Celebration Trip

[Travelwanted]

I'm about a year to year and a half away. Already starting to think about the next phase. I firmly believe planning a major trip (which is our passion) will be a perfect start.

My initial thought (we have 2 younger kids coming with us) would be a 4-6 week trip to New Zealand and Australia.

So, please let us know what you have done or would suggest!

[Meadbh]

Why not read this thread begun just six days ago?

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...and-73200.html

[Animorph]

An Australia/New Zealand cruise tour was my first major trip scheduled for after when DW finally retires, but it turns out that had to be in early 2016. DW saw the "Quantum Global Odyssey" cruise in mid 2015 that we just had to go on. Still a ways out. I've got a week in Fairbanks to see the Northern Lights in March 2015. Just to fill in something a little sooner rather than later, we've got a trip to Sedona, AZ coming up in September. Just sent my passport in for renewal. Our kids are finally self-supporting and DW and I can take off by ourselves any time of the year.

[Debinnov a]

We sold our business and retired almost three months ago. To celebrate we are cruising 7 nights to England on QM 2, spending 11 days in UK and Wales, then a 12 night cruise back to US on the world largest cruise ship. Leave next month and can't wait. Dream trip for us and our last splurge for awhile. We don't want to be looking for jobs in a few years due to overspending! Lol

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[Travelwanted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh Why not read this thread begun just six days ago? http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...and-73200.html

I have, thanks. Perhaps I was not clear. We are considering NZ/Australia but are open to other places. I was looking for inspiration. Thanks.

[athena53]

Australia/NZ was at the top of my list, but DH is 76 and has some health issues. As it was, he needed to get treatment for gout in the wilds of Alaska (the good people in Klawok, pop. 854, took care of him) and got a bad cold on the ship which morphed into bronchitis after we got home and dragged on for weeks. Even in Business Class, I'm afraid that might be too much.

So, we're thinking Scotland. We've been there 3 times but that won't stop us! We'd include the Orkneys- have also been there. This time, freed from the limit of "vacation days", we'll probably spend a few nights on Papa Westray, at the B&B where we miraculously found lunch when we needed it on our day trip there a few years ago. (The island is so sparsely-populated we saw more sheep than people, and it was naïve of us to assume we could find food. We were lucky.) This time, in addition to Edinburgh and Kirkwall, we might go to Inverness. We don't golf but we love scotch whisky! We'll come home with 4 bottles from Cadenhead's in Edinburgh- they pour it straight from a cask from major distillers into the bottle- no dilution, no filtering, no mixing even with casks from the same malting. You can't get it in the US. It's over the limit you can bring in but we always declare it and have never had to pay duty.

I hope we can make it work with frequent flyer miles. DH will bring hand sanitizers and, if he can get agreement from his docs, some "just-in-case" meds. I'll also make sure his Medicare Supplement covers over there or get trip insurance.