Why Travel?

[Sojourner]

Once you've seen one art museum, you've seen almost all of them. Every place has much of the same things and only a small amount of uniqueness.

Thinking back on all the museums I've visited -- even just the ones in various parts of Italy -- I can't agree with this at all. Every one of them held some uniquely interesting, precious historical artifact that fascinated me and that made me feel almost like I was a part of that history by being there, in person. I honestly don't see how others don't get that same sense of wonder and awe when standing right up next to things like a priceless historical wonder like Botticelli's Primavera or Michelangelo's David or the Sistine Chapel. Seeing these things, experiencing them, in person, is so special and fulfilling for me. Each one is different, and they each have their own story to tell and their own place in history. A VR headset experience wouldn't come close to the magic of being there in person -- for me, at least.

 

[6miths]

New places. New people and friends. New challenges. And I love airplanes - go figure!

 

[Teacher Terry]

We enjoy traveling but if we go without the dogs I want to be home in 2 weeks. If we take RV and dogs then I can go a month. going on a bus tour would be hell to us. We like to be in charge of our time, etc. We do like taking cruises but again we can decide when to do things. The last cruise we met so many people that take the same cruises each year that they no longer get off in port. To me I would think why not take a cruise to somewhere you have not been so you want to get off at port.

 

[NW-Bound]

... The last cruise we met so many people that take the same cruises each year that they no longer get off in port. To me I would think why not take a cruise to somewhere you have not been so you want to get off at port.

I have met some people like that: their entire family taking the same cruise each year.

As I said earlier, people are strange. Of course they may think I am strange in other ways.

 

[COcheesehead]

Once you've seen one art museum, you've seen almost all of them. Every place has much of the same things and only a small amount of uniqueness. After years of traveling, there may be no uniqueness left.

I also think that with Virtual Reality devices that there is a future in "stay-at-home travel." You can have Total Recall. Or maybe you can send a younger person with VR cameras to go in your stead and get to experience what they experience in real time from your couch (avatar?). Isn't that how we all experienced landing and walking on the moon?

Sad.

 

[tmm99]

I used to like to travel much more when I was much younger. Especially exotic places. I am in my late 50's, and traveling over several time zones is now utterly exhausting. Experiencing the local food and observing the local people and culture, would be my main reason for traveling. I wouldn't mind trying one of those all inclusive tropical resorts for the food and the water activities.

 

[Meadbh]

The last cruise we met so many people that take the same cruises each year that they no longer get off in port. To me I would think why not take a cruise to somewhere you have not been so you want to get off at port.

I recently took a transatlantic cruise. I was amazed to meet several Americans who had every intention of taking a bus from the ship to the airport (Rome) to fly home. If you're there anyway, why not enjoy Italy?

 

[COcheesehead]

I recently took a transatlantic cruise. I was amazed to meet several Americans who had every intention of taking a bus from the ship to the airport (Rome) to fly home. If you're there anyway, why not enjoy Italy?

+1000

 

[COcheesehead]

I used to like to travel much more when I was much younger. Especially exotic places. I am in my late 50's, and traveling over several time zones is now utterly exhausting. Experiencing the local food and observing the local people and culture, would be my main reason for traveling. I wouldn't mind trying one of those all inclusive tropical resorts for the food and the water activities.

Dude, so I am I. Don't get old before your time. LIVE.

 

[meierlde]

I found that the large amount of air travel I did while working (both business and pleasure due to time constraints) led to me swearing off air travel. (Of course this means staying in the US and Canada, but there is a lot to see there. For major tourist attractions you can get better views without the crowds on line. For and example there is an excellent web site for St. Peters with a number of 360 views inside the church. (Also 30 views inside St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St Pauls outside the Walls) I saw one helicopter video over the Dumo in Florence and it showed a line waiting to get in. put again you can get some interior views.
With the capabilities of Google Earth you can tour most places and in some you can now find virtual reality re-constructions such as the Acropolis as it was in 400 BC or so.
So why put up with the lines and hassle of air travel, the time changes (which got brutal the last time I traveled to Singapore), when you can sit at home and see the same things.

 

[audreyh1]

I actually hope to spend longer times overseas as I get older. Some changes I see happening as I age is less moving around, no more staying in one place for a month or two.

We find Europe delightful. I think it will be a long time before we are tired of it.

Between full time RVing and other things we actually didn't fly anywhere for almost 10 years. It was a good break I guess. We had no trouble resuming air travel and don't mind it much now.

Agree with the others that I have found most museums quite unique. Nevertheless, we only do a few on our trips. Historical buildings excepted - many of those I can't resist.

 

[meierlde]

I used to like to travel much more when I was much younger. Especially exotic places. I am in my late 50's, and traveling over several time zones is now utterly exhausting. Experiencing the local food and observing the local people and culture, would be my main reason for traveling. I wouldn't mind trying one of those all inclusive tropical resorts for the food and the water activities.

I did some of that for about 10 years as I was heavily into scuba at a resort on Cayman Brac, but eventually every trip lead to a cold, and of course diving and colds don't mix.

 

[bclover]

I hate travelling, DW loves it. I get most of the listed benefits by staying put.

+1 lol

Also IMO a lot of these reasons people don't do.

#5. Detox from social media?? Plu-ezze. Here is the saddest example.
two years ago my family went to disney world. One of our "traditions" is the "it's a small world ride", lol we, for some unknown reason get great joy out of the annoyingly endless drone of the song, anyhoo in the seat ahead of me was a young girl about 6 or 7 on her first trip. we knew it because she had a button saying "first family trip". she was bouncing up and down giddy. Her mother on the other hand spent the entire ride on the phone, talking about a back to school sale. yes we could hear her as she was trying to talk over the song. totally ignoring her daughter. I go on vacation and see more folks stuck on their phones. lol, when you call them on it everyone states they need it for "emergencies".

#7 Education?? again I say "yeah right".
#8 being appreciative of family? uhmm most folks I know take their families with them on vacation. I do miss my dog though. Americans are famous for not using their vacation days so these are not month long visits. and since most folks don't unplug on holiday they don't get a chance to "appreciate" or "miss" anyone

 

[tmm99]

Dude, so I am I. Don't get old before your time. LIVE.

Dude, I am female.

Last month, I took an hour long shuttle ride to the airport, then wait 3 hours and flew to Tokyo (a 13 hour flight), then took 3 train rides to get to my mom's house. It killed me for like 3 days with serious fatigue/jet lag. (Japan is 13 hours ahead of ET.) It took me over a week to get rid of the jet lag after I got back (probably because I no longer w*rk and I don't have to stick to any time schedule.)

Domestic and European flights should be OK. (Going to England in October.) Asia from the East Coast - not so much.

 

[Gumby]

So why put up with the lines and hassle of air travel, the time changes, when you can sit at home and see the same things.

Because you can look at all the pictures of the Grand Canyon you want, but until you are there in person you cannot truly appreciate just how "grand" it is. And that's just one example. There is a a lot more to travel than just looking at famous pictures. The sounds and smells, for one, don't translate at all. Nor will you ever make the serendipitous finds that aren't in the guidebook if you don't just go there and wander around for awhile.

For example, when we went to Venice, we saw the Piazza San Marco and the Doge's Palace, of course. But I also was fascinated by the garbage boat, the FedEx boat, the hotel linen delivery boat, and the EMT boat (among others) as they went about their business at 6:00 am. I also learned that Venetians eat a lot of frozen pizza by observing the trash that they left outside their doors for pickup every day.

Each time I travel, I learn more about the world and the people who live in it, and my life is that much the better for it. I don't expect to stop until I am physically unable to do it.

 

[COcheesehead]

Dude, I am female.

Last month, I took an hour long shuttle ride to the airport, then wait 3 hours and flew to Tokyo (a 13 hour flight), then took 3 train rides to get to my mom's house. It killed me for like 3 days with serious fatigue/jet lag. (Japan is 13 hours ahead of ET.) It took me over a week to get rid of the jet lag after I got back (probably because I no longer w*rk and I don't have to stick to any time schedule.)

Domestic and European flights should be OK. (Going to England in October.) Asia from the East Coast - not so much.

Dudeette then.

 

[Teacher Terry]

That is horrible that people did not stay in Italy but instead flew right home-ugh! I have been to Italy 2x's and so much to see and do. My brother has been to Rome 8 times and still sees something new every time he goes. that is so weird.

 

[Bamaman]

We've got to where we seldom even travel to the 3 big cities within 2 hours of home--left children/sister/grandchildren/nieces & nephews there.

But when we travel, we travel internationally--mainly to Europe.

Finding travel bargains online is a hobby, because if we weren't traveling inexpensively we'd be going on half as many vacations.

Each to his own, however. Do what makes you happy.

 

[NW-Bound]

The question for me, my wife, and nearly all in our extended family is not why travel, but where to.

For me, as I love music, nameplaces in songs tend to drive my itinerary. I listened to "I left my heart in San Francisco" long before I set foot there in my late teens. I went to Sorriento not because I saw it in any travel brochure, but because I loved the song of the same name when I was in my early teens (it turned out to be a favorite spot for Brit tourists). It interested me much more than Rome, or Florence.

Listening to Asturias, a guitar composition, I decided that I should go there the next time I go to Spain, having been to more popular spots like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Toledo, etc... How about Solenzara to see if it is as romantic as a song by Enrico Macias?

 

[NW-Bound]

Education is one of the reasons cited.

When my son was 15, I took him across the country to visit the sites of Jamestown and Yorktown. In the same trip, we also went to Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers made the 1st flight.

In a recent RV trip, when at the Grand Teton National Park, I listened to a lecture by a historian about John Colter, who accompanied the Clark and Lewis expedition, then later became the first white man to see Yellowstone.

In Saint John, New Brunswick, I walked through the 200-year old cemetery downtown, trying to read the tombstones of the American loyalists who left the country after the Revolution War. Supposedly, one or more sons of Benjamin Franklin was also a loyalist.

One can read about history, but being at the location helps your imagination, and the lessons stick with one better.

 

[Meadbh]

That is horrible that people did not stay in Italy but instead flew right home-ugh! I have been to Italy 2x's and so much to see and do. My brother has been to Rome 8 times and still sees something new every time he goes. that is so weird.

I know. One couple lived in Florida and apparently they cruise regularly, taking advantage of last minute deals. They get discounts for being over 65, for living in Florida, and for being veterans. They told me that their 13-day transatlantic cruise cost them US$384 each. For that money ($30 per day) they could live more cheaply than at home. They also found a discounted return flight. I imagine they felt that the cost of spending time in Italy was exorbitant. They probably would not have travelled without those deals.

 

[Just_Steve]

On a scale of 1-10 flying is about a 0 on my like list. So domestic travel is my thing. Been up and down the east coast via motorcycle, those that don't ride probably don't understand.
When the wife retires it will be time to head west, you guessed it....via motorcycle.

 

[FUEGO]

Well there's the living it up luxurious relaxation indulgent type of travel (we satiate that need with cruises).

Then there's the bold adventures to unknown parts that let us hear strange languages, see peculiar sights, and taste weird and interesting meals. Those are usually lower key at a slower pace and for a much longer duration than our indulgence travel (partly because of the cost; partly because you grow bored with luxury after a while).

Our kids are really digging it. We are 5 days away from setting out for a month long road trip to the NC mountains, Nashville, Mammoth Cave, Detroit, Toronto, Niagara Falls, and Washington DC. And this is our attempt at keeping it small and simple so we can spend some time at home this summer.

 

[Totoro]

I'm getting a bit ambivalent about travel. I was on a 2x short trip, 1x long trip per year schedule always going to places I hadn't been before, now reconsidering.

One item I am faced with is that places start to look very similar, as are the experiences I'm getting (people I meet, what your day looks like). Maybe I need to change up my approach?

Seeing things and talking to fellow travelers and locals used to be where I got most my energy from. As well as simply being 'on the road', it gives me a sense of calm. Big downside always has been that I've never met fellow travelers again.

So I'm thinking about shifting to a different type of travel which is more activity related: being out for a few days of walking, and trying to go back to places I've visited before and loved (which is basically Nepal, NZ and the Antarctic).

Although I still have a small list of new places to go: Canada & Eastern Europe. Maybe Scotland.

 

[Dawg52]

My travel is pretty much limited to going to my vacation home. It gives me a nice change of pace. I do want to take a few trips in the future. But when you are single, traveling by yourself is not that appealing to me. As more friends retire perhaps I will hook up with a few in group type trips.