Our 1990’s Epic Vacations: Memories of a Lifetime

By Marcella S. Meeks

Back in the ‘90’s when my children were growing up, we’d save our money for our annual vacations. The kids would do odd jobs around the neighborhood like cleaning off someone’s back porch or walking their dog. The boys would mow someone’s lawn –

things like that so they’d have spending money.

We weren’t rich and didn’t have extra money to eat out with or go to theme or water parks or anything of that nature. We’d utiliae every free event like museums or picnicking in the park or hiking trails and make them an exciting adventure. The kids never complained. We made every trip an epic memorable one and that was okay with me.

Being a divorced mother surviving on one income wasn’t always easy, but we made it with very little outside help from the ex or anyone else for that matter. I had managed to buy an old fixer-upper home and we lived there for over twenty years. My mortgage payments weren’t that expensive since it was a repo and had been on the market for such a long time. The bank was happy that they sold it! And our family was happy to have our own home! My oldest daughter Tina worked for me and earned her money every week – I owned the local newspaper back then.

We’d usually save everything we could and each month, we’d buy a case of sodas and a little canned meat for the trip and we’d store it. I always took an electric skillet to make a meal in our room and I always took my electric coffee pot. That way we always had food and I always had my morning coffee. Sure, it was extra stuff that we had to haul with us but we had to eat and eating out with eight kids wasn’t an option. It was using an electric skillet and crock pot occasionally that got us through on these trips or somebody would have been awfully hungry.

A microwave helped but with this many kids who wanted real food, a microwave just didn’t cut it. Red beans and rice with sausage cooked in the crock pot or sloppy-joes cooked in the electric skillet after a long day was an option. Everybody went to bed on a full stomach. The left-overs could be heated in the microwave the next day for lunch.

Some people thought we were the luckiest family alive and never thought of us as poor. I had a good job (I owned the local newspaper) and was able to support us financially and buy good food – we just didn’t have enough money left over to eat out very often. Don’t judge me! There were eight kids to feed, nine counting me. I did what I had to do. I cooked every day and didn’t mind one bit… Simple as that.

That was many years ago. The kids are grown now, and from time to time we get together and we talk about those years. They often talk about the trips to Hot Springs, Arkansas or Colorado and New Mexico or to the beach. People found it hard to believe that we could take trips like that, with me being divorced and all. I worked hard every day at two different jobs sometimes, but I made it work, and made a good living.

The kids knew before we left that theme parks and water parks and other expensive adventures simply weren’t a part of our trip budget. Yet they never complained. Neither was eating out. We’d stop at roadside parks and have cereal or donuts for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch. It was the only option we had and at the time that fit within our trip budget.

When we arrived at a destination, I’d visit the tourist centers and picked up free literature. We called it treasure hunting, We would find as many free things to do as we could; we’d go to parks or hike trails and visit museums that had free admission.

It was never boring. I’d always have a board game, dominoes and a couple decks of cards tucked under the seat for a rainy day! Add a soft drink, and popcorn and a good movie later in the evening, it just couldn’t get any better. Oh yeah, don’t forget the 1000 piece puzzles – sure to keep everyone busy for a little while!

I know you’re wandering how we all slept in one room… we didn’t. I had to rent two rooms for all of us. That was always included in our budget.

I remember saving a little extra when we went to Hot Springs, Arkansas for a few days. We’d go out and see a mini passion play called The Witness, located on the putskirts of town. The kids finally grew tired of that and we took it out of bucket list after several years.

Their performance would of the crucifixion of Jesus was pretty awesome and sitting in the amphitheatre out under the stars in the mountains was exciting to me. One year they had a real camel in their performance which made it more real. Later on in the early ‘90’s, The Witness finally closed their doors.

The ‘90’s set the stage for me to become a traditional family traveler and that I did.

After the kids grew up and started having children of their own. The grand kids tagged along on some of my journeys when they got old enough. The mama’s were always happy to get a break from them for a few days during the summer and I enjoyed every moment of having them with me, doing what I loved and did best. We traveled!

We still had to maintain a budget though and usually stay in one room instead of two but we always manage to have an epic trip. Occasionally, one set of parents comes along with us and helps out and that makes our life a little easier!

I have so many memories to share in the upcoming weeks about my travels with the grand kids so watch for new posts in the near future. The ‘90’s set the stage for traveling but the 2000’s really made our trips more exciting. That was years ago but this mamaw still has grandkids and still travels with ‘em! Come join us every so often on one of our epic journeys. See you soon!