Where is your favorite vacation spot?

[Worthington]

Kinsale, Ireland

 

[Stopsignhank]

There is this one place in Maui, Honolua Bay. You walk a trail in these beautiful trees, at one point it reminds me of a scene from Harry Potter. There are wild chickens and roosters on the trail. When you get to the bay you hear the roosters crow while you snorkel. One of my favorite places on the world.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Door County Wisconsin.
I get to see my grandmother and my uncle every time I go there.

Also Glidden Lodge has awesome food (lamb, prime rib, soups, seafood ... all EPIC)
Greystone Castle is awesome, amazing prime rib sammich for under 10 bucks, reasonable priced beer, awesome curds ...
Cave Point is just marvelous
Pottawatomie state park is great for snomobiling and biking and cross county skiing
Lake Michigan/Green Bay has a zillion boaty or aquatic fun things to do
Peninsula state park is great for biking, I havent gone there in the winter (snowmobile base camp is grandma's house, about 2 miles from Pottawatomie, quite a bit farther to Peninsula park.)

Anyhow, I think I love it there mostly because of the nostalgia from childhood, and spending time with my grandparents.

Door county wisconsin is only about 4 hours or so drive from home.

When it comes to farther away places, I tend to mix it up, go to different places most times.

Only places we have really been to multiple times are various parts of Michigan, New Orleans, Columbia SC (visiting friends), smokey mountains, and if you count cruises, Cozumel (seems like just about every Caribbean cruise stops at cozumel these days)

 

[Midwayman]

I haven't been there yet. Wife wants to go though so we'll make it happen soon.

I was there as part of a cruise. With the crazy airfare, it was actually really good deal. Get to see a bunch of the islands and this line includes airfare. https://www.oceaniacruises.com/cruise-finder/#destinations=southpacific

 

[Exterous]

Been to a lot of places but no stand out favorite yet

 

[dullard]

our 10 year anniversary in 2018 is when we are going to the french polynesian area. we plan to go to tahiti, bora bora, and maybe fiji. going to stay in an overwater bungalo for a portion of the time we're there too.

i'm not looking forward to that flight.

I recently went to Fiji. That flight isn't bad at all (only about 11.5 hours from LA). Sure, add a bit if you fly from Texas, but it still isn't that long of a flight. I've been on much worse ones (24 hours on a single plane from Atlanta to Johannesburg, 20 hours scheduled, but we sat on the tarmac for 4 hours before departing with no food, water, or restrooms while on the tarmac).

I'd have to say Fiji was okay but get off the main island. There aren't many overwater bungalos there either (and if you wanted one plan on $500 a night). Fiji is also the land of "no". Prepare for them to say No to your simple requests, over and over again.

 

[Ns1]

No place makes me more relaxed than Vegas

 

[Linflas]

i was in marathon for 6 days a month and a half ago, it was awesome. love it down there, so laid back and relaxing.

Funny Marathon was what I was thinking about when I said that. It is about 40 minutes from Key West if you feel like a night life trip yet a great place to just kick back and relax.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Favorite? I'm not that picky. Right now, being the in the family situation with young kids, I really enjoyed going to Disney with them twice last year. (one trip was a free conference and that prompted the second trip) Stayed at the Grand Floridian and Caribbean Beach Resort there and both hotels were great for the family. The kids had a blast and enjoyed the rides, food, and characters.

For beaches, we like Hawaii, Hilton Head Island, St. Augustine(FL), and Clearwater Beach (FL). Hilton Head is the easiest for us to access and we are planning a few weeks there this year. (one next month and then maybe September after hitting Disney again)

I'm planning to check out St Pete Beach early next year when it's likely going to be 20 degrees here.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I despise beach vacations - I only rarely go on one because my wife enjoys them. I'd rather sit home and do nothing frankly.

For me, I generally enjoy Europe because I love history. I can't name a specific place because I have several favorites:

1. Rome - I can spend hours in the Roman Forum. It has a hypnotic effect on me.
2. Germany/Austria - the wife and I spent a couple of weeks in Germany and Austria in 2014. I really enjoyed renting a car and driving around rural Bavaria, through some of the Alps, and then visiting Salzburg and eventually Vienna.
3. Normandy - we went to France in 2013 and spent several days in Normandy - the place is magical.

 

[purbeast0]

I despise beach vacations - I only rarely go on one because my wife enjoys them. I'd rather sit home and do nothing frankly.

For me, I generally enjoy Europe because I love history. I can't name a specific place because I have several favorites:

1. Rome - I can spend hours in the Roman Forum. It has a hypnotic effect on me.
2. Germany/Austria - the wife and I spent a couple of weeks in Germany and Austria in 2014. I really enjoyed renting a car and driving around rural Bavaria, through some of the Alps, and then visiting Salzburg and eventually Vienna.
3. Normandy - we went to France in 2013 and spent several days in Normandy - the place is magical.

how far is normandy from paris? i'm going to europe for the first time this summer since my wife has been begging to go there the past 5+ years and she wants to see paris, but i told her i want to see the beach in normandy where dday took place. are there like day tours that go there?

you're crazy if you'd rather sit at home and do nothing instead of going out on a booze cruise to 3 snorkel spots then go see underwater sea life that you'd never see anywhere in the states and in crystal clear 80 degree water. nothing better than that.

 

[SSSnail]

Anywhere where there's access to a shit load of blow and tons of hookers.

Hey, want to plan a trip to Macau? You know, I heard the have good weather there... :sneaky:

 

[Mayne]

a river system that is 2 hours north of me. requires major portaging and lots of cursing and screaming..and eventual 2 hour canoe paddle. Just hope the fuck that americans didn't get there first. Gotta love Northern Ontario.

 

[zinfamous]

how far is normandy from paris? i'm going to europe for the first time this summer since my wife has been begging to go there the past 5+ years and she wants to see paris, but i told her i want to see the beach in normandy where dday took place. are there like day tours that go there?

you're crazy if you'd rather sit at home and do nothing instead of going out on a booze cruise to 3 snorkel spots then go see underwater sea life that you'd never see anywhere in the states and in crystal clear 80 degree water. nothing better than that.

I'd say it's about a 2+ hour ride on the TGV. Probably longer. It's not all that convenient to Paris.

beaches and snorkling are great, but I wouldn't say the best thing. I agree with Indy that exploring places and history are much better. And while I like beaches, I fucking despise resorts. it's like someone took Disney World (the worst place in the world), and plopped it in some gorgeous nature that would otherwise be a great place to visit. I don't get the love for Cabo and places like this...why do people go there? Just go to disney world ffs if you want sterile and boring thoughtless adventures. I'd rather rent a car in Belize and drive up and down the country exploring Mayan ruins (which is awesome)

 

[purbeast0]

I'd say it's about a 2+ hour ride on the TGV. Probably longer. It's not all that convenient to Paris.

beaches and snorkling are great, but I wouldn't say the best thing. I agree with Indy that exploring places and history are much better. And while I like beaches, I fucking despise resorts. it's like someone took Disney World (the worst place in the world), and plopped it in some gorgeous nature that would otherwise be a great place to visit. I don't get the love for Cabo and places like this...why do people go there? Just go to disney world ffs if you want sterile and boring thoughtless adventures. I'd rather rent a car in Belize and drive up and down the country exploring Mayan ruins (which is awesome)

yeah one of my favorite things i did in aruba was rent an atv for a day and drive along the rugged coast. my wife didn't like it as much as i did but that shit was awesome. i just wished we had more time to check out the windmill farm but we didn't have time to drive all the way there.

i'm with you though i can't just go to an all inclusive place and sit in the resort the whole time. infact i have no desire to do all inclusive anywhere. i love going to different restaurants and beaches when i go places. i have absolutely no desire to go on a cruise.

 

[flexy]

I am aware that everything at Didney is fake and g**, but I always enjoyed Epcot center, LOTS actually. In fact every time when I've been to FL, Fl I think is awesome. (Thanks to ex inlaws who live near Tampa).

That being said, "exploring Maya ruins in Belize" sounds ULTRA awesome.

 

[zinfamous]

yeah one of my favorite things i did in aruba was rent an atv for a day and drive along the rugged coast. my wife didn't like it as much as i did but that shit was awesome. i just wished we had more time to check out the windmill farm but we didn't have time to drive all the way there.

i'm with you though i can't just go to an all inclusive place and sit in the resort the whole time. infact i have no desire to do all inclusive anywhere. i love going to different restaurants and beaches when i go places. i have absolutely no desire to go on a cruise.

yeah. part of me "gets" a cruise...I just have no desire to do it. Someone gives me a free cruise vacation, then I'll jump on it for sure.

I hear they are fantastic bargains if eating buffet amounts of fancy food, drinking yourself into a coma, and rolling around on turbulent seas is your idea of fun though.

 

[zinfamous]

I am aware that everything at Didney is fake and g**, but I always enjoyed Epcot center, LOTS actually. In fact every time when I've been to FL, Fl I think is awesome. (Thanks to ex inlaws who live near Tampa).

That being said, "exploring Maya ruins in Belize" sounds ULTRA awesome.

Epcot is pretty cool. Great restaurants.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

how far is normandy from paris? i'm going to europe for the first time this summer since my wife has been begging to go there the past 5+ years and she wants to see paris, but i told her i want to see the beach in normandy where dday took place. are there like day tours that go there?

You can do day tours from Paris, but I would recommend against it. I would recommend spending a few days in Normandy. We took the train from Paris to Bayeux and it was between 2 and 2.5 hours IIRC and ended up staying at the same hotel Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg stayed at during scouting for Saving Private Ryan (Lion d'Orr if memory serves). Bayeux looks like a town from a fairy tale and is home to a cathedral which was built by some of William the Conqueror's contemporaries and also has the Bayeux Tapestry, which is very cool.

Several tours leave from Bayeux. We took one tour of the American sector and it lasted all day and was incredible - you got to go to Omaha and Utah beaches, the American Cemetery, lots of famous towns like St. Mere Eglise, and all sorts of cool mini-shrines and obscure sites in the countryside where battles took place or where acts of heroism were performed. We will eventually go back and do the British and Canadian sectors too, along with another tour of the American sector.

We also did a day trip to Mont St. Michel. I'm glad we went and it was cool, but I wouldn't go back - way too touristy.

you're crazy if you'd rather sit at home and do nothing instead of going out on a booze cruise to 3 snorkel spots then go see underwater sea life that you'd never see anywhere in the states and in crystal clear 80 degree water. nothing better than that.

While I might enjoy some of that (seeing the underwater life), there are many - and I mean a huge number of things - better than that, many of which I still need to do. Seriously, go to Rome and just sit in the Roman forum. Look around at everything. Realize what Rome meant to world history, human history, and to our own history and realize you're sitting in the epicenter of all of that. Look over there - see that small covered area in the middle with fresh flowers spilling out? That's where Caesar was cremated. Julius Fucking Caesar! Look off into the distance and see the Colosseum and imagine what it must have been like to watch things there - or to die there. I could go on for hours just about Rome, let alone all the other places I've been around the world.

 

[swamplizard]

I've always wanted to go to London and visit the Imperial War Museum, maybe someday....

 

[Loop2kil]

Home is #1 but if I have to go somewhere then St. George Island isn't too bad. The most redeeming characteristic is the fact that it hasn't gotten too commercialized(yet). It's pretty much just houses on the beach, no chain restaurants(save for a Subway), no stupid parks, nothing to really do but relax and enjoy an empty beach.

 

[Exterous]

I've been on much worse ones (24 hours on a single plane from Atlanta to Johannesburg, 20 hours scheduled, but we sat on the tarmac for 4 hours)

ATL - JNB nonstop is blocked at 15.5 hours. You connected somewhere but didn't do a plane change? I think that would be a bit odd due to crew rest issues\requirements

 

[ControlD]

ATL - JNB nonstop is blocked at 15.5 hours. You connected somewhere but didn't do a plane change? I think that would be a bit odd due to crew rest issues\requirements

I've done that flight. It's brutal. I thought it was something like 14.5 to JNB and 17 or so on the trip back. Coach all the way. Middle seat.

 

[rh71]

Our favorites in general have been Maui and Vancouver (not really a beach vacation obviously but beautiful destination). We've taken cruises to both sides of the Caribbean and it wasn't really anything special. Cancun was meh. Horseshoe Bay Beach in Bermuda (via cruise) had a lasting impression.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

With the wife: Adults only all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. Super relaxing with good cocktails and food. Wake up, have breakfast, cocktails by the pool and beach all day, dinner and dancing in the evenings. Repeat for 8-days.

Zero interest in trips to Europe, no interest on being on a Cruise with the lords of the buffet and cranky kids.

By myself or with our child: Hiking and camping from Lassen to Kings Canyon to GSENM. 11-13 miles a day, kick back and drink beers at night. I find the natural beauty much more enjoyable than traipsing through a museum of old things crafted by dead people.