Sharing Memories Week 28: Family Vacations, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Join us for Sharing Memories - A Genealogy Journey We focus on memories of our parents, grandparents and others. We write for our children and grandchildren, that the memories are not lost over time. I hope you are keeping a journal, whether it is private or public, and joining us as we write our memoirs.

The prompt for this week is Family Vacations, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

What were your family holiday vacation times like? Where did you go? Did you enjoy them or hate them? What is your favorite memory of a great vacation you had as a kid. How about the worst vacation? 

We went camping some summers and I hated it. Algonquin Park is where many Ontario folks go, but for me it was a nightmare. I didn't like the outdoors - the bugs, the heat and the dirt. 

Our tent was a huge center pole tent that smelled of ... well... tent. It was damp all the time. And we had to use a metal bucket at night instead of going out to the outhouses. So guess what else the tent smelled of?

We had a little wooden rowboat that didn't look very safe to me even as a young kid. And I hated the water there because it was full of leeches! Ugh. I still remember my dad burning them off of our legs. 

Mom's cooking left a lot to be desired at the best of times, and outdoor cooking over an open fire didn't help. Bacon was burnt, eggs were crispy and brown and toast was black. 

Thinking it might make me happier, my dad stopped along the way one summer so I could ride a horse. From the look on my face in this photo I'm pretty sure I was terrified! 

Okay I admit, I'm not a camping kind of gal and wasn't as a kid either!