The Summer Vacation Tragedy

The school year is drawing to a close and it has really been a tough school year. After all of that math homework, papers in LA, and projects in science, it is finally time to kick back and let life slow down. This summer is going to filled with all the good stuff. First off, my new bike last summer is primed and ready to make skid marks everywhere. I got good grades, so I earned my new Loaded Vanguard longboard. It is THE best longboard on the market, and is so much fun to cruise. I won’t even have to work on homework, and I can just stay out. A couple of my best friends have them, and now we will all be out together.

Along with that, the new Batman Arkham Origins game comes out in the next week, and I am going to be putting in mega hours on it. Not only that, but so is the new Call of Duty. No longer are the days of having to turn it off on “school nights”. Now I can start burning way more hours sitting in front of the TV playing with my friends. I’ve always been the best one, no matter what they say. I still rock a little “Halo 4” from time to time, too.

One of the best parts of my summer is probably playing with my travel baseball team, though. Last summer we won our league, and had a record of 22-3. Hopefully I will still hold down the catcher position, as it is my favorite. I need to continue working on my arm, because honestly it isn’t that good. Last year, I batted .389, and hope to still increase that. Sealing a spot on the high school baseball team is a priority for me.

I mostly am looking forward to sleeping in..every...day. Staying up late at night, and sleeping in are two things that I do best. Some call it lazy or a waste, and maybe they are right, but I call it heaven. Now I am ready to get started. Let summer begin.

The final bell rings and I am finally free for the summer. I head home and meeting me at the door is my annoying 7 year old sister Zooey. That’s the only downside of the summer – she is going to want to follow me everywhere. She just doesn’t understand I need my space. I walk into the kitchen and mom is sitting at the table with brochures in front of her She explains that she would like to go on a family vacation this year and that I can help plan it!. At least this time we wont be stuck in a boring museum we will be surfing in California or skiing in Colorado.

That’s when I find out the bad news. Mom vetoed both of those amazing ideas. She said something about even though its summer she still wants us to learn. She also wants me to consider Dads boring tastes and my sisters childish likes – but who cares what Zooey wants. I’m going to pick something fun for us to do this summer.

So apparently I only have 5 real options after Mom and Dad ruined all of the fun options. It’s now between Oklahoma, Florida, Seattle, Canada, or the Sahara Desert.

Todays Assignment

• Each group is getting one page of the book• You need to mention each of the bullet points• Write the story in the 1st person perspective• Be descriptive, creative, and imaginative

• DUE THURSDAY BY THE END OF CLASS– You have 2 shorter periods!– Must be typed

Example

• Started with– Florida• Has Ocean fishing• Has Disney• Has warm beaches

• Ended with……

The first option, a classic one, would be Orlando, Florida. There are many advantages to choosing this one, including having Disney World, many beaches close by, and numerous fishing options for Dad and I. Really, who doesn’t want to grab Mickey Mouse by the face and shake it like crazy?

Disney World is something I have always thought about. I have never had a chance to go, but now seems like a better time than any. I am finally tall enough to ride most rides, and I am ready to go on as many as possible. I always wanted to stand in front of that giant castle. It is a place I always hear stories about, and really do want a chance to experience. The games, the rides, the characters, everything would be awesome.

Going to the beach is one of the best things I can think of. Going to Orlando allows you to go to either the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico. Being able to sit out, put my feet up, and then throw a football in the water seems like one heck of a day. I’m sure they have good food there, too.

Another bonus is the fishing possibilities. There are a couple different trips that can work, but they all involve deep-sea fishing. My dad is a huge fisher, and I really, really want to fish for swordfish. That would be the ultimate catch. My mom and sister could stay back on the beach and lay out.

Option number 2 would be Seattle, Washington. All everyone says is how beautiful that city is. A couple exciting things would be that we can see the Cubs play the Mariners here that week, mom would want to see the flight museum which would be fun, and my sister would be really into the hiking in discovery park. Sure it may rain most day, but the city has a lot of good stuff to look at.

Baseball is my favorite sport. There is no question. I love the Cubs too, even if they are terrible. Seeing that play in a different city would be awesome. This would definitely be a part of the vacation that is tailored toward me. My dad would like it a lot, as well. The stadium is supposed to be really nice, plus, I am sure the hot dogs will be great, too.

The Museum of Flight in Seattle is an awesome air and space museum. My mom has always been into planes, NASA, and outer space. Frankly, so have I. It has the history of flying throughout time, and is something I think my whole family would find interesting. Seeing old planes hanging, models of space ships, and other models would be a really fun day.

A different type of experience on top of these two would be hiking in Discovery Park. It is 534 acres, and has 11 miles of hiking trails. The views are beautiful, and probably something that I would remember for a really long time. I have never had a chance to hike, even though my sister has. I love being outside, so this is a great chance to get my feet wet in that area.

Now for the third option is a place that most people give a bad wrap. Canada would be an amazing other option. My favorite sport to watch on TV has always been hockey, seeing Niagara Falls would be a dream, we would be able to go skiing, and seeing the Northern Lights is something not very many people get to do in person. This won’t be just like any old waterfall, this is a really, really big waterfall.

I have been really into the Blackhawks for the last few years. My dad has always been a fan, but I didn’t get as into it until they started putting more games on TV back in 2008. I would love to go see a hockey game in Canada, because I think that is where the most loyal fans are. That is their game up there. Seeing the passion from those fans would be fun, plus I always love seeing a good fight.

When it comes to sight seeing, Niagara Falls is always something that I hear people talk about. I know it wouldn’t take up much time, but it is something that you really can’t see in any other part of the world. I want to be able to say I have seen it.

Along with that, the Northern Lights area another sight that not many get a chance to lay eyes on. I learned about it in science class a little this year, and would love to witness it in person. The idea that is all has to do with Earth’s magnetic field is crazy, and I am sure it will look way cooler in person over pictures I have seen.

Lastly, skiing is something I have only done once. That one time was on a small mountain in Wisconsin. It would be a slightly different ballgame up in Canada. That is where we will get real powder, great mountains, and intense skiing. That would be a great couple of days. I would definitely become a far better skier in the process.

The fourth option is a more unusual one, but hear me out. I promise I can make a strong case. There is a lot of history and tradition in the good old state of Oklahoma. The examples I am going to bring up are the “Route 66” attractions, the Oklahoma Sooners summer football camp, and the National Cowboy Museum. Nothing says ‘Merica!’ like route 66. Well except maybe cheeseburgers and football.

“Route 66” is something that is a major part of American History. “Route 66 use to be the main highway for how people traveled across the country. It passed right through the heart of Oklahoma. The “Route 66” museum has a bunch of historical things like old cars and such. Alright, so maaaaybe that is more aimed toward my parents. They are quite old, so it will probably be a blast from the past for them. I’ll keep enjoying being young.

Now Oklahoma has always been a college football team I cheer for. They have their summer scrimmages that will be extremely cheap that we can stop in and check out. Seeing those guys battling it out for playing time would be the ultimate. The summer is their final opportunity to prove their worth. That is something I would be pushing the parents to go to.

Lastly, and most importantly, I want to go to the National Cowboy Museum. I don’t care what anyway says, Clint Eastwood is awesome, and got me really into the western lifestyle. I love old cowboy movies. Everything about duels, old revolvers, saloons; all of it is awesome. I wish people still talked they way they did back then. I reckon’ if I did, I would have more luck with the ladies. This would make for one heck of a vacation.

The last option is the Sahara Desert. I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking, “sand, sand, and more sand.” And yes, maybe there is quite a bit of sand, but there is much more than that. If we go to the Sahara, we can go on a dune buggy go kart course, camel tours, and come on, “The Mummy” was a pretty awesome movie.

This would be a vacation that most people have never taken. I like different. I like watching races on TV, especially the ones off-roading. There are a few places to race around the desert, and we will definitely be hitting one of those places up. The tours allow you to drive on the course around a small track, and would be something worth doing a couple times.

Have you ever seen the movie “Aladdin”? It is awesome. And do you know what are in that movie? Camels? Because of this, I have always wanted to ride one around. They have tours that go a pretty long distance. I would hope we get to see armadillos and snakes, and I am sure there will be a bunch of other awesome animals and creatures will be out there, too.

Now you need to decide where you go.