#FlashbackFriday // Roadtrippin'

I was really lucky as a kid — my parents took my brother and I on road trips frequently. I thought it was normal growing up, and it wasn't until I was older than I began to realize that I was the only one of my friends who has Griswold-style summers.

And on top of all that, my parents took a lot of photos. Whether we were camping in the to the Grand Canyon or to Nova Scotia, there was always a camera somewhere to capture shots of our family looking like total 90s tourists. See some of my favorites after the jump (and yes, a total #FBF goldmine of me being an awkward kid).



These photos, along with the top image, were taken on a 1992 trip to the Grand Canyon. My parents had a new white Chrysler mini van. My brother used to play Tetris on his Gameboy at full volume and I had a basket full of coloring books to pass the driving time. The photo of us at the campsite was at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Colorado. I am very thankful that my parents (and my dad, especially) took time to teach us about sensitivities and appreciation of Native American cultures   in various parts of the US!


There were frequent visits to the beach, also. We would commonly go to the Carolinas — I remember distinctly that there was an animal-themed mini golf course in Myrtle Beach that we really likes. It really felt like we stayed at the beach for hours upon hours, though!


I was too young to really remember this trip, but we were at Kentucky's Cumberland Falls in 1989. I'm wearing a fruit and veggie-themed romper, which rules.


Remember how cool malls were in the 90s? This is me ferociously beating my brother at balloon-pirates in downtown St. Louis. In the same vein, my parents would frequently take us to Cleveland for baseball games. I remember loving the Galleria Mall in Cleveland for its Hello Kitty Store and the Tower City Mall for its Warner Brother's Store.


A ferry ride [somewhere?] in 1995. My dad looks like he's suffering through some of my bad jokes or obvious threat of treating the boat like my own personal monkey bars. And peep that awful Guess Jeans shirt I'm wearing. Is my brother wearing a tall tee? Maybe.


This photo was taken on a 45 minute walk to the Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia in 1993. I do remember this very well, as it rained all the time. I also distinctly remember seeing seals on the back for the first time. And that a skunk or other large rodent clawed through the mesh tent we put up around the picnic table and ate some of our food.

Did you go on vacations as a kid? Or did you wait until you were older to road trip with friends?