What’s your vacations like?

My idea of a vacation is going to where people aren't, and where it is colder than wherever I am now. It had better have water and fishing, or snow and ice. Swimming and boating are really nice to have. Beer too. If there is any chance at a traffic jam for anything other than a drawbridge or a train, I'm not interested. 

Michigan and Wisconsin being close make that pretty easy for me. Mom and Dad have a place that I can go without seeing anyone except on the first and last day if I set it up right, despite being less than a mile from a gas station. Canada is really good for it. 

I've done Disney and Universal. Done Tampa, Austin, Nashville, Jamaica, Cancun, Wrightsville Beach, etc. It is all nice and everything, but not for me. Friends keep trying to get us to go on a cruise. The very idea of being with that many people on a ship gives me anxiety. No thanks. 

bobzilla said:

RevRico said:

You guys can afford vacations?

Until the honeymoon, it had been over 20 years since I was on vacation. Probably going to be another 20 until I can afford to do it again. 

It's the #1 reason we made the life choices we have made. No kids, No car payments, no mortgage and no credit card debt. We lived frugally to afford them to get where we are and now that we are here we are going to enjoy every damn second. But even being frugal we still took time for ourselves and would find ways to make 3-4 day vacations. Sure, we had to drive there. Eat cheaply and do things that were free. But always find a way to make time to spend together for vacations.

I think in real life, you and I would get along great.

In reply to mtn :

Wife and I are frothing at the mouth for a cruise. We've been on 9 and are ready to go again

In reply to bobzilla :

I think if you spent 9 months plus at sea a cruise would be one of the last things to do.  
  We took a mini cruise to the Bahama's  and it brought back memories I'd rather forget.  Besides the food wasn't nearly as good as Navy chow was. Plus the ship was much more run down then our old WW2 Essex class carriers were   Brass wasn't shined, paint was laid on sloppy and there was no decorative rope work anyplace   

In reply to frenchyd :

Sound like you took a E36 M3ty cruise. We haven't been on a bad one yet 

In reply to frenchyd :

That's akin to saying that you decided to stay at a $29 flea bag road side motel, and that it sucked, so your never going to stay at another hotel again.  Cheap Bahamas 1-2 night cruises are where old ratty cruise ships go to die.  After they are too used up for that gig, they go straight to the scrap yard.

bobzilla said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Sound like you took a E36 M3ty cruise. We haven't been on a bad one yet 

+1

I've cruised a couple times on low buck Carnival and even those were a lot better than what frenchy described. 
 

wake74 said:

In reply to frenchyd :

That's akin to saying that you decided to stay at a $29 flea bag road side motel, and that it sucked, so your never going to stay at another hotel again.  Cheap Bahamas 1-2 night cruises are where old ratty cruise ships go to die.  After they are too used up for that gig, they go straight to the scrap yard.

Oh it was just the ferry to and from the Bahama's. Pretty big,  actually they hauled the entire field over in one shot.  Hundreds of race cars. Dozens of semi's and tour buses motorhomes, plus countless trucks and trailers.   Even a few just race cars drove on the stern, parked it and drove out the bow when they got there. 
  But they had a few casinos and several buffets. Entertainment etc.  even a swimming pool up on deck.  
   I'm just a snob.  Proud of my time in the Navy and the things that 5000 crew members can do to keep an old girl looking proud.    

In reply to frenchyd :

So once again you weren't even on a cruise that we are talking about but an old ferry. Why do I even try?

The board wouldn't let me delete it. 

Sounds like the perfect canoe trip

I recently spent a week in NZ living out of a minivan.  It was awesome, highly recommend it.  I'll be going back again sometime but next time I'll go for much longer.

it's really making me consider the van life thing in the US, but I think the US is only about 5% as camper friendly.

I'm probably temping fate by making this public, but I figure if I don't do stuff like this, it won't happen.  Below is a loose map of a route I hope to start on a few days before the '23 Challenge, via motorcycle, with a decent amount of camping along the way;

I may have to take Canada out of the mix if I don't get my passport back in time, and if that happens it's not the end of the world, but here we are.  Thinking three weeks to do this, seeing friends, family, and sights along the way. 

I'm always working on the house or the stupid honda that is such a maintenance and repair hog that I've grown to hate the brand like no other.




I just took 3 days off for my anniversary and the honduh decides it needs my money and attention again. I'm jaded and hate the brand.

In the middle of a cruise right now, getting back on the ship after a nice tour of Panama. 
 

Not a ferry pretending to be a cruise. 
 

This is our cruise season, spring through fall is for camping. 

Wierd. There's a dot right on my house. 

Must need a barn tour!

My last vacation was a two week trip to FL to visit family, with a 2-day stop in western NC - also to visit family.  It was honestly not much of a vacation.  While I wasn't working, it wasn't very relaxing, knowing it may be the last time I see my aunts alive.  

Next vacation will be a week off for the week of the Carlisle Import Show in May. That usually is a nice vacation as I just sit around the show field under the club tent, B.S. with friends, look at cars, browse the vendor area, look at more cars, then we caravan out all at once to a restaurant.  Then back to the hotel. This is Fri and Sat. Sunday is often a leisurely drive home - via back roads if I can. 

Years ago, my vacation revolved around mtn bike racing.  Those were usually fun, but definitely not relaxing. 

Peabody said:

but we leave in the morning for camping trip one, and she's planning on Mexico in November, then Panama in January 

Weather killed the camping trips, and Panama never happend, but we made Mexico, and it was excellent.

PW is 60 in April, there's no way she's going to let that go by without another trip. Likely Panama, possibly Honduras.

Who knows, maybe we'll blow the bank and get back to Aruba

pres589 (djronnebaum) said:

I'm probably temping fate by making this public, but I figure if I don't do stuff like this, it won't happen.  Below is a loose map of a route I hope to start on a few days before the '23 Challenge, via motorcycle, with a decent amount of camping along the way;

 

I may have to take Canada out of the mix if I don't get my passport back in time, and if that happens it's not the end of the world, but here we are.  Thinking three weeks to do this, seeing friends, family, and sights along the way. 

I think I see a dot on me too, let me know if you're visiting the auto museum in the GTA