Vacation / Travel

[Go aeiou]

If you want warm weather forget Scotland.
Seafood is fantastic in NE, but don't expect much southern fried.
Hawaii is nice year round. But somewhat of a waste to go for the beaches. There is just too much natural beauty to visit/enjoy.
You might look at the potential for catastrophic weather that could happen soon. It will take time to rebuild if that happens.
Unless you are in the mountains AZ will be 100+ degrees.
I don't know where ZIKA is, but wasn't it in Miami? If there I would think most of the Caribbean? But I don't know.
Outer Banks is nice if you haven't been and want hot weather. Not take your breath away heat like FL though.
If you want cooler weather maybe NYC and NE. Great food. Beautiful seashore in NE.
Iceland? Don't go for black beaches, but natural beauty. Cheap flights. If you fly to Reykavik you can stay 2-3 days and continue on to
Europe. Maybe London. Great food, plays, tourist sites, history.
Plenty of choices.

 

[volmanbill]

Wife and I are trying to plan a trip for the end of July. Will have 9 days off, so thinking a 7 night trip. Wanting to go somewhere relatively new to us, but also somewhere that we can have plenty of time to relax (thinking pool, beach, delicious food, etc). Only caveat is it can't have a Zika virus risk as we're trying to get pregnant. We've tossed around ideas that range from the Bahamas to Hawaii to New England to Scotland to Arizona. Any ideas?

You might look into Bermuda.

 

[barknoxbrawler]

Wife and I are trying to plan a trip for the end of July. Will have 9 days off, so thinking a 7 night trip. Wanting to go somewhere relatively new to us, but also somewhere that we can have plenty of time to relax (thinking pool, beach, delicious food, etc). Only caveat is it can't have a Zika virus risk as we're trying to get pregnant. We've tossed around ideas that range from the Bahamas to Hawaii to New England to Scotland to Arizona. Any ideas?

If the beach is what you’re after, try Cape San Blas. Low key, no traffic and delicious seafood. It’s my favorite area of Florida. Same beach beauty as destin but without the traffic and headaches of shopping.

The town of Port Saint Joe, Mexico Beach and Apalachicola could all use the influx of cash after the hurricane last October.

 

[Go aeiou]

If the beach is what you’re after, try Cape San Blas. Low key, no traffic and delicious seafood. It’s my favorite area of Florida. Same beach beauty as destin but without the traffic and headaches of shopping.

The town of Port Saint Joe, Mexico Beach and Apalachicola could all use the influx of cash after the hurricane last October.

Have those laces rebuilt yet?

 

[barknoxbrawler]

Have those laces rebuilt yet?

Trying.......it’s cleaned up but not totally rebuilt and won’t be for a long time. But the beach is still pretty. Still no traffic. Still good food and good people.

 

[VOLNPA]

Based on the last 2 months here it seems my timing is great. Going to Seattle in June. Staying with family in Bremerton at the front and back end of an 11 day trip.

Itinerary includes Seattle City Pass(needle, zoo, aquarium, glass garden, ferry tour), Mariners game and the Market the first couple days. We then drive to Olympic Natl Park for hot springs, rain forest, a few beaches and some hiking. Then down to Kurt cobain Memorial and Cape Disappointment. Do the cape and then down to Cannon Beach tide pools. We'll go as far south as Florence Oregon for Sea Lion caves and Dune Buggies. Then back north thru Corvallis and Eugene. Columbia Gorge and Multnomah waterfalls and back to Bremerton.

Aside from swimming at Colman Pool which some say is best public pool in the US, we'll have 2 more days to kill.

Did I miss anything? Is a whale watching tour worth the $500 it will cost me?

 

[VOLNPA]

Also...we were originally gonna do Redwoods and Portland. Heard Portland is crime ridden (lots of car break ins) and Redwoods not worth the extra 7 hours of driving (with teens in the car) since we've been to Yosemite already.

 

[volmanbill]

Sounds like you have a busy schedule. We'll also be in Seattle late in June for a few days prior to our Alaskan cruise. We found a condo on Airbnb down near the water/cruise port/Pike Place. We haven't been to either before so we're really looking forward to this trip.

Will do some more planning this week while on a cruise around the gulf.

 

[chatsworth_vol]

Ok looking for a little input here. I'm in the process of trying to plan a family road trip in April. Looking to take about 4-5 days, The only concrete thing on the agenda is we plan to spend at least 1 day in Memphis going to the Memphis zoo. Beyond that I don't have a clue. I don't know anything about that region. We tend to like doing the whole zoo, nature, museum, & battlefield type thing. I understand Shiloh might be on the way there or back, but I'm not sure exactly where it lies. I know Memphis has a lot of cultural stuff, but we're just not into most of the music stuff, and don't have any desire to see Graceland. The wife and son really want to go to the zoo they got a thing for pandas. I'm just trying to come up with other stuff to do on the way there and back, or as part of a loop. We'd be starting out from nw ga, just below Chattanooga. Any input is appreciated.

 

[Go aeiou]

Based on the last 2 months here it seems my timing is great. Going to Seattle in June. Staying with family in Bremerton at the front and back end of an 11 day trip.

Itinerary includes Seattle City Pass(needle, zoo, aquarium, glass garden, ferry tour), Mariners game and the Market the first couple days. We then drive to Olympic Natl Park for hot springs, rain forest, a few beaches and some hiking. Then down to Kurt cobain Memorial and Cape Disappointment. Do the cape and then down to Cannon Beach tide pools. We'll go as far south as Florence Oregon for Sea Lion caves and Dune Buggies. Then back north thru Corvallis and Eugene. Columbia Gorge and Multnomah waterfalls and back to Bremerton.

Aside from swimming at Colman Pool which some say is best public pool in the US, we'll have 2 more days to kill.

Did I miss anything? Is a whale watching tour worth the $500 it will cost me?

Research the best time of year to see whales at the location you are going to? They are all over the world, but you might see the same whale in Alaska and in Hawaii a few months later. You can see them other places but if your kids are teens you might not get another chance with them. Is your family accustomed to waves? A reputable tour company will tell you what to expect, and they won't go out if it is too rough.

 

[Go aeiou]

Ok looking for a little input here. I'm in the process of trying to plan a family road trip in April. Looking to take about 4-5 days, The only concrete thing on the agenda is we plan to spend at least 1 day in Memphis going to the Memphis zoo. Beyond that I don't have a clue. I don't know anything about that region. We tend to like doing the whole zoo, nature, museum, & battlefield type thing. I understand Shiloh might be on the way there or back, but I'm not sure exactly where it lies. I know Memphis has a lot of cultural stuff, but we're just not into most of the music stuff, and don't have any desire to see Graceland. The wife and son really want to go to the zoo they got a thing for pandas. I'm just trying to come up with other stuff to do on the way there and back, or as part of a loop. We'd be starting out from nw ga, just below Chattanooga. Any input is appreciated.

Space and rocket center and the botanical garden in huntsville. North of Memphis is reelfoot lake. They have a lot of Bald eagles, and by far the best catfish I have ever eaten at Boyette's just across the street street from the state park.

 

[volmanbill]

Ok looking for a little input here. I'm in the process of trying to plan a family road trip in April. Looking to take about 4-5 days, The only concrete thing on the agenda is we plan to spend at least 1 day in Memphis going to the Memphis zoo. Beyond that I don't have a clue. I don't know anything about that region. We tend to like doing the whole zoo, nature, museum, & battlefield type thing. I understand Shiloh might be on the way there or back, but I'm not sure exactly where it lies. I know Memphis has a lot of cultural stuff, but we're just not into most of the music stuff, and don't have any desire to see Graceland. The wife and son really want to go to the zoo they got a thing for pandas. I'm just trying to come up with other stuff to do on the way there and back, or as part of a loop. We'd be starting out from nw ga, just below Chattanooga. Any input is appreciated.

We took a trip across the state last fall and had a blast. If you go through Nashville, try and eat at the Loveless Cafe and then hop on the Natchez Trace Parkway. It's a beautiful drive with historical significance. You'll more than likely see deer and other wildlife grazing along the roadside.

If she stops by, @LadyinOrange might be able to give you good info on the area.

 

[volwindy]

Based on the last 2 months here it seems my timing is great. Going to Seattle in June. Staying with family in Bremerton at the front and back end of an 11 day trip.

Itinerary includes Seattle City Pass(needle, zoo, aquarium, glass garden, ferry tour), Mariners game and the Market the first couple days. We then drive to Olympic Natl Park for hot springs, rain forest, a few beaches and some hiking. Then down to Kurt cobain Memorial and Cape Disappointment. Do the cape and then down to Cannon Beach tide pools. We'll go as far south as Florence Oregon for Sea Lion caves and Dune Buggies. Then back north thru Corvallis and Eugene. Columbia Gorge and Multnomah waterfalls and back to Bremerton.

Aside from swimming at Colman Pool which some say is best public pool in the US, we'll have 2 more days to kill.

Did I miss anything? Is a whale watching tour worth the $500 it will cost me?

The Columbia gorge is amazing. We only had 2 days there and that was not near enough. A lot of hikes and waterfalls there, not just Multnomah.

 

[chatsworth_vol]

The space center might be a great idea. I'll have to look into that, and the Natchez trace thing. Thanks y'all

 

[Tri-CitiesVol]

My wife has it in her mind that we should take our delayed honeymoon to the Maldives. So now my task is to find a suitable alternative that doesn’t cost a million dollars.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Based on the last 2 months here it seems my timing is great. Going to Seattle in June. Staying with family in Bremerton at the front and back end of an 11 day trip.

Itinerary includes Seattle City Pass(needle, zoo, aquarium, glass garden, ferry tour), Mariners game and the Market the first couple days. We then drive to Olympic Natl Park for hot springs, rain forest, a few beaches and some hiking. Then down to Kurt cobain Memorial and Cape Disappointment. Do the cape and then down to Cannon Beach tide pools. We'll go as far south as Florence Oregon for Sea Lion caves and Dune Buggies. Then back north thru Corvallis and Eugene. Columbia Gorge and Multnomah waterfalls and back to Bremerton.

Aside from swimming at Colman Pool which some say is best public pool in the US, we'll have 2 more days to kill.

Did I miss anything? Is a whale watching tour worth the $500 it will cost me?

Have you also considered Mount Rainier and North Cascades National Parks in Washington? Olympic is certainly unique, given the fact that it has one of the few large temperate rain forests in the lower 48. I have only been there once, in mid-October, which provided almost perfect weather, so I can’t vouch for typical weather patterns in June. Nevertheless, the following information provides some idea of what to expect in terms of precipitation there:

“Heavy rainfall may characterize the late fall and winter months, but beautiful blue skies dominate during the summer months. In fact, on a nice summer day, except for the lush vegetation, it is hard to imagine that it rains in the Olympics. . . . The annual precipitation on the Peninsula varies greatly upon location. The southwest portion of the Peninsula (Quinault, Queets, Hoh) is the wettest with an average rainfall of over 140 inches in the lowlands and over 200 inches in the higher mountain elevations. The driest area on the Peninsula is in the northeast corner (Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Quilcene, Sequim). In portions of this area, the annual precipitation is as low as 15 inches. The Wynoochee River Valley in the SW portion of the Peninsula holds the annual rainfall record at over 180 inches. The western side of the Olympic Peninsula is known for its temperate rain forests, an ecosystem consisting of high rainfall; dense understory of lush vegetation including ferns, flowers and moss; and an overhead canopy of towering evergreen conifer trees.” Olympic National Forest - About the Forest

Also, are you still planning on visiting Crater Lake National Park? That most definitely will be well worth your time. The deepest lake in America, Crater Lake exhibits the most brilliant, otherworldly shade of blue that I have ever seen.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

.

 

[VOLNPA]

Have you also considered Mount Rainier and North Cascades National Parks in Washington? Olympic is certainly unique, given the fact that it has one of the few large temperate rain forests in the lower 48. I have only been there once, in mid-October, which provided almost perfect weather, so I can’t vouch for typical weather patterns in June. Nevertheless, the following information provides some idea of what to expect in terms of precipitation there:

“Heavy rainfall may characterize the late fall and winter months, but beautiful blue skies dominate during the summer months. In fact, on a nice summer day, except for the lush vegetation, it is hard to imagine that it rains in the Olympics. . . . The annual precipitation on the Peninsula varies greatly upon location. The southwest portion of the Peninsula (Quinault, Queets, Hoh) is the wettest with an average rainfall of over 140 inches in the lowlands and over 200 inches in the higher mountain elevations. The driest area on the Peninsula is in the northeast corner (Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Quilcene, Sequim). In portions of this area, the annual precipitation is as low as 15 inches. The Wynoochee River Valley in the SW portion of the Peninsula holds the annual rainfall record at over 180 inches. The western side of the Olympic Peninsula is known for its temperate rain forests, an ecosystem consisting of high rainfall; dense understory of lush vegetation including ferns, flowers and moss; and an overhead canopy of towering evergreen conifer trees.” Olympic National Forest - About the Forest

Also, are you still planning on visiting Crater Lake National Park? That most definitely will be well worth your time. The deepest lake in America, Crater Lake exhibits the most brilliant, otherworldly shade of blue that I have ever seen.

Awesome. Thanx! Crater Lake is definitely on the list. We had family do Rainier in June a few years back and they said traffic was unbearable...like 4 hours to get into the park. We may try it on a weekday but aren't yet 100%

 

[golfballs]

My wife has it in her mind that we should take our delayed honeymoon to the Maldives. So now my task is to find a suitable alternative that doesn’t cost a million dollars.

Good luck

My wife does a lot of business in India. Ive spoken w some of her business partners. They obviously say Maldives are pretty incredible but they say for the cost they prefer the beaches in Southwest India and Indonesia better

 

[JFreak]

My wife has it in her mind that we should take our delayed honeymoon to the Maldives. So now my task is to find a suitable alternative that doesn’t cost a million dollars.

Instead of Maldives maybe consider Ko Tao or Koh Lipe (Thailand) or the Gili Islands in Indonesia. Maldives is very overrated IMO, especially when you factor in cost.

 

[B-Stizzy]

I haven't went through the whole thread, but I'll possibly be looking at a honeymoon in Italy. Anyone have any suggestions or tips if we decide this? Anything helps!

 

[ATC_VOL]

Ok looking for a little input here. I'm in the process of trying to plan a family road trip in April. Looking to take about 4-5 days, The only concrete thing on the agenda is we plan to spend at least 1 day in Memphis going to the Memphis zoo. Beyond that I don't have a clue. I don't know anything about that region. We tend to like doing the whole zoo, nature, museum, & battlefield type thing. I understand Shiloh might be on the way there or back, but I'm not sure exactly where it lies. I know Memphis has a lot of cultural stuff, but we're just not into most of the music stuff, and don't have any desire to see Graceland. The wife and son really want to go to the zoo they got a thing for pandas. I'm just trying to come up with other stuff to do on the way there and back, or as part of a loop. We'd be starting out from nw ga, just below Chattanooga. Any input is appreciated.

Pink Palace museum is worth checking out and just about 10 minutes from the zoo.

Shiloh is pretty cool to check out as well.

 

[Big Gucci Sosa]

Crime museum

 

[Kinger]

Has anyone spent a couple of weekdays in Nashville on Broadway listening to music and day drinking? If yes, what places have the best daytime music and the most inexpensive bottles of beer?

 

[05_never_again]

Has anyone spent a couple of weekdays in Nashville on Broadway listening to music and day drinking? If yes, what places have the best daytime music and the most inexpensive bottles of beer?

IMO, by far the best establishment on Broadway is Acme Feed and Seed. I've never had the food there but the drinks are good, live music great. I think you can get a bottled beer for $5 or something there; that's as cheap as you'll find on Broadway. It isn't a honky tonk, FYI, if you're looking for a honky tonk though.

Everything else on Broadway is extremely overpriced, gimmicky bars overrun by tourists. Locals don't hang out there. I was walking down Broadway before the Predators game last weekend and I'm pretty sure my wife and I were the only people there from within a 150 mile radius. It is amazing how many people from Ohio/Indiana/Illinois/Michigan are there. I guess it's like Bourbon Street to them.