Oh neat - I like your map! My grandma used to travel a lot, she would buy me (and my girl cousin) spoons from the places she visited, and my brother (and the boy cousins) a key chain. My mom took a puzzle of the map of the US, put it together and mounted it on a bulletin board, then stuck pins in each state to hang the key chain on that it was from. And to demonstrate yet another instance of my own oblivious-ness.....I was just at her house for Thanksgiving, and I couldn't tell you whether it is still hanging in the hallway or not.
I guess I'll have to make a point to look next time I'm there.
I like the key chain idea! That sounds like a cool way to have a little trophy from the places you've been. Oddly enough, I got the map idea from one I saw hanging in my grandmother's house.
I loved reading your trip report.
YAY i love stupid hat pictures! I take them all the time as well (at disney) =)
Happy Holidays
I appreciate you taking the time to read it!
I see that Oregon isn't even showing on your picture. Do you like waterfalls?? Microbrews?? Green forests with hikes in the mist? Do come to visit!
We decided that to get a pin, it either has to involve all 5 of us, or a special (and rare) Mommy/Daddy trip. So far, I'm the only one who has been to Oregon. I'd love to go back, though. I thought the Columbia River Gorge was beautiful--Multnomah Falls is spectacular. The Oregon coastline is gorgeous, too, and now as a golfer I'm drooling over the big golf resort in Bandon.
Waterfalls: I'm a complete sucker for them. Could watch them all day.
Microbrews: We're a non-drinking family, actually. But I have no problem sitting with friends and enjoying their company while they have their favorite beverage.
Green forests with hikes in the mist: yes, please!
Someday, we'll get out that way. I'll be sure to let you know!
Slowly trying to catch up with my comments on threads... As everyone else, I loved your wrap up! I grew up in a family who did not bother with expensive cars, but rather with experiences, just as yours. I am still very thankful for all of our family vacations - and that my parents let me go away as an exchange student.
I bet you wouldn't trade those experiences for anything, would you? You might have mentioned this before and I just missed it, but where did you go as an exchange student?
Good to hear that you are planning to still be around on the DIS, I hope you will let us know when you have a new TR going, I really enjoyed the one you wrote on the DISdads website and would love to read any new ones.
As other have said already, you really have a talent for writing.
Thank you so much!
I normally hang out on the DIS Dads club thread (and sometimes the photography caption contest), but as I've gotten to know people and made friends on the boards here I've branched out some more.
I'm flattered that you want to read more TR's. We'll probably have a couple of mini-trips next year and then one big one, and I'll probably write them up just because I enjoy it. Most likely they'll be posted on the DISDads website. I don't think there's a thread here for non-Disney travel, right?
Did you notice that we now have a Cheesecake Factory at the Christiana Mall?
No more trekking up to King of Prussia!
Did I notice?! I think we're keeping that place in business. It's hard to avoid the temptation to just stop and pick up a slice on the way home from my grandmother's house. I shudder to think what my next cholesterol test will say.
There are too many people with fascinating stories to tell. Like yours, for instance. 
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