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Favorite Vacation Destination?


Kirby

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Where have you traveled that you really want to visit again and why?  Do you have a favorite vacation destination?  It can be a place with happy memories and somewhere you visit regularly, or somewhere you visited once that made an impression.

And do you have some location that you've always wanted to visit but is still on your "to do" list?

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Hawaii and Aruba are both return-visit-worthy, as is the Blue Ridge Parkway, specially the southren part near Mt. Mitchell and Mt. Pisgah.  Nova Scotia and Mt. Baker were both magical - The Cabot Trail and Artist's Point were fantastic!

The main thing I really want to see is the northren California coast - Big Sur, Monterey, etc.

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Little Cayman for me. Tiny island about a mile long. Nothing to do and all day to do it. Have to fly in on a 6 or 8 seat plane. You can tell if your baggage made the plane because you turn around and look in the back most seats. (ours didn't) But there is flights every couple hours.

want to  explore more of The Continent London/Paris/France trip in April/May

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Much as I would like to return to Japan or Malaysia, those were unique trips where we stayed with family and had guides fluent in the local language.  I think I'm getting a bit old for 17 hour flights though.  Florida isn't a vacation spot.  It's a place I'd like to live.  I'd probably prefer more local trips.  A couple of weeks on Cape Cod would be nice.  I know a couple of places where if you walk off the porch you are on the beach and if you go the other way there are miles of relatively flat biking.

My favorite vacation is in the secret lab.

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Anywhere other than Orlando! Most Floridians escape to places like the mountains of North Carolina as the hordes of visitors invade Florida. My goal in the next year or so is to take an RV down the Appalachian Trail, starting in Maine and heading south during autumn seasonal change.

And then there is Europe with my mandatory visit to Switzerland to spoil the grandchild. Since I am over there, delay return for a week or two and visit other areas. While have gone to Venice, Barcelona, Madrid, Vienna Canary Islands and wouldn't mind returning like I did with the UK, so many other places are high on the list, like Tuscany area of Italy then to Rome to fly home, delay flight connections by several days in Iceland, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris etc, depending on which airline take. Perhaps factory purchase of Mercedes or BMW and tour throughout Germany. Also, while I dislike cruises, some of the Viking Cruises look interesting. Decisions, Decisions.

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31 minutes ago, Tizeye said:

Anywhere other than Orlando! Most Floridians escape to places like the mountains of North Carolina as the hordes of visitors invade Florida. My goal in the next year or so is to take an RV down the Appalachian Trail, starting in Maine and heading south during autumn seasonal change.

And then there is Europe with my mandatory visit to Switzerland to spoil the grandchild. Since I am over there, delay return for a week or two and visit other areas. While have gone to Venice, Barcelona, Madrid, Vienna Canary Islands and wouldn't mind returning like I did with the UK, so many other places are high on the list, like Tuscany area of Italy then to Rome to fly home, delay flight connections by several days in Iceland, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris etc, depending on which airline take. Perhaps factory purchase of Mercedes or BMW and tour throughout Germany. Also, while I dislike cruises, some of the Viking Cruises look interesting. Decisions, Decisions.

It's interesting that you want to escape Orlando and I want to live near there.  :P

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39 minutes ago, Tizeye said:

Anywhere other than Orlando! Most Floridians escape to places like the mountains of North Carolina as the hordes of visitors invade Florida. My goal in the next year or so is to take an RV down the Appalachian Trail, starting in Maine and heading south during autumn seasonal change.

 

Motor Vehicles aren't allowed on the AT. Even if they were, it would spoil the experience for the hikers.

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Ireland is on my bucket list.

BuffCarla and I go on exploring vacations, haven't taken the same on twice, This year is Kentucky and Tennesee.

I also take my daughter on an urban vacation once a year or so. We've done NYC, Toronto, Chicago, South Beach, and Montreal, and planning on New Orleans this winter.

Most years I go to Rehoboth Beach or Ocean City for a few days solo.  Off season - but not during the heart of winter, they are very nice.

 

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9 minutes ago, BuffJim said:

Motor Vehicles aren't allowed on the AT. Even if they were, it would spoil the experience for the hikers.

I was thinking of the several parkways (Blue Ridge, Shenandoah, etc) that follow the same route. Not the actual trail.  But now that you mention is, I could take an ATV and take out a few hikers at various trail entry points. ?

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22 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

It's interesting that you want to escape Orlando and I want to live near there.  :P

Well, I am a Realtor...so let's talk. ?

Actually one of my worst trips was to Charlotte on April 1st. A normal 8 hr drive took 13-14 hours as the lease was up on March 30th for all the snowbirds who jam packed I4 and I95. Thought I would get some relief  when cut west on I26 but was filled with Canadian, Michigan, Ohio and other plates as they were heading home. Did get a great April Fools joke on BIL when arrived at his house about 10PM. Called from the street in front of his house lamenting that finally got as far as Columbia, SC but traffic really backed up. After hanging up, got out and knocked on his door.

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1 hour ago, maddmaxx said:

I like the little sausage you get there.

Lived there for a while, didn't see little sausages.

Saw big sausages, massive hunks of pork on a rotisserie in the window facing the street. Tiny meatballs in Lederknoodle (sp) soup.

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13 hours ago, Kirby said:

Where have you traveled that you really want to visit again and why?  Do you have a favorite vacation destination?  It can be a place with happy memories and somewhere you visit regularly, or somewhere you visited once that made an impression.

And do you have some location that you've always wanted to visit but is still on your "to do" list?

Impossible to come close to answering this set of questions in a succinct way.  I will try to with a "I've been to a ton of vacation destinations, and the list of where I DON'T want to return is way shorter than the list of places I would like to return (given time & money)".

One easy combination answer would simply be "All the National Parks in the US (and Canada)".  We're slowly chipping away at them with me only having visited about a third of the US NPs, and I would return to all of them if given a chance.

Internationally, that list is L-O-N-G.  But sadly, one place I LOVED but would not return to is Istanbul.  I am hoping to live long enough to see that part of the world sorted out enough to visit regularly, but I am happy to have been there before it started getting unfriendly.  At least Egypt looks like it is returning as an option, so the Pyramids are back!

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I love Tangier Island and its people.  Visit there now before it erodes totally away into the Chesapeake Bay.  Chesapeake Requiem is a great book about the island.  You wont get luxury but you will get an authentic experience.  Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island

I also have a very sweet spot for the Benelux area-- especially Luxembourg.

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Probably my favorite "return" spot would be Lake Placid in the Adirondacks.  it just makes me feel peaceful and I have a lot of nice memories of visits there with my parents.  

My "to do" list includes Ireland and the Nordic countries for international travel, but I want to spend a longer time when I go to either location so that may be a retirement trip.  In the US, I'd like to visit North Cascades National Park and Olympic National Park, but that needs some reading and planning.

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Just now, Kirby said:

In the US, I'd like to visit North Cascades National Park and Olympic National Park, but that needs some reading and planning.

We did it last year, and it was great fun. Mt Rainier was getting HEAVY snow, so we had to skip it :(  but I think Dottie would prioritize Mt Rainier over North Cascades.  I'd put Olympic above NCNP - especially in warmer weather. 

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For a day: Kings Dominion in Virginia, a 2.5 hr drive for us. The rides and food!

For a U.S. week's vacation:  Badlands to Black Hills SD to Yellowstone National Park. Such great, unique, and inspiring scenery.

For a foreign week's vacation: an Aegean Odyssey Cruise: Athens, Mikonos, Crete, Rhodes, Coast of Turkey (Ephesus, Troy) and Istanbul.  Great scenery, history, low prices for food, fun on the ship, etc.

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Hard to pin down just to 1 place-- For a tropical, hot place so far:  Hawai'i.  Several islands offered slightly different things. Kauai was lovely.

In North America....it would be along the British Columbia coast, Vancouver  ….at this time it is both home and place to visit now ...because I work and live another city.  There is a great deal of nature ...lots of parks, being by the saltwater across the whole of Metro Vancouver.  I would like take the B.C. ferry (which is way cheaper than luxury cruise) again along the Pacific coast toward Print Rupert...the whole coastline is vertical, wild, heavily forested hardly ...and then go to Haida Gawai'i well, yes it does rain a lot. But to experience that again.  It is jaw dropping in its inaccessibility. ...the place where the white rare spirit bear inhabits.

In Europe, I enjoyed southern Germany.  (have been to several other countries over 4 different trips.)  I would like to visit Croatia.

I haven't seen enough of Asia yet but feel incredibly fortunate we went to Tokyo last year, etc. before the damging typhoon hit last wk. or so.  I would like to visit Taiwan.  I am rooting for HK but it's not the place to visit right now.

 

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Most of my travels have been US and Canada except for the South Africa trip...which was fantastic...I would like to see the Canadian Rockies..France because my mom spent time there and always wanted to return...Germany because I was born there...Italy because I have pasta sauce in my veins :D  Slovenia & Croatia because my moms parents came from there...and my grampy taught me at least 3 or 4 "colorful" words.... Greece for the history...yeah I am ready to go...just need the cash.....and a travel companion getting lost with someone is way better than being lost solo!!...Besides you can blame the other person for the predicament :P

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3 minutes ago, petitepedal said:

Most of my travels have been US and Canada except for the South Africa trip...which was fantastic...I would like to see the Canadian Rockies..France because my mom spent time there and always wanted to return...Germany because I was born there...Italy because I have pasta sauce in my veins :D  Slovenia & Croatia because my moms parents came from there...and my grampy taught me at least 3 or 4 "colorful" words.... Greece for the history...yeah I am ready to go...just need the cash.....and a travel companion getting lost with someone is way better than being lost solo!!...Besides you can blame the other person for the predicament :P

Let me know whenever Canadian Rockies really do become a destination for you....  If one drives 300 + km on the highway between Banff and Jasper you will see mountains in your face, most of the way. (Or bus is easier from airport or downtown Calgary).  Oh don't forget Yoho National Park, next door to Banff National Park..

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This may seem weird to most people but we enjoy traveling to different race tracks. When I was still working all my vacation time was scheduled around different racing events. We meet up with our son at different events hang out with family and friends and when I get to race side by side on the track with my son it's a bonus. 

I love racing at Barber motorsports park. Track layout and the museum are well planned out and the the park looks more like a country club then a race track. When we race in South Carolina Wo46 and I take a extra day and stop somewhere in North Carolina or West Virginia to do some mountain biking. 

Places that are on the list of places I would like to see are Bonneville Salt flats for speed week, Laguna Sacha race way, Isle of man tt race  (my son was there 3 year ago) and I actually have a place on the list that is not a race track is Alaska. I think that we will be able to find some good mountain bike trails in Alaska. 

 

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Salamonie Reservoir.

It's kind of home (both wife and I are from the area).

It's where my wife and I met when both working there for the summer.

We pretty much know the place like the back of our hand at this point.

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Been going to the same lake in Vermont since 1967.  Just love it there.  We don't get there as often as we'd like, even though my brother has a house and 2 cabins there.  Would love to do a Windjammer type cruise.  And we are working on a trip to Italy next year to see friends and distant family.  Philippines will happen someday, the kids in law have family there

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On 10/23/2019 at 10:13 AM, Airehead said:

I love Tangier Island and its people.  Visit there now before it erodes totally away into the Chesapeake Bay.  Chesapeake Requiem is a great book about the island.  You wont get luxury but you will get an authentic experience.  Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island

I also have a very sweet spot for the Benelux area-- especially Luxembourg.

Years ago my dad and I did a duck hunting trip on Tangier. Our guide kept us out a bit too long and we had to come in with 10-12 swells. In  a 16 foot boat, that’s a bit sketchy.

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7 hours ago, Indy said:

Salamonie Reservoir.

It's kind of home (both wife and I are from the area).

It's where my wife and I met when both working there for the summer.

We pretty much know the place like the back of our hand at this point.

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Your Aussie looks our first one Pepper!   

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  • 11 months later...
On 10/23/2019 at 10:40 PM, BR46 said:

This may seem weird to most people but we enjoy traveling to different race tracks.

Not atoll. My brother and I always insisted driving by some when we were near them on vacations. Watkins Glenn was the high point, I think Indy also. And I loved going down to Summit Point just to see enduro hart racing.  I feel quite remiss that I haven’t even seen South Jersey Motorsports Park. You can park your motor home in my driveway when you go there to race!  And I will come to watch you and your monkey!  

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On 10/23/2019 at 10:02 PM, Old No. 7 said:

Duxbury MA. There is nothing much to see but it’s a good place to do nothing. Good seafood is nearby, a nice beach you can drive on with the right vehicle. Good bike riding. Cape Cod and Boston aren’t far either, if you’re into either one.

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I used to go to Foxboro a good bit for busyness and I loved the attractions in that area. Vermont is sublime, and the RI bay coast and Cape Cod are quite nice. Once had a busyness event in a hotel that was right on the Cape  Cod beach and that was awesome!  Boston was ok, but just so congested. 
And I allus thought western MA and The Berkshires sounded pretty darn nice but never got there. I loved driving the New England back roads with the cute little villages and such. Sort of like being inside a Lang Folk Art calendar. (Why is it called Berkshire Hathaway if Warren Buffet is from OK or Nebraska or wherever?)  Brb!

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As someone who loves ancient history, the Aegean Odyssey I took in 1996 with a woman named Phyllis who graduated with a major in History from Rutgers U, was the most fun of any vacation I've had: 3 days in Athens/Southern Greece, 6 days on a Cruise with stops at Mikonos/Delos, Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, and the Turkish coast (including ruins of Ephesus and Troy) then 3 days in Istanbul.

The cost for the cruise part of the trip, including air and meals, is comparable to that of a 1 week Inside Passage Alaska Cruise from the East Coast.

I would love to do it again, though I'd probably want a different part of the Mediterranean Sea, maybe something like Spain, Morocco, Sicily, Naples, Rome, Florence.  I'd also want to have a day to rent a car in Rome, drive to Anzio, and explore the areas where my father fought as a member of Darby's Rangers in January, 1944.  A cousin of mine and her husband visited Anzio and a museum there and were impressed with the Ranger stuff there.

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