Best Vacations

[the_cynic]

What's the absolute best vacation you've ever been on? It can be tropical, rural, or even urban. Post some photos of these places if you can!

Mine would have to include this villa:

this hotel's pools:

and this beach!

[-kj]

Not sure if it counts as a "vacation," but when I was out of full-time work for a while in 2001, I decided I'd round up what money I had and go serious road-tripping. It was quite the adventure, for sure--me, my Taurus, and the "open road." Thankfully, being a long-time Internet geek also means I had cheap places to stay along the way.

I won't bore you with the full-on details, but here are a few notable things that happened:

- Partied in New Orleans over Labour Day weekend

- Car broken into in Dallas

- Visited the federal building memorial in Oklahoma City....

- ...two days before waking up in Phoenix on September 11

- Spent a month in Los Angeles working a temp job on the 13th floor of the Universal tower (started 9/12)

- Took a weekend roadtrip-within-the-roadtrip with a friend from LA to Vegas to see the Sharks and Kings play at the MGM Grand

- Won money in Vegas on the way back home

Two months, over 7,000 miles.

The full list of stops: Iowa City IA, St. Louis MO, Oxford MS, New Orleans LA, Dallas TX, Oklahoma City OK, Albuquerque NM, Phoenix AZ, Los Angeles CA, Las Vegas NV, Salt Lake City UT, Denver CO, Ottawa KS

States traversed: MN, IA, MO, AR, TN, MS*, LA*, TX, OK*, NM*, AZ, CA, NV, UT*, WY*, CO, KS

[* - states I hadn't previously been to]

[habsfannova]

France. France was an absolute paradise for me. The people were great, the artists were in full force, and everybody had a great time with me. I stayed there for about 3 months 4 years ago, and long to go there again. Lyons is a beautiful city.

[mac]

I once spent a week in Sarasota Florida during spring break. For those of you who don't know that is the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds. It was griffey's first year and I was so pumped I had to see the Reds early. They went 4-0 in the games I saw, the hotel we stayed at was really nice and me and my friends were one of two groups there at the time and the other group was a bunch of old women so we got the pool all to ourselves for five days. We went to the beach which was really nice. Hands down est vacation ever.

Little known fact about Sarasota it is the winter home of the Barnum and Bailey's Ringling Brothers Circus. It has a really cool museum with a trapeze and stuff you can go on.

[DEAD!]

I would have to say Indonesia for one month. Longest vacation I ever had. Bali is very nice, but Jakarta is really dirty.

[Waffles]

Gotta say it was going to Hawaii last February.

Kona and the big island are paradise on earth...Honolulu, not so much.

[NJTank]

Its March I have 2 words for ya Spring Training either Arizona or Florida pick ne and drive around to all the team's sites.

[Ez Street]

I loved:

Seattle

Duluth

Niagra Falls, Canada

Toronto

Western Kansas

I Hated:

Los Angeles

I have been to a lot of places, i have so many favorites. In total i've been to 29 States. I loved Canada the two times i have been there. Toronto is the cleanest big city i've ever been to. I felt safe walking in Downtown Toronto. LA SUCKS, i hate that town, not a big fan of Cali.....i'd love to go to San Fran, i heard that NoCal makes up for what SoCal lacks.

[CC97]

I've seen many cities during my travels, but have only stayed in a few for more than one night... including Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Palm Beach, Saint John

My favourite places were Saint John for it's calmness and peacefulness, and South Florida for it's scenery

[CJR]

Alaska. I went to Denali a few years ago and it's just an incredible place. The scale of it all is insane. Pictures don't do it justice, and I don't have any to post anyway 'cause my camera broke while I was there (okay, I broke it, but it's not my fault).

[Phil]

One trip to Florida (as a baby), one to Hawaii (as a 4 year old or so), Canadian East Coast in early elementary school, three trips to Toronto, Paraguay (missionary aunt, uncle, and cousins) in 10th grade. That about sums it up. Never been to or had a desire to go to Europe, Africa, or Asia.

[shiznit1083]

1. Azores Islands - Last summer, I went to the Azores Islands ( a small group of islands belonging to Portugal in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. My parents are from there so we went to visit family. It was absolutely gorgeous. I loved every minute of it. It was such a much more relaxed atmosphere than anywhere in the US.

2 Montreal - I go at least twice a year. I love everything about it. The people (for the most part) are great and polite. It's a great place to have a good time. Stogies on Crescent Street is the best. And watching the Expos for $1 was an awesome experience too.

p.s. While in the Azores I was having Creamer Board withdrawels and while I was at the US Air Force base there I went on one of the computers and checked the boards. The Creamer board is my crack.

[IronChefShark]

i'd love to go to San Fran, i heard that NoCal makes up for what SoCal lacks.

and nobody could tell you that better then I could!

LA is plastic and forced in personality. outside the city limits there isnt much else to see or do. all that surrounds the LA basin is barren, lifeless rock. about all SoCal has going for it is San Diego, which is a much better ambassador to southern california then LA is.

NorCal has San Francisco, which while it as its uh...political quirks and such, is at least a genuine city. Its the one city in California that people actually come visit for THE CITY and not some tourist trap like disneyland. If your thing is pointless, no reason for doing so driving, the I say take highway 29 and highway 37 through Napa and Sonoma Counties. Even the somtimes congested I-280 betweeen San Francisco and San Jose is a very scenic route, at least in between Burlingame and Palo Alto. South of San Jose is scenic land as well on the way to Monterey and Santa Cruz. There on the US 101 is the garlic capital of the world, and the hometown of a certain loser quarterback the 49ers thankfully released....Gilroy.

Heading from San Francisco east on the Bay Bridge (which is I-80) you will pass up the mecca of radical student politics, Berkeley, and once you get past the toilet that is Richmond and the industrial area that is Rodeo (pronounced Ro-Day-oh), are more scenic hills up until you get to Dixon, which is heading into the Central Valley (which Ive touched on before). Mostly farmland up until you get to the State Capital, Sacramento. Maybe stop by the Governors mansion and say whats up to AHHHHNOLD! but whatever you do, dont take I-5 or highway 99 south from Sacramento, unless you want to savor the aroma of cow manure!

From Sacto you can either continue east on the I-80 or take the US 50 and head up to the Sierra Nevada mountains. I-80 takes you through Nevada City, Truckee, and numerous ski resorts up to the Nevada state line and Reno!

US 50 is less congested and a bit more windy, but it takes you through more of the El Dorado forest through the Sierras, and eventually to Lake Tahoe

when you compare NorCal to SoCal, as a whole, NorCal has a lot more going for it from a visitor's standpoint

[IronChefShark]

and places Ive been (just to show Im not confined to NorCal)

Im not counting SoCal sites such as LA, Disneyland, San Diego because technically that is still the same state. Hated LA, outgrew Disneyland, liked San Diego. Thats all Im saying on that.

Denver - was there for Giants vs Rockies. It was about 10 years ago and I imagine I would enjoy the city itself more if I were to go there now. Yes we did drive there from the bay area. Nice drive, going through Reno, most of northern Nevada, Salt Lake City, Cheyenne....saw some beautiful country on that drive

Tijuana - the only time Ive been outside the country...technically. I was 13 at the time and too young to really uh....appreciate it . I do remember some guy trying to sell me some illegal fireworks and knives......that was pretty cool

Las Vegas - been there about two and a half years ago, approx. 10 days after 9-11-01. Thoroughly enjoyed myself! Got to see Sharks vs LA Queens in preseason action as well. Also I might add Ive been to one of the best strip joints Ive ever been to in LV (and SF has some pretty damn good ones too)

Chicago - just been there this past summer, obviously. Got to see my Giants against the Cubs at Wrigley! Everyone who is a baseball fan HAS to go to Wrigley Field someday! I loved Chicago because in a lot of ways it reminded me of San Francisco....Im serious! the two cities are similar in that every ethnic group in the city has really its own part of town, yet the city does not at all seem divided. I got to go through Greektown, Chicago's Chinatown, Wrigleyville,...every neighborhood had its own uniqueness and charm, much how San Franciscos neighborhoods do.

in the future I intend to visit Hawai'i's big island. I have family over there so I have a place to stay for free , New Orleans, Houston, New York City, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Miami. I will get to those places before my time on this planet is up, I guarantee it.

[See Red]

My best vacation has happened only in my mind, sadly. Cancun, Mexico for Spring Break. That's my dream to be achieved next year. But for now, I'm settling for going at the beginning of summer which'll still RAWK.

But all my favorite vacations are too young for me to remember. I guess I liked Florida the best, though.

[zer0dotcom]

The Maritimes and Cabot's Trail are my all time favorites. The scenery on that trail is just outstanding. I wish I could make more trips out East.

I've been camping in the States, but only in Michigan, Maine, some of Minnessota, and of course NY state. The family would never go further than we could drive in the van. It would alwasy be dumb, we'd drive for two weeks around Lake Superior, or out to the coast, and the day we got back, and woke upt he next day, the van would never start...

[CC97]

p.s. While in the Azores I was having Creamer Board withdrawels and while I was at the US Air Force base there I went on one of the computers and checked the boards. The Creamer board is my crack.

Atta boy

[IronChefShark]

While in the Azores I was having Creamer Board withdrawels and while I was at the US Air Force base there I went on one of the computers and checked the boards. The Creamer board is my crack.

I almost did the same thing in Chicago. there was an internet cafe just down the street from my hotel but I resisted. I more or less wanted to check in on how Discrim was running the Miami Dolphins baseball Iron Crossover!

and if he screwed up I would have drove from there to Racine and dropped in on him!

[Breakwood]

well my current favorite vaccation was going to England visiting London, Manchester and Wales.

But im waiting for 3 trips in the next year all with school. In June im going to New Brunswick and PEI for Music Competitions with our Band. In September our football team is going to Michigan to play an exibition game against some high school(we're gonna get killed) then next march I'm going to France for a week and a half for french class.

[CJR]

In September our football team is going to Michigan to play an exibition game against some high school(we're gonna get killed)

Where in Michigan and what school?