Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Jun 1, 2015 15:01:05 GMT -5
obelisk where in Southern France would you suggest visiting? I'm pretty sure I just drove from Calais to Belgium for a meeting, so saw nothing of France at all. Stupid business trips & people that freak out if you even suggest taking an extra day in the lovely european countries.
Provence
We loved Avignon...almost worth putting up with what be the most annoying song...
Small town, great history and wonderful wine!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2015 15:25:16 GMT -5
I'm a lazy buns then. My favorite vacations were when my mom would rent a cabin on a lake in either NH or Maine for a week and just swim and laze around. We would go visit my cousins in NH or hit North Conway for shopping. Of course, she always seemed to schedule just in time for peak blueberry picking. Spent a lot of time doing that too.
The trip to Yellowstone was nice but being squished into half the back seat of a car for the ride from MA sucked. I don't remember a whole lot from the trip to England and Scotland. Jet lag was a bitch. Oh wait. I do remember loving the tub in our hotel room in London because I fit and even had room to float. And I got to go to Paddington Station but alas, no Paddington bear. I looked.
Canada was for band trips. Eh. 'Nuff said for me.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Jun 1, 2015 18:20:24 GMT -5
obelisk where in Southern France would you suggest visiting? I'm pretty sure I just drove from Calais to Belgium for a meeting, so saw nothing of France at all. Stupid business trips & people that freak out if you even suggest taking an extra day in the lovely european countries.
Provence
We loved Avignon...almost worth putting up with what be the most annoying song...
Small town, great history and wonderful wine!
Great suggestion. Think Avignon would be a great base for day trips around the area. My memory of the geography of the area is a little hazy, but I think you've got a papal palace in Avignon. The often pictured Roman acqueduct across the river valley, the Pont du Gard, at Vers-Pont-du-Gard isn't too far away. And the cave paintings at Chauvet Cave, near Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, too. Or you could rental a bicycle and ride part of the route of the Tour de France, if you get as far north as the Valence area (about 80 miles, 1.5 hours). Or a person could try my own favorite. Find a nice shaded sidewalk cafe in the warmth of the late afternoon and watch the passers by while you sip on a few glasses of the delicious local wine until it's time to think about dinner.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 1, 2015 18:32:24 GMT -5
Is that an "and" or a "or"? I have loved lots of vacations that weren't necessarily relaxing. Fun is not always sitting around getting massages or whatever. I come home from every ski trip exhausted - but I love them! We didn't sit still in Chicago nor London - but they were awesome!
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Jun 1, 2015 20:50:34 GMT -5
I believe I was put on this world to vacation and have traipsed all around the world enjoying almost every minute of it. Unfortunately, there was very little thought put into the goal of putting me in this world and the powers that be forgot to provide me with the bank accounts needed to enjoy my raison d'etre every minute of every day
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2015 21:03:34 GMT -5
Is that an "and" or a "or"? I have loved lots of vacations that weren't necessarily relaxing. Fun is not always sitting around getting massages or whatever. I come home from every ski trip exhausted - but I love them! We didn't sit still in Chicago nor London - but they were awesome! relaxing = forgetting all your cares & the carp that goes with normal daily living
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simser
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Post by simser on Jun 1, 2015 21:03:46 GMT -5
I love traveling: I tend to do solo trips to exotic countries that I jam pack with half the stuff that I really want to do (because I can't fit everything in and I have to save something for when I go back, right?)
My favorite so far has been Australia (specifically the Great Barrier Reef off the whitsundays that I went to) but a close second was probably peninsula valdes in Argentina. I was going to go to africa but it fell apart at literally the last moment, so now I'm thinking that I should save that trip and go to the galapagos this year.
For relaxation, I also like cruises. I feel more relaxed on those than I do figuring out where to go and what to eat. I think I would hate all inclusive a though. I really don't like the stops in the Caribbean that a require not native (Cozumel). Since I go to Mexico a lot and stay in people's houses in the equivalent of like at. Louis, I get bothered by un-authentic mexico.
And there's something to be said for just going home to see family. Or seeing friends who are like family. Or going with your family to a little cabin.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Jun 2, 2015 10:05:13 GMT -5
Italy was fabulous and I believe everyone should go there at least once. The entire country is beautiful and amazing. Nothing beats walking around the ruins the Roman Coliseum, floating down the canal in Venice, or visiting Pompeii. The best; however, was getting out of the tourist areas and spending some time in a small village in Tuscany. Walking on the streets with people yelling at each other in Italian, kids playing soccer, and people hanging out their laundry all while I am eating a cone of gelato... well, it just doesn't get much better than that (priceless as they say). That is a feeling I hope to never forget no matter how old I get.
Ireland had a much different feel to it than Italy. Whereas Italy was a place I love to visit, Ireland is one of those places where I think I could actually live. The people were extremely friendly and fun. I learned so much about the history of Ireland that I didn't know before and visiting Belfast was very educational. I loved, loved, loved Galway! We spent 4 nights in Galway before heading south and though I was looking forward to driving on to the next stop (the driving was an experience in itself), I really wasn't ready to leave Galway. I plan to go back to Ireland and stay for at least a month at some point.
Alaska is another place I long to go back to. The scenery was gorgeous. We did some great hikes, horseback riding, dog sledding, etc.
I also enjoyed Hawaii and various places in the Caribbean. My entire family actually took a Hawaiian cruise for my parents 40th anniversary in 2007. I think that was the best way to visit Hawaii because it was a convenient way to visit most of the islands. I am not a huge cruise person but I think when it comes to visiting somewhere like Hawaii or the Caribbean doing a cruise is a great way to get around to all the places you want to see.
So many places left on my list to see. I don't know where to go next. I love reading these types of threads because it helps give me a little insight.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Jun 2, 2015 11:52:05 GMT -5
Italy was fabulous and I believe everyone should go there at least once. The entire country is beautiful and amazing. Nothing beats walking around the ruins the Roman Coliseum, floating down the canal in Venice, or visiting Pompeii. The best; however, was getting out of the tourist areas and spending some time in a small village in Tuscany. Walking on the streets with people yelling at each other in Italian, kids playing soccer, and people hanging out their laundry all while I am eating a cone of gelato... well, it just doesn't get much better than that (priceless as they say). That is a feeling I hope to never forget no matter how old I get. Ireland had a much different feel to it than Italy. Whereas Italy was a place I love to visit, Ireland is one of those places where I think I could actually live. The people were extremely friendly and fun. I learned so much about the history of Ireland that I didn't know before and visiting Belfast was very educational. I loved, loved, loved Galway! We spent 4 nights in Galway before heading south and though I was looking forward to driving on to the next stop (the driving was an experience in itself), I really wasn't ready to leave Galway. I plan to go back to Ireland and stay for at least a month at some point. Alaska is another place I long to go back to. The scenery was gorgeous. We did some great hikes, horseback riding, dog sledding, etc. I also enjoyed Hawaii and various places in the Caribbean. My entire family actually took a Hawaiian cruise for my parents 40th anniversary in 2007. I think that was the best way to visit Hawaii because it was a convenient way to visit most of the islands. I am not a huge cruise person but I think when it comes to visiting somewhere like Hawaii or the Caribbean doing a cruise is a great way to get around to all the places you want to see. So many places left on my list to see. I don't know where to go next. I love reading these types of threads it helps give me a little insight. Ditto your comments on Ireland. The Tskeeter retirement plan. The first year, go to Ireland and spend a month scoping out arrangements for a long term stay. Second or third year of retirement; go to Ireland for 9 - 12 months. Rent a house, buy a car, invite all the in-laws and outlaws to come and spend a week or two exploring Ireland.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2015 12:47:54 GMT -5
DH and I have a favorite Bed and Breakfast in Hermann, MO where we go every fall. In a way it's the exact opposite of our other travels. I ride my bike a lot on the Katy Trail, we visit a few wineries and the local brewery and buy a lot, we enjoy the wonderful food at the B&B including a dinner one night (extra charge, but so good they draw a lot of locals). That's very relaxing but doesn't fall into the "boring" category.
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Abby Normal
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Post by Abby Normal on Jun 2, 2015 12:56:38 GMT -5
I don't do "relaxing" vacations. To me if I want to relax and sit by the pool, I'm going to just do something locally. When I go on a trip, I want to see and do everything. I have always figured I can sleep when I get home. DH is the same way. If we walked 1/10th the amount at home as we do on vacation, I'd be in much better shape.
While a cruise to Alaska has always sounded nice-and I'd love to see the glaciers- a cruise would be pure torture.
One of the reasons I don't vacation with my sister. She goes someplace and sits on the beach. I go someplace and I can't sit still.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Jun 2, 2015 13:13:23 GMT -5
At this point to relax I need to be somewhere my phone and laptop don't work!! It's pretty hard to get a complete day off work lately. I'm looking forward to laying my butt by the pool in Las Vegas next month. Someone else is responsible for the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping. If I'm at home I'm going to end up doing things I'm behind on and not getting the rest I need.
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emma1420
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Post by emma1420 on Jun 2, 2015 13:18:56 GMT -5
Oh, gosh! There are so many places I loved seeing. I don't know where to start. Like you, I adored Maui and also enjoyed Kauai. Had a wonderful time in Kenya and literally drooled over New Zealand. Switzerland, Austria, Russia, Sri Lanka, Monaco ... Heck, I could go on and on and never pick a favorite! I second and third New Zealand. I went last year and it was amazing. The people are amazing and super friendly (without being too nosy), and there was so much to do. I spent 10 days on the south island and 5 on the north island, and I can't wait to go back to see all the things I didn't get a chance to see last year. I don't know many places where you can see glaciers, the ocean, mountains, all within 5 miles of each other. The fjords are spectacular and the beaches (especially on the North Island) are gorgeous. I also don't think I've ever felt so safe traveling before. It became my favorite place on earth.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 2, 2015 17:22:52 GMT -5
You want safe? Try Caymen. I could walk around with a vagina at 3 am by myself and feel perfectly safe.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 2, 2015 17:23:04 GMT -5
Cayman
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 2, 2015 18:10:15 GMT -5
Cayman
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Jun 3, 2015 15:23:21 GMT -5
tskeeter said:
Ditto your comments on Ireland.
The Tskeeter retirement plan. The first year, go to Ireland and spend a month scoping out arrangements for a long term stay. Second or third year of retirement; go to Ireland for 9 - 12 months. Rent a house, buy a car, invite all the in-laws and outlaws and favorite creepy internet stalker friends to come and spend a week or two exploring Ireland.
Fixed!
movingforward,
Funny Galway was probably my LEAST favorite city when we did our cycle trip in Western Ireland. I think we were really spoiled visiting and traveling from one small town to another. We started in Ennis, rode out to the coast and headed north from there. Certainly one of the most unexpected sites for this California girl was seeing surfers at Lahinch!
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Jun 3, 2015 16:54:56 GMT -5
tskeeter said:
Ditto your comments on Ireland.
The Tskeeter retirement plan. The first year, go to Ireland and spend a month scoping out arrangements for a long term stay. Second or third year of retirement; go to Ireland for 9 - 12 months. Rent a house, buy a car, invite all the in-laws and outlaws and favorite creepy internet stalker friends to come and spend a week or two exploring Ireland.
Fixed!
movingforward,
Funny Galway was probably my LEAST favorite city when we did our cycle trip in Western Ireland. I think we were really spoiled visiting and traveling from one small town to another. We started in Ennis, rode out to the coast and headed north from there. Certainly one of the most unexpected sites for this California girl was seeing surfers at Lahinch! For me, one of the most unexpected sights was palm trees in gardens. They seemed to be most common in the western costal areas.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Jun 3, 2015 17:07:16 GMT -5
tskeeter said:
Ditto your comments on Ireland.
The Tskeeter retirement plan. The first year, go to Ireland and spend a month scoping out arrangements for a long term stay. Second or third year of retirement; go to Ireland for 9 - 12 months. Rent a house, buy a car, invite all the in-laws and outlaws and favorite creepy internet stalker friends to come and spend a week or two exploring Ireland.
Fixed!
movingforward,
Funny Galway was probably my LEAST favorite city when we did our cycle trip in Western Ireland. I think we were really spoiled visiting and traveling from one small town to another. We started in Ennis, rode out to the coast and headed north from there. Certainly one of the most unexpected sites for this California girl was seeing surfers at Lahinch! For me, one of the most unexpected sights was palm trees in gardens. They seemed to be most common in the western costal areas. I never saw them but I hear they are quite common down by the Ring of Kerry. Because the current comes up from the equator the water stays warm fairly far north. Had I known that maybe I would have joined those surfers! Sure beats the 50 degree water off of San Francisco!
We didn't make it that far south. I do want to return with DH and that's one place I want to visit with DH. My grandmother's family came from Cork but I have no dreams of locating them. Sullivan (meaning One-eye) is a pretty common name.
One thing I did notice was how many native Californian plants were in the Western Ireland gardens. I knew the English "discovered" and named many of them but I didn't expect them to show up in Ireland.
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wyouser
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Post by wyouser on Jun 3, 2015 17:35:51 GMT -5
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Three times there so far. But, not into sitting by a pool. Too much to see. Too many places to explore. View the architecture, see the scenery, try to stay in out of the way places. Love visiting with locals. Very into the food! Visit a river valley... you have got to sample the wines. Beyond that, just Germany has 10,000 varieties of beer. Did you know there are around 1300 kinds of dumplings? Did you know Berlin has more bridges than Venice or Amsterdam. Take the secondary road from Bavaria to Innsbruck in Austria. You get to drive the highway James Bond was filmed on in Goldfinger. What a view...what a bunch of hairpin curves! Drive through the Swiss Alps on a cloudy foggy misty day and enjoy getting totally lost. Who cares...., find an Inn in the middle of nowhere and enjoy! The road and no real schedule. what a vacation!
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Jun 3, 2015 17:50:03 GMT -5
For me, one of the most unexpected sights was palm trees in gardens. They seemed to be most common in the western costal areas. I never saw them but I hear they are quite common down by the Ring of Kerry. Because the current comes up from the equator the water stays warm fairly far north. Had I known that maybe I would have joined those surfers! Sure beats the 50 degree water off of San Francisco!
We didn't make it that far south. I do want to return with DH and that's one place I want to visit with DH. My grandmother's family came from Cork but I have no dreams of locating them. Sullivan (meaning One-eye) is a pretty common name.
One thing I did notice was how many native Californian plants were in the Western Ireland gardens. I knew the English "discovered" and named many of them but I didn't expect them to show up in Ireland.
Yup, that's what I figured out, too. It's the gulf stream. SW Ireland is really beautiful. Worth a trip. Heack, any part of Ireland is worth a trip, in my opinion. One of the places we like to take people while touring the Ring of Kerry is Muckross House, a few miles outside Killarney. Muckross is a "country" house built in 1843. A large, stately tudor style home with original furnishings that is sited to have spectacular views of Muckross Lake across the acres of green, green lawn. You can also take "jaunting car" rides (think courting scenes in The Quiet Man) through parts of the 11,000 acre estate. Hey, if you are intrested in trying to see if you could locate relatives in Ireland, you could try one of those spit in a test tube DNA tests from outfits like Ancestry.com. While I haven't done it yet (the test kit is on the bathroom counter), I understand that if people are willing, some of them will help you get in contact with direct relatives. So that DW could get her Irish citizenship, we paid a geneology group from near where DW's grandmother grew up to track down DW's grandmother's baptismal records. Wonder if/what one of those groups could do to trace your geneology to living relatives. Since it sounds your Gmother grew up in Ireland, your relationship is close enough that you can become an Irish citizen, if you want. All you need to do is assemble the documentation to show that a grandparent was born in Ireland and then submit an application to the irish consulate. (It's not as easy as the old days, when if you claimed to be Irish, they'd say "you're a citizen". But it is fairly easy.) DW was able to do that, despite her grandparents changing their names after they imigrated. One extra set of records to document the name change, and, mi daza!, you're really Irish. In any event, one of the largest departure points from Ireland is just several miles down the road from Cork, Cobh. Cobh was known as Queenstown from 1850 until the late 1920's. So many passenger lists show Queenstown as the port of departure. Haven't been there, but I'd like to explore the Cobh Heritage Center. Their web site, www.coghheritage.com includes information on a genealogical record finder.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Jun 3, 2015 18:34:48 GMT -5
The price of flights varies so much ... what part of the world are you thinking of?
We LOVED our trip to Panama / Costa Rica. We went to visit DS1 who was doing a gap year and it is still my favorite trip. Like Honey I am into hiking, nature and natural beauty. I don't like cities and I absolutely hate crowds.
Some highlights of that trip: - we stayed in an absolutely magnificent eco-lodge that took us about 24h to get to. DS1 had gone there with a friend and told us we absolutely had to go there, even if access was difficult. We did. - we hiked through the jungle in Corcovado National Park (with a guide) and saw animals I had never even heard of before - there was an EXTREMELY rare flash flood that day and we had to ford the river on the way back. The water was up to my nearly up to my neck (I'm 5'2"). THANK GD for our guide Bolivar who carried DS3 across (DS3 was 10) and then came back and guided both DH and I across. - DH climbed Mount Baru with DS1. DS1 was so bummed at not going with them. So I said, you can do anything else you want. He wanted to go zip lining through the cloud forest. I didn't want him to be lonely so I went too LOL. - we visited a different archipelago EVERY.SINGLE.WEEKEND!!! DS1 was working so he'd meet up with us on Thurs night or Fri and we'd visit a different set of islands.
There are SO MANY PLACES to see in the world! I want to see New Zealand, Australia, Alaska, Norway (for the fjords), Hawaii.
But Corcovado is literally the ONLY place on this earth that I've already seen and want to go back to. I want to do the several-day hike to go to the research station at Sirena.
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