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Favorite Vacation Spot
- Thread starter ski diva
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ski now work later
Angel Diva
Two of my favorites: for family vacations, Smuggler's Notch Vermont, summer or winter, and for a romantic long weekend, Amsterdam.
SkiBam
Angel Diva
A couple of years ago we visited the Magdalen Islands, an archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Although the islands are part of Quebec, the fastest way to get there (other than flying) is by ferry from Prince Edward Island. Other than that, there's a weekly boat from Montreal in summer (a two- or three-night trip). If you look on a map (to the north of PEI), you'll see the islands are but a tiny speck.
I think the islands get pretty busy in high summer but we were there in September and it was absolutely magical. Each of the main islands is connected to the next by what's little more than a sand dune, so at one point we were driving along about a 10 km stretch of road, with a lagoon on one side and the ocean on the other. Very high winds (around 90 kph) when we were there (not unusual) so we drove through blowing sand.
Amazing beaches, good kayaking, cycling (when it's a little less windy), hiking, great food, interesting architecture and landscape. I'd love to go back.
I think the islands get pretty busy in high summer but we were there in September and it was absolutely magical. Each of the main islands is connected to the next by what's little more than a sand dune, so at one point we were driving along about a 10 km stretch of road, with a lagoon on one side and the ocean on the other. Very high winds (around 90 kph) when we were there (not unusual) so we drove through blowing sand.
Amazing beaches, good kayaking, cycling (when it's a little less windy), hiking, great food, interesting architecture and landscape. I'd love to go back.
Ski Spirit
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
A girlfriend and I drove through parts of New Mexico and Arizona on one trip. Sedona was beautiful. But I really liked Taos, Santa Fe and the countryside in between (great parks, Indian caves, etc.).
Mr. SS and I vacationed in Banff one summer and LOVED it! Stunningly beautiful setting, lots to see, nice restaurants.
Another place we've really enjoyed -- Ashland, Oregon -- to go see plays at the annual Shakespeare festival. Pretty countryside, wonderful plays, good restaurants, lots to see in surrounding vicinity.
Also enjoyed driving through parts of Washington state and taking the ferry to Victoria. Victoria is a wonderful city to visit. Beautiful setting, great atmosphere, lots to see and do.
Mr. SS and I vacationed in Banff one summer and LOVED it! Stunningly beautiful setting, lots to see, nice restaurants.
Another place we've really enjoyed -- Ashland, Oregon -- to go see plays at the annual Shakespeare festival. Pretty countryside, wonderful plays, good restaurants, lots to see in surrounding vicinity.
Also enjoyed driving through parts of Washington state and taking the ferry to Victoria. Victoria is a wonderful city to visit. Beautiful setting, great atmosphere, lots to see and do.
Ski Spirit
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Also, not far for us, but ALWAYS a great place to go -- the wine country Napa/Sonoma. Lots of great towns, spectacular restaurants (not too hard to find spectacular hole in the wall restaurants), beautiful countryside, wineries to tour, etc etc.
playoutside
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This is hard to answer since I'm a travel junkie. So many places I've been are remarkable and provide me with such vivid memories. Some that really standout:
Greece: just returned from my second trip there and I sure hope I'll be there again. Santorini is absolutely breathtaking. Crete while was less striking in appearance has some incredible beaches and offers such a simple way of life. Most of the islands have something to offer if you like being outside. Peloponese is gorgeous too -- farmland, historical sites, mountains, beaches. Athens for me is a place to spend just one day each trip -- Parthenon is awe inspiring.
Grand Canyon: no picture you have ever seen compares to real life views. Avoid the summer when it's too hot and much too crowded.
The Alps: Choose whichever country you like I doubt they'll disappoint. The air is so clear and the mountains offer such great views.
Maine: One of my favorite states; it has so much to offer in any season. Great lake and sea kayaking. Beautiful camping spots. Moose (and other critters). Hiking, skiing, lobster, etc.
I know I'll think of others that should make my list...
Greece: just returned from my second trip there and I sure hope I'll be there again. Santorini is absolutely breathtaking. Crete while was less striking in appearance has some incredible beaches and offers such a simple way of life. Most of the islands have something to offer if you like being outside. Peloponese is gorgeous too -- farmland, historical sites, mountains, beaches. Athens for me is a place to spend just one day each trip -- Parthenon is awe inspiring.
Grand Canyon: no picture you have ever seen compares to real life views. Avoid the summer when it's too hot and much too crowded.
The Alps: Choose whichever country you like I doubt they'll disappoint. The air is so clear and the mountains offer such great views.
Maine: One of my favorite states; it has so much to offer in any season. Great lake and sea kayaking. Beautiful camping spots. Moose (and other critters). Hiking, skiing, lobster, etc.
I know I'll think of others that should make my list...
I think I have travel envy.
I haven't been to a lot of places, but of the ones I've visited, my favs are:
Venice, Italy: Like a city from a fairy tale, with the lagoons and the beautiful architecture.
Paris: Need I say more????
Bermuda: Pink and purple houses, beautiful beaches. I haven't been there for a long time, but I'd love to go back.
Grand Canyon: You're right, playoutside. No pics do it justice. We hiked down to the bottom and back, and it was definitely an experience I'd like to repeat.
Bryce Canyon, Utah: Love the hoodoos!
I haven't been to a lot of places, but of the ones I've visited, my favs are:
Venice, Italy: Like a city from a fairy tale, with the lagoons and the beautiful architecture.
Paris: Need I say more????
Bermuda: Pink and purple houses, beautiful beaches. I haven't been there for a long time, but I'd love to go back.
Grand Canyon: You're right, playoutside. No pics do it justice. We hiked down to the bottom and back, and it was definitely an experience I'd like to repeat.
Bryce Canyon, Utah: Love the hoodoos!
playoutside
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ahh, how could I forget these...
In addition to Venice I have to add Florence. The Duomo in shades of green and white was spectacular.
Utah, another of my favorite states. I remember camping at Bryce in May and waking up to a couple inches of snow, fun, but we were ill prepared for that kind of weather. I swear the hoodoos seem alive to me. Also visited Zion that trip, significantly warmer and wonderful hiking, horseback riding with idyllic camping weather.
Now I'm on a roll with Utah, because I realize I left Arches off my list. Have been there twice and it didn't disappoint either time. Fantastic hiking and so different in appearance than anything I've seen as an east coast kid. The colors! Who knew there were so many shades of brown, tan, orange and that they could blend so wonderfully.
Cruising the Galapagos Islands in a sail boat. Bar none. -- Ok, take away the sailing part, the "spot" of GI is still the best so far.
For a reference point of what the "second best(s)":
-- Greece and Turkey are neck-in-neck.
-- India would have topped them both, but the in-your-face poverty really quite tainted the experience.
-- Australia, when can I go again? Can't wait!
Closer to home, within N. America:
--Arches, Bryce, Yellowstone are great outdoor'ish spots (not in summer, I suspect, I did Yellowstone in September and Bryce in Christmas, no crowd).
-- The best "city" spots are Vancouver and Montreal in a tie. US don't hold a candle to the Canadians when it comes to cities (NYC not withstaning, but then, a lot of people don't think NY is part of US anyway
)
-- While I don't care for LIVING in California, I think it's one of the top vacation spot I love to return from time to time. (ok, the fact I know the area well from living there for a few years must have helped).
-- Outside of continental US, Hawaii and Alaska are both fantastic.
For a reference point of what the "second best(s)":
-- Greece and Turkey are neck-in-neck.
-- India would have topped them both, but the in-your-face poverty really quite tainted the experience.
-- Australia, when can I go again? Can't wait!
Closer to home, within N. America:
--Arches, Bryce, Yellowstone are great outdoor'ish spots (not in summer, I suspect, I did Yellowstone in September and Bryce in Christmas, no crowd).
-- The best "city" spots are Vancouver and Montreal in a tie. US don't hold a candle to the Canadians when it comes to cities (NYC not withstaning, but then, a lot of people don't think NY is part of US anyway
) -- While I don't care for LIVING in California, I think it's one of the top vacation spot I love to return from time to time. (ok, the fact I know the area well from living there for a few years must have helped).
-- Outside of continental US, Hawaii and Alaska are both fantastic.
Couldn't argue with Vancouver or Montreal as city destinations. My SO and I drove to Vancouver last year by car with bikes and once there, had a fabulous 'urban cycling vacation' -- braking for sushi and beer, not necessarily in that order. Our preschooler went 'on vacation' with grandparents. We loved it so much we're doing the exact same trip again -- thanks to my folks.
skibum4ever
Angel Diva
Greece - Mykonos, Santorini, Kos
Jerusalem (when it's safe to travel there)
Macchu Picchu
Jerusalem (when it's safe to travel there)
Macchu Picchu
astridhj
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Croatia, just beautiful
Lofoten, Norway, all those beautiful islands and high mountains
The french riviera, with all its small towns away from the beaches up towards the mountains
Iceland, I was there one day for work and I want to go back and see more
Tuscany, Italia, good food and drinks and beautiful towns and friendly people
Lofoten, Norway, all those beautiful islands and high mountains
The french riviera, with all its small towns away from the beaches up towards the mountains
Iceland, I was there one day for work and I want to go back and see more
Tuscany, Italia, good food and drinks and beautiful towns and friendly people
My favorite thing that happened in Venice when I was there in 2003 was we saw a bunch of teenagers in a smaller boat, which they'd pimped out with neon tube lighting and huge speakers. It was maybe 9 or 10pm, and they were blasting Italian pop and driving really slowly through the canals, low-rider style. It was amazing. I wish I'd gotten video or something; no description could ever do it justice.
dloveski
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
our secret places in MT and WY where we can pitch a tent and not have to interact with another human being for days on end and trip out on the stars and catch a fish and get so dirty and gross that you start dreaming about sheets and a shower and your old house looks like a palace for about three days after the trip.
or a Green River raft trip....with the above attributes.
or a Green River raft trip....with the above attributes.
JoySki
Certified Ski Diva
Snippets of my travels!
Love this thread!
I'm a huge travel junkie who usually travels to experience history and culture, so naturally I adore Europe. But my family is spread over Asia and North America - another good excuse to travel frequently.
#1 pick: Austria. Gorgeous, elegant country no matter where you are (gingerbread houses everywhere!), with friendly people and a rich cultural heritage. I especially liked Salzburg, Vienna and some of the smaller towns I passed thru. Bring an umbrella to Salzburg, it rains like you wouldn't believe!
I was lucky to spend time in a small Austrian town for a classical music festival, as part of a music tour in my final year of school, so I became great friends with some locals. Last Christmas I received delicious authentic Austrian gingerbread in the mail, and I in turn share bits of my Asian/Australian lifestyle with them.
I also loved Hungary and the Czech Republic. I highly recommend that Central/Eastern region of Europe in general. I'm yet to explore the other regions, but I imagine they're just as good.
Most of my travel has been in Asia due to my family. I always love visits back to my hometown Hong Kong. Well, I love everything except the fact that I put on weight during each trip - there's far too much good food there, and relatives who insist on feeding it to me! And yes, it's famous as a bustling city, but if you drive out about 30-45 mins or catch a ferry, there are pretty islands, hills and beaches. That's something most visitors to HK miss out on, so focused they are on taking in the city. The good thing about HK is that there aren't really that many tourist traps...but try a cheap bowl of noodles in an unassuming little streetside cafe, preferably one where there's no English to be seen, for a taste of the real Hong Kong. That's the way us locals do it!
The mainland China experience is different yet again. Northern China, especially Beijing, is highly recommended. If you're in Beijing in winter, bring your ice skates; you can skate on the Summer Palace lake, surrounded by all those beautiful imperial buildings. I missed out on that because my dad insisted the lake wouldn't be frozen yet, so I left my skates at the hotel...but lo and behold, when we arrived, it turned out to be frozen absolutely SOLID! :( So I just paid for an "ice sled" ride instead.
Historical river towns such as Suzhou and Tongli, which, though a bit touristy, are worth seeing en route to the bigger cities, because they've preserved their charming old appearance. I'm not such a fan of Shanghai, having spent a few months on and off over the years living the local life there because of family. It's very grotty and over-built (not nicely either)..maybe it's just me though. But just thought I'd share - I went indoor skiing in Shanghai once :D
It's been 10 years since I last visited the USA and my birthplace Canada, but I'm due for a family reunion over there fairly soon, and I enjoyed my last trip over there, which included CA, AZ and NV, and BC in Canada.
Love this thread!
I'm a huge travel junkie who usually travels to experience history and culture, so naturally I adore Europe. But my family is spread over Asia and North America - another good excuse to travel frequently.
#1 pick: Austria. Gorgeous, elegant country no matter where you are (gingerbread houses everywhere!), with friendly people and a rich cultural heritage. I especially liked Salzburg, Vienna and some of the smaller towns I passed thru. Bring an umbrella to Salzburg, it rains like you wouldn't believe!
I was lucky to spend time in a small Austrian town for a classical music festival, as part of a music tour in my final year of school, so I became great friends with some locals. Last Christmas I received delicious authentic Austrian gingerbread in the mail, and I in turn share bits of my Asian/Australian lifestyle with them.
I also loved Hungary and the Czech Republic. I highly recommend that Central/Eastern region of Europe in general. I'm yet to explore the other regions, but I imagine they're just as good.
Most of my travel has been in Asia due to my family. I always love visits back to my hometown Hong Kong. Well, I love everything except the fact that I put on weight during each trip - there's far too much good food there, and relatives who insist on feeding it to me! And yes, it's famous as a bustling city, but if you drive out about 30-45 mins or catch a ferry, there are pretty islands, hills and beaches. That's something most visitors to HK miss out on, so focused they are on taking in the city. The good thing about HK is that there aren't really that many tourist traps...but try a cheap bowl of noodles in an unassuming little streetside cafe, preferably one where there's no English to be seen, for a taste of the real Hong Kong. That's the way us locals do it!
The mainland China experience is different yet again. Northern China, especially Beijing, is highly recommended. If you're in Beijing in winter, bring your ice skates; you can skate on the Summer Palace lake, surrounded by all those beautiful imperial buildings. I missed out on that because my dad insisted the lake wouldn't be frozen yet, so I left my skates at the hotel...but lo and behold, when we arrived, it turned out to be frozen absolutely SOLID! :( So I just paid for an "ice sled" ride instead.
Historical river towns such as Suzhou and Tongli, which, though a bit touristy, are worth seeing en route to the bigger cities, because they've preserved their charming old appearance. I'm not such a fan of Shanghai, having spent a few months on and off over the years living the local life there because of family. It's very grotty and over-built (not nicely either)..maybe it's just me though. But just thought I'd share - I went indoor skiing in Shanghai once :D
It's been 10 years since I last visited the USA and my birthplace Canada, but I'm due for a family reunion over there fairly soon, and I enjoyed my last trip over there, which included CA, AZ and NV, and BC in Canada.
geargrrl
Angel Diva
Hah, that's my kind of vacation.
I don't have one favorite spot. We do a lot of different kinds of wilderness trips (primitive camping, mountain biking and rafting), and are just starting to explore different countries through diving and exploratory travel.
We are fortunate in that DH has a great group of friends that share private party river permits.
Here are two of our river trips:
Middle Fork Salmon , spring 20006
Tatshenshini- Alsek (Yukon/Alaska Panhandle) (this site will go down probably 7/2 or, I'm changing servers)
We've done several different trips to Mexico (Yucatan, Cozumel, Mexico City); Bonaire (Dutch Antilles), and lots of travel in Canada.
My short list includes Iceland and Thailand, and Eastern Europe.
