Not My First Rodeo: Summer Memories by Jana Richards

When I was a kid, we didn't go on many summer holidays. Since my parents, and many of my aunts and uncles, were farmers, summers were busy. Any holidays  happened after seeding and summer fallowing, but before haying and harvesting. But even farmers in Saskatchewan, Canada needed a break once in a while.

One of my fondest memories is going to "The States". For several years, my family, along with many of my aunts and uncles and cousins, crossed the US border on our annual trip to Wolf Point, Montana to attend a rodeo there. 

The fun started just after we crossed the Saskatchewan/Montana border when we stopped at a bar just off the highway in the middle of nowhere. Though I was no more than ten, I was very excited about this bar. At home, there was no way I was allowed to enter a drinking establishment, but here in Montana we kids could go inside. Honestly, I don't know if it was actually legal for minors to go inside the bar, but no one ever said we couldn't, so we did. I felt very grown up. My favorite thing was that I got to try cool, different American soft drinks that we didn't get in Canada.

Next, we visited Plentywood, Montana and spent the night in a little hotel there. The only thing I remember about Plentywood is having a slight language problem in the restaurant, even though we all spoke English. Back in the sixties, even though my family did not have any British roots, we still used common British-isms. For instance, we would never call the place where my dad and uncles had a few beers a bar; it was always the pub. And when we placed our order in the restaurant, we asked for fish and chips or a hamburger and chips. And then we were surprised when instead of French fries we got a side of potato chips. But we ate them anyway, because we thought that was how they did things in The States. Or maybe they didn't know what chips really were.

Hey, I didn't say we were sophisticated travelers.  

Next came the main event; the rodeo in Wolf Point. To be truthful, I was never very excited about the rodeo. I saw plenty of cattle at home. My highlight was always the small mid-way that accompanied the rodeo. I loved the rides. My mom and aunts would take us kids, usually in the evening when it was cooler, and we'd get our fill of the rides and games and the weird stuff, like the trailer that displayed all manner of oddities, like the two-headed calf preserved in a jar of formaldehyde. Good times.

Too soon, we packed up and headed home. Our holiday probably only lasted a few days, but it was fun for a little kid from the farm. I could truthfully call myself an international traveler!

I'd love to hear your childhood memories of family trips!