OT: Best vacation you've been on

[Jgbishop]

Now is about the time of year I start looking at if I want to rollover part of my remaining vacation to allot to some trip next year. That gave me the idea to ask the Pack what's some of the best vacations you've been on to add to "The List." What are some of your best been on or want to go on? Can be international or domestic.

One I've considered for a couple of years now is Munich in the end of September to catch Munich Oktoberfest and Stuttgart Volksfest.

 

[DerHntr]

The British Open. If you are a golfer, it is pretty easy to get on at St. Andrews and other courses that are in The Open rotation while The Open is being played. Two days of ridiculous golf followed by watching the tournament is awesome.

/best I was on though was a Sandals resort for my honeymoon. Probably not what you were looking for though.

 

[mdbryant2010]

Maui honeymoon. I had finished my residency in emergency medicine the month before. Took July off to get married and travel. Everyday I woke up there it just felt good to be alive.

 

[ronpolk]

Toss up for me... Id either say Cancun or Europe. While in Europe I spent most of my time in Ireland and England but did go to Germany for a couple days. I think you'd have an amazing trip if you went to Oktoberfest. Certainly on my to do list.

 

[FQDawg]

My two favorites are London and Florence...

But I'm a sucker for history.

If you have any appreciation for art at all, I'd say go to Florence and check out Michaelangelo's David. Also just about everything in the Uffizi gallery is impressive but especially Botticelli's Birth of Venus. Seeing it in person is amazing. And some of the best food I've ever eaten was in Florence.

You also can't go wrong with London. They are obviously some of the big tourist draws but the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey are both great. And of course the pubs are great, especially the ones that are away from the city center.

 

[Sutterkane]

There's something out there isn't there? Something you really can't explain. I've been to the Caribbean before, and sure it's nice, but Maui is a completely different world to me. It's almost like if the world ended through an apocalypse of any kind God would make sure that Maui would keep on going and stay the paradise that it is, with its laid back atmosphere. Like nothing would ever touch it and destroy it or taint the feeling there. You take something with you coming back. Like there's this great feeling of love and happiness that you wish you could keep with you forever; and you always will. You know that all you have to do is go back, and that feeling is completely refreshed within you.

Not sure if you watch Mad Men, but last season when he came back from Hawai'i, and sat in his office, looked out his window and he heard the beach. He said he didn't have a vacation, he had an experience. If you've ever been to Maui, you know exactly what he was talking about.

 

[UncleEddie]

Chartered a Catamaran for a week in the British Virgin Islands. No agenda or schedule, just wake up every morning and decide where you want to sail to. Had a Captain, first mate, and chef on board so all you did was make decisions on what you wanted to do everyday. Easily best vacation I have been on, but best for groups.

 

[coach66]

Cabo, and I like New York City with the family. France was very nice as is Maui

I'm kind of burned out on the beach. I've been on some good hunting trips that rank up there too, many of them without ever leaving our great state.

 

[Dash Riprock.sixpack]

Two week walk about in Australia's outback

and two nights in Melbourne and two in Sidney. Barramundi fishing, wild boar shooting and the most alcohol consumption humanly possible, made it a memorable trip.

 

[aTotal360]

Spent a month in Cannes, France and Tossa De Mar, Spain.

 

[bonedaddy401]

Carmel / Monterey or Patagonia

Playing Pebble, Spyglass, Pasatiempo and exploring Carmel itself is an amazing trip. The energy in that place is something that's hard to explain. Coldest it gets is 51 warmest may be 80. Northern California itself is awesome, Monterey is a great visit.

Spent two weeks in the very southern most parts of Argentina and Chile. Traveled by boat and single engine aircraft for most of the trip. Almost like another planet down there. Extreme terrain and next to no population. Glaciers next to dense forests on the sides of jagged mountains.

 

[FISHDAWG]

tough call between Cabo San Lucas and Alaska ... been twice to each and still can't decide

 

[Felonious Junk]

Toured Israel for 6 weeks with my dad and two brothers. Nothing will ever eclipse that. Obviously it was a unique circumstance to have that much time but even a shorter trip will change your life. And I've traveled all over Europe as well.

The Middle East will change the way you view the world and your own life forever.

 

[Rebeldude]

All expense paid trip to Afghanistan. Working vacation you might say. Really is a beautiful country when you get outside of the cities and military compounds. I would stay away from Iraq, it's a ******** and they really are not very hospitable. Worse than the French even.

 

[Xenomorph]

Akumal

Usually "vacation" to me means dragging my wife through an itinerary of must see and do lists at places I've always wanted to visit. This time I promised her we would go somewhere and simply relax. But I grudgingly forbade her to book me into some all-inclusive or stick me on a cruise ship. I just cringe at the thought of either...

After a little research I settled on Akumal and it turned out to be the best trip we've ever taken. 30 minutes south of Cancun. There's a reason the Mayans called it the place of the turtles. The kids and I spent every day snorkeling right in front of the house we rented on the beach. Waist deep, crystal clear water stretches all the way out to the reef about half a mile. I've never seen the amount of colorful sea life like we did that week. Moray eels, barracuda, jacks, lion fish, thousands of other things I can't name.. And turtles every day. They were amazing. Even took a walk at night with a local eco group and watched some laying eggs.

It was an incredible, relaxing week and has gotten the kids interested in learning scuba.

 

[colodawg]

best..

Italy - 1st time we did Rome, Florence, and Venice. I agree with another poster about the Uffizi Gallery - amazing. In Venice, my favorite memory was sitting in Harry's Bar where Hemingway drank while writing "A Farewell To Arms". 2nd time to Italy we went on down to the Amalfi Coast and did Positano and Sorrento. Next year we are going back and adding Cinque Terre, Lucca, and Siena to Florence, Venice, and Amalfi and not going back to Rome (too big, too busy - but everybody should go once or twice)

Now a close second to my favorite vacation was GATOR BOWL (the first) when the Missus and I spent a week in in St. Simon's in addition to watching the whuppin of Michigan.

Now is about the time of year I start looking at if I want to rollover part of my remaining vacation to allot to some trip next year. That gave me the idea to ask the Pack what's some of the best vacations you've been on to add to "The List." What are some of your best been on or want to go on? Can be international or domestic.

One I've considered for a couple of years now is Munich in the end of September to catch Munich Oktoberfest and Stuttgart Volksfest.

 

[mstateglfr]

I have been trying to convince my wife to go to Akumal or Ambergris Caye(Belize) which is about 150mi straight south of Akumal.
I have no interest in all inclusive where I never leave a resort because it is so dangerous and 3rd world that my kids would be kidnapped. I have no desire to get food poisoning on a boat while going from touristy stop to touristy stop.

What you describe is perfect.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Longer vacation: I was in Ireland for a little over two weeks back in 2011. I did it on the cheap because I'm single and didn't want to pay the single supplements at beds and breakfasts. I found a very nice hostel in Central Dublin where I could get a private room for an inexpensive price for a little over a week (my other option for a private room was campus housing at I think University College Dublin but it's a bit further away from the center). I also found an inexpensive tour company and hostel operator that offered multi-day tours of Ireland so I was on a six-day tour of Ireland with two other Americans and 40-something Australians covering Dublin, Belfast, Derry, Galway, Cork, Dingle, and places such as Giant's Causeway and the Cliffs of Moher. I did a separate one-day tour of Inishmore and toured some around Dublin as well.

Shorter Extended Weekend Vacation: Boston, July 4 Weekend, 2009. I found a great deal on for a RT flight between Jackson and Boston and a 3-night stay a hotel with a courtesy shuttle that took you to the airport and T line. I went to the Boston Pops rehearsal on at the Hatch Shell on the night of July 3 (no cost). Went to Fenway Park for a baseball game on the afternoon of the 4th (and finding out afterwards that Steve McNair had been killed - such a shock). That evening of the 4th, I was on the Cambridge side of the Charles River and saw the fireworks. Most awesome.

 

[KurtRambis4]

If you ever

get the chance, you should check out the Al Anbar Province, it's realy nice. Just make sure you have access to a m240g and access to a few 1000lb bombs.**

 

[jb1020]

Costa Rica. Cheap to get there, cheap to stay there, restaurants are great, people are great, beaches/surfing is world class.

 

[jb1020]

You got into that good weed over there didnt you?

maui waui!

 

[GratefulDawg.sixpack]

Spain or Costa Rica

In the U.S. - Colorado mountains in the summertime.

 

[coach66]

I hear it is great, hope to make it some day.

nmku

 

[Maroon Eagle]

A lot of my friends say great things about Costa Rica. I've not been a big fan of beaches though. I like cities or possibly even mountainous areas...

 

[sportzfan]

a scuba cruise on a 105' sailboat from miami to the bahamas down the florida straight to cuba. 12 divers, crew of 5. never made landfall to shop or see the islands. great food, drink, and diving 3 to 4 times a day. Absolutely the most relaxing vacation ever. no phone, no tv except for movies, no schedule.

 

[GhostOfJackie]

get the chance, you should check out the Al Anbar Province, it's realy nice. Just make sure you have access to a m240g and access to a few 1000lb bombs.**

Make sure you take time to spend with the locals. I hear Ramadi has some good local brews. ISIS IPA, Sunni Stout, Caliphate Cream Ale are some of my personal fave's.

 

[johnson86-1]

A lot of my friends say great things about Costa Rica. I've not been a big fan of beaches though. I like cities or possibly even mountainous areas...

One of us is having a brain fart.

 

[johnson86-1]

a scuba cruise on a 105' sailboat from miami to the bahamas down the florida straight to cuba. 12 divers, crew of 5. never made landfall to shop or see the islands. great food, drink, and diving 3 to 4 times a day. Absolutely the most relaxing vacation ever. no phone, no tv except for movies, no schedule.

Did you have to arrange the whole thing or was this a package you could sign up for?

 

[coach66]

Maybe he just likes to play golf and enjoy adult tourism*

ihearitisfantasticku

 

[mcdawg22]

Petit St Vincent. It's 133 acre island with 22 cottages. You might not see another person until dinner. Snorkleing is good around the whole island. You can kayak everywhere. There is no TV. You have a flag system to order your food, which can be delivered to the beach, your room, the tennis courts, wherever. When we stayed there the owners had 7 yellow labs that lived on the island that you could play with. It was so decompressing that setting foot in Atlanta airport afterwards was almost a shock.

 

[memphisbulldog]

African Safari

in Kenya

 

[missouridawg]

Now is about the time of year I start looking at if I want to rollover part of my remaining vacation to allot to some trip next year. That gave me the idea to ask the Pack what's some of the best vacations you've been on to add to "The List." What are some of your best been on or want to go on? Can be international or domestic.

One I've considered for a couple of years now is Munich in the end of September to catch Munich Oktoberfest and Stuttgart Volksfest.

Santorini is the most beautiful place on Earth.

 

[grinnindawg]

Munich is nice. Friendly people, most speak english. If you go and like technology, be sure and hit the Deutsches Museum.
Starkbierzeit in March was fun. Skiing looked to be still going strong in the Alps.
Great beer (Schneider-Weisse ? was my favorite), those little sausage links they only serve in the morning are tasty, and it's hard to go wrong deep fat frying the skinny part of a pork shoulder with the bone left in then smothering it in gravy. The potato dumplings are almost inedible.

My favorite vacation so far was one we took in October several years ago.
Fly to Vegas(leave Sodom as quickly as possible).
Drive to East Entrance of Zion NP through polygamist country (Gomorrah).
Use that as base for day trips to Bryce, North Rim of Grand Canyon, and Coral Pink Sands. Maybe Lake Powell too.
Drive in to Zion's east entrance, scenery on the drive is incredible.
Spend several days hiking in Zion.
Drive to Hoover Dam and go on the tour if you didn't hit Lake Powell.
Leave Vegas as quickly as possible.

 

[PineGroveBully]

Chicago

Although if going now I might suggest you packing a flak jacket. But going in the summer was great. Got on the plane in Memphis where it was 98 with a heat index of 115 and got off in Chicago and it was 83 with no humidity and a cool lake breeze. Wrigley was great, as was authentic Greek food, Chicago pizza, Navy Pier, Museum of Natural History, etc.. May not compare with traveling abroad but by far the best trip I ever took stateside

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Heh. I prefer going to cities for vacations. Sometimes though mountain areas are nice especially in the summer-- the Lake Tahoe area being an example. I'm not a fan of going to beaches for vacations-- just doesn't appeal to me.

 

[Mjoelner]

I am on it right now. I've been in the south of France training for work since May 3rd. In between weekends at the beach or touring the French countryside, I've been able to throw together 4 days in Paris (where I ran into Eric Zacharias outside of the Louve) and I just got back yesterday from a long weekend in Rome.

ETA: In my opinion Rome >>>> Paris.