Trip of a lifetime!

[Artemis Windsong]

The TOLTs were Africa.

Las Vegas many times driving with lots of stops to golf, ski or snowmobile.
Skiing many western states.
Golf/fish S. California.
Highway 83 from ND to Texas many times.

Cancun
Cabo San Lucas
Jamaica
Africa 4 x
England
Mexico but I don't remember the border town.

Alaska
Canada

[Cookies Galore]

Travel hasn't been a major priority with hubs and I, but we're starting to make an effort. We go down the shore multiple times during the year, which is typical for our area, so not really special. Our first real trip together was to Cooperstown and that's where we got engaged, so we want to go back for an anniversary. We went to Aruba for our honeymoon and we are going on a quickie trip to the Dominican Republic next month.

I got on the list for "top secret" site visits at work, but my director only let's us do one a year. I did a work visit to DC with hubs around Valentines since we could turn that into a quick (and not cheap!) weekend away. I'm hoping I get a site somewhere across the country next year. I want to turn that into a week of exploring!

One of my best trips was going to Paris with my aunt when I was in college. She used to work for Air France so our flight over was upgraded to business class. It was also NYE so the champagne was flowing! She used to spend a lot of time living in Paris for months at a time, so I got a good tourist/non-tourist trip.

The list of places I want to go is ginormous.

[steph08]

I lived in the heart of London for a semester while studying abroad in college. That was the trip/experience of a lifetime. All over England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Italy.

Then my brother and I did a 2.5 week trip across Europe a few years ago. Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, France.

After walking across Versailles and its grounds all day on a croissant and crepe, the best meal ever was going to Hippopotamus and have a big old steak potato, bread, and huge dish of ice cream.

I have a lot of places on my list.

[Gardening Grandma]

Oct 15, 2015 17:03:28 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 15, 2015 16:43:55 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

thyme, you can get any kind of food in Bangkok... We spent three days there after Nepal and Bhutan and were hungry for western food.  We ate at an Irish pub two nights, a Sizzler steakhouse one night, and the Hard Rock Cafe one afternoon....

Now, outside Bangkok, I don't know....

LOL....

The ONLY time I have ever eaten from a US chain in my travels in Europe was when I got horribly sick one day from the meal I had picked up the day before.  I was catching the night train to Germany, was starving and was afraid I'd be spending another night in the bathroom on the train......so I went to McDonald's.  

Otherwise, I avoid US chains like the plague...even in Turkey, where by the end of our trip I would have killed for an American breakfast of bacon and eggs!We

We don't as a rule eat at American chains, but after 4 weeks of tepid rice and bland buffets we wanted HOT food? Got it.
On the trip to Japan, after 3 weeks of Japanese food, we broke down and ate at a McDonalds - and enjoyed it.
In Europe - never

[tcu2003]

I've been to every US state but Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Vermont and Rhode Island, but I don't know that I'd consider most of my US travel trips of a lifetime. I do try to take advantage of conferences of work trips for DH or I if it's someplace we want to go, and we've taken DS with us since he was born. Favorite places include:

NYC
Washington, DC
Portland
San Diego
San Antonio
Seattle
Denver/Colorado Springs
Fort Worth
Chicago
Miami
Hawaii (Honolulu for DH for work, and then we also spent time on Kauai while there )

Internationally, not nearly enough places, but I've loved everywhere.

Spain - studied for a summer and did a ton of traveling around the country; want to go back with DH and DS

Germany - short trip for a conference; would love to go longer with DH/DS and explore more

Italy - again, short solo conference trip; DH and I will go together some day

Greece - honeymoon trip; amazing

Paris, France - end of honeymoon for 4-5 days; loved it

England - high school trip, and definitely on bucket list to return

Finland, Sweden, and Estonia - trip with DH one year; such a great trip, and our last international adventure before getting pregnant

Egypt - amazing trip to visit a girlfriend reaching there about a year before the revolution



So many places still on the bucket list, including, but not limited to:

Kenya
Ireland
Australia
New Zealand
Peru
Argentina
Switzerland
Austria
Costa Rica
Croatia
Hungary
Russia

[wvugurl26]

Places I've been repeatedly:

Washington DC - 30 minute train ride so not really travel for me
Myrtle Beach - couple times a year to visit family
Knoxville - again a few trips a year to visit family. I really like the area. We've also done a lot of day trips to parks and stuff
Panama City Beach - I love the gulf side of Florida, this place just soothes my soul
Atlanta - the aquarium is amazing, both of my trips have been good
Las Vegas - so much to do. We went hiking at Red Canyon last time, I'd love to go back there again and do more hikes
Pittsburgh - love their stadiums, great stuff to do, used to be there like monthly my college was a hour south of there
Philadelphia - it's always a work trip so I haven't done too much exploring. My office is down around the Liberty Bell and all that jazz

I've been to Houston, Dallas and NYC once. I'm dying to go back to NYC. If all goes well I'll be back in Houston next year. It's a work trip and I have family there.

Internationally I've only been to Jamaica. I'm going to Punta Cana in December.

In the US Boston, Denver and New Orleans are high on my list of places to go. Denver could happen in January because I'm crazy enough to go then.

Trip of the lifetime would hands down be Australia. I want to go so badly.

[busymom]

Hawaii! I did the full tourist bit, & loved every minute of it.   (It's especially nice if you go during the Winter.)

Washington DC was great too, whether you do it as a tourist, or as an educational trip.

[weltschmerz]

Oct 15, 2015 17:52:08 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

Now our 3 kids have the bug and are taking their own amazing trips!

DS and DIL with their 20 month old boy (the best grandson ever  have just returned from Hungary where they trekked around for a couple of weeks, going where their whims took them.  They had a great time and I loved seeing the pictures which were just a 30 year newer version of the pictures I have at home.  They dragged the kid everywhere and also visited each and every playground they passed  Travelling with kids is easy.  In iffy places food-wise you just have to be a little more careful (like only bottled water from a still sealed bottle, maybe no food from food stalls along the road, etc.)

In Jamaica, the BEST food was from stalls along the road. They were "box lunches" for working natives, and not geared to tourists. Jerk or stew chicken, rice and beans, plantain, Jamaican pumpkin, etc.

Absolutely delicious, and never got sick.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Oct 15, 2015 17:06:37 GMT -5 movingforward said:

This may sound bizarre but I ate the BEST pizza in Ireland.  We were tired of fish and chips (even though it was fabulous!) and I was craving pizza or pasta.  We asked some of the locals where we should eat and 2-3 of them suggested this little family owned Italian restaurant.  It has been over a year and I still think about this pizza from time to time

There MIGHT be a trip to Ireland in my not too distant future.

Please share the name and the location of this Irish-Italian restaurant.  (With the kids' food allergies, we always try to scout out a good steak restaurant and as a safe pizza place just in case they can't safely eat the local cuisine.)

[skubikky]

Just came back from a 10 day trip to London.
It was fantastic.

We stayed in a beautiful AirBnb loft apartment(2 bd, 2 bath) in West Hampstead.

I got to ride in Hyde Park.
We saw and did quite a few things that I have had keen interest in.

We spent time with friends and family there which is always great as they can
make suggestions and give some insight into the best way to do things.

Lived in Denmark for work at one time.
Italy, Sweden as well.

[skubikky]

Oct 15, 2015 16:36:00 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Oct 15, 2015 14:38:23 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

thyme4change, why do you not start to travel internationally with your kids now?  They are not so little anymore and there are so many wonderful places to visit

We went to Cancun last year, and we are talking about Europe in the next couple of years.  The places I don't want to take them are places that are either risky, or so culturally different - especially food wise.  My son can be a real butthead when it comes to trying new food, and he doesn't like many of the Asian flavors, and hates fish.  Going to Thailand or something like that - just not worth the effort at this time.  Maybe when the kids get a little bit older.  But - taking them to London, Paris, Italy, Greece, etc, is totally on the list.

Our two were 9 and 12 when we took them to Italy for 10 days.
They really liked it.....especially the gelato.
We went in February during their winter break.
The weather was in the 60's which was perfect.

There were plenty of squares where they could take their soccer ball and kick it around and just let loose.
They really liked the food but being Italian, much of it was based on things they had grown up eating.

[MarleyKeezy78]

I have to admit, the west coast is beautiful! Start in Santa Barbara and take the coastal highway all the way to Seattle! Hurst Castle, Redwoods, Pizmo Beach, Cannon Beach, Whales Head, wine country, San Fran, Mount Shasta, Seattle and every little thing in between! So much fun stuff to see and do! I loved it!

[movingforward]

Oct 16, 2015 6:36:00 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Oct 15, 2015 17:06:37 GMT -5 movingforward said:

This may sound bizarre but I ate the BEST pizza in Ireland.  We were tired of fish and chips (even though it was fabulous!) and I was craving pizza or pasta.  We asked some of the locals where we should eat and 2-3 of them suggested this little family owned Italian restaurant.  It has been over a year and I still think about this pizza from time to time

There MIGHT be a trip to Ireland in my not too distant future.

Please share the name and the location of this Irish-Italian restaurant.  (With the kids' food allergies, we always try to scout out a good steak restaurant and as a safe pizza place just in case they can't safely eat the local cuisine.)

I wish I could remember the name.  It was in Galway.  A few blocks down from the Galway Bay Hotel. 

[yogiii]

Ireland
England
France
Spain
Italy
Greece
Turkey
Canada

LA
Colorado
Tucson
Chicago
Florida
Atlanta
Baltimore
DC
Newark, LOL
NYC
Buffalo

I did a ton of traveling in my 20s but I haven't been anywhere since the kids were born.  I'm starting to see the light as DD is out of diapers now so despite all of the places I've been, I don't think my trip of a lifetime has happened yet.

[cael]

Oct 15, 2015 19:15:41 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

The TOLTs were Africa.

Las Vegas many times driving with lots of stops to golf, ski or snowmobile.
Skiing many western states.
Golf/fish S. California.
Highway 83 from ND to Texas many times.

Cancun
Cabo San Lucas
Jamaica
Africa 4 x
England
Mexico but I don't remember the border town.

Alaska
Canada

4x to Africa, that's awesome! Where did you go, different places each time?

[Tennesseer]

Oct 16, 2015 8:03:26 GMT -5 MarleyKeezy78 said:

I have to admit, the west coast is beautiful! Start in Santa Barbara and take the coastal highway all the way to Seattle! Hurst Castle, Redwoods, Pizmo Beach, Cannon Beach, Whales Head, wine country, San Fran, Mount Shasta, Seattle and every little thing in between! So much fun stuff to see and do! I loved it!

Did you stop by Año Nuevo State Park in Pescadero, Ca. to see all the resting elephant seals? I saw them years ago and it was pretty impressive.

[simser]

I travel a lot, have enough money to do trips that I want to do, and almost as often as I want to do them. Many are "once in a lifetime" trips, but I'm spoiled enough to take them often!

I've been to:
Thailand/Japan (with the ex)
Argentina for 2 weeks
Ireland
Italy
England
Multiple cruises
Grand cayman
3.5 weeks in Australia
A week in galapagos on a boat

And next year I want to take a 2 week safari/mauritius trip.

[Artemis Windsong]

Kuazulu Natal eastern cape.

East Sommerset

Pilansberg Park

Qua Qua State Park

We did go to other places while traveling there.  Those were the main stops.

Thanks for asking.  My mind went completely blank.

The big surprises were driving up on large herds of animals unexpectedly.  Nearly getting charged by an elephant when he heard the camera whirl.  A spotted hyena bounding over the hood of the Toyota.  Seeing shipping trucks with ostrich heads above the wooden sides of a pickup.    

[cael]

South Africa? I'd love to go there! That sounds amazing. We didn't see much wildlife in Ghana, just a pet monkey roped up to a tree at a gas station. poor thing, he was cute though. I think I could maybe convince DH to do a safari sometime, Africa is a little outside his comfort zone but I think he'd love it.

[NastyWoman]

My "trip of a lifetime" will always be my next vacation coming up. The ones in the past are wonderful fond memories and the vacation after next is blocked out by the first one up. So in April I'll go on a Southwest roadtrip when Dsis2 comes to visit (THE trip), after that my next trip will most likely be Singapore (visit DS1) with a side trip to either Indonessia, Vietnam, or Cambodia. But DS organizes that part of the vacation for Dsis2 and I → he is very good at finding out of the beaten  path gems

[cael]

I think it's pretty cool to see how many different places folks have been or are planning to go. makes my wanderlust kick back into high gear! Our next "big" trip will probably be to Oregon when my cousin gets married, besides that it'll be a few years before we do anything big again. (unless we do another Bermuda cruise in a year or two, which we may do because it's affordable and leaves from Boston)

[MarleyKeezy78]

Oct 16, 2015 19:33:55 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Oct 16, 2015 8:03:26 GMT -5 MarleyKeezy78 said:

I have to admit, the west coast is beautiful! Start in Santa Barbara and take the coastal highway all the way to Seattle! Hurst Castle, Redwoods, Pizmo Beach, Cannon Beach, Whales Head, wine country, San Fran, Mount Shasta, Seattle and every little thing in between! So much fun stuff to see and do! I loved it!

Did you stop by Año Nuevo State Park in Pescadero, Ca. to see all the resting elephant seals? I saw them years ago and it was pretty impressive.

I don't know if it was that exact place but yes, we saw a whole bunch of elephant seals! They were so cool    I have a video of DH (during our Hurst Castle stop) and he walks up behind this behemoth of a male seal to see if he could touch it   and you hear a lady in the background panic and start yelling at him that it was a terrible idea... Then the seal moved to look at DH and then he panicked    He had no idea they could possibly attack and squish him to death! I was sitting in the car while this unfolded and my dad was filming... Men 

[Tennesseer]

Oct 16, 2015 21:06:11 GMT -5 MarleyKeezy78 said:

Oct 16, 2015 19:33:55 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Did you stop by Año Nuevo State Park in Pescadero, Ca. to see all the resting elephant seals? I saw them years ago and it was pretty impressive.

I don't know if it was that exact place but yes, we saw a whole bunch of elephant seals! They were so cool    I have a video of DH (during our Hurst Castle stop) and he walks up behind this behemoth of a male seal to see if he could touch it   and you hear a lady in the background panic and start yelling at him that it was a terrible idea... Then the seal moved to look at DH and then he panicked    He had no idea they could possibly attack and squish him to death! I was sitting in the car while this unfolded and my dad was filming... Men 

The park is well north of Hurst castle about an hour or two south of San Francisco if I remember correctly. You don't want to get squished by one of the bull seals. Big boys.