Vactions Close to Home!

Traveling doesn’t mean you have to go very far. Going four hours is a big and exciting vacation

for us. I look forward going to Missouri every six months. I call this going on vacation, even though we only stay for two or three nights. We have family down there who I love going to see and we always do so many fun things. We have a doctor there that we have to see at least every six months. It’s a great reason to go and we make the trip a little more often than we would otherwise. I always love and look forward to it. It gives our family a little get away while seeing our family and a chance to get away from the house for a couple of days.

Even if we don’t have an appointment there in December, we always make sure that we

Try to get there. We always go down there with some other family members and go down

to the St. Charles Christmas Festival. We always have a blast and have started a great tradition.

There’s old time shops on cobblestone streets that that you can shop for unique gifts. The best part is walking down town where they are actually roasting chestnuts on an open fire. You bundle up warm and treat yourself to cookies and hot chocolate. You will see Christmas characters walking through the streets and carolers singing Christmas songs. I’ve never seen anything like this before. It is amazing!!  And this year there was even a parade in the morning with everyone in it.

Every year there seems that there’s something new added to it, like Olaf was there this year. There seems to be more and more people there every year.  It is a great relaxing get- a- way from all the holiday craziness. It’s a really neat thing to see, especially at nights because they have everything lite up so neat and it will definitely get you in the spirt for Christmas. Then my three other cousins go and look at Christmas lights in a big part of town close to their house. They always have amazing lights and each year they have something different and you’re not seeing the same thing over and over. These lights remind me somewhat like the ones we go see in Dubuque but ten times bigger. But I love the flashing lights and the objects that move over top of you.

Just remember that traveling doesn’t have to be considered far away and some big huge extravaganza. It can just be going an hour away and be called a vacation. I look at vacations as getting out of your house and staying somewhere for at least a night.  I go on a lot of small vacations such as going to Missouri, Manchester; my old town and staying with family etc. A vacation is doing something that is relaxing and enjoyable!