South Carolina, New Jersey, Florida, and New York are the top traveled destinations for the holidays, according to US City Traveler, yet, most people at Yamhill Carlton High School decide to stay home. Unless you are Sophomore Izzy Pinacho and Art teacher Armon Barrows, who have exciting plans for this year’s holidays.
Although Barrows may not be traveling to the listed destinations, the plains of Eastern Montana are just as exciting.
“I usually go because my mother lives there,” said Barrows. His mother lives in Harlowton in what can be described as a ‘very small town’. It may be small, but the weather there is vastly cold due to the flat land. The winds are high and it easily gets below freezing around the holidays.
Celebrating Christmas with his wife, Barrows stays at his home in Oregon until after Christmas, then he visits his mother. He plans on leaving on the 26th and coming back around the 30th, he is still unsure on the exact date. However it will be a short, yet fun trip that he is a little nervous about the weather.
Mentioning a story of last year when he visited, Barrows talks about the rental car he used that froze over. “Yeah the liquids froze, which doesn’t typically happen,” said Barrows. Gathering that Barrows likes to visit his mother and spend the holidays with her, he would much rather prefer the summer season to be with her.
Someone who prefers the cold weather is Pinacho, who although stays in Oregon, travels to Mount Hood for the holidays. Pinachos’ family rents out a lodge for the entirety of the winter break, celebrating the holidays with each other.
“Yeah, we go every year to Mount Hood,” says Pinacho. They mention the car ride as well, as it may be long, their favorite person to sit by in the car is Pinachos brother, Triston.
Staying in a cabin for two weeks, the family’s tradition is to bring the presents there and to open them up midday on Christmas. “If you don’t want to drive all the way up, you can just snowboard at the cabin,” said Pinacho. Snowboarding either at the cabin or farther up the mountain, the possibilities are endless.
Other than spending time with their family, Pinacho loves the hot cocoa that they make at the cabin at mount hood. “It’s really good. It warms me up and I drink it with my family, it’s much cheaper than at the lodge,” said Pinacho as they laughed.
Their favorite person to snowboard with is Pinachos brother Triston. Taping each other doing tricks is their favorite thing to do then the actual snowboarding itself.
Both Barrows and Pinacho are excited to be with their families around the holidays. Hopefully it won’t be too cold for them in Montana and Mount Hood.
