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VACATION ? ?
Let's talk vacations, old and new.
Record numbers of Americans are staying home this summer.
Fewer plan travel over 4th of July (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2008018605_traaa26.html)
What are you planning to do this summer?
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Nat King Cole - Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer (http://www.last.fm/music/Nat+King+Cole/_/Those+Lazy%2C+Hazy%2C+Crazy+Days+of+Summer)
What was your favorite summer vacation as a child??
What was your favorite vacation you took with your children? Why?
What would be your fantasy vacation as an adult??
What are some ideas for those not traveling this summer?
What makes us plan a vacation?
What was the worst vacation you ever had?
Contact: Ann (ADOANNIE35@YAHOO.COM)
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Welcome to all
Who open this page
And thanks to all who participate
In this discussion for
The next two weeks.
Just for the fun of it,
We can tell our tales
Of vacations gone by
But not forgotten
What we want to do this summer
Or maybe one of us
Has a fantasy vacation
That can be shared.
Come join us and see
If you get an idea for
A vacation or want
To tell of your summer fun!
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Hi!
My most memorable vacation was my second trip to Russia. We took a river boat cruise from St. Petersburg down to Moscow. When we arrived at Moscow, I got sick and was disagnosed with appendiicitis. Had an appendectomy in a Moscow hospital. Shouldn't complain, I guess, as the doctor there probably saved my life and they did not charge me anything, but you never want to be in a Russian Hospital. Not the cleanest for sure, everyone smoked including the doctors, food was awful, bathrooms looked like those on skid row. Great trip up till then, tho', but glad to get home.
Marj
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Nice idea! Just marking this to post later!
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Marfay,
What a good memory and a bad memory! My gosh, were you afraid you might get an infection while in the hospital???
What I want to know is if your trip down to Moscow by boat was pleasant and beautiful. What river did you travel?? Are there mountains in that area? Could you see the vacation homes that the Russian people build? Did you stop along the way, in historical places?? Does Russia have scenic parks on their rivers??
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HAPPY CANADA DAY TO ALL CANADIANS
Ann, thank you for opening this discussion, I think it will be a huge success.
I guess I wouldn't want to ever go to a Russian hospital but last year I went to St. Petersburg on a Baltic Sea cruise. Except for the Hermitage and splendid monuments the city was bleak and it was the only port on the Baltic that looked like it had been through the war. They will have a hard time coming out of the ex Communist regime to become a vibrant Democracy.
This year for the first time ever I will be going on two trips. I will be joining my family who will be on vacation on Prince Edward Island from 17th to 14 July. It will be my third time there but every time I went before, it rained. My daughter and her family have gone there every year for the past 6 years and they just love it. They will be driving from Montreal but I will fly, it's only an hour and a half away by air but they will be driving 14 hours to go there.
The second trip will be to Switzerland from 14th Sept. to 5th October to visit my son who lives there. I know they are planning a 3 day trip to celebrate their wedding anniversary on 30th of September and they mentioned Paris. I am very excited about this trip because I always feel it will be my last one.
Some people will come for a vacation here in Montreal and they will enjoy the sites right here. I love it in the summer and I usually travel only in the winter, but this time it will be different.
Keep well everybody and make plans, it helps.
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We have an rv and so I guess vacation whenever we get a chance. We also do some driving trips, traintrips and try to go to Europe each year for river trips..
We are in the rv just now exploring upstate New York. For so many years, my husband traveled for his job and I stayed home, raised kids, worked, etc. Now we can both see what we want.. I grew up in a family that never ever took vacations. We did not do much when the boys were young.. A few trips to the shore..No money..but we did enjoy the little we did.
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Yes, Annie, I did get an infection at the site of my incision. When I saw my doctor after returning from Moscow, he called in all his nurses to look at my wound, and told them he wanted them to see what a real infection smelled like! (Yuk)
But the trip along the Volga was great. We could look out our window at 11 at night and it was just twilight. There were lovely wooded hills all along the way, and every now and then one of those onion bulb church spires would peek over a hill. We stopped at many little towns and villages along the way.
I don't remember seeing vacation houses as such, but there were houses and people working in their gardens along the way. One man in our group who was originally from Russia went to see a friend at one of our stops. He said the family apologized for the dinner they offered him because they only had potatoes from their garden to eat. People were really hurting for money at the time (early 1990s), and professional people (college professors) were only making about $35 a month. One professor lectured on our ship to supplement his meager income.
Can't remember the name of the tour company. The tour was very economical, but the food, altho' good, was very monotonous. We had succotash (beans and corn) as the vegetable every single night! Other than that, I can recommend the tour.
Eloise, I loved St. Petersburg, but everything looked as if it really needed a good coat of paint. I loved the colors of their buildings and churches. I envy your going to Switzerland. I hope you get to France.
I liked Southern France the best -- the people there were very warm, unlike what you often hear of French people.
Marj
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My best vacation was in the midst of the depression--1935 when a bunch of NYC kids--daughters of Macy's employees--were sent for a week in the country. From endless concrete and 5-story tenements to God's own heavenly country! We had all the fun and life-changing enrichment that the founders of this endeavor had hoped and when we were all in the bus and starting to roll home every girl in that bus was bawling her heart out.
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Marj, we did the river trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow 3-4 years ago - although without the excitement of a hospital stay and surgery. ::). It was a great trip, but we wouldn't recommend the tour company we went with. The boats are owned by a Russian company and leased out to various tour companies. Almost every company offers this trip. I'd recommend the trip, in any case.
Our most memorable trip has to be our Elderhostel to Antarctica. We did this over Christmas and New Year's in 1996. It was an incredible opportunity and spectacular scenery.
We're headed out Saturday for our week at the beach with family and friends. We go to the Gulf coast near Gulf Shores, AL. We've been going to this area almost ever summer since 1981. Currently we rent both sides of a duplex, which suits our large group very well. This has been "our" house since it was built about 7-8 years ago.
We'll be gone almost the whole month of September. First we're going with another couple on a rental boat on the Erie Canal for a week. Then we'll go on by ourselves to an Elderhostel on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. Heading back south, we'll do another Elderhostel on the bounty of Chesapeake Bay on the eastern shore of Maryland.
Who knows what other trouble we'll get in to? ::)
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Sounds like you're going to have a fun summer, MaryZ. I loved the southern states I've visited, especially Mississippi and Louisiana. Never been to Alabama. I've only visited the south during November & December when the weather was cool. A friend and I went to Mississippi to visit a Civil War site where her great, great uncle had fought. She had letters he'd sent home. The visitor's bureau was so nice there and helped us find the site.
Marj
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Marj, I wouldn't be here in the summer if I didn't live here. :D I still have family in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and I only visit there in January or February. I grew up in Houston, but I definitely prefer the "upper South".
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One of our best vacations was a self-planned trip to England where we spent a week in London in our own apartment while traveling all over that wonderful city by the metro or subway. The weather was absolutely perfect and we spent some days just wandering through parks full of blooming flowers and along the walk paths lined with trees.
After enjoying the week in the city, we were chauffeured down to Dorset where we stayed in a truly old home of a delightful couple who provided us with a suite overlooking their rose garden, three meals a day and tours of anywhere we wanted to go. The couple have stayed in touch with us over the years and have added on to their B&B, so that more folks can enjoy their faire. They have their own web site and their plans for their guests are always delightful!
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Steph, we didn't vacation when I was a kid either, except for trips to the local lakes and parks. We grew up in an area of a lot of lakes (east central Wisconsin) and didn't have to go far for fun. My husband traveled a lot during his working days, so we didn't go far either. A few years ago we spent a lot of time in Washington DC, taking each of our 3 adult children at different times.
I think the 4 days I spent in DC with my daughter was my most recent fun summer trip. July in Washington! it was hot, but not unreasonable, and we were able to be out and about, walking on the mall, until late because the days were still long. The Washington monument seen from the Lincoln Memorial - beautiful. We ate at an outdoor fish market, relaxed at outdoor restaurants, visited museums during the hot part of the day. It was a great trip. We stayed at a condo apartment in Foggy Bottom, so we were close to everything we needed and wanted.
This summer will be spent at home, but again, we live in a tourist area and there are many activities.
N
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Annie, I wish I could re-visit England. I loved it too. The transportation system in London is wonderful! Except one day we were walking near Buckingham Palace and debating whether to get a taxi or take a bus back to our hotel. I asked one of the Guards at the palace if he knew how often the bus went by. He drew himself up and with much disdain said: Madam, I am an employee of Her Majesty, the Queen -- NOT the bus company. We took a taxi.
I remember spending a whole day by myself at the British Museum, and loving it, while my friends spent the day shopping at Harrods. Shopping I can do at home (except I hate to shop).
Marj
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Marj,
Our apartment was two blocks from Harrods so we did go to there to see the food hall where we purchased our lunch and ate in Hyde Park while enjoying a band concert. We were then charged for the chairs we used but hey, we were in London and we didn't mind. The transportation union was on strike that day so walking was the way to go anywhere. We were a block from the park and several museums, the V&A, plus the science museum and the natural history museum.
We spent a lovely day in the British Museum also, viewing the Rosetta Stone, the Magna Carta and the Elgin Marbles plus a Chinese and Egyptian exhibit.
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I love Harrods for lunch. It is one of our very favorites when we are in London.
We have to walk all the way through and see what each hall has before we finally bargain with each other as to where we want to sit and eat. Oh my, you made me wish I was there. Upstate New York in the rv when it keeps raining is getting both of us down..
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When I moved to Oregon at the time of my retirement I felt like i was living in a vacation spot. After nearly 5 years it still feels like living in a vacation spot! One vacation when the children were smaller we decided to "do" San Francisco as if we were touritst. To heighten the feeling we went camping in a San Mateo County campground above the coast near Pescadero. We set up camp one weekend; then my DH went back home to work one more week. While he was gone we toured that portion of the coast, found a lovely beach park, Arroyo de los Frijoles (Bean Hollow Beach). Went there most days. Then when my husband returned, we started our SF touring. Usually a trip to The City was to a particular destination: the zoo, a baseball game, etc. This time we sent to the Exploratorium, a play, can't remember what else we did. All my life I loved going to SF and had hoped to live there for a year or two. Never had enough of it. This week satisfied much of my hunger for The City.
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I, too, love SF but was only there for 10 days back in the early 70's when my husband was working at the NASA down near, Moffat AFB, for two years. We had a blast while I was there. I also was able to see an old friend who lived out near Stanford and we spent the day in SF down at the wharf mostly.
Sometime in the late 70's we took our youngest son and drove down the coast to San Diego from the upper northern reaches of CA for two weeks. Just love that state for driving along the coast. Never went inland on that trip. Imagine our thrill at getting to live in southen CA later for four years.
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The oregon coast is more spectacular than California's coast. Look at these pix: http://images.google.com/images?q=scenic%20oregon%20coast&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GPEA_enUS302&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi For more info see: http://www.scenic-oregon-coast.com/
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vacation?? what is that
where I live people come for their vacation southern CA
my husband taught the sixth grade in Los Angeles schools except in the summer when he did not work other than playground superviser which didn't pay much so we went camping. we were not paid in the summer either, so it was economical to do this initially with sleeping bags and a nine by nine umbrella tent with two cots so that the kids could sleep on the lower level partly under them etc. you get the picture. the gas stove and lantern and sometimes with other families.
I remember the time in the high sieras when I left the site to find the bathroom and coming back noticed that all the cars had their lights on. I thought how nice I can see better and then I did . . .see better the big rear end of a bear with the other end in the garbage can right where I had to pass. I did so very quickly and my friends were laughing at me. not a funny matter. I was scared.
we locked our food in the cars and I slept in the station wagon that night right next to a couple of garbage cans which attracted their usual visitors during the night. well, it was an exciting summer vation in all sorts of ways.
claire
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Hello from the beach! Gulf Shores, AL - just east of the mouth of Mobile Bay. We've had lovely hot weather and great water. Today has been stormy, so no swimming. I do love to watch the storms over the water (as long as they aren't tornadoes or hurricanes). Some have gone antique-ing, others are reading or "checking their eyelids for leaks". I'm getting onto the computer.
We've already made our reservations for next summer. And John and I are checking into the possibilities for a small house on the water for a week this winter. ::)
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I did like the Oregon coast when we explored in May.Will try and go back sometime since we missed a lot of Portland and wanted to see it.
I also have never been to San Diego and have it on my must see list.
We are in Cooperstown, NY in the rv.. Lovely town, but we passed through another New York town that I want to go back and see. Cazanovia.. Wow.. it was really great looking. I put it down on the next trip up here in the rv.
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My son and I just got back from a drive up to Monterey and Salinas, CA. Stopped at Salinas to go thru' the John Steinbeck center which was really interesting. Now I want to re-read his book TRAVELS WITH CHARLIE which I read long ago and loved. My favorite book of his is EAST OF EDEN.
Saw the giant artichoke at Castroville, the Artichoke Capital of the World. They call the area around there the Salad Basket of the Country.
Have never traveled along the Oregon coast, but coming back home, the California coast was lovely.
Marj
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Steph,
I love Cazenovia, New York!! Theron and I came through there one winter afternoon when it was snowing. It was absolutely beautiful with the snow falling. I just loved it.
I also enjoyed the beauty of the Oregon Coast last year. It is really gorgeous scenery.
Hi MaryZ. I am sure that you are enjoying beautiful Gulf Shores, Alabama.
My only trip for this summer has already taken place. It was to Charleston, SC for my grandson's high school graduation. I stayed on Seabrook Island where my son lives. It is in the greater Charleston area. There is a beautiful beach there with all kinds of interesting birds.I really enjoy photographing birds. So I had lots of fun snapping pics of birds.
I will be going to Chicago in September for an Elderhostel at the Art Institute. I am looking forward to that trip.
Joan Grimes
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Joan, We were so briefly in Chicago on our plane-train voyage out of Chicago. We have decided to go back and enjoy the city a bit more. It looks like alovely town with a lot to do and the museums are all together which certainly helps visiters.
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My best recent vacation was ten days in Merida, Mexico, at a language school. I lived with the most warm, wonderful Mexican family; took my bus by myself to school each morning; explored the city in the afternoon, and finished with a bus ride to Cancun to meet my husband for ten days on Isla Mueres, our favorite winter getaway.
I did not become completely fluent in Spanish in that short time but I learned a lot. The cultural excursions were the best! Not just the famous ruins at Chichen Itza, but visits to tiny Mayan villages. Merida is a big crowded city with a lovely hitorical center and on Sundays they close it off to car traffic, and there are open air performances everywhere. On one Sunday I saw: a junior high age dance troop doing traditional jarana, the Mayan folk dance; an adorable group of tiny kids costumed as vegetables in a play about eating your veggies; a marimba concert in a hotel courtyard that had everybody up and dancing from kids to grandparents; a classical music concert in a baroque colonial opera house; and a ballroom dance session in a park with a great band from Cuba. and that was just one day. I have been back twice for short visits to my Mexican family and it is like going to a second home. Viva Mexico!
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Mexico is not on my list. Not its fault, but when my husband was still working, we did several seminars in Mexico.. The tourist oriented places are horrible.. Lots of pushing and shoving and smells.. I am sure where you were sounds quite lovely.
Almost any place is interesting... I would like to go on one of the ships to the south pole, but have a husband going...NO NO NO>
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OH, JoanG, I love Cazenovia,too. Driving to our granddaughter's college town of Hamilton,NY which housed Colgate U, we always wanted to stop there and stay in one of those B&B's on the lake. Did you and Theron ever stop???
Believe it or not, we are traveling to Detroit, MI, to visit Greenfield Village and The Ford Museum while stay at the Dearborn Inn for a couple of nights. This will be Ralph's first trip out of the city and we have to lug his life preserving machine plus extra batteries plus the supplies for him to change his perc site. We will see how it goes before we try anyplace more distant from home. I guess I better do the laundry, do ya' think???
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We're back home after a great week at the beach. We're talking about going back by ourselves for a week in the winter. We just wish it weren't such a long drive (7.5-8 hours).
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It's lovely to get away for awhile and enjoy yourself, isn't it MaryZ?
Speaking of long drives (not 8 hours tho'), my friend and I have two favorite restaurants which we visit every so often -- each is about a 300 mile round trip. One is north of Santa Barbara, CA at Lake Cachuma state park where a little restaurant that's been there forever serves grilled cheeseburgers (huge buns with grilled onions, blue cheese, etc) that are to die for. The other is in Boron, CA (20 mule team borax town), where the Domingo's Mexican restaurant's food and margaritas are what you believe would only be served in heaven!
Their flan desserts are served with a big mound of whipped cream, drizzled with a little chocolate syrup and topped with a marischino cherry!
Today we're going to drive up the coast to Oxnard for lunch where it's only going to be 73 degrees vs. 87 here in Anaheim.
Marj
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Thats funny. I thought we were the only ones. We have a long list of places that we have been and adored a restaurant. We always make a point to revisit them whenever we are in the area. The Angus Barn in Raleigh,NC is a good example. An old tried and true favorite of ours. Beautiful building.. wonderful food.. etc. Actually I love that area as well..
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Hello, there. As several people have mentioned England, and one Dorset, it has prompted me to post here.
I live in Dorset, England, though I was born in Wales and Welsh is my first language.
In 1949 my best friend and I visited London and stayed with our war-time evacuees. We had a great time even though we had to count our pennies and I still recall some of the "adventures" we had.
I remember being bought coffee by medical students from Guy's Hospital ; bumping into someone I had met only once at the 1948 Festival of Britain when I was at one of the underground stations. (I wouldn't believe that was co-incidence in a TV drama!).
Just outside Hammersmith Underground station my friend was told by a girl that it was her pitch! Amanda took some to realise what the girl meant and she was most indignant. "But I was wearing my Hebe Sports costume" she kept telling me. The suit was an expensive one and looked really classy so I could understand her indignation but I kept laughing all day!
On an underground platform we were arguing , in Welsh, about which way we needed to go. A passing railway chappie overheard us, asked what the problem was, and said we were on the wrong platform. "Follow me", he said, and we did! He led us through a tiny door down some stairs under the rails (!) and we were escorted to the correct side. Can you imagine us doing that these days? God is said to look after fools and drunks. Well we weren't drunk!
We visited Harrods, Fortnum and Mason and other posh places for coffee and afternoon tea. We pinched the sugar lumps to sustain our rambles round London. we visited sumptuous "Ladies" and freshened up with expensive soaps, talcs, and tiny sample bottles of fragrances.
We went to the British Museum, opened doors we probably shouldn't have and found ourselves following two white-haired gentlemen who had two rather large men with them. The latter started to tell us that we should not be there and the former stopped them, so for the rest of our tour we listened to the experts talking about the exhibits. I don't know who they were but they knew their stuff!
We visited Soho, Archer Street where musicians waited for jobs, had a glance at the Windmill Theatre which still boasted that it had never closed during the bombing of London, Club Row where we wanted to buy every puppy and kitten we saw for sale., Petticoat Lane where we eyed merchandise which probably had fallen off the back of a lorry!
We saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, the enormous kitchens at Hampton Court, Henry VIII's massive suit of armour, Kew Gardens, the British Library, as well as some of the London shows., danced to "In the Mood" (Joe Loss) at Hammersmith Palais.
It all seems so unexciting, doesn't it, but we thought it was wonderful after war-time austerity.
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Doesnt sound ordinary to me.. Sounds like heaven on earth. I do love London.. Even now when it is way too crowded and very muslim in many areas.. Talk about not being comfortable walking down the street. Our hotel was in a very muslim area and just walking the few blocks to Oxford Street, I was often one of the few women walking down the street in normal clothes. Will never ever stay in that Hilton again.
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Maryemm,
Loved your description of London at that time. Like Stephanie, I love London but it has been several years since I was last there. I used to go there at least once a year. I probably will never see it again but I sure wish that I could.
Thanks for your wonderful description .
Joan Grimes
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Yes, London has changed. One has to be politically correct these days but I do believe that "newcomers" should be made to abide by the laws of our country.
Our ex-evacuee lives in Hammersmith and has seen so many changes. The market stalls are np longer staffed by the "boys" she grew up with. They were characters and when I was introduced to one he insisted on giving me a lovely china mug as he had been an evacuee in Wales and loved it there.
I don't visit my friend any longer as she now lives on the ninth floor and I don't like heights. She visits us about three times a year instead.The sunny South, though it is anything but these days, holds more appeal.
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I get so weary of politically correct. I dont go to muslim countries as a tourist and I hated it in London, when I get stared at and nudged by males who were not anyone that I wanted to meet. That street was truly awful. Full of outside shack type canvas and sort of a bazaar atmosphere. I will go back to London, but will make sure I stay in a different area. I just have always loved the Oxford area and the park and the marble Arch.. Will stay over some near harrods from now on..
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Steph., I read your postings over the phone to my friend when she phoned today and she agreed with you. She said she didn't like walking in "ordinary clothes" in certain areas. I don't see why one should have to put up with this. It isn't as if we dress like lap dancers!!!! My friend and I are old! ::)
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Yes, we were in Cairo years ago and I understood there that I was the stranger and accepted it, although I would never walk by myself at night anywhere in Cairo. But London, I was shocked.We have friends in suburbs and they say they seldom go to London any more.. Just for shows occasionally and they can take the train to get there.
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I am reading the few last posts and I wonder why I didn't feel so out of place last year when my sister and I when on a cruise on the Baltic sea. The last 4 days were spent in London where our ship berthed and we stayed in a nice little hotel near the center, took the bus everywhere we wanted to go, I remember it was # 15 bus and it took us back to our hotel after the day. We visited among other things Westminster Abby, St. Paul's Cathedral and shopped around Piccadilly, ate at an Italian restaurant and took a short tour on the Thames.
Never had one bad encounter during the 4 days were were there, loved every minute. Unfortunately we couldn't go outside of London, two little old ladies on their own taking the tube and England's fabulous trains was too risky. But I worked in England some years back and seen all of England from top to bottom, east and west.
Maryemm, I was in Wales back in 1975 with my daughter, what lovely country that is, we still talk about it. She met the most handsome Welshman policeman who wrote to her for years but we stayed in Tenby only two days then moved north and stopped along the way at different towns at B & Bs as far as Inverness Scotland, visited The Isle of Skye, she climbed Ben Nevis. What memories these are.
I am leaving for Prince Edward Island on Friday for a week to join my family who are already there. I hope to get wet on the beach provided it it warm enough for me. I can't wait because I haven't been at the beach for years.
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VACATION ? ?
Let's talk vacations, old and new.
Record numbers of Americans are staying home this summer.
Fewer plan travel over 4th of July (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2008018605_traaa26.html)
What are you planning to do this summer?
| (http://seniorlearn.org/bookclubs/graphics/picnic200.jpg)
|
Nat King Cole - Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer (http://www.last.fm/music/Nat+King+Cole/_/Those+Lazy%2C+Hazy%2C+Crazy+Days+of+Summer)
What was your favorite summer vacation as a child??
What was your favorite vacation you took with your children? Why?
What would be your fantasy vacation as an adult??
What are some ideas for those not traveling this summer?
What makes us plan a vacation?
What was the worst vacation you ever had?
Contact: Ann (ADOANNIE35@YAHOO.COM)
Well, this summer so far has been a staycation for me. My small patio with umbrella table and plastic chairs, lots of books and my iPod full of Chopin, With my failing eyesight, reading in bright daylight is a delight. And much as I hated getting hearing aids, I can hear bird songs loud and clear, especially at twilight. I have two tomato plants to watch and a new Knockout rose bush that has been terrific. Still dream of travel, but i may have to settle for Cape Cod beach and the Boston Symphony summer conerts in the Berkshires. If I were to go anywhere it would be back to Ireland or to Andalusia. Only thing in the way is that long plane ride!
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A lot of London is just the same and wonderful. Our problem was we stayed at a Hilton ( odd for us) and it was in the section of London which has turned heavily arabic.. Other areas are wonderful.. We do buses, the tube and trains in England. They all work well, on time and I love them.
But then we do trains everywhere.
I agree about Wales.Several years ago, we did a southern England tour .. Then did some Wales.. What a beautiful place..Haunting..
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What a treat, reading about all of your vacations! It brought up many fun memories of vacations I have taken. After my husband died, four of us who were widows, rented a beach house on the North Coast of California. We rented the house twice a year. We spent our time exploring, playing bridge, and trying out restaurant. We had a wonderful time, each time we did that. I discovered a little town, called Mendocino. I would love to live there, except there is no hospital in that area.
My husband and I used to spend a week each year in Encinada, Mexico. More great memories! We were living in Sacramento, CA., and had grandparents in So. CA. So, they kept their grandchildren, and we had a week to ourselves.
Two of my vacations were in Europe. My son and his wife, worked for the US government, at Ramstein, AFB. I spent a month there with them, and my two grandchildren. We took a weeks vacation at Garmich. We took a train from their home in Brochmuhlbach. We rented a car and driver, and toured the entire area. It is beautiful there.
I went again, two years later, and took my adult daughter, and my adult granddaughter. We took a few days and spent a week in Rothenberg. Most of the buildings in ther town, were built in the 1400s. It began as a walled city, and the wall encircling the town, is still intact. Then we flew to London. Again we hired a car and driver, and toured. We spent almost an entire day shopping in Harrods. During our tour, I asked the driver to please take us to 84 Charing Cross Road. A movie by that name is one of my favorites. I have seen it numerous times. I was sooooooooo disappointed as the book store was no longer in business. Instead, it is now a pizza shop.
Next, we went to Dublin, Ireland. Again, we rented a car and driver, and explored the area in, and around the city. We visited Trinity College, and the young people went pub hopping a couple of nights, while the youngest two, and I, were satisfied with room service and TV. I have never been as cold in my life, as I was, both times in London. Brrrrrrr
We also spent time in Nurmburg, Salzburg, and Vienna. Of all the places we visited, Salzburg was my favorite. During both trips to Europe, one of my favorite things to do, was shop at the outdoor, Christkindlemart. Blocks and blocks of stalls, decorated for Christmas. It was like a county fair. Both times it snowed lightly. It was magical.
This year my only plans are to go to San Francisco, for a few days, with my adult daughter. We both love the city. We plan to go the end of August. We are going to splurge and stay at the Ritz Carlton. SF is only 80 miles west of where I live. I want to take another ride on the cable cars. Get lots of fresh seafood at the wharf. My idea of a vacation is staying in a nice hotel, and enjoying room service. Give me a good book, and I am content.
Sheila
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We are now in Lebanon ,Pa and will do a bit of exploring here. We stayed in Lancaster a few years ago in the rv and thoroughl enjoyed ourselves.Thought we would try a bit further west and see how that goes. Then on Sunday down to the Shenendoah Valley in Va.
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Steph, the Shenandoah Valley is SO lovely! I know you'll enjoy it. We did find that I-81 through PA, MD, and northern VA is in terrible condition. It's so heavily traveled, and the trucks have beaten the pavement to pieces.
West of I-81 on I-77 in Beckley, WVa, is the Tamarack Arts Center that houses an incredible array of arts and crafts by West Virginians. Good food, too. It's definitely worth a stop if you're interested in going in that direction.
I can also recommend the campground at Douthat State Park, Virginia, a little west of I-81 and north of I-64. There's a good restaurant there, too, with some good crafts shops and food at the nearby town of Clifton Forge.
Are you going to get through Chattanooga? If you are, e-mail me, and we'll see if we can meet you somewhere.
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Eloise : I know Tenby quite well. and as for that handsome policeman..............I had lots of first cousins who were really good-looking males and so I was popular with the girls as a result : they wanted introductions!
One of them, now in his 70's was abroad some years ago and was annoyed to be the subject of attention of two groups nearby. He ignored them but the next morning one of them came up to him and said, "I am so sorry we stared at you last night, but you are Sean Connery, aren't you?".
My cousin, who always was a joker, raised one eyebrow, and, in a passable Scottish accent drawled, "How did you guess!"
I miss the mountains of South Wales. They are not on a par with those of North Wales but I could see the former from my old home and i loved them. I was always brought up to treat the mountains "with respect," as fog or snow meant possible trouble.
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No, no Chattanooga this time.. Probably later in the year or early spring, we will be going that way. We will go down 77, but then veer off, myhusband has a cousin in Anderson,SC. We will stay there a few days at a nearby park to visit, then we cut down through Athens and Macon, GA to get on 75.. then it is a straight shot home. We want to be home on the 26th. We hated Beckley, but it was because of the campground. Way up in the hills, mostly all full time residents. Small slots, ugh..A road that gave me nightmares. I wanted to go to Tamarack, but once in and once out on that road was enough for me..
Am looking forward to the Valley however.. We always seem to have missed stopping there. Loved the Iron Foundry in Cornwall, Pa. Beautfiful.. In operations from 1743 to 1883... Charcoal type. Really fun, very low key
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Hope you have a good trip, Steph. We'll have to see you next time. ;) Our oldest daughter lives just south of Anderson - between Abbeville and Due West. (Love those small town names.)
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I've not posted here, but it surely has been a pleasure to read about the various trips made throughout the USA and globally. I was born in Los Angeles and lived in San Francisco, so really appreciate the South and North of that great State. I've also lived in Portland, OR as a youngster and through first year of high school, returning to a suburb of Los Angeles. In the late '40 - early '50's, our family lived in Michigan. As an adult, I've lived in Montana, Maryland, the Washington DC area - the latter since 1966 - China and Iran. Now I reside in NC, about 20 miles NE of Charlotte.
London is indeed a wonderful city in Europe. I'm truly sorry that several of you were uncomfortable in the "Arabic" section of the city. People from many countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa have immigrated to England, especially London, during the past decades and, in many cases, those from rural (and often uneducated) back grounds are simply not accustomed to Western clothing customs, language interchanges (joking, descriptions of tourist sites, and public mannerisms).
As many of the posters on our wonderful new SeniorLearn site know, my husband is an Egyptian professor of Humanities. He has traveled extensively in Europe, pursued his Ph.D. at a British university, and has remained in touch with many of his longtime friends. And although I am a native Californian, I've also lived in the Middle East, served as the Cultural Liaison Officer at the Egyptian Bureau in Washington DC and had many Arabic-speaking students in my classes at the University of Maryland, as well as during summer classes which I taught at American University, George Washington and Georgetown University in Washington DC. Thus, my comfort level and experience with an array of cultural behavior among Arabic-speaking people is somewhat different.
Although I experienced similar "discomfort" in China during a visiting professorship there, until I let it be known - publicly and in a VERY direct way - that I was not going to be the focus of general discussion everytime I stepped outside my door. I traveled to the Western areas of the country, interacted with the Uighurs near Urumqi, where I had an opportunity to use a few words of my VERY basic Turkish and Chinese. Actually, I had more cultural problems with the Han Chinese officials than I did with the rural tribesmen in/near Urumqi!
I remember the earlier posts RE travel in the former SN site and have always enjoyed the experiences which were shared with all of us there. ELOISE, I recall one of the BASHES you helped to arrange in Canada. JOAN - I definitely recall some of the trips you and your wonderful Theron made and shared with us when you returned home.
Since relocating to the Southern region of the USA in the Summer of 2004 to help my son prepare his house for sale before his deployment to Iraq, I've learned to better understand the customs and culture of the American South. They are ENORMOUSLY different (in speech and behaviour) than any I've experienced throughout my lifetime. But it's another opportunity to learn and share some of my own multicultural experiences.
Keep traveling, Friends, and be sure to continue to bring home wonderful stories about your experiences to share with all of us.
Mahlia
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I must agree with Sheila and Mahlia, it's been a real pleasure to read about so many delightful vacations. Steph, I do hope you get to Tamarack sometime. I used to stop there for a trout lunch, when on my way to visit my Charlottesville daughter, now in NY. As for the Shenadoahs, a few years back my daughter and her partner took me to Graves Mountain, which offers cabins, a lodge, and the biggest seafood buffet you can imagine.
Sheila, your beach house vacations with your friends, playing bridge, trying out new restaurants, sound like true vacations. One of the best vacations I had was with SeniorNet Books when we rented a beach house on Isle of Palms. There were 17 of us. We had free time, we played games, we found restautants and also had lots of good food cooked by Eloise and Anna.
Like Sheila, I want a good book on my vacation. I think an ideal vacation would be to be by a swimming pool and lovely gardens (for walking), to have a stack of books (and a shady place to read them) DVDs and a large screen to view them on, and restaurants with good food and lots of choices. I like exploring, but no schedules please.
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Vacations are such individual things. We explore the small areas in the rv and the national parks, which are a joy. Presidents houses and libraries, all of the small town pleasures. Then usually one time a year, we fly or drive to a city, stay in the heart of it and walk everywhere. That too is a joy in different ways.. We also love to take classes and do so whenever we find something that interests us.
Mahlia.. I remember all of your good advice when I went to Egypt some years ago. Tried very hard to follow it and wore long sleeves and dresses.. Loved the sights of Egypt. I got quite ill there, turned out to be shingles, but the doctor there thought I had been bitten by a spider and really scared me . But I still loved the temples and tombs and museums. Did not like the constant pushing and pulling at the tourist sites. I know they have to make a living, but I dislike being touched by strangers, which made it hard for me. I also did not understand after the long haggling, why they then said.. NOW what are you going to give me as a gift.. Caused me a lot of confusion and them.. well they lost a sale completely.
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Much as I hate to do this, I am ending this discussion for CM's. This has been quite a nice ride with all sorts of ideas coming from each of your posts. Wish we could continue but I am involved in two books plus all of the other places to visit on SL plus S&F's. Thanks to everyone who posted here and have a nice summer and fall.