Here’s the story of “On the news, a family dies…”

Two years ago we took our whole family (9 of us all together – 7 kids, 2 adults) to Bison Ranch, Arizona for vacation.  One afternoon we drove to a nearby mountain to go on a hike to a beautiful vista that promised us an amazing view.  It was hot but overcast, which was nice so the temps would stay down.  We parked in a lot and set off on the paved hiking trail, ready for fun and adventure.  As we hiked, the sky darkened, but we were determined to get to the vista, and pressed on.  The sky got even darker and soon we felt the rumble of thunder and saw some distant flashes of lightning.

We were almost there.  Go forward?  Head back?  What to do?  As we were standing there trying to decide, a bolt of lightning struck the ground right in front of us, and to say we were scared would be a slight understatement. We decided the fastest way to get back  to the saftey of our rubber tired car, was to send my husband and 17-year old back for the car (the trail was right next to the road) and the rest of us would try to find a low lying ditch to take cover in until the cavalry arrived.

Those of us left behind to cower in the dirt, tried to keep ourselves distracted by taking turns telling  funny jokes  and stories. Finally,  it’s my 7-year-old son’s turn.  He gets a serious look, and in his deepest newscaster voice says,

“On the news, a family dies…”

He caught us completely off guard and for about 2 seconds we were shocked, but then we all burst into laughter and it was the best distraction of them all.

At the risk of making my family sound like a  bunch of complete idiots, here are a few of my fav vacation quotes:

If those were my kids, I’d drop them off at jail.

Native American?  You mean black?

You know how some people smell like horse poop?  They were those.

Mom, please help me not to spend money!  I don’t care if I cry!

We just got punked by Disneyland.  Where’s Ashton?

I smelled that on the internet.

My life is a workout.  I do crunches while I walk.

It kind of smells like a book…or a fart…I’m not sure which.

I talk so fast that I say what I’m gonna say before I say it.

What’s Disneyland’s policy on public urination?

Do ribs have bones?

I have cheeto ashes up my nose.

Mom, can you shut your crack-heads up cause if they turn the speakers up any louder the crap’s gonna blow.

Let’s play the Chinese name game…I’ll be Pablo.

Living with my family is like living with a pack of wolves.

Arizona makes me fart.

This is an emergency…I’m growing a mullet.

Mother!  Don’t use appropriate language in this car!

Ever since I got these moccasins, I’m a sex symbol.

Smell my underwear.  They’re delicious.

Hope you enjoyed these ridiculous quotes.  Maybe you’ll be inspired to start your own family quote book.

~Kate is currently on vacation hopefully adding more memories and quotes to the book.

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

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Guys, do you believe in the vacation fairy?  You must, right?  What other explanation could there possibly be for magically getting from point A, where you pick your vacation destination, to point B, actually arriving at said destination with everything you need for an enjoyable, stress-free trip?

That’s all it takes, right?  Just pick a location, drive  there, and relax and have fun.  No worries, the Vacation Fairy will do the rest.

Here’s the typical scenario.

In March, wife says to husband: Where should we go on vacation this year?

Husband says to wife: How about a fun trip to California; maybe Disneyland, Universal Studios and the beach.

Wife and husband then proceed to pick a date for the middle of July (for argument’s sake, let’s pick July 16)

The morning of July 15 arrives (22 hours before departure) and husband says to wife: Wow! Vacation is tomorrow. That just snuck right up on me.   I guess we need to start packing and plan out our trip. And by “we” we all know he does not actually mean “we”, he means anyone but himself.  (Men, I freely admit that I’m generalizing here.  If you don’t fit within the 98 % of the male population to which I am speaking, feel free to quit reading and go get yourself a snack…maybe one of those DingDongs Liz is so fond of.)

All I have to say is, “Thank goodness for the Vacation Fairy.”  Who else would wash the mounds of laundry and neatly pack it up in suitcases without forgetting to add the swim suits, beach towels, sunscreen and flip flops?  Who else would make sure the papers are all cleared from the driveway and the junk mail is not over-flowing the mailbox in your absence?  And what about an itinerary for the trip, places to stay, sites to see and snacks for along the way?  And the pets…thank goodness the Vacation Fairy feeds and waters those pets, and lets them out to do their business while you’re away.

(The whole fam plus 4 extras who tagged along on the vacation…well, except for me – someone has to shoot the pic.)

And when you return from your glorious, relaxing break from the humdrum routine of life, the best part of all is that your under-appreciated, and often un-noticed Vacation Fairy just waves her magic wand and all traces of  the trip just disappear. (You know – unpacking suitcases, washing dirty clothes, cleaning smashed cracker crumbs out of  the crevasses of the car…you get the gist here)

So guys, pardon me if my post is a bit shorter than usual today.  I’m going on vacation on Saturday.  I’ve got to go stretch out on my sofa, read a juicy novel, drink lemonade and eat some bon bons  while my Vacation Fairy gets us ready for the trip!

~Kate

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

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Seems like there’s a German entrepreneur who, years ago, came up with this grand idea for a rotel – a rolling hotel (true story). The idea came about as a way for those vacationers who aren’t fond of roughing it in the great outdoors to get back to nature without really having to, um,  get back to nature.

Here’s how it works. Choose a destination, which could include Africa, Asia, Europe – even the good ol’ U.S. of A. – and get ready for fun – assuming that’s how you define fun.

By day, you’ll take in the sights in the front of the rotel. By night, you’ll be snug as a bug in a rug  in the sleeping quarters at the back of the bus. And I do mean snug as a bug. Because it looks like that’s who’d be easily suited for enjoying these accommodations.

According to Jeremy Kressmann at Gadling, your sleeping quarters “are approximately six feet long, three feet wide and three feet high.” Nothing says coffin quite like a refrigerator-sized box on wheels. Just sayin’…  And each rotel can sleep 20-40 people. (Please refer back to the snug and bug reference). Here’s a picture of the rotel. Note the box windows in the back of the bus? That’s where you’ll be sleeping…

Heaven forbid the driver takes the roughest terrain at night, hitting rocks and trenches and everything in between. At least when you’re thrown out of bed, the ceiling a mere three feet above would stop you…

Anywho, here’s the good news: the rotel does have bathrooms. Now more bad news – no showers. I’d also like to  point out that this is one of the more modern rotels. Some of them resemble jacked-up semi-trucks.

Nevertheless, I don’t mean to bash a rotel vacation. In fact, I’m betting there are more than a few of you who’d jump at the chance to see the world in a rotel. And I say if this type of vacation floats your boat, go for it!

I can tell you this much. It’s certainly more affordable than traditional vacations. Granted, I didn’t spend hours on the site (it’s in German, after all), but from what I can tell, nothing is over 5,500 Euros. I think the vacation also includes air fare to the country of choice. I mean, good grief – air fare alone can trump those prices. (Although I can’t guarantee  you won’t make the flight in the baggage compartment of a 747…)

Take a look at some of the itineraries. On the main  page of their website you’ll see a map. Click on a continent, and you’ll see a list of destinations. Pick one to view a map and see some pictures of the vacation route. I checked out a couple of the US destinations, a couple in Africa and one in Italy. I think if I could get past the sleeping quarters and the smell of the other passengers after a week or so without a bath, I’d be tempted to try this. OK – probably not. But if you’d like a way to see the world and venture off to parts unknown, this could be a viable way to go.

If this is something that’s right up your alley, by all means, book a vacation on a rotel!! And please send us plenty of pictures. I’ll have to decline my invitation if there isn’t a Holiday Inn involved.

-Liz

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The beach will be at the Palazzo Versace hotel and will include a system of heat-absorbing pipes built under the sand and giant wind blowers, designed to keep tourists cool in the searing 40-50C heat. (That’s 104 to 122F.)

According to Soheil Abedian, president of Palazzo Versace,

“We will suck the heat out of the sand to keep it cool enough to lie on.” Palazzo Versace will be completed sometime in late 2009 to 2010.

~Kate

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

RoadTrip Soundtrack

Once the weather starts to warm up and the sky is bright blue with big fluffy, Simpson’s-like clouds… that’s when I start to think about vacations. My favorite type of vacation is going anywhere near an ocean, but to me, the most fun part of vacationing is getting there.
The thing about roadtrips is that it doesn’t matter if you’re going to another part of your state or across the country. What makes a roadtrip a roadtrip, is who you’re with and THE MUSIC. The perfect music and the long drive is what makes your vacation more than a trip, it makes it a journey.

As the day of my sure to be best roadtrip ever grows nearer and nearer, I start to research the perfect songs, to make the perfect mix CD, which makes for a perfect roadtrip. I go through each song, eyes closed, and listen to the lyrics, the melody, the percussion. What I’m listening for is that feeling… The one where you’re driving on the open road, staring out your window with the wind whipping through your hair and you think, “This moment is perfect. It could be a scene in a movie.”

Have you ever noticed that in a movie, something completely boring can be going on, like watching someone drive down a highway. But with the music they choose for that particular moment, it’s completely enthralling and you know exactly what mood the character is in, what they’re thinking about, and where they’re going. It’s the mood music. And let me tell you, the music you choose for your own roadtrip is a lot more important than three minutes of a movie.

Just a tip, the soundtrack from Elizabethtown, a movie partially about a roadtrip, is the perfect CD to start out with if you’re new to determining your own roadtrip soundtrack. By figuring out how many hours your drive is, that’s how you’ll know how many CD’s to make. Each CD can hold about 80 minutes worth of songs. Cause nobody likes to listen to the same songs over and over or the same artist 13 songs in a row. You need a little variation. And for those of you who plug in your iPod and just set it to shuffle, I implore you, at least make a special roadtrip playlist and set that to shuffle.

Here’s just a little taste of what my essential roadtrip soundtrack playlist includes:

• Band Of Horses – The Great Salt Lake
• Ingrid Michaelson – Be OK
• Jack Johnson – Hope
• PlayRadioPlay! – Decipher Reflection
• Jason Mraz – Wordplay
• Meg & Dia – What If
• Metro Station – Seventeen Forever
• The Postal Service – Such Great Heights
• Nelly Furtado – Try
• Meg & Dia – Going Away
• Radiohead – Bodysnatchers
• Cartel – Matter of Time
• Of Montreal – Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games
• PlayRadioPlay! – Compliment Each Other
• Regina Spektor – That Time
• She & Him – Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
• Tegan & Sara – Where Does the Good Go?
• Andrew Bird – A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head to the Left

Megan currently lives in Ogden, Utah.

She is a lover of RoadTrips, Disneyland,
good books, and music.

Want to submit your own story to be considered for the Guest Headline post to run on Fridays? Just send your story to: lizandkate@live.com.

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

Of course it’s hot there, that’s why there is an INDOOR ski slope.

Ski Dubai in Dubai Emirates Mall started in December 2005 and is the worlds third largest indoor ski slope, measuring 400 meters and using 6000 tons of snow. Dubai skiing resort is the first Dubai indoor ski slope to open.

A second indoors ski slope is the Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski Dome in Dubailand which is not open yet. It will feature  a revolving ski slope, an artificial mountain range, an ice bridge, a cable lift, a snow maze, an ice slide, polar bears cold water-aquaria and special sound and light effects.

~Kate

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

Recently, a family I am acquainted with went to Disneyland for the first time. I was thrilled to hear about their upcoming trip, and imagined how excited they would be and how much fun they would inevitably have. However, when they got back I was shocked to hear their account of The Happiest Place on Earth. They said, “Oh, it’s just like any other theme park. I can’t believe we drove all that way and spent all that money for nothing.” Are we talking about the same place? Disneyland is like any other theme park? That’s like saying Christmas is just like any other day.

I wouldn’t even put Disneyland in the same category as any other theme park. Most theme parks are just a cluster of thrill rides with sticky seats and annoyed workers smelling of smoke and sweat. But not Disneyland. Being at Disneyland is like experiencing childhood again, but only the very best parts of it. Everyone is smiling and laughing, cheery music is everywhere, and the air smells like cinnamon and popcorn.  It seems possible that, at any moment, a cartoon bluebird might perch on your shoulder and whistle a merry tune. There is a delightful magic in Disneyland that doesn’t exist anywhere else I’ve ever been. I especially adore the intricacy of the different themed lands. The texture of the ground, the costumes of the employees, the architecture of the buildings, even the style of the garbage cans changes from land to land. Though Tomorrowland is very different from Fantasyland, which is drastically different from Frontierland, each produces that wonderful, joyful feeling. So how can any family in their right mind regret a trip to this magical place?

It may sound like I’m going overboard, or taking this too personally. But I really can’t understand how some people just… miss it. Disneyland is about the little things; the magic is in the details. Like the statue of Walt Disney holding Mickey’s hand, framed by the arch of Sleeping Beauty’s glittering castle. Or watching a woman clad in a white apron pull taffy on the quaint, almost European feeling, Main Street U.S.A. Or the jazz band in New Orleans Square throwing beads into the dancing and clapping crowd. That is the magic of Disneyland.

Ryane McKinnon is an English Education Major at SUU

AND

a Disneyland lover

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

Want to submit your own story to be considered for the Guest Headline post to run on Friday’s????  Just send your story to: lizandkate@live.com and check back on Friday to see if your story was selected.