STORM2K

OK everyone. What was your most favorite vacation. Where did you go? Where did you stay? Hubby and I want go away, have no clue as to where to go. We have a couple of things in mind, but figure I would pick everyones brains and see if I get more ideas!

7 Day cruise to the Caribbean ...Nothing beats a cruise...

M-I-C K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

2 week trip to FL... sat on the beach for 6-8 hours a day... nice and sunny...

ST Augustine! I want to go back and spend some more time there. There is a small choclate factory there that makes chocolate in the form of the shells that can be found on FL beaches.

Any cruise. We are addicted to cruising.

Our favorite cruise was a week in Alaska.

Zermatt and Lucerne, Switzerland and Germany. 12 days in the Alps. 1988.

Second place....

Ka'anappali Beach...Maui.
2003 and again in a few weeks!

GalvestonDuck wrote:M-I-C K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

YEP!!!! Love the mouse

The beach in the summer

The mountains in the winter



Hard to choose... the beach is better though, as long as the weather is nice.

These are some really nice vacations. Hawaii!!!! We love to cruise. A cruise to Alaska is one that we are considering. What time of year did you go Janice? 12 days in the Alps Heaven. My gosh! Decisions. My hubby says he wants to be a toys 'r' us kid and never grow up so he doesn't have to make decisions.

Austria is beautiful, as is Italy. I have only been to Northern Italy, but I love it there. It is beautiful, the people are nice, and the food can't be beat! The Austrians were nice too, but the food in Italy puts it ahead of Austria!

Closer to home, the Adirondacks are nice, we spend 2 weeks there every year, and it would certainly be a change of pace from Florida. Or the Green Mountains in Vermont, you can go visit Ben and Jerry (yum)!

We went to Alaska the last week in May. Kids, still in school, haha. The weather was beautiful. The most we had to wear outside was a jacket, nylon windbreaker. We wore pants and jeans, sweaters and windbreakers on all our outside tours, etc. Plenty warm. My husband got up each morning and went to the open top deck where the pool and jacuzzi was and went in the jacuzzi in the cold weather watching the glaciers, etc. What a luxury. And, he was not alone. We looked over the decks of the ship all the time and saw moose, bear, cubs, etc. by the edge of the waters. The whole place was fabulous including all the tours. Of course, I recommend a balcony room. Ours was at the back of the ship. Every morning we made our own coffee and wore the thick white bathrobes that were supplied in our room and sat out on the balcony and watched the animals and everything. And room service is free too, so what a great way to spend your morning, out on the balcony eating breakfast.

Thanks Janice. That is almost the exact same time I am looking at. Was just looking at May 20th. Did you go inside or outside passage? What cruise line were you on? I bet it was absolutely gorgeous. The pictures alone make my jaw drop.

Debbie

Have no idea how old you are but for all of you who are 55+ --- check out the Elderhostel trips. Only one member of a couple has to be 55. They have some of the greatest vacations for very little money. In the US, you provide your own transportation but outside of the US, airfare is usually included. There is almost anything you might like to do listed.

I want to do their 28 day train trip around Australia. A little over $8000 but that includes flight, meals, lodging, train fares, all entrance fees, guides, and most extras.

I am 55+, and we have a great friend who does the Elderhostel trips. Never tried it ourselves.

Ducky....I do love the mouse too. I really do, I do!

Probably a couple years away from taking grandangels to Disneyland (about 45 minutes from their home), but am looking forward to a return trip.

Last time I was there I was on a committee for the American Meteorological Society which held its annual meeting in Anaheim. Stayed right at the Disneyland Hotel.

Worked during the day, and got Goofy at night!!!

Another thing we are considering is flying into Albuquerque, renting a car for a week and slowly wander over to Vegas, and then spend 3 or 4 nites in Vegas and fly back home there. Hubby is really leaning towards that he wants to gamble in Vegas.

Birch Villa Resort every year 2 week vacation ahh, relaxation (Cass Lake, MN http://www.birchvilla.com

If not, Key West!

Hmmm! I have not had a vacation in so long that I have forgotten what a vacation is.

Definitely the 8 days we spent in Maui in 2000. We stayed in Kahana, went to Haleakala volcano, drove to Hana (and survived lol) visited the black sand beach, parasailed, but my most favorite activity was definitely the snorkeling. Even my 67 year old mom loved the snorkeling. This was the best week we have ever spent as a family. I would love to go again, but just not in the budget.

Well, my favorite trip to date has been our 2 week honeymoon in Hawaii. We stayed on 3 islands (Oahu, Maui and Kauai) but took a day sail trip over to Lanai. So technically we've been on 4 islands. We could see Molokai from the shores of Maui and also just barely glimpse Niihau from the shores of Kauai.

The year before I went to Oahu and Maui with 2 single girlfriends of mine (both school teachers, we went over Spring Break). All they wanted to do was:

Bake on the beach
Barhop until 4 a.m.
Find Tom Selleck's house (circa, 1985, Magnun-days!)

Yep, that was about it. I even went to a tanning bed to get a tan started, knowing they'd want to be on the beach a lot. When we got back, I became almost obsessed with Hawaii, reading all I could on it. I just fell in love with everything about Hawaii.

Sigh, but I realized I only saw a fraction of what those 2 island had to offer. I was dating my husband and he had to hear for a solid year, how I regretted hitting the beach everyday and not sight seeing. He said and I quote - "you all could have just gone to Florida, if all they wanted to do was sunbathe!".

So when he proposed and we wondered where to honeymoon at, he almost whispered - how about Hawaii? I think neighbors several streets over heard my scream! I thought we could only swing 1 week but we decided to go for 2, since you pay the same price for airfare, from the mainland. In fact, we joked we spent more on the honeymoon than our wedding (my second, it was small, we paid for it all). I heard some male guests at our wedding, smirking and saying Jim had the right idea, splurge on the honeymoon and not the wedding.....LOL

I should add we spent a total of 2 hours on any beach in Hawaii (Waikii of course, took pics to prove it too, and I did not cheat this time, so I did NOT have a tan this trip) - we took a rediculous amount of pictures, 20 rolls I think....did sightseeing every day but one. It rained that day on Kauai and we were pretty burned out from being on the go.

My husband sold his boat so we could go there too. That's important info b/c within a year we had a newborn baby and we've never, I repeat never, been able to pull off such a extravagant trip since! So I fondly look back on it and am so grateful we did that, before reality (mortgage, car payments, pediatrician bills, kids' toys/clothing, etc. expenses kicked in!).

If I ever go back, I want to see Molokai, Lanai again (since it's more developed now), maybe the big Island, and I heard rumors you could now visit the former all native island Niihau - now that I would dearly love to see. When we went you couldn't even fly over it in a helicopter. That island always fascinated me.

Mary