Anyone got any travel planned?

[scrinch]

That's the type of event that I would love to go to*. Maybe next year.

* My first major FIRE project is an MFA in creative writing.

My DW has been taking online creative writing classes at Berkeley, and this has motivated our attendance. The conference is quite reasonably priced, both attendance and accommodations/food. Interesting sessions and attendees, too. Somewhat heavier focus on Indonesia and Australia, but with the rest of the world thrown in also. Recommended.

 

[scrinch]

Managed to get a trip down to New Zealand in early December on Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific's milage programme) which was really surprising as they usually just say that no seats are available. I knew I did all that business travelling for a reason.

We each have 80k miles and the same (no seats available) experience with our Asia Miles. We'll have to look into NZ. Was that on Cathay or a partner?

 

[Brat]

Friday we are leaving for New Delhi to join a Road Scholar tour of India. Need I say that getting there will be a long sit. After the tour is finished we will fly to Bangkok for a few days. Then back home to Portland.

 

[yakers]

Friday we are leaving for New Delhi to join a Road Scholar tour of India. Need I say that getting there will be a long sit. After the tour is finished we will fly to Bangkok for a few days. Then back home to Portland.

Have a great trip, so much to see in India. We were there ( and Bhutan & Nepal ) earlier this year for the Mela. We expect to return someday. Worth the long flight and other efforts to get there.

 

[Gunny]

Hi everyone. I am a newby. Plan to retire in six years at 56. Been planning it for years. First order of business is hiking the Appalachian trail with my son who will be 15 AT&T he time.

 

[Gumby]

Hi everyone. I am a newby. Plan to retire in six years at 56. Been planning it for years. First order of business is hiking the Appalachian trail with my son who will be 15 AT&T he time.

Are you planning a complete through-hike or will you do sections? I've done parts in VA, CT and NH. I don't think I could do the whole thing.

 

[traineeinvestor]

We each have 80k miles and the same (no seats available) experience with our Asia Miles. We'll have to look into NZ. Was that on Cathay or a partner?

Hi Scrinch

It was on Cathy. I told them that I wanted a minimum of 1 week and a maximum of two and could fly on most dates between 19 October and the end of the year. They came up with one window for me (10 days) in December.

I know from experience that there is zero chance of being able to use points at peak travel times (NY, CNY, Easter etc). Your best chance is to go at times which are not close to public holidays and to fly on Tuesday -Thursday.

Given how hard it is to spend Asia Miles, I have zero loyalty to Cathy - if there is another acceptable airline which costs less I will use that and forget about accumulating miles.

Cheers
traineeinvestor

 

[explanade]

We are going on a 7 day Rhine river cruise over Thanksgiving week - Amsterdam to Switzerland. Just got to pack the warm clothes!

Is this a packaged tour?

Can you link to it?

 

[Gunny]

Are you planning a complete through-hike or will you do sections? I've done parts in VA, CT and NH. I don't think I could do the whole thing.

Planning a through hike. I too have some sections in Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia.

 

[kcowan]

Heading to Puerto Vallarta for 7 months next Saturday. This time, we used a firm to sublet our place for the whole time. We used this as an opportunity to purge all the stuff we have collected since 1997 when we moved here. It has been very cathartic! We have locked off the Den to store all our remaining stuff that we do not take south.

 

[Dreamer]

Brat, I would be interested in hearing about your Road Scholar tour to India. We have only done 1 tour with Road Scholar, but I would like to do more.

I hope everyone has a great time traveling.

 

[TimSF]

Southeast Asia in December-January: Chiangmai-Luang Prang-Siem Reap-Hanoi-Saigon. Any travel notes for these places would be much welcomed!

 

[RetiredAndFree]

Southeast Asia in December-January: Chiangmai-Luang Prang-Siem Reap-Hanoi-Saigon. Any travel notes for these places would be much welcomed!

Chiang Mai is wonderful, and is all about natural wonders, both plant and animal. Visiting an elephant rehabilitation camp, one we were told was humanely run, and which I can only hope was correct, was amazing. You can also visit with local hill tribe people, though it can feel just a tad staged, which is probably impossible to avoid.

There is also amazing shopping each night, as the streets in the city centre turn into a gynormous night bazaar, if that is your thing.

 

[RetiredAndFree]

I have to laugh this morning - we are heading to Ecuador in December, and yesterday we received our travel shots - five each, plus a prescription for pills to prevent Malaria ($125 each x 2 prescriptions!)

Vaccines given for 1) Yellow Fever, 2) Typhoid, 3) Hepatitis A & B (two more on this one to go still, actually), 4) Tetanus, and 5) Flu. My arms, both of them, are positively aching this mornings.

Fortunately, and I do mean fortunately, the shots will be good for the trip to Peru we have planned a few months after we return home from Ecuador. Not sure how soon I'd wish to go through this rigmarole again otherwise.

 

[Huston55]

I have to laugh this morning - we are heading to Ecuador in December, and yesterday we received our travel shots - five each, plus a prescription for pills to prevent Malaria ($125 each x 2 prescriptions!)

Vaccines given for 1) Yellow Fever, 2) Typhoid, 3) Hepatitis A & B (two more on this one to go still, actually), 4) Tetanus, and 5) Flu. My arms, both of them, are positively aching this mornings.

Fortunately, and I do mean fortunately, the shots will be good for the trip to Peru we have planned a few months after we return home from Ecuador. Not sure how soon I'd wish to go through this rigmarole again otherwise.

Yup, gotta have em if you want to travel internationally. I remember when I was still in the military, we got our shots in groups; could barely lift a beer for a week.

But, hey, the bright side is that the Yellow Fever vaccine is fatal on only ~1 in 500,000 instances.

 

[Tekward]

Two weeks of November in San Diego for DW and I, visiting our CG daughter. Open to suggestions.

 

[Moscyn]

Managed to get a trip down to New Zealand in early December on Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific's milage programme) which was really surprising as they usually just say that no seats are available. I knew I did all that business travelling for a reason.

Good for you! Now you can splash more on your holiday! Hope you get an upgrade too! Last year I managed to get Asia Miles redemption seats to London/Barcelona and got upgraded to first class from HK to London but this year can't get any redemption tickets to Paris.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Yup, gotta have em if you want to travel internationally. I remember when I was still in the military, we got our shots in groups; could barely lift a beer for a week. But, hey, the bright side is that the Yellow Fever vaccine is fatal on only ~1 in 500,000 instances.

I am one of the rare folks who actually reacted to the vaccine for yellow fever (or maybe it was the typhoid) and was majorly sick for 2 days with chills, aches, and super high fever. It sucked, but I am glad to have them done!

 

[kcowan]

Two weeks of November in San Diego for DW and I, visiting our CG daughter. Open to suggestions.

Have brunch at the Hotel Coronado then walk the beach
Visit the Safari Park
Visit the zoo
Take in a Chargers game
Head to La Jolla for lunch or dinner
Take in the street market at Escondido

 

[RetiredAndFree]

I am one of the rare folks who actually reacted to the vaccine for yellow fever (or maybe it was the typhoid) and was majorly sick for 2 days with chills, aches, and super high fever. It sucked, but I am glad to have them done!

Oh, that's a big bummer!

Thankfully I came away with only sore arms. I did a 100 mile biking event two days after getting my shots, and would have been seriously devastated had I gotten sick from them. I'd been training for this ride for months!

 

[RetiredAndFree]

Two weeks of November in San Diego for DW and I, visiting our CG daughter. Open to suggestions.

Tip #1 - The USS Midway is awesome!!! You could spend the entire day there exploring and listening to the stories of the amazing veterans that work as docents.

Afterward, stroll over to nearby Anthony's Fish Grotto for gorgeous harbor views while enjoying really good fish and chips.

Tip #2 - Purchase half price harbor cruise tickets on Goldstar.com. Amazing tour of the bay, including wildlife, plus viewings of much of the US Navy operations. Loved it, even as a lifelong SoCal resident!

 

[stephaniee36]

Paris for Christmas. We have never been there and are so looking forward to it!

 

[Surewhitey]

Dallas, then Utila?

Dallas to see DD, then back down here.

Anyone been to Utila, Honduras? We got invited to spend a couple weeks there. Don't know much details, but if anyone has thoughts, it would be appreciated.

 

[2B]

Paris for Christmas. We have never been there and are so looking forward to it!

DW and I were there in early December in 2011. It is definitely not as crowded as in the warmer months. Plan on it raining every other day. The Christmas markets are fun to walk around in but don't expect much in the way of bargain shopping.

If you will actually be there on Christmas day I've heard most of the restaurants will be closed. That's a good time to visit the Jewish section for meals.

If you'll be there a full week, the 6 day Paris Museum Pass is a good deal if you plan on hitting the museums hard. Shorter passes can be a good buy but you need to plan and do the math. We like the Cluny for the tapestries.

 

[feelan]

Headed to Paris, Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon in early May of next year.