November 1996
With three energetic children and a demanding schedule on General Hospital, I really have to work hard at spending quality time with my family. I believe being with my children, taking an active role in their lives, and being involved in their interests is the greatest gift a parent can give. I do my best throughout the year, but, sometimes, it makes for really long days! So, that’s why I focus on having lots of fun with them during the summer break.
Summertime in California is delightful! The weather is warm and flowers are in bloom. We have barbecues, picnics, camp-outs, Little League, swimming teams, and summer school. We live in a small house on a large lot. With the three children, I figure they need to run and play more than I need a large home!
In our backyard, we have a tree house, playhouse, jungle gym, vegetable garden, fruit trees, pool, and tennis court. We fill each day with adventure, and family, and friends.
One special treat we allow ourselves each year is a vacation reunion with four of our friends. It’s something I love to chat about with my friends on both General Hospital and Days of our Lives. Between the five families, we have 11 children, most of whom are three years old.
Last year, we went to an island in South Carolina- and missed a hurricane by two weeks! This year, it was a dude ranch in Colorado, in a beautiful valley surrounded by the Rocky Mountains.
The Wits End is about an hour from Durango and a world away from Hollywood. Each family settles into its own authentic cabin, decorated in the best bed ‘n’ breakfast tradition. Eiderdown comforters, fresh flowers- the works. The magnificent lodge, made from logs, boulders, and antlers, is more than 100 years old. The five star restaurant boasts a gourmet chef, yet outside, it is pure dude ranch. The ponds are well-stocked for fishing and horses run wild.
Cowboys took us into the arena where we galloped and raced round barrels, and they led us on trail rides through the country side. The children were kept busy with activities from dawn to dinner. We hiked through the valley and up the mountain. Since I’m now the exercise buff, I skipped up the trails singing, “I Feel Good” while the others huffed and puffed and called me names!
At night, after our cook-out or gourmet meal in the lodge, we all sat around the campfire singing old songs while one cowpoke strummed his guitar and another played harmonica. It was a scene out of a family movie, and as I looked around, I started crying! All the children were nestled on someone’s lap; it didn’t matter whether it was a parent or friend. We really were five families turned into one.
It was an idyllic week. We were so moved by the Old West that, on the drive home, we stopped at Indian Ruins, the Painted Desert, and the Grand Canyon. It was the first trip I’ve ever been on that I wasn’t relieved and happy to get home! On the GH set, I’ve been talking of nothing else! So while our five families consider destinations for next year, half the cast of GH has asked for brochures from The Wits End and are making bookings for next summer!
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