What's the best vacation you have ever had?

FORANE

FORANE

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FORANE
Tell us about your best vacation.
 
Every other week I’m off. That’s my vacation.
 
Hiking to the bottom of the grand canyon and staying at the bright angel campground. The next day up to Indian gardens and the next day made it out.

We want to go back and do a rim to rim hike.

Of all the resorts and places we have been the grand canyon was just truly outstanding. We did not stay in a tent and slept under the stars. Waking up in the night to see the star lite sky was amazing!
 
Too hard to narrow it down to one. First legal trip to Vegas was fun.
 
Probably never been on an actual vacation by most people’s definition. I’d like to one day though. My neighbors are much older (70s) than I and they travel all over the world. Do a lot of cruises as well. Someday.
 
Spent a week in Israel. Fascinating. Got a much better perspective on the current, historical and biblical aspects of the country. Plus it was beautiful and the people were great. Highly recommended as a vacation destination.
 
Going to Oshkosh the first time and all the times since then. And the 2 weeks in Europe that my Dad gave me as a graduation gift. They don't have football and not much bar b q in Paris, but its still a cool place.
Hawaii Is wonderful. And just came back from a week in Turkey seeing my Son get married, have no idea how he selected Turkey.
Standing under the Admirals Arch in Trafalgar Square in "91 as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight comes over at about 500 ft to celebrate that historic day. Having Alex Henshaw buy us lunch at the Duxford Inn as Spitfires and Mustangs fly over.
Watching 2 friends race the Hanenkamn, the hardest race course in the world at Kitzbuel, Austria and getting to ski down the course the next day.
 
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Motorcycle tour of Europe was a great trip.
Also the ride from home, down to Central America, toured around there a while, then down into South America to southern Chile, and back.
 
2 full weeks off, no phone, no computer, on the Florida Gulf coast. Unwound and refreshed.

Honeymoon in Hawaii was cool too.

Close second was a Disney cruise. Interestingly, no phone or computer there either...hmmm.
 
Velocity173 said:
Probably never been on an actual vacation by most people’s definition. I’d like to one day though. My neighbors are much older (70s) than I and they travel all over the world. Do a lot of cruises as well. Someday.
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trust me, unless you like sitting around waiting and getting charged for EVERYTHING you are not missing out on a cruise. We typically do the 7 day all inclusive resorts from Mexico to St.Lucia. Truly all inclusive, all you can eat, drink, specialty restaurants and all. My parents go on Cruises all the time and convinced us to go. We sat around waiting for everything, the pool area is jammed packed and you cant find a lounger unless your out there at 7am. You want a coke?? buy the drink package, you want an alcoholic beverage buy the alcohol package. Al la carte alcohol is stupid expensive! Want to eat at the specialty restaurant..bring your checkbook, its expensive. Just wasn't worth it to us. But LOTS of people like them so...
 
Flying my C206 from Vermont to Alaska, sleeping in the plane at the airports, and touring the areas on the motorcycle that we took in the plane. (See sig for details.)

A close competitor was an African photo safari, which was more expensive than the Alaska trip.
 
A month on the South Island of New Zealand. Rented motorbikes. Fly fished a number of streams. No reservations except first and last nights. Stayed in whatever roadside pub with accomodations we happened upon (every town has one).
Only downside was in last week Teresa suffered a mild get off and tore her ACL......did find the national health service quite efficient/competent/accommodating.
Hope to do it again except maybe this time we’ll rent a campervan.
 
Spent a week in Italy doing the Mille Miglia in a borrowed Alfa 2000 Sportiva. It's nuts how the Italians are into motorsports...grandmas and kids line the streets through these hilltop towns, cheering and waving little Italian flags. Bombing through narrow cobblestone alleys with a police escort. Very cool to see Mika Hakkinen blow by us in a Mercedes 300SLR.

Oh, and Oshkosh (camping experience)...and retirement too!
 
Too many over the years. But, a few stand out:

1. South Africa (Kruger NP) back in 2005. If you ever get the chance, do it! 4 days of photographing incredible wildlife.

2. Eastern med in 2009. After spending a night at Heathrow (an airport to avoid, not always possible) we spent a couple days in Rome before taking a 12 night cruise that hit Naples (Sorrento and Pompeii), Athens, Mykonos, Rhodes, Kushadsi (Ephesus), Alexandria (Pyramids and Cairo Museum), Corfu and back to Rome. Then took a red eye from Rome to Tel Aviv. Got in there at 4 am to be picked up at the hotel by a friend for a personal tour of Masada. Spent a day visiting Tel Aviv, then took a flight from the domestic airport down to Elat (sp?) for a bus tour to Petra, Jordan. Petra? Think Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The exterior is real, the interior is pure Hollywood sound stage. Then 2 days in Jerusalem. Flew to London for 5 days to cool off and relax. 4 weeks of fantastic sightseeing.

3. Cruises in the Caribbean. Windward islands the first time and the ABC islands the second.

4. Cruise in the western med in September of this year. BTW, NCL has some deals where all the over priced things like drink packages and 3 specialty restaurants were free. The only way I'm going to drink anything other than iced tea or water on a cruise. While we (or I) had been to many of the stops before, we went on excursions that hit places we hadn't been to before. For example, when the ship stopped at Civitavecchia (the port serving Rome) we had been to Rome a number of times in the past, so we took a trip to Orvieto, one of the hill towns.

5. Australia. I've been there 5 times over the years for meetings and still have a bunch of the country to see. Love it.

6. New Zealand. We've been there once, and that was in 2002. Definitely need to go back.

7. Many other places around the world. If you like cities, go to Singapore. Meeting place for me, but it is interesting.

52 countries visited. Many more to go.
 
Ghery said:
Great (inexpensive) beer in Prague.
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Sat in a club listening to one of the best jazz groups I've ever heard - a local 5-piece band. Just incredible.

I don't really like cities, but London is great.

Only been to Dublin once, need to go back.
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(Family) New Zealand. Almost a month. South Island :) Saving up for Africa or Peru+Chile.

(Single) Bonaire for 2 weeks. Became one with the ocean. Before 2009. The restaurants and resorts were #1 in the Carribean for divers. The water was really clear and no bleached coral.
 
My best vacation was when I visited U.S. in 1996. I volunteered for rodeo in Omaha, NE, and generally had a good time.
 
To this day our sons (now 40 and 45) say their favorite family vacation was our eleven-day junket in a rented Turbo Arrow in 1990. From Van Nuys we flew to Grants Pass OR to visit my side of the family; Portland OR to visit Mrs. P's relatives across the river in Vancouver WA (not knowing we would move there five years later); Glacier Park MT, Durango CO, and home via the Grand Canyon.

Fortunately the Arrow's hydraulic pump waited until the last leg to go out. Shortly after takeoff from our last fuel stop at Kingman AZ the gear plopped down, and we flew the rest of the way home with the gear down.

Other favorites:

-- Taking my 14-year-old grandson -- just the two of us -- to Rome and Munich in 2015.



-- 40th anniversary trip with Mrs. P in 2013 to my favorite Bavarian lakeside village, then train over the Alps to Venice, then five nights in Assisi (heavenly!), then Rome. Cheapest flight from Rome back home to Portland was via Dublin on Aer Lingus, so we extended the Dublin layover a couple of days for sightseeing.

-- Last year's pilgrimage to Melbourne, Australia, so Mrs. P could visit where her mother, a war bride, came from, and to meet several of her cousins.

-- Camping trips with friends in the Idaho backcountry in my Sport Cub.

-- My solo 9-day trip to Bavaria in 2014, which included a flight in an Antonov An-2.

 
There’ve been a few. Cruises are fun, but really, for me the far and away best vacation is a motorcycle trip. Last year it was a two-month, 11 state trip during our move from California to Florida. My wife drove the RV and I rode the Harley - no trailers allowed! The guys I ride with every summer joined us for a week in the southwest.

I’ve been to 39 states by motorcycle, and love it all. Colorado and North Carolina are tied for my favorite - so many fun roads and astounding views. I think Colorado has the edge because the Rockies leave me in awe every time. One day last year we took the long way from Pagosa Springs to Durango - turned a 45 mile ride into 275 or so - and rode over six passes that were over 10,000 feet.

Next summer is Banf, and our group is planning for Alaska the year after that.
 
Every time I go to London, usually a week in Oct, every year. The Cherry on Top is when I took day trips on the Orient Express (Known as the British Pullman in the UK) with my late wife.

And the 2-3 winter months I spend in Steamboat Springs every year skiing my a** off.

Cheers
 
ateamer said:
There’ve been a few. Cruises are fun, but really, for me the far and away best vacation is a motorcycle trip. Last year it was a two-month, 11 state trip during our move from California to Florida. My wife drove the RV and I rode the Harley - no trailers allowed! The guys I ride with every summer joined us for a week in the southwest.

I’ve been to 39 states by motorcycle, and love it all. Colorado and North Carolina are tied for my favorite - so many fun roads and astounding views. I think Colorado has the edge because the Rockies leave me in awe every time. One day last year we took the long way from Pagosa Springs to Durango - turned a 45 mile ride into 275 or so - and rode over six passes that were over 10,000 feet.

Next summer is Banf, and our group is planning for Alaska the year after that.
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Epic!!!

I have ridden in 72 countries on a motorcycle, and 26 states in the USA including Alaska.
 
Moorea, French Polynesia. Next big vacation will be Seychelles pending my successful interview and her finishing the police academy

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Placencia Belize. Landed at Charles Golson Intl. then transferred to a 172 because the Cessna 208 was full.

Pulled out on the runway with me in the right seat and wifey in the back. Tropical storm clouds all around. Raining on the runway.

So I says, "IFR flight, eh?"

12 year old looking pilot with gold epaulets, says in that cool Belizian accent, "There is no IFR in Belize. We just fly through the clouds".

Huh???

"Uh, ok, but how do avoid other aircraft?" I ask nervously.

"Going south we stay over land. Going north, over the water, " he says as the little 172 bounces around in the dark turbulence.

"Honey, how you doing back there?" I ask.

"This is so cool! Who'd of thought we'd be flying in 172 down the length of Belize in a tropical storm!' she exclaims excitedly.

WTF?, I'm thinking. Am I the only sane person in this death trap???

I took a deep breath, sat back, starting breathing again - and began the best, most relaxing vacation of my life!

I love Belize. We're going back for our third time in January.

Coming back north on the way home I got to sit right seat in the 208!

The Belizian people of the Placencia peninsula are something very special.
 
Lake Attitlan, Guatemala. Rode motorcycles like maniacs on tiny little roads. Canoed a gorgeous mountain lake ringed with extinct volcanoes. Climbed one. Gorgeous women everywhere, lots of cool little villages. Exotic location full of fun.
 
Bar none; flying my 47 Cessna 140 from Michigan to Johnson Creek Idaho with a group of 7 other planes and 10 people. A 180, a navion, a Debonair, 2- 172s a super cub and my tiny plane. We were quite the gang and bonded like a family, camping for a week. Seeing our country low and slow was humbling and the mountains were breathtaking. Knowing i successfully piloted my old bird in and out of the mountains and dealing with high DAs gave me a sense of fulfillment And humble pride in my ability. Sleeping next to a world class trout stream burbling by, and waking up in cool crisp mountain air and sipping coffee brewed in a percolator over a wood fire was unforgettable.
 
USAF Reserve recall to AD (not voluntary) - it felt so good when it was over, I did it again. After the third time, they had to guess that I quit. . .
 
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