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» Ship of Fools   »   » Oblivion   » What does it do on its holidayseses, precious? (Page 1)

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Source: (consider it) Thread: What does it do on its holidayseses, precious?
Karl: Liberal Backslider
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# 76

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[prepared to see this go to All Saints as I'm not quite sure]

I have always, as mentioned on the weather thread, equated "holidays" with "going to the Lakes/Snowdonia/Dales and walking, either from youth hostel to youth hostel carrying my stuff with me, or from a single base with some cycling or climbing or similar."

Now I have kids, and have been struggling ever since to find things to do.

From what I can gather, most normal (i.e. not me) people's holidays involve food, drink, nightlife and sitting on beaches and by pools.

I'm not a foody, being a hobbit by nature and preferring the comfortable and made anxious by the unfamiliar*. I like a few jars, but tend towards beer about which I'm picky (well, I'm meant to be enjoying myself, aren't I?), I loathe nightclubs and loud music and all that goes with it, and I get bored in approximately half an hour at beaches/pools. As do the kids, truth be told.

So I'm a miserable bastard determined not to enjoy himself. So wonder what other people do on holiday to see if I can come up with some ideas myself of what we can do.


*I like trying new things, but not if that's my dinner and if I don't like it I'm going to be hungry and still have spent the money.

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Bob Two-Owls
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# 9680

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I like to go on Cruises, preferably somewhere with historical stuff to look round. There is much sitting around reading in the bar with a drink appearing by magic as soon as I have drained the last one (I only go if I can get an all-inclusive package) and plenty of midnight feasts but these are balanced out by getting off the ship and wandering around a new place virtually every day.

Apart from that I seem to spend a lot of holidays at YHA Youlgreave, Eyam, Ilam, Hartington, Edale or en route between any combination of them.

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Matt Black

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# 2210

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Adventure parks or zoos if fine, soft play areas if not. But that's just what I like to do; haven't really canvassed the kids' opinions.

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North East Quine

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When our kids were small, our holidays involved sea life centres, animal sanctuaries, walking along beaches which were too cold to sit on, castles, stone circles, swimming pools, especially ones with flumes etc which seemed more "holiday" ice cream, hot chocolate, fish and chips etc. Every holiday included a visit to a bookshop.

I suspect most of our summer holiday snaps show us bundled up in coats. Our ideal holiday activity was one which was both free and mildly educational.

ETA But we're Presbyterians. We're not the right people to ask about enjoying ourselves.

[ 27. March 2013, 11:21: Message edited by: North East Quine ]

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comet

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your pre-kid holidays are what I do WITH my kids. when they were little, we'd haul 'em in a backpack. old enough to walk, but small: we'd take it slow with lots of breaks. Now, they're game for some pretty intense backcountry hikes and multiple nights out. hell, my teenager requests camping and hiking for his birthday every year. even though it means being out of cell phone range! *gasp!*

hell, my parents used to take me on multi-night dogsled trips in the winter. winter camping = hardcore. I've not done that with my kids because I'm a wimp who loves a warm bed.

share what you love with your kids. it's important to them. and they're much tougher than you think.

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Ferijen
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# 4719

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Youth hostels are family friendly, but it strikes me that you're campers really. Ticks all the boxes: outside, near outside stuff, culinary greatness optional, often near pubs. How are you about spending weeks with only canvas and a flooded field separating you from the nearest functional toilet?

If you're looking for something to 'do'... I'm seeing more and more family bushcraft holidays advertised. Is that the sort of thing of interest to you?

Me: I'm spending a week in a static caravan in France, chosen for its proximity to an indoor pool and soft play facilities for a toddler, free availability of caravan/changing mat/high chair. This time last year I had a few days mooching around towns and Roman things in Gloucestershire and a weekend in Amsterdam in museums, waffle houses, cheese tasting and boat tours. That's pre- and post-baby life summed up for me.

[ 27. March 2013, 11:55: Message edited by: Ferijen ]

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BroJames
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# 9636

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You're not very specific about the age of the kids. I would say don't go to beaches, go to the seaside. Build sandcastles, climb rocks delve in rock pools play ball games, fly kites, swim in the sea (yes, even in Britain).

We took a first seaside holiday here when our oldest was 6 and our youngest just 18 months, and we found a really good, and rarely busy beach here, one of a number in the area. Sited on a relatively shallow bay, the water tends to be relatively warm - helped by the gulf stream.

It has never (even when raining) been a mistake to take the children to the beach. But when you tire of that there are places to visit (castles, museums, gardens, lighthouses) and good walking country not too far off.

And there are loads of other places in Britain where you might go and enjoy the beach.

(Personally, I would avoid any resorts - Blackpool, Brighton etc.)

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Karl: Liberal Backslider
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# 76

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They're 4-8. Will be 5-9 in the summer. They do all the beachy things you mention, but still tire of it after half a day.

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Heavenly Anarchist
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My kids are boys aged 8 and 12. Our holidays are either camping by the beach or in a forest or we stay in a cottage and go walking and sight seeing. We've camped from their earliest ages, my youngest was 2 months when he first went in a tent. Walking works well, children are less bored when active and we try to make it geologically interesting, for instance, 2 years ago we visited Ardnamurchan in Scotland and climbed very small mountains, visited an ex-volcano and squeaked the Singing Sands, as well as nature spotting. My youngest must have been only 5 when we dragged him round some bits of the Wall and local Roman forts in Northumbria. Packed lunches by day/home cooked or pub in the evening.
This year we are staying in 2 cottages in Skye, one overlooking a Loch, the other the Cuillins. My husband is taking my 12 year old up some proper mountains [Smile]

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Ariel
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# 58

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OK... I don't have kids but some of the things I like are:

Country shows, farm visits, etc. Kids will probably love seeing the animals. One place I like a lot is Mary Arden's House in Warwickshire, out of your region but you might have something vaguely similar: it's a working Tudor farm where people dress up in costume and do the everyday activities in character. The animals are very used to humans and friendly. For me this is a bit of a photo-shoot, because I like "vintage" photos.

Country shows are great too. Some of them give the kids (and adults!) a chance to see some of the old crafts in action - blacksmith competitions, pottery, making tiles, etc etc. plus of course there are the animals, races, food to try and the occasional celebrity to be seen.

In summer, pick-your-own farms are good too. The fun of picking ripe, sunwarmed fruit on a sunny day, competing to see who's got more, the pleasure of taking it home and making pies are all part of my own memories of those long, lazy hot summer days we used to have here.

Getting away from the countryside to the coast, if you can find somewhere with historic ships or interesting boats, or a trip round the bay, that can be a real breath of fresh air.

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Heavenly Anarchist
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If your eldest is into maps ( ours is) then teach them to navigate on walks, we often do geocaching on holiday too, nothing like a bit of treasure hunting.

[ 27. March 2013, 12:38: Message edited by: Heavenly Anarchist ]

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Karl: Liberal Backslider
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# 76

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quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
My kids are boys aged 8 and 12. Our holidays are either camping by the beach or in a forest or we stay in a cottage and go walking and sight seeing. We've camped from their earliest ages, my youngest was 2 months when he first went in a tent. Walking works well, children are less bored when active and we try to make it geologically interesting, for instance, 2 years ago we visited Ardnamurchan in Scotland and climbed very small mountains, visited an ex-volcano and squeaked the Singing Sands, as well as nature spotting. My youngest must have been only 5 when we dragged him round some bits of the Wall and local Roman forts in Northumbria. Packed lunches by day/home cooked or pub in the evening.
This year we are staying in 2 cottages in Skye, one overlooking a Loch, the other the Cuillins. My husband is taking my 12 year old up some proper mountains [Smile]

What would you/will you do if it pisses down solid all the time you're there, out of interest?

A lot of this uncertainty comes from a week camping on the Isle of Wight with a river running through the middle of the tent and a hurricane trying to blow it over, and a week in the lakes in a barn conversion where it pissed on us solidly the whole time we were there.

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birdie

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quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
My kids are boys aged 8 and 12. Our holidays are either camping by the beach or in a forest or we stay in a cottage and go walking and sight seeing. We've camped from their earliest ages, my youngest was 2 months when he first went in a tent. Walking works well, children are less bored when active and we try to make it geologically interesting, for instance, 2 years ago we visited Ardnamurchan in Scotland and climbed very small mountains, visited an ex-volcano and squeaked the Singing Sands, as well as nature spotting. My youngest must have been only 5 when we dragged him round some bits of the Wall and local Roman forts in Northumbria. Packed lunches by day/home cooked or pub in the evening.
This year we are staying in 2 cottages in Skye, one overlooking a Loch, the other the Cuillins. My husband is taking my 12 year old up some proper mountains [Smile]

What would you/will you do if it pisses down solid all the time you're there, out of interest?


I can't speak for HA, but in my family the answer to this is "put your waterproofs on and do exactly the same". This is a bit more challenging when camping but if you're in a (watertight!) cottage or similar it's fine. If it's really wet on a camping holiday we'll try to find more indoor stuff, and will consent to soft play in an emergency.

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Karl: Liberal Backslider
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# 76

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quote:
Originally posted by birdie:
quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
My kids are boys aged 8 and 12. Our holidays are either camping by the beach or in a forest or we stay in a cottage and go walking and sight seeing. We've camped from their earliest ages, my youngest was 2 months when he first went in a tent. Walking works well, children are less bored when active and we try to make it geologically interesting, for instance, 2 years ago we visited Ardnamurchan in Scotland and climbed very small mountains, visited an ex-volcano and squeaked the Singing Sands, as well as nature spotting. My youngest must have been only 5 when we dragged him round some bits of the Wall and local Roman forts in Northumbria. Packed lunches by day/home cooked or pub in the evening.
This year we are staying in 2 cottages in Skye, one overlooking a Loch, the other the Cuillins. My husband is taking my 12 year old up some proper mountains [Smile]

What would you/will you do if it pisses down solid all the time you're there, out of interest?


I can't speak for HA, but in my family the answer to this is "put your waterproofs on and do exactly the same". This is a bit more challenging when camping but if you're in a (watertight!) cottage or similar it's fine. If it's really wet on a camping holiday we'll try to find more indoor stuff, and will consent to soft play in an emergency.
Rather depends if you want to walk to the accompaniment of loud crying. They are meant to be on holiday, not a boot camp.

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Heavenly Anarchist
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# 13313

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We usually stay in a cottage when walking up north, we'd still go walking in drizzle with waterproofs (easy walking like nature reserves) but my kids are used to that now. In Ardnamurchan the ford and stream beside the house flooded and the boys went and played in the ford in their wellies. We would have contingency plans to visit local historical houses or museums on really bad days and we play board games on a lazy day.
Camping wise, last Whitsun we camped on the North Norfolk coast and had our tent ripped apart on the penultimate day in a gale. It had rained most of the week but the kids still visited the beach for hours in wetsuits and had warm showers when they got back. On the really bad days we went sight seeing.
I'm not going to suggest entertaining kids is easy, our children have grown used to walking holidays and enjoy the novelty of paddling in the rain. My older son is easy being a geeky, straightforward child who likes to be occupied but my younger child is lazier and quite the whinger. But I'm easily as as stubborn as him. We get them involved in all the planning of what will be happening and they enjoy the novelty of being outside. With my eldest geology and science is the interest, my youngest likes the romanticism of adventure and we plan to these tastes.

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Jane R
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# 331

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Karl:
quote:
What would you/will you do if it pisses down solid all the time you're there, out of interest?
Jigsaws; board games; reading. Or if you're close to a soft play area, zoo or (child-friendly) museum take them there.

If they are old enough to read the tourist information leaflets, ask them if they'd like to choose something to do for one day of the holiday. That's how we ended up going to a children's farm on one holiday; Daughter found the leaflet by herself.

We've been to Ardnamurchan too. It's fine going on the beach in the rain if your holiday cottage is a short sprint away; you just go back indoors to thaw out every now and then.

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Karl: Liberal Backslider
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# 76

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quote:
Originally posted by Jane R:
Karl:
quote:
What would you/will you do if it pisses down solid all the time you're there, out of interest?
Jigsaws; board games; reading. Or if you're close to a soft play area, zoo or (child-friendly) museum take them there.

If they are old enough to read the tourist information leaflets, ask them if they'd like to choose something to do for one day of the holiday. That's how we ended up going to a children's farm on one holiday; Daughter found the leaflet by herself.

We've been to Ardnamurchan too. It's fine going on the beach in the rain if your holiday cottage is a short sprint away; you just go back indoors to thaw out every now and then.

That's what we did. Problem is, we're still paying for it. I have this (probably irrational) aversion to doing things on holiday I could just as easily (or more easily) do at home, so sitting reading a book or playing board games feels like I'm wasting time I had to take off of work and money I spent renting the place we're staying. It rankles.

Besides which, the kids won't do these things for very long before getting bored. I'm really beginning to wonder if we all have ADHD, we get bored so quickly.

Never happy, me. There's always something wrong. At work we call my boss Tigger because he's always so bouncily excited about something. Me they call Eeyore.

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Chorister

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Your kids probably wouldn't buy it, as they sound very different to mine, but we took out English Heritage and National Trust cards, went off looking at castles and other old properties, plus the wilder gardens / woods, in the mornings, then crashed out on the beach (or back at the ranch) for the afternoon when everyone was too tired to do anything else. In fact, we always have done, and still do this type of holiday. If I go to the beach too early in the day, I get bored, let alone any kids in our party.
Alternatives to EH/NT, for a change, were: museums, going underground with hard hats (caving/mining), farm parks, adventure parks, steam train rides, climbing towers.

And yes, showing the kids the Tourist Info brochures, and letting them plan some of the days out, is a good one - if the kids are happy, you will be happy.

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Karl: Liberal Backslider
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We have EH cards, but there aren't always lots of properties nearby. We spent a bloody fortune on alternatives when we went to the Isle of Wight (there's only Carisbrooke Castle and some stately home place that the kids hated the very idea of). We were still recovering from the over-budget spend on that one a year later and I'm still buggered if I know what we spent it on. Visit the zoo, the dinosaur exhibit and a couple of other places and it seems that hundreds of quid have vanished.

I think it's the costs that's frustrating me. There are lots of things you can do, but the entrance fees are often extortionate (see above).

Argh! Why can't I just be normal and fry on a beach in the Algarve for a week and get pissed every evening like normal people do?

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busyknitter
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There's an 8 year gap between our two. Son#2 is severely autistic so all bets are off with regard to "normal" family holidays. But when we only had the eldest and he was 5-8-ish we had a couple of fantstic holidays, which involved packing some camping equipment in the car, crossing the Channel and driving in whatever direction we fancied. We camped at public sites and generally stayed two or three days at each place. If we didn't like a place, or got bored, or it rained we moved on a bit quicker than otherwise.

One holiday involved a three week tour around Southern Germany, the Austrian Tyrol, the Dolomites and Carinthia. Another time we took the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao and pootled around Northern Spain and Portugal for a while.

It was brilliant fun and I think our son enjoyed these tours as much as we did (apart from the huge row we all had the day we drove 50 miles to Santiago de Compostela and all he wanted to do was go to the Macdonalds in the suburbs).

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comet

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what is "soft play"?

Karl - maybe a vacation "in" would suit you better. we have "grounded" ourselves - cut off phone/internet, gathered materials for activities (canning, painting a room, planting a garden) checked out a ton of books, got the stuff for a spa day. then spend a week sleeping late, not answering the door (or phone obviously) and just relaxed. it can be nice. kids don't enjoy it as well as the grownups, though.

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Heavenly Anarchist
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# 13313

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I like the idea of a paint a room or dig a veg plot vacation, I might try a home holiday in the summer.

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Pigwidgeon

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I like the idea of a "paint a room" holiday too -- any Shippies care to take a holiday at my house? Paint, brushes, and rollers will be provided.

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Sioni Sais
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Cash is a little short at the moment so we are enjoying "Staycations", which take careful planning to ensure these don't cost a fortune in days out!

For the 'summer' we intend to spend a few days with friends about a mile away. Days will probably be spent at the cheaper attractions, which include the Museums of Wales which are FREE (OK, you have to pay for parking and at Caerleon you have to find parking), some walking and maybe messing about on a canal boat owned by more friends. That will probably be our most expensive day with lock fees, fuel and a pub lunch.

Evenings will be spent in the garden, starting with cocktails, then beer and wine with whatever we eat which may well be a BBQ. If the kids are around they can join in.

We buy all the booze up front and stop when it runs out, so we don't have the awful scenario of surviving on holiday with next to no cash.

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Lucia

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quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:

Besides which, the kids won't do these things for very long before getting bored. I'm really beginning to wonder if we all have ADHD, we get bored so quickly.

Being bored is not necessarily a problem it can help you get creative
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Gracious rebel

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quote:
Originally posted by comet:
what is "soft play"?

I guess it must be called something else across the pond.
Here is a typical British example that is actually called 'Rainydays'

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Doublethink.
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When I was that age we got dragged around roman ruins - we were mostly in Syria so I am afraid my personal experience is not that helpful.

Firstly, do you have proper kit for them - so they feel indestructible ? If you are going to walk in the lakes when it is raining, a waterproof coat is not enough. You need the full fleeces, hiking boots, waterproof trousers, gaiters combo.

Secondly, have you considered an adventure holiday - abseiling, canoing, gully scrambling etc. (checking they are happy to do it all weathers first).

Has anyone tried centreparks or butlins - are they any good ?

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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell

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busyknitter
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We went to a Centerparc once when the boys were 10 and 2. We liked it well enough, but thought it was overpriced for what we got out of it.

However, we have also been to Duinrell in Holland a few times, which we liked a lot more. The pool is one of the best I've seen, the amusement park was just right for us (so some folks might find it tame) and it's only 20 minutes from the Hook of Holland.

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no prophet's flag is set so...

Proceed to see sea
# 15560

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Snow sports in winter, water activities in summer. Gotta be outside. Gotta treat your NDD (nature deficit disorder™). When its cold, huddle together, light a fire burn sticks and write in the air with them. Sing songs, roast marshmallow. Learn how not to whine and complain. Have a fight of the snowball or water kind.

This is what we've always done. We took our first child camping when she was 3 weeks old. Camping here means tent, cooking over a fire and water things. We've done this ever since. Though we bought a cabin 18 months ago, so softening up in body to match head.

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Galloping Granny
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There's a shortage of medieval castles and stately homes in New Zealand, but we camped each year in and around National Parks, doing (mostly) day walks either by ourselves or on guided walks with park staff, and sitting in on talks – I remember our kids at Franz Joseph in the front row at several talks, asking questions and bonding with the scientist (very disappointed when his walk to the seal colony was called off because of heavy rain). We did a two-day tramp up the Travers Valley from the head of Lake Roroiti, when 8-year-old fell out of his top bunk in the middle of the night – we got someone who was tramping out to send the water taxi for us a day later but the kid was okay.

When we stopped at a camping ground they would join the other youngsters and play for hours; down south where the daylight lasts longer the mums would gang up when it was time to call them in to bed.

We had a Camp-o-matic folding camper; the kids slept on the ground under the awning but joined us 'inside' if it rained heavily. There's something lovely about the sound of rain on canvas just above your head – as long as it's only for a day!
Son now teaches physics but regularly takes groups of students tramping in the nearest ranges. Daughter lives in Canada, 20 minutes from a skifield, where she, her partner and the kids from when they can walk are on skis in winter, and on bikes in the summer.

GG

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The Kingdom of Heaven is spread upon the earth, and men do not see it. Gospel of Thomas, 113

Posts: 2629 | From: Matarangi | Registered: Jun 2008  |  IP: Logged
Chorister

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# 473

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Perhaps families have somewhat lost the art of amusing themselves on not much money these days. Thinking back to childhood fun, and also to the revisited ideas of Forest School, could you plan to spend some days in the woods - trekking, den building, tree climbing, finding a clearing and lighting a fire, cooking something, having some sort of treasure hunt? One idea is to take a bag each and collect something beginning with each letter of the alphabet (or as many as possible). On Dartmoor it's easy because there are letterboxes to find. I think there have been a few 'Survival Skills' books written in recent years to encourage children to explore their environment more - has anyone on here used them with their own children? Could you let each child take control of the digital camera for a few hours, with specific things to find and photograph? Some children really enjoy such challenges.

[ 27. March 2013, 21:38: Message edited by: Chorister ]

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busyknitter
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# 2501

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On rereading the thread I've noticed a few of you have been to Ardnamurchan. Now that's my idea of holiday heaven. My parents took us there every single summer from when I was about 11 till after I left uni. And I've returned every few years as an adult as well.

Heavenly Anarchist, was your cottage in Glenborrodale by any chance? The stream and ford sound very like the one at the place where we used to stay.

There is no finer place on God's earth than the shores of Loch Sunart on a sunny day. Particularly if the midges keep away.

[ 28. March 2013, 00:01: Message edited by: busyknitter ]

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ken
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# 2460

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Ardnamurchan. Yes!

Its not easy to post links to photos from this phone, but maybe tomorrow. Show everyone how lovely it is.

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Ken

L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.

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SyNoddy
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# 17009

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For us when the offspring were small it was self catering bucket n spade seaside holidays. On the beach all day unless driven inland by inclement weather or boredom. Body boarding, exploring rock pools and then the highlight of trying to dam the inevitable stream running down to the sea. We favour small old fashioned seaside towns, ideally stuck in the 1950s and so Cromer became a firm favourite.
National Trust family membership helps out on wet days and living museums such as Blisthill at Ironbridge call for multiple return visits.
As they got older we have had some fabulous narrow boat holidays on the inland canals. Plenty of time to read, sketch or whatever between the hectic activity of locks. Plus changing scenery and plenty of choice of real ale waterside pubs. We once spent a week between Ratcliffe on Trent power station and Rugeley power station, not the most glamorous location for a holiday but wonderful fun and I saw my first kingfisher, not to mention a stop over at Burton on Trent and a visit to the brewery dray horses.

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jedijudy

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# 333

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I feel like such a weenie compared to y'all! My kids and I liked to do the warm weather things.

The whole time I was growing up, our family would go tent camping. We would hike the hills, swim in the small dammed up stream, cook out and play board games in the evenings. We really liked the games where you can be mean to your parents. We were quite obnoxious with our yelling and laughing! This was a pretty civilized camping area.

The other favorite camping place could only be reached by boat. There was no running water, so we would have to carry our own in. This place was a reservoir with lots of fish...so we spent many happy hours fishing! Exploring on the water and around the site was a lot of fun, too.

And we always brought a lot of reading material.

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Jasmine, little cat with a big heart.

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lilBuddha
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# 14333

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quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
Argh! Why can't I just be normal and fry on a beach in the Algarve for a week and get pissed every evening like normal people do?

Never understood vacations like that. Boring as hell. When I was a child, wherever we were, we saw what we could, experienced what we could. We complained at times, children do. But I will never forget walking the walls of a medieval fortress at 4. Descending worn stairs to the "torture chamber." I still love such things, but the view is always somewhat through my childhood eyes. And this makes the experience better, I think. My sisters and I still enjoy such things because our parents took us where they enjoyed going. It was discovery, joy and wonder.*
As far as inclement weather, one deals. Helps to have a backup plan.


*Well, most of the time. I was the perfect angel, but my sisters.....

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Ariel
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# 58

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Well, yes. Family holidays were never particularly child-centred - I was bored stiff in art galleries - but some of the places we went and the things I saw as a child have left indelible, precious memories that have lasted a lifetime. My parents wanted to see the world, and that's what we did. I have no regrets about that. For years after I started work I had no spare cash at all and travel was impossible - even outside the city I lived in - but at least I could point to a map and say I'd been there, or there, or somewhere else.

We never went camping and I really don't understand the appeal of roughing it when you don't have to, but everyone should have the kind of holiday they most enjoy, otherwise it isn't a holiday.

[ 28. March 2013, 07:43: Message edited by: Ariel ]

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Heavenly Anarchist
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# 13313

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quote:
Originally posted by busyknitter:

Heavenly Anarchist, was your cottage in Glenborrodale by any chance? The stream and ford sound very like the one at the place where we used to stay.

Further west, on a track north of Kilchoan towards the lighthouse. The cottage was in the middle of nowhere and we had pine marten and mink visiting at night and saw weasels and wood mice by day [Smile] I saw a sea eagle near Glenborrodale. We did the touristy thing too and got the ferry to Tobermory (Balamory to those with children).

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North East Quine

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# 13049

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I asked my 16 year old what her happiest memories of holidays aged 5-9 were. Her answer:
1. Picnics amongst ruins; castles, brochs, whatever. Plenty of scope for running around and exploring.
2. The time we stayed at Cathedral of the Isles ; the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night, and we ended up in our PJs on the lawn at 2am, surrounded by firemen.
3. Puddling about in rockpools and small streams.

It's a few years since we stayed at the Cathedral of the Isles, but it provided cheap basic family accomodation, and Cumbrae is idyllic - we hired bikes and cycled round the island etc.

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Karl: Liberal Backslider
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# 76

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quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:
Perhaps families have somewhat lost the art of amusing themselves on not much money these days. Thinking back to childhood fun, and also to the revisited ideas of Forest School, could you plan to spend some days in the woods - trekking, den building, tree climbing, finding a clearing and lighting a fire, cooking something, having some sort of treasure hunt? One idea is to take a bag each and collect something beginning with each letter of the alphabet (or as many as possible). On Dartmoor it's easy because there are letterboxes to find. I think there have been a few 'Survival Skills' books written in recent years to encourage children to explore their environment more - has anyone on here used them with their own children? Could you let each child take control of the digital camera for a few hours, with specific things to find and photograph? Some children really enjoy such challenges.

Do you know any woods where you're allowed to light a fire?

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Doublethink.
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# 1984

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Well, maybe when you come back from the woods ?

[ 28. March 2013, 20:45: Message edited by: Doublethink ]

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All political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it coincides with their own wishes, and the most grossly obvious facts can be ignored when they are unwelcome. George Orwell

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Chorister

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# 473

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Can't say I've ever been to woods where it's not been OK to light a fire (in a suitable clearing, down by the river), taking responsible precautions, of course. How else to have a barbecue on a summer's evening?

But then rural areas of Creamtealand are probably rather different to more built-up areas.

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daisydaisy
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# 12167

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quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
I asked my 16 year old what her happiest memories of holidays aged 5-9 were. Her answer:
1. Picnics amongst ruins; castles, brochs, whatever. Plenty of scope for running around and exploring.
2. The time we stayed at Cathedral of the Isles ; the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night, and we ended up in our PJs on the lawn at 2am, surrounded by firemen.
3. Puddling about in rockpools and small streams.

It's a few years since we stayed at the Cathedral of the Isles, but it provided cheap basic family accomodation, and Cumbrae is idyllic - we hired bikes and cycled round the island etc.

Thank you NEQ - I have been wondering where to go this summer, and have now booked a week in August on Cumbrae
- the more I read about it the more I am looking forward to it... rock pools, cycling.... firemen (oh, but I'm not staying there )

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ken
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# 2460

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quote:
Originally posted by Heavenly Anarchist:
]Further west, on a track north of Kilchoan towards the lighthouse.

I stronly suspect I remember the exact cottage. Not hard seeing how few buildings there are on Ardnamurchan aanyway!

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Ken

L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.

Posts: 39579 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002  |  IP: Logged
ken
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# 2460

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quote:
Originally posted by ken:
Ardnamurchan. Yes!

Its not easy to post links to photos from this phone, but maybe tomorrow. Show everyone how lovely it is.

Its a bit later than tomorrow, and there aren't many pictures there of the places we stayed when we were in our teens and twenties, but here are some pictures of Ardnamurchan and nearby areas that I took on a short weekend visit a few years ago.

quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
It's a few years since we stayed at the Cathedral of the Isles, but it provided cheap basic family accomodation, and Cumbrae is idyllic - we hired bikes and cycled round the island etc.

I once did a two-week microbiology course in the Marine Biology Station at Millport. (Which is a wonderful place and a serious scientific research institution as well and deserves to be kept going, O idiotic government funderrs) It happened to coincide with the Country and Western Week. So I got the two extremes of Millport in one [Smile]

Cumbrae is a lovely island. And so very on the edge. The immediate landscape of Millport feels like what it is, one of the slightly wilder parts of Ayrshire, the buildings and vegetation have a south-western feel to them, but walk a few hundred yards west of town and look over the firth of Clyde towards Arran and you could fancy yourself in the North West or the Highlands. Completely different landscape. Real mountains. Then go a few hundred yards to the east of the town (where the Marine Biology Station is - have a look inside - there is a public aquarium) and just on the other side of the water from you there are towns and factories and a nuclear power station! But go to the north end of the island - an hour's brisk walk or fifteen minutes on a rented bicycle - and look north and you can see Argyll in the distance - forests and moorland and mountains on your left, but to your right the very beginign oc Clydeside industry and shipping - well you can if you have a pair of binoculars and its not raining!

(Edited to fix code)

[ 05. April 2013, 17:37: Message edited by: Firenze ]

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Ken

L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.

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daisydaisy
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# 12167

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Bike is booked, and I plan to take both binoculars and serious waterproofs.
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Heavenly Anarchist
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We've just booked 2 weeks on Skye, a week in a cottage overlooking Loch Snizort and a week in a cottage overlooking the Cuillins (we couldn't decide between cottages). My other half intends to take my 12 year old on some longer walks this time. I've also purchase wetsuits for dh and I so we don't freeze in the Fairy pools! ( the boys already have some from previous beach holidays).

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Heavenly Anarchist
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# 13313

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Oops, I've been a bit repetitive - apologies!

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Nenya
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# 16427

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Our kids were a joy on holiday, though we took care to go to places where there were plenty of places of interest for them at that sort of age - working farms, activity areas, ice cream places - and we never did camping as we all enjoy a certain level of comfort and a hot bath and proper bed at the end of the day! When they got a bit older we took them abroad and stayed in apartments round a swimming pool.

We didn't manage to get them into the historical places thing - they were profoundly unimpressed with the Tower of London [Roll Eyes] - and Nenlet1 developed an early taste for shopping which we tried to indulge for maybe half a day.

Think we might have more of a problem as we go forwards when it's just Mr Nen and me - he likes to Go Places and Do Stuff and I just want to curl up with my book and not have to think about tea.

Nen - boring but easily pleased.

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jedijudy

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Ken, your photos are lovely! Some of the ones at the beginning remind me of where I grew up in Pennsylvania.

Speaking of which, my sister and I were talking of taking a pilgrimage to the land of our birth. I haven't been there for almost twenty years.

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Jasmine, little cat with a big heart.

Posts: 18017 | From: 'Twixt the 'Glades and the Gulf | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged



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