What's the best vacation you have ever had?
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That's a great story! What year was that? I was watching a video of St. bart's yesterday that was made in 1990 or thereabouts, and the road was actually further down the hill, right off the end of the runway. It was crazy!
I was telling a flying buddy about that landing yesterday. What I told him is that if you look at it on video, it's impressive but not eye-popping. Sitting in the right seat of that Islander, the best way I can describe the final approach segment is like being dropped off the side of a tall building. You feel like you're going straight down. All you see is 10, and I remember thinking, "We're gonna hit, we're gonna hit, we're gonna hit," and seemingly at the very last second he pulled out and chirp, chirp. No flare, no bounce, no nothing, just a perfect touchdown. It was amazing. (The pilot is a local Islander pilot I've become friends with over the last 5-6 years, he takes me on package deliveries and such with him when I'm down there).
And I've seen those guys make the first turnoff in the Twotter, that's an amazing aircraft! Nearby at Saba, the shortest commercial runway in the world, they do the same thing. The runway is 1,312 feet long, and the turnoff is just past halfway.
And if you're interested, there's a live feed of the approach to 10 at St. Bart's on youtube:
UngaWunga
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UngaWunga
about 15 years ago, buddy and I were out in Utah for a week of climbing. One of the last days, we headed out to this spire an hour drive off the paved road. Climbing the spire required some... route finding. But sitting on the top, which was about the size of a pool table, eating an apple while watching a thunderstorm roll through the desert a few miles away from us... filthy because we hadn't taken a shower in a few days (my tan washed off in the next shower)... I have a hard time thinking of a time when I've been that content before or after.
It was 1989. I actually started taking flying lessons soon after - no connection.
It was a great trip for other reasons. It was about two months after Hurricane Hugo. One yacht, the Non-Stop went down in the hurricane, with its owner. It's since become a major dive site visit. Anyway, I wanted to dive while I was there so, before we went to out hotel, we stopped at a local dive shop and I made a reservation for that afternoon. It turned out this was the day the the Non-Stop site was opened to the public. My divemaster was the guy who had recovered the body, so he knew it well. And it was only the three of us. Divemaster, his best friend, and me. I wish I had an underwater camera. It was the most unbelievable dive ever - a "wreck" which was brand new and untouched.
That’s amazing. The only dive I’ve ever done was in Anguilla, as I tend to agree with Jerry Seinfeld’s opinion on scuba diving: “Another hobby where you main goal is to not die.” It was actually amazing and I would do it again, but it’s a different world indeed.
Do you remember the story behind the boat and the owner? Odd that one would choose to ride out a hurricane on a yacht. Or maybe it wasn’t by choice. ?
Crashnburn
Pattern Altitude
Lots of great vacation memories here, and looking forward to more. My best vacation memory is from when I was footloose and fiancé free. I was on a "Cruise to View Halley's Comet." The cruise started in Rio de Janeiro and finished in Fr. Lauderdale, FL, with stops in Brazil, as well as the Virgin Islands along the way.
If I'd only seen the comet, the cruise would have been a disappointment. Except for the first night, the moon was out the first week of the cruise, and except for a few hours one night, the deck lights at night obscured the comet. When I did see it, it was exactly as described, a fuzzy ball of yarn. I did manage to get some acceptable pictures though.
However, I did hit the romance jackpot. A different romance each week. The first was a doctor's wife (and he was onboard! I talked to her some the first night, and she visited my cabin after bathing in perfume, that evening. That was exciting, but a little too fraught with peril for my tastes. Later, met a tall, blonde, Canadian widow while ballroom dancing. We visited the areas we stopped at together the rest of the crew, and spent a lot of time ballroom dancing. (I'd taken round dancing before; it's basically cued ballroom dancing, so I wasn't totally clueless.) (People say I'm a good dancer. The bar is pretty low for men. If you can move your feet without tripping over them, and not step on your partner's feet, you're a good dancer.)
One night stands out. Halley's comet was visible, we were sitting together on the deck, sipping champagne. I was really relaxed and feeling good, and I remember saying, "I don't think it can get any better than this."
Unfortunately, life goes on, and I lost track of her after we got back to our regular lives.
Many years later, my bride and I won a dance contest on an Alaskan cruise, but that's another story.
If I'd only seen the comet, the cruise would have been a disappointment. Except for the first night, the moon was out the first week of the cruise, and except for a few hours one night, the deck lights at night obscured the comet. When I did see it, it was exactly as described, a fuzzy ball of yarn. I did manage to get some acceptable pictures though.
However, I did hit the romance jackpot. A different romance each week. The first was a doctor's wife (and he was onboard! I talked to her some the first night, and she visited my cabin after bathing in perfume, that evening. That was exciting, but a little too fraught with peril for my tastes. Later, met a tall, blonde, Canadian widow while ballroom dancing. We visited the areas we stopped at together the rest of the crew, and spent a lot of time ballroom dancing. (I'd taken round dancing before; it's basically cued ballroom dancing, so I wasn't totally clueless.) (People say I'm a good dancer. The bar is pretty low for men. If you can move your feet without tripping over them, and not step on your partner's feet, you're a good dancer.)
One night stands out. Halley's comet was visible, we were sitting together on the deck, sipping champagne. I was really relaxed and feeling good, and I remember saying, "I don't think it can get any better than this."
Unfortunately, life goes on, and I lost track of her after we got back to our regular lives.
Many years later, my bride and I won a dance contest on an Alaskan cruise, but that's another story.
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The local papers at the time treated the owner's decision to stay on board as a mystery. I don't know if there was ever a solution.
For me, diving is a lot like flying, although I only do it on vacation. Better in the sense that I am "flying" under my own power. And I have always felt comfortable in and under the water. Plus the source of my desire to do both is the same - TV shows I watch as a young child. Sky King for wanting to fly. Mike Nelson for wanting to dive. And,of course, Superman kind of leads to both.
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dell30rb
Final Approach
As long as you don't mind hanging out in close proximity to 5000 of your closest friends.
Now you're TALKIN'! Captain of my own little cruise ship, hanging with close friends. I've done both BVIs and ST Martin, either is a blast. Boats, beaches, bars, booze, and babes. Hard to go wrong there!
Been to the BVI's several times. Greece is fun if you want to change it up. Its a long ass way out there though! If I go back i'm doing two weeks.
For those of you who aren't salty sailors, a charter catamaran with a captain in the BVI's is a really great way to go on vacation, and its not any more expensive than staying at a decent resort.
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Ravioli
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Unwanted Guest - Perma-ban Pending
Here's an optimistic outlook: 11/21/19-12/8/19
Going to the family shack near Yosemite. First week one of my life long friends is coming up (he's been putting up with me since 1972). Then Thanksgiving at the Tenaya Lodge. Capping off with my eldest brother and my stepmother for a few days before we head back.
Biggest drawback? Limited access to all you fine folk.
Going to the family shack near Yosemite. First week one of my life long friends is coming up (he's been putting up with me since 1972). Then Thanksgiving at the Tenaya Lodge. Capping off with my eldest brother and my stepmother for a few days before we head back.
Biggest drawback? Limited access to all you fine folk.
EdFred
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Kayoh@190
Probably either hiking central Croatia with my (now) wife, or taking a solo vacation to wander all over New Zealand.
It's a big world out there. Lots of incredible stuff to do.
It's a big world out there. Lots of incredible stuff to do.
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Cluemeister
rtk11
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Toss up between:
1). Alaska Cruise (on Disney Cruise line), or
2). Following the Silk Road through Uzbekistan, Kazakstan (Bukhara, Samarkand)
1). Alaska Cruise (on Disney Cruise line), or
2). Following the Silk Road through Uzbekistan, Kazakstan (Bukhara, Samarkand)
snglecoil
Pre-takeoff checklist
I’m sitting on the beach in Puerto Rico at this very moment. Maybe not the best vacation I’ve had...but this certainly doesn’t suck.
Plano Pilot
Line Up and Wait
The wife and I went to Micronesia in the late 80's. Hotel on Kosrae was $40 because we paid the extra $5 for hot water and A/C. Should have saved the $5 because the power was out a lot of the time. Shower was outside the back of the room.
Next stop was Ponape. Hotel was twice the price of Kosrae,
A few other pictures.
Next stop was Ponape. Hotel was twice the price of Kosrae,
A few other pictures.
Ghery
Touchdown! Greaser!
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Ghery Pettit
I've seen that airport, from Masada. See the picture below. Amazing to realize that I was standing at about sea level when I took this picture.
Shawn
En-Route
Best vacations were a week on a Houseboat with wakeboard boats, jet skis, kayaks.
Only priorities were play, drink, eat, sleep...in about that order.
Only priorities were play, drink, eat, sleep...in about that order.
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Snorting his way across the USA
Some of the best "vacations" I've had were not vacations per se, but working trips to Ozz and later SE Asia.
flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
Flying: A 19-day, 63-hour, 5800-nm journey in our club's old C182. Departed Wisconsin, hopped past Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devil's Tower, etc out to Idaho and did the Mountain Canyon Flying course (including landing at Johnson Creek, one of the greatest aviation destinations there is IMO!), spent a week in Sunriver, OR with family, flew around Mount St. Helens, went to Tillamook and Evergreen air museums, flew over Crater Lake, visited friends in a couple spots in California, flew over the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, landed at Furnace Creek (lowest) and Leadville (highest) airports, learned a ton and had a blast doing it.
Honorable mention: A trip to Hawaii for spring break. It's such a cool place - Flora and fauna that are completely different than you'll see anywhere else, amazing weather... I can't wait to go back someday.
Best overall, most likely: My dad was a professor, but he grew up on a farm and has an incredible work ethic so he never took much vacation time. Finally, the year I turned 11, the university told him he could only roll over a limited amount to the next year, and to use it or lose it! So, we took an epic six-week vacation that I'll always remember fondly. My parents were frugal, so it was mostly done via driving our 1976 Volvo station wagon and camping in a pair of tents. Again, we started in Wisconsin and went to the west coast. We spent time on a houseboat on Lake Powell with my uncle and his family, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, and got to do and see many neat things.
Honorable mention: A trip to Hawaii for spring break. It's such a cool place - Flora and fauna that are completely different than you'll see anywhere else, amazing weather... I can't wait to go back someday.
Best overall, most likely: My dad was a professor, but he grew up on a farm and has an incredible work ethic so he never took much vacation time. Finally, the year I turned 11, the university told him he could only roll over a limited amount to the next year, and to use it or lose it! So, we took an epic six-week vacation that I'll always remember fondly. My parents were frugal, so it was mostly done via driving our 1976 Volvo station wagon and camping in a pair of tents. Again, we started in Wisconsin and went to the west coast. We spent time on a houseboat on Lake Powell with my uncle and his family, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, and got to do and see many neat things.
Not exactly on topic, so pardon my ramblings. We have lived in Europe almost 2 1/2 years now and we have taken our kids to some cool places. They don't seem to appreciate it much so I just hope some day they realize what they have been able to experience as 7-12 year olds. Not many kids their age have been to London, Paris, The Hague, Brussels, Prague and Frankfurt. Not many kids have been to castles named Heidelberg, Eltz, Hohenzollern and Neuschwanstein. They have been to the French Open. They have seen a 400 year old house in the British countryside that was built by their 11th great grandfather. They have been to the many of the villages in Germany and the Czech Republic their other ancestors lived in. They have been to the Swiss and Austrian Alps. They have had Gouda cheese in the city of Gouda. They have seen the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. If you ask them if they have enjoyed living here, they will give you a resounding no. It has been hard, but I am hoping some day these moments shine through in their memories and maybe make it to a "favorite vacation" thread on a forum.
I know I did not appreciate everything my parents did for me either or everywhere my parents dragged me to, but some days it just gets to me that my kids have hated this experience. Thanks for letting me vent.
I know I did not appreciate everything my parents did for me either or everywhere my parents dragged me to, but some days it just gets to me that my kids have hated this experience. Thanks for letting me vent.
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3G
Not uncommon with military kids overseas, either. And they usually have a much deeper support system available.
Both of our kids were jr high/high school aged when we were in Europe. Our son, an extrovert, risk-taker, and adventure maker loved the experience. Our daughter (now a 24-year old school teacher) is the polar opposite, feels that assignment ruined her life and in no way possible could ever be considered a positive experience for anyone.
flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
I did those things you mention at age 6. I went to first grade in Wageningen (Netherlands). I certainly didn't hate it at the time, and I'm forever grateful for the experience now.
Sorry to hear. They will realize someday what a good experience it was.
In the meantime, could you adopt me?
Computerjim
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JimISC2452
One lap of the USA in a Twin Comanche 5 years ago. Spend a little over 3 weeks visiting friends family, favorite old haunts, and few new places. Started in SW FL, then across the Southern US to the west coast. Up the west coast to Oregon then spent a few day in Idaho with my kids, grand kids and great grand kid. Stopped in Yellow Stone for three days and New Orleans for a couple of days on the way home to Fort Myers. We put 35.5 hours on the Twinkie with an average ground speed of 155 KT and a fuel burn of 15.5 Gal/Hr.
Ha. Working on an itinerary for Ireland in February. You can tag along.
We probably don’t have much time left over here and I’ve started thinking we haven’t seen enough. But when you’re working 60 hour weeks, your desire to travel wanes a bit. The Ireland trip, our New Years plans in Allgäu and then hopefully a jaunt up to Norway could be our last hurrah.
Hope you have a great time!
My wife and I are planning a trip to Ireland in the spring or early summer. I love Irish music (tin whistle in particular, which I play), hiking and history. We're trying to decide going with a small tour group (vagabondtoursofireland.com/) or doing it ourselves and terrorizing the natives with our driving.
OkieFlyer
En-Route
Scotland!
The wife and I spent two weeks travelling around the small country. Based ourselves mostly in Edinburgh and travelled outward from there. I'm not much of a city kind of guy, but I could hang in Edinburgh for quite a while without boredom setting in. Old town Edinburgh, up the "royal mile" up to the castle at the top is like going back in time, but vibrant with people, pubs, and fun. Stayed a few days in St. Andrews. Picturesque little town on the North Sea full of history and the golf is okay too. The Highlands made me want to sell my possessions, dawn a kilt, and disappear into a misty glen. The castles are awesome, especially Edinburgh and Sterling castles, and so well preserved for our pleasure. The castle ruins all over the country are equally as enjoyable as the preserved ones, and make one imagine what life must have been like in their heyday. The locks, the glens, the mountains are mysterious and breathtaking. The north sea is foreboding, cold, black, and rough, but awesome as if crashes on rocky cliffs. The fishing villages are quaint, quiet, and inviting. The whole country just has a rugged, even harsh beauty about it. If I wasn't a man of meager means, I'd love to have a place over there.
The wife and I spent two weeks travelling around the small country. Based ourselves mostly in Edinburgh and travelled outward from there. I'm not much of a city kind of guy, but I could hang in Edinburgh for quite a while without boredom setting in. Old town Edinburgh, up the "royal mile" up to the castle at the top is like going back in time, but vibrant with people, pubs, and fun. Stayed a few days in St. Andrews. Picturesque little town on the North Sea full of history and the golf is okay too. The Highlands made me want to sell my possessions, dawn a kilt, and disappear into a misty glen. The castles are awesome, especially Edinburgh and Sterling castles, and so well preserved for our pleasure. The castle ruins all over the country are equally as enjoyable as the preserved ones, and make one imagine what life must have been like in their heyday. The locks, the glens, the mountains are mysterious and breathtaking. The north sea is foreboding, cold, black, and rough, but awesome as if crashes on rocky cliffs. The fishing villages are quaint, quiet, and inviting. The whole country just has a rugged, even harsh beauty about it. If I wasn't a man of meager means, I'd love to have a place over there.