Growing up farm kids, vacations were a rare occurrence.  We just couldn’t leave the farm. The pigs, cows, horses, dogs, cats, crops and garden needed tending. Yes, someone else could do chores, but the issue was more about timing than anything; getting the hay baled, wheat cut, pastures mowed, calves doctored, pigs weaned, feed mixed, horses shod, garden weeded, beans canned . . . get the picture. ...