sucking the mint off the oreo because that's just a kind, loving thing to do. I love that you didn't know where you were going. When I was a kid, we did vacations like that. We'd pack all of our camping gear, go camping, and then once or twice a week find some old hotel or motel that had a pool so we could take real showers. It was a blast. I still remember this place called Elephant Rock I think that scared the ___ out of me. And Dinosaur National Park. And the Colorado Sand Dunes. And Mesa Verde. Now, I'm craving a road trip!!!

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    1. Well, thank you! That child makes us all laugh all the time. I'm not surprised these are your favorites.

      Sounds like you had some fun, adventurous parents! I'm glad you have such fond memories of those trips. I'm hoping my kids have the same feelings about ours when they are grown. Can't say I'll ever do this in tents, though. I like to shower more than once a week. :)

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    2. And now that I've read your comment again, it sounds like your parents found old motels so you could sneak into the pools to clean off. I'm going to assume they actually rented a room so you could use the bathroom. :)

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  8. Love the pictures, especially the one with the kids escaping the dinosaur :-) We should definitely make vacation rules with the girls as well! Great idea..

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    1. Thank you!
      Vacation rules are so helpful! Whenever a child started to show signs of getting pouty, I simply stated the rule. The attitude changed quite quickly.

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  9. Fantastic pics of everyone just having FUN - more please! :)

    ''How can we be lost? We don't know where we're going'' just has to be one of the best quotes I've ever heard - and quite logical too when you think about it.

    I think any reference to the dam bridge would appeal to my still sometimes child-like sense of humour and send me into fits of giggles :)

    The 'old lady crossing' sign - priceless! :)

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    1. Thanks. If you insist... (There's one more post planned. It has a few photos.)

      I was certainly laughing when he said it! It's completely logical.

      Oh, we were using it all morning. We were all laughing about it. Nothing wrong with a child-like sense of humor as far as I'm concerned.

      That sign almost made me get in an accident. I caught it out of the corner of my eye and started belly laughing as I drove. We turned around at the first opportunity to go back and get the photo and see why it was there.

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    2. You've just given me an idea for something to do now when I'm on my camping travels. I drive around back country lanes a lot when I'm in Norfolk, Suffolk and Anglesey, so I'll keep a look-out for odd road signs and photograph them for my blog. Can't imagine I'll find anything like that though :)

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    3. Great idea! I can't wait to see what crazy things English folks put on signs. I will read them all with an English accent, and that alone will make them funny! :)

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  10. Those are fab pictures - it looks like you all have a great time and know how to really have fun. Brilliant.

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    1. Thank you! We try our best to have the most fun possible.

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  11. Started laughing with the first picture and laughed my way through your post!
    I don't know what was more funny the sucked clean oreo or the grave flower thief?
    I like off the beaten path but Keith is a beat the gps kind of traveler. {did you know you cannot actually beat the GPS because it just recalculates on you…}
    Glad your vacation was fun.
    btw we have a dinosaur world down here too.

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    1. I'm glad you liked it!
      Well, in the real time of it all, the Oreo one was the funniest by far. We were laughing until we cried. Our stomachs hurt we laughed so hard for so long. The idea that my mom didn't even question it when she took that Oreo made me laugh even harder.
      No, you can't beat the GPS. Seems like he would have learned that by now. :)
      Have you been to it? Perhaps when I finally make it down there, we can go. :)

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  12. keep them coming your family is quite funny....i loved all your pictures and how all the kids poses and their imaginations... I'll be taking a few days off next week and although we are not going anywhere well I think day adventures is a must!!!!

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    1. They make me laugh, so I concur! :)
      You absolutely must take a day adventure. And then post about it!

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  13. Oh my I love these...you must have enough for more than one more?

    DAIRY QUEEN...
    sucking off mint...ick....hysterical though.

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    1. I'm thinking the horse has been beaten enough. :)

      We laughed so hard at Dairy Queen. She didn't even question it when she took a clean Oreo from him. I'm still laughing, actually.

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  14. One day my family will take a nice loving photo where the sun is setting and we are all wearing matchy match outfits....
    Bwhahah...no.
    Your photos crack me up.
    Let's hang out.

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    1. Hahahahaha!! Never going to happen here, either.

      You said crack me up. I say that all the time. We must hang out.

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  15. OH my family SO needs to go on vacation like this - what fun!

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  16. OMG! I just bust out laughing at this one!

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    1. Yay! I love it when people bust out laughing!

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  17. Haaahaaa...."sucked the mint off"!! Bless his heart! Best idea ever to let them come up with funny poses...love the cliff ones. :D

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    1. I still almost cry from laughing when I think about the de-minted Oreo.

      We get great photos thanks to their ideas. Plus, they are more willing to take the ones I want if I take the ones they want.

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  18. I love the orchestrated photos! The one in the bathroom with your heads sticking out of the stalls was great! The mint oreo story made me projectile vomit a little.

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    1. They are such fun to do.

      Sorry about the vomit. Hopefully you laughed before (or after?) you vomitted.

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  19. I need to remember your rules on our next trip. I do force mine to be in pictures and look happy, reminding them SOMEDAY, they will look back on them and be sorry they were such jerks about getting their picture taken.
    The cement lions are a nice touch.
    You can never have too many "falling off a cliff" pictures.
    "When you begin to see things nailed to trees, you've found us." BAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!
    Grave robbing - nice.
    Sucking the mint off the oreo - BEST THING EVERRRR!

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    1. Yes, remember the rules. They were quite helpful. I hope they do realize the jerkiness of their anti-photo behavior someday, and then go back to reenact all of the photos with real, happy smiles.
      Glad you liked the photos and stories. I went a bit long-winded about the trip. :)

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Thank you for taking the time to tell me what you're thinking!