Your favorite vacation

[mr. tegu]

I have been looking at places to go for my honeymoon next May and we also just did a little miniature vacation in KC. So it got me thinking, what was your favorite vacation? Where did you go? How long was it? What did you do? etc.

I am from Kansas City and live here on the Kansas side but we thought it would be nice to take a miniature vacation this year since we are needing to save for a wedding, honeymoon, and a house. We ended up staying at the Sheraton at Crown Center for a really good price, just $107 per night. The regular rate is $215 per night but I did the hotwire.com thing were you just pick a little region along with the star rating you want and they surprise you with the hotel afterwards. That was definitely worth it. There were only about 5 4-star hotels we could have been put in so it was easy to be prepared and they were all either at Crown Center or right in the main city area so not really much difference. When we got there she asked if we wanted a high up room and/or a city view which. This surprised me because I thought I would just get whatever they wanted to give me. We ended up choosing a room on the 30th floor with a great view of downtown.

So for a few days we did some of the things in the city we had always wanted to but just never gotten a chance to such as going to the Arabia Steamboat museum, going to SeaLife aquarium, and visiting the Liberty War Memorial, which was vastly larger, longer, and more than what I had envisioned. Having "The Link" being hooked up to our hotel was cool because we could just walk to all these places without ever going to the car or worrying about crossing traffic. This was not necessarily my favorite vacaction but for the money we spent, and taking into account our accomodations, and relaxed nature of it, it was quite fun.

So I ask again, what was your favorite vacation? Tell us all about it here.

[mr. tegu]

I forgot to mention, we are looking at Turks and Caicos for our honeymoon. Looks like the most picturesque and relaxing of the Caribbean islands we have found so far.

[DaKCMan AP]

Don't have a favorite.

Peru, Barcelona, Israel, Pacific Northwest, Napa, Amsterdam, London, NY, SF, Palm Springs/Desert, Nevada/Utah, the Smokies, the Keys, several trips to the Carribbean.

They've all been different and amazing.

[mlyonsd]

For our 30th the wife and I flew to Albany in October then drove through New England for 5 days. It was pretty awesome.

[mr. tegu]

Don't have a favorite.

Peru, Barcelona, Israel, Pacific Northwest, Napa, Amsterdam, London, NY, SF, Palm Springs/Desert, Nevada/Utah, the Smokies, the Keys, several trips to the Carribbean.

They've all been different and amazing.

Impressive. What did you do in Peru? My fiance is actually originally from there and at some point we will be going there. We will definitely visit Machu Picchu though and probably Cuzco.

[DBoweShow]

I forgot to mention, we are looking at Turks and Caicos for our honeymoon. Looks like the most picturesque and relaxing of the Caribbean islands we have found so far.

I don't know first hand, but my significant other of 3 years went with her family two Thanksgivings ago for a vacation and she said it was amazing down there. She took alot of pics and it looks beautiful and they did quite a bit of fun stuff, such as scuba diving and things of that nature. She wants to go back when we do a big vacation.

[DaKCMan AP]

Impressive. What did you do in Peru? My fiance is actually originally from there and at some point we will be going there. We will definitely visit Machu Picchu though and probably Cuzco.

Spent 2 nights in Lima, 4 nights in Cusco, and went on a 4day/3night trek to Machu Picchu.

[MIAdragon]

I forgot to mention, we are looking at Turks and Caicos for our honeymoon. Looks like the most picturesque and relaxing of the Caribbean islands we have found so far.

If relaxing and picturesque is what you're looking for take a look at Cat Island. We spent some time there last year, the beaches/water were amazing.

[Ceej]

One that doesn't include work whatsoever.

[mr. tegu]

Spent 2 nights in Lima, 4 nights in Cusco, and went on a 4day/3night trek to Machu Picchu.

4 days/3 nights? So was that kind of a wilderness type hike with a guide/tour on an established trail? Or is that just how long it took from where you were to get there by car?

[Rain Man]

Man, it's really hard to say what my favorite vacation is. Like DaKCMan says, they're all great in their own way, and enjoyment also depends a lot on timing and how I'm feeling at the time.

When I think about the trips that give me the best memories, I'd probably go with the following as my top ten.

1. Egypt, 2001, approx. 2 weeks. Holy Aton-Ra, that place is amazing. It had amazing sights and was actually a relatively easy trip given that it's a third-world country.

2. France/India/Nepal, 1989, approx. 3.5 weeks. It may rank higher just because it was my first overseas trip and everything was brand new to me and seared itself into my brain. It was a really challenging vacation in terms of energy expended and travel hassles and general weirdness, but it was a fantastic experience in a relatively exotic place, plus getting see Paris for the first time.

3. Queen Mary 2, 2006, approx. 9 days. Wandered around the Caribbean in style. It wasn't a voyage of discovery, but it's hard to imagine a more relaxing way to spend a week. Great food, great accommodations.

4. South Africa/Madagascar, 2008, approx. 3 weeks. Had a few rough spots, but doing the safari thing is fantastic, and then once we finally figured Madagascar out it was great. It was like being in Tahiti before it was discovered, and was simultaneously stimulating and relaxing.

5. New York, 2005, 3 days. Spent a long weekend in New York and had never been there. I really like that city. It was stimulating, but it was also very easy.

6. Charleston and Savannah, 1995, approx. 5 days. Wow, what neat cities. Great architecture and very good food, along with some history.

7. Australia, 1997, approx. 3 weeks. That place is quite interesting. This could easily rank higher.

8. England/France, 2003, approx. 1 week. Nice relaxing vacation in beautiful cities. It was nice to explore London, but Paris steals my heart.

9. Hearst Castle, 2012, approx. 4 days. Went to a Springsteen concert in LA and then up to Hearst Castle. Very pleasant and relaxing long weekend, and we splurged on some nice hotels that made it fun.

10. Maui, 2011, approx. 1 week. I expected it to be a tourist trap, but it was really very nice.

We go to Orange County frequently, and it's a nice relaxing vacation. For ease of travel, it might beat out Maui since they're quite similar. We also did a "travel through Colorado" vacation a couple years back that was entertaining and easy.

Honestly, though, every vacation is great in its own way. I've never gone on a trip and regretted it.

[DaKCMan AP]

4 days/3 nights? So was that kind of a wilderness type hike with a guide/tour on an established trail? Or is that just how long it took from where you were to get there by car?

2 guides, about 15 porters, and a group of 15 of us hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu over 3 days/nights, arriving at Machu Picchu on the 4th day.

[seclark]

when i was a kid, went to visit some family in southern louisiana and spent a week on the bayou. it was great.

wife and i went to the mayan riviera a couple years ago for our 30th anniversary. it was pretty sweet too.
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[DaKCMan AP]

7. Australia, 1997, approx. 3 weeks. That place is quite interesting. This could easily rank higher.



I'm surprised/curious why Australia doesn't rank higher.

[mr. tegu]

If relaxing and picturesque is what you're looking for take a look at Cat Island. We spent some time there last year, the beaches/water were amazing.

I just did a quick search (lots of cats showed up too) but yeah that place looks awesome. It looks like you could walk from the north shore to the south shore in just a few minutes.

And I guess if I had as many awesome places as some of you it would be hard for me to choose a favorite as well.

[seclark]

I'm surprised/curious why Australia doesn't rank higher.

brother just got back from spending 6weeks down there. he loved it.
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[mr. tegu]

2 guides, about 15 porters, and a group of 15 of us hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu over 3 days/nights, arriving at Machu Picchu on the 4th day.

That sounds really sweet. What were some of the Caribbean places you went if you don't mind saying?

[Rain Man]

I'm surprised/curious why Australia doesn't rank higher.

It might. I was surprised that it didn't pop up higher because I really enjoyed it. I think, though, that it falls into a gap. It wasn't as exotic as some other trips because it's a pretty westernized culture, and it wasn't a pure relaxation trip where you can just melt the stress away. So it doesn't peg the scale as either a Type A or a Type B vacation, which may dilute its power.

I did really enjoy it, though, and would recommend it to anyone. Darwin would rank very high on my list of individual destinations.

[AndChiefs]

My overseas trips have probably been the best.

1. China
2. Peru/Bolivia
3. Italy/Austria/Germany
4. England/France/Italy

[MIAdragon]

I'm surprised/curious why Australia doesn't rank higher.

Possibly because it takes 25+ hours to get there!? We spent 2 weeks in Melbourne, what an amazing city. It may have been the cleanest big city I've ever been in and the people the nicest. Definitively one of my favs. We took a flight up to Cairns to check out the great barrier reef. To me Cairns was a lot like Oahu but even more relaxed and the reef was amazing. Id like to get back out to AU again soon but need 3 or 4 weeks to really make the trip worth it.

[Rain Man]

My overseas trips have probably been the best.

1. China
2. Peru/Bolivia
3. Italy/Austria/Germany
4. England/France/Italy

What did you do in Bolivia? I'm plotting a Peru trip now, and keep looking at Bolivia but don't see a compelling reason to add it on.

[mr. tegu]

My overseas trips have probably been the best.

1. China
2. Peru/Bolivia
3. Italy/Austria/Germany
4. England/France/Italy

It always seems crazy to me that those European countries and cities seem so far apart in culture and everything else, but geographically the main cities all seem to be about as close as Kansas City is to St. Louis. Was your England/France/Italy one of those combination trips designed for tourists where you travel by train or bus visiting the places? That would probably be my choice if/when I go.

[MIAdragon]

I just did a quick search (lots of cats showed up too) but yeah that place looks awesome. It looks like you could walk from the north shore to the south shore in just a few minutes.

And I guess if I had as many awesome places as some of you it would be hard for me to choose a favorite as well.

The wife just said here fav was Dominica, check that one out as well.

[tooge]

Great Places to visit in the US include the gulf coast of florida (santa rosa beach area), san francisco, napa valley, northern new mexico/southern colorado, chicago. I've been all over the US, but these are some of my favorite palces. We go to Santa Rosa in Florida with the kids every year, and although I always say we are gonna go somewhere else the next year, we just love it so much there, that we've now been 6 years in a row. I'm going to Roatan to go diving this fall, but its my first time there. I've been to mexico and the carribean, and really don't care to go back.

[DaKCMan AP]

It might. I was surprised that it didn't pop up higher because I really enjoyed it. I think, though, that it falls into a gap. It wasn't as exotic as some other trips because it's a pretty westernized culture, and it wasn't a pure relaxation trip where you can just melt the stress away. So it doesn't peg the scale as either a Type A or a Type B vacation, which may dilute its power.

I did really enjoy it, though, and would recommend it to anyone. Darwin would rank very high on my list of individual destinations.

Gotcha. I'd want to do some of the big city stuff in Sydney/Melbourne/etc. but also do some of the more active/outdoor/rugged activities too. I figure I need at least 4 weeks whenever I finally plan it.

Possibly because it takes 25+ hours to get there!? We spent 2 weeks in Melbourne, what an amazing city. It may have been the cleanest big city I've ever been in and the people the nicest. Definitively one of my favs. We took a flight up to Cairns to check out the great barrier reef. To me Cairns was a lot like Oahu but even more relaxed and the reef was amazing. Id like to get back out to AU again soon but need 3 or 4 weeks to really make the trip worth it.

Cool.

[mr. tegu]

Possibly because it takes 25+ hours to get there!? We spent 2 weeks in Melbourne, what an amazing city. It may have been the cleanest big city I've ever been in and the people the nicest. Definitively one of my favs. We took a flight up to Cairns to check out the great barrier reef. To me Cairns was a lot like Oahu but even more relaxed and the reef was amazing. Id like to get back out to AU again soon but need 3 or 4 weeks to really make the trip worth it.

And Australia is huge. I imagine that like you said you would need a long time to really visit because of the vastness and the fact that it would require long drives or flights even once you get there. I imagine visiting Australia would be like trying to visit America. If you are from Europe and you want to go to New York and LA or some of the other natural attractions then maybe visit our Gulf for the beaches, you would be shocked to see how many airplanes you would have to hop on and how long that trip would take.

[DaKCMan AP]

That sounds really sweet. What were some of the Caribbean places you went if you don't mind saying?

I've been to the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Caymans, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Aruba, Curacao, and private beaches on Haiti/D.R.

[Renegade]

I did Costa Rica last year and I would have no problem living there someday.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

I'm going to Dominican Republic for the third time this summer. It is awesome. Beautiful white sandy beaches. And from what I've been able to find, it's pretty much the cheapest vacation you can get outside of the US and maybe Mexico.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

7 days at Casa Velas in Puerto Vallarta.

[Rain Man]

Gotcha. I'd want to do some of the big city stuff in Sydney/Melbourne/etc. but also do some of the more active/outdoor/rugged activities too. I figure I need at least 4 weeks whenever I finally plan it.



I did Sydney, Palm Cove (Great Barrier Reef), Darwin, Port Arthur (Tasmania), and then took a ferry back to Melbourne. I can't judge Melbourne because I was only there one night, but I would rank them as:

1. Darwin. Seeing the saltwater crocs is fantastic, and I spend a night or two in Kakadu National Park. It's a backwater place, but it was cool to see aborigines on the street.

2. Port Arthur. Tasmania is freaking gorgeous, and the town looks like an old whaling village. Very interesting place, and they have a tour of one of the old prisons that's pretty neat.

3. Sydney. Great city, and lots to do and see. Maybe this ranks above Port Arthur, not sure.

4. Palm Cove. Others would likely rank this higher, but I'm not a big water/diving guy. I went with a friend and he really wanted to go here. Lots of ants, but beautiful.

Like I said, I can't grade Melbourne given our short time there.

I really, really, really wanted to do the train that goes from (I think) Adelaide to Darwin, and stop at Ayers Rock and stuff, but my friend had no interest at all in that so I compromised. There's also a place called Coober Pedy that we really wanted to visit, but couldn't justify the extra time and cost to get there: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coober_Pedy,_South_Australia. Perth was also in that situation - just couldn't justify the extra days to travel there on that trip.

[AndChiefs]

What did you do in Bolivia? I'm plotting a Peru trip now, and keep looking at Bolivia but don't see a compelling reason to add it on.

I wouldn't particularly recommend it. We went from Puno across the border for what was supposed to be a 1-2 day trip to see the "Isle Del Sol". It ended up being four days because one of my friends I was travelling with was a Mexican citizen and he didn't realize his visa to Peru was a one-time entry only. We ended up having to go to La Paz by taxi so he could get another visa for Peru since we were flying out of Cuzco to Lima (where we spending another few days before heading back) within a few days.

We ended up never seeing the Isle Del Sol and spending several days in La Paz (which sucks). He finally got his visa and we took a taxi back to the border then bribed our way onto a bus to get to Puno. In Puno we managed to find another bus and got back to Cuzco a couple of hours before our flight. It was a pretty crazy trip. The rest of the trip was absolutely amazing though.

[AndChiefs]

It always seems crazy to me that those European countries and cities seem so far apart in culture and everything else, but geographically the main cities all seem to be about as close as Kansas City is to St. Louis. Was your England/France/Italy one of those combination trips designed for tourists where you travel by train or bus visiting the places? That would probably be my choice if/when I go.

That was my only "touristy" trip. We traveled by bus with a big group. Everything is pretty close though and it was definitely a good trip.

My other trips I've traveled by train with a couple of friends which is what I'd actually recommend. It's cheaper and you can decide exactly how long you want to spend places and where you want to go. It does take more planning though.

One tip, travel by overnight train/bus as much as possible. It saves a hotel/hostel fee and you have more time at locations so you can get the maximum gain.

[MIAdragon]

2. Port Arthur. Tasmania is freaking gorgeous, and the town looks like an old whaling village. Very interesting place, and they have a tour of one of the old prisons that's pretty neat.



I agree Tazzy was amazing, we stayed on the northern side of the island, just did not have the time to make it down south. Next time we will hit Hobart/Port Arthur.

[Rain Man]

I agree Tazzy was amazing, we stayed on the northern side of the island, just did not have the time to make it down south. Next time we will hit Hobart/Port Arthur.

Yeah, I'd like to go back there again and see more. Other than driving to Launceston to catch the ferry, I was only in Port Arthur. (Actually, now I can't remember if I stayed in Hobart or Port Arthur. I think it was Port Arthur. Pathetic that I can't remember.)

[TrebMaxx]

My favorite place is St. John, U.S.V.I. Been there three times, actually our last three vacations. Very relaxing and laid back. We usually stay for a week. Great snorkeling, lot's of rum and Virgin Islands Brewery has some good beers. You can rent a jeep and tour the Island which is mostly National Parkland and very scenic. I would also recommend taking a day cruise hitting up some of the B.V.I.'s, more snorkeling and be sure to hit White Bay and have some pain killers at the Soggy Dollar. You can also book a deep sea fishing day which is a blast too if you are into stuff like that. We always stay at Caneel Bay Resort on Turtle Bay Beach. It's a very nice resort and the people are great there.

http://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/caneelbay/

This is who we've used for our day sails.
http://calypsovi.com/

[MIAdragon]

Yeah, I'd like to go back there again and see more. Other than driving to Launceston to catch the ferry, I was only in Port Arthur. (Actually, now I can't remember if I stayed in Hobart or Port Arthur. I think it was Port Arthur. Pathetic that I can't remember.)

How was the ferry ride, we thought about it but ended up taking a puddle jumper from Melbourne.

[Rain Man]

How was the ferry ride, we thought about it but ended up taking a puddle jumper from Melbourne.

Y'know, I really enjoyed it and definitely preferred it over flying, but at the same time it was my first time overnight on a ship, so everything was new and interesting. It was definitely a working ferry, so the food was pretty mediocre, but our cabin was nice and it was cool to go explore the ship and watch the water.

[SAUTO]

what is a vacation?

[Frazod]

Probably a driving vacation back in '99. Chicago - Kansas City - Cheyenne - Jackson - Yellowstone - Little Bighorn Battlefield - Black Hills - Chicago. Just over 5,000 miles.

[Lumpy]

what is a vacation?

THIS! :mad:

I found one hell of a 5-day family package to the Disney Art of Animation resort in Orlando. It would be a great getaway for us and our little man! We would leave on a Saturday, come back on a Wednesday. We would miss 3 days of work. Oh, but... HELL NO! Can't take a few days off of work... EVER!! :deevee:

[mr. tegu]

That was my only "touristy" trip. We traveled by bus with a big group. Everything is pretty close though and it was definitely a good trip.

My other trips I've traveled by train with a couple of friends which is what I'd actually recommend. It's cheaper and you can decide exactly how long you want to spend places and where you want to go. It does take more planning though.

One tip, travel by overnight train/bus as much as possible. It saves a hotel/hostel fee and you have more time at locations so you can get the maximum gain.

That is really an awesome idea. However, you may miss a little bit of viewing the countryside though which is something I would probably enjoy. But then again, I am not too familiar with the terrain and views so maybe one trip through during the day would be enough to get my fill of viewing the countryside. Then spend the rest of the traveling going at night. I like that if going by train you can decide for yourself how long and where you go while there.

[Ceej]

Man..

Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern got it made.

Traveling the world, eating, enjoying the culture and scenery while getting paid.

Sons of bitches.

[mr. tegu]

The wife just said here fav was Dominica, check that one out as well.

I just checked out this island. The thing that jumps out initially is that it seems to have a lot of terrific inland activities such as hiking and sightseeing in the jungles.

[whoman69]

Spain, great beaches, historic city of Cadiz, Gibraltar, Ronda, World Cup championship celebration.

Mt. Rushmore and surrounding areas are pretty good.

As a kid it was Ft. Myers, FL and Rocky Mountain National Park.

[Frazod]

Man..

Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern got it made.

Traveling the world, eating, enjoying the culture and scenery while getting paid.

Sons of bitches.

Bourdain's got it made. Zimmern has to eat live spiders and eyeballs. Fuck that.

[Ceej]

Bourdain's got it made. Zimmern has to eat live spiders and eyeballs. **** that.

By choice.

I didn't realize he is an ex drug addict. He doesn't look the type. His show is pretty wicked.

Regardless, his job is a vacation.

That'd be awesome.

[patteeu]

I think my favorite vacation was a driving vacation I took with my wife and two girls 5 or 6 years ago out west. We took a little over two weeks following this route:

1. Followed the Oregon Trail to Casper, Wyoming.
2. Broke off like the Mormons to follow the Mormon trail to Salt Lake City.
3. Continued on through Nevada into California (didn't have time for Donner Pass or Lake Tahoe) and headed for Yosemite National Park where we spent a couple of days.
4. Drove into San Francisco and spent a full day there.
5. Drove up the coast stopping at a couple of beaches for the kids and on to Oregon and Crater Lake National Park.
6. Headed back east, kind of picking up the Oregon Trail in reverse.
7. Stopped for 2 or 3 days in Yellowstone National Park (spent one afternoon White Water Rafting on Yellowstone River).
8. Came back to KC via South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse).

My youngest daughter had just studied the Oregon Trail in school that year (4th grade) so she enjoyed being our tour guide at some points along the way. I also made both of my kids read a book related to the Oregon Trail that summer before we went (as part of their required reading that we made them do anyway) so they both had some insights to pass along as we stopped at various sites of interest along the way. Among the things we saw were a Pony Express museum and way station, several Oregon Trail museums, landmarks, "fossilized" tracks, SF's Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf, recreated US Cavalry forts, the site of Custer's last stand, an abandoned Idaho prison turned state park (we regrettably didn't make reservations for Alcatraz early enough so we missed it), a Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit (in Idaho at the time) and a whole lot of natural beauty. My favorite moment was lying on a giant, comfortably-cool boulder at the edge of a rushing stream in the upper meadowlands of Yosemite while the kids played in/near the water. That was soooo relaxing after driving through Nevada's desert all night the night before.

In some ways it was a somewhat hectic vacation but we packed a ton of good memories into it.

[Frazod]

By choice.

I didn't realize he is an ex drug addict. He doesn't look the type. His show is pretty wicked.

Regardless, his job is a vacation.

That'd be awesome.

True enough. It would be interesting to see how much of that crap he spits out when the cameras aren't rolling. Sometimes I get so grossed out by the stuff he eats that I have to turn the channel, and I will absolutely NEVER watch that show while I'm eating.

He does seem like a really decent, genuine guy, though.

[Ceej]

True enough. It would be interesting to see how much of that crap he spits out when the cameras aren't rolling. Sometimes I get so grossed out by the stuff he eats that I have to turn the channel, and I will absolutely NEVER watch that show while I'm eating.

He does seem like a really decent, genuine guy, though.

He does seem like a pretty cool guy. Some times I wonder who dresses him though or if he's color blind.

He does try some wacky shit though, and more often than not he enjoys it

I would try most everything once unless it smells super foul or is moving.

The other night he was eating some cheese that was partially made with maggot excrement.
While maggots crawled all over it.

Lord Almighty.

[Frazod]

He does seem like a pretty cool guy. Some times I wonder who dresses him though or if he's color blind.

He does try some wacky shit though, and more often than not he enjoys it

I would try most everything once unless it smells super foul or is moving.

The other night he was eating some cheese that was partially made with maggot excrement.
While maggots crawled all over it.

Lord Almighty.

The funniest thing I've seen on that show was when he was out in the field with some Army guys eating MREs, and he could barely choke down them down. This, from a guy who'll eat maggot cheese. LMAO

[Ceej]

The funniest thing I've seen on that show was when he was out in the field with some Army guys eating MREs, and he could barely choke down them down. This, from a guy who'll eat maggot cheese. LMAO

Saw the same episode.

[saphojunkie]

My wife and I hate Thanksgiving. Well, she's from Italy, so she doesn't give a shit about it. Every Thanksgiving now, I just take off two days of work and get an 8 day vacation. It's brilliant.

Since neither of us care about turkey and stuffing, we just go to a city we've never been to. One with great food and hopefully culture.

New Orleans, Washington DC, San Francisco, and this year is Charleston/Savannah/Atlanta. I cannot recommend this highly enough. I know people think they have to go see family at Thanksgiving, but you're going to see them a month later. Let it go.

See your family in September instead.

Enjoy Thanksgoing.

Outside of that, the best vacation I've ever had was when I quit my job, sublet my apartment, and went to Italy with my then-girlfriend for six weeks. We had been a few times, so it was fun to visit friends and family in her hometown. Then Venice for a couple days. Verona (saw Nebucco at the Amphitheater. My advice? Skip the Colosseum and go see a WORKING, intact structure here), Florence, and then rented an apartment in Rome.

Then we spent the next 3.5 weeks on the beach in a tiny, tiny, tiny, TINY town on the coast. Here's a pic:

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/a6/19/ff/panoramica.jpg

Proposed to her there. That was a pret-ty good time.

[DanT]

Yosemite Valley is pretty memorable and relaxing. There's incredible scenery everywhere and it's pretty relaxing and easy to enjoy if you like to walk around. A trip that combined Yosemite Valley with some of the places around the San Francisco Bay area would be a good "twofer" for folks who've never been to Northern California, with the only downside being that you'd have to be on the road about 5 hours each way going between SF and Yosemite. ( http://www.starlinetours.com/yosemite-2or3days-tour-Yosemite-Lodge-or-Ahwahnee-Hotel.asp )

[Frazod]

Yosemite Valley is pretty memorable and relaxing. There's incredible scenery everywhere and it's pretty relaxing and easy to enjoy if you like to walk around. A trip that combined Yosemite Valley with some of the places around the San Francisco Bay area would be a good "twofer" for folks who've never been to Northern California, with the only downside being that you'd have to be on the road about 5 hours each way going between SF and Yosemite. ( http://www.starlinetours.com/yosemite-2or3days-tour-Yosemite-Lodge-or-Ahwahnee-Hotel.asp )

I really enjoyed Yosemite, but made the mistake of staying at a motel in Oakhurst instead of the Ahwanee. Big mistake - seemed like we were always in the damned car, and California drivers are the rudest fucks on earth.

But it was beautiful. Prettiest place I've ever seen.

[whoman69]

The funniest thing I've seen on that show was when he was out in the field with some Army guys eating MREs, and he could barely choke down them down. This, from a guy who'll eat maggot cheese. LMAO

Must have been the tuna casserole. Ugh.

[DanT]

I really enjoyed Yosemite, but made the mistake of staying at a motel in Oakhurst instead of the Ahwanee. Big mistake - seemed like we were always in the damned car, and California drivers are the rudest ****s on earth.

But it was beautiful. Prettiest place I've ever seen.

Yeah, staying at some place inside the park is worth the extra expense.

Many of the drivers in the Sacramento area are horrible. There seems to be a custom out here that if someone in an interior freeway lane is only going between 0 to 5 miles per hour over the speed limit, that it's OK to speed up and past them on the right, even though the cars in the passing lane are well spaced and exceeding the speed limit by well over 5 mph. That happens all the time out here. I used to think that the drivers were rude, but now I think a large chunk of them are just ignorant of basic notions of driving courtesy, due to lax law enforcement. There seems to be about ten times more nonsense per mile on the dry, flat freeways out here than I would see in Kansas City or Chicago when I lived there. If one wanted to see both SF and Yosemite, a comfortable tour bus might be the way to avoid the driving hassle. Although I have to point out that I was on a big 45 passenger shuttle bus in Sacramento on a perfectly dry day when the driver drove off the highway at more than 55 mph onto a guard rail that ended up rolling us over. That's the sort of thing that should never happen, but it happens out here.

[scho63]

Late 1987 I took off 12 weeks and went to Fiji (2 weeks), New Zealand (2 week), Australia (30 days), Hawaii (2 days which was supposed to be a week but I cancelled to stay in Australia an extra week), Barbados (1 week), Rio De Janiero (2 weeks), Cayman Islands (1 week)

I was so dark by the time I arrived in Rio they thought I was a "Carioca", meaning a local.

I had so much fun and slept with chicks from 5 countries but also caught the clap in Rio

The dollar was so strong it was paradise!

[ZepSinger]

we absolutely LOVE Biloxi MS. So much so, that we're planning on moving there once my wife gets her Masters in 2 years. We always stay at the Balmoral Inn, one block from the beach. Inn owner Mike is a good friend of mine- in fact, I do his website (balmoralinn.com, however, I'm doing a bunch of updates to it right now, so see the site on my test platform at http://www.lewerke.com/balmoralinn

[DanT]

I like the vacation that mr. tegu described in the topic heading post. That's a fun and relaxing way to enjoy your hometown, staying at a nice hotel and checking out the local attractions.

[PunkinDrublic]

Peru for two weeks in 2010. Machu Picchu is everything it's hyped up to be and more. Tried roasted guinea pig (not bad). Went to Puno and spent the night on one of the islands on lake Titicaca with a native family, which was cold. The islands have no electricity and no running water. Overall an awesome trip.


Ireland the week of St. Pattys day in 2006 with a . I'd spent a weekend in Dublin a couple of years before but I had wanted to see the rest of the countryside. Flew in from London to this tiny little town called Knock and then spent the week driving down the West coast visiting little towns. Highlights included the Cliffs of Mohr, the Aran islands and partying in Galway on St. Pattys day. The great thing about this trip was the airfare was cheap. Less than $600 bucks for a round trip ticket to London and then less than $100. You guys that bitch about flights to Europe should try this trip.

Costa Rica twice. Beautiful country. Great beaches and it was great ziplining down the side of a volcano. Hot chicks too. When landing in San Jose the first night, head straight to the Del Rey hotel. You're welcome.

I'm going to Spain with a friend for two weeks starting the first weekend in July. The first week I'm going up to the northern region which includes running with the bulls in Pamplona. The second week I'm heading south to Seville followed by the beaches on the mediteranian coast. If I don't get gored to death by a bull I'll tell you guys about my trip.

[RJ]

Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard. Laid back, beautiful, great summer weather. Go in August for whale watching.

[007]

Honeymoon in Vail with my wife and Disneyworld with my kids.

[SPchief]

We now know why DaFace quit being a Mod. Rainman takes a 3 week vacation atleast once a year.

[cdcox]

As a kid we'd vacation every year at the Lake of the Ozarks. This was back before the cabin cruisers took over the lake. Those were great vacations. A week of water skiing, boating, swimming, and fishing with cousins. In the later years, we'd mix in a few beers. Just a really fun no stress vacation with tons of good memories.

As an adult the wife and I spend about 10 days in Italy. That was a good vacation. We've been to Cancun three times and plan to go back next year with her sister's family. The wife and I have also had some good trips to New Orleans and Charleston.