GTKY: Vacations

KMD1106

I'm bored at work and tried to come up with an interesting GTKY. I'm not that creative, so this is all I've got.

Where is the best place you've ever gone on vacation? Are you a regular vacationer or just once in awhile? 

Kipperoo

Fun! I hesitate to call this "the best vacation I've ever been on", but most recently DH and I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and we were pleasantly surprised with how much we loved it! Maybe the love stemmed from the fact that we were there sans toddler for a whole week (!!) and we were just about to kick off trying for this baby, so I was still drinking, haha...but what we loved about it was: cheap (we stayed off resort half the time and LOVED it--if we ever go back, we will not stay at an all inclusive resort), fantastic food and drinks, totally walkable (and safe) downtown, lots to see/do, pretty beaches, nice weather. I like beach vacations with other things to see--I get bored just sitting at a pool or beach. Puerto Vallarta was perfect for that!

ETA: We used to vacation a lot more than we do now with the toddler. I just honestly HATE traveling with him and avoid it at all costs. I'm hoping to start traveling more again once this baby en route gets a little older. 

starphish18

My favorite vacation was our honeymoon in Placencia. It's a small, narrow peninsula on the east coast of Belize. It was the perfect secluded beach vacation! We stayed in a room that was built right on the beach, about 50 ft from the water (it even had AC!). You could walk the whole lower peninsula, which we did daily, to get everywhere. There were lots of restaurants, a few gift stores, and activities like snorkeling, kayaking, boat rentals to the islands, bus trips to ruins, etc. Supposedly, you can see manatees between the peninsula and mainland Belize, but we never did. Another plus is that everyone speaks English and you can use American currency. Long story short, best fish sandwich I've ever had, lobster the price of chicken, sun-warmed mango every day, and a hammock on the deck of our room. Such a great vacation. We don't vacation often, but when we do, we look for deals. The most expensive part of this trip was the airfare.

nda_roxybabe

Growing up we'd go on vacation every year to either Hawaii, Mexico, or a cruise. When you live in Alaska and the winter drags and drags, you just kind of need to get away.

H and I now travel a bit, we do a vacation most years. Either back home to Alaska (not technically vacation) or we've done a cruise to the Bahamas, NYC, San Francisco... We got married in Ireland and recently did a belated honeymoon to Bali.
My favorite vacations ever have been: Royal Caribbean Cruise to the Caribbean, Ireland for our wedding, and NYC last December, and girls trip to Nashville.

We plan to still vacation with baby. We're thinking Hawaii or Atlantis in the next year or 2.  

mcvgal

I love the beach, Ixtapa Mexico is my favorite. I can't wait to one day take the entire family.

RainyDays86

@starphish18 my husband and I did our honeymoon in Placencia too! It is such a cool place! I would love to go back, although I have a feeling a lot would have changed since when we were there (December 2011) everything was either for sale or in the process of being developed.

I love to travel and pre-kid we traveled a ton. I studied abroad in Morocco and while it wasn't quite a vacation (I stayed with a host family in a three room house with seven people and a bathroom that was literally just a hole in the ground for a toilet and a shower head above it - you put a board down over the toilet when you showered) it was one of my absolute favorite travel experiences. I loved traveling the whole country and seeing everything from the mountains to the north and the Sahara in the south.

Most recently H and I traveled to an all-inclusive resort in SW Colorado that was amazing. It was an old mining town and we stayed in cabins in the most beautiful setting imaginable. Like @Kipperoo  we were sans toddler for the first time ever and it was pre-pregnancy so that definitely added to the appeal.

Kipperoo

Plancecia sounds lovely! I'm adding that to my list to check out sometime in the future...

I should have noted that we still do vacation quite a bit with the toddler, but we do a lot of local (non-flight) trips and I don't find our family trips nearly as relaxing or enjoyable as our couple trips are. :-)  We are in Boston so there are a ton of places we can vacation within a few hours of home. One really great recommendation for anyone who happens to live in this neck of the woods and is looking for a family vacation spot is the Inn at East Hill Farms in NH. It's basically an all-inclusive, super family friendly, farm resort. We LOVE it there. 

NotAPlaya-JustCrushAlot

H and I honeymooned in Puerto Rico.  I loved it there and would like to get back.  Right before getting pregnant w/ DD, my BF got married in Hawaii.  She lived there so it was a little different than a destination wedding.  I had so many friends that went.  We had so many options of what to do with whom and my friend knew all the cool local spots.  Without a wedding bringing everyone together, it's hard to get the perfect group trip.

This past summer I took a long girls weekend trip to Vancouver.  That town is awesome.  I ate and drank so many tasty things.  We got to enjoy one rainy day and one beautiful, sunny day so it was the perfect mix.

As far as family trips, H, DD, and I went to the Oregon coast and Seattle a few summers ago.  We hit the 30th Goonies Anniversary events, went into the actual Goonies house, checked out Cannon Beach, explored Seattle, and went whale watching.  It's my favorite family vacation thus far.

I've never left this continent (including Puerto Rico and Hawaii) because I always find something here that is easier to get to.  I'd really like to head across an ocean on my next big adventure.

BeachMommy2B

I love going to Mexico. I think Cozumel was one of my favorites. However this past summer we went to the Niagara Falls region of Canada for a wedding, but stayed about 30 min north in a city called Niagara the Lake. It was amazing! I never thought I would like it as much as I did. There were vineyards and wineries everywhere and just such a nice get away. 

We are planning a weekend trip to NYC in July after the baby is about 3 months. And we are going to Las Vegas for the weekend (to elope!!) in October with just come close friends. The next spring we want to take a honeymoon, just not sure where to yet. 

CherryBananas

Everyone's trips sound amazing! 

H and I try to travel to the Mayan Riviera once a year. We love it so much down there we got married at a resort near Akumal. We mix it up between non-AIs in Playa del Carmen and a few AIs further south, but it's always a great vacation. The last few years it has definitely gotten more crowded but we still love it.

We did spend 4 days of our honeymoon in Cancun though, and I don't think we'll go back to that part of the coast. The resort was beautiful and luxurious, but it felt like I was in Vegas with all the hotels lined up on the beach, not like I was in another country.

nda_roxybabe

@BeachMommy2B Eloping?! What! Congrats!

slowmo

This isn't that exotic, but my husband and I used to take quick trips (like a long weekend) to South Beach in Miami. It was an easy direct flight from NYC and a great way to escape the northeast chill. We haven't been in three years (thanks to babies, zika, etc.), and I can't wait to go back. Mama wants a mojito! 

Squirtgun

I grew up camping and backpacking for my vacations, in state parks near us and in the Smokey Mountains. We occasionally go to the beach in NC (Topsail island) or FL (Ormond Beach), but I'm a mountain girl at heart! 

@BeachMommy2B congrats!!  That is so exciting! 

Squirtgun

nda_roxybabe said:

We plan to still vacation with baby. We're thinking Hawaii or Atlantis in the next year or 2.  

Atlantis!  You may need to find some baby scuba gear, but totally worth it 

JCWhitey

This is a tough one to answer.  I used to do travel photography, so I traveled a lot but rarely go on vacations.  Jamaica is hands down my favorite country for culture and food.  We host Jamaican students every summer and are getting a Jamaican Au Pair next week to introduce our kids to the culture.  But because of Zika we likely won't travel there for some time.  Or anywhere nice and warm for that matter.

So, now that I'm always pregnant and have a bunch of kids my favorite vacation spot is somewhere I can get to in a couple of hours by car- Thunder Bay, Ontario.  It's kind of a depressed city and there isn't a ton to do there, but it's close and makes for a great weekend getaway for DH and I.  For family trips I like the Wisconsin Dells.

BeachMommy2B

@nda_roxybabe yes!! We originally had our whole wedding scheduled to get married in Cancun in 2017, then this baby came along was a wonderful surprise... but threw a wrench in the wedding plans. So instead of trying to plan something else we just want to go with eachother and have a great time!!  

@Squirtgun how cool! I lived in Ormond Beach when I first moved to Florida in 2012! 

MrsFox2008

@Squirtgun mountain girl here too!!

DH and I have gone to the Smokies twice a year for the last 5 years we absolutely love it. Definitely our all time favorite place. 

pshaortao

I probably traveled more frequently in the last two years with DD than I had for a few years, but they were mostly to my hometown in TX to visit with family and close friends. A nice perk of being a SAHM without worrying about work.

As for a favorite vacation, I honestly can't decide between the three:
Ireland - DH and I had our honeymoon there. We rented a car in Dublin and went clockwise around the country. It was incredible. We had married in November but postponed the trip to April when it would be warmer, but before it got too crowded with tourists.
Turkey - A family trip with just my parents and sister. No husbands allowed ha. It was nice spending time, just the four of us since my parents are in TX, my sister in MA and I was in CA at the time. We rarely vacationed growing up so it was such a nice treat, and the country was absolutely wonderful (aside from gender inequality and political issues)
Kauai, HI - Babymoon while I was around 25 weeks pregnant with DD! Just beautiful all around, I feel like there was still a lot more to do. We have talked about going back one day with the kiddos are old enough to be able to snorkel and more strenuous hikes.

KMD1106

I suppose I should answer my own question! All of these fun places are giving me the traveling bug. I wish we could afford to travel more. 

I studied abroad in La Rochelle, France and adored it. It was right on the ocean, gorgeous, and such a great experience. I guess that wasn't really a vacation per say. 

My favorite actual vacation was to Negril, Jamaica for our honeymoon. The clear, warm waters, beautiful scenery, and relaxing atmosphere was fantastic. We've talked about taking kids there someday. 

@JCWhitey, what age were your kids (was your kid?) when you started family vacations there? We are thinking of going there for spring break this year with our 3 year old since it's not too far to drive for me in the 3rd tri. 

clebl24

When DH returned from a deployment to Afghanistan we vacationed to French Polynesia. We split our time between Moorea and Bora Bora. It was amazing. We initially said it was a once in a lifetime trip, but I'm determined to go back.  

We honeymooned in Costa Rica and had a blast there too. 

We don't vacation annually so when we do get away, it's a special treat.  

Luckily I get to go to Destin every summer for work so that helps with the travel itch.  

llenadevida900

Last spring we went to Maui for a long weekend and it was perfect. It was really a paradise and we loved it. Usually I prefer to visit new places instead of repeating a vacation but DH and I half seriously considered buying a property in Hawaii. 

MrsCPALeslie

My husband is from Zambia, a country located in southern african, and I was fortunate to visit in 2012 while we were dating and right before my husband proposed to me. We went on 2 Safaris and visited Victoria Falls which is on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.  I can also say I've been to Zimbabwe as well since we spent a few nights in Zimbabwe. Below is a picture of us crossing a bridge at Victoria Falls. It is breathtaking to say the least. 

vrj0522

My favorite is Hawaii. I was in Maui in my early 20s and fell in love with it. DH and I decided to go there for our honeymoon and were in Kauai for a week and Big Island for a week. It was amazingly fun and we definitely plan to go back and would love to take our kids too when they are older.

We love to travel but between DH's super busy job and being in the middle of having children our trips are usually short and close by but we do make it a point to go somewhere pretty regularly.  We go back home 3-4x a year for a weekend or holiday and also go up into the mountains a couple of times a year and about once or twice a year we have a bigger trip. 

livin541

Maui will always have a special place in my heart. My parents and a group of family friends have been going every May for almost 20 years, and I've been fortunate to go with them often.

We took DS when he was one and got engaged while there, and were married in Maui this last May. It will always hold special memories for us!

I would love to branch out and visit other places too, and so many of the places you all have traveled to sound amazing! 

hp_momma

With DH in the military, our traveling is usually home to visit family. But we try to take advantage of living in new places and visiting areas around where we currently are. We make a Bucket List of things we want to see while we are there and check them off on our long weekends! 

Right now we live in Washington state so we do touristy things in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. 

We came from Texas before so we tried to see as much as possible in the DFW and Austin area. 

Before that we were in North Carolina (before kids) and spent most of our weekends visiting the various beaches and made it up to Washington DC. 

We did a Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon. I love the beach and all things warm weather! We are already planning our cruise for our 10 year anniversary in a couple years! 

mcvgal

@MrsCPALeslie, that picture looks amazing!

WombThereItIs

Where is the best place you've ever gone on vacation? I'm going to count study abroad for this one. It was a summer term so the classes part wasn't pretty minimal. It was in Prague and I also got to do some traveling to Barcelona, Vienna, and Budapest. I did the Barcelona leg solo and it might have been my favorite part. I loved getting to do whatever I wanted and not having an itinerary or compromises with others' plans. 

Are you a regular vacationer or just once in awhile? Eh both? It varies depending on how obnoxious the hospital is about my husband's schedule. We have been doing a few smaller trips each year lately instead of one or two big ones. 

ETA: for @chickyclg I think my best vaccination was all of them. I can't choose and yes, I am a regular vaccinator. 

SparkySunDevil

I grew up in a major national park (my dad was a park ranger after he retired from the coast guard). So we didn't go on vacation much. 

I'm boring....probably Disneyland. We do Disney nearly every year. We also go camping every summer. 

onebadmotha

Ohhh reading these makes me want to travel ASAP! Unfortunately, it'll probably be a while before we take a true trip, but hopefully we can take the kiddos to Wisconsin Dells in the not too distant future. It's close and kid friendly.

My favorite vacation would have to be Germany, hands down. DH and I spent 2 weeks there and got to see so much thanks to their super fast train. Bonus: DH went to high school in Germany, is fluent, and has tons of friends who let us crash with them, so it was cheap and we got the non-touristy experience (for the most part, still had to hit a few tourist hot spots).

(Political side note: We seriously considered moving there after this election, but decided against it. This country needs sane people to stay and fight.)

MrsCPALeslie

@mcvgal it was so scary crossing that bridge.

MrsFreeman2010

Favorite Vacation: DH and I just got back from the east coast in April (we went to Boston and NYC) and really enjoyed it. I did an educational trip in high school but DH had never been. It was fun to have no agenda and just walk around and figure stuff out.  

We we tend to do regular vacations with a big one every couple years. We were planning warm and tropical for this Spring but cancelled due to 2.0 but that's okay. We do lots of weekend trips to the coast (Oregon coast is beautiful), up to Portland (about 5 hours away), and camping around us. 

Oh this summer DH, baby, and I are going to the Czech Republic for a month so that's technically a vacation. We are chaperoning a teen mission trip but it will be fun. We are excited. 

JCWhitey

@KMD1106 We've only gone twice, this summer and Thanksgiving.  DS was 3 and DD 1.5.  They both had a great time! We stayed at Great Wolf Lodge and I recommend it.

achays11

My favorite vacation would have to be South America. It was a girls trip with my mom, aunt, and cousin to visit my sister who was studying abroad. We started in Peru and went to Macchi Picchu, then went to Bueno Aires, and Uruguay. Best trip ever! 

We "vacation" pretty regularly and frequently take DD. Although as a pp said, it's not really a vacation when small kids are involved. Our "vacations" now are usually within 2-5 hours of where we live and usually just weekend trips. 

Cubslove12

My favorite vacation was Europe: Rome, Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Munich, and Paris. Between those places... Cinque Terre!! My husband and I would love to go back and just stay there for a month!! It's beautiful!!