Vacation Ideas

#26
#26
1 Aruba
2 Saint Maarten
3 Cruise

Done all three several times and never been disappointed. Pluses and minuses to wherever you choose to go so keep that in mind. Wherever you decide to go, hope you and your wife have a wonderful time. It’s always nice to get away for a few days. Enjoy!!!!
 
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#28
#28
I'm going to the Bahamas for the first time in late May, via a cruise.
My question is, how safe is that place?
Does the cruise offer guides to keep you in safe areas? Just curious.

Sincerely,
Thread hijacker dude
 
#30
#30
GVF said:
Ok travel buffs. April of 2021 will be our 20th anniversary. My wife is giving me a pretty good heads up that she expects to go somewhere that requires a plane. I immediately thought of a little Cessna flight to Chattanooga, but quickly decided to keep my mouth shut. Because of when we got married, opening weekend of ball season and she had a son playing, we never really had a honeymoon. And life has passed quickly with a quick addition of another son of our own. And he's a ball player as well and eats up the spring. So, we've never really had any kind of anniversary trip as well. Keeping in mind we will be on a budget, what have my fellow VN posters done for affordable getaways to nice places. I am open to the Carribbean, West Coast, Northeast, etc. I'm Ok not staying in the hotspots, as long as it fits the bill. Any undiscovered spots that are still affordable are also welcomed as suggestions.
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I heard about Surprise Vacations recently and it sounded like a fun idea. Basically you set a budget and can give some parameters, like you want to fly, then the travel agency arranged everything and you don’t find out where you are going until the day you leave.

Let One of These Companies Plan a Mystery Vacation for You
 
#31
#31
vols_fan_68 said:
I'm going to the Bahamas for the first time in late May, via a cruise.
My question is, how safe is that place?
Does the cruise offer guides to keep you in safe areas? Just curious.

Sincerely,
Thread hijacker dude
Click to expand...

Bahamas is safe around the cruise port. No need to worry.
 
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#32
#32
GVF said:
Ok travel buffs. April of 2021 will be our 20th anniversary. My wife is giving me a pretty good heads up that she expects to go somewhere that requires a plane. I immediately thought of a little Cessna flight to Chattanooga, but quickly decided to keep my mouth shut. Because of when we got married, opening weekend of ball season and she had a son playing, we never really had a honeymoon. And life has passed quickly with a quick addition of another son of our own. And he's a ball player as well and eats up the spring. So, we've never really had any kind of anniversary trip as well. Keeping in mind we will be on a budget, what have my fellow VN posters done for affordable getaways to nice places. I am open to the Carribbean, West Coast, Northeast, etc. I'm Ok not staying in the hotspots, as long as it fits the bill. Any undiscovered spots that are still affordable are also welcomed as suggestions.
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Las Vegas-even if you do not gamble, there are great shows. Air fare is usually relatively inexpensive
San Diego-one of my favorite US cities. Rent a car and see a score of beautiful sites.
New Orleans-It's a lot of fun and the food is great. I have had a great time when travelling there though I feel a need to get out after three nights.

Caribbean is very expensive. If you want to go out of the country, Costa Rica is BEAUTIFUL.
Let us know what you decide.
 
#35
#35
vollygirl said:
Which is why I wanted an interior cabin, but we got a balacony. I'll sleep when we get home.
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The views of Inside Passage and other areas make the balcony more desirable, imo. My wife hates any light when trying to sleep.
Cruise ships usually have fairly effective blackout curtains, and she gets by. Have fun.
 
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#36
#36
Couples Resort in either Negril, Jamaica or Ocho Rios, Jamaica! Been to Jamaica 5 times and have had a blast everytime!
 
#37
#37
GVF said:
Key West also sounds interesting. Was on a job in Miami with some downtime and made it as far as end of Key Largo I think.
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Key West weather will be perfect in April. I'd probably recommend flying into Key West as opposed to driving from Miami because the drive, while beautiful, is long, and traffic can get heavy. There is also a ferry from Fort Myers on the SW side of Florida - don't know the cost or how long it takes. If you stay in Key West, you don't really need a car.

Key West is not a beach town so it won't have your beautiful sand beaches. It does have sailing, snorkeling, fishing, etc. Lots of shopping, restaurants, music spots. Reserve a sunset yacht cruise with dinner and champagne for you and your wife as an anniversary celebration. Very beautiful.
 
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#38
#38
I realize that this is not the sexiest suggestion for an anniversary but another place to consider at that time of year is Washington D.C. My wife planned the family trip there a few years ago and we found out then that if you get in contact with your senators office far enough in advance, they will lay out a complete itinerary for your time there and arrange the tours of the various historical attractions for you.
She worked with Senator Corker's D.C. office and they had practically every day planned out. All we had to do was be at the various places on time.
It would certainly be a place I recommend taking the children to.
This can be a budget friendly trip.
 
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#40
#40
VolNExile said:
We’re going to Cuba next week for Havana Jazz Fest (flying in.) We’re excited!
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Amalfi was my favorite restaurant. The Club Havana rum tour was fun. Pretty much any car with room in it will act as a taxi if you flag them down (safety was never an issue for us). Do the bike and bar tour. If you golf, Veradero is a must. It's a three or so hour shuttle from Havana but if you turn it into a beach day as well it's more than worth it! For a throwback classic, Sloppy Joe's is great. Lots of history there.


A fun little game is to tally how many times you see "Socialismo o Muerte" graffiti. I think we hit 60 something in 4 days of being there. You can bring back around a hundred cigars. Whether or not you smoke, those are a wonderful investment.

That's all I've got. Have fun!
 
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#41
#41
Speaking of rum, has anyone been to Martinique? I'm mulling over an island vacation and it's looking like the ideal choice.
 
#42
#42
DinkinFlicka said:
Amalfi was my favorite restaurant. The Club Havana rum tour was fun. Pretty much any car with room in it will act as a taxi if you flag them down (safety was never an issue for us). Do the bike and bar tour. If you golf, Veradero is a must. It's a three or so hour shuttle from Havana but if you turn it into a beach day as well it's more than worth it! For a throwback classic, Sloppy Joe's is great. Lots of history there.

A fun little game is to tally how many times you see "Socialismo o Muerte" graffiti. I think we hit 60 something in 4 days of being there. You can bring back around a hundred cigars. Whether or not you smoke, those are a wonderful investment.

That's all I've got. Have fun!
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That is great, thank you!

Because of last summer’s restrictions, we’re on a pretty tight leash, but we do have some free time, and we will definitely add these to the list.
 
#43
#43
Some great recommendations so far, New Orleans, Destin, NY. 2 of those are easily driveable if you live in East TN which would save on airfare money and car rental. Ireland can actually be a great and affordable vacation if you aren't looking for 5 star accommodations. Private Bed and breakfasts are the way a lot of people travel there.
 
#47
#47
White Bread said:
I'm heading to Colorado Springs at the end of the month. Anyone have any reccommendations?
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My wife and I drove down and spent a day there in April 2017 during a work conference in Denver. Garden of the Gods was awesome. It does get crowded so would go early if you do that. We spent around 3 hours hiking and looking at different stuff in the park. We then drove about 15 minutes up to the manitou cliff dwellings. It was decent but wouldn’t go out of your way for that. The last thing we did was go to the Broadmoor 7 Falls. You ride a shuttle to the park and then walk to the falls (~0.75 mile if I remember correctly). There are 7 waterfalls in series and a massive stairwell that you walk up next to them. It was strenuous but we enjoyed it. There is also a restaurant at the base of the falls but we didn’t eat there. We ate lunch in old Colorado city near the garden of the gods but cannot remember where we ate. There are several restaurants down that way. Breweries all over that area too but we didn’t do any of them since we were short on time. Not much in terms of recommendations but we really enjoyed Colorado Springs.
 
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#48
#48
sportsnut624 said:
My wife and I drove down and spent a day there in April 2017 during a work conference in Denver. Garden of the Gods was awesome. It does get crowded so would go early if you do that. We spent around 3 hours hiking and looking at different stuff in the park. We then drove about 15 minutes up to the manitou cliff dwellings. It was decent but wouldn’t go out of your way for that. The last thing we did was go to the Broadmoor 7 Falls. You ride a shuttle to the park and then walk to the falls (~0.75 mile if I remember correctly). There are 7 waterfalls in series and a massive stairwell that you walk up next to them. It was strenuous but we enjoyed it. There is also a restaurant at the base of the falls but we didn’t eat there. We ate lunch in old Colorado city near the garden of the gods but cannot remember where we ate. There are several restaurants down that way. Breweries all over that area too but we didn’t do any of them since we were short on time. Not much in terms of recommendations but we really enjoyed Colorado Springs.
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That’s perfect! I appreciate the info!
 
#49
#49
GVF said:
A few tidbits. I travelled a lot while younger. I've been to atleast 30 plus states, the UK, Calais France, Phillipines. We were no where near wealthy, but we had a pop-up camper, and always attended a church family camp for a week in June followed by another week of vacation camping excursions if dad had that much time off. Or, in the case of the UK, he had a business trip at Cambridge as part of his new position with UGA Extension Service, so we went a week early, travelled England, Scotland, Wales, and Calais and came home for school while he stayed behind. Rented a caravan, and ate local pubs and stuff. We were of Scottish decent around Loch Ness area, so he wanted us to experience that as well. Scotland was by far my favorite. That job is also how I got to the Phillipines for two summers. Their participation in his program he headed required he live there for two years and being a dependent in college still I got free flights. I was also never against KOA campgrounds, my golf clubs, and a backpacking tent, or calling on friends in the area as I pretty much knew someone everywhere I went. She's not one comfy doing that.

Now, my wife on the other hand is a hotel person. She would probably only camp in a decent camper with amenities. She's not a roughing it or on the real cheap type of person. And has travelled very little outside of summer trips to Myrtle or FL. She's from Louisiana and don't think she's ever been back to New Orleans. She was born an hour SW of there and they moved when she was 7. She also has a fascination with the wine country and Half Moon Bay, so I will be exploring that. I liked San Diego as far as Cali goes, but Northern Cali and the Pacific NW has eluded me, so those are nice suggestions.

So, my ideas right now include must see domestic trips to maybe the Wine Country & HMB, or Seattle area/Vancouver areas, New Orleans, or Carribbean. I'm sure with some effort you can do a pretty affordable trip to one of those not so commercialized Carribean spots. I also loved Montana, so one of the Colroado/Wyoming trips might come into play. The USVI's are attractive for not needing a passport, but I'm sure they are a quite more expensive than other locales. My niece flies for AA, but sometimes those passes are more trouble for not knowing when you'll get on or get bumped.

Thanks for the ideas. Keep 'em coming.
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What part of Montana did you previously visit?

We currently live in Billings, so I could give you plenty of recommendations on destinations in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and even the Sierras and Cascades. Of course, if you are specifically limited to April of next year, access to much of the high country will be restricted except, obviously, for ski resorts. Just let me know how much flexibility you can exercise and whether any of these options pique your curiosity.
 
#50
#50
sportsnut624 said:
My wife and I drove down and spent a day there in April 2017 during a work conference in Denver. Garden of the Gothe Flyingds was awesome. It does get crowded so would go early if you do that. We spent around 3 hours hiking and looking at different stuff in the park. We then drove about 15 minutes up to the manitou cliff dwellings. It was decent but wouldn’t go out of your way for that. The last thing we did was go to the Broadmoor 7 Falls. You ride a shuttle to the park and then walk to the falls (~0.75 mile if I remember correctly). There are 7 waterfalls in series and a massive stairwell that you walk up next to them. It was strenuous but we enjoyed it. There is also a restaurant at the base of the falls but we didn’t eat there. We ate lunch in old Colorado city near the garden of the gods but cannot remember where we ate. There are several restaurants down that way. Breweries all over that area too but we didn’t do any of them since we were short on time. Not much in terms of recommendations but we really enjoyed Colorado Springs.
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there is also the cog tram to the top of Pikes Peak....and the Air Force Academy...the Flying W Ranch is pretty entertaining also but it might still be closed
 
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