what's the best place you've ever vacationed and why?

[PretzelWarrior]

I am planning a vacation for late summer/early fall. I know they have TERRIFIC rates to Hawaii (which I've never been to) around $300 round trip.

but I also wouldn't mind traveling somewhere in U.S. mainland or abroad.

I've only been to China, Mexico, and Canada...and have spent a lot of time in Pacific Northwest areas

so...any ideas? What are your thoughts? and yes, sharing your personal stories would be good too though I'm looking for places people have been and enjoyed for the location/culture itself.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. CT/MA/NY state

I really like the Berkshires and the Catskills, and really like the people and the scenery there. Cornwall CT is having a Thurber Festival in October, with a lot of free activities. I only wish I didn't live 1200 miles away, or I'd be there. Oh, and the Wandering Moose has wonderful steak and onion soup!

[PretzelWarrior]

5. oh yeah. I would LOVE Adirondaks or Catskills

I know I loved seeing the Allegheney (sp) mountains when my family drove from midwest to NY. I've mostly spent time in NYC...not much in upstate. Would love to know more about Massachusettes. Including Boston. ALso...When I drove to Maine in 90 I hit every state in the erea but Rhode Island. So thanks for the tip! I'd love to hit that area in the fall.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

51. Cape Cod is fantastic in the fall

In September, you still get beach weather, and the leaves start to turn near Halloween. The Berkshires get their colors earlier. Let me know if you need any info about Boston or Mass!

[barb162]

2. As long as there are terrific rates on Hawaii, go there

you'll love it. Spend about 3 days each on Hawaii, Oahu, Kauai and Maui and rent a car. Travel around each island. Some people make the mistake of going to Oahu and spending a week on Waikiki and then they say well what's so great about Hawaii.

[PretzelWarrior]

3. that's a good idea. I'm just hoping I can figure out a friend connection

or relative who "knows somebody" so I don't have to pay gigantic prices for rooms which I hear are quite expensive.

so....pretty easy to ferry from island to island?

[barb162]

20. I have always flown between islands and you can do standby and almost

always get seats for ridiculously cheap fare. The good hotels are expensive and so is the food since they have to ship almost everything in.


OIon the Big Island I would recommend this hotel although there are many great hotels there as there are on all the islands.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60608-d89980-R...

I noticed on trip advisor that there were rates starting at 56 bucks which is unbelievably reasonable and way less than I paid a few years ago. I consider that the best hotel on that island (swim with dolphins, the best pools in my opinion, unbelievable grounds, go by boat between hotel buildings,etc).

And do a car ride called the "Road to Hana" on Maui (one of the great roadtrips IN THE WORLD). Trust me. I have been to Hawaii many times. You probably want to go to the state forums too and talk to the DUers in Hawaii.

[PretzelWarrior]

22. good idea about state forums

and the car ride sounds great. when I went to Cabo san Lucas the best thing I did was road trip to Todos Santos and La Paz. wonderful!

[RC]

4. North Shore Oahu & other places there.

http://rc.smugmug.com/Photography/30617
Take your camera. Well worth the time. Honolulu is a place to stay away from. Mostly a tourest trap. However there is the Punch Bowl.
But the rest of the island is well worth it.

[PretzelWarrior]

7. great pics!

hey

[barb162]

26. Yeas and some of the beaches around the island like Hanauma

Bay and several others, oh man, they are wonderful

http://www.hawaiiweb.com/html/hanauma_bay_beach.html

[efhmc]

6. Los Roques, an island off of Venezuela. The water is perfect and the

island is small and mostly unknown.

[PretzelWarrior]

8. hmm...Venezuela. that would be an interesting country to visit

part of it's coast is on considered on Carribean right?

[efhmc]

9. Yes. You take a small plane out of Caracas to the island. It is a

wonderful, fabulous place.

[oregonjen]

10. Japan is wonderful in early fall

Not just Tokyo, but Nara, Kyoto and Osaka have a lot of cultural places to visit. Very moving to see the Daibutsu (Great Buddha) in Nara. Kinkakuji, Temple of the Golden Pavillion is beautiful as well.

English (spoken or signs) everywhere, so no worries in that department. The only problem is finding cheap places to stay.

Japan is like a second home to me. I love it there.

[PretzelWarrior]

11. oh wow. I'd love to go. had it on my Travelocity farefinder

and prices weren't bad to there either. Yeah, I just saw a breakdown in Economist stating that Tokyo is by far the most expensive place for expats to work because cost of living for anything from food to housing is so high.

hey, what part of Oregon? I live in Portland. Love it here. Lots of Japanese connection to this city.

[oregonjen]

12. In the suburbs

West Linn because of the school district. When we first moved back here from Japan, we were looking at L.O. or West Linn. How about you, what part of Portland?

[PretzelWarrior]

13. oh of course both areas are nice

I'm in Beaverton but work in Tualatin...just a stones throw from West Linn. back at ya!

[oregonjen]

15. Tualatin, go through there all the time

I have a DU bumpersticker on my car, hope to see you on the road! Husband works in Beaverton.

Have you lived in Oregon long? I'm coming up on my high school 20th reunion crap!

ETA: ahhh! My 600th post!

[PretzelWarrior]

16. holy cow! me too! just another couple years for me

(20 year reunion, I mean). I've lived in Oregon since 1991 by way of Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas. I had the misfortune of graduating from a small town high school in Kansas. Haven't been back to the state since I graduated from H.S. except for a brief visit in 88.

Oh well I'll keep eyes peeled for 30something woman driving a car with DU bumper sticker!

[PretzelWarrior]

24. congrats on 600th post

what does ETA stand for?

[oregonjen]

25. Edited to add

[oregonjen]

23. By the way, Northwest added its non-stop to Tokyo

After Delta pulled out, it sucked. Now, Northwest has a non-stop and it's great!

[Clintmax]

14. BEST vacation EVER was here!

Rome, Italy is INCREDIBLE!

[PretzelWarrior]

17. oh wow. I have Italy calendar in my office. Currently showing

Florence italy at River Arno. Last month had Rome. I agree, it would be a magical place to go. aye! so many choices!

can you all pay me to be the Democratic Underground roving correspondent? I promise to write often! LOL

[Clintmax]

18. Never thought I'd get to go...

but we went, spent 10 days in Rome and I was in AWE the whole time! Hardest thing about it was the language barrier. Greekspeak says I was getting good at Italian after a few days, but it was still difficult to make ourselves understood.

[I Have A Dream]

19. Ireland is absolutely amazing!

I went on a tour where we stayed at Bed and Breakfasts where they fed us dinner as well as breakfast. It was a really nice way to meet the people.

It's hard to believe that a little island like that can be so beautiful, and there's music everywhere. (I don't know whether you smoke or not, but it's now non-smoking in all public places, including the pubs.)

[PretzelWarrior]

21. oh my GOD. Ireland. I'm pretty much little of evreything with

some Scotch Irish and ENglish in the veins. Have often thought of Ireland. Love Celtic music and Irish pubs over here so I'm sure it would be 10 times as fun over there.

thanks!

[I Have A Dream]

30. Music was everywhere. It wasn't a music tour, but it felt like one.

For me, at least, the pubs would be even more fun now that there's no smoking.

With your ancestry, you'd probably feel as though you went home after a long time away. The Dingle Peninsula, the Ring of Kerry, Blarney Castle -- I could go on and on.

[MissB]

27. Yes, it is absolutely beautiful

I biked through parts of Ireland - it was a most memorable trip. Biking allows one to really see the sights and to stop at little out of the way places. It is a far different pace than driving or taking a tour bus.

It is a simply lovely country. Great beer, too.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

28. Corsica - in Europe it's called the isle of beauty

Virtually unspoiled, with relatively few people, surrounded by water and fantastic beaches, with 9,000 foot mountains and of incredible natural beauty, the island of Corsica is a place I will always remember.

[PretzelWarrior]

29. well, those photos are FANTASTIC!

and I think this was a good idea and bad idea.

you guys have given me some great choices...but my goodness! now what to choose!

[bertha katzenengel]

31. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park

I never knew such indescribable *fill in inadequate superlative descriptions of heaven on earth* could be known in this life. I'm not kidding.

But only go there if you have an open mind to the culture of the Southern U.S., because if you don't camp, you'll probably end up staying in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, two places that have been shamelessly trashed here on DU.

Good luck in making your decision!

[PretzelWarrior]

33. here's a couple of thoughts on that.....

I have made it to something like 27 of the 50 states. A HUGE Swath that I've missed out on are on Atlantic coast such as: Virginia, N. Carolia, S. Carolina, Georgia, etc. As well as deep south of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana. Even Tennessee.

But I would love to hit that area. My bro lives in Nashville so I'll make it that direaction here some time.

Second point, I have LOTS OF coffee table books with pics/writings about various subjects. One of them is U.S. National Parks and Smokey Mountains is one of them....I agree that this seems to be a worthy destination if I make it.

Of course, I'm a sucker for U.S. history and heritage so I'd love to visit Williamsburg, Va along with Richmond and others...

[bertha katzenengel]

44. Cades Cove in the Smokies has history in spades, especially if

you're interested in how the Appalachian pioneers lived.

Another spot rich with pioneer history is in Norris (near Clinton), TN, about 1.5 hrs (apx) from the park: the Museum of Appalachia. The man who created it bought up cabins & other buildings from all over Southern Appalachia and moved them to this spot. It's huge and it's wonderful.

http://www.museumofappalachia.com/About%20the%20Museum....

[proud2BlibKansan]

67. I am going there on vacation

in 2 weeks!! Can't wait.

[bertha katzenengel]

75. Cool! Camping? Staying in a cabin?

DON'T miss Cades Cove. It's a driven loop but GET OFF THE LOOP. There are places to pull off and things to explore. Last time I was there, we saw a baby bear! We named him Smudge.

[proud2BlibKansan]

92. Thanks for the tip

My traveling companion doesn't like to camp so we will be moteling. BUt we will check out Cade's Cove.

[two gun sid]

32. Williams River, WVa. Trout fishing with my Grandparents.

[NMDemDist2]

34. I loved Maui n/t

[PretzelWarrior]

35. 2 or 3 votes for Hawaii. maybe so, maybe so.

[Midlodemocrat]

71. Me, too. It is simply gorgeous there.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

36. Southern Maine

It was actually a conference, but I went out there early and went exploring all over southern Maine and into New Hampshire.

If you live in Maine, I hope you realize and lucky you are.

[PretzelWarrior]

37. oh wow. I've been to Camden Maine and LOVED it. Question.

I would definitely like to explore more. Loved Rockport ...the whole Penobscot Bay...took a ferry to one of the small islands there. I was not as adventurous back then as I am now. I would take more time cruising up the New England coast.

Here's my question. Who is the woman in your avatar image? I should know. looks familiar. but not ringing a bell

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

38. Sen. Barbara Boxer

A great Democrat and, frankly, a hottie.

[PretzelWarrior]

39. wow. I know what she looks like but that one is a glamour shot

compared to what I remember of her on like Cspan and such.

Okay. I'm using today to get to the bottom of all these avatar mysteries.

next up: the image that I think is Jim Croce but probably isn't

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

40. I think I got this image from the DU Avatar Page

I don't think I'm smart enough to do it myself.

[shanti]

41. negril, jamaica

[PretzelWarrior]

42. ahhh...heard lots of good about Caribbean in general

where is NEgril Jamaica relative to say...Kingstown?

[shanti]

57. negril is

kitty corner from kingston in jamaica. negril is on the west end, kingston on the east end. it's lovely

[RetroLounge]

43. Hmmm, I've never been outta the states

unless you count Jason's in Windsor, Canada.

New Orleans was pretty amazing.
Love San Francisco so much I almost moved there.

L.A. was an armpit.
Florida was worse.

But why go anywhere when I live in Wisconsin!

RL

[PretzelWarrior]

45. New Orleans is near the top

because a)it's a city, b)in Louisiana a state I've never been c)it's FREEKIN New Orleans!

[RetroLounge]

46. We went just before Mardi Gras

had a great time. Best food, music and libations...

RL

[ernstbass]

87. When I visit New Orleans

I kinda feel like I'm in a foreign country - the food, the drink,the French influence - it's great!!

[XemaSab]

47. If I told you

then I'd have to kill you.

[PretzelWarrior]

48. hahaha. well if it's good enough maybe it's worth

hitting next round of reincarnation early.

j/k

but share if you decide you can.

[hyphenate]

49. I've been many places

both in Great Britain and in the U.S. and Canada. What are you looking for? Peace? Tranquility? Social enjoyment? Solitude?

For social enjoyment, I'd say go for Hawaii. It's really nice there, though August is hot. We went in July when we went.

For peace and tranquility, I suggest both the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. They're tops for that. Grand Canyon, however, has a lot more tourists, which finally put me off it. The Canyon is absolutely gorgeous if you have never been there, though, and it's worth going at least once. We used to go at least once a year for about 5 years until it got more expensive and far more tourist trappy. Zion National Park, on the other hand, is awe-inspiring, and the amount of tourists is far less. There are many places to explore without people bothering you, and lots of wonderful things. I love Zion, and want to go again someday when I get back to the West coast.

For fun and endless entertainment, go to Vegas. If you've never been there, it's a good place to at least go to see what all the excitement is about. I haven't been there in about three years now--my brother and sister-in-law live there, though, so I have a place to stay. Right now, though, it's hotter than a furnace. It was 116 degrees there yesterday according to my SIL.

If you want to go historical, try the Atlantic seaboard, from Boston to NYC, to Philly and down to Virginia and D.C. It's all great stuff, and you get a real perspective of what the country was like in the beginning.

If you want to go abroad, I've been to Great Britain, which isn't really that big, but even in 20 days, we hardly saw enough of anything. Depending on your interests, you have enough places to hit that it turns into a whirlwind like it did for us. But if you want to "theme" your trip, you can make more specific choices along the way to planning a trip, like hitting Stonehenge, Glastonbury Tor, Hadrian's Wall, the castles in Scotland, Culloden Moor, the Isle of Skye and of course, London and Loch Ness to see Nessie.

Hope that helps a bit!

[PretzelWarrior]

55. yours is definitely the most comprehensive. thanks!

I've finally made it to Grand Canyon last year late in the year. ANd been to Vegas a few times. Of course, toured through L.A., San Francisco, L.A.....

I am thinking Hawaii is a great choice the more I hear from everybody...but I am also weighing that this trip should be out of country. In solidarity with my British friends and ancestors after 7/7 bombings I could go see London and surrounding British lands...

I am really hoping to head to Arizona or Utah again this winter or early spring when it is rainy up here in Oregon. Believe it or not....I drove through Zion Natnl park AT NIGHT because I was heading back home! So I also saw Lake Powell area at night too.

I knew I was missing out...but plan to fly into Arizona and do a tour of the many beautiful parks around the area: Zion, Canyonlands, Painted Desert, Natural Bridges, Bryce Canyon...so much to see down there yet.

Again, thanks for the ideas!

[KitchenWitch]

50. Montreal

It is a beautiful city, much to enjoy. Almost a bit of Europe without the steep travel expenses.

[Telly Savalas]

53. J'adore Montréal!

We went there the last two summers and those have been my favourite vacations.

Lot of great events held there too: the Jazz Festival, the F1 race, the Just for Laughs festival, and probably others I'm forgetting.

[peacebuzzard]

I think I will run up to Montreal this summer

I have always wanted to bicycle in the City Park there. Plus you can pick up some good deals on red wine.

[peacebuzzard]

68. duped msg.

[enigmatic]

52. Superstition Mountains and Canadian Badlands

Both were incredible:

[proud patriot]

54. I live in California so I'm pretty spoiled

I love Hawaii

[EstimatedProphet]

56. Amsterdam

wonderful city. There's a museum on every corner, the people are friendly and almost all of them speak English like natives, and it's so relaxing. I really want to go back.

[Shell Beau]

58. Cancun for my senior trip was pretty damn fun!

I am not sure if it would be the same now. It was the whole package, you know, being there with friends and being legal (18) there. It was so much fun. Plus we were all about to graduate so the whole feeling of it all was wonderful!

[sniffa]

59. provincetown, ma

a bit pricey for what it is though. it's a bit wiLd at night (fun); there's beaches if you Like that shit; the gift shops seLL every imaginabLe house hoLd item in penis shapes.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

72. and good restaurants

[Cocoa]

60. Mountain Home, AR

seriously, my favorite vacation was a week in the beautiful Ozarks, based in Mountain Home, with side trips to Eureka Springs and Branson, MO.

[proud2BlibKansan]

70. Branson?

I am just a few hours away and I love the Ozark Mountains, but avoid Branson like the plague. Eureka Springs is awesome. I was there in March.

[ladeuxiemevoiture]

61. For exotic, I loved Morocco; for less exotic, Paris

I was in Morocco in '99, and I loved the old cities and the people, esp. in the south, and there's a lot of natural beauty. Being mindful of the current climate of tension, however, you really must apprise yourself of the risks of traveling there before going.

If you want something more culturally familiar, Paris is always a blast.

[livetohike]

62. Queensland, Australia

was the best place because everything was so beautiful and diverse. We spent three weeks there - rented a car and camped. We spent a day on a coffee plantation that was run by a Zen master who almost talked us into buying the neighboring property.

It was an awesome, magical vacation. I recommend it.

Check here for more info:

http://www.tropicalaustralia.com.au/

[liontamer]

63. Hawaii

It was the most blissful vacation ever! You should go while it's on sale. The people there are super friendly and very chill.

[Trigger Hippie]

64. The Continental U.S.

My boyfriend at the time and I quit our jobs and hit the road in a tiny RV. We spent five months going to the 48 continental states. The best experience of my life so far.

[MN ChimpH8R]

65. Not a lot of experience, but

New Zealand is about the closest thing there is to heaven on earth - wonderful people, good beer, fabulous wine and food, and scenery that is unparallelled both in terms of beauty and variety.

I NZ

Some acquaintances of mine swear that Vung Tau, Vietnam should be on anyone's top list of destinations too, but I can't speak from personal experience.

[PretzelWarrior]

86. another "high probability place" since my sister in law is

in Auckland. I will have to consider that.

[peacebuzzard]

66. My suggestions are:

In the U.S.:
Cities to see: NYC, DC, SF, Boston, Chicago: easy to get around on public transportation, lots to do in the centers, and a different cultural "feel" to each.

My favorite smaller cities: Charleston, SC and New Orleans. Reason: Charleston has a mellow charm w/ the center city marketplace and a great choice of restaurants for a small town. Easy to drive around and then you can escape to nearby beaches and islands. North to the stretch of coast to Myrtle Beach has charming Pawleys Island and south to James Island.

New Orleans: I love the cultural hash in this sleepy southern town. (and music, coffee, food)

Reasons for the above two small towns: I love tropical heat and palm trees. If you don't, skip

I haven't been to Hawaii, I am trying to go there on business soon, though. If the rates there are good, I bet that would be terrific!

Right now w/ the dollar value so low overseas, out of the country would be expensive anywhere. I know lots of people who had relocated overseas are coming back in droves because the cost-of-living is so high.

[PretzelWarrior]

85. good point about currency exchange

and how expensive that would be to stretch U.S. dollar right now. Thanks for the tips on Charleston and New Orleans. I will definitely keep those in mind.

The BIG EASY is climbing up my list, I think.

[pdx_prog]

69. I used to travel to Sweden about three times a year

for business (I still travel there about once a year now). I made a lot of good friends over there and a few summers ago I took my GF and my two kids over there for a week. We traveled southern to middle Sweden and spent a fair amount of time in Stockholm. I had previously seen most of the major sites in Stockholm (The Vasa, palace, and city hall)but I had never had the chance to really explore the city like we did that time. It was great....stayed with several friends in smaller towns and they really treated us like their family. I recommend Stockholm to everyone...

[PretzelWarrior]

84. yes...the whole Scandanavian area is so high on my list...

but unfortunately my list is too long. God, I think hitting Stockholm and Amsterdam, etc. would be so wonderful in summer.

[peacebuzzard]

73. Hey Pretzel!

I read through all these posts here and tried to see which way you were leaning, and since your brother is in Nashville, and you have never been through the state of Tennessee, it seems like this is the place to start anyway. You could hit Memphis on your way in, (which direction are you coming? ) and Beale Street, even though it is very commercialized now, is historical and has the good ol' Memphis Blues at night throughout the whole downtown and midtown area. Then Nashville even though it is promoted as country, has a variety of places, I am sure your brother can fill you in. Then, the eastern part of the state, where I am (Knoxville) has the Smoky Mountains. PM me if you come this direction and I can give you greater details and information.

[PretzelWarrior]

82. hey THANKS for the invitation....I will keep it in mind

yes, I would like to see Tennessee...love idea of spending time in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville.

I will definitely PM you if I am heading that way.

[Reverend_Smitty]

74. New England

more specifically the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It's great all 4 seasons, I don't ski so we usually go in the summer and the fall. So much hiking, great fishing beautiful scenery. It's a great place to go if you live in a really populated area because it's like traveling back in time, very laid back even the towns are quaint little villages.

[bearfan454]

76. Barcelona

The food, the people, and the Old Europe lifestyle are very appealing to me.

[xmas74]

77. Most of the time I just take day trips across my own

state and view all of the historical sites. You'd be surprised at how many things are in each person's backyard and they don't even know about them.
Otherwise, I've been all over the US and it really depends on what you like to do. I like the East Coast, the West Coast, North, South and everything inbetween. There is something wonderful about each region.
If I want to get away and feel at peace w/ nature my favorite spot is travelling up to the UP. I lived there for a couple of years and roamed throughout the woods for quite a while. If you like the woods, cabins and cooler temperatures it's a wonderful place to go. And it seems like no one really goes there.

[SuperWonk]

78. Turks and Caicos

Fabulous islands.

[xmas74]

80. My plan is to travel when my daughter gets older.

I want her to see more than what is in our town. Right now, she's too young to truly appreciate it.

[sakabatou]

79. Israel... back in 2000

[auntAgonist]

81. Quebec City PQ

I loved it there.

[TrogL]

83. My back yard

I've got the beer I like, the TV stations I'm used to, and nobody screams at me about my Speedos.

[ihaveaquestion]

88. Wyoming - Jackson Hole and Yellowstone

I spent 10 days in beautiful late summer/early fall weather (end of August) around Jackson Hole 2 years ago and had a wonderful time. The scenery is spectacular, the wildlife, too! We hiked, rode horses and rafted down the Snake river.

Best of all - cell phones don't work worth squat outside of town limits - any town limits! So no rude interuptions to our fun time!

[PretzelWarrior]

90. oh YES. my god what a wonderful time I had in both spots

and it only encouraged me to stay longer next time. It's interesting, I went just after Labor Day in 2002. Gorgeous weather. no crowds. no cell phone service as you mentioned.

I am hoping to get back there again and stay at least a week for Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Jackson...among other things.

I didn't see any bears while I was there so that will draw me back. Did see bison, elk, wolves, moose, and other wildlife. There is just so much to see all at once that I took a LONG time afterward to even realize all I had seen.

[UncleSepp]

89. Berlin.

If you like cities, it's a fun one. There's plenty to do, from museums and historical sites to nightclubs to just plain fooling around in the park. (Summer's better for that, though). The food is amazing, too. I think we ate our way from one side of Berlin to the other! There's a small hotel on Fasanenstrasse that used to be an actress's apartment, with breakfast and fluffy comforters and little birds that sing you awake in the morning. Oh, and the Berlin zoo is beautiful - it would be a gorgeous park even without animals in it. Also, if you do somehow manage to get bored in Berlin, you can get to anywhere from there.

[PretzelWarrior]

91. thank you! Of course Berlin would be terrific

along with Black Forest and other parts of Germany. Again, I agree with so many of these locations, and it is really good food for thought when I plan my trips.

I think I can easily map out my next 10 or 20 years of travel based on this list!

[PretzelWarrior]

93. wow. can you believe last entry was 7/21....

and this thing sank to page 16? that means there sure are a lot of strange new threads started each and every hour.

[UrbScotty]

94. One to Arizona and one to WV/DC

In June of 2001, I went to visit a family friend in West Virginia and then went on to DC. This was five months into the moran's term and three months before 9/11.

A few years earlier, I went to the Grand Canyon and threw up not long after leaving.