Vacations are pretty much synonymous with summer. So many people
take off to their favorite fun, relaxing spot at some point during the summer
months. Not this family. We don't take vacations. I don't think it was that big
of a deal when the lovelies were growing up since the beach is a mere 3 miles
from our front door. Closer if we draw a straight line from our backyard to the
shore. So we pretty much spent every summer day at the beach, the lovelies and
I.
When I was growing up, we did take vacations. And I loved
them! Our recurring vacation was the annual trip to the beach. This one was the
one we took with everyone- grandparents, aunt, parents, kids. We all went and
we all had a blast. We stayed in the same house every single summer and we left
at 4:00 AM every single year. By the time we arose, the car was packed. All we
had to do was get in the car and fall back asleep for the three and a half hour
trip to the Myrtle Beach area.
We never stayed in Myrtle Beach- it was just too commercial even at that time. We stayed at Crescent Beach which is now considered North Myrtle Beach. In all the years we went on this trip, we always stayed in the same house. It was a huge house right across the street from the ocean. It was a two-story monster with a row of wooden slat enclosed showers lining the back separated from the house by a wooden slat walkway. We always stayed upstairs as it was big enough for our family. The downstairs was divided into two, smaller apartments. We only stayed in one of those one year and it was the last year we went. Most of us were up in age and couldn't make the trip.
We spent every day of our week at the beach, at the beach. We
awoke to a fully prepared breakfast- eggs, grits, bacon, homemade biscuits and
sometimes pancakes and then headed off across the street to the ocean. After
waiting the traditional hour following eating breakfast, of course. We would
come back across the street, rise off in the outdoor showers and back up the
stairs for lunch- usually sandwiches and chips- and then head back to the
beach. Again, waiting that hour after eating to enter the water. We built massive sandcastles and had fun riding the waves on those canvas floats with the nylon ropes around the edges. Remember those? And wearing the t-shirts due to the sunburn from the day before?
Nights were spent eating a big family dinner and playing
games into the night. There was not a television or radio to be had. No cell
phones back then either. Just a fun, family filled week without the stress of
everyday life and technology that was created under the guise of making our
lives better. What in the world was better than spending time together like
this?
To this day I cannot smell Noxzema without thinking of
Grandmother. She smothered us in that stuff every night as it took the burn out
of our sunburns. It really did help and the smell does hold memories for me.
One night of our
beach vacation was always reserved for going to the Pavilion riding rides and another
was reserved for standing in those mile long lines at one of the hundreds of
Calabash seafood houses. The food was so worth the wait. I still remember my
Granddaddy always sat at the head of the table and, if you sat next to him, he
would reach over with his fork and take a bite of your food. I loved it and
never could figure out why no one else wanted to sit beside him. No matter
where we were, if it was a seafood place, Granddaddy always had fried catfish.
And Grandmother always started off with shrimp cocktail. I was a perch or
flounder girl.
We never left the beach at 4:00 in the morning. We always
left in the afternoon. We were always just a little sad to leave but we knew
there would always be next year.
Until there wasn't because we all grew up and out grew
family vacations. Or moved away and the miles led to distance separation.
Luckily, we never let the distance in miles lead to distance in our hearts. We
always visited and called and wrote letters---actual letters with actual pens
and paper. And now, we know that Grandmother and Granddaddy were the best ever
at creating memories. Memories that are still cherished today.
I'm having a nostalgic summer, obviously. Sometimes, you
just can't help it.
Share some of your nostalgic summer memories.
