I picked the first option, but my preferred vacations are road trips. I stop often and see and do many things, but mainly I’m driving and taking in the new scenery. That’s the fun part. Making plans to be places at specific times kills the fahrvergnügen, as does driving at night when I can’t see anything.
@craigthom For me, it’s good to have some specific must-see destination stops, but the stuff that you just run across and decide to take in is often the best part.
@werehatrack I have a list of things to see along a preliminary route, but sometimes the timing doesn’t work out, and sometimes I change my route on the fly.
The danger is to think about getting somewhere at a specific time, because the whole drive becomes about that instead of where I am.
There are some exceptions, like a reservations on car ferries and hotel rooms at national parks, but I try to minimize those.
I have managed same day rooms in the summer at Yellowstone, the south rim, and Glacier, because of same day cancellations, but that was twenty years ago. The last time I tried it at Yellowstone there was nothing. I think they’ve used computers to become more efficient.
In general I starting looking for a motel room in the afternoon when I’ve got a good idea of where I’ll stop for the night. Another change I’ve made is that I used to look for cheap independent motels where I could negotiate price ($25 was common twenty-five years ago), but I have more money now and the Internet in my pocket, so I’ve got my room booked before I get there. I’m still only going to sleep, take a shower, and hit the road at sunrise, so I try not to spend much. Cheap is closer to $50 than $25 these days. It killed me to pay $125 at a Super 8 in Idaho Falls a couple of years ago, but I’d driven from Ely, Nevada that day and was ready for a break.
@craigthom@werehatrack While I haven’t had a vacation since 2008 because vacations cost money, when I do mine look a fair bit like the two of you. The best vacation (if you don’t count some of the ones my parents took us on as kids - car camping) I had was the 2008 one I took with a friend of mine and our kids. We were driving from northern Idaho which is where I lived at the time and she and her kid were flying in from southern CA. Since she was the one coming the long distance she got to plan what we were going to do and where we were going to go (she likes doing that). I just went along for the ride (well actually I did most of the driving). Fortunately for me we had destinations in mind with plenty of time to punt once at that destination (I don’t like over planning) but she had looked up what we could do while there. It was great.
I like to pick someplace I’ve never been, get a B&B or hostel, read up a bit on the odd sights that are less likely to be swamped, and spend a lot of time just walking around taking it in.
Free or cheap vacations are best. I got to go to Orlando on my company’s dime to attend a week long conference. I paid for an extra airline ticket for my wife and we stayed an extra week. It was great. Another time they sent me to another site in Singapore for 2 weeks. All expenses paid and a pretty swanky hotel. Did you know prostitution is legal there? I mean, a friend told me that.
Last summer I spent 6 weeks and hit 4 countries and 12 cities.
This summer I’ll spend 6 weeks and hit 5 countries and 12+ cities. And then there’s a fall road trip through 3 Canadian provinces.
@Kyeh, it’s more of a working vacation as I work remote. I’ll take a few days off, like for the day of the P!nk concert.
I saw her in Poland last summer. I have tickets for Ireland this summer.
ALL of the above. Where I am going drives the agenda - Europe is go-go-go, see all the things! Beach destination, laze around all day and have a good dinner(casual or fancy). Cruises go with the flow and ports are hit or miss. I love all the things and sometimes, none of the things.
@ThunderChicken I want to go to Antarctica! My uncle went and said it was really amazing. Well I’d love to go to all sorts of places that likely isn’t going to happen.
Have three “out of the country” trips planned for 2024:
2 weeks in Tuscany in late Feb/early Mar. Bought a package that included flight, rental car and lodging for a week then extended the stay an extra week.
One week river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel in mid-July. Spending an extra 3 weeks driving around Switzerland and France to visit a bunch of family I haven’t seen in several years. May try to hit an olympic event or two…
End of the year Island Windjammer Barefoot cruise in the Carib over the week of New Years. We got discount tix and made plans with 3 other couples to take this particular cruise so our group will make up about 35% of the passengers. Should be a blast.
Any trip that includes a billion dollar a day budget.
On vacation, I want other people to work for me. Is that too much to ask?
Either happy wandering with a lot of freedom
Or a destination trip with a lot of freedom
Or almost constant sleep for a millennium or so until I catch up
/giphy sleepy
What is this vacation you speak of?
@heartny I think it’s one of those things foreigners get.
I have tried All of them!
@mycya4me … but all I got was this lousy T-shirt.
One that’s done on OPM, like congressional junkets.
I picked the first option, but my preferred vacations are road trips. I stop often and see and do many things, but mainly I’m driving and taking in the new scenery. That’s the fun part. Making plans to be places at specific times kills the fahrvergnügen, as does driving at night when I can’t see anything.
@craigthom For me, it’s good to have some specific must-see destination stops, but the stuff that you just run across and decide to take in is often the best part.
@werehatrack I have a list of things to see along a preliminary route, but sometimes the timing doesn’t work out, and sometimes I change my route on the fly.
The danger is to think about getting somewhere at a specific time, because the whole drive becomes about that instead of where I am.
There are some exceptions, like a reservations on car ferries and hotel rooms at national parks, but I try to minimize those.
I have managed same day rooms in the summer at Yellowstone, the south rim, and Glacier, because of same day cancellations, but that was twenty years ago. The last time I tried it at Yellowstone there was nothing. I think they’ve used computers to become more efficient.
In general I starting looking for a motel room in the afternoon when I’ve got a good idea of where I’ll stop for the night. Another change I’ve made is that I used to look for cheap independent motels where I could negotiate price ($25 was common twenty-five years ago), but I have more money now and the Internet in my pocket, so I’ve got my room booked before I get there. I’m still only going to sleep, take a shower, and hit the road at sunrise, so I try not to spend much. Cheap is closer to $50 than $25 these days. It killed me to pay $125 at a Super 8 in Idaho Falls a couple of years ago, but I’d driven from Ely, Nevada that day and was ready for a break.
@craigthom @werehatrack While I haven’t had a vacation since 2008 because vacations cost money, when I do mine look a fair bit like the two of you. The best vacation (if you don’t count some of the ones my parents took us on as kids - car camping) I had was the 2008 one I took with a friend of mine and our kids. We were driving from northern Idaho which is where I lived at the time and she and her kid were flying in from southern CA. Since she was the one coming the long distance she got to plan what we were going to do and where we were going to go (she likes doing that). I just went along for the ride (well actually I did most of the driving). Fortunately for me we had destinations in mind with plenty of time to punt once at that destination (I don’t like over planning) but she had looked up what we could do while there. It was great.
/showme my preferred vacation style should I ever take a vacation
I like to pick someplace I’ve never been, get a B&B or hostel, read up a bit on the odd sights that are less likely to be swamped, and spend a lot of time just walking around taking it in.
I also like pointing a clicky box at things.
Whatever one means I’m not working.
On a cruise ship, 10 day minimum…
Free or cheap vacations are best. I got to go to Orlando on my company’s dime to attend a week long conference. I paid for an extra airline ticket for my wife and we stayed an extra week. It was great. Another time they sent me to another site in Singapore for 2 weeks. All expenses paid and a pretty swanky hotel. Did you know prostitution is legal there? I mean, a friend told me that.
@tweezak That is how I got to see Hawaii (conference and I was bad I went to very little of it).
Somewhere interesting and preferably warm with plenty of things to see and do but no schedule and no pressure to see and/or do the things.
Last summer I spent 6 weeks and hit 4 countries and 12 cities.
This summer I’ll spend 6 weeks and hit 5 countries and 12+ cities. And then there’s a fall road trip through 3 Canadian provinces.
@kittykat9180
THAT would be my ideal vacation!
@Kyeh, it’s more of a working vacation as I work remote. I’ll take a few days off, like for the day of the P!nk concert.
I saw her in Poland last summer. I have tickets for Ireland this summer.
@kittykat9180 Wow. So nice that that’s possible nowadays!
ALL of the above. Where I am going drives the agenda - Europe is go-go-go, see all the things! Beach destination, laze around all day and have a good dinner(casual or fancy). Cruises go with the flow and ports are hit or miss. I love all the things and sometimes, none of the things.
A cruise. I have been on 76 of them so I’m pretty sure. My bucket list includes the South Pacific, the Galapagos Islands, and Antarctica.
@ThunderChicken I want to go to Antarctica! My uncle went and said it was really amazing. Well I’d love to go to all sorts of places that likely isn’t going to happen.
@ThunderChicken
Ever do any barefoot or catamaran cruises?
@chienfou Not yet!
Just came back from the first one and now need a staycation.
Have three “out of the country” trips planned for 2024:
We are going to visit Greece this summer. I’m very excited!