Journal Jar

A few years ago at an enrichment meeting I received a journal jar. It is a simply decorated jar full of potential memory preserves. The label touts that if one were to answer all the questions (about 100) they would have a nice little personal history started. I've decided that since my blog is essentially a journal and history of my current life that I might actually attempt to use my otherwise idle jar. I'll record the questions so you can start your own memory storage if you so desire.

Do you recall any outstanding family trips or summer holidays experienced as a child?

As a child, my dad was in the military so sometimes life felt like were on extended family trips. Usually when we moved we spent a lot of our free time experiencing the sights and history around us. I really enjoyed all the places we went from Williamsburg to Langley to Joshua Tree to the Denver Zoo and so on. All of this has extended into my adult life and so I am constantly dreaming of places to go and dragging my family here and there but I think we are all the better for it. It makes for great life experiences.
Not many of our excursions were over-nighters or for very long (unless it was to visit Grandma's house). I think this had to do with the fact that we were a family of 6 rowdy children who drove our parents crazy and that we were always cursed by Murray's Law- yes, I meant Murray not Murphy-. What is that you say? Well it is Like Murphy's law (whatever can happen will happen)but for our certain Murray Clan it applies specifically to cars, freak accidents and vacations unless you are my brother David who unfortunately lives in its shadow. One of our biggest vacations I remember took us on a tour of D.C. , Mount Vernon, and other Civil War sites. It was a true Murray's law example. It was a great trip. I loved it. But it rained and rained and rained. We camped and got soaked, we fished and got soaked, we toured museums and battlefields and got soaked. As I mentioned before 6 kids, and all that rain made potty breaks a constant bother as well. Because we were camping we had our gear in the car and my dad decided that while in D.C he didn't want to leave a certain knife in the car I'm not sure if it was because he didn't want it stolen or because he didn't want it on the streets on D.C in a homeless persons hands. Any way my mom kept it in her purse. Well the Smithsonian didn't take too well to that knife in my mom's purse. They confiscated it and almost arrested my dad. Needless to say my parents were glad to get home from that trip. The knife was never returned.
Another fun memory I have is travelling to Tennessee from California a few times for a family reunion at my great grandparents home. We would usually caravan with my dad's parents and our cousin. We all took turns riding in the grandparents car. That was the best place to be because Grandma new how to pack awesome snacks and we could eat whatever and whenever we wanted. One year my brother, my cousin and I spent the whole trip singing 'the Gambler' and 'On the Road Again' at the top of our lungs, nonstop. We thought we were so coool- HAHAHA. If we ever had to go to the bathroom Grandma made us use a Planters peanut can- that, not so fun.
I just love trips and could go on and on. I'll save that for a place where don't have to keep reading. I hope you enjoy reminiscing about your childhood trips.