Offseason Topic: Favorite Vacation? | The Boneyard

Offseason Topic: Favorite Vacation?

AzzisBraids

AzzisBraids

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It's offseason at the boneyard and I'm by my pool eating oxtails. It made me reminisce about my favorite vacation in Jamaica.

The food was absolutely amazing
The locals were kind, advised me on places to stay away from and braided my hair
The water was beautiful

I'm a fast pacer, get things done, quick decision, direct type. So the juxataposition of this slow, chill out, wait for your food, "enjoy the vibe" was perfect me. Shifted my mind to remember that self-care is important. Work is part of my life, but not my entire life or a total view of who I am. Just like basketball isn't the entire lives of the women's team. I hope they rest, see their family, eat good food, relax and recharge, I'l be doing that for them if they done. Share your favorite vacation, where'd you go and why was it your fav?
 
Got married in Jamaica. Went back for the next 10 years until they closed the resort and the "friends" we met went separate ways.

My heart will forever be in Sitges, Spain, where we've been 15+ times. Some ask why, and I used to say, some folks go to the Cape or MV every summer, however we went to Spain. We've met and made friends with business owners there, and when we arrive, it's like we never left. That will stay with you forever.

Now, however, as we get more "mature" (ahem), we've been doing river cruises in Europe to see countries that we normally would not visit on an extended stay.
 
Tahiti, the beautiful islands.

Screenshot (46).png
 
When the kids were small we would take them to FLA about every other year to see the mouse and other theme parks. Had 3 space shuttle experiences. 1. seen the shuttle light it's main engines and then shut down (bah). 2. saw the shuttle launch (yeah). and 3. saw the shuttle land, heard the 2 rifle cracks as it broke the sound barrier, and then about 30 seconds later flew right over head at about 800-1000 feet on the way to touch down (the best).
 
My wife, who is nisei, but also a retired English prof, loves going to London more than anyplace else. She loves everything about being there: the tube the buses the Heath, the restaurants the museums the castles and great houses, every bit of it.

Ironically, I a child of Swiss-French immigrants, love visiting Osaka (and Japan in general) more than any other place. I love it all: the bullet trains the buses the restaurants the train stations (they’re really awesome) the malls the scenery the castles shrines and temples, every bit of it.

And our daughter enjoys both destinations, so she’s no help when it comes to deciding which direction to go in. She’s got cousins in both places, so it’s understandable.
 
As a regular vacation, Acadia National Park. I went there a few times as a kid, and since we've been married, my wife (and eventually daughter) and I have gone about every two years. Daughter doesn't like camping, so we've done the VRBO thing several times. But camping in Blackwoods, where we can hear the surf while lying awake after sunrise around 4 AM, is just heaven.

For the "couple of times, or when we can afford it" vacation, Hawaii -- Big Island and Kauai. @AzzisBraids , Hawaii is just so laid back. The Big Island offers history and great snorkeling (more my wife's thing than mine, but I did some), while on Kauai, it's absolutely impossible to get away from absolutely breathtaking scenery. Waimea Canyon may be the most spectacular natural feature I've ever seen.
 
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Been all over the U.S., about 41 states; still hope to get to Alaska.
In '65, traveled all over western Europe by train.
Went to the '76 Olympics in Montreal.
Canadian Rockies in '98.
In '08, visited Prague, Krakow and Copenhagen.
Did a Med cruise in '15 from Venice to Barcelona, via Istanbul.
Cruised up the Rio Douro in Portugal in '18, followed by 9 days in the south of Spain and Gibraltar.
Love Israel; been there 18 times.
Last year -- Iceland and Morocco.
Upcoming this year -- Japan and Ecuador (the Galapagos and the jungle).
One of my favorite places in the world -- Yosemite.
 
OldSchooler said:
Been all over the U.S., about 41 states; still hope to get to Alaska.
In '65, traveled all over western Europe by train.
Went to the '76 Olympics in Montreal.
Canadian Rockies in '98.
In '08, visited Prague, Krakow and Copenhagen.
Did a Med cruise in '15 from Venice to Barcelona, via Istanbul.
Cruised up the Rio Douro in Portugal in '18, followed by 9 days in the south of Spain and Gibraltar.
Love Israel; been there 18 times.
Last year -- Iceland and Morocco.
Upcoming this year -- Japan and Ecuador (the Galapagos and the jungle).
One of my favorite places in the world -- Yosemite.
Expand ...

How is Iceland? Preferable season and northern lights?
 
My favorite vacation is always my last one:) Last summer my wife and I celebrated our 33rd anniversary by cycling across SW Ireland and then cycling/swimming around Dubrovnik/Croatia. Had such a great experience that this year we are cycling Dolomite mtns in Italy then visiting Croatia again (our new favorite), this time closer to Nika's Zagreb home:)
 
Back in the day when I could hack up a golf course, Myrtle Beach in the summer was my favorite. At that time, there were only 100 available courses, so tee times were not required.
And the beaches were pretty nice too.
Haven't been back since 1996 tho.
 
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When I was still teaching and I had some money saved In the 1990's went each summer on a tour of Baseball stadiums!
But the longer I was retired, (2000 on) I couldn't afford the trips, car, gas, food, tickets, air fare to the west, hotels. retail car,
The new ballparks I haven't seen: Milwaukee, San Diego, Miami, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Dallas area, Detroit, Seattle, Atlanta, Citi Field in NYC,!
I haven't gone in several years as the cost is so high and my health has been so poor!
 
HuskyPhan said:
My favorite vacation is always my last one:) Last summer my wife and I celebrated our 33rd anniversary by cycling across SW Ireland and then cycling/swimming around Dubrovnik/Croatia. Had such a great experience that this year we are cycling Dolomite mtns in Italy then visiting Croatia again (our new favorite), this time closer to Nika's Zagreb home:)
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Do you cycle with a commercial tour group company or on your own? Cycling vacations are an area of interest for me. Any advice is appreciated!
 
Nothing like it in all my travels. Alaska by far, glaciers, moose, bears, oh my! Our 10 days was just a tease, wish we were able to spend at least a month. My mouth was very sore. unable to keep it closed, every turn every moment held an amazing encounter with nature. Be it, topography, wildlife. or manmade the experience was so beautiful and unique.
Second to Alaska were the. ruins in Talum Mx.
 
NEforceUConn said:
How is Iceland? Preferable season and northern lights?
Expand ...
Iceland is spectacular. The country, the people, the landscape. You can do a 1000-mile loop around the whole country, but very little of the country is accessible unless you really want to hike to the interior. There are a thousand waterfalls, many spectacular, most of which you won't even see. Energy costs are practically non-existent, because they get all their heat from geothermal. You can't buy bottled water there, because the tap water is so clean and healthy. They make it very hard to become a citizen there. They have their own pure Scandinavian dialect, but many speak English. There are glaciers and there are active volcanoes. Total population is 365,000, all but 100,000 of whom live in Reykyavik. The country is now getting deluged with tourists, and the airport (called Reykyavik, but actually in Keflavik; there's another, smaller airport in Reykyavik) is bursting at the seams, undergoing rapid expansion. We went with a tour, based at a Reykyavik hotel, and doing "spoke" bus trips to a different destination every day. Stayed at the hotel where Bobby Fisher stayed during his celebrated chess match with Boris Spassky. Easy to get to -- non-stop from Newark is about the same as flying to California. One of the most unusual weeks you will ever spend. Highly recommended. We didn't get to see northern lights, but some in our group were lucky.
 
AzzisBraids said:
It's offseason at the boneyard and I'm by my pool eating oxtails. It made me reminisce about my favorite vacation in Jamaica.

The food was absolutely amazing
The locals were kind, advised me on places to stay away from and braided my hair
The water was beautiful

I'm a fast pacer, get things done, quick decision, direct type. So the juxataposition of this slow, chill out, wait for your food, "enjoy the vibe" was perfect me. Shifted my mind to remember that self-care is important. Work is part of my life, but not my entire life or a total view of who I am. Just like basketball isn't the entire lives of the women's team. I hope they rest, see their family, eat good food, relax and recharge, I'l be doing that for them if they done. Share your favorite vacation, where'd you go and why was it your fav?
Expand ...
Love Jamaica. The people are so chill and the food is amazing, I agree 100% The vibe there is just different. Great island nation.
 
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Bigboote said:
As a regular vacation, Acadia National Park. I went there a few times as a kid, and since we've been married, my wife (and eventually daughter) and I have gone about every two years. Daughter doesn't like camping, so we've done the VRBO thing several times. But camping in Blackwoods, where we can hear the surf while lying awake after sunrise around 4 AM, is just heaven.

For the "couple of times, or when we can afford it" vacation, Hawaii -- Big Island and Kauai. @AzzisBraids , Hawaii is just so laid back. The Big Island offers history and great snorkeling (more my wife's thing than mine, but I did some), while on Kauai, it's absolutely impossible to get away from absolutely breathtaking scenery. ea Canyon may be the most spectacular natural feature I've ever seen.
Expand ...
Been to Acadia Nat’l park many times. Always camped out at Blackwoods
 
My favorite vacation spot is in Portugal. Back in 2010 range, I went there and went to few places. The one place that I remember was Sintra. That place is gorgeous!! I am sure the rest of Portugal is off the chain but Sintra and their wealth of castles and that coastline, plus the people...it was an amazing experience.
 
AzzisBraids said:
It's offseason at the boneyard and I'm by my pool eating oxtails. It made me reminisce about my favorite vacation in Jamaica.

The food was absolutely amazing
The locals were kind, advised me on places to stay away from and braided my hair
The water was beautiful

I'm a fast pacer, get things done, quick decision, direct type. So the juxataposition of this slow, chill out, wait for your food, "enjoy the vibe" was perfect me. Shifted my mind to remember that self-care is important. Work is part of my life, but not my entire life or a total view of who I am. Just like basketball isn't the entire lives of the women's team. I hope they rest, see their family, eat good food, relax and recharge, I'l be doing that for them if they done. Share your favorite vacation, where'd you go and why was it your fav?
Expand ...
My worst vacation was in Jamaica. It wasn’t rainy season but it poured all day every day.

But my wife and I had several really great trips. Three weeks in various parts of Spain was tip top but many others a very close second. Loved Spanish cities of which we saw about 10. Seville my favorite followed by Toledo, Madrid and Barcelona. Food excellent everywhere.
 
Believe it or not my wife wants to do this trip again..

Around 2012 we spent 22 nights visiting mostly national parks. Flew into Kansas City and flew home from Denver. Visited:

Wind Cave NP
Roosevelt NP
Yellowstone NP
Grand Tetons NP
Zion NP
Bryce Canyon NP
Capitol Reef NP
Arches NP
Canyon Lands NP
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP
Great Sand Dune NP
Mesa Verde NP
Rocky Mountain NP

Saw some other stuff too, Mt Rushmore, Telluride, 4 Corners, Rockies game. When we dropped the mini van off we had driven 5996 miles.

Been to all 50 states, five continents, 53 of the 63 National Parks and all 30+ MLB ballparks
 
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Against many posts here this is going to be tame. And this vacation ain't there no more. I'm going back 40 and more years ago. It's the mid-Cape Cod. Rent a house and have the world disappear. Watch the kids make sand castles. Get fries and whole belly clams for lunch and cook in most nights (and drink too much safely). Couple three times Martha's Vineyard too. I liked to buy a fine, enormous cigar and smoke it down people watching in Edgartown. I was working at a crazy pace back then so these places were real recharge stations for me.

10 days on horseback in Ireland was a kick, but I'll take my lazy, crazy, hazey days of summer.
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
Against many posts here this is going to be tame. And this vacation ain't there no more. I'm going back 40 and more years ago. It's the mid-Cape Cod. Rent a house and have the world disappear. Watch the kids make sand castles. Get fries and whole belly clams for lunch.
Expand ...
Whole. Belly. Clams. Aaaargh, now I'm hungry, really hungry... Either clams from The Cape, or, better yet, Maine. My family roots go back to the Moosehead Lake area.
I think my best vacation wasn't about me, it was when I took my girlfriend's twin boys whitewater rafting in Maine for their 16th b'day.
They weren't really 'outdoorsy' guys per se; but we camped at The Forks and rafted the Kennebec and Penobscot. Then I took them on a float plane ride over Moosehead. I knew the owner of the rafting company from many previous trips so he treated us really well (as he always did over the years) and he told the chef of the base camp restaurant to 'take care of us'. It was a great trip, made a pretty big difference in how we related. It was just us 3 for that trip, but I later ended up taking their Mom and sister back with them for a Dead River trip (no camping on that one, city girl raised in NYC...)
After that rafting trip I taught them to drive my 4 speed '64 Galaxie before I would let them drive their Mom's car for their license test.
All these flashbacks from whole belly clams, I love it, Thanks!
 
RSHERMVIKES said:
When I was still teaching and I had some money saved In the 1990's went each summer on a tour of Baseball stadiums!
But the longer I was retired, (2000 on) I couldn't afford the trips, car, gas, food, tickets, air fare to the west, hotels. retail car,
The new ballparks I haven't seen: Milwaukee, San Diego, Miami, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Dallas area, Detroit, Seattle, Atlanta, Citi Field in NYC,!
I haven't gone in several years as the cost is so high and my health has been so poor!
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There is something very special about going to a new ballpark in a new city. You sit next to a stranger and by the 4th inning you have a new friend. I can tell you that some of the nicest people I've met at a ballpark are in Milwaukee and Minneapolis, so if you get a chance you can get to both of those on one trip.

It looks like the Oakland A's are about to move to Las Vegas. The potential plan for the A's is to play 2-3 years in the local minor league stadium before a new place is built. I feel the need to go to both stadiums, but my wife is already offering resistance saying we don't need to go to the minor league stadium.
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
Against many posts here this is going to be tame. And this vacation ain't there no more. I'm going back 40 and more years ago. It's the mid-Cape Cod. Rent a house and have the world disappear. Watch the kids make sand castles. Get fries and whole belly clams for lunch and cook in most nights (and drink too much safely). Couple three times Martha's Vineyard too. I liked to buy a fine, enormous cigar and smoke it down people watching in Edgartown. I was working at a crazy pace back then so these places were real recharge stations for me.

10 days on horseback in Ireland was a kick, but I'll take my lazy, crazy, hazey days of summer.
Expand ...
Not tame at all. My father worked for American Airlines so I got the travel bug early and continued it my entire life. One thing I have never done is ride a horse. It just never happened. For the record I haven't smoked a cigar in 30 years.
 
vtcwbuff said:
Kauai with Italy a close second. We last went to Hawaii 2 years ago when they lifted the Covid restrictions.
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My wife and I went to Kauai right before the Covid restrictions. We laid over in Oakland both ways. It was perfectly normal on the way out, and it was almost totally empty on the way back. We actually had to find someone to unlock a food cart to get a sandwich.
 
EdSaid said:
There is something very special about going to a new ballpark in a new city. You sit next to a stranger and by the 4th inning you have a new friend. I can tell you that some of the nicest people I've met at a ballpark are in Milwaukee and Minneapolis, so if you get a chance you can get to both of those on one trip.

It looks like the Oakland A's are about to move to Las Vegas. The potential plan for the A's is to play 2-3 years in the local minor league stadium before a new place is built. I feel the need to go to both stadiums, but my wife is already offering resistance saying we don't need to go to the minor league stadium.
Expand ...
Edsaid- - Almost nothing touches coming out of the stairwell to an open air stadium with fresh cut grass!
Each an every ballpark has their own unique features that set them apart!
I was to the last 2 Milwaukee and Minneapolis ballparks and I agree 100% both had some of the nicest fans you could ever meet!
Really I've been lucky to meet great people every where I went!
My health and my wallet will prevent me from any more tours, but I have some really great memories of my past trips!
Thanks for sharing!
 
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