AnselmAdorne

One more map addict here, and like Stu T, I thought briefly of a career as a cartographer.

To this day one of the most pleasurable aspects of planning a trip is buying the map, bringing it home, and slowly opening it up. That's when I get butterflies in my stomach--that wonderful combination of anticipation and excitement--because the map proves that the things we aim to see are really there. (I realize how very odd that must sound, but it's the best way for me to explain it. Maps illustrate reality, at least in my mind.)

Anselm

Nina66

I too am from the Nancy Anne era. Although, by choice, I never played with them, they were loved and admired from their own case. I always kept the original boxes, and the lists of other Nancy Anne's, much to my mother's chagrin.

Like most semi-adults, when I moved out, I left all of my childhood books, toys and dolls in mom's garage. Unbeknownst to me, she consolidated my things, especially my Nancy Annes and put them all in several of the boxes, throwing out the rest. I am a pack rat - she wasn't.

Years later, when she absolutely forced me to take my things, she had given away many of my books and toys, but not the Nancy Annes. I still have some of them, but they are not as pristine as they were when they belonged to a little girl who appreciated them and knew how to take care of them.

I had tea parties with my big brother who was almost eleven years older.... he was the perfect sipping companion for an adoring little sister - complete with an English accent in a high falsetto voice. I could never beat him at jacks no matter how hard I tried.

I guess that he was practicing for the time he would have three daughters and then three granddaughters ;-)


Nina

Underhill

there are two separate volumes of the Halliburton book, one on the Occident, one on the Orient--sometimes they can be found bound as one volume. I still remember Halliburton's account of spending a night by himself in the gardens of the Taj Mahal.

Halliburton disappeared during a sea crossing on a Chinese junk and was never heard from again.

BayouGal

LoveItaly, I had the wooden US puzzle map, too, and after my first child was born, it was one of the first things I bought for her! Thanks for bringing back those great memories!

Great thread, Road!

LoveItaly

AnselmAdorne, I understand completely how you feel when you open up a map, I feel exactly the same way!

And we went from atlas/maps to Madame Alexander dolls to Nancy Anne dolls, I do love Fodorites!!

Nina66, it is funny, we have a lot in common it appears. I never played with my Nancy Anne dolls either. I had a beautiful cabinet for them my grandfather built for me. The only difference with your experience and mine is that my mother gave all of my Nancy Anne dolls away after I moved away from home and got my own apartment. She gave them to a younger cousin. The day I found all of them under my cousins bed, dusty and sort of destroyed was horrible as you can imagine.

SeaUrchin, they really were precious dolls, I had quite a collection thanks to my father. Sob, I wish I still had them! One thing I learned from my experience is I never got rid of any of my daughters or stepchildrens possessions until after I talked to them about if they wanted them. Some items they did and some they didn't but the choice was theirs.

Now back to maps, I LOVE maps!! When I moved I got rid of a lot of old atlas books, I wish I hadn't. One of my few regrets when doing a "clean sweep".

LoveItaly

Bayou Girl, really? I have asked a lot of friends if they ever had that puzzle and noone seems to know what I am talking about. Fantastic! I really do wish I still had mine. I bought my daughter a similar one when she was little but it was made out of cardboard, not as nice.

Underhill, I really do have to check out those Halliburton Books..and here I was a youngster that spent hours and hours in the Berkeley library. And our house was loaded with books. I wonder how I missed out on those books.

Isn't the weather a lot nicer now, not real cool but not as hot, hope you are doing well.

Saraho

Yes, I definitely loved the Halliburton books. When my mother was closing up her house, my brother and I both wanted them, so we had to flip a coin to see who would get to keep them. I won!

Yes, we had the map puzzle, too as did my children, and when I was a kindergarten teacher, so did my class.

My father was a cartographer, although he really did not like to travel much. I am sorry that he did not get to the beautiful places in Europe that he loved to read books about.

My husband is a cartographer who didn't realize that he liked to travel in Europe until he married me!

If you look at my high school annual, you will see my ambition listed- 'Travel in Europe.' And I did , as soon as I earned enough money with my first job, the year after I graduated from college.

Nina66

LoveItaly, yes we do have a lot in common, especially since we are both from the SF area. Were you raised in the City itself as I was? I still live here.

Your story about your cherished Nancy Annes hit close to home. My things stayed at my mother's for so long, that by the time I claimed them, she had let the four granddaughters, including my own daughter, play with my precious dolls, so they ended up looking like yours.

She gave my beautiful Schwinn bicycle to my oldest niece years later, and the next time I saw it, it was outside in the rain, all rusted. My big tea sipping brother had surprised me with it when I was twelve and I had kept it covered and in mint condition - unfortunately, my niece, never felt the same way about it.

You find a Blum's and I'll meet you in a hot second! (returning to the travel aspect of the board)

Nina

beantownchick

Let me join the club, too! My love of geography, history and map reading while growing up is what has propelled me into travelling in my adult life. I remembered we had this 8-10 volume encyclopedia about the different countries, the people, the culture, etc They were my favorite bedtime reading materials.

And in my own volition, I memorized all the fifty states and their capitals, all the countries in Europ and their capitals (thought I'm a little bit hazy on the eastern Europe since the breakup and renaming of the different countries), the countries and capital cities of Central and South America and Far East Asia. I was working my way to Middle East countries and Africa but other stuff happened and priorities changed. I think now, 80% of the time I can still name the countries and their capitals.

In fact, one time after a job interview, I noticed this handcrafted item on the interviewer's desk. I complimented how beautiful it was and he said he got it in Riga. And my reply was "Oh, in Latvia." He was surprised as at that time very few people are even aware of the Balkan States. (This was pre fall of Communism). And I said jokingly, "Well to sound more pompous, I can tell you that Estonia is north of Latvia and Lithuania on the South." It seemed that his grandfather was from Riga. Needless to say I got the job. ;-)

Saraho

Oops, meant to ask Underhill a question. I am curently not traveling because I broke my shoulder and ankle a month ago. I remember you said you broke your shoulder. How long did it take for you to recover, so you really felt like traveling? I had one day of physical therapy this week, and it made me so sore that I felt like I broke it again- ugh!

I want to plan a trip to Italy perhaps even this fall, but I want to make sure I will be recovered enough to enjoy it.

My doctor is the kind who says,"Go ahead, travel- do anything you want," and then laughs because he knows I wouldn't really be able to yet.

Underhill

The broken shoulder took about a year to get back to normal...three months before I could start physical therapy, then five of doing exercises supervised by the therapist, then another three or so on my own. That's what my orthopedist says is the norm for regaining at least 90% of normal range of motion.

I broke the shoulder in January 2004 and had to cancel a trip to D.C. in April. I kept hoping I could go, but one morning I woke up and realized there was no way I could manage to get up and ready for an early-morning flight, let alone manage the flight itself.

I was very lucky in having a superb physical therapist, a giant of a man with healing hands.

degas

Saraho, I hope this is not too personal, but how in the heck did you break your ankle AND your shoulder at the same time.

Saraho

Thanks, Underhill, but I didn't want to hear that. My doctor told me yesterday to wait several more weeks before doing physical therapy again. I have started some gentle exercises at home.

I am going somewhat stir-crazy not being able to drive or walk very far. How long did your doctor keep you from driving?

However, I am going to DC in about ten days with my daughter. I don't think I could do it by myself, but it is a direct flight there.

How long did you wear your sling? I can probably take it off in a week.

Actually we are going on a three hour drive tomorrow to spend a few days with son and family for the fourth. I am not too enthusiastic about the packing with one arm and the long drive, but seeing everybody will be fun.

Saraho

Degas, I tripped on the edge of a concrete driveway while walking my dog! Wrong kind of trip!!

degas

WOW - just goes to show you how fate can turn things upside for you in an instant.

I slipped on a wet floor and fell down a trash chute, but that's another story. How did you send that dog off to eternity?

LoveItaly

Oh Saraho, that must have been awful! I had a shoulder problem about ten years ago for about two years. I never knew how a painful shoulder could slow one down. I hope you recover so you can take more trips.

Dear Nina66, Blums? LOL! Only in our dreams don't you think? Along with going to I Magnin's and the Compass Rose Room at the St. Francis etc.

Nina, I was born in Oakland, raised in the Bay Area. But I had lots of family in SF..my maternal side came from NH to SF right after the Civil War.

We will have to work out meeting in SF..we do have so much in common. Blums, even my daughter misses that delightful pink place.

Wishing you a safe and happy 4th of July.

BayouGal

Saraho, sorry to hear of your injury. Hope you mend quickly!

Marianna

I, too, love maps, globes, atlases, and the encyclopedia! I would study the maps of places I knew nothing about and then would look up those places in the encyclopedia volumes which my parents purchased for us. Those were the days - no internet, just those 24 or 25 volumes to read and look through for hours and hours!

Nina66

LoveItaly, we have probably passed like ships in the night, probably at SFO.

I have cousins who have lived in Oakland and Piedmont for many many years.

When we were kids we used to ride the ferry from the Ferry Builing to the Oakland Estuary, and then take the next ferry back to SF. What a wonderful way to spend and afternoon and I think it was something like 15 or 25˘ each way.

I know how injuries can mess up your travel plans and you have shoulder girls have my deepest sympathy. I'm dealing with collaped discs in my neck and am afraid to plan any trips for the near future. Oh well, I can always looking through my atlas and dream.

Nina

MelissaHI

I was never into maps & globes, but my favorite childhood book was "Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy World." At the time, though, I never realized that I would one day be able to go to the places depicted in the book!

Does anyone remember Pan American Airlines? We used to fly that a lot when I was little, and the airline would give each kid a packet of activities to keep them busy on the plane. It was full of stuff that not only promoted the airline, but promoted the notion of far & frequent travel to young, impressionable minds. Absolute genius for branding and encouraging travel. I would "save" some of the packet's activities to do at home once the trip was done, to tide me over till the next vacation (which of course I'd keep bugging my parents about!). It's too bad airlines have to cut back on costs and don't supply kids with that kind of stuff anymore.