OT.... Best vacation you've had

[Wyldnwoody44]

A little something to keep out mind odd of the waiting game.

 

I am currently in Dublin, I traveled here alone for 11 days to drive around Ireland, and it's been a blast, Poland and Iceland were my other favorites.

 

I wanna hear what your best vacations/getaways were and why, in the states, foreign, etc.... Anything is fair game.

 

 

I never start threads, so yes I'm wasted

 

Cheers!!

[MattPie]

Best fairly traditional: 3 weeks in Thailand / Cambodia. Just an awesome country with awesome food and views.

 

Best solo vacation: did 7 or so days solo on the motorcycle. No plan other then "Southeast NC, I think". Just stayed or camped wherever I got tired for the end of the day; the middle part I stayed in downtown Asheville and had great food and beer every night and rode awesome roads all day.

[North Buffalo]

Best fairly traditional: 3 weeks in Thailand / Cambodia. Just an awesome country with awesome food and views.

 

Best solo vacation: did 7 or so days solo on the motorcycle. No plan other then "Southeast NC, I think". Just stayed or camped wherever I got tired for the end of the day; the middle part I stayed in downtown Asheville and had great food and beer every night and rode awesome roads all day.

When I was 23, did a 3 week bicycle trip in France. Road from Paris along the Loire to Nante and down the coast to just North of Spanish border along the Atlantic... not as touristy but stayed in a hostel and checked in with the french and german girls at the beach...oooo la la danka

[sodbuster]

A family member of mine passed in 2013 and left me a decent chunk of money. There was a condition attached to it though. I had to spend it on a "whimsical experience" rather than something material.

 

I enlisted a friend of mine, we deferred our enrollment at Brockport, and we took off for two months. We spent the first month doing a big lap around the lower 48 in my Jeep, spent three days at home, then hopped on a plane to Costa Rica for another month,sightseeing, living out of our backpacks and staying in hostels. It helped that my traveling companion was fluent in Spanish, I don't think I could have pulled that part of the trip off without her.

 

The American portion of our trip cost about $6500, and Costa Rica came in at just over four thousand.

[ubkev]

All the vacations when I was a kid were centered on skiing in Vermont or going to our camp(a trailer with a "house like" structure built onto it) in Old Forge.

 

Now, as a family man, it's mostly day trips. We did Florida in 2015 for 2 weeks. We'll go back next year. My kid will be off to college by the time I'm 37. That's when the European vacation will take place. I'm thinking Italy.

[North Buffalo]

All the vacations when I was a kid were centered on skiing in Vermont or going to our camp(a trailer with a "house like" structure built onto it) in Old Forge.

Now, as a family man, it's mostly day trips. We did Florida in 2015 for 2 weeks. We'll go back next year. My kid will be off to college by the time I'm 37. That's when the European vacation will take place. I'm thinking Italy.

I didnt start my family till 39, both envious and not... had a lot of fun but will be 60 by the time they are off...

[Huckleberry]

All the vacations when I was a kid were centered on skiing in Vermont or going to our camp(a trailer with a "house like" structure built onto it) in Old Forge.

 

Now, as a family man, it's mostly day trips. We did Florida in 2015 for 2 weeks. We'll go back next year. My kid will be off to college by the time I'm 37. That's when the European vacation will take place. I'm thinking Italy.

 

If you want to visit a European country where they are always friendly, do Germany or Spain, French and Italians get so stuck up and barely know any other languages.

[ubkev]

If you want to visit a European country where they are always friendly, do Germany or Spain, French and Italians get so stuck up and barely know any other languages.

I speak bad Italian(grandparents), as well as bad Spanish(4 years of school).

[North Buffalo]

If you want to visit a European country where they are always friendly, do Germany or Spain, French and Italians get so stuck up and barely know any other languages.

France depends, in big cities yes, but in country side much friendlier in my experience, especially along west coast. Help mes amis e mois traverse dans les velos pour onse cent kilometres. (sp?) french is rusty. Edited June 20, 2017 by North Buffalo

[Weave]

I don't think I could pinpoint a best one.  They are all awesome in their own way.

As a young man I spent 7 days sailing and snorkeling in the Bahamas.  Been on river canoe trips that explored the entire length of a river.  20th Anny trip to New Orleans stands out as well.  Loved every trip to every lake I've ever taken (someday I WILL have permanent residence along a lake shore).

 

So many more.  It's vacation, man.  How can it not be awesome?

[North Buffalo]

I don't think I could pinpoint a best one.  They are all awesome in their own way.

 

As a young man I spent 7 days sailing and snorkeling in the Bahamas.  Been on river canoe trips that explored the entire length of a river.  20th Anny trip to New Orleans stands out as well.  Loved every trip to every lake I've ever taken (someday I WILL have permanent residence along a lake shore).

 

So many more.  It's vacation, man.  How can it not be awesome?

Luv your lakeshore idea, mine too wife and I are looking for small property or cabin.

[Winston]

Well, I returned from my honeymoon two days ago :)

 

We went to the island of Oahu in Hawaii and we had a blast. A bunch of firsts for me- snorkeling on a coral reef, Scuba diving with sea turtles, zip lining down a series of lines over a fruit plantation. Also climbed a mountain or two, and of course spent some time at the beach and in the pools/hot tubs at the resort. Attended a luau one night and boy oh boy was that pork amazing. We ate extremely well all week, in fact. Oh, and we got a couples massage in the sketchiest building imaginable in downtown Honolulu, but it was great.

[Wyldnwoody44]

I'm Currently struggling with driving on the left side of the road, and Dublin is wayyyyyyyy too touristy for me, I can't wait to leave tomorrow and hit the countryside

[Ogre]

I'm Currently struggling with driving on the left side of the road, and Dublin is wayyyyyyyy too touristy for me, I can't wait to leave tomorrow and hit the countryside

Uh. I can imagine you are struggling with driving, Dude. Weren't you wasted like 4 hours ago?

[Wyldnwoody44]

Not currently, I took the double Decker bus back to the hotel, but it still isn't clicking, and I'm laying in bed, still pretty wasted ;)

[Ogre]

Not currently, I took the double Decker bus back to the hotel, but it still isn't clicking, and I'm laying in bed, still pretty wasted ;)

Good idea to rest up. When is ladies night in Dublin? Use that hair while you have it man. Don't let me down.

[josie]

Traveled across Europe with a concert band when I was 14. Learned a lot, shaped a lot of views. Studied abroad in Paris a few years ago- that was a magical summer. Visited Japan when my father and sister lived and worked there around Christmas one year. We had just cancelled our plans to go to Phuket, Thailand.... and we stood in my dad's apartment watching the Tsunami wipe out the resort we had reservations at. Not a great thing, but one of those life changing moments. 

 

But I've had life changing experiences in the mountains of Whistler, BC, in the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado after a heavy downpour at sunset, as a kid seeing a thunderstorm against the White Sands in New Mexico. 

 

I've been incredibly lucky to have traveled as much as I have. It makes not being able to travel pretty depressing. I like having a home base too much or I'd just constantly be wandering. There are so many places I'd like to see. 

 

Then again, there's so much to be said for hunkering down in one spot and just relaxing. I got some hard news today that's just got me really going over family vacations and thinking a lot. I regret that we didn't relax more on those trips and enjoy each other. 

[ubkev]

I'd freaking love to see Japan!

[Neo]

My oldest daughter planned 40 days, or so, in Europe with two friends the summer after finishing college. As happens with kids, her two friends cancelled. My undeterred daughter went alone.

 

About a month before she left, she called me. "You know, I have one long stay during the trip. I'll spend 12 days in Paris. Will you meet me?"

 

When a daughter asks a father, after all the trials and tribulations of youth, to join her on her first adult trip, his heart swells.

 

I can do no better. I don't want to try to do better.

Edited June 21, 2017 by Neo

[TheAud]

I'd freaking love to see Japan!

Yeah, it's as great as you probably imagine. If you can swing it, I highly recommend traveling in Japan at least once for the experience. 

I lived there for 7 years and still miss it. I get there occasionally for work and my Taiwanese wife loves Japan too so will probably be back for vacation at some point in the future... 

Edited June 21, 2017 by Sakman

[TheAud]

My oldest daughter planned 40 days, or so, in Europe with two friends the summer after finishing college. As happens with kids, her two friends cancelled. My undeterred daughter went alone.

 

About a month before she left, she called me. "You know, I have one long stay during the trip. I'll spend 12 days in Paris. Will you meet me?"

 

When a daughter asks a father, after all the trials and tribulations of youth, to join her on her first adult trip, his heart swells.

 

I can do no better. I don't want to try to do better.

I like this a lot...your serendipitous vacation was undoubtedly the outcome of years of top notch parenting. Bravo. 

[bunomatic]

Two stand out. The first was during my sons treatment for cancer where we took a month and travelled to Beijing for a week. Walked on the great wall. Went to the forbidden city. saw a ming dynasty tomb. Tiennamin ( spelling ? ) square. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. We then travelled to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia where the wife and I left the boy with his aunts and uncles and me and the wife flew to Bali for a week. Stayed in Ubud and had a little honeymoon. Then back to Kuala Lumpur for 2 weeks of exploring the sights, tastes, and everything exotic about that great city.

 

The second was last December when we travelled to Tokyo for a week. 35 000 000 friggin people. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around that. Wonderful people and culture and food and transit system. Just a blast. Then off to Kuala Lumpur to visit family and then a drive north to Thailand where we stayed in Crabby for a week again exploring the sights sounds tastes of that beautiful place. Highlight of Thailand was renting a boat and going out to the Islands where ' the Island ' was filmed and diving in the sea there. Then back to Kuala Lumpur for 2 more weeks visiting the wifes fam. wouldn't change it for the world.

[Sabel79]

Studied abroad in Shanghai / Beijing.  Beijing is one of the funnest places on earth as long as you're not Chinese.  Thier drinking culture makes Ireland look like a Temperance Society tearoom.  Double points deducted if you're Japanese.  The Chinese haven't forgotten.  In Beijing we stayed in this massive compound that was built by the Soviets in the 50's and repurposed into a hotel.  There were all sorts of cold-war quirks.  in order to get to breakfast we'd have to go through a series of underground tunnels to the other side of the compound.  Clearly utilitarian in design, they'd turned the sub levels into kind of a market.  it was neat.  I'd be walking down the street and parents would drag their (usually quite young) children up to me and ask if I'd speak English with them.  Fascinating. 

[nfreeman]

Great thread. 

 

Some of my favorites:

 

- Family trip to California (LA, then driving up coast to SF with overnight stops along the way in Morro Bay and Monterrey).

 

- Family trip to Spain (Barcelona and Valencia)

 

- Family trip to Edinboro, London and Paris

 

- Honeymoon in Hong Kong and Thailand

 

- Men's ski trip in Colorado

 

- Weekend trip to San Diego with wife for a wedding with a bunch of old friends

[ubkev]

Shoot, how'd I forget the summer I spent in the Mojave freaking desert! Thanks mom and dad! And thanks aunt who will remain nameless! Thanks for living in the middle of the desert! That wasn't hot or anything!

 

And 5 trips to Vegas. Vegas is awesome. Never placed a single bet in a Vegas casino. But I can drive a golf ball 310 yards out there! Every time! Love it! And I love shows. Vegas shows are great.