Your Vacation Location

[Huntn]

Kind of a vacation with a purpose, returning our Grandson who has been living with us for the last year to Minnesota, staying with friends who live in Taylors Falls, nice and rural. We are driving up, hitting the road tomorrow, Houston to Minneapolis, 1200 miles, 2 days, will be stopping in Wichita for the night. Coming back, the plan is to swing by Tulsa, Oklahoma and visit a widower friend there.

Btw searched on “travel” and “vacation” and did not see a related thread.

 

[Alli]

Btw searched on “travel” and “vacation” and did not see a related thread.

Probably because none of us have left the house in a year.

A few weeks ago my brother and sister-in-law took a cruise. They said everyone had to have proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test from within 72 hours. The ship was only 1/3 full. They described it as glorious. Two weeks ago they said they’re ready to do it again, this time with their sons and the girlfriend of one of the sons. We decided to make it a family event and go with them (neither of my kids can take a week off). Royal Caribbean’s newest ship has bumper cars! We’ll fly down to Ft. Lauderdale the day before and everyone else will drive over that morning. It will be a great way to start the year.

 

[Huntn]

Probably because none of us have left the house in a year.

A few weeks ago my brother and sister-in-law took a cruise. They said everyone had to have proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test from within 72 hours. The ship was only 1/3 full. They described it as glorious. Two weeks ago they said they’re ready to do it again, this time with their sons and the girlfriend of one of the sons. We decided to make it a family event and go with them (neither of my kids can take a week off). Royal Caribbean’s newest ship has bumper cars! We’ll fly down to Ft. Lauderdale the day before and everyone else will drive over that morning. It will be a great way to start the year.

Less people always makes it glorious. If you compare a 950 person Disney Cruise or Viking Ocean Cruise, or a 250 person Viking River Cruise to a 5000 person Carnival Cruise, the latter is lesser in most regards.

 

[Herdfan]

Probably because none of us have left the house in a year.

A few weeks ago my brother and sister-in-law took a cruise. They said everyone had to have proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test from within 72 hours. The ship was only 1/3 full. They described it as glorious. Two weeks ago they said they’re ready to do it again, this time with their sons and the girlfriend of one of the sons. We decided to make it a family event and go with them (neither of my kids can take a week off). Royal Caribbean’s newest ship has bumper cars! We’ll fly down to Ft. Lauderdale the day before and everyone else will drive over that morning. It will be a great way to start the year.

We love cruises, but alas haven't been on one since January 2019. We had one planned for December 2019 but my M-I-L so didn't want us going on a cruise over Christmas that she decided she was going to fall and break her back the Sunday after Thanksgiving (that is a whole story on its own), so we had to cancel. Rescheduled for Christmas of 2020.........

I have to say our favorite cruise was Alaska. I never wanted to go as I liked to be able to dive at all the islands. But the daughter wanted to go so I caved. Best cruise ever. We went with former neighbors and in Ketchican, they went on the salmon fishing expedition and caught like 60lbs of salmon which was sent to the processor and then shipped to their home. Except for one fish which was brought aboard, the chef prepared it and we all had the salmon they caught that day for dinner (well I had a couple of bites as I don't really like fish), can't get much fresher than that.

We did the whale watching in Juneau and glass blowing and panning for gold in Skagway. But the whole cruise was much more casual with nice jeans and sweaters at dinner. And the sights. Every where you looked outside was just amazing. Hope to go back soon.

 

[DT]

We love cruises

We have best friends and bestie-ILs who have all, for years, tried to convince us to go on a cruise.

Our standard response: NFW

 

[User.191]

Probably because none of us have left the house in a year.

A few weeks ago my brother and sister-in-law took a cruise. They said everyone had to have proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test from within 72 hours. The ship was only 1/3 full. They described it as glorious. Two weeks ago they said they’re ready to do it again, this time with their sons and the girlfriend of one of the sons. We decided to make it a family event and go with them (neither of my kids can take a week off). Royal Caribbean’s newest ship has bumper cars! We’ll fly down to Ft. Lauderdale the day before and everyone else will drive over that morning. It will be a great way to start the year.

I visited our back yard shed last week - was quite exciting. Next year I'm thinking of actually leaving our property altogether - perhaps visit our neighbors...

 

[Pumbaa]

I visited our back yard shed last week - was quite exciting. Next year I'm thinking of actually leaving our property altogether - perhaps visit our neighbors...

Interacting with the locals is a vital but risky part of any vacation. Try to read up on their culture first, and be respectful, not everything is like home. Stay safe!

 

[User.191]

Interacting with the locals is a vital but risky part of any vacation. Try to read up on their culture first, and be respectful, not everything is like home. Stay safe!

I'm a American now. To hell with the local customs.

MURICA! MURICA!

 

[Deleted member 215]

I haven't been on a vacation since this summer, during that magical month-long window when everyone thought COVID was going away for good and all the rules were relaxed. No one wore a mask anywhere except on the plane. But those days have passed.

Normally by this time of year, I would've gone with my family up to our vacation home at South Tahoe, but the Caldor Fire prevented us from going and now the scenery is permanently scarred and I'm finding myself unmotivated to visit (even though the house is still standing).

So I'm not sure where I will be going next. A couple friends and I have been visiting different American cities and exploring their culture, restaurants, and sights (so far have done Chicago, Madison, Seattle, Los Angeles, and St. Louis). We have a friend who recently moved to New York so there was a plan to visit him soon. I'd like to do something. Starting to feel that typical mid-20s boredom and aimlessness

 

[Herdfan]

We have best friends and bestie-ILs who have all, for years, tried to convince us to go on a cruise.

Our standard response: NFW

Hear that a lot when it comes to cruising. I was broken in early as a kid as my parents liked to cruise. And took my GF on one and came back engaged.

 

[Pumbaa]

Hear that a lot when it comes to cruising. I was broken in early as a kid as my parents liked to cruise. And took my GF on one and came back engaged.

…to the same GF?

 

[Herdfan]

…to the same GF?

Yep. Still married 27 years later.

 

[Pumbaa]

Yep. Still married 27 years later.

Had to ask. You never know with those cruises, right?

May you have plenty of happy years and vacations!

 

[User.191]

Yep. Still married 27 years later.

I admire her strength and fortitude!

I stay alive by keeping all sharp implements and poisons well hidden from my wife of over 20 years!

 

[Alli]

Less people always makes it glorious. If you compare a 950 person Disney Cruise or Viking Ocean Cruise, or a 250 person Viking River Cruise to a 5000 person Carnival Cruise, the latter is lesser in most regards.

That’s why my favorite so far has been the American Queen Steamboat with only 250 passengers. It was great. Expensive, but great!

I have to say our favorite cruise was Alaska.

That was my 2nd favorite. My mother and I did one to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia that was brilliant.

glass blowing and panning for gold in Skagway

We did the glass blowing in Skagway. We always love that. Hell, did it in St. Petersburg, FL too. We’re not fussy.

 

[Huntn]

I'm a American now. To hell with the local customs.

MURICA! MURICA!

Wave your gun, and dash a mask onto the ground and stomp on it! And don’t forget about my liber-tay! (Only representative of half the country).

 

[Huntn]

Kind of a vacation with a purpose, returning our Grandson who has been living with us for the last year to Minnesota, staying with friends who live in Taylors Falls, nice and rural. We are driving up, hitting the road tomorrow, Houston to Minneapolis, 1200 miles, 2 days, will be stopping in Wichita for the night. Coming back, the plan is to swing by Tulsa, Oklahoma and visit a widower friend there.

Btw searched on “travel” and “vacation” and did not see a related thread.

Made it to Taylors Falls! 12 hours, 0830-2030. Tonight 40ish, had to breakout the blue jeans!

 

[Huntn]

Two days at the beach on Padre Island, near Corpus Christi. Did not get Sun until today the day we are heading back to Houston. In the realm of pretty we like Padre Island, but South Texas is mostly ugly imho, flat, scrub, mesquite trees. You don’t get real trees and rolling hills until up around Houston heading North East.

​

Now one part of Texas is pretty in a desert way and that would be West Texas and the Rio Grande area, very pretty with mountains.

 

[Huntn]

Getting up at 3am to catch a 6am flight to the West Coast, final destination Kona, Hawaii. Be there till Sunday, will send pics!

 

[Herdfan]

Getting up at 3am to catch a 6am flight to the West Coast, final destination Kona, Hawaii. Be there till Sunday, will send pics!

Great star viewing over there. Might be able to catch the top of the Southern Cross.