On Vacations.

[theweaselking]

So, I haven't had a vacation in two years. I haven't had a REAL vacation in four. I need one. I'm taking one.

torrain and I *had* scheduled a road trip through Sault St Marie for a wedding, and figured while we were there, we'd hit Toledo and Columbus and Chicago, then come back via Niagara Falls since she's never been there.

Then she got a new job that guarantees we can't do that. It was a flat condition: Can't take the job *and* be off the first two weeks of September.


So our vacation got cancelled.


Or, really, rescheduled.


And since we're not constrained to Sault St Marie on the 3rd any more, that leaves us open to do anything, anywhere.

So! Two weeks-ish, late September/early October. Where should we go?

(Related: I'm tempted to cut myself off from news and updates for the first time in a decade, for the duration. Bets on how soon I go completely barking mad and reconnect?)

Comments

Where have you been and where have you always wanted to go?

[ed-dirt.livejournal.com]

You could go to Iceland for a week and then Copenhagen for another.

Or Barcelona for a week and then on to Nice (you can rent apartments in both cities and save some cash. Or go hostels if you're running on a tight budget. Hostels these days are a big step up from the hippy pads of the 60/70-s). Both cities offer a lot, and all of it stuff you can do on foot, and for a relatively low cash outlay. If you go to Nice, stay in or as close to Vieux Nice as possible. There's a week's worth of stuff to do in both cities, and the food is amazing.

Paris is always nice, and it's only a couple of hours by train from London so you could do a double with Paris/London.

Amsterdam is an amazing city, but I don't think it's two weeks' worth unless you just want to go for the coffeeshops, but you could do Amsterdam, then Bruges, with a night in Brussels.

If you are looking to do a European thing, I would suggest that you do a twin destination holiday, like the ones above.

Let me know if you want anymore details.

Re: Where have you been and where have you always wanted to go?

[swwoodsy.livejournal.com]

You have to take the weather into account, too, though. I am not sure Iceland in October would be all that great. Of course, since y'all live in the Frozen North, it may not make much difference, but we delicate southern flowers have to be careful.

It really depends on what you like - museums, sights, good food, and comfort, or nature, hiking, and being alone. Are there any particular hobbies you want to indulge?

For the past 25 years or so my family has had a time share in a beach house in Nags Head, North Carolina, which is definitely a tourist destination, but not so much in the fall (we're actually going to go for a week in October; the beach in fall and winter is the best). The weather is usually nice, there are not too many people, you're not required to be connected, but you can be if you want. There are things to see and do -- Jockey's Ridge, Wright Brothers memorial and museum, the aquarium, the Lost Colony, the Elizabethan Gardens, Manteo, fishing, surfing, windsurfing, etc., etc. There are some nice restaurants, but also a lot of mom-n-pop places. There are plenty of places to rent that time of year (and oceanside and oceanfront is way lots better than sound-side. Yes, it matters. Yes, even a block in from the ocean is too far. Ocean.Front.) It is a beautiful place and so relaxing. Even as built-up as it has gotten, it is really nice. I like that it has both things -- relaxing and slacking at the house or out and about looking at stuff. Downside: possible hurricane and evacuation. Unlikely, but possible. Just so you know.

If you want to drive, the Skyline Drive in the Blue Ridge mountains is beautiful that time of year (lots of people go to drive around and look at the trees that have changed color. Seriously. It sounds stupid, but it's really pretty.) There's hiking on the Appalachain trail, Luray caverns, Civil War battlefields (though as y'all're Canadian, I don't really see the appeal of that for you). New England has the same changing-leaves-aren't-they-pretty thing going on, and has the benefit of being closer to you, and the right destination can get you to the ocean, too....

Beijing was fascinating, but I think I saw and did everything I wanted to do in a week (and it is a long-ass plane ride), and we did not trust the Chinese internal airline to get us to Xi'an to see the Terracotta Army. Bruges is beautiful, though, and I wish I had had more time to tour it (OK, we went out drinking the night before, but we toured for all of two hours before we had to get back on the bus to cross the Channel). And I think I could spend two weeks in the museums in London alone (I love a museum). Ireland is lovely, but I was there hiking in the summer, so I can't vouch for the weather in the fall.

Personally, I have always wanted to go to Spain, Greece, and Italy; I did not get to go to any of those places when I was an exchange student in Germany. I traveled fairly extensively in Germany, so if you're interested, I could tell you some highlights, but I was last there 20 years ago when the Wall was still up, so it's been a while...

Re: Where have you been and where have you always wanted to go?

[ed-dirt.livejournal.com]

The weather in Iceland is pretty crappy all year round, so as long as you go before November (while there is still light), it will be ok.

Re: Where have you been and where have you always wanted to go?

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

I've been: All round the east coast of Canada and the northeast US, out to the west coast of Canada, through Germany (Munich to Cologne).

I want to go: Hmm. Iceland, Scotland, Germany (Germany was awesome!), those all sound fun! I've never been to the Carribean... there's a bunch of possibilities. I just... have no hard points to work from, so I'm brainstorming ideas.

Re: Where have you been and where have you always wanted to go?

[thette.livejournal.com]

Stockholm is not bad if you're interested in city stuff, and we'd definitely meet up with you. The weather in Stockholm and Copenhagen in the early fall is usually around ten-ish C, with occasional rain. (Jackets/light coats, no need for scarves, hats and gloves.) You can drive, especially if you want to go out of the city, but the public transport is excellent.

Re: Where have you been and where have you always wanted to go?

[kjn]

Or Stockholm/Copenhagen, after all we live right between the two!

Re: Where have you been and where have you always wanted to go?

[ed-dirt.livejournal.com]

Stockholm is really lovely.

Re: Where have you been and where have you always wanted to go?

[ed-dirt.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...the Caribbean. Cuba is amazing, and one of the big attractions is that as soon as Americans can freely travel there it will take about 6 months for the place to be irrevocably changed forever. It's sort of time sensitive.

The Cuba that exists now won't be there in ___ years.

Re: Where have you been and where have you always wanted to go?

[swwoodsy.livejournal.com]

Germany is awesome. And if you plan it right, you can go to Oktoberfest in Munich -- it goes from Sept. 17th through Oct. 3rd this year. Pretzels and beer and dampfnudeln and weisswurst and all the rest of the good food! (great. now I'm hungry) We traveled a lot in Germany - a week in Berlin, then 17 cities in 14 days, Bremerhaven (where I was born), Luebeck, Regensburg, Nuernburg, etc. etc. I spent a week in the Tirol skiing, and we went to Salzburg and Vienna, too. Then there was the riverboat cruise down the Danube from Passau, Germany, through Vienna, Hajos, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, Izmail, and across the Black Sea to Istanbul, where we stayed for three days before we flew back. THAT was an awesome experience. Absolutely fascinating.

I have wanted to go to Scotland and the Orkneys for a while now (I really don't understand my fascination with the Orkneys, but there it is and I'll get there one day). And since they just found a sunken continent there off the coast, I am even more fascinated! Scotland looks beautiful (but I worry it would be cold--I am a delicate southern flower, reports to the contrary notwithstanding). I'm a sucker for castles and history. Once you've seen eight cathedrals, you've seen 'em all, but I still like them.

Hawaii? It's far, but not prohibitively so. And it'd be off-season. Ooh! Alaska cruise. Everyone I have known who went said it was beautiful.

Hell, just put all the ideas you like in a dice bag and pull one out. Or number all the ideas and roll.