Vacation!

TV back in 1966 was such that there were 4 channels of TV shows from which to choose.  Not much in comparison to our superabundance/glut of channels these days.  Four channels seemed to suffice for for me.  I got in my morning Mr. Zing and Tuffy show, and in the afternoon, Batman.  I was a six year old girl who LOVED the Batman show.  In my imagination, I was right there with Batman and Robin, fighting the Penguin and the Joker.

My mother once told me that my imagination tended to run wild.

Well - just imagine how rampant my 6 year old imagination was running when my parents told me that we were going on a vacation to California.  (Me, probably thinking, OK, sounds fun.  What's a vacation?)  And they told me that we would be gone a few weeks.  (Still not getting the vacation word.  But...sounds fun.)  Let me tell you, when they told me that we would be visiting Uncle Norman and HE LIVED AT WAYNE MANOR, I was absolutely beside myself.  ABSOLUTELY BESIDE MYSELF.

Now, mind you, what came out of their mouths and what I heard were two different things.  What they probably said:

"Uncle Norman and Aunt Elsie have a beautiful home that is used to film the Batman television series.  You five kids WILL be on your best manners at all times."

What six year old me heard:

"Uncle Norman and Aunt Elsie live in BATMAN'S HOUSE!  WAYNE MANOR!!!!  Maybe we will get to see THE BAT CAVE!!!  And who knows?  Maybe Alfred will be working!!  Maybe we will SEE THE BATMOBILE IN THE DRIVE!!!   

OK.  Reality was such that, no, there was no Bat Cave.  No Batmobile.  And Alfred must have been off that day.  Uncle Norman and Aunt Elsie were very nice folks.  They showed us the bowling alley in their basement.  (I thought maybe there would be a connection between that and the Bat Cave, but, alas, my 6 year old hopes were once again dashed.  DASHED!)

Today I came upon a photograph of the visit that day, in 1966:

What stands out in this 50 year old eye today is that station wagon; we seven - Mom, Dad, and 5 kids, drove from Oklahoma to California for two weeks in that un-airconditioned, un-DVD/cd/cassette/8-track car.  I remember I was usually in the very back seat, looking out and seeing things from the rear window.  Interesting perspective of things flying past for two weeks: the giant saguaro cactus in the desert, the Golden Gate Bridge, the ocean.

It really was an amazing trip for the six year old.