Vacations...(Your dream vacations,and the best ones you've been on)

[bsfins]

I'm sick of being COLD damn it...Sunday it was in the mid 80's, today it was in the 50's,low of 28 tonight...I wanna be somewhere warm....

So it got me thinking...
Where are your dream vacations? ...Places you've always wanted to visit,Say top 5...

What was the best vacation you've ever taken?

[Brian Fein]

Its going to be in the 80's tomorrow - come on down!

I'm going on my dream vacation in just over a month.  Although, my "dream" vacation would really be about 2 months long, I am really looking forward to spending 2 weeks in Europe.  I've never been there, and there's so much history and so much to see.  I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm curious to see the board's consensus opinion on cruises.  I find that public opinion is very polar - you either love it or hate it.  I am in the "love it" camp...

[Thundergod]

^^^  Add one more to the "love it" camp. Been to Europe, traveled a few states, but the cruise just captivated me. Loved it ever since my first cruise, best vacationing you can ever do.

I'd love to go to Hawaii (yeah yeah), and Las Vegas. It'll happen damnit. It'll happen. 

[Lee]

Best vacation for me was a 7 day caribbean cruise that included, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.  To answer Brian's question: I like cruises because its the one vacation where I won't take my phone and I tell everyone not to even try contacting me for 7 days.  For me, it is very liberating and relaxing to know that no one will ever call me.

Other memorable vacations for me:

Washington, D.C. in the fall
New York in the Spring
Chicago during St. Patrick's Day (green river for the win)


Unfortunately, I haven't had a vacation in almost 2 years now, but I do have Vegas planned for the summer to enter the WSOP.

P.S. I'm very envious of your trip to Europe, Brian.  Its definately in my bucket list. :-)

[fyo]

I've traveled all over on vacation. The 48 contiguous states, most of Western Europe, some nice islands here and there.

My dream vacation would be some of the stuff/places I haven't seen yet: Africa, Asia, South America, Alaska, Hawaii.

The best vacations I've been on have been ones with great nature. For some reason, big buildings and stuff like that really doesn't do it for me. I really like seeing old / ancient buildings, but it doesn't beat spectacular nature. Skiing, hiking in the mountains, trips to the West (CO, UT, AZ, NM, mainly).

Exotic islands isn't my thing, unless I get to go explore the nature.

[Buddhagirl]

My dream vacation is China where I can hang out at the Wolong Panda Center. So far my favorite vacation was the Lares Trek in Peru. I roughed it for a week or so. No showers, iphones, etc. It was awesome. Until I fell in poop.

This year, I'm going to Paris, Belgium, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam and a couple of other places. I'm still nailing down the intinerary.

I'm in the anti-cruise camp since I like to do more adventure type stuff.

[fyo]

It was awesome. Until I fell in poop.

I have nothing to add...

[Buddhagirl]

I have nothing to add...

There was crying and a full on meltdown. I was pretty much facedown in llama poop and it was still the best vacation ever.

[Phishfan]

The vacations I remember the most are the ones I had as a child visiting historical areas. I want to visit all 50 states before I take on any other countries for fun purposes (although Amsterdam is the one exception to the rule).

Mark me off the cruise list because of my personal rule as well as the fact that I would rather hop on a plane and get to my destination early. Although you are waited on pretty well, I don't like the idea of what I would consider being cooped up on a ship.

[Brian Fein]

I'm in the anti-cruise camp since I like to do more adventure type stuff.

Just an FYI - most cruises offer adventure excursions at every stop.  You could adventure in 4 different countries in 4 days and never pack a suitcase.

[Buddhagirl]

Just an FYI - most cruises offer adventure excursions at every stop.  You could adventure in 4 different countries in 4 days and never pack a suitcase.

Understood.

[Pappy13]

Mark me off the cruise list because of my personal rule as well as the fact that I would rather hop on a plane and get to my destination early. Although you are waited on pretty well, I don't like the idea of what I would consider being cooped up on a ship.

I think you're missing the point of a cruise. The ship IS a big part of the vacation. Just sit back and enjoy doing nothing but sitting by the pool, working on your tan and on your drink. That IS the vacation.

[SportsChick]

I disagree with that 110% Pappy - I am not a beach girl. I'm not a sit around and work on my tan girl. We've done cruises which have included excursions to Mayan ruins, snorkeling, swimming with rays after driving a speed boat to get there etc. Ship days, we do trivia and games, eat, take pictures, walk around, enjoy time together. I think the closest we've come to sitting by the pool working on a tan was when we cruised on Ruby Princess and spent our first day at sea (A Sunday in November) watching football on the giant screen over the pool.

I'm with Brian on the dream vacation - we're going to Paris, Barcelona and doing a cruise. I get to cross Disneyland Paris off my bucket list (and I have a great fiance for letting me drag him to yet another Disney park). I can't wait, we fly out in 5 weeks, 6 days.

[Brian Fein]

we fly out in 5 weeks, 6 days.

...but who's counting?

FWIW, the majority of people who take cruises spend the "at sea" days relaxing in the sun.  Presumably because most of them don't get to do that seemingly every day of the year, like we Floridians do...

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I would consider being cooped up on a ship.

That is the equivalent of saying I wouldn't go to a huge resort because "I would feel cooped up".  The ships are freaking huge.