BROWNE VACATIONS:  Just a little "Browne" fun... An article written by your Grandparents for a church publication similar to the Ensign.  See below for actual article and pictures.  Note:  the trip is just a mere 10,600+ miles.  You come from pioneer stock!!  Enjoy!

MAY 1963

THE INSTRUCTOR

  The Invited Guest on Your Vacation
by Edna and Arthur D. Browne - a member of the General Board of the Deseret Sunday School Union.

It happens every spring. As surely as sap rises in trees, vacation fever strikes human beings and excites a mass exodus. The urge to be on the move and to enjoy a change of scene stirs us into a flurry of activity — reading travel folders, studying road maps, buying new sun glasses.

Society uproots itself. The security of home is traded for the rigors of traveling, roughing it in wilderness areas, fighting crowds at popular resorts, or baking on sun-drenched beaches. Generally we find vacations restful, fun, and adventurous. Could we ask for anything more? Perhaps we could. The best possible vacations are pleasant experiences rich with beauty, with learning, with love, and with spirituality.

Rewarding vacations do not just "happen." They require forethought and cooperation, alertness and determination, understanding and patience. For families who have not realized their full vacation potential, we offer a few suggestions which may enrich and increase the enjoyment you receive from vacations.

The essential feature of a purposeful vacation is to take God with you. We count our family among the many who do not embark on even the shortest journey without first kneeling in family prayer. In this way, we not only ask for our Heavenly Father's protection but invite His influence to be with us. We find that prayer sets the mood for happy times.

A stake president had an inspirational experience when he and his sons accompanied a friend on a fishing trip. En route to a high mountain lake, the friend suggested stopping to visit a family living close to the mountains. The stake president and his sons were total strangers to the family. Yet, all the travelers were welcomed warmly and urged to stay to dinner. The family invited the guests to join in their customary evening prayer at which time the Lord's blessings and protection were invoked in behalf of the travelers. This warm, friendly gesture immediately sealed close bonds of fellowship between the family and the vacationers, set a securely peaceful mood for the rest of the trip, and left a lasting impression of gratitude upon the president and his sons.

We believe that keeping the Sabbath day holy is as necessary "on safari" as it is at home. Wherever you may be, a way can be found to worship God. In strange cities during cross-country trips, you may find your church by consulting the telephone book, the Red Cross, Traveler's Aid Society, the local Chamber of Commerce, directories in hotel lobbies and motel offices; or you may simply ask directions of a policeman, service station attendant, or others who deal with the public.

In national parks, campers frequently band together to hold Sunday services. Such outdoor worship, inspired by the Lord's creations, is unmatched in its beauty and simplicity. The immortal words of Bryant remind us that the groves were God's first temples. Those natural chapels also provide a setting for private family worship if organized meetings are unavailable. From youngest to oldest, each family member can find expression in singing, praying, or speaking.

[PICTURE:  Viewing beautiful scenery was Along the Cabot Trail in one of the pleasant experiences Nova Scotia, the family saw enjoyed by the Browne Family, the blue Atlantic waters.]

[PICTURE:  The south shore of Nova Scotia This picturesque village is

invites the traveler to stop found between Chester and at one of the coves or bays. Hubbards Cove, Nova Scotia.]

[PICTURE:  the Browne's vacation route] - do you recognize Grandma Browne's artwork?

A young couple with four children said of their vacation in Zion's Canyon: "We had never before felt so close to our Heavenly Father as we did in that breath-taking cathedral of His handiwork, and our children shared our reverent feelings. We can hardly wait to spend another vacation there."

Another friend told us of using a camping trip in a majestic mountain area to help his teen-age sons gain a clearer picture of the creation story, and to provide a setting for relating their concepts on science with religious beliefs. The surging waves on a seashore, a blazing sky at sunset, or tall trees swaying in a primeval forest provide similar opportunities to awaken in children a love of natural beauty and a reverent respect for the Creator.

It is obvious, then, that a vacation can be an excursion to the realm of new knowledge and rich experiences if planned carefully for this purpose. For example, the imaginative mother of four showed us pictures she had obtained from the Utah Historical Society. These she used to explain some fascinating aspects of the state's early history to her children. This "briefing" or orientation prior to a vacation in Southern Utah made the actual trip much more meaningful to the family.

[PICTURE:  The family station wagon furnished one wall of a camper

where all slept at night. Each of the five children were given specific duties to perform on this 10,612 mile trip.]

[PICTURE:  Stops at historical points of interest were planned prior to the beginning of the trip. Here the mother and children stand in front of Paul Revere' s house in Boston, Mass.]

Even history lessons can come alive when taught "on location." Our own six children never tire of recalling a summer trip of three years ago. In seven weeks, we registered 10,612 miles on the speedometer of our station wagon. Our children saw places in the United States and Canada which before had been only names on a map or in a book.

They gaped in childish reverence at Tom Sawyer's whitewashed fence, walked with hushed steps beside Lincoln's tomb, sat silently in the stiff, wooden pews of the Kirtland Temple, marveled at the magnificence of Niagara Falls at night, thrilled to the spectacular Palmyra pageant, rode on the Staten Island ferry for a close-up view of the Statue of

Liberty, peeked through Paul Revere's spectacles in Boston, absorbed the peacefulness of the lovely Acadian landscape where Longfellow's heroine — Evangeline — dwelt, tiptoed into the tiny bedroom where Anne of Green Gables wove her girlish magic, enjoyed the scenic splendor of the Cabot Trail where the continent juts into the Atlantic, and stared wide- eyed at the red-coated Mounties guarding the Canadian Houses of Parliament. The historical and religious perspectives emerging from family discussions of those events, both en route and at home, are a lasting legacy to our children.

Perhaps, however, the greatest value of a well-planned and purposeful family vacation is its rewarding by-product, "togetherness." Through shared responsibilities during fun times and hardships, through complete reliance upon each other, and through teamwork in the face of frustrations and inconveniences, the family emerges a closer-knit, more effective unit; and parent-child rapport reaches a high level. We find, on occasion, greater closeness when we divide our family group. Father camps in the mountains with his boys where they can talk man-to-man, while mother and her daughters rest at a pleasant resort and enjoy girl-talk.

Involving the children in the mechanics of the trip, from its first planning phase to the final unpacking of luggage, gives them a feeling of importance and strengthens family solidarity. They can help with preliminaries such as shopping or gathering road maps, preparing the lunches, and packing their belongings into the car. They can also assume responsibilities which arise during the trip, such as caring for a younger brother or sister, keeping the automobile clean, and watching for road hazards.

One night while traversing an out-of-the-way and unknown area during a cross-country trip, our ten-year-old son accepted the task of following the road map and reading directions at each highway junction to help his father, who was driving. The other family members were asleep. He remembered the rule that someone must always chat with the driver during late hours as insurance against a fatal cat nap. He sensed that the welfare of the entire family was in his hands. He and his dad felt very close as they chatted quietly through the darkness.

Vacationers can be brought closer to one another and closer to the Lord, too. In any event, we cannot take a vacation from religion nor the Lord. Religious concepts are a way of life; they guide our behavior

at all times. When we do what we know to be good and right, wherever we are, we enjoy ourselves more fully. A vacation rich with spirituality and family love will be a golden memory through all the years to come.

And one final thought — at the end of that vacation you may wish to express your gratitude to your Heavenly Father in family prayer. It is a courtesy we owe to this Invited Guest.

[PICTURE:  Standing on the steps of this Canadian House of Parliament

are the Browne children and their mother, Edna. A red-coated Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman stands by.]

[PICTURE:  Historical and religious perspectives emerged from discussions held prior to and after visits to selected places. Here the family completes a tour of the Joseph Smith home.]