Travel hopes for 2022

[iloveyoga]

I have almost everything booked for a girls adventure trip to Marfa Texas in April.

I mentioned this before, but I head to Anna Marie Island in Florida next Sunday with my Mom and two friends. We are renting a golf cart! Very excited to get away from our Iowa weather.

 

[sengsational]

I haven't kept-up with the travel climate. Are many of the typical destination countries closed to tourists at this point? I've got a buddy in Ecuador, so a free place to stay there. I've also got a pre-paid week of paramotor training that could be in England, Portugal or Spain, depending on how early in the spring I go. Escaping the cold (well, as cold as the NC piedmont gets) is a factor. I have a feeling that 4 weeks from now, when the omicron wave has passed, there's going to be a surge in demand for travel.

ETA: I just opened "rome2rio.com" and it offers Covid-19 indicators after you put in your from/to!

 

[Chuckanut]

I have almost everything booked for a girls adventure trip to Marfa Texas in April.

I had to look it up. Here is what I found out about Marfa Texas. Alas, now that the word is out the place will be ruined - loved to death by hoards of tourists. Like they say "See mystery lights. See Marfa".

https://visitmarfa.com/places-to-stay-marfa/

 

[sengsational]

In lieu of international travel at the moment, I am taking Amtrak from Chicago to San Francisco, then flying back next month. Just something I've always wanted to do... And yes, getting a bedroom!

This sounded like an interesting alternative to blowing travel dough, so I just looked into it. It looked a bit more adventuresome that DW would appreciate. I was looking at Crescent / Sunset Ltd / Texas Eagle / Missouri River Runner / Southwest Chief to get to LA from Charlotte. The Amtrak website was pretty horrific, but with effort, I was able to power through.

The itinerary is pretty rough, starting out with a 2:55am departure. Arriving in New Orleans at 9pm. Three nights in N.O. then 9:00am departure, dumping you off in San Antonio at midnight. That's an 'ouch'. Find the hotel for that first night, plus an additional night in SA, then a nicely scheduled 7am to 7am trip to St Louis. And 4pm that same day, a quick 5 hour trip up to Kansas City, for a 9:40pm arrival and a 10:42pm departure for 2 nights on the Chief, arriving in LA at 8:00am. It's those uncomfortable times having to get from the train station to the hotel that puts me off. I even looked at the fancy Amtrak tourist booking site, although they book your hotel near the train station, they don't include transfers. So you're dragging your luggage around in the middle of the night trying to figure out how to get to the hotel. That just ain't going to fly with DW. The price was $4282 for bedrooms except business on the 5hr leg.

I think the solution for us might be to first get to a place where one train really starts, and stay on it until it ends, and that's where we'll end-up. The longest leg in the above itinerary is 35 hours from Kansas City to Los Angeles.

 

[Chuckanut]

This sounded like an interesting alternative to blowing travel dough, so I just looked into it. It looked a bit more adventuresome that DW would appreciate. I was looking at Crescent / Sunset Ltd / Texas Eagle / Missouri River Runner / Southwest Chief to get to LA from Charlotte. The Amtrak website was pretty horrific, but with effort, I was able to power through.

The itinerary is pretty rough, starting out with a 2:55am departure. Arriving in New Orleans at 9pm. Three nights in N.O. then 9:00am departure, dumping you off in San Antonio at midnight. That's an 'ouch'. Find the hotel for that first night, plus an additional night in SA, then a nicely scheduled 7am to 7am trip to St Louis. And 4pm that same day, a quick 5 hour trip up to Kansas City, for a 9:40pm arrival and a 10:42pm departure for 2 nights on the Chief, arriving in LA at 8:00am. It's those uncomfortable times having to get from the train station to the hotel that puts me off. I even looked at the fancy Amtrak tourist booking site, although they book your hotel near the train station, they don't include transfers. So you're dragging your luggage around in the middle of the night trying to figure out how to get to the hotel. That just ain't going to fly with DW. The price was $4282 for bedrooms except business on the 5hr leg.

I think the solution for us might be to first get to a place where one train really starts, and stay on it until it ends, and that's where we'll end-up. The longest leg in the above itinerary is 35 hours from Kansas City to Los Angeles.

An old friend of mine who is now deceased used to love to travel by train. He told me about the saying "The third night of train travel is always the best" when traveling very long distances on a train." Why? Because after two nights on a train, he would stay over in some town, rent a nice room, take a hot shower, and catch the next train to his destination the following day.

 

[iloveyoga]

I had to look it up. Here is what I found out about Marfa Texas. Alas, now that the word is out the place will be ruined - loved to death by hoards of tourists. Like they say "See mystery lights. See Marfa".

https://visitmarfa.com/places-to-stay-marfa/

I heard about it on a podcast and have wanted to go for several years now.

 

[Marita40]

Sensational, yes I agree the Amtrak website is lousy! The nice thing about the California Zephyr for us is that it starts at a decent time in Chicago—2:00 p.m.— and gets into Sacramento, our destination during the afternoon as well. However as a person whose ridden Amtrak before, we could get in on time or many hours late. We could easily get in in the middle of the night. So you have to go with a completely open mind and flexibility (it’s an adventure!) or you will get frustrated. We each got our own roomette for $550 for an April trip. I don’t find that bad at all. I would not want to share a roomette—way too cramped and been there, done that. Bedrooms by contrast are enormously expensive.

 

[2017ish]

My Colombia trip just got canceled today. Due to start next week. Very disappointed, but I think I can get credits for everything.

Yikes--what reason given? (We leave for 5 weeks in Colombia on Thursday morning, but not as part of a group or organized tour...)

 

[brett]

Perhaps either Greece/Cyprus or Portugal/Spain for eight weeks in the spring.

Nothing definite but if O calms down we will go. It has been too long. It will be a last minute buy no matter what we do.

 

[Pellice]

Yikes--what reason given? (We leave for 5 weeks in Colombia on Thursday morning, but not as part of a group or organized tour...)

Too many people on other current tours were testing positive. The trips are very small group, but even one positive test on a small birding tour in close quarters in vehicles, etc., can bring things to a halt. Colombia itself is in better shape than the US.

 

[explanade]

Too many people on other current tours were testing positive. The trips are very small group, but even one positive test on a small birding tour in close quarters in vehicles, etc., can bring things to a halt. Colombia itself is in better shape than the US.

That could mean they get Omicron later.

I believe they had their own variants circulating for much of 2020 and then got Delta later.

 

[Pellice]

A birding tour - how interesting! I'm curious, what tour company are you using?

The big three in the US are Field Guides, Wings, and Victor Emmanual Nature Tours. Many more, and Britain has additional English-language, and there are lots of in-country options as well.

 

[Christine]

I am currently on holiday in Gran Canaria (Spain). Masks everywhere. And a covid passport required to get into Spain (from Norway). And then Norway require me to do a DIY test after I get home again.

Apart from that it's nice to finally be traveling again.

With Omicron everywhere - which I'm going to be infected by no matter what I do - my reasoning was that it might as well be now when I'm recently triple jabbed. I'm not actively looking to be infected or anything. I would be more scared of getting infected with the almost gone by now Delta.


Most people seem to be masking up but there is always someone sticking out occasionally.


Going out for dinner soon.

 

[explanade]

I am currently on holiday in Gran Canaria (Spain). Masks everywhere. And a covid passport required to get into Spain (from Norway). And then Norway require me to do a DIY test after I get home again.

Apart from that it's nice to finally be traveling again.

With Omicron everywhere - which I'm going to be infected by no matter what I do - my reasoning was that it might as well be now when I'm recently triple jabbed. I'm not actively looking to be infected or anything. I would be more scared of getting infected with the almost gone by now Delta.


Most people seem to be masking up but there is always someone sticking out occasionally.


Going out for dinner soon.

We may find though that by mid February, the virus prevalence would be much lower, with low positivity rates and such, if the experience in South Africa is any guide.

UK is seeing a fast drop in new cases as well.

So people are hoping that as fast as Omicron wave went up, it will fall as fast, much faster than previous variant waves.

 

[audreyh1]

I haven't kept-up with the travel climate. Are many of the typical destination countries closed to tourists at this point? I've got a buddy in Ecuador, so a free place to stay there. I've also got a pre-paid week of paramotor training that could be in England, Portugal or Spain, depending on how early in the spring I go. Escaping the cold (well, as cold as the NC piedmont gets) is a factor. I have a feeling that 4 weeks from now, when the omicron wave has passed, there's going to be a surge in demand for travel.

ETA: I just opened "rome2rio.com" and it offers Covid-19 indicators after you put in your from/to!

DB and family were subjected to a 10 day quarantine upon returning from the US to the Netherlands. They are residents. I think any country imposing a 10 day quarantine upon arrival (from hot spot countries) pretty much means tourism is shut down.

 

[audreyh1]

Too many people on other current tours were testing positive. The trips are very small group, but even one positive test on a small birding tour in close quarters in vehicles, etc., can bring things to a halt. Colombia itself is in better shape than the US.

Yep, I can only imagine that would shut down a small group multi-day birding tour!

The big three in the US are Field Guides, Wings, and Victor Emmanual Nature Tours. Many more, and Britain has additional English-language, and there are lots of in-country options as well.

It’s been a long time, but we went on many Victor Emanuel tours, and one Wings tour. Very enjoyable!

 

[skyking1]

We are discussing visiting our UK family in late August for a couple of weeks. We had a zoom meeting with them today and I am hopeful.
Our original plan for the next UK visit included Ireland and possibly London, but we are dialing it all back to just staying with them and doing some low key driving trips to Wales, maybe the south coast, simple stuff with less touristy exposure.
My sisters are both going over after us to go on a cruise in late September.

 

[Scuba]

Just booked flight to Venice in July. My BFF’s 60th is in July and she wants to celebrate in Croatia. Otherwise we would have chosen later timing. The plan is 4 nights in Venice, then board 38-passenger cruise in northern Croatia, end up in Dubrovnik and then explore more of Croatia for 4-6 weeks. Looking forward to it!

 

[Dash man]

We just canceled a cruise scheduled for the end of the month. Decided we wouldn’t enjoy a cruise wearing a mask anytime we leave our cabin. Plus too many people we know getting sick with Covid.

 

[Out of Steam]

Flights to Miami have different kinds of issues like fighting on the plane. But that's usually on the return flights from Miami.

It seems like I hear something most every day that reduces my interest in traveling domestically in the US.

 

[athena53]

It seems like I hear something most every day that reduces my interest in traveling domestically in the US.

I've been doing more of that- but not by plane! I have found lower mask compliance on road trips- convenience stores mostly have signs saying something like "it would be nice if you wore a mask" and no one does. I get in and out as quickly as I can and bring a cooler of "road food" with me. I've been using mostly Hampton Inns where masks are optional for vaccinated patrons and staff, and again almost no one wears them. But, I use mine, so does anyone with whom I travel and so far, so good. It's a lot more controllable than plane flights- BF and I have occasionally walked into a crowded restaurant and walked out again if we're not comfortable with spacing. Not much you can do when you MUST get on a crowded plane or a tram to go from one terminal to another.

I just made a hotel reservation for the Berkshire Annual Meeting, a 3-hour drive from here, on April 30. BF hasn't been to one before and he's excited. We'll see where COVID is by then. Reservation has no cancellation penalties,

 

[OldConch]

Just got back from a week in Puerto Vallarta. Chena hot springs on the next new moon for northern lights. Mexico City, Puebla, and Oaxaca in March. Galapagos in April. West Highland Way, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Isle of Skye in early May. UnCruise in Sea of Cortez later in May. All of this was planned pre-omicron.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Just got back from a week in Puerto Vallarta. Chena hot springs on the next new moon for northern lights. Mexico City, Puebla, and Oaxaca in March. Galapagos in April. West Highland Way, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Isle of Skye in early May. UnCruise in Sea of Cortez later in May. All of this was planned pre-omicron.

Wow. 5 trips between now and the end of May? I love travel, but I'd be exhausted by this schedule.

Have fun!

 

[2017ish]

....Chena hot springs on the next new moon for northern lights. ...

Enjoy this one! We stayed just a bit down the road from Chena in February 2021-- our last unvaccinated trip. Were a little disappointed with our planned 3 nights, then extended a day and hit the jackpot with the lights.

 

[OldConch]

Wow. 5 trips between now and the end of May? I love travel, but I'd be exhausted by this schedule.

Have fun!

Couldn't resist the Black Friday specials and trying to make up for a very slow 2020. We try to get away once a month except in the summer when the weather is so nice in Eastern Washington. In 2021 we visited West Palm Beach, Tucson, Palm Springs, Death Valley, Puerto Vallarta, Vegas twice, Juneau UnCruise, Salmon River rafting, Kenai Peninsula, Seattle, Western Caribbean cruise, and a winter trip to Yosemite. Started traveling again in December 2020 with a very nice 2 week trip to the Big Island - prices were cheap and our AirBnB hosts very happy to have us. As a bonus, we were in Hilo when Kilauea erupted and felt the earthquake.


This has actually been a very good time for travel. Hawaii and Juneau were practically empty and our cruise on the Edge was at 850/2900 capacity and at fire sale pricing.

We tested prior to most trips and I got my J&J one-and-done on the Palm Springs trip. We're boosted and practice social distancing and mask when we can't except on planes where we double mask.

Love hearing about other people's travel plans!