Where is your favorite vacation spot?

[Cerpin Taxt]

I ain't tellin' none of you jackals.

 

[Leyawiin]

Monterey, CA. Hop, skip, and jump from Big Sur, Carmel, San Jose, Santa Cruz, San Francisco. FTFW.

I love to vacation there. It was my favorite place without a doubt. Then I moved there for 11 years and loved it even more. One of the most beautiful places in the country. You forgot to mention the benign climate. Almost none of the homes there have air conditioning because it rare goes above 75 F in the summer. I've seen times when it would be 110 F on a scorching July day in the Central Valley and it would be 68 F in Monterey just an hour away on the other side of the coast range. Micro climates FTW.

 

[brianmanahan]

are we talking vacation vacation, or ATOT vacation?

 

[brianmanahan]

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

same here, i want to visit a new place every time i go on vacation

i don't do vacation for relaxing, i do it for adventure.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

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.

When I mentioned I hated beach vacations earlier, this is exactly the kind of vacation I was referring to. The only saving grace for me was when we took a day trip to Chichen Itza and explored all the cool ruins. Otherwise I am bored out of my mind.

 

[Bubblehappy]

Ft. Walton Beach Florida is my little slice of heaven. It's a relatively easy drive from Ohio, cheap (off peak, early Sept is the time to go, you pay almost half the regular rate and the tourists are mostly gone), and the beaches are so fantastic!

 

[dullard]

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

This was years ago before the non-stop flights. Yes, the ~16 hour flight is now much better (15.5 hours to JoBurg and 17 hours on the way back).

It used to be that you had to stop in Dakar for refueling and inspection. You'd land on a runway and just stop there. Men on all sides of the plane would have large guns watching for people trying to get on/off. Employees would enter the plane for "cleaning". They would spray insecticide and ask about every piece of luggage. If no one claimed a piece of luggage (say if you moved to another plane region mid-flight, which I often did if I could find a spot to lay down), it was removed for destruction.

When they were finished refueling, then we'd continue on in the same plane. I cannot say if there was a crew change or not. Total scheduled flight time was right around 20 hours due to this layover. I think one time a new passenger did board the plane in Dakar, so it may be possible to exit as well if you were flying to Senegal I just never saw anyone ever get off the plane.

 

[dullard]

My most common vacation spots would be Utah and the Colorado Rockies. Tons of beauty and adventure. I keep going there since they are convenient, fast to reach, and fairly inexpensive. But I can't necessarily say that they are my favorites. I'm too much of a wanderer to really have a single favorite spot.


Here are some of the best spots I've found that I do highly recommend and aren't the typical canned tourist trap locations. They are all also approachable for someone who doesn't travel much. I can certainly make a case that any of them could be a favorite:

• Cape Town, South Africa (animals, scenery, food, adventure)
• Guanajuato, Mexico (Actual culture unlike resort beach towns which are tourist traps, great weekend getaway, scenery)
• Hanoi, Vietnam area (culture, scenery)
• Meteora, Greece (scenery) but also get to the islands.
• Sarande, Albania (culture, not yet known so you can be the only ones climbing on Roman ruins without another soul to be found)
• Dubrovnik, Croatia (scenery, great starting point for side trips)
• Amalfi coast, Italy (scenery, food, romance)
• Southern France, except Nice (food, charm)
• Barcelona, Spain (food, culture)
• Jostedalsbreen glacier, Norway (adventure)
• Any slot canyon in Utah (scenery, adventure).

 

[purbeast0]

as for in the USA, my favorite that i've been to is maui. that place is just incredible with so much to see and do. i also love the keys and the laid back lifestyle that is had down there.

 

[PenguinPower]

Here:

We go every two years.

 

[DrPizza]

I haven't been, but would love to go scuba diving in the Caribbean. I'd say my favorite place in general is Black Lake in NY. It's between the Adirondacks and the Thousand Islands. I could even list several specific areas of the lake that I prefer to be at. I can spend all day out there relaxed, fishing, (catching a lot of fish), and enjoying all the unexpected wildlife that drops by. I have no idea how many times I've rushed to grab my camera out while an osprey or bald eagle is diving toward the water, only to come up short as I watch them fly off with some large fish in their talons.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Bathroom. I consistently provides me with the most rewarding experience.

 

[ponyo]

Florida Gulf coast. We drive down several times a year. I like the areas around Navarre Beach, Cape San Blas, and Apalachicola/ St George Island.

 

[K1052]

In no particular order:

France
Maui
Playa Del Carmen
Rome
NYC
Miami
CA wine country
Costa Rica

 

[Linux23]

Some ballers on here I see

 

[dullard]

Some ballers on here I see

Travel doesn't have to be too expensive.

A long weekend flight to Leon airport in central Mexico (for a Guanajuato trip) in May looks to be running ~$450. It can be far cheaper than that especially if you go in a less common time of year, I didn't even price shop for this post. The Peso is so cheap that the rest of the trip is almost free (a quick glance at Hotels.com gave lots of good looking rooms in the $25 to $55 range).

Yes, it costs money, but it isn't that much out of the reach to have a great trip.

 

[evident]

hawaii

 

[MiniDoom]

Asheville

 

[K1052]

Some ballers on here I see

Or some of us have assloads of airline and hotel points from work travel/churning.

 

[KMFJD]

Australia, specifically the Kimberleys and Tasmania

 

[purbeast0]

Travel doesn't have to be too expensive.

A long weekend flight to Leon airport in central Mexico (for a Guanajuato trip) in May looks to be running ~$450. It can be far cheaper than that especially if you go in a less common time of year, I didn't even price shop for this post. The Peso is so cheap that the rest of the trip is almost free (a quick glance at Hotels.com gave lots of good looking rooms in the $25 to $55 range).

Yes, it costs money, but it isn't that much out of the reach to have a great trip.

it's cheaper to go to many places in the carribean than it is to go to places in the states. going to the tourist places in mexico is even cheaper than many places in the usa. in cancun i stayed ocean front in the heart of downtown for $99/night with a balcony with a great ocean view. then all of the clubs are right there and they are all like $40 to get into but it's all you can drink.

 

[skyking]

^ Asheville was fun.
My wife and I don't really care for the heat. I am a fair skinned ginger and any southern latitudes are a constant battle to keep from getting cooked.
Here in the US, I'd say Yellowstone in the first or last week of regular opening. Springtime and baby buffalo laying on the warm road, baby everything. No tourists and herds of motorhomes yet. Stuff is blooming up through the snow next to hot springs.
Fall, the motorhomes have left and the elk are in rut. Stayed in a cabin at Mammoth, and had to look both ways before you stepped out.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Maui. Though we're trying St. John (USVI) this summer and I really hope it wins me over as I prefer the proximity.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Maui. Though we're trying St. John (USVI) this summer and I really hope it wins me over as I prefer the proximity.

So you fly into PR and then boat to St. John?

 

[Dr. Detroit]

When I mentioned I hated beach vacations earlier, this is exactly the kind of vacation I was referring to. The only saving grace for me was when we took a day trip to Chichen Itza and explored all the cool ruins. Otherwise I am bored out of my mind.

I work my ass off at a very stressful job and really enjoy the "getting away from it all" and not having to run around with sightseeing, deciding on dinner reservations and where we want to eat, checking out and checking back into new hotels. That causes too much stress for me.

I usually read 2 books in my week long vacations, go for a a beach swim or two each day, mingle with all the other chillaxin adults as there are no families or kids and talk about random shit as were quite sociable.

Been to Chichen Itza and was a fabulous day exploring and swimming in Ik Kil Cenote.

Sometimes you just want to get away from it all!