What type of vacation do you like?

[mjarrels]

We like to go to the Philippines every two or three years to visit family and friends, my wife is from there. I spent 4 plus years stationed at NAS Cubi Point. Getting harder to go with old age, 35 hours plus in travel time each way. A round ticket is about $1600 each. Very relaxing to just travel around the Philippine country via victory liner bus, bus system is great on plush coaches. We alway pre-pay our bills before we leave so no bills/worry for two or three months while there. Korea Air is the best way to get there and back. Heck, Inchon airport is a vacation destination itself. Inchon is the second best airport in the world, four hours later, land at NAIA in Metro Manila at the worst airport in the world, lucky to find a restroom that works (always carry your own toilet paper).

mark

 

[sseelhoff]

I prefer active vacations. My two favorites were sailing the Grand Banks in the Bahamas for 10 days (NO phone, tv, fax, e-mail). Just good friends, the wind in our sails and clear blue waters. Hit the Berry Island chain and would have a new island to ourselves every day. Second favorite vacation is the Bicycle Tour of Colorado. Hard physical effort clears the mind. Then tent camping at night. Chilly in the mountains, even in June, but it would heat up during the day, and the riding/scenery is beautiful.

Our friends (whom we travel with often) prefer the beach/pool thing. Doing nothing is not relaxing for me. Actually, drives me nuts. I end up working on the laptop, so it's not much of a vacation, other than the change in scenery.

 

[johnk]

We are retired and went to Germany, Switzerland and Austria last summer. I have been to 12 different countries but these three were really great. No hey Joes rifling your pockets or trying to sell you fake stuff. Very nice places to visit and the scenery through the Alpine pass was breathtaking.

 

[RollTideRam]

I have only been on current job 4 years, so not much vacation time. I got 2 free airline tickets last summer and pondered where to go. My wife and I had been to Moab Utah before she had our son and we loved that beautiful place. I planned an action packed trip that cost us more money than I ever spent on a vacation, but we had a blast.

I worked a lot of O/T and bought my son a ticket and we flew from Birmingham to Salt Lake city, Rented a small SUV and drove to Moab. Spent several nights in a Super 8 motel and rented a Jeep for some trail riding and scenery viewing.
We went on a jet boat ride and a rafting trip on the Colorado river. Hiked some trails in Arches National park, then drove south and spent a night in Mexican Hat. The next morning we did the loop through Monument Valley. Headed back north of Salt Lake and went to Golden Spike to see where the continental railroads met, then back to Salt Lake to fly home. We still have not viewed all the pics we took. Tried to get my wife to move out there, but stuck still working O/T.

 

[Terry1040]

I have taken several cruise ship vacations & really have enjoyed them, including the time off ship. We took 12 family members on the last one 2 years ago. It was kind of fun watching 2 of the couples try to cope with being together for 7 days or so !! Also took 10 days to Alaska in August with another couple. We had a blast, keep busy driving, and seeing different things including the salmon run up stream. I desire to go to Niagra (sp) falls soon. Also would like to return to Swiss (cant spell it right now) as that was very enjoyable, but was 45 years ago ! We have done lots of national parks. I really enjoy all that we are lucky enough to get to do !

 

[Ed of all trades]

My wife and I take a vacation every evening, spring summer and fall. We live in the country and we go out on the back porch and set. Back porch setting is an art. You have to develop your art until you can see new things every day even though you are in the same place. Many can't reach the higher levels of the art and get bored and quit but if you work at it you to can develop your art until back porch setting is a vacation that you can take even when you only have a little bit of time. Of course the talk part of back porch setting is important too. The back porch is no place for long or stressful talks. Here a few light words at a time with plenty of pauses in between work the best. It takes a lot of time to perfect your art but with a lot of effort it is a wonderful relaxing vacation just outside your door. Ed

Some of you will think I am joking, but if you too practice your art of back porch setting you will see that what I say is true.

 

[Gunny]

We haul the camper down to Destin for 2 weeks every spring, then usually take another week coming back on a different route, going to places we've not been to before. We also take a week or so in the fall to go to the mountains, then mix in as many long weekend camping trips as we can manage during the summer.

The thing I like, other than spending quality time with SWMBO, is that since I'm so far away from the chores, etc, that there's no point in doing anything besides relaxing. I do a lot of reading (always outside, at the camper, on the beach). We also do a lot of research before we leave home, looking for restaurants that we've never been to and would like to try out.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
Our friends (whom we travel with often) prefer the beach/pool thing. Doing nothing is not relaxing for me. Actually, drives me nuts. I end up working on the laptop, so it's not much of a vacation, other than the change in scenery.

Seems like a lot of us have that affliction.

We are retired and went to Germany, Switzerland and Austria last summer. I have been to 12 different countries but these three were really great. No hey Joes rifling your pockets or trying to sell you fake stuff. Very nice places to visit and the scenery through the Alpine pass was breathtaking.

Another thing that greatly influences what type vacation you like is where you have previously "been there, done that, got the T-shirt".

I hitch hiked from Vermont to Northern California in 1973, taking the southern route (I-10) out and came back across the middle, taking and about 4 months. Then the next year drove the northern route through Canada to Sault Ste. Marie and to Seattle, coming back across the middle. By the time I joined the Army in 1975 I'd "been there, done that". I'd set foot in about 40 of the States plus several provinces in Canada. After I joined the Army they paid me to travel and I "visited" the rest of the US and most of the countries in the Northern Hemisphere from Serbia west to Japan. Usually in stints of two to three weeks training soldiers. Some places like Germany, Korea, Hawaii I had spent months in, with weekends off. So by the time I retired I had two closets full of of been there, done that, got the T-shirt" T-shirts and little desire to see far-flung places again for a second time. SWMBO had much the same experience.

Many of our work associates thought the same. After traveling 2 or 3 weeks out of each month for a decade or four it's nice to be home. Plus we avoid TSA like the plague.

Now don't get me wrong, I loved the weeks in Berchtesgaden, GREAT beer. Probably a month of weekends on the beaches in Waikiki. A month or two in Alaska. But now I just like to spend time on my land in Vermont, Virginia, and Mississippi.

I imagine many of the well travelled military think the same.

 

[Depmandog]

When and to some extent where we vacation is based on what type of vacation rental home we can find. Forget the motel / hotel thing. Search VRBO (vacation rental by owner) for your accommodations. We take both of our grown kids and the two grandkids now, so having space and activities to entertain at our home base is very important. Our last vacation was in Colorado, and we rented a five bedroom home in the foothills north of Colorado Springs that was perfect. Huge home, much cheaper then 2 hotel rooms and more importantly - more comfortable with space for everyone.

We have also rented 5 bedroom beach homes in Myrtle Beach and the Panama City area. Nothing like living in a multi million dollar beach home for the week. Since we are close to Branson, we vacation down there frequently. We have stayed in some very cool log homes well off the beaten trail.

So when we are starting to plan our vacation, I start looking for the house first, then decide if the location around the house is worthy of being the vacation destination. Works well for us!!

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I like the kind i dont have to pay for.

Favorite has been to a dude ranch in colorado, wasn't cheap but sure was fun. Sure beat disney. Also tetons yellowstone was nice.