So, Young Ben is flying out to Tenerife next month with his mum and dad and this had me thinking how attitudes to travel and holidays have changed over the years.
I was in my twenties before I was on a plane for the first time and even that was a short hop from Newcastle to Amsterdam. It wasn't the first time I had been abroad but up until then I had always gone by Ferry across the Channel. I remember one time in the Sixties I went with my mum and dad and my eldest brother to France and we set off from Ayr in a Mini. My dad had constructed a "home-made" metal roof-rack and within a dozen miles or so it had slid off the back of the car and our luggage was strewn across the A76. My dad was fairly pragmatic about this kind of event, so the roof-rack was dumped in a ditch along with any other non-essential items, the boot lid was folded down and the luggage strapped on and off we set again, heading for Paris. To the best of my knowledge that roof-rack was never retrieved and may be dug up by some future generation and heralded as a great discovery. The thought of travelling to Paris nowadays by road sounds like a nightmare but back then it was a great adventure.
In contrast my own children were flying abroad on holidays from a very early age including a 24 hour flight to Australia when my youngest had only just turned two. I should point out here, they were accompanied by their parents and not just sent off somewhere from time to time.
I had never been to The States until we went there as a family to do the whole "Disney Experience" in The Nineties. For some reason I had always put off going to The States but once I went I was "blown away" and have since been back several times. On one of our trips we took my father with us. It was strange to see a man in his seventies on Space Mountain and Splash Mountain but if he went on a roller coaster it meant there was no way that I could "chicken out". I had to maintain some form of credibility. I recall losing my baseball cap as we hurtled down Splash Mountain and when I went back to the starting point to see if it had been handed in the staff opened a door to a shed filled with hundreds of sodden caps. Obviously I was not the only one to suffer this fate
In more recent times I have been back across The Pond on my own. When I turned 50 I fulfilled a promise to myself and had a holiday in San Francisco. As a child growing up in The Sixties, San Francisco had always carried a mystical quality and I must say it did not disappoint. I think it is my favourite place in the world. Walking across The Golden Gate Bridge with the sun shining, looking over the bay...it just doesn't get any better than that. Add in Cable Cars, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf,Pier 39, Coit Tower,trips to Sausalito, Monterey and Carmel...I could go on all day. It's just a special part of the world
I have since been to New York twice and it is also an amazing city (and much easier to reach). Walking across The Brooklyn Bridge with the wind in your face (yes I really like bridges)...it's not San Fran, but it's a close second. The first time I went, I arrived on Thanksgiving Day and my hotel was just off Times Square. That night it seemed to me like the busiest spot in the world and the atmosphere and lights all around from the advertising signs just took my breath away. I recall taking the open top bus tour and singing "Across 110th Street" as we headed for Harlem. The second time I went was with my mate for his 50th and we were there the night The Giants won The Superbowl. That was a fun night.
I leave you this week with my Top 5 Florida Theme Park Rides
1. Tower Of Terror ...the attention to detail in the hotel and the drop give it top spot
2. Jaws...may seem a bit tame now but at the time it was (j)awesome
3. Back To The Future...where we're going we don't need roads
4. Splash Mountain...lulls you in to a false sense of security with the gentle pace and music, then whoosh...hold on to your hats
5. Kumba at Busch Gardens...now that's what I call a roller coaster
Special mention here to It's A Small World at Magic Kingdom which wins the award for most annoying ride and song. Anyone who has experienced it will now be singing the song for the rest of the day (I know I am even as I type this)
I was in my twenties before I was on a plane for the first time and even that was a short hop from Newcastle to Amsterdam. It wasn't the first time I had been abroad but up until then I had always gone by Ferry across the Channel. I remember one time in the Sixties I went with my mum and dad and my eldest brother to France and we set off from Ayr in a Mini. My dad had constructed a "home-made" metal roof-rack and within a dozen miles or so it had slid off the back of the car and our luggage was strewn across the A76. My dad was fairly pragmatic about this kind of event, so the roof-rack was dumped in a ditch along with any other non-essential items, the boot lid was folded down and the luggage strapped on and off we set again, heading for Paris. To the best of my knowledge that roof-rack was never retrieved and may be dug up by some future generation and heralded as a great discovery. The thought of travelling to Paris nowadays by road sounds like a nightmare but back then it was a great adventure.
In contrast my own children were flying abroad on holidays from a very early age including a 24 hour flight to Australia when my youngest had only just turned two. I should point out here, they were accompanied by their parents and not just sent off somewhere from time to time.
I had never been to The States until we went there as a family to do the whole "Disney Experience" in The Nineties. For some reason I had always put off going to The States but once I went I was "blown away" and have since been back several times. On one of our trips we took my father with us. It was strange to see a man in his seventies on Space Mountain and Splash Mountain but if he went on a roller coaster it meant there was no way that I could "chicken out". I had to maintain some form of credibility. I recall losing my baseball cap as we hurtled down Splash Mountain and when I went back to the starting point to see if it had been handed in the staff opened a door to a shed filled with hundreds of sodden caps. Obviously I was not the only one to suffer this fate
In more recent times I have been back across The Pond on my own. When I turned 50 I fulfilled a promise to myself and had a holiday in San Francisco. As a child growing up in The Sixties, San Francisco had always carried a mystical quality and I must say it did not disappoint. I think it is my favourite place in the world. Walking across The Golden Gate Bridge with the sun shining, looking over the bay...it just doesn't get any better than that. Add in Cable Cars, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf,Pier 39, Coit Tower,trips to Sausalito, Monterey and Carmel...I could go on all day. It's just a special part of the world
I have since been to New York twice and it is also an amazing city (and much easier to reach). Walking across The Brooklyn Bridge with the wind in your face (yes I really like bridges)...it's not San Fran, but it's a close second. The first time I went, I arrived on Thanksgiving Day and my hotel was just off Times Square. That night it seemed to me like the busiest spot in the world and the atmosphere and lights all around from the advertising signs just took my breath away. I recall taking the open top bus tour and singing "Across 110th Street" as we headed for Harlem. The second time I went was with my mate for his 50th and we were there the night The Giants won The Superbowl. That was a fun night.
I leave you this week with my Top 5 Florida Theme Park Rides
1. Tower Of Terror ...the attention to detail in the hotel and the drop give it top spot
2. Jaws...may seem a bit tame now but at the time it was (j)awesome
3. Back To The Future...where we're going we don't need roads
4. Splash Mountain...lulls you in to a false sense of security with the gentle pace and music, then whoosh...hold on to your hats
5. Kumba at Busch Gardens...now that's what I call a roller coaster
Special mention here to It's A Small World at Magic Kingdom which wins the award for most annoying ride and song. Anyone who has experienced it will now be singing the song for the rest of the day (I know I am even as I type this)
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