Holiday Memories

We're supposed to be talking here about our worst holiday memories, and I wish I had some bad memories, because that would mean I've taken memorable vacations. LOL Unfortunately, I haven't.

When I was a kid, our family "vacations" consisted of 2 weeks at the first part of August spent with family in West Virginia for our family reunion. Lots of happy memories there. When I was in college, my "vacations" were going home to eat Mom's cooking. Happy memories there. Once I was out of college, for many years I made about $5.50 an hour, so... no money for vacations. When I took time off work, it was to rest and relax at home. My sister won a free trip for 2 to the Bahamas through Mary Kay once--that was fun, too. A free vacation that put me in the hole--back then, I couldn't even afford free. *G*

Before I moved to Arizona, we started coming out here to spend time with my brother and his family. Did the touristy thing, and nothing really awful happened. I *was* a bit disappointed with my one and only visit to a ghost town. We drove through Dos Cabezos and my brother pointed to a pile of mud adobe and said, "There it is." (I was expecting something more... more.) So, that was disappointing, but not horrible.

My problem is, I've never been anywhere. My vacation time this year was spent... hmm, going home to eat Mom's cooking. LOL I have one more week coming, and the plan is that she and my sister are coming out here to, er, eat my cooking.

I'm thinking my friend S and I need to get back up to Sedona one of these days. We'll probably call it a "working vacation" and plot a book or two, but it's mostly spent staring at the red rock and wishing we could afford to live up there. (Because then, at least, that would mean I could afford to really vacation somewhere...)

One day I hope to take several weeks to visit the UK (England, Scotland and Ireland, specifically), and maybe the Isles of Scilly, since I have a (hope-to-be-published) book set there. I'd also like to go to Australia. I have a friend who lived there up until about a year ago (she grew up in England and moved to Oz when she was 13), so if I drag her along I'll have a built-in tour guide.

Anyone have any suggestions on where I could vacation? Or, at least, steer me away from places where you haven't had the best of times?