Places you've been, glad you went....

[LRDave]

....and are OK if you never make it back there.

So I am thinking of a pleasant, world-view-broadening experience, but one you can accept that time and budget and other places yet unseen will likely preclude a return.

GO!

(For me: Singapore, Japan (all of it), Loch Ness, Tucson, Banff, just to throw a few out there....)

 

[CoolChange]

England, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands: I am very glad to have seen/experienced them but likely will not plan a trip back solely because time and budget and other places yet unseen will likely preclude a return.

Scotland: One of my favorite places on the planet that I did not expect to enjoy nearly as much as I did. While I would love to return (after having been there at least three times already), time and budget and other places yet unseen [-]will likely[/-] might preclude a return.

New Zealand: Amazing; but, too expensive and too much time on a plane for me to really want to return desperately.

Jamaica: Glad I went there because now I know that I do not need to return; interesting place; just not my thing.

 

[razztazz]

I've traveled a bit but only once at my own direction. All the life altering, mind broadening travelling was at the behest of my employer.

Everywhere I've been I am glad I was there even if I might have hated it at the time. It was an experience I never would have had otherwise. I'm not going back to any of them and never have been back. (Well, I was stationed in Alaska 3 times but always in a different place)

The only trip I made totally on my own, for me was to scout a retirement location. I liked it, so I moved there.

 

[FI by 2024]

Afghanistan. I've spent twelve days there, and feel no need to go back. I've been pleasantly surprised by the rest of the Middle East, though, and would definitely return to most of those countries. But I'm okay leaving Afghanistan to itself until and unless it experiences a catastrophic change in culture.

 

[LRDave]

Good responses - keep it up! I could add Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg - although Amsterdam is a likely intermediate stop on several likely new destinations.

 

[REWahoo]

Okinawa, Guam, Wake, Midway, and Adak. I was glad I was there because each was a stepping stone on my way back home.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Gallup, NM

 

[Nunthewiser]

Prague and, to a lesser extent Budapest. Visited both in '93 when they were relatively unspoiled. Back in '99 then 09. Probably never again.

That's why I want to see Cuba while it is still sorta illegal.

 

[RockyMtn]

Tel Aviv, Rio De Janeiro, Barbados for me. Nice to see once, no need to go back.

 

[LRDave]

Tel Aviv, Rio De Janeiro, Barbados for me. Nice to see once, no need to go back.

Agree on Tel Aviv.

Great responses! DW and I are brainstorming a bucket list of locations to visit (or re-visit) and this is good food for thought.

 

[Sue J]

Las Vegas.

It's so different than anywhere else I've ever been. I'm glad I got to go because everyone talks about it and now I can say that I've been there, rode the roller coaster at the top of the Stratosphere and have the pictures to prove it.

I went with my sister, who had been there before, and she made sure we saw all the stuff that is typical Vegas. Neither of us is interested in drinking or gambling. I had fun but no need to go back.

OTOH we went to Hilton Head last fall. I expected a crowded, snobby, overpriced tourist trap and was surprised at how lovely and relaxed and easy it was.

I'd love to go back to Hilton Head.

 

[Texas Proud]

Egypt... went twice and will never go back...

With the turmoil today there, I would not even go if someone paid for the whole trip...


I have not been, but know of people who have.... India... one guy who has been to over 100 countries said he could not get out of there fast enough... not sure if I will ever go...

 

[travelover]

Machu Picchu. Been there twice and enjoyed it both times. Wouldn't mind going back to Cusco, though.

 

[Nemo2]

Here:

Eric's Travel Map - TravBuddy


Now I'd like to concentrate on the others...or some of the others.....or a combination of both.

 

[Car-Guy]

In the US, anywhere outside of Texas. (Except Las Vegas, I'll be back )

Outside of the US, I am really glad I got to see (most memorable) London, Rome, Amsterdam, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore, but I have no desire to go back.

 

[Gumby]

Alaska - we spent two weeks there in 2000. One week at Denali and environs (train ride to and from) and a second week on a small cruise ship in the Inside Passage. It was spectacularly beautiful, and I enjoyed every bit of our trip. I would readily go back -- after I run out of all the other places I want to go.

 

[Nodak]

New York City, very enjoyable to visit but way too many people for a country boy like me.

 

[Meadbh]

Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, South America (although I do have family in Brazil).

I'm glad I got to visit those places, but in retirement I am drawn more to places where I can speak the language, feel safe, and enjoy some comforts.

 

[stepford]

Vegas, Atlanta, Orlando, DC - crowds of people doing things of little interest to me.

New York City is probably headed this way too, but I spent my teenage years there and have some lingering affection for the place, even as it's turned into a Disneyland for the 0.1%.

Dubrovnik - the Pearl of the Adriatic is sadly a crowded tourist trap that I only needed to see once. Luckily much of the rest of Croatia (and much of Europe for that matter) is still fun for me to visit.

Belize - pretty in places, but just another packaged tropical holiday. Might be worth visiting again if I could go slowly on my own terms, but I'd put so much of Central and South America ahead of it on my list that realistically I'm never going back and not particularly bothered.

Cairns and Darwin, AU - Lots of beautiful, interesting country nearby that I'd love to see again, but Cairns and Darwin themselves are just crowded tourist s***holes that I'd be happy to skip the next time I'm in OZ. Maybe it's just the tropical beach party scene that I'm now a bit too old to enjoy (Quit that racket ya damn kids!), but I found most other Australian cities much more congenial. I'd be perfectly happy spending more time in Sydney, Perth or Adelaide FWIW.

 

[freebird5825]

Greece...island of Crete for 6 days, Athens for 3 days. I am half Greek from my mother's side. It was a tremendous feeling to walk where my ancestors walked.

Amsterdam...saw the Tall Ships there.

Germany...Frankfort, Heidelberg, Rudesheim, took a long riverboat ride and saw the vineyards and a few castles from the upper deck.
Denmark...Copenhagen and some smaller towns

Canada...I love having another country only 1.5 hours drive away. Always a pleasure to visit.

3 Caribbean cruises (western, eastern, southern)
1 Alaskan cruise
1 Grand Mediterranean cruise

Puerto Rico...San Juan and the rain forest

Hawaii...twice...Maui, Oahu, Kauii, the Big Island

Domestic US...mostly FL, TX and CA, various cities for conferences or training. I loved San Antonio. I'd love to go back there.
Also MA, IA, GA, NV, Wash DC, AZ.

All of these trips except the cruises were tag-alongs for me. My late husband did a lot of traveling and I capitalized on that as much as I could afford to. I was never able to save up much annual leave over the course of 18 years with the govt.

I am grateful I got to go to all of these destinations while I was young and traveling was not such a hassle or personal safety so uncertain.

 

[Lakewood90712]

Costco , on July 3rd

 

[omni550]

China. Went there in July 2000 for 2 weeks, specifically to see the 3 Gorges along the Yangtze before the world's largest hydroelectric dam was completed. Have zero desire to go back.

(Interesting side note. A few months after the trip, I was offered a directorship position (= BIG promotion) to work in one of the cities I had visited. I immediately said, "No thanks" due to what I'd seen on this trip. So in that way the trip certainly paid off for me, as otherwise I might have accepted the promotion and DETESTED the 2+ year assignment.)

omni

 

[aja8888]

Big Oil and much earlier, the military, sent me to a lot of interesting places, many of which were not fun or safe. I have no desire to return to any of them.

Probably the place I most enjoyed in the last 20 years was Canada, having traveled all the way to Norman Wells and all over the Provinces and territories over several trips.

 

[Bamaman]

Don't care to go back to Jamaica, Aruba, Curacao, Yucatan and many islands south of St. Martin. We loved St. Lucia, however.

We're perpetual travelers, leaving Sunday for Copenhagen and a Baltic cruise. It'll be our 4th major trip in just over a year. Our trip's cheaper than going down to the Gulf Coast and renting a condo for 2 weeks.

We maybe only have 10-15 years traveling left in us physically. We're gettin' it while the gettin's good.

 

[Nemo2]

We maybe only have 10-15 years traveling left in us physically. We're gettin' it while the gettin's good.

+1 to the nth degree........that's us in a nutshell.