Over 35 Vacation/Travel thread.

[PhDPepper1111]

Last summer was supposed to be our San Diego stay-cation with this year being Hawaii. But of course things didn’t go as planned. So this summer will be San Diego. Looking to spend a week at a nice place right on the beach and take the kids to the Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Sea World, and Balboa Park museums. We might also do a side mini vacation to Arizona to see some family and do some sight seeing while there.

Next year we’re trying to decide on Maui or the Florida Keys.

San Diego is nice - haven't been there in decades lol. Pacific coast beaches are pretty, but the water isn't warm - until you get to SD

[Gabbar99]

Not a serious question... or maybe it is... did you sleep on beach too?
Could be kinda cool. Haven't done that since my 20s...

I did fall asleep and get my feet sunburned.

In the 80s my wife and I lived for a couple years in the Maldives on a 200 yd wide spit of white sand and I guess we sorta slept on the beach every night, but did have a bed and shelter.

We were able to take our little boat to even smaller uninhabited islands and do other things on the beach ;-)

[Corbi]

Had a weekend in Milwaukee and then just spent 3 days including travel to Mississippi / Alabama and coming up have weekends in Chicago as well as Minneapolis coming up in June.

[illmortalized]

Traveling/Vacationing around the US is relatively cheap. And believe me, this country has far far faaaar too many beautiful places. International travel, only way I can sit on a plane for 8+ hours is if it’s first class… I am NOT sitting in a tight spot (6’0 weight hovers around 240lbs-260lbs depending time of year).

This way of traveling as we all know is incredibly expensive.

The plan to travel international, will be hopefully Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, then parts of the EU (Italy/Montenegro, Spain and maybe Portugal).

[Gabbar99]

International travel, only way I can sit on a plane for 8+ hours is if it’s first class… I am NOT sitting in a tight spot (6’0 weight hovers around 240lbs-260lbs depending time of year).

I have freaky long legs and cannot sit straight in a coach seat. I have to angle to the side into the next seat. If I have an aisle, I can put my knees in the aisle.

I've travelled to Asia and the south Pacific a bunch of times. They've given me an exit row or bulkhead almost every time. I've gotten upgraded (which is so much nicer) only twice even though I was American Gold for some years and was supposed to get automatically upgraded (yes, I did ask). On those long trips I spend a lot of time standing in the back with the flight attendants.

The trip to Vanuatu it was 25 hours flying. Not 25 hours elapsed, 25 hours actually in the air on a plane. We left Friday morning and arrived Sunday night. For one leg I had a regular seat but there was an empty one next to me, so it was survivable. Two trips to Fiji I got the same seat on the same plane - the exit row behind the toilets with no seat in front of me, those are nice. I've had those on a number of flights.

Once on a trip to India on a O'Hare to Delhi flight (yes, that's a direct flight) I had an aisle seat on the side and there was a lady next to me whose little kid was in the middle of that center 5 seats. The guy at the window wouldn't switch with the kid to let him set next to his mom, so I offered to switch. But I literally could not fit in the seat. I tried getting in several different ways. Fortunately a shorter guy on the aisle offered to switch with me. That was very kind.

Even if I have an acceptable seat, I don't really sleep on flights so I'm pretty wiped out when I get there. But I've learned to just jump right into the local time instead of trying to acclimate. I've had several times when I arrived in the middle of the night after long flights without sleeping and then started work early the next morning. That first day is rough, but then I slot right into the local time (although it's still not quite right for a couple weeks).

Like I said, I almost always can get a free exit row or something once they see me. It's not worth it to pay out of pocket for an upgrade and my corporate cards are coded to not allow upgrades (never really tried to be honest). I've spent days standing on a jeep tailgate looking over cliffs and ducking rocks in the Himalayas and many hours crammed in little smelly cars and buses and boats. Paying thousands of dollars to be more comfortable for one night isn't worth it. I can endure anything for a short time. Although I am getting older and my tolerance for such things has diminished, so who knows.

[PhDPepper1111]

I did fall asleep and get my feet sunburned.

In the 80s my wife and I lived for a couple years in the Maldives on a 200 yd wide spit of white sand and I guess we sorta slept on the beach every night, but did have a bed and shelter.

We were able to take our little boat to even smaller uninhabited islands and do other things on the beach ;-)

Sounds lovely!!

Had a weekend in Milwaukee and then just spent 3 days including travel to Mississippi / Alabama and coming up have weekends in Chicago as well as Minneapolis coming up in June.

Nice.

Traveling/Vacationing around the US is relatively cheap. And believe me, this country has far far faaaar too many beautiful places. International travel, only way I can sit on a plane for 8+ hours is if it’s first class… I am NOT sitting in a tight spot (6’0 weight hovers around 240lbs-260lbs depending time of year).

This way of traveling as we all know is incredibly expensive.

The plan to travel international, will be hopefully Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, then parts of the EU (Italy/Montenegro, Spain and maybe Portugal).

Love the plans. Agree - I've traveled the US too, but would love to do more!

[StinnerOzz]

Got an amusement park loving family here with a 7 year old, and for the past couple years we've been going around the country hitting up various parks.

This past month we did a trip to NJ/PA for Six Flags and Hersheypark, and stayed local for Cedar Point. Between the 2 trips, my son peaked over the 48" measurement so he can now get on some bigger rides. So psyched - lol.

Next month we're doing FL again with Disney, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Legoland, and some time off at the beach. We did a similar trip in Dec. except we had 4 days at Universal, no Sea World, and a couple more days to stay. Just doing 6 days this time, saving the extra day or two for another long weekend trip elsewhere later. Not sure where, but since we tend to only do park trips it'll be Dollywood, Carowinds, or Disneyland in CA. We originally had a combination Disneyland/Hawaii trip planned before the pandemic hit, and had to cancel. Ever since it's been killing me to keep NOT going. I see that we "could" have gotten there as of a few months ago, but the current stress of it all now on top of the rental car BS just makes me not want to bother. So 'til then, more amusement parks it is! It's just as well anyway, the more time at some of these parks the better at my son's current age, and he'll appreciate Hawaii more the older he is. Once things get normalized again we plan to make Hawaii an annual thing anyway, so there's no rush I guess.

I've done my homework on most parks in the country but if anyone else is a fan, I'd love to hear some recommendations and stories.

[Bando]

I've done my homework on most parks in the country but if anyone else is a fan, I'd love to hear some recommendations and stories.

It's too late for this summer but for next year check out Darien Lake 6 Flags near Buffalo NY, get on their email list. They have a large campground and rent out campers so you can sleep in a nice camper, have a fire at night etc. and stay dry if it rains. They have world class rides and a great waterpark with a wavepool. The food is typical carnival crap, except for the Anchor Wing Bar (Buffalo NY is the birthplace of chicken wings.) There's a little bar 3 miles down the road that absolutely loves when families come in and spend money locally, good burgers and fries.

As for a story, they have a ride called the Superman, we got there one year and that morning a disabled Vet insisted on being strapped into the ride despite not having legs. As it turns out that wasn't a great idea as he was thrown out and died, from what I've heard he was such a thrill seeker and a little crazy, so he would welcome that end. Can't imagine being on that coaster with him.

If you get on the email list, they have a deal in February where your 3rd night is 1/2 off and your 4th night is free. So that's around a $600 discount and you only have to pay 1/2 down

They also have an amazing fireworks and lazerlight show every night at 10 PM. Do not speed or drive drunk around there, the tiny village always has cops looking to arrest people, once you're in the park you're fine, security is cool.

[StinnerOzz]

As for a story, they have a ride called the Superman, we got there one year and that morning a disabled Vet insisted on being strapped into the ride despite not having legs. As it turns out that wasn't a great idea as he was thrown out and died, from what I've heard he was such a thrill seeker and a little crazy, so he would welcome that end. Can't imagine being on that coaster with him.

If you get on the email list, they have a deal in February where your 3rd night is 1/2 off and your 4th night is free. So that's around a $600 discount and you only have to pay 1/2 down

They also have an amazing fireworks and lazerlight show every night at 10 PM. Do not speed or drive drunk around there, the tiny village always has cops looking to arrest people, once you're in the park you're fine, security is cool.

That's horrific - if I were the ride attendant I would have wanted no part of being involved with that from the get-go. I remember the same happening at 6F New England's Superman ride about 15 years ago too, though the person wasn't missing limbs. I think they had some other "affliction", though unsure if that lended to the issue. That was my home park at the time and very close so I always went there, but I did get up to Great Escape a couple times in my childhood and once in adulthood (yawn). Darien Lake looks better. There looks to be a few decent parks in that area that would make a northeast/NY trip worthwhile for sure!

[Bando]

Got an email that my upcoming vacation will be "cashless."

Guess I'll be bringing all my own food/drinks and going outside the theme park when I need firewood and ice.

When you stop accepting the US Dollar as currency, you stop getting my money.

[OldFartTom]

They still want your dollars, they just want them using a contactless card (or Google pay etc).

It's way easier for them. They don't need to keep till floats and cash up tills count them, at end and store cash, all that work dissapears.
Easy to "police" the staff.. people can't try to give wrong change then dip the till, quicker transaction so slightly less till staff in park for same serving speeds

Just: win, win, win for them and they blame someone/something else for "forcing" them to do it.

In UK a lot of businesses are doing the same, you can argue the finer point of laws, but this is becoming ordinary in many shops. Even some cash only shops have been forced to accept contactless/cards (but still quite a few cash only places in my area, it's a sign of where I live though)

[Bando]

They still want your dollars, they just want them using a contactless card (or Google pay etc).

It's way easier for them. They don't need to keep till floats and cash up tills count them, at end and store cash, all that work dissapears.
Easy to "police" the staff.. people can't try to give wrong change then dip the till, quicker transaction so slightly less till staff in park for same serving speeds

Just: win, win, win for them and they blame someone/something else for "forcing" them to do it.

In UK a lot of businesses are doing the same, you can argue the finer point of laws, but this is becoming ordinary in many shops. Even some cash only shops have been forced to accept contactless/cards (but still quite a few cash only places in my area, it's a sign of where I live though)

My local mechanics shop charges a 3.5% premium for using a card as they are skimmed for every card transaction. I always pay cash when I can. It's not "way easier" for a lot of places.

[steffo99]

Booked a flight (late August) and the same beachside cottage as last year in Visby, Gotland (Sweden). Hoping it will be a little more lively this time during the weekend since they eased up restrictions.

[bodyhard]

Finally convince my wife to do a vacation, we are going to the Poconos this weekend all adult inclusive resort then in August we are going to Aruba.....You have no idea how hard it is to get this woman to get out of New York!!

My FB friends on here saw the post I did about a month ago about telling her we need to get out, I wanted to go to Hawaii she said no, Jamaica, no, Bahamas, no, Italy no, Aruba no Europe no...she wanted to go to either LA or Puerto Rico

Most folks on my FB feed said, Happy wife happy life and I send them to hell and said NO, happy spouse happy house Fck that happy wife crap!

[Corbi]

Finally convince my wife to do a vacation, we are going to the Poconos this weekend all adult inclusive resort then in August we are going to Aruba.....You have no idea how hard it is to get this woman to get out of New York!!

My FB friends on here saw the post I did about a month ago about telling her we need to get out, I wanted to go to Hawaii she said no, Jamaica, no, Bahamas, no, Italy no, Aruba no Europe no...she wanted to go to either LA or Puerto Rico

Most folks on my FB feed said, Happy wife happy life and I send them to hell and said NO, happy spouse happy house Fck that happy wife crap!

PR is fun, gorgeous island with some killer food so long as you avoid mofongo.

[bodyhard]

PR is fun, gorgeous island with some killer food so long as you avoid mofongo.

LOL I love sanchocho and mofongo my mother used to make that sh!t really good. Wife doesn't know how to make either one although, she cooks all other Puerto Rican dishes and she is white lol, but she is a damn good cook.

[OldFartTom]

End of August I have a quick trip planned down this. Weather dependent, rain is BAD!!! Can't wait!

https://www.google.com/search?q=gapi...iw=360&bih=654

Edit: using this route to get in and back out again
https://www.flickr.com/photos/markburkey/28580939624

[steffo99]

End of August I have a quick trip planned down this. Weather dependent, rain is BAD!!! Can't wait!

https://www.google.com/search?q=gapi...iw=360&bih=654

Edit: using this route to get in and back out again
https://www.flickr.com/photos/markburkey/28580939624

Those pics look like the beginning of a horror movie - probably big foot or some other beast live down there.

[OldFartTom]

Those pics look like the beginning of a horror movie - probably big foot or some other beast live down there.

Yes, they're called "Bogarts" (pronounced more like bog-urt, not like Humphrey Bogart) but they only prey on the scared or weak.

[Plateauplower]

End of August I have a quick trip planned down this. Weather dependent, rain is BAD!!! Can't wait!

https://www.google.com/search?q=gapi...iw=360&bih=654

Edit: using this route to get in and back out again
https://www.flickr.com/photos/markburkey/28580939624

That looks awesome. Always wonder what it was like for the first people entering things like that. Had to be lots of animal bones.

[steffo99]

Yes, they're called "Bogarts" (pronounced more like bog-urt, not like Humphrey Bogart) but they only prey on the scared or weak.

Had to look it up...it suggest using salt and a horse shoe for protection ...just be careful.

[Corbi]

LOL I love sanchocho and mofongo my mother used to make that sh!t really good. Wife doesn't know how to make either one although, she cooks all other Puerto Rican dishes and she is white lol, but she is a damn good cook.

We were told we absolutely had to try mofongo so we stopped at some restaurant in the Condado district and had it, bleh it must be an acquired taste as it was very heavy and bland.

[OldFartTom]

Had to look it up...it suggest using salt and a horse shoe for protection ...just be careful.

Thanks I'll be sure to take both!
Sorry for my spelling, it is a gg in the middle of boggart. I think there's one in Harry potter films somewhere?

There are a couple of caves round there where the water forms sumps but in unusual events when the water level has been very high and drops very quickly, air is pulled through the sump making sucking/gurgling/growling noises which echo loudly through the cave and sounds like an animal growling and moaning at the cave entrance. Would have terrified people in the past. Never heard that myself but I'd love to hear one of those "boggarts".

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[TryingBB]

In

2 to 4 a year


1 or 2 of them usually air travel

Other couple just drive 3 to 10 hours away

Oh that was pre-covid.

[PhDPepper1111]

Booked a flight (late August) and the same beachside cottage as last year in Visby, Gotland (Sweden). Hoping it will be a little more lively this time during the weekend since they eased up restrictions.

Finally convince my wife to do a vacation, we are going to the Poconos this weekend all adult inclusive resort then in August we are going to Aruba.....You have no idea how hard it is to get this woman to get out of New York!!

My FB friends on here saw the post I did about a month ago about telling her we need to get out, I wanted to go to Hawaii she said no, Jamaica, no, Bahamas, no, Italy no, Aruba no Europe no...she wanted to go to either LA or Puerto Rico

Most folks on my FB feed said, Happy wife happy life and I send them to hell and said NO, happy spouse happy house Fck that happy wife crap!

End of August I have a quick trip planned down this. Weather dependent, rain is BAD!!! Can't wait!

https://www.google.com/search?q=gapi...iw=360&bih=654

Edit: using this route to get in and back out again
https://www.flickr.com/photos/markburkey/28580939624

These all sound great!
Hope ya'll have a great time!

[bodyhard]

We were told we absolutely had to try mofongo so we stopped at some restaurant in the Condado district and had it, bleh it must be an acquired taste as it was very heavy and bland.

Bland?? That's weird, should have a lot of taste to it. Never hard of any Puerto Rican dish being bland, too spicy, too hot yes too bland? Never.

[PhDPepper1111]

Bland?? That's weird, should have a lot of taste to it. Never hard of any Puerto Rican dish being bland, too spicy, too hot yes too bland? Never.

Their idea of adapting it for the touristas maybe?

[OldFartTom]

I do hope this wasn't one of MT's trips, this doesn't sound much fun
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57939501

Reminds me of a piece of amazing documentary film I saw about polar bears. From what I remember, one of the crew was left back at the hut on his own while the rest were filming something elsewhere for a few days, he was just there to rest a couple of days and not part of the documentary. He recorded some of it on a camera, but he was on his own and all unplanned so it wasn't slick footage. Very shortly after the others left a large male polar bear started stalking him patiently, they had a trip wire around the compound to trigger bangs and flares and that normally worked to scare the bears away. This one must have been very hungry and it wasn't at all dissuaded. The hut was absolutely tiny and not entirely bear proof. The guy recorded a sort of vlog of the incident, you could feel his increasing stress in the updates as it went on because he wasn't sure how it would end, he had no rifle and his best weapon was a cast iron skillet/frying pan. He barricaded the door but the window wasn't securable, ideal size for a polar bear to stick its head and shoulders through and the room was so small it'd be hard to avoid becoming lunch. The guy had to wait for the bear to stick its head/shoulder through the window and hit it on the tip of its nose with the pan. It didn't like that and it retreated, luckily his colleagues came back the next day with a rifle and scared the bear away, but it was an interesting and tense video log!
Wonder if I can find it on YouTube somehow?