Apolitical (hopefully): your ideal vacation spot?

piston · Post by **piston** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:34 pm

What is your idea of a great vacation spot, say, for a two-week, fully funded(!), time period? Do you base your choice on culture, weather, adventure, topography (beaches, mountains, etc.), entertainment...? Australians please do reply! I am sincerely curious as to what you view as a great place, the ideal escapade!

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:04 pm

Actually, this Aussies ideal vacation spot is Bruges in Belgium. Simply the most beautiful and delightful place I've ever been, plenty of Trappist ale on tap and easy access to continental or British art galleries and concert halls.

In Oz, the Great Barrier Reef is hard to go past without some measure of awe and fun (but keep a knife handy to fight off the White Pointers). And Sydney is one of the great Pacific cities these days, if one avoids the Western suburbs. A concert at the Opera House would be a must, methinks.

piston · Post by **piston** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:10 pm

Sydney: and the nice beaches (and accompanying sirens) are only a bus ride away!

keaggy220 · Post by **keaggy220** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:38 pm

Well, my wife hates to fly so I'm limited to the east coast of the US... Business was taking me to Vegas 2-3 times a year for about 5 years and I talked her into accompanying me once - we had a great time, but she has let her fear stop her from flying again...

With my limited options I would say that the long drive to Sanibel Island in southwest Florida is a great spot and worth the drive. Sanibel has great secluded beaches with little cottages that you can rent just a few feet from the sand. The seashells are some of the most exotic looking you will find anywhere in the world. I like to go in January and skip a week of DC winter. It's a quiet and peaceful place to visit.

Febnyc · Post by **Febnyc** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:48 pm

In the summer - London, England

In the winter - Hawaii

Novitiate · Post by **Novitiate** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 8:49 pm

piston wrote:Sydney: and the nice beaches (and accompanying sirens) are only a bus ride away!

Food's great in Sydney ...

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 9:16 pm

I'd like to go back to Hawaii if I had someone to go with me. Otherwise, England.

jbuck919 · Post by **jbuck919** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 9:53 pm

Ralph wrote:I'd like to go back to Hawaii if I had someone to go with me. Otherwise, England.

Someone alert Iran and North Korea: Accelerate your nuclear ballistic missile program--Ralph Stein says he might enjoy a few days somewhere other than New York.

I'm not much of a vacationer myself and tend to be as happy or unhappy as I would be anyway wherever I am. You'd think that after two years plus in a beautiful place like Bamberg in the middle of all the European travel I could have had to my heart's content, I would be nostalgic for such a situation, but I am not. Actually, I'm perfectly happy being within shooting distance of Boston, Montreal, and New York City, and enjoying the nice nature in betwixt. I even resent having to fly to Tampa to visit my father (sorry, Teresa, Dulcinea).

piston · Post by **piston** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:12 pm

jbuck919 wrote:
Ralph wrote:I'd like to go back to Hawaii if I had someone to go with me. Otherwise, England.

Someone alert Iran and North Korea: Accelerate your nuclear ballistic missile program--Ralph Stein says he might enjoy a few days somewhere other than New York.

I'm not much of a vacationer myself and tend to be as happy or unhappy as I would be anyway wherever I am. You'd think that after two years plus in a beautiful place like Bamberg in the middle of all the European travel I could have had to my heart's content, I would be nostalgic for such a situation, but I am not. Actually, I'm perfectly happy being within shooting distance of Boston, Montreal, and New York City, and enjoying the nice nature in betwixt. I even resent having to fly to Tampa to visit my father (sorry, Teresa, Dulcinea).

It's true that flying is no longer the "way life should be," particularly for long distance trips. It not only took some 32 hours to reach Sydney (Bangor-Boston-Detroit-Osaka-Sydney; I'm glad I wasn't going to Perth!), but the restlessness created by an overcrowded plane cost me another 48 hours of "recovery" from a nasty jet lag. And there is something to be said about vacationing close to home because one can more easily devote time to all of the above (culture, adventure, entertainment, relaxing in a peaceful environment). But the Northeast would not be my ideal vacation spot during winter

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:47 pm

I've actually been in North Korea. No desire to go back. That was a bad couple of hours.

anasazi · Post by **anasazi** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:56 am

I'm particularly fond of The Grand Canyon, especially the North Rim and the Bright Angel Lodge. It's a great place for walking, picture taking or just thinking. But it is not very easy to get to.

keaggy220 · Post by **keaggy220** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 8:27 am

anasazi wrote:I'm particularly fond of The Grand Canyon, especially the North Rim and the Bright Angel Lodge. It's a great place for walking, picture taking or just thinking. But it is not very easy to get to.

I did the Grand Canyon 4 years ago and I was really blown away. I think a l lot of people are like myself and feel like they've almost already been there because of all the great photos. Boy was I wrong... It was an amazing experience.

Teresa B · Post by **Teresa B** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:08 pm

Well, jbuck, you have obviously not experienced the finer points of Tampa! A canoe ride up the Hillsborough river feels like a jaunt through the rain forest (without the anacondas. Thank God the gators don't drop from trees).

OK, so there are better vacation spots--My personal favorite over the years was a trip to British Columbia with a ridiculous hike up into the Canadian Rockies. It almost killed me, but omigod, it was worth it. Spectacular.

Sydney is my wannabe vacation. Soon, I hope!
Teresa

Agnes Selby · Post by **Agnes Selby** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:21 pm

Teresa B wrote:Well, jbuck, you have obviously not experienced the finer points of Tampa! A canoe ride up the Hillsborough river feels like a jaunt through the rain forest (without the anacondas. Thank God the gators don't drop from trees).

OK, so there are better vacation spots--My personal favorite over the years was a trip to British Columbia with a ridiculous hike up into the Canadian Rockies. It almost killed me, but omigod, it was worth it. Spectacular.

Sydney is my wannabe vacation. Soon, I hope!
Teresa

----------------

Apart from visiting a dear friend in Tampa, Florida, I would very much like to re-visit Kent, England; Salzburg AND the "Three Sisters"
in the Blue Mountains only a 150 miles from Sydney.

These prehistoric rocky formations are slowly crumbling away and I would like to see them again before they disappear. Even Darwin was impressed by them and mentioned them in his correspondence from the "Beagle" a number of times.

So, Teresa, do not wait too long.

Regards,
Agnes.

P.S. Please do not book me a trip to outer space any time soon with Mrs. Nowack in command of the mission.

----------------

BWV 1080 · Post by **BWV 1080** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:04 pm

Sydney would be great, Australia has some of the coolest bugs in the world:

or a nest of these

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:05 pm

The Three Sisters are falling down? Must get to the Hydro Majestic and on to Katoomba before that happens. I can't recall mow many of the 12 Apostles (rock formations off the South Australian coast) are left, either, but I must do the Great Ocean Road one day to see.

Agnes Selby · Post by **Agnes Selby** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:24 pm

Brendan wrote:The Three Sisters are falling down? Must get to the Hydro Majestic and on to Katoomba before that happens. I can't recall mow many of the 12 Apostles (rock formations off the South Australian coast) are left, either, but I must do the Great Ocean Road one day to see.

---------------

Yes, Brendan, the top of one of the sisters came crashing down recently.

People can only view the sisters from a distance and cannot climb
them any longer. Thank you for reminding me of the 12 apostles.
It is another trip my husband and I must take.

Regards,
Agnes.
--------------------------

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:46 pm

The first time I ever saw free-climbing (without ropes and pegs) was from the observation point at Katoomba. Not only were the Sisters magnificent, I can still recall being blown away by these folk climbing them and picnicking (light snack, not a roast) without ropes etc. My memory of them will be changed forever, I guess, but I should revisit the Blue Mountains. I used to live there as a lad.

For visitors to our fair shores, the Jenolan caves in the aforementioned mountains are breathtaking. If they still do classical concerts in the Cathedral cavern, the accoustics are divine and should be taken in if the opportunity arises.

burnitdown · Post by **burnitdown** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:42 pm

piston wrote:What is your idea of a great vacation spot, say, for a two-week, fully funded(!), time period?

The moon. Scenery sort of sucks but it's like a grey version of Texas, and it's very, very quiet.

piston · Post by **piston** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:51 pm

burnitdown wrote:
piston wrote:What is your idea of a great vacation spot, say, for a two-week, fully funded(!), time period?
The moon. Scenery sort of sucks but it's like a grey version of Texas, and it's very, very quiet.

Specially on the dark side of it. What was that Pink Floyd song, again?

burnitdown · Post by **burnitdown** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:04 pm

piston wrote:What was that Pink Floyd song, again?

* passes burning joint over *

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:32 pm

Don't know if it was really part of the song Eclipse on the album Dark Side of the Goon, but the line was spoken "There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark."

* Passes spliff onto next puffer *

Pedantry rules, OK?

living_stradivarius · Post by **living_stradivarius** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:56 pm

How about helping North Korea's tourism industry and visiting their nuclear facilities?

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 4:43 am

I guess many of us are going to Oz. My pick: Bondi Beach. Beautiful all around.

Teresa B · Post by **Teresa B** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:12 am

Agnes Selby wrote: P.S. Please do not book me a trip to outer space any time soon with Mrs. Nowack in command of the mission.
----------------

Good thinking, Agnes. Our morning paper just opined that she was actually planning to murder her hapless victim.
Teresa

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:41 am

burnitdown wrote:
piston wrote:What is your idea of a great vacation spot, say, for a two-week, fully funded(!), time period?
The moon. Scenery sort of sucks but it's like a grey version of Texas, and it's very, very quiet.

*****

Not for long with Club Med planning a really big resort there.

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 8:42 am

Teresa B wrote:
Agnes Selby wrote: P.S. Please do not book me a trip to outer space any time soon with Mrs. Nowack in command of the mission.
----------------

Good thinking, Agnes. Our morning paper just opined that she was actually planning to murder her hapless victim.
Teresa

*****

I bet she'd be a great tour commander and guide once she gets past her present issues.

Stonebraker · Post by **Stonebraker** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 5:57 pm

Any red state.

piston · Post by **piston** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:43 am

Interesting! I have thought of Prague myself. In truth, why should one assume that culture is all stored at the Louvre or anywhere else in Western Europe? I bet that Prague has quite a bit to offer.

jbuck919 · Post by **jbuck919** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 4:17 pm

Here's one persons interesting perspective that I just stumbled on recently:

http://deanoman.com/travellists.htm#MY_ ... I'VE_TRAVE

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Apolitical (hopefully): your ideal vacation spot?

Apolitical (hopefully): your ideal vacation spot?

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