@jacob: why vacation:no? Or is that just a way of saying you prefer being "productive", as opposed to being in relaxation mode?
I know people in most countries I'd like to visit, so my aim is to pay for the transport (usually by air) but not much more. Food, stay and experiences will be inexpensive. Visiting is just as much saving money as it is social for me. Its a way to make adventures cheap and at the same time seeing friends and family, a 2-in-1. I also have camping equipment, just in case I want to go somewhere I don't know anyone. Tourism is a no-go for me, but I like adventure, exploring somewhere new, because it widens my horizon and brings inspiration & ideas. I enjoy vacation because it means time away from my paid job, but I usually end up spending my time on something I think is productive.
Vacation
Re: Vacation
We stay home. I've done cheapish trips with the family but we don't think it's worth the expense. The family is me, the wife and the 3 kids.
If you enjoy travelling though I say go for it.
If you enjoy travelling though I say go for it.
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enigmaT120
- Posts: 1240
- Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2015 2:14 pm
- Location: Falls City, OR
Re: Vacation
That's a great song from an even better album, Edith.
My favorite vacations are pretty much when I stay home and work in my woods and putter around in my shop. Maybe when I do that full time I'll want something else.
My favorite vacations are pretty much when I stay home and work in my woods and putter around in my shop. Maybe when I do that full time I'll want something else.
Re: Vacation
The wife and I just got back from our honeymoon a few weeks ago, and I like how we did it our way vs. the standard honeymoon-in-a-box that most Americans purchase and consume.
We spent a few days after the wedding recuperating and packing, then left early morning on July 5th to drive from Michigan down to Gatlinburg TN (Smoky mountains) for a two-day stay in a rented cabin. We explored as best we could (didn't realize ahead of time that Gatlinburg was, itself, a tourist trap) and visited an aquarium but also bought groceries to cook dinner for ourselves rather than spend a ton on multiple fancy sit-down meals. The mountains were incredible, awe inspiring and absolutely beautiful. If you get the chance, they are worth experiencing at least once.
On July 7th early morning, we check out of the cabin, lock up and drive to Virginia Beach to spend a couple days with very close friends of ours. It was 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35C) the day we went to the beach and we had an absolutely FANTASTIC time in the warm(!!) Atlantic Ocean. The waves were cooperatively tame that day, too! Blissful! One day our friends cooked for us, the next day we cooked for them. There was a completely unexpected turn of events when Pokemon Go came out during our honeymoon... we spent 3-4 hours on that warm Friday night in downtown Virginia beach with about 100 other nerds just reveling in this strange new phenomena and connected-ness. Had an absolute blast. Finally started the 12 hour drive home Saturday afternoon. Drove the Pennsylvania and Ohio turnpikes through the night to get home early (4am) morning Sunday. Total trip was Michigan>Ohio>Kentucky>Tennessee>North Carolina>Virginia>Maryland>Pennsylvania>Ohio>Michigan. Basically draw a big circle around West Virginia (intentional? You be the judge... but we saw it across the Potomic river in the night, so that's close enough anyways.)
The whole trip was FANTASTIC, overall. Until this trip, my wife had only set foot in three states and had only taken one plane-trip... but that was enough to realize we both really hate airports. Our time spent in the car (29 hours total) was extremely pleasant due mainly to the company, but also due to the fact that we stopped whenever we felt like it, and we reached into our cooler for drinks and snacks when we got hungry/thirsty. We didn't have to feel robbed by airport convenience stores or restaurants and we took the entire trip at our own pace. She got to do a lot of sleeping while I was driving and the whole time I felt like I was traveling and exploring rather than vacating. I never once felt like a tourist on my honeymoon.
The next trip I take with the wife will probably be similar in nature, though it may be different in execution. There is a lot that I truly want to experience in person, especially parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone. Not very interested in being cooped up in a Cancun resort town, though.
We spent a few days after the wedding recuperating and packing, then left early morning on July 5th to drive from Michigan down to Gatlinburg TN (Smoky mountains) for a two-day stay in a rented cabin. We explored as best we could (didn't realize ahead of time that Gatlinburg was, itself, a tourist trap) and visited an aquarium but also bought groceries to cook dinner for ourselves rather than spend a ton on multiple fancy sit-down meals. The mountains were incredible, awe inspiring and absolutely beautiful. If you get the chance, they are worth experiencing at least once.
On July 7th early morning, we check out of the cabin, lock up and drive to Virginia Beach to spend a couple days with very close friends of ours. It was 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35C) the day we went to the beach and we had an absolutely FANTASTIC time in the warm(!!) Atlantic Ocean. The waves were cooperatively tame that day, too! Blissful! One day our friends cooked for us, the next day we cooked for them. There was a completely unexpected turn of events when Pokemon Go came out during our honeymoon... we spent 3-4 hours on that warm Friday night in downtown Virginia beach with about 100 other nerds just reveling in this strange new phenomena and connected-ness. Had an absolute blast. Finally started the 12 hour drive home Saturday afternoon. Drove the Pennsylvania and Ohio turnpikes through the night to get home early (4am) morning Sunday. Total trip was Michigan>Ohio>Kentucky>Tennessee>North Carolina>Virginia>Maryland>Pennsylvania>Ohio>Michigan. Basically draw a big circle around West Virginia (intentional? You be the judge... but we saw it across the Potomic river in the night, so that's close enough anyways.)
The whole trip was FANTASTIC, overall. Until this trip, my wife had only set foot in three states and had only taken one plane-trip... but that was enough to realize we both really hate airports. Our time spent in the car (29 hours total) was extremely pleasant due mainly to the company, but also due to the fact that we stopped whenever we felt like it, and we reached into our cooler for drinks and snacks when we got hungry/thirsty. We didn't have to feel robbed by airport convenience stores or restaurants and we took the entire trip at our own pace. She got to do a lot of sleeping while I was driving and the whole time I felt like I was traveling and exploring rather than vacating. I never once felt like a tourist on my honeymoon.
The next trip I take with the wife will probably be similar in nature, though it may be different in execution. There is a lot that I truly want to experience in person, especially parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone. Not very interested in being cooped up in a Cancun resort town, though.
Re: Vacation
I am very much opposed to the 'let's cram everything we can into X number of days' and then get back to 'normal'. This isn't fun at all, which is the goal I would have when wanting to experience new places/cultures. I very strongly opposed a free timeshare trip to Hawaii last year simply because of this. Of course the in-laws thought I was nuts.
This is probably why I have only ever been out of the midwest one time. I have never been out of the states, although my desire to do so is growing. I just can't get past the cramming and then getting back to work though. Even with 3 weeks of vacation each year, that's not enough time. I'd be focused on "when do I need to be back".
If I'm going to travel, I want it to be open ended, yet strategic so I am not spending gobs and gobs of money. So some planning is needed.
This is probably why I have only ever been out of the midwest one time. I have never been out of the states, although my desire to do so is growing. I just can't get past the cramming and then getting back to work though. Even with 3 weeks of vacation each year, that's not enough time. I'd be focused on "when do I need to be back".
If I'm going to travel, I want it to be open ended, yet strategic so I am not spending gobs and gobs of money. So some planning is needed.
Re: Vacation
This!! This x1000. Next trip we take, I want it to be WAY less structured and a whole lot more "Okay, we have the next month and we want to at least see the Grand Canyon". I want a much more open-ended experience than normal where we can feel free to be spontaneous for a while... also naturally free from tourist traps!cmonkey wrote:I am very much opposed to the 'let's cram everything we can into X number of days' and then get back to 'normal'. This isn't fun at all, which is the goal I would have when wanting to experience new places/cultures. I very strongly opposed a free timeshare trip to Hawaii last year simply because of this. Of course the in-laws thought I was nuts.
This is probably why I have only ever been out of the midwest one time. I have never been out of the states, although my desire to do so is growing. I just can't get past the cramming and then getting back to work though. Even with 3 weeks of vacation each year, that's not enough time. I'd be focused on "when do I need to be back".
If I'm going to travel, I want it to be open ended, yet strategic so I am not spending gobs and gobs of money. So some planning is needed.