I had to read that sentence not once, not twice but THREE times, Carol! 11 siblings? Eleven?! My goodness gracious. Did you all get along? How did your mom and dad stay sane? How do you fit 13 people in a station wagon???? 🚗All that aside, the houseboat and your adventures sound simply dreamy. ✨Happy 4th of July to you.
Oh, Lisa, this was my normal. As a kid, I just accepted it. Chaos? Yes. Sanity? There were a few moments... My original title was Large Family, Not So Large Houseboat - probably more clickable, but I didn't want to address the conflict of space. Heh. Happy 4th to you, too, and thanks for the restack!
Utterly fascinating in any regard. ☺️Coming from a family of four, this is foreign territory for me. Oh and thank you for the wishes but I'm Canadian. 🇨🇦
I enjoyed this so much! I'm a Wisconsin native and have taken some amazing trips down the Wisconsin River in a kayak or canoe, camping on sandbars at night. Once we canoed all the way to the Mississippi, and I remember seeing several sweet little houseboats moored in shady side channels and wishing I could become a nomad and live in one full-time. But the desert already had my heart, so I moved to New Mexico and became a truck and trailer nomad instead. Thanks for sharing, this brought back some wonderful memories.❤️
You're welcome, Dana. I always loved when we went to Wisconsin. Sometimes we'd go up the St. Croix River which was gorgeous - blue on the surface, gold farther down and red in the deep parts. Sounds like you had some great adventures which you're continuing too have on your nomadic travels. Best to you.
I remember my own two-hour cruise on that boat, Carol! I remember thinking it was the coolest thing. I'd never been on the river before. All my family trips were seven of us in a station wagon, my brother and me laying flat on top of the luggage. As the youngest, I always got car sick. LOL. Everyone has their stories! So fun to see your mom and dad in their element. VERY BRAVE folk to bring 11 kids on a boat. ;-) Happy 4th memories!!
Shelley, oh, yes, the large family life! Ha - I never thought about it but my dad always used to brag, "We haven't lost a passenger yet." Yes, it was brave to have that many kids in a small space. We knew how to be like sardines. In spite of this Mom and Dad were always more relaxed when they were on the river. Happy 4th to. you, too!
I enjoyed reading this when it popped up in my email. What adventures you shared about! Being from a large family and owning a houseboat, so unique! I have a feeling our dads would have gotten along well. Though we never did own a houseboat, living in the middle of the Canadian prairies :) When you described the 'lock system' that seemed a little bit scary to me, having never done it. I suppose you got used to it as part of the whole experience? Have you vacationed on any houseboats as an adult?
Hi Tanis! Yes, as a very young kiddo I had to stay inside when we went through the locks because they told me if I fell in I could drown, even wearing a life jacket. They probably just didn't want me underfoot! I later became really good at riding the locks and being in charge of the rope. I haven't been on any houseboats as an adult but we sometimes take rides on excursion boats and once we took a Caribbean cruise. Would love to hear about your dad. I'll bet they know some of the same jokes and would probably tell stories about us!
What wonderful childhood memories! I became obsessed with houseboats after seeing the movie "Sleepless in Seattle." While more of a house than a boat, I always thought it would be wonderful to live/travel on such a vessel. My husband and I have a 35' sailboat that we sometimes take to various places on the Chesapeake. But now that I'm older and more set in my ways, we would drive each other crazy if we did it for longer than a few days.
A 35' sailboat - how nice! My husband and I seek out sailboat rides. Our last one was in Door County a few years ago - a historic clipper for a sunset ride. Chesapeake Bay would be gorgeous - with or without driving each other crazy. :-) Thanks, Lynn, for stopping by!
I think we complained to be stuck together in the small space, but I did enjoy the water, the beaches that we stopped at and some of the river towns we visited! Thanks, Julie!
I had to read that sentence not once, not twice but THREE times, Carol! 11 siblings? Eleven?! My goodness gracious. Did you all get along? How did your mom and dad stay sane? How do you fit 13 people in a station wagon???? 🚗All that aside, the houseboat and your adventures sound simply dreamy. ✨Happy 4th of July to you.
Oh, Lisa, this was my normal. As a kid, I just accepted it. Chaos? Yes. Sanity? There were a few moments... My original title was Large Family, Not So Large Houseboat - probably more clickable, but I didn't want to address the conflict of space. Heh. Happy 4th to you, too, and thanks for the restack!
Utterly fascinating in any regard. ☺️Coming from a family of four, this is foreign territory for me. Oh and thank you for the wishes but I'm Canadian. 🇨🇦
“O Canadaaa!” Happy Belated Canada Day!
I enjoyed this so much! I'm a Wisconsin native and have taken some amazing trips down the Wisconsin River in a kayak or canoe, camping on sandbars at night. Once we canoed all the way to the Mississippi, and I remember seeing several sweet little houseboats moored in shady side channels and wishing I could become a nomad and live in one full-time. But the desert already had my heart, so I moved to New Mexico and became a truck and trailer nomad instead. Thanks for sharing, this brought back some wonderful memories.❤️
You're welcome, Dana. I always loved when we went to Wisconsin. Sometimes we'd go up the St. Croix River which was gorgeous - blue on the surface, gold farther down and red in the deep parts. Sounds like you had some great adventures which you're continuing too have on your nomadic travels. Best to you.
I remember my own two-hour cruise on that boat, Carol! I remember thinking it was the coolest thing. I'd never been on the river before. All my family trips were seven of us in a station wagon, my brother and me laying flat on top of the luggage. As the youngest, I always got car sick. LOL. Everyone has their stories! So fun to see your mom and dad in their element. VERY BRAVE folk to bring 11 kids on a boat. ;-) Happy 4th memories!!
Shelley, oh, yes, the large family life! Ha - I never thought about it but my dad always used to brag, "We haven't lost a passenger yet." Yes, it was brave to have that many kids in a small space. We knew how to be like sardines. In spite of this Mom and Dad were always more relaxed when they were on the river. Happy 4th to. you, too!
I enjoyed reading this when it popped up in my email. What adventures you shared about! Being from a large family and owning a houseboat, so unique! I have a feeling our dads would have gotten along well. Though we never did own a houseboat, living in the middle of the Canadian prairies :) When you described the 'lock system' that seemed a little bit scary to me, having never done it. I suppose you got used to it as part of the whole experience? Have you vacationed on any houseboats as an adult?
Hi Tanis! Yes, as a very young kiddo I had to stay inside when we went through the locks because they told me if I fell in I could drown, even wearing a life jacket. They probably just didn't want me underfoot! I later became really good at riding the locks and being in charge of the rope. I haven't been on any houseboats as an adult but we sometimes take rides on excursion boats and once we took a Caribbean cruise. Would love to hear about your dad. I'll bet they know some of the same jokes and would probably tell stories about us!
What wonderful childhood memories! I became obsessed with houseboats after seeing the movie "Sleepless in Seattle." While more of a house than a boat, I always thought it would be wonderful to live/travel on such a vessel. My husband and I have a 35' sailboat that we sometimes take to various places on the Chesapeake. But now that I'm older and more set in my ways, we would drive each other crazy if we did it for longer than a few days.
A 35' sailboat - how nice! My husband and I seek out sailboat rides. Our last one was in Door County a few years ago - a historic clipper for a sunset ride. Chesapeake Bay would be gorgeous - with or without driving each other crazy. :-) Thanks, Lynn, for stopping by!
Great your dad thought to buy the boat! Wish I could have joined!
I think we complained to be stuck together in the small space, but I did enjoy the water, the beaches that we stopped at and some of the river towns we visited! Thanks, Julie!