Travelling and Vacations....Your choice?

[Coley]

So, what is your idea of a reasonable vacation?
Are there any travellers in the forum?

Are you more local in your vacation targets? (ie: state or?)...perhaps national? (ie: US) or continental? (ie: Canada, Mexico, Alaska)...or international? (Europe/overseas)

What is your idea of a good 1 week, 2 week or 3 week vacation?
What is the thing that gets in the way or limits the choices?....noting it is often the cost in my opinion
......are you a sunseeker or a cruise ship kind of vacationer or?

If you had $10K to travel anywhere, anyway you wanted what would you do?

As for us, we often have family commitments within Canada which eat up a fair amount of our vacation time...so that ends up being 60-75% of our vacationing.
However, we are trying to break that cycle a bit and get back to Europe and a few places further out.

....just putting it out there to see how you guys like to spend your vacation time.

All good
Coley

[kingsolver72]

My wife and I took 10 days, went to Utah and hit 4 national parks in the first part of October. She planned it out,all I had to do was drive. I detoured us to Castle Rock Co. because I like that town. Plus, I was driving.
I’ve wanted to travel to Spain and Israel for quite some time. When I was younger I thought Don Quixote was cool. I’d like to see where David slewed Goliath. Anyone that fights windmills or kills a giant with a sling shot is a high level badass. 10 grand would take care of that in my estimation. I’d say money is the biggest hurdle, that and I don’t like to leave the place.

[mongocanfly]

I really like the rockies...just about any part and state....outside of that is Alaska....love that area at the right time of the yr...my parents did the Alaska cruise/train vac....they loved it...
I don't really care for going somewhere that isn't much different than where I'm at...around here seems like everybody goes to the smokies or the beach.....and im like...yawn.....

[truckster]

I grew up in North Carolina, and I still have family there and intend to retire there someday. We usually go to North Carolina for a week (near Boone) and then my cousin and I take our families to Myrtle Beach for a week. Maybe I'll go for longer one of these days, but my limitation so far has been the schedules of my children traveling with me - I'm retired from the Army and teach school now, so I could conceivably go for a month or more.

[davischevy]

I risked the farm a few times in my past, but it has put us in a position to travel when and where we want. Now her health issues have held us back. WE bought a motorhome in the spring and planned to hook the Wrangler behind it and take off.

We've done the cruise thing, and didn't care for it. I have no desire to leave the states, except maybe Canada. I have been in all the contiguous states except the extreme northeast.

My plan now that we can take our time is to get off the Interstates and visit places we passed and said we need to come back when we have more time.

[special-K]

No cruise ships, tourist traps, or any other "canned" vacations for me. The whole point for me is to either get away from the rat race or go where people are I would prefer to be around. I guess National Parks are a priority, and I hope no one ruins that for us or future generations. State, county, town parks are also great to check out. I want to travel the country on the two-lanes and drive through the towns for extended vacations once retired...or have any opportunity for a long break. I like seashore to mountain top, historical sites, and land left alone (either forever or unchanged from time settled). I like to go where I can enjoy one or more of my pastimes, from music festivals, to kayak/rock climb/hike/MTB/ski/snowboard/truck & MC stuff. There is so much to see in the Americas I'm not sure I'd ever go abroad, not that I don't find it interesting. I'd never spend $10k on a vacation.

Haven't taken a real vacation in years. I do a few days or more on a trip now and then. Lately it's mostly it's been truck shows, swap meets, visiting my mom up home, or my sister & B.I.L. in VA. Both places are great for kayak and laid back.

[Andy4639]

Well I'm a USA kind of guy! I'll take my 10k and spend it out west seeing the canyon and such. There are so many states that have hidden treasures that you want ever see them all and I have no interest to go abroad to places that you may not make it back form. I want to see Montana, Nevada, Just about all the western states.

North and South Carolina are home and the beaches are great along with the Smokies and Blue ridge mts. You just have to know where to go and stay away from the crowds.
My dream vacation is to drive out to Vegas for SEMA and then tool around for a month are so checking out all the sights then head home. All the while staying in breakfeast & bed places no motels.

[BR3W CITY]

Colorado has been my favorite visiting state more often than not. I've gone all times of year and always really enjoyed it.

Seattle used to be a cool place but I've stopped going entirely from the cost rises and homeless population. Same goes for the better part of metro NorCal.

Vancouver has all of what Norcal/PacNor has, but cleaner and more friendly. Also very expensive.

LA is always fun if you've got money to burn and/or like the lifestyle, but its probably a hard pass for a relaxing vacation.

Otherwise I try to get to Jamaica frequently. Great little Island to chill for a week.

[Coley]

Some interesting responses and choices here.
A lot of interest in, what we call in Canada...'stay-cations' instead of vacations where you explore your own (state) province or thereabouts.

I too am not one with a lot of interest in the cruise ship thing. I view it as a hotel in lock down with a limited view....lol, at least to me.
The only thing that would hold my interest on a cruise ship would be the mechanics of it...the engine room, etc, etc...and that would not likely happen on any cruise other than a 10 cent cursory tour, lol.

We have a very short vacation coming up in a few weeks. I'm taking my wife to downtown Seattle for a few days for her birthday and I'm pretty stoked about it. It will be a surprise because she doesn't know about it...yet.

Seattle isn't that far from Victoria (google it)..basically just across Puget sound and an easy trip by any number of US/Canada ferries...but I haven't been to Seattle in about 30 years so we are going to try to enjoy the best of the downtown area for a nice weekend.

We both love travelling....car, truck/camper, flying, ferry boat, whatever....it is all an adventure to me/us. The only thing is that I always try to have the lodgings lined up at least a day before hand....lol, which avoids the late day stress.

Keep some stories or destinations coming....I'm always interested.

All good
Coley

[davischevy]

The problem I have with the well known points of interest, is they are being overrun with tourists. I mean, I understand when I get there I'm a tourist, but with tourists comes commercialism.

Even here in these hills, the parks are covered with tourists. It's getting harder and harder to find places where you can go, camp and just sit in peace.

A friend of mine was telling me this morning, he and his wife went out to Hawksbill Crag https://www.bing.com/search?q=hawksb...&setlang=en-US yesterday and there were 45 cars in the parking lot. A group from Japan was there.


I was telling my uncle from California this weekend I would like to drive the PCH end to end and he said the traffic has become horrific.

[ls1nova71]

I never visit this part of the forum, but saw the title and had to come take a look! I love traveling! I do most of it in the states though, and almost always in my '33. I've had it in 46 of the lower 48 states. It's a blast, and we usually go out of the way to see things most people never think of. I'll post a few pics to give you an idea, some will be obvious what they are, others you may not know....

[D.L.]

I'm a beach person. That being said my favorite place is the Bahamas, more specifically the exumas (not where the cruise ships take you). Look up Great Exuma/ Georgetown it is like heaven to me!

[67ChevyRedneck]

My wife always wanted to go back to Cali (she was born there and lived there until she was 7 or 8.)

We finally had a little money to spend and we drove the PCH from basically Mexico to Seattle over 10 days. I mean we literally Drove the PCH too, wherever it dipped in to follow a beach town we took it. Trip of a lifetime. We rented a brand new 2016 mustang Convertible and had a blast.

We did it again in 2017, but went from seattle to San Diego. This time we took a lot of 101 through WA, OR, and NorCal to focus on spending more time in the redwood forest and relaxing in SoCal.

2018 We flew into Phoenix, drove to the Grand Canyon, spent 2 full days there (AWESOME!) then went to Hoover Dam (AWESOME!) kinda glossed over Vegas and went to the Red Rocks for the day, then drove to SoCal to spend 4th of July week in Huntington Beach, best 4th of July for me ever.

Every one of those hovered right around the 4-5K mark. They could have been done for about a grand cheaper each, but I wanted to have fun.

My wife is off Fridays and I only have to use 4 hours for a Friday for Vac, so when we do our "big trip" each year we take a full 10 days spread over 2 weekends. I work a lot of hours, so it's nice to get away.

[cypressbog]

Wife and I usually spend a week in some part of Mexico while staying in all-inclusive resorts. The State department has issued travels warnings and travel bans in a lot of our favorite cities there because of the drug cartels.

This year we're going to stay a week in Costa Rica at an all-inclusive resort.

[richard2717]

Originally Posted by Coley

So, what is your idea of a reasonable vacation

All good
Coley

I had to look this word up in the dictionary

I refuse to fly commercial so i guess I am limited to driving destinations and possible boat excursions. It seems every time I take a week to go visit I spend most of the time behind the wheel to and from the destination which makes me more tired than if I had stayed at work. One of these times I am hoping to take more than a week and just get in the truck (or rent an RV) and just go west on all the back roads with no set destination or itinerary. just go and stop when we feel like it. The few times I have been able to get away for short trips it seems like we always go with other people who want to do things I am not even remotely interested in. Never have had an interest in leaving the US though, way too much to see here.

[Indian113]

I'm retired and my wife builds her Vacation time up until she can take 3 weeks off at one time. We take off in the Motorhome and head out the only thing on the List is get back home so she can go to work on her 1st day back. I have used my trips to meet a few different people from this forum, putting a Face to the words - Kinda! Since one of my daughters and family moved to Jacksonville Fl. she usually got worked into a few days. My wife looks up campgrounds and things to do and see as I drive.

We are planning to go to the North East because it's all that's left to see for the 1st time. Spent a week once in North Carolina riding Harleys in the Smokie Mountains and The Dragon Trail! I have Never Met NICER People than the people of that State. But I love traveling and seeing OUR Beautiful Country.

[ARCTICFRONTIER]

My wife and I really enjoy travelling. This week we booked a trip to San Jose Del Cabo for January. We travel on all inclusive trips about half the time. This will be my first time in Mexico, but have been to the DR, Cuba (6 times) and Margarita Island in Venezuela.

We have also traveled overseas to England and Scotland. We are hoping to get back to Europe soon. So much history in the part of the world.

We also travel in Canada and the US. I have family on the west coast and in Ontario, so that takes up some travel time and money. We also went to Hawaii about two years ago and really enjoyed it. We are planning a Maritimes trip in the next couple years since the furthest east I have ever been in Canada is Montreal.

[Chevyland]

Originally Posted by davischevy

I was telling my uncle from California this weekend I would like to drive the PCH end to end and he said the traffic has become horrific.

Do it, it’s not that bad, especially where it is the prettiest
Northern California
And you better stop by on your way through
I’ll have a parking space ready for you

[special-K]

Yeah, SF to Santa Barbara is nice! I'm sure mid-week is best.

[Coley]

Travelling in the U.S?

I have not spent any appreciable time in California so I would like to take a nice drive down the West Coast to get there...that I would enjoy.

As for the East coast, I'd like to go back to Charleston, SC....we drove through there about 20 years ago and I was really taken with the history and architecture of it as well as Savannah, GA.

That is one thing we don't have much of up here in Victoria....interesting history or architecture. It is a nice, clean city but looks like it was built primarily in the 50's, 60's and 70's.....so its a bit of a yawner, lol.

Of course, just about everybody I know wants to do a trip to New Orleans at or near Mardi Gras, lol.

Luckily business takes me to and through many states and cities at certain times...so I'm able to get a feel as to whether or not I might want to return under vacation circumstances.

All good
Coley

[Bigdav160]

I absolutely refuse to travel or go on vacation with my wife ever again.

She's been to NYC and London this year.

I've been on a couple motorcycle camping trips

[Steeveedee]

I spent 16 years commuting 32 miles one way to work, then 12 years commuting 47 miles one way to work, in some of the US' worst traffic- on the 405 FWY through the Sepulveda Pass. To say that I absolutely detest distance driving, even after being retired 4 years this month, would be putting it mildly. I'm expected to drive the truck, pulling the trailer, as the wife will have none of it. Now she's talking selling the travel trailer and buying a medium sized motor home to pull one of our econoboxes behind. Guess I better go shovel some cubic money out from under our money tree.

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

I spent 16 years commuting 32 miles one way to work, then 12 years commuting 47 miles one way to work, in some of the US' worst traffic- on the 405 FWY through the Sepulveda Pass. To say that I absolutely detest distance driving, even after being retired 4 years this month, would be putting it mildly. I'm expected to drive the truck, pulling the trailer, as the wife will have none of it. Now she's talking selling the travel trailer and buying a medium sized motor home to pull one of our econoboxes behind. Guess I better go shovel some cubic money out from under our money tree.

WE sold the trailer and went the MH route Steve. I think I'm going to like it.

[special-K]

I couldn't compare commuting to work on the 405 to the relaxing and pleasurable traveling on a vacation across this land. Your drive wasn't a long one, it was a short drive that took a long time. Everybody hates that. I hate it so much I refuse to do it. I find work that avoids heavy traffic. If I spend an hour driving to work, it's because the job is 50 miles away.

If you get a class-A have her come along on a test drive, on a 2-lane with mailboxes, and see how she feels way over there by the edge of the road. I keep hearing of friends buying a class-A only to find their wife can't relax in the passenger seat. It constantly looks like you are heading for anything close to the edge of the road.

Coley, I took a vacation to Savanna and Charleston once and really liked it. I had my '71 Custom Camper, so it was go into town from a campground each day. We saw a lot of the surrounding area, towns, wetlands, etc. I absolutely recommend going out to Edisto Island, SC from Charlestown. What a memorable time I had just on the drive out through a land time has left behind. The state park campground on the island is fantastic, camp by the ocean. The town of Edisto had it's own little cruise circuit that we joined in on with the camper

If anyone want a vacation tour of this history rich area I am your guide. From the revolutionary war, to the civil war, C&O Canal, National Road, mills, RR, farmland, all sorts of historical site I can't name them all.

[davischevy]

I've never driven a Class A but we had that discussion when we were shopping. We decided the Class A would be too cumbersome. My years of pulling 53' trailers taught me it's no fun to pull into a spot and realize the only way out is backward.

The C Class we bought is a handful on narrow roads and narrow lanes. The great thing about this C Class is I can pull into almost any fuel pump that you could pull into pulling a trailer behind a pickup.