Vacations
 

With vacation season coming up for many, just thought I'd ask what everyone's favorite vacation destinations are? What are your favorite aspects of this place?

Mine-
Vegas- it is like an adult disneyworld pretty much
Florida- Disney World, what can I say
Wisconsin Dells (a close vacation for me)- Water fun and more

I'm going to Vegas again this August and going to Hawaii next year! Whoo hoo!

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I go to Cancun practically every year, favorite resort is Rio Tequila even though I haven't been there for a while.
http://www.jetsetz.com/uploads/profi...-to-cancun.jpg

Pagosa Sprins Colorado is another I go to multiple times a year
http://pagosachamber.com/wp-content/...04/SPRINGS.jpg

Pretty much any hotsprings in Colorado are fantastic
(other then Pagosa I love Mount Princeton and Steamboat hot springs)

I've been to quite a few places in my life so far. My absolute favourite place has to be the town of San Sebastian in Spain. There's a very hospitable atmosphere in that city, which is quite compact so you can watch a lot of the 'tourist' attractions and really explore the entire town in a couple of days.

The beach of La Concha has to be the prettiest beach I've ever been to. It's in a crescent shape that stretches across the entire La Concha bay with in the middle of the bay Santa Clara island. The downside is that it's always pretty packed over there, so I usually go to Ondaretta beach.

http://www.drinkriberawine.com/wp-co...rview_4304.jpg
La Concha Bay

http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x..._is098v2ye.jpg
Onderreta beach

The town has a more modern side and then there's the old quarter, where you can go to waterside restaurants and eat the freshest fish. There's also tapas (pintxos) bars all over the place there, where you can pick whatever you like and immediately consume it. I've rarely been to a place with such a rich culinary tradition, going from the most traditional, honest rural food to high-end Michelin-star restaurants.

http://www.doscortados.eu/images/sto...an_pintxos.jpg
Pintxos

The closest thing to San Sebastian in terms of having a very unique, appealing atmosphere is Venice. But that's another story.

You know why?

My Great Grandfather was Portuguese and he and my pop where great Fisherman.

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Mt. Lassen is always fun to hike up in the summer, or search for arrowheads. Kind of a family tradition. Also would like to check out Lake Tahoe this summer.

http://www.heartlights.org/Mt.Lassen.jpg

http://www.dezinerfolio.com/wp-conte...lake_tahoe.jpg

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http://10placestosee.info/Photos/Mag...-Australia.jpg

http://www.adventureassociates.com/m...asia/Reef4.jpg

This was my view from the high roller in Las Vegas, 550 feet high up in the air.

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San Francisco and surrounding California - wonderful area, friendly people, nice climate, relaxed, loads of attractions.

Also love Greece, going to the mainland for a couple of weeks in July.

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I loved it in New York, but sadly can't afford to be going to the USA anytime soon. It'd be great to have the money and time to drive all over America.
Meantime just been to France most years, I do love it there too

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Of the places I've been, my favourite trip by far was to New York City last year (pics here). For our next holiday we're planning 2 weeks on the west coast (Washington, Oregon and California) for summer '15.

I love New York. I haven't been there in awhile and need to go back.

I also love New Orleans. I'm planning on going back in January.

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Vegas is cool! Rome would be fun!

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lately i have discovered a passion for waterfalls deep in jungle---not commercialized as tourist destinations . this is one waterfall i intend to visit in india---

jog falls

http://tourmet.com/wp-content/upload...-Jog-Falls.jpg

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I usually take two vacations a year. The first, for my anniversary, we go to Vegas! The second, and my favorite, I take a week off and sit at home and do nothing. It's pretty amazing

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My dream vacation is Iceland. Also always wanted to go to France and India.

France is cool, been there twice. I strongly recommend visiting the countryside instead of just staying near Paris or other big cities.

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I just came back from SF, second time I was there... Austin is another great city in the US I've visited a few times. But Amsterdam is definitely my favorite place on Earth. I've been there 6 times, and love it. I don't have the money to leave the country (passport issues) or maybe even Flint now until something happens.

The place matters, but the people make the place. Weather is pretty important to me too. My last few trips were for specific events, and it helps to have things to do, places to walk when I'm not doing those events.

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Bump. Anyone been or going anywhere exciting?

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I dunno if it qualifies as exciting, but I'm going to Seattle for PAX West for the third straight year. It's a favorite vacation spot because of who'll be there and all the stuff we'll do, though, and not because of the place itself, which I suppose is closer to the thread's topic.

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I went to Cali in February and Vegas in April. Back to Vegas in August. Then I'll brainstorm for 2018.

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Do you vacation each year?

Yes I do. Always liking having something to look forward to.

I always try and take a vacation around Christmas time...this year its being cut short by 4 days though due to a staff shortage at work...which sucks a bit...but it may give me a chance to book some more time off in January which may be a plus...other than that it depends on whether the OH can get time off as well...if she can we try to aim for a week and a bit in the summer and try to go somewhere nice :)

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Wahoo, got to love vacations.
Leaving tomorrow for the OBX for a week and a day at Roanoke Island. On the way back I'll be hitting up Jamestown, Yorktown and possibly Richmond (haven't decided if were stopping there yet). I'm a big history nerd, mainly with civil and revolutionary war sites, so I tend to base most of my vacationing around those sites.

I love Africa, here are selection of pictures I have taken over the years :yup:

I really enjoyed Thailand back in 2009, I believe it was. While I did get the worst upset stomach I've ever experienced for 4 days, it was still a wonderful trip. That was literally my first time out of my own country. Bit scary!

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...bd&oe=59D6D713


https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...a9&oe=59CD8A18


https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...97&oe=5A0DD57F


https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...af&oe=59D37078


https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...25&oe=59D4BC47


https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...72&oe=5A04C674


https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...24&oe=5A04A985

Bhu Nga Thani Hotel

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0...b0&oe=5A01FB40

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Amsterdam

A day in Manhattan (or more) will do it for me. This is the building on East 58th Street I lived in for 10 years.

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Every time I see this thread I think of the Go-Go's song:p

You guys are lucky to have been to such Cool Places. (no one will get that reference);)...

BTW, Nice photos! I'll have to visit this thread when I go somewhere fun.:)

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According to me the best place for vacations is Maldives :cool:

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My ideas for 2018 are as follows:

Seattle
Portland
San Diego
New Orleans
Boston

Those are my top 5 ideas right now, anyone have any U.S. recommendations?

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Well, if you make it Seattle, and you go around Labor Day, there's a decent chance I'll have talked myself into a fourth year of PAX. :laugh: If so, lunch is on me.

Pacific northwest is beautiful if you haven't been. I think I will probably be back in Seattle next June. San Diego has amazing weather but I didn't love it as much as it had been hyped to me. I really want to take my boys to NYC. I haven't been back since I moved from Long Island. You been?

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That's a negative for NYC. It's pretty pricey so that will have to wait a bit. Being at the Grand Canyon has me in a national park mood, which is why Seattle and Portland are on my list. Olympia National Park and Crater Lake National Park look beautiful. New Orleans and San Diego have been on my list for awhile and would love to go to both. There's lots to do there.

I only wish I could go somewhere again in a month. I'll probably be waiting till 2018. A small part of me wants to say screw it and go somewhere in October, but I doubt that will happen.

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It'll be pretty funny next year if Sean's in Seattle in June, you're there in August, and I'm there in September.

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It's been hard not to look at vacation destinations lately, Grand Canyon has me wanting to go exploring.

Too bad we couldn't all be there at once. I definitely want to hit Safeco again.

Come to Seattle! there's tons of neat stuff to see and do here...then take a cruise from Seattle to Alaska, it's a blast! And so easy to do.

Modern cruise ships are so huge that they're like giant floating Vegas style hotels. They have multiple restaurants & places to eat. Tons of activities and stuff to do...and a casino too. You also get to visit different places almost each day. I've done two Alaskan cruises from Seattle, loved it. Sailing right by a giant glacier is very cool!

The Caribbean is also a nice cruise...almost every day is a different island nation that you get the day to visit onland. It's a great way to travel as they do all the work and you get to kick back and enjoy.

I know you like Vegas, so I bet you would love a big cruise ship, it's the same thing only more and it's cheaper to do as most everything is included in the cost of the cruise....no I don't work for the cruise industry, though it sounds like I'm a travel agent:D

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Are there any tours from Seattle to Olympic National Park, @Citizen Rules

I don't know for sure, but I would bet yes. I often see organized tours at Mt Rainer, so there most be some to the Olympic National Park (which is a very beautiful place to visit).

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Getting to both would be fun. I think Seattle is a real possibility

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I haven't had a chance for a proper holiday in quite some time. Still won't get the chance this year, but I will be able to take a week off in Nov, and I shall escape to my home away from home. Can't wait!!!

Are you taking a cruise by any chance?;)

You know there's always sale prices on cruises and you can get some really great prices. And cruises come as short as 1 day cruises, to 3 days, 5 days, 7, and on up.

Ireland perchance? I was just watching some irish dancing. Woooooo. Goosebumps.

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Nah, that's more my parent's bag.

Yep @Dani8. MY COHORTS.

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Cat have you went on a cruise with your parents? The ships are sooooo big that you can go with a group of people but spend your time doing other actives and so no one is 'stuck' togehter.

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Dare I ask how much one of those Seattle to Alaska cruises cost?

We took a 1 week cruise to Alaska from Seattle and it was early in the season and was $400 per person.

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Wow that seems very cheap, CR

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Not a bad price! Looks like fun

I'm a poor boy, so cruises are about the only way I can afford to go on a vacation. I've been on 15 cruises, twice to Alaska the rest were in the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico.

During the Alaska cruise we stopped in a different port town almost everyday and each is vastly different with tons to do.

This was the itinerary for the 7 day cruise
Seattle
Juneau
Skagway
Glacier Bay
Ketchikan
Victoria B.C. Canada
back to Seattle

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Glacier Bay is a must for my lifetime.

Mine as well. I also want to take the rocky mountaineer train.

I've been to the Rockies. Spectacular. I'm sure the train would be great as well.

I am just really digging deep and researching fun places to go. You only live once and there's a lot I want to see.

My inlaws did it a few years ago. They said it was the best trip they ever had. I need to see the rockies.

Wanderlust - great, isnt it. I read an article recently about it being genetic. Always wondered where my travel bug came from. My parents were big travellers and I regard myself as pretty blessed they took us away to show us different parts of the world from a young age. When did you first get bitten?

Re: Vacations
 

And another thing, travel is getting cheaper eg our first flight to south america was 3 grand each. ouch. Now it's down to 1 grand depending on time of year. Probably the same over your way. Check out prices to Ecuador and Colombia - probably pretty cheap for you relatively speaking, and so much diversity. Ecuador is possibly my favourite place. If I had to retire somewhere else in the world that would be it.

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Air flight is cheaper but still costly, at least for my limited means. That's why I like the idea of visiting a city like Seattle, then also taking a bonus cruise as you don't have to pay for airfare as you're already here. For me I can drive to Seattle so I can save that way, but if I take a cruise from Florida I have to fly cross country which ends up costing more than the cruise itself.

Yeah that's practical thinking. Are you going to Seattle when Yoda is there?

And I agree about prices to go xcountry. An american friend wants to come over to do The Indian Pacific with me one day (train trip from east to west/west to east). I looked into prices and it's cheaper for her to fly here from NYC and back than it is for us to take the train and fly back to Sydney.

Yup, that's me practical and thrifty:p Nope, I'm not meeting Yoda, it would be cool but I live a long ways from Seattle, I'm out in the sticks. I hate driving into Seattle the traffic is bad, I try to avoid it, the last two times I went to Seattle was for cruises.

Sometimes there's really good prices on airfare. My relatives just went to Italy and got a screaming deal on airline tickets.

When did you get bitten by the bug, CR? I was a little kid and it;s been gnawing away at me ever since.

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Can you guys fly direct to Cuba yet or do you have to fly via Canada still? Pretty cheap once you get there. (I havent been yet)

http://www.wendyperrin.com/wp-conten...hael-petit.jpg

I just looked it up. Looks like I have to go vi Vancouver and Toronto. Time - 26hr there, 34 back :sick:

I never went anywhere really....except for road trips as a kid....until I met my future wife:)

I hadn't even been on a plane until I was in my mid 30s! That's when we went to D.C. for two weeks, which was a blast! Awesome place to visit and it took 2 weeks for us to see and do all the things we wanted to do.

Then when we were married and we had a 12 day honeymoon in the Tahitian islands and that was the first time I went to some place exotic and loved it. Then we started taking cruises as it was a great way to see places on a budget.

I wanted to go to DC when we were in NYC but we ran out of time unfortunately. So much to see in NYC.

When the bug bites late, it bites hard.

Yup! I'm making up for lost time. I plan on going on vacation in September.

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india is a hot country , so i prefer to go to the mountains where the air is cool due to the height . that is why many of my photos in personal pictures thread are from vacations in the mountains .

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Do you set up camp in the mountains?

That's why the British always built their villas high in the mountains.

No . India is a densely populated country, so there are always habitation and hotels/ homestays around. I take one day hikes from habitable places before moving on to the next habitable place .

Their summer capitals of various provinces were in the mountains too . Shimla in the Himalayas was their summer capital of all India where they used to move bag and baggage during the heat of summer.

That's right. And I guess, in a way, that they were reminded of England up there since there was a lot of greenery.

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So I've become somewhat obsessed with National Parks and want to visit more. I've only been to 2 of the 57. Grand Canyon and Rockies.

Has anyone been to any of them?

Yup in the west I've been to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Crater Lake, Yosemite, Glacier and Mt Rainer & Olympic.

You need to vacation in Washington state Raul. We have Mt Rainer National Park, which I've visited a lot as it's a close by drive. Also we have Olympic National which is an inland temperate rain forest.

I'm really keeping my finding crossed for Seattle and those two parks next year. I would love to go. It's a good 4 hours from Seattle to Olympic, but I really want to do it.

And Rainier looks great too.

Of course, Crater is also on my long list, as is Bryce Canyon and Zion.

Re: Vacations
 

Crater was real cool. We took a small boat trip around the lake, which is a hike to get to because its at the bottom of a crater!

When you were in Hawaii did you go to Hawaii Volcanos National park on the big island? I really enjoyed that one. I wish I could get back to Hawaii, that was my one and only time there.

I've never been to Bryce or Zion, those are on my wish list.

We weren't on the big island, but that would be something else to see!!

There just something that is so awesome about these parks.

If I had to choose, Crater and Zion would be tied as 1a on my wish list.

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Also @Citizen Rules I'm going to try to knock out Isle Royale National Park and Cuyahoga National Park in a relatively soonish time. Perhaps next year. Those are the closest to my location though still farish.

Very cool. I just now looked them both up at their official web site, very beautiful, and looks like there's lots of neat trials and stuff to see. How long of a drive are they for you?

5 hours for Isle Royale (and then a hour and a half by ferry)

About 7 for Cuyahoga

We've been wanting to go up to both locations for awhile to do others things, so why not add these to the itinerary!

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A long drive! but if you make a fun road trip that can be also a cool thing. When you go post some pics!

I should be going on vacation within a week for a road trip with camping...in a tent. Hope it's not to cold. I'm not sure totally where we're going yet.

I'm currently wondering how to split my days up in Ireland. I don't normally do too much planning at all when I'm running away to Ireland. I usually just book flights, close my eyes and put my finger on the map of Ireland to let that be the decider.

If it were me, I'd be going to Cliffs of Moher.

Been there. Got a friend who lives in Doolin, making instruments. :) Strangely, I know Ireland better than I know Sweden.

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Going to Seattle next year. I know a lot of people from the forum have been there, so let me know any recommendations you may have.

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I'll be there next month! And probably the same time next year, but we'll see.

Anyway, depends on the time of year. There's a great restaurant for lunch called Il Corvo. There's a good zombie-based escape room (the acting is so good).

Mostly, though, go to Pagliacci's for pizza and Woody's for burgers and shakes.

I'm trying a few more places this year so I'll probably come back and update this.

My aunt lives there. If you run into her, say hi!

-----

Going to be in Burbank for 10 days starting on the 16th. COOL

BEANS.

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I'm just going to walk around Seattle going "SWAN'S AUNT? IS SWAN'S AUNT HERE?"

I'll let you know how it goes.

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Oh yeah definitely on our list

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Going to Seattle Monday.
@Yoda @Citizen Rules ready for those requests

I request that you have a great time!

BTW the weather is sunny and warm! Very unusual for this time of the year. It's predicted to stay that way for awhile too. It was like 71 today. So bring your sun screen:cool:

Alas, I won't be there until late August. One of these days it'll line up.

Glad you bumped this thread, though, because I'll be traveling a few times this summer. First in mid-June for a wedding, in Denver. Then trying to Jamestown, NY to catch a John Mulaney show in early August, and then the usual Seattle PAX West trip at the end of the same month. Whew, should be busy/fun.

Yeah I saw that and not too much rain predicted so far either!

Busy year for you man. Seattle and then off to Ohio in October. Those are my two this year.

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So what are you seeing first?

Pikes Market is the first day for sure and then we will go from there. I think we are going to the aquarium too that day. Wednesday we head for Olympic, and gonna squeeze Rainier in for sure.

There use to be a viaduct freeway behind Pikes, but they closed that and put in a big underground tunnel...so now if you walk downhill a couple blocks from Pikes it's a nice quiet walk and that's where the waterfront is of course with like a ton of cool stuff.

Re: Vacations
 

I dunno how much time you have, sounds like you're packed already so additional recommendations might not make sense. Pike Place and the Aquarium, for sure, are both good/interesting. Most of the places beyond that I'd recommend are food. :laugh: Pagliacci's...drool...

Been traveling a lot here too. In December hubby and I went on a 7-day western Caribbean cruise. He won the blackjack tournament on board (second time he's done that), which netted him $500 and a free slot in the big Grand Tournament next week on a bigger, different ship. So we're going on THAT cruise so he can win the first prize of $50,000. (Ha ha haaaa... it's only 7 hands of blackjack, which means it's as much luck of the cards as any sort of skill at the game. Still, somebody's gotta win, right?)

Last month I took the train to Houston (from here in Pittsburgh) to visit some writer friends. He bought us Level 9 behind-the-scenes tickets fo the NASA Space Center. OH MY GOSH. Soooo worth it. I came out of that day wondering why we don't just funnel all our tax dollars into the space program. :D :D

Mission Control for the international space station:

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...1&d=1557278937

Factoid: More than half the people in Mission Control that day, including the Flight Director (not even a president can override her decisions), were women. Young women.

Last weekend I drove to Dover, Ohio (about two hours away), for a new book festival there. Made a few bucks selling books, did some good networking, and stayed in a lovely hotel.

Next month it's my yearly writers' conference (I'm on the board so it's almost a working conference for me).

And hubby has his eye on a big two-week Panama Canal cruise, possibly in December. Crazy busy with all this traveling, but it's been so much fun, too!