What I Did During Summer Vacation

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Our Summer Vacation

Summer vacation – how often did you get this writing assignment as a school-age kid? I personally enjoyed putting pen to paper each September since our family did a fairly good job of making sure a good vacation happened sometime during the summer break. Some years, we went on a camping trip with several other friends from church. Legendary tales emerged from a few of these family adventures. The most frequent trip my family made was a 1500-mile trek from Ohio to New Mexico to see my grandparents. We would endure hours in a hot car without air conditioning, but it was all worth it when Nonnie and Poppie would take us on a hike up Tucumcari Mountain. I still have a special rock on my desk that I claimed as a young explorer from those days.

Intentional Summer

If nothing else, writing about what I did during summer vacation when I was younger prompted me to be very aware of how I spent summer breaks as an adult. It’s so easy for June, July, and August to slip away and end up with nothing to show for it at the end. Like anything, a little planning goes a long way to making the most of the days.

So, this year, Rachael and I made a point to be more intentional than usual about our summer. There were a few good reasons. One, with the 2020 lockdowns, we were ready to get back to traveling — a part of our work and ministry that we enjoy. Two, we weren’t crazy about wearing masks on airplanes, so we decided to do more road trips rather than flying. And three, we celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary in 2021. So, we wanted to add that to the mix and do something special.

June 10 – Waxhaw, NC to Knoxville, TN

• Nothing fancy on this first day other than getting the journey started

June 11 – Knoxville, TN to Kansas City, MO

• We stopped at the site where the Lincoln-Douglas debates actually happened
• We drove through St. Louis, MO, and saw the Gateway Arch
• We stopped for some delicious BBQ at Jack’s Stacks in Kansas City, MO

June 12 – Kansas City, MO to Sioux Falls, SD

• We stayed at an 1888 Victorian Bed & Breakfast
• We visited Sioux Falls Park and St. Joseph’s Cathedral

June 13 – Sioux Falls to Mt. Rushmore, SD

• We drove west across the Missouri River
• We visited a place where you can feed Ground Hogs (a surprise)
• We visited Badlands National Park

June 14 – Mt. Rushmore, SD

• We visited Mt. Rushmore. This was the main point of our road trip. I always wanted to go, but it’s not the most convenient place to visit, which made it perfect for a road trip when we needed to get to Denver for a homeschool conference eventually.
• We hiked in Custer National Park (and came upon a family of big horn sheep)

June 15 – Mt. Rushmore, SD

• We toured Black Mountain National Park
• We toured the Needles mountain formations

June 16 – Mt. Rushmore, SD

• We rode 33 miles on the George S. Mickelson bike trail. We started at an elevation of 6000 feet and descended to 3500 feet. Then ascended back up to 5000 feet, followed by a final descent to 4000 feet. Oh, and it was 99 degrees outside, which was unusually hot for the area.

June 17 – Mt. Rushmore, SD, to Denver, CO

• We presented a live video on the Apologia Facebook page. The topic: “The Best Thing We Can Do to Take Back America,” is based on an article by Dennis Prager. The short answer is to take your kids out of public schools and homeschool.
• Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
• Rachael presented workshops

June 18 – Denver, CO

• Breakfast with homeschool friends
• Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
• Rachael and I presented workshops

June 19 – Denver, CO

• Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
• Rachael and I presented workshops
• Dinner with homeschool friends

June 20 – Denver to Colorado Springs, CO

• We had dinner with ministry partners
• We stayed in a 1960s vintage camper for the night (talk about a tiny house)

June 21 – Colorado Springs, CO to Amarillo, TX

• We had breakfast with ministry partners
• We ate lunch at a local joint: Habanero’s in Trinidad, CO

June 22 – Amarillo to Abilene to Ft. Worth, TX

• Brunch with my Aunt in Abilene
• Dinner with our daughter in Ft. Worth

June 23 – Ft. Worth, TX to Destin, FL

• This was our longest drive of the trip. The goal: The beach!
• Evening walk on the beach with full moon lighting the way.

June 24 – Destin, FL

• Relaxed on the white sand under an umbrella with a good book in hand

June 25 – Destin, FL to Atlanta, GA

• Early morning walk on the beach
• We left in the early afternoon for our next-to-last drive
• We visited with our son and daughter-in-law. Our 5-month-old grandson was in bed by the time we arrived.

June 26 – Atlanta, GA to Waxhaw, NC

• Breakfast with our son, his wife, and our youngest grandson. Yay! What a cutie!
• Final drive home

So…what did you do on your summer vacation?

 

Walking by faith and enjoying the homeschooling adventure of a lifetime!