GTKY 12/20: What's the best vacation you've ever taken?

stlbuckeye132

Inspired by today's FFFC trying to get some more activity on our board, tell us your favorite vacation you've taken and what made it so amazing!

modoodles

I went on a girl's trip cruise back in May with my mom/sisters/aunts/cousins that was pretty awesome. We did Cozumel and Progreso, I danced to Thriller, ate so much food, drank WAAAAAAY too much, and don't even remember getting back on the cruise ship one of the days. I never knew I liked one of my cousins so much because we had never spent an extended amount of time together before. 

bluguitarhannah

Tie between S.  France and Hawaii

S. France it was exquisite where we were.  Saw where Monet painted and the history was amazing. Food was over the top.

Hawaii - my Mom took us last spring break.  Swam with dolphins, ate until I could not do more, we were right on beach in AirBNB, weather was great.  Just what you imagine from holiday photos of the area.

stlbuckeye132

MH and I didn't do a honeymoon right after our wedding because our wedding was out of state so we used a lot of vacation time just on the wedding, not to mention paying for a large portion of the wedding too. Instead, we did a one year anniversary trip which I dubbed our "anni-moon." We spent a year saving up for it and planning it, and it was AMAZING.

We went to Napa, CA and we decided we'd done really well saving and being financially responsible, so we were going to enjoy this trip and do some big ticket things we wouldn't normally do because $$$. The first half of our trip we stayed in Napa at a cute B&B, we did a hot air balloon ride, bike riding wine tour (I fell off my bike like 30 seconds into the tour... completely sober), a bus wine tour, and generally just ate a lot of really great food paired with delicious wine.

The second half of our trip we went to Healdsburg, CA, which is a super cute little town about an hour NW of Napa. There we did a food tour, a canoe trip down the Russian River, went to Armstrong Redwoods Natural State Reserve, and went out to some State Park that was right on the coast so we could at least see the ocean. 

Now I want to plan another awesome trip! haha AW photo from the hot air balloon ride in spoiler.

rachelredhead

We did a road trip in a camper van around Iceland for our honeymoon (a few months after the wedding). We had total freedom in deciding how long to stay places, when to hit the road, because Iceland is full of parks to camp in. It just felt super freeing and celebratory and since neither of us had been before it was a great adventure. That was my absolute favorite. 

My second fave was Brazil. My husband was born/raised in Brazil so not long after we got engaged we spent 2 weeks there (with a quick trip to Argentina). That was phenomenal and I just got to relax and let him guide me around since I speak zero Portuguese and he’s fluent. So fun! He has dual citizenship and still has friends there so I’m sure we’ll continue to go back every few years. 

Edit to add cheesy picture in an Icelandic hotpot (naturally occurring hot spring) 

nursejenn5

My husband and I are avid cruise goers. We’ve done two to the Caribbean, an Alaskan, and a Hawaiian cruise. And I’ve loved them all.

Our honeymoon was our first Caribbean cruise which was probably my favorite, we’ve been snorkeling with fish after a crazy jet ski ride in St Maarten, cave tubing in Belize, beach horseback riding, rum punch filled mini cruise to snorkel with turtles, and wayyy too much drinking and eating. 

meanjellybean

@bluguitarhannah Hawaii is on our bucket list! Sounds so amazing.

@stlbuckeye132 love the "anni-moon" and Napa! I've only been there for a long weekend with a group of friends but it's so gorgeous. Would love to go back with DH.

We did our honeymoon on the Amalfi coast in Italy. We stayed in Positano, Sorrento and Capri. It was just like, fake life lol. Like drink a bottle of wine at lunch and carry on about your day and not be hungover the next day. We went at the very end of their tourist season (end of September) so it was perfect. And just so beautiful. And PASTA. And fresh seafood. And when you go to a bar to get a drink they automatically bring you little snacks! And after your meal is over they bring out complimentary limoncello! And did I mention the bottles of wine?

bluguitarhannah

We did our 5-year wedding anniv. back in NYC.  We were married in Central Park and that was also a great trip.  Saw Hamilton and another show, ate sooo much food and saw our favorite glass artist in the Botanical gardens.

We plan to go back at 10 years.  We've been married now 7.5.

b_1029

We’ve traveled a decent amount but my favorite trip was to Montana in 2018! It was the most recharged I’ve ever felt after vacation, probably partly because we had no cell service almost the whole time other than at the Airbnb. I surprised DH with the trip for Christmas but neither of us expected to love it so much. We stayed on Flathead lake which is pretty close to Glacier national park. We went “hiking” there one day (I didn’t know May was early in the season so a lot of the stuff was closed due to snow plus DH has a gnarly infection on his ankle...we essentially just walked down going to the sun road for a couple miles) and then did a kayak tour to Wild Horse Island which was the highlight for sure! You kayak out there with a tour group and then just have a few hours to hike the island by yourselves. AW pic that the kayak company took of DH and me 

JessDG

Mine was definitely pur honeymoon.  We did a 2 week cruise in the Mediterranean (Italy, Croatia,and Greece) with a few days in Rome beforehand.  It was both of our first trip to Europe and we had SO MUCH FUN.  It was awesome to see so many places that I had only dreamed of.  We also just love cruises, so that part was great too.  Ans the unlimited beverages. 

shaqn0sis

@rachelredhead we went to Iceland for our honeymoon too! Which was also one of my top favorites! 

We did a 7 day trip around Iceland and it was sooo magical. We rented a car and stayed at local guest houses. Once you get into the east and north part of Iceland you really don’t see a whole lot of other ‘tourists’ but that could have changed by now. It’s hard to pinpoint a favorite spot because I just loved it all. Each corner is completely different and we experienced so many different things 

Second favorite would be my European excursion that I did way back in high school. 3 weeks; London, Paris, Lucerne (Switzerland), Venice, Florence, Rome, Pompei, Sorrento - @meanjellybean OMG this might be my favorite place ever, it was like a fake life.. lol, and Athens. 

stlbuckeye132

Ok I think I'm regretting this topic because it's really making me want to go on an extravagant vacation which is just not in the cards right now.

@nursejenn5 I've never been on a cruise, but an Alaskan cruise is on my bucket list for sure!

blaf322

We're still in the, I want to spend my vacation laying out in the sun and drinking, phase of our lives (maybe it's who we are and we'll always just love that most)

For the actual location, Jamaica is our favorite, hands down. We've stayed at all inclusive resorts each time we've been. But the water and beaches are both beautiful. I think what makes us love Jamaica the most is that the people are so. damn. nice. We also just listen to reggae on our own anyway so we just enjoy the vibe overall.

For the vacation itself, we had the BEST time on a cruise DH and I took with another couple back in 2015. We went out of Puerto Rico and cruised to Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, St. Maarten, and St Kitts (or St. Croix... now I can't remember). I've known my friend since we were 5yo or so and we are both the most social people that have ever existed lol... We made so many new friends, played allll the games the activities people set up and won all the metals (they would come looking for us b/c people always participated when we were involved lol), drank all the drinks, and just had the best time. Here are some pics b/c they make me so happy and I don't care if y'all see my face lol

Winning a finish the lyrics competition... I'm telling you, we played everything from corn hole to beer pong to finish the lyrics. I HIGHLY recommend participating in the activities if you do a cruise!

DH and I at one of the ports.... look how beautiful it is!!! 

Lastly, my friend and I with one of the friends we made. We hung out with this guy and his wife/the rest of their group a ton! They were so much fun! This was pic is mid-MOTN shenanigans. All of the ship had stopped serving alcohol. We met another friend who was in one of the huge VIP suites. He had a bunch of full bottles of champs in his room so he brought those down, we all drank from the bottle like the classy people we were, found some soccer balls and went to play soccer on one of the courts they had on the ship. We also made up a ring toss game with those rings around my neck... it was hysterical. This photo isn't a good one, but it really is the essence of the trip for me. We had the best time  

stlbuckeye132

@blaf322 you're so cute! You actually remind me of my childhood bestie in that first pic lol

pocketrose

H and I went to Puerto Rico back when we were just dating. It was right before he had a major surgery (we dubbed it the "pre-surgery" vacation/went for that purpose) and it was just perfect. The weather was great, the landscape was gorgeous, the food was phenomenal, and it was a real laid back but also fun place to be.

nursejenn5

@stlbuckeye132 Alaskan was wonderful! A very laid back cruise. We went panning for gold and on glacier tours. We went late September and it was rainy, my coworker suggests August or May for less rain and a bit more sun. The only time it was super cold was when we cruised into glacier bay. But it was absolutely breathtaking! 

blaf322

@stlbuckeye132 aw... thanks! I had my shit together in that pic... and hadn't been drinking all night, yet  

modoodles

@blaf322 Jamaica 😍 We were invited to go on a trip with lut best friends to Jamaica in February but we knew we would be ttc and hoped to be pregnant by then, so we didn't do it. Now I wish we had 😂

Your cruise pics remind me of mine. Love it! 

Ceynote snorkeling, all the activities, and drinking my @as off. 

stlbuckeye132

@modoodles you're also so cute! I'm the weirdo who won't show my face until we're in a private group.

blaf322

@modoodles I feel like those long branch root things in your pic need to be swung on for sure!

For DD's BMB yearly get together in 2021, we're planning to do an international trip since we'll have been together as a group for 5yrs and I reeeeeally want to try to convince everyone to do Jamaica. I'm sure we'll end up in Mexico b/c it's more centrally located and relatively cheap... but a girl can dream lol

b_1029

@blaf322 wait that’s so cute that you all have a yearly get together! 

This entire thread is making my itch to travel even stronger! DH has like no PTO this year / wants to take some days off after baby (thanks lol) so I don’t think it’s in the cards for 2020 other than our family vacation ugh. Hopefully 2021! 

modoodles

@blaf322 my old bmb does get togethers too. Actually, one of those girls was in my wedding back in June! We've done camping trips and concerts, and Austin (Personal Favorite) Minneapolis, Chicago, there is an annual east coast g2g as well. We got to be very very close! 

coffeeandcookies84

So many fantastic vacations! DH and I haven’t done any of the southern all inclusive beach vacations yet, but maybe those are easier with kids.

prior to kids and pets, DH travelled international quick a bit, and I’d say my favourite so far has been to South Africa. DH was born there, so we spent a lot of time with family, but still got to experience so much while I was there! This was in 2008, so we’re due for a trip back!

for a more local experience, this summer we bought an old camper and toured around interior BC (British Columbia), for 2 weeks. 

blaf322

@b_1029 I almost included that yearly trip as one of my best. We have the most fun and spouses join too, if they want. I'm soooo sad to miss it in 2020... it's especially hard b/c I'm both the planner and accountant for the group. So I'm doing all the stuff for it but not actually going lol... oh well! There's always 2021!

rachelredhead

@coffeeandcookies84 what kind of camper?? We loved the camper life on our Iceland trip so we poke around at used campers online some. We’d love to do some of the national parks with one someday. 

coffeeandcookies84

@rachelredhead we bought a used Bigfoot. Don’t actually know if it’s a camper or a trailer 😀 since we pulled it with our truck. 

Was such a fun adventure with DS, unfortunately it was quite small and we might need to upgrade with 2 kiddos and a dog

blaf322

@modoodles... tell me about where y’all stayed in Austin!

We always do Orlando bc I found a place that tailors to people on family reunion trips (so, lots of really big luxury houses in the same neighborhood with private pools and such). Plus, it’s dirt cheap (ends up coming out to around $245/room). We have lots of interest in TX but just haven’t been able to find anywhere that can accommodate a group of our size without charging a (literal) million dollars for the long weekend.

mehugg

Oh man there are some awesome vacation ideas in here! Feeling seriously inspired.

When DH and I were first dating in college, I spent a semester abroad in Switzerland. While I experienced a lot of truly amazing things, I also struggled quite a bit. The silver lining is that it led to my anxiety diagnosis and I'm now well managed and medicated, but it was a really hard time. I had a "fall break" from classes and so did he at the same time, and it happened to coincide with my 21st birthday. He came to visit me in Geneva and then we spent a few days in Rome. We were broke and our relationship was so new, I'll never forget that trip. I'd love if we could go back to Rome someday! 

modoodles

@blaf322 we did an airbnb, this was a (2017 trip,) and it ended up being super cheap as well for like 10-12 of us that went? We ended up ordering a bunch of food to the house and went out downtown one night, rented a private room for karaoke and then went to a silent disco. Brunch tacos and so much vodka. Best trip ever! We were supposed to go to a natural pool there as well, but it was a little chilly/windy that day and since it is spring fed we all passed on that. One of the girls lives in Austin and she booked the place, but I can reach out and see if she remembers where we were.

blaf322

@modoodles I’ll look on Airbnb for the area and see what I can find. If i don’t see anything like that, I’ll have you check with her. Thanks!
The issue I’ve had is that we need 20+ rooms for 30+ people each year with so I find airbnb’s that are like, “sleeps 50... 2 bedrooms, 1 bath” 😂 Obviously that doesn’t work... especially with spouses coming

kristinl492

So many amazing sounding trips in here! I’m jealous! I haven’t done as much traveling as I’d like to yet. We had grand plans to do a big trip to England/Ireland as a last hoorah before having kids, and then I got pregnant sooner than planned. We’ll make it there one day! 

My best trip so far was likely our destination wedding in Montego Bay. We spent 10 days there total, including wedding and honeymoon time. First few days were with family and friends at our wedding resort and then we spent the remainder of our time at another resort (Secrets Wild Orchid was AMAZING) to have some downtime. 

and_peggy

@blaf322 I’m only an hour from Austin so I can hook you up with all sorts of recommendations if you need them.

and_peggy

Personal favorite was a 3 weeks trip through Southeast Asia. Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia. It was a very interesting experience as Myanmar is only open 10% for tourists but it is a very poor and third world country. I absolutely adored Malaysia and would totally go back in a heartbeat.

zande2016

Wow you all have taken some amazing trips! My dad took my siblings and I to Hawaii a couple times when we were kids and it was awesome. I would say those trips were the best, but I was definitely too young to really fully appreciate it. He also took us to some other cool places in the US. However, he never took us abroad, aside from some trips to the Bahamas. He always told us he did all his international traveling before we were born and now he was done with all that. I really wanted to visit Europe and still to this day I haven’t had the opportunity. I know I will get there some day and definitely want to take my kids. 

And by the way, when I turned 16 my dad bought a second home in Florida where he plans to retire some day, and since then, he never took us anywhere aside from Florida ever again lol. 

My H and I honeymooned in St Lucia and I plan to go back there someday. It is a really beautiful island with amazing people. 

H and I talked about possibly doing a baby moon in the spring and now that it looks like Zika isn’t a huge concern anymore, I was thinking maybe Jamaica or Bahamas. Just to stay relatively close and make it an easy/relaxing trip. 

blaf322

@zande2016 (genuinely asking here) is Zika not a huge concern anymore? Or has the hysteria over it just died down? 

They still asked about travel travel abroad at my RE when we first got started but just kinda asked if I got bit by anything and didn’t make a big fuss when I told them we were in Mexico this spring.... so I’m not sure what the answer is 

zande2016

@blaf322 according to the cdc website there aren’t any active breakouts right now....they recommend exercising caution in areas with past breakouts, but if you look at their map that basically includes most of the US too. I would discuss it with my midwife first before deciding but it seems like it’s not a huge concern anymore. 

blaf322

@zande2016 well that’s exciting! We usually try to do one international trip a year with just the two of us but didn’t feel like we could with DD bc we were still in the throes of the outbreak. I’m not saying we will this time... but worth looking into!

kc0711

Hands down our best trip was to Australia. DH and I spent two weeks there and it was beyond amazing. We started in Bondi Beach, went to Melbourne, went out to the bush, and then went to Gold Coast/Surfers Paradise to finish. We met because DH said he needed a date to a wedding in Australia, and I said I always wanted to go. 8 months later, we headed over together! We crammed so much sightseeing into our trip but also had ample time to just sit on the beach. The food is beyond amazing and the wine does not suck either. We almost went back this year with DD, but it didn’t work out with baby #2 coming. It’s a looooooooong flight, but I can’t wait to go back. 

blaf322

@kc0711 I've always heard such great things about Australia but I'm a little nervous to go! I have an irrational fear of sharks, so there's zero way I'd go in the water. And then all the giant bugs over there seem terrifying. I just feel like everything in Australia is trying to kill you and I'm too chicken shit to go lol

kc0711

@blaf322 we definitely swam! But only at the beaches that were supervised by life guards. Honestly the scariest thing we encountered were the magpies, they are stupid birds that divebomb you. I am irrationally afraid of birds, so that may have been part of it. We didn’t run into any other interesting wildlife when we were there! It is such a beautiful country, definitely worth it in my book