Am I the only person who took NO TRIPS as a child?

This came up in conversation today and the person was very shocked that I hadn't anywhere as a kid and not many places in my own state.

Not all families could afford family vacations.

Then when I was an adult, working PT and going to school, I didn't have the money nor was able to take time off.

My first job out of college allowed very minimal time off and was super strict.

Then I had more money, plenty of time off, and no one to go anywhere with...

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cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

We took trips to see relatives, usually older relatives who sat around in the living room and chatted, not a regular vacation for scenery and fun. It wasn’t very often even then. We’d bring an ice chest, a jug of water and stop at a little store for lunchmeat, bread, bread spread, and some fruit and pull over at some picnic table rest stop next to the interstate to eat. No stops at restaurants. And no air conditioning most of the time. I would hear other kids talk about their summer vacations on Route 66 and the large national parks, camping & fun stop & camping fun etc. they had and just longed for that so much. We did go visit relatives in Waco and got to stop at Six Flags in Grapevine, TX for about half the day before skedaddling back to Oklahoma late that afternoon. I should be happy for that.

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SW-User

@cherokeepatti Your childhood trips sound like ours. No hotels, no restaurants, no air conditioning, no heat in winter. We even pulled over when dad got too tired to drive anymore and slept in the car sometimes, even in the dead of winter. I have to admit, though, once we made it as far as my aunt's house, everything was great, so all in all, no regrets.

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@SW-User we had heat in the winter but for some reason they were really cheap to take a real vacation. We had enough money that we could have saved up through the year to go somewhere for a week without going to relatives and listening to them sit around inside and talk most of the time. Driving across 2 or 3 states in the middle of the summer to visit someone is draining with no a/c and the windows rolled down and the heat off of the highways making it feel even hotter. I went on a vacation for the first time when I was 25 years old with my brother-in-law and sister…we went to see my grandma and family and then went to Colorado and stayed in motels for 3 nights. Took quite a few vacations from 1991-1999 and more before I retired.

SW-User

@cherokeepatti Oh, I meant no heat in the car while traveling at Christmas time. We spent many a miserable night rolled up in our coats and extra blankets sleeping in the car.

Know what you mean about traveling across country in hot weather with no AC. Did it as a child many times and even once as an adult -- drove across the desert in AZ in 105 degree weather with the only things to cool us down being the rolled down windows and super sized iced teas with extra ice!

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@SW-User we got a nice deep ice chest with Green Stamps in the 70’s and they’d buy cans of generic soft drinks and ice to put in it, and lunchmeat etc. but still stopped at a picnic table at a rest stop. Would have been nice to have found a little park to stop in away from traffic noise.