Anyone got any travel planned?

[fidler4]

Heading to France next week to ride some of the iconic Tour de France climbs in the Pyrenees ( Tourmalet, Aubisque, Hautacam , etc). My riding partner and I are going to drive to Normandy first for two days then drive south to the Pyrenees to ride for four days. Hopefully the weather doesn't turn too cold in the mountains while we are there. The place we are staying at caters to cyclist including good quality road bike rentals. It should be a good trip.


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[Huston55]

Going to Thailand and Malaysia on Monday. Round trip from San Francisco to Bangkok is amazingly cheap (again). $617. Once there I meet up with a friend and we fly to Kuala Lumpur for a couple of nights. Then we fly to Kuching in Borneo. That will be our base city. I have 4 tours scheduled through a tour company call Borneo Adventures. Then back to Thailand and a trip to Koh Samui and Pattaya. I will be gone a month for this trip.

Marty-

Sounds like a great adventure! Post an occasional report on E-R.org.

 

[Chuckanut]

In case you are wondering if you should take part in the care free life of the Jet Set, take a look at this:

 

[Nemo2]

In case you are wondering if you should take part in the care free life of the Jet Set, take a look at this:

Love it!

Reminds me of the (fake) Air Canada slogan: "We're Not Happy Until You're Not Happy."

 

[Gumby]

will drive around NH, VT, CT and RI for the remaining time. . . . Any other ideas from New England locals ?

Here are some ideas for things to do in CT:

1. Visit Mystic -- the Seaport is fun and interesting, and the town itself has many interesting little shops and restaurants, and a cool bascule bridge. Mystic Seaport, The Museum of America and the Sea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_River_Bascule_Bridge

2. Visit Essex on the Connecticut River - many nice shops, and the chance to eat at the Griswold Inn. Griswold Inn You can take a ride on the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat while you're in the neighborhood. Or, early October would be a great time to ride the dinner train. The fall foliage is beautiful as you ride in restored dining cars up the shore of the river. And the food is good too. Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Ride | A nostalgic and exciting tourist destination operating live steam trains in the Connecticut River Valley since 1971. All Aboard!

3. Visit the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford -- It is the oldest public art museum in the US and has a fantastic permanent collection, as well as interesting visiting shows. https://thewadsworth.org/

4. Visit New Haven - in my opinion, the most livable city in CT. You can see the Yale campus, visit the Yale Art Museum and British Art Center, or the Peabody Natural History Museum. Museums & Galleries | Yale University While you're there, eat the world famous pizza at Pepe's Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, or have a burger at Louis' Lunch, where they were invented. Louis' Lunch - The Birthplace of the Hamburger Sandwich

5. Pack a picnic and hike up the Sleeping Giant in Hamden -- looking out over the surrounding countryside when the leaves are turning is wonderful. And it is a very easy hike. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Giant_(Connecticut)

6. Visit the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks -- a really extensive collection of restored vintage aircraft. http://www.neam.org/

 

[MichaelB]

Any other ideas from New England locals ?

The Berkshires in MA are very nice, especially in Autumn.

 

[Rosie]

Next month I'm going on a weeklong hiking trip in Crater Lake NP in southern Oregon. I've bicycled up to and around Rim Drive a few times but I never had the opportunity to hike there. It's such a glorious place, I'm really looking forward to seeing it from another perspective, away from the paved road.

My husband doesn't enjoy hiking so I'm going on my own.

It'll be my first trip with Road Scholar ( aka RoadScholar ), hopefully I'll enjoy dealing with them because I'm already considering a couple of their other hiking trips for next year.

I just returned from this trip and it was fabulous!

For starters, we had great weather all week long. We hiked trails to destinations I've only seen on maps, trailhead signs, or maybe caught a glimpse of from the road, including Watchman Tower, Discovery Point trail, Sun Notch, Castle Crest, Mt. Scott, the Pinnacles, Plaikni Falls, and Crater Peak. One day we followed trails along the Umpqua River and viewed lots of springs and waterfalls. The hikes were all very pleasant, and some were fairly challenging but they well worth the effort.

The trip was very well organized. Best of all, the guides and the participants were great fun to be with and I found a few new hiking buddies. So my first Road Scholar experience was a definite success.

 

[explanade]

Sounds good:

https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-adventure/20761/Hiking-at-Crater-Lake-National-Park

So how were the accommodations and meals?

How long were the hikes each day?

I guess they drove you to Crater Lake from the Diamond Lake Resort for the hikes?

I think I'm good for a couple of hikes but not a week's worth.

Also kind of interested in staying at the Crater Lake Lodge. Or at least having a meal in that dining room with the views of the lake.

 

[aja8888]

DW has settled on a 2 week driving tour of New England for our autumn holiday in early October. We have taken an Airbnb cottage in Cape Cod for a week and then will drive around NH, VT, CT and RI for the remaining time. She wants to see Marthas Vineyard and some sort of festival in MA (I'm a little hazy on the details) and I want to go to Salem (right time of year, right ?) and a bit of hiking in Vermont. Any other ideas from New England locals ?
She has also bought us tickets to see a jack'o'lantern display in Providence, RI that looks like fun.
Coincidentally, this will be my first time in RI. It brings my state count now to 46/50 (missing WY, SD, HI, AL)
My province count is 7/10 (missing SK, MB, NL) and my territory count is 0/4.
They are FIRE goals to look forward to.

If you have the time, visit the Ninigret Conservation Area in Charlston, RI. It's a hidden treasure in R.I.

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Ninigret/visit/visitor_activities.html

When I was a boy, I used to clam dig in those bays.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

If you have the time, visit the Ninigret Conservation Area in Charlston, RI. It's a hidden treasure in R.I.



https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Ninigret/visit/visitor_activities.html



When I was a boy, I used to clam dig in those bays.

Wish I'd known. Next trip there! There's so much to do in that beautiful little state.


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[Rosie]

Sounds good:

https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-adventure/20761/Hiking-at-Crater-Lake-National-Park

So how were the accommodations and meals?

I thought they were totally acceptable. The place we stayed wasn't very klassy, but my room was clean and everything functioned properly. It's really hard to find accommodations for groups close to Crater Lake, so I think this place worked out well. And I thought the meals were OK too. Granted, I'm not a picky eater; a few people in my group had a some issues with the food (but that happens, it's hard to please everyone).

How long were the hikes each day?

The hiking generally amounted to between 4-8 miles total per day. Most days we had different hikes in the AM and the PM, and we split into groups for either a longer hike or a shorter hike. Our most challenging individual hikes were up Garfield peak (3 miles RT with about 1000 ft of climbing), Mt Scott (5 mi RT with about 1200 ft climbing) and Crater Peak (7 mi RT with about 1000 ft climbing).

I guess they drove you to Crater Lake from the Diamond Lake Resort for the hikes?

Yep. It was about a 30-45 minute ride in a couple of well-maintained passenger vans to reach the various destinations. The rides were pleasant. Road work is being done on Rim Drive right now so we were delayed for about a half-hour one morning but it wasn't too bad.

I think I'm good for a couple of hikes but not a week's worth.

Road Scholar has a few other programs in the Crater Lake / Southern OR vicinity that are less strenuous, check 'em out!

Also kind of interested in staying at the Crater Lake Lodge. Or at least having a meal in that dining room with the views of the lake.

I stayed at Crater Lake Lodge the night before the program started. It was awesome.

 

[Koogie]

Thanks all for some great ideas ! Especially in RI and CT. Hadn't really thought of doing much in CT but it has moved much higher up the list. We do see a ton of fall colors here in Ontario so frankly I am pushing for the trip to include seeing more local sites and doing more things rather than just "leaf peeping" which we can do at home.

My wife has limited mobility so sadly the hikes are limited to ones I can do myself in a relatively short time. Looks to be a lot of options for that on this trip mind you.

 

[KM]

DW has settled on a 2 week driving tour of New England for our autumn holiday in early October. We have taken an Airbnb cottage in Cape Cod for a week and then will drive around NH, VT, CT and RI for the remaining time. She wants to see Marthas Vineyard and some sort of festival in MA (I'm a little hazy on the details) and I want to go to Salem (right time of year, right ?) and a bit of hiking in Vermont. Any other ideas from New England locals ?
She has also bought us tickets to see a jack'o'lantern display in Providence, RI that looks like fun.
Coincidentally, this will be my first time in RI. It brings my state count now to 46/50 (missing WY, SD, HI, AL)
My province count is 7/10 (missing SK, MB, NL) and my territory count is 0/4.
They are FIRE goals to look forward to.

For NH....it depends on how much time and how far north you want to go.

1) You could head up Rte 16 (off I-95) to North Conway and then pick up Rte 302 through Glen, Bartlett, Crawford Notch. Then if you grabbed I-93 S, you would go through Franconia Notch....where you can no longer see the Man in the Mountain . Lots of general stores, typical New England villages and beautiful scenery along the way. We haven't done that drive for a few years and will be taking a day and doing it this fall again.

2) If that's too far north, lots of people pick up the Kancamagus Highway in Conway (rte 112). Much of the drive runs along the Swift River and offers lots of leaf-peeping opportunities. You end up in Lincoln, NH, where I believe you could go up the Loon Mountain gondola, if you were interested. Might need to check their open dates, though.

3) And if that is still too far north, pick up Rte 11 off Rte 16 and head to Alton Bay where you can pick up the Mount Washington for a cruise around Lake Winnipesaukee. If the leaves are changing, it's a beautiful cruise on a fall afternoon. You can find their info at cruisenh.com

My recommendation would be to try and do #2 and #3. #1 is a beautiful drive, but my guess is you won't have enough time if you only have one week to cover RI, CT, and NH.....

Enjoy your trip!


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[Souschef]

New Mexico

We leave Thursday for a 10 day trip to Santa Fe and Taos. I have made arrangements to fly a MiG 15 at the Jet Warbird Center in Santa Fe. We will also stop at Chimayo to get some of the miraculous dirt to heal us.

 

[grasshopper]

We leave Thursday for a 10 day trip to Santa Fe and Taos. I have made arrangements to fly a MiG 15 at the Jet Warbird Center in Santa Fe. We will also stop at Chimayo to get some of the miraculous dirt to heal us.

Try to time a great NM meal at Rancho De Chimayo Restaurante.

 

[Scout]

Going to Nice, France Oct-Feb for french immersion. Besides studying the language I'd really like to get some mountain biking in, but I'm having difficulty finding access online. Anyone else spent much time in that region? Any recommendations? Food, skiing, pubs, etc.


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[Souschef]

Try to time a great NM meal at Rancho De Chimayo Restaurante.

Thank you!! Great menu. We will stop there for lunch on our way to Taos after visiting the cathedral

 

[explanade]

I don't know anything about mountain biking up there.

Of course it's famous for the corniche roads that wind above the coast with stunning views. I don't know if there's room for bikes but it's pretty high traffic and I guess since it's paved, it would be more for road bikes if anything.

Otherwise, you can take the trains east and west, from Italy to St. Tropez and points beyond. The trains are great way to get around, with some great views, but they don't run as often as one might like. For instance, if you take the train to Monaco, I think they run maybe once an hour to and from.

Maybe with good weather, you can rent a car to get into the mountains, up to St. Paul/Vence, Eze and even further north or northwest. Gorges du Verdon, their Grand Canyon, offers kayaking in a gorgeous locale.

I don't have specific food recommendations. Obviously seafood is big, with things like bouillabaisse and paella. I'm not that into seafood. I didn't try the pizzas there with tuna and hard-boiled eggs, for instance.

The region is known for the later works of Picasso, Matisse and others. Museums I liked the best were Fondation Maeght and the Picasso museum in Antibes, more for the beautiful settings they were in than the works necessarily. There used to be this museum of art nouveau furnishings from some private collection up around Grasse but they've closed.

If you get tired of the mountains and the sea, you can go way west to Provence, where you could see roman ruins or beautiful mountain villages like Roussillon.

 

[Scout]

Thank you esplanade!!


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[LitGal]

In case you are wondering if you should take part in the care free life of the Jet Set, take a look at this:

Thanks for this entertaining post. After 6 bargain-basement flights this summer, I should have auditioned for this.....

 

[1vertical]

Freshly retired. Perhaps not FI but RE for sure. Tying up loose ends to get
mobile in a new to us old 28' Refurbished Holiday Rambler and 2016 F250
Tow vehicle. All paid for mind you.... debt free is a good thing.
Heading for the 87 y.o. parents digs 1800 miles away from home. Leaving
in the next 2 weeks or so.... Got info highway for camping sites enroute
at bottom feeder prices. Got Senior Pass for gov'mt facilities. Now that
everyday is Saturday this is One Great Adventure we are looking forward to. as expected cost of fuel and living is now going upward sheesh.
Last time I did an adventure I took my nephew off venice LA fishing.
The cost of fuel transitioned from 1.80 to over 2.80 a gallon. I am beginning to believe that these cost increases are inexplicably tied to my adventures.

 

[Bamaman]

Freshly retired. Perhaps not FI but RE for sure. Tying up loose ends to get
mobile in a new to us old 28' Refurbished Holiday Rambler and 2016 F250
Tow vehicle. All paid for mind you.... debt free is a good thing.
Heading for the 87 y.o. parents digs 1800 miles away from home. Leaving
in the next 2 weeks or so.... Got info highway for camping sites enroute
at bottom feeder prices. Got Senior Pass for gov'mt facilities. Now that
everyday is Saturday this is One Great Adventure we are looking forward to. as expected cost of fuel and living is now going upward sheesh.

Unless you're an experienced RV'er, you might want to consider taking a couple (or more) weekend trips to your local campground. You really need to learn your trailer and its systems before heading cross country.

And be sure that you have the wheel bearings freshly packed and the brakes properly adjusted before heading out.

And remember to "think like a truckdriver" when you're towing. It's not enough to watch your mirrors, but you've got to look right and left--but just as importantly up--when towing. (I learned the hard way on my 5 day old fifth wheel.)

 

[kitesurfer2]

we took the vette to west va on a camping trip and just returned home last weekend. it was so much fun, i'm going back to the mountains next weekend for another 10 days, but by myself and on my bike this time.

 

[jconk46044]

Crater Lake is beautiful! We hiked Mt. Scott. A bit scary at one point. I was shaking and clinging to the wall but I survived.

 

[chris2008]

I am just waiting for my lobster lunch at Bar Harbor, Maine. 2 more cruise ships came in this morning. So we doubled the island population fot the day.