2025 Travel Plans

My May solo trip to England, Scotland and Wales has firmed up. I have all the hotel, airfare and train tickets booked. The itinerary:

Fly into London and then immediately take the train to Bath, England. I've been to London several times.
3 Nights in Bath - with a day trip to Wells.
Train to Llandudno, Wales for 3 nights - explore northern Wales.
Train to York, for 3 nights - with a day trip to Durham.
Train to Glasgow, Scotland for 2 nights - with a day trip to Stirling.
Train to Edinburgh for 4 nights - with a day trip to St. Andrews.
Train back to London for 1 night before flying back to the USA.

I'm greatly looking forward to this trip. I know it's a lot to cover in a short time, but I'm ok with it.
 
We are badly bitten by the travel bug, and our plan is getting crazier and crazier. The plan is all firmed up now with all flights and tours' tickets purchased. We will start from the US West coast going to the East coast in May picking up DS who is in grad school. The three of us will cross the Atlantis Ocean to Lisbon for 4 nights there, then we will cross the Mediterranean Sea to Morocco for a 2 week tour. Will stay some extra nights in Casablanca then flying to Warsaw starting another 2 week long tour which will cross 5 countries ending in Germany. Will stay an extra week in Germany to explore Berlin and Frankfurt. Then DS will board a flight back to the US to start school. The 2 unemployed people, DW and I, will board a flight to SE Asia where we will spend a month+ there. Afterward, we will cross the Pacific Ocean after stopping in Hong Kong to get back to the US. It will be an around the earth trip this time (if things go as planned). DW and I treasure these trips as our health and other things allowed. I know at the end of this trip DW and I will look at each other and declare something like "we won't do this again", and then a few weeks later....
 
We are badly bitten by the travel bug, and our plan is getting crazier and crazier. The plan is all firmed up now with all flights and tours' tickets purchased. We will start from the US West coast going to the East coast in May picking up DS who is in grad school. The three of us will cross the Atlantis Ocean to Lisbon for 4 nights there, then we will cross the Mediterranean Sea to Morocco for a 2 week tour. Will stay some extra nights in Casablanca then flying to Warsaw starting another 2 week long tour which will cross 5 countries ending in Germany. Will stay an extra week in Germany to explore Berlin and Frankfurt. Then DS will board a flight back to the US to start school. The 2 unemployed people, DW and I, will board a flight to SE Asia where we will spend a month+ there. Afterward, we will cross the Pacific Ocean after stopping in Hong Kong to get back to the US. It will be an around the earth trip this time (if things go as planned). DW and I treasure these trips as our health and other things allowed. I know at the end of this trip DW and I will look at each other and declare something like "we won't do this again", and then a few weeks later....
What a great adventure. "Do it while you can", is what I say. Have a great, LONG, trip.
 
Just got home from a Valentine's trip to Chicago with my wife. Brutally cold, but a much needed escape and great time away together.
Shopping on Michigan Ave, always a dinner at Pequod's and a visit to Goose Island Brewing. Nice, casual, relaxing stay.
Already planning the next weekend road trip, Asheville, NC and Grand Haven, MI.
We visited Chicago for the first time last Oct. I was taken by surprise how beautiful the city is with all the building architectures. The magnificent mile is super clean and welcoming.
 
Two weeks of intermission in dealing with a family death and acting as an executor. Booked today, leaving Thursday.

Just booked two weeks at one of favourite Mexican spots...Zihuatanejo. Should have been in Thailand and Australia. Next year for certain!!

Now DW wants me to start planning/shopping for a May/June trip to Soutern Europe.
 
Just signed up for our first UnCruise, but not till 2026. From Seattle to Juneau. I can't wait!
We were on the Wilderness Discoverer in June of 2021. There were no big ships in Juneau yet and we were one of the first ships back in Glacier Bay. We were literally 360 degree surrounded by whales in the Icy Strait. Loved it so much we cruised the Sea of Cortez out of La Paz and made a deposit for a future cruise. If you haven't been to Seattle it's a fun little city and very easy to navigate from Sea Tac with the light rail. We played tourist and spent 3 nights there in September 2021. Took a bike tour of the neighborhoods, took a haunted ghost tour, visited the Chihuly exhibit, and saw an UnCruise ship undergoing maintenance in Lake Union on a Ballard Locks cruise. We had a wonderful time and ate some really good food.

Safe travels and enjoy your UnCruise experience.
 
While not as extensive (or expensive) as some plans in this thread, we're driving to the Midwest Holiday Antique Show and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland this summer. We're stopping by the Studebaker museum in South Bend, IN along the way as well. It will be our 2nd multi-day trip in our retirement road-trip vehicle we bought last year. We're looking forward to the trip.
 
Has anyone traveled with their teenage grandchild? Any advice on how to make the experience great for her and for us?

My DW and I are taking our 13 year old granddaughter to Italy in 6 weeks, during her Spring break from school. It is a 13th birthday gift and she was involved in picking the destination. I know we are now setting ourselves up to do similar trips with our other 3 grandchildren (currently ages 2, 6 and 11) in the future, health and finances permitting.

The trip is all booked with flights, hotels, train tickets within Italy, tours and activities in the places we’re visiting. We’re starting in Naples and the surrounding Amalfi Coast area. We are then moving on to Florence and the Tuscany region before ending the trip in Rome. My DW and I have visited these areas before and are very excited to experience them again through our GD’s eyes. We are trying to keep this whirlwind tour (only 9 days) to the highlights of each area without getting too immersed in museums.
Any suggestions of must do/ see/ experiences we should include in these areas? Experiences with locals that a teenager would appreciate? Thanks for any help and ideas.
 
We do have a distinct travel goal for 2025 though. We want to get our Lifetime Platinum Elite status with Marriott.

We need 50 nights on our account. We get 15 for having the Marriott Visa. Then we get 1 night for every $5,000 charged to the card and we should charge at least $50,000 so we'll get 10 nights there. That leaves us needing 25 nights. The plan is to do 2-3 night getaways each month.
Update on our quest for Platinum status.

As of today we’re at 26 nights. I think we’re going back to AC later this month for 2 or 3 nights and the double credit promo is currently running until 4/28 which helps. So we’re on track to get the 50 nights we need this year.
 
Update on our quest for Platinum status.

As of today we’re at 26 nights. I think we’re going back to AC later this month for 2 or 3 nights and the double credit promo is currently running until 4/28 which helps. So we’re on track to get the 50 nights we need this year.

I'm curious what benefit you are wanting most from being lifetime Platinum Elite? I am already lifetime Platinum Elite (Marriott was my preferred brand during my many years of work travel). But I don't really feel it benefits me much.
 
I'm curious what benefit you are wanting most from being lifetime Platinum Elite? I am already lifetime Platinum Elite (Marriott was my preferred brand during my many years of work travel). But I don't really feel it benefits me much.
Lounge access is the big one. Cuts down on travel costs when breakfast and all-day snacks are free in the lounge.

Upgrades can be nice if available. Earning points faster. Also priority line at MGM properties which can be nice if they’re crowded at check in.
 
Tired of the snow and cold.

Booked some Mexico sunshine and surf yesterday. Thursday cannot come soon enough. Lucked out on great airfare so close to blast off.
Is this some kind of last minute deal?
 
Has anyone traveled with their teenage grandchild? Any advice on how to make the experience great for her and for us?
Do allow her time to purchase little frig magnets, or post cards, or stuffs for herself and friends. These things may be more important to her than one might think.
 
Just book a trip for the first week of May.

5/4 EWR>PHX
5/5 NY Mets @ AZ Diamond Backs
5/6 Sedona
5/7 Drive through Grand Canyon to Kayenta
5/8 Monument Valley and drive to Santa Fe, NM
5/9 Drive to Denver to see daughter
5/10 Another game at Coors Field (we've been 2 or 3 times now)
5/11 DEN>EWR

Lots of miles but we'll see some beautiful scenery.
Just added Las Vegas to front end of our trip.

5/1 EWR to LAS First class baby!
5/2 & 5/3 Explore Las Vegas
5/4 grab rental and drive to Phoenix.
 
We had a group excursion cancel on us, and decided to find someplace warm we'd never been to travel this month. Just returned from an 8 night cruise of the Persian Gulf. Dubai, Doha, Sir Bani Yas, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi. This was an entirely new part of the world to me. The architecture was astounding, and the Italian ship we sailed on was impressive. But it was too large for me - I am not a "big cruise" person. If I were a shopper I would have been in heaven. I learned a lot about the history of the area, and about some of the negative ways immigrants are treated versus locals. I am glad I went, but I am not sure I will return any time soon.
 
We had a group excursion cancel on us, and decided to find someplace warm we'd never been to travel this month. Just returned from an 8 night cruise of the Persian Gulf. Dubai, Doha, Sir Bani Yas, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi. This was an entirely new part of the world to me. The architecture was astounding, and the Italian ship we sailed on was impressive. But it was too large for me - I am not a "big cruise" person. If I were a shopper I would have been in heaven. I learned a lot about the history of the area, and about some of the negative ways immigrants are treated versus locals. I am glad I went, but I am not sure I will return any time soon.

The modern architecture or the Muslim/Arabic architecture?
 
April 7-24, Italy, Egypt, Jordan, finish visiting all existing new and old 7 wonders. Not much interested in the Egyptian history and seeing the tombs, just spend 2 full days in Cairo. This time, Milan will be the Italian city to land in and to explore.
 

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