Best Vacations......Ever!

[Meadbh]

I'm on vacation in western Canada and have just parasailed for the first time. Wheeeee! It was actually very quiet, cool and peaceful up there, with people in boats waving at me. The views were great. This was quite unlike flying, nor did it resemble the sensation one has in a helicopter. It was "interesting" to hear the squeaking and occasional jerking of the parachute cords and wonder what would happen if they gave way.....everyone in the boat decided I needed a dunking on descent, so I got one!



I've had lots of great vacation experiences over the years, and many of them were free. I'd like to hear about your all time best vacations. Even if you were six at the time!

 

[dumpster56]

I'm on vacation in western Canada and have just parasailed for the first time. Wheeeee! It was actually very quiet, cool and peaceful up there, with people in boats waving at me. The views were great. This was quite unlike flying, nor did it resemble the sensation one has in a helicopter. It was "interesting" to hear the squeaking and occasional jerking of the parachute cords and wonder what would happen if they gave way.....everyone in the boat decided I needed a dunking on descent, so I got one!



I've had lots of great vacation experiences over the years, and many of them were free. I'd like to hear about your all time best vacations. Even if you were six at the time!

Sounds great.

Ever Hang glide?

 

[FinallyRetired]

Glad you are enjoying it. Western Canada is one place I've always wanted to go, and your story is alluring. Some of the out-of-the-way places DW and I have enjoyed, though not exactly "free":

- Trip up the Sognefjord in Norway to Balestrand by boat, staying in an old fishing village, hiking up to a glacier.

- Walking around Efes (Ephesus) in Turkey, preserved much better than the Acropolis or the Roman ruins, then taking a local bus to the pristine beach of Cesme (which at the time of Ephesus was their beach, now it's a good 20 miles away).

- Kayaking and swimming in the phosphorescent bay at Vieques on a moonless night, where every motion lights up the water and you are surrounded in an aura of light.

- Sailing in the Caribbean and dropping anchor at deserted islands with only a couple of other boats around, or sometimes all alone.

 

[Webzter]

Here's one. I've got a few that come in a decent second.

Drove to south dakota with then-GF. Camped out near Rapid City... about 10 miles from the forest fires going on at the time. She got us booked well in advance for a candlelight tour of Wind Cave. They take you on a different route from the main tour; you get gloves, a bucket and a candle (they tell the main tour not to touch anything, since you have gloves you're allowed to touch just about everything). At the midpoint on the tour (as far back in the cave as they go on that trip), they have you blow out your candle. Very spooky to be in there with no light and the wind blowing by.

After that, we drove through Custer State Park but the buffalo were too far away. On our way from there to Devils Tower, we saw a sign to "see the only registered white buffalo on record". So, we went over there to see the buffalo (the native americans believe that a white buffalo is a sign of peace). We realized that we were only 14 miles from the Montana border at that point so we went to Montana and then back down into Wyoming for Devils Tower.

Unfortunately, the park at Devils Tower was closed because of the forest fires there. But, we got to see this amazing panorama of Devils Tower with all of this smoke billowing up behind it. We had some time to kill so we looked at the map and my then-GF mentioned that she'd never seen mountains.

So, we packed it up and drove halfway across Wyoming to the little bighorn mountains. While we were up there, we stopped at one of the national park signs to stretch. We noticed two marks on the top of the stone. One was very faint and had two people's names. The other was much more recent and had their same names and "back again after 50 years of marriage"

Somewhere in all of that trip I just "knew" that we'd get married. That trip will be 7 years ago this September. We'll be married 7 years this January.

Oh yeah, it was just a weekend trip. We put about 1000 miles on the car over those three days.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

My last LA -> Denver bike ride. Perfect weather, only rain was a drizzle as I entered
Denver. 1500 miles in 15 days, 5 CD crossings, everything worked out perfectly, I was
over trained for it (1992), never got tired or dehydrated. Finished by 1-2 pm most days,
napped then had a relaxing dinner every day. Consecutive overnights in Aspen, Vail,
Steamboat Springs. I stall cannot belive how pleasant everything was that year. Close
2nd was LA - Jacksonville trip in '96 with a friend. Very minor glitches, huge number
of memories. I never thought a tour with someone else would go so smoothly.

 

[bright eyed]

oooh, i went parasailing in cabo san lucas (bad vacation otherwise)...it was really great!

took a little boat out to the bigger boat - both were quite bumpy and slapped our behinds...then i watched another couple (mom and son) go up first, then it was my turn.

getting strapped in and hooked up was all a bit of a ruckus, then i just started floating up and away! quite zen if you let yourself relax.

the boat encountered a patch of dolphins and our boat driver followed them for a while - very cool!

was sad it was over and would definitely do it again!

 

[Bigritchie]

Got a chance to go to South Africa during the winter a few years ago, went on a boat to seal island and cage dove with great white sharks, and got to watch them breach snacking on seals. Utterly amazing day. Just a couple of miles away is a great surf spot too, and the sharks even swim around there, but hardly ever bother a bather or surfer. Watching a 20 foot shark attack a piece of meat on a rope 1 foot from your cage is utterly amazing, especially once you settle down and just enjoy it.

 

[Nords]

1985-- a week in the Madeiras.

Spouse and I had been dating about five years and we knew that marriage was inevitable. She was stationed in the Azores and I'd just finished a submarine patrol in Scotland, so we met in London and flew to the islands. We had no money but the dollar was sky-high and she found a great deal on a five-star hotel. It was shameless European hedonism. Our floor had a personal concierge with room service several times a day, the pool was topless with certain swimwear-optional areas, the booze was exotic & cheap, the food was endless, and the tours & shopping (when we actually managed to tear ourselves away from the property) were pretty good too.

We lounged poolside sipping frosty beverages and watching the people (mostly from Germany and Scandinavia) for hours. One German, clearly an important bombastic businessman, came waddling out in his three-piece suit and homburg with the newspaper. He was accompanied by a stunning young lass who was somewhere between mistress and trophy wife. He sat in a chair next to a table, shaded by an umbrella, read his paper, and over the next 30 minutes relaxed to the point of removing his homburg while totally ignoring her. She, however, felt the need for some sun and settled into a lounge chair. As it became clear that he wasn't ready to leave, she basically undressed poolside-- first taking off her wrap, then pulling her dress off her shoulders, next... anyway she got down to a tiny little thong before he'd finished his newspaper. We practically applauded when they departed.

Next-best vacation was a rental home near Pahoa on the Big Island. The homes are built on a lava field with tidepools meandering through the backyards. Fish, turtles, & morays would be all over the place. The subterranean lava flow meant that the water had an inverse thermocline-- 75 degrees at the surface and 90+ degrees just six feet down. We'd snorkel a couple hours a day, barbeque dinner, walk around, and collapse into bed. The neighborhood was so quiet that a coconut splashing into the tidepool would jolt you awake at 2 AM.

A dozen of that neighborhood's homes were rentals whose owners used a manager-- a ponytailed stoner hippie to whom the 1960s had been very very good. He was even more entertaining than his stories, maaaaan. When I saw his lifestyle I knew that I'd never have to work again...

 

[chinaco]

Anyone been to Banff or Lake Louise?

 

[Outtahere]

My best ever...humm there were several but for the sake of this thread I'll pick just two.

First one was my first trip to Florida, by myself, first time on a plane, first time out of the state, first time I ever did anything like that by myself. Spent a week with an old friend and had an absolute blast, came back and kicked out my abusive (mentally) BF and never looked back.

Next one was my first trip to Strugis SD, not so much for the bike rally but the drive across the country, seeing Mt Rushmore for the first time made me cry, I was in awe of The Badlands, Devils Tower was really amazing, Custer State Park with the buffalo and Needles Highway just blew me away. I love the west.

We've been to the Bahamas and Aruba, they were nice but I could spend the rest of my life exploring the US and never tire of it. That's our plan when I hang up my keyboard for good. I don't have a passport and probably never will, I have no desire to leave the US.

Oh and as hokey as it sounds, Niagara Falls was a weekend trip that was also amazing.

 

[wildcat]

For me it was a fishing expedition in Canada with a group of close friends right out of college. It was something we spoke about for years and finally had to opportunity to do.

We stayed in a pretty rough cabin but got to do what we enjoyed for a week without seeing a person, a phone/tv or any other modern convenience for a week. Pretty primitive but it didn't matter. The fishing was good but not great. The trip was special because it was really the last time we got to spend together before our lives forced us to go separate ways - married, kids, personal battles with alcohol/drugs, jobs.

 

[Moemg]

I've had some great vacations so it's hard to pick just one but My daughter ,my son ,my son's friend and I all went to Disney to celebrate his 30th birthday .We acted like kids and rode every ride .We had a birthday dinner at the Chinese pavillion in epcot .We just ate and played for three days .What fun !

 

[Gworker]

Small ship cruise in Alaska. It was a blast and we got to see some wildlife and things that people in large ships would never see. We went kayaking and hiking everyday. It was a blast.

 

[happy2bretired]

My family and I have had some wonderful vacations over the years. But, I think the best one was in 2004 (two years before my husband died). My husband was a history buff, especially WWI and WWII millitary history. He spent hours pouring over millitary history books.

We spent 3 weeks in France (including Paris), Amsterdam and London. Most of our time was spent taking days trips to FORTS within 3-4 hours drive from Metz, France. We had a ball. By the time we toured all of these forts, I never wanted to see another one. But, I am truely grateful that we were able to take that trip when we did. It was amazing.

The next year, 2005, we again went to Paris, this time, taking our daughter. It was a sort of high school graduation celebration. Again, I was truely grateful for having taken that vacation too.

 

[TromboneAl]

I'm surprised no one has said this:

The best vacation ever is the one I'm on now. The one that started one year ago, when I retired!

 

[happy2bretired]

Ah...that's not a vacation that's LIFE! The way it's supposed to be lived!

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i agree with t-al. though most of my life has pretty much been a vacation. the best was as a teen in st. croix. i lived on the beach, had no responsibilities, the ol'man set up a tab for me at the condo's pool bar. my biggest decisions involved choosing between snorkling in my backyard, playing pool or swimming on a friend's estate, water skiiing & splashing the tourists or boating out to nearby buck island.

as to side trips, my best as child were fun times with family in the poconos when we stayed on working ranches almost every spring & autumn. i was a little kid up at 6 am and saddling my horse. we'd ride all day, row boat in the little lake, help milk the cows and feed the baby goats. those are some of my favorite vacation memories.

as an adult my best side trip was one i was hesitant on joining, a disney cruise with mom in stage 4/5 of alzheimer's and my brother's family. we took three cabins. i had my own. the ship's crew was nothing less than perfect. they kept the kids so entertained that we only saw them at night and during meals. the theater was amazing. the whole experience really took my by surprise.

 

[tightasadrum]

I love threads like this.

I have a few. The first wasn’t by definition really a vacation since I had just separated from US Navy in 1972, and didn’t have a real job yet. GF talked me into a two-month, 12000-mile trip out west, destination Alaska. Cannot describe all that happened, but believe me, it was an experience I will always be grateful to her for talking me into. GF left for the Peace Corps from Anchorage, after which my father flew up from GA to drive back. He died two years ago, and I’m grateful for the time we spent together fishing on the way back. Short list: visited relatives in Iowa; overnight hike to bottom of the Grand Canyon; Mt. McKinley National Park; fishing for grayling and trout. Great memories.

The second was a bareboat cruise out of St. Thomas. Ten days of sailing and snorkeling around the Virgin Islands. Back to work so relaxed that it took me two more weeks to get back up to normal speed again.

Third one was a week with DW & DD in Disney World. It was fun to just have fun together.

The final one is the vacation(s) I didn’t take. To those younger and just getting started, don’t do what I did. My biggest regret now is not taking more family vacations. Why I felt it was so important to work so much I’ll never know. Now DD is gone and starting her own life. Chalk it up to missed opportunity.

 

[Robert the Red]

For me, it's nearly a tossup between Thailand+Cambodia (2006) and China (2007). Both trips were special -- exotic but not particularly difficult. The food was much better on the first trip, but the hiking was better on the second -- our climb up Tai Shan was really special. But so was wandering around the Angkor area in Cambodia, and riding bikes around Ayutthaya in Thailand.

Both trips we managed with frequent flyer miles, and as a result only spent about $80/day for the two of us.

 

[kcowan]

There are many choices. If I pick one arbitrarily it was a trip down the Amalfi Coast (3 couples, private driver) after taking the hydrofoil from Naples to Sorrento. Lunch in Ravello.

While our sea-to-sky highway here offers similar views, it was the quaint Italian towns along the way that stood out.

If we were going back, I would choose Ville Franche on the Riviera as a jump off point for exploring Provence.

 

[MikeD]

That's an easy question to answer. It was when I went to Chincoteague, VA with my parents in '71. I was 17 and met my future wife who was also camping with her parents. We were married in '76. Our 31st anniversary was just two weeks ago.

Mike D.

 

[Nords]

I'm surprised no one has said this:
The best vacation ever is the one I'm on now. The one that started one year ago, when I retired!

I heard that a lot during our last trip: "If you're retired, are you allowed to call it a vacation?"

 

[FinallyRetired]

That's an easy question to answer. It was when I went to Chincoteague, VA with my parents in '71. I was 17 and met my future wife who was also camping with her parents. We were married in '76. Our 31st anniversary was just two weeks ago.

Mike D.

Congratulations. By the way, that's the only way to enjoy Chincoteague, to be in love. I bet you didn't even notice the bus-sized mosquitos.

 

[packrat44]

The best vacations I every had are the ones where our children come home and the family take our annual week long backpacking trip in a mountain wilderness area in British Columbia; Montana; Idaho Washington; or Oregon.

The best individual "vacation" I ever had was when the Coast Guard asked if I would come up to Alaska at the beginning of the Exxon Valdez spill to aid in the monitoring the cleanup activity. I stayed at Homer, AK and had helicopters and small fixed wing aircraft with pilots at my disposal. I flew every day, saw a lot of wildlife and scenery, went wherever I had an urge. It was great. My wife was very jealous.

 

[Goonie]

Anyone been to Banff or Lake Louise?

Yep....both of them on our vacation 2 years ago. That vacation, BTW, was the the best one I've been on thus far. We traveled to Yellowstone and Glacier Nat'l Parks, then up to Banff, Lake Louise, Athabasca Glacier, Canadian Mounted Police Academy and Museum, and a few other places.

We went the last week of July and the first week of August, and the weather was perfect. We rode the lift up a mountain at a ski resort across the valley from Lake Louise.....spectacular veiw of the mountains, valley, and Lake Louise! We stayed at a hotel (don't remember the name) on Banff Ave. in Banff for a couple of nights, and spent some time wandering around the shops downtown, and ate at Joe Btfsplk's Diner, (221 Banff Ave........Joe Btfsplk is that old comic strip guy with the cloud always over his head) and had the french fries covered with cheese and gravy....gross looking but good.

I could stay for a month at Glacier Nat'l Park....it was awesome!!!