Randy Seaver has given us a summer challenge in the middle of winter for this week’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

1) Tell us about a memorable summer vacation when you were a child. What are your memories of summer vacations with your family? Did you travel? How? Did you visit extended family? Who?

All of my summers growing up were always the same – visiting grandparents and aunts/uncle/cousins at lakes in Maine and New  Hampshire. I always had a terrific time in both places and can’t single out any one summer

Therefore, I am going to veer slightly off course to Easter vacation in 1970. Easter was early that year – March 29 to be exact – and on Good Friday, the 27th, I, along with 200 fellow classmates and several teacher-chaperones, took off in a chartered plane for Kitzbuhel, Austria for a week of skiing and winter fun.

Even by 1970 prices, this trip was a steal. Included in the price was the round trip flight to Munich, the bus ride to Kitzbuhel, a week’s worth of ski rentals, lessons and pass to the resort, along with a couple of meals per day. Total cost? $250!!!

Everyone had a great time. The weather was mild enough that the locals were out in shorts, but the snow pack was several feet deep.

What better time could be had for a bunch of high school kids?

I have to admit something, though. Most people who know me know that I am not fond of snow, due to a childhood of having to shovel sidewalks and scrape windshields every time the white stuff came down.

Why then would I want to go on a skiing trip? One word – Europe. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit Europe.

I went out on the slopes a couple of times. It was my first time ever skiing, so I learned how to snowplow! The trip was announced at the end of my junior year of high school so families could plan. My parents said I could go. When I shared the news with my New England friends during summer vacation, they were quite jealous that I was going to ski in Austria.

Did I enjoy skiing? It was okay, but it was still in snow. (I loved waterskiing in the summer, though.)

I spent most of my time enjoying the town and visiting the shops. In fact, my most vivid memory, besides seeing white everywhere, is of one item – cuckoo clocks. They were as plentiful as the snow. Most of them played Edelweiss. Yes, I bought a small one to bring back home.

Why was it the best vacation? Like I said, it was in Europe, I had just turned 18, everyone had friends on the trip and we made new ones, including a group of British school kids. A great time was had by all.

It was basically a one week fun party. My last memory of the trip is that the plane trip back was very, very quiet as most of us were sleeping.