New York, New York

We didn't do a lot of vacations when I was very young because, well, we were poor. Didn't even think about vacations really. We DID do a little cabin in the country once but that wasn't a big deal because we lived in the country anyway. Nothing new or different in that.

It wasn't until many years later, after I married, that I took any kind of significant vacation and we've always had good ones. Cancun, Mexico three or four times, St. Thomas Virgin Islands (verrrry beautiful) three or four times, and many, many trips to South Padre Island, Texas. I really loved those trips and we still try to go once a year. This is a cool trip because we can actually DRIVE. Long drive but not bad and we're still in Texas. Normally, we'll rent a condo by the beach, hit the grocery store for breakfast, lunch and snack-around stuff, I bring my laptop and we dine of fresh seafood every night. Pretty damn wonderful and very laid back. Laid back is my favorite kind of vacation.

Probably the vacations I remember most, oddly enough, didn't include the entire family. My kids have always been tennis players and up until a year ago, my daughter was a national and state ranked junior player. We've traveled everywhere for tennis tournaments and have always been fans of the sport. Every summer for the past four years, I have traveled to New York City to attend the US Open in Flushing Meadows. Quite a trip. I've attended with my son, once with my daughter and son, with my husband and daughter, and once more with just my daughter. I love, love, love this trip and one day, I hope to do it again. We've always stayed at the same hotel in Times Square and for a country girl, all those lights dazzle me. The giant billboards advertising the Broadway Shows, the honking horns, the throngs of people make my head spin but I love the place.

Now, I'm not saying I'd like to live there. A little bit of "speed" in things is fine for a few days but then I'm ready to get back to the real world and a pace that lets me catch my breath.

It's funny. If you go to a place often enough, you can actually set up sort of routine. We usually made three trips to Flushing Meadows for tennis on each visit to NY. Talk about a facility. Very reminiscent of Disney World in it's cleaniliness and beauty. The fans who come from all over the world are friendly and the atmosphere is casual. Very fun. Hot, but fun. And, of course, the rest of the trip is spent watching Broadway Shows and SHOPPING. One rainy day, we hit the ritzy shopping areas there but we agreed that China Town is a blast for that sort of thing. We overload on "real" designer purses (wink wink), "real" designer jewelry, and all sorts of things. The atmosphere is crazy, manic, the bargaining intense.

On the downside, New York is a very expensive place. I've never in my life paid $25 for a burger..fries are extra. Craziness. And I tend to prefer taxis to the subway and that can get expensive, too. EWWW...talk about gross. Those subways are the nastiest places in the world. I quickly learned to carry hand sanitizers in my purse for the occasions when it was necessary to ride in one of those things. I can understand the economy but I'm not a fan of filth! Yep. Taxis are the way to go when visiting New York.

So yeah, we've gone to lots of places over the past twenty-odd years but New York City stands out in my mind as a fun place to visit. For a rural-dweller it offers a little taste of something different.

Next one my list? Umm...Alaska, England, Italy, and Ireland. And maybe at least ONE more trip to NY City.