Every country in North-Central-South America. Most Caribbean Islands, but missing obvious ones. I’ve been to Cuba but not Jamaica! Most every European and Scandinavian places, almost all Asian countries. Antarctica and REALLY out of the way islands of South Georgia, Sandwich and the Falklands. I’m lacking Middle Eastern spots, been to UAE, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. Never been to Egypt. Theres lots of places still on my list to visit! I have favorites, but truthfully I’ve never been anywhere I haven’t enjoyed meeting people, eating food and just exploring. I believe there are vacations and there are trips. I like both.
Dorothy: Who’s that?
Scarecrow: A man with an axe and a can of lube. I’ll ask if he wants to join us.
I'm getting the itch to do a big trip soon and reading this thread doesn't (or maybe does?) help me. 😆 Not a cruise but Europe (or Asia) is calling....
First we have to get moved....
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Europe has been so expensive since the end of the Pandemic...and I think next year the Visa "requirement" kicks in.
the GF wants to go to Ireland this summer (as do I) but I am not sure it is economically feasible.
I have not yet looked at costs but imagine it’s high. We are thinking Italy highlights or southern France will be our next destination. Ireland is fun, hope you can make it work.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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I'm getting the itch to do a big trip soon and reading this thread doesn't (or maybe does?) help me. 😆 Not a cruise but Europe (or Asia) is calling....
First we have to get moved....
Well Cruise it is Aug of 2025 Carnival Mardi Gras again.
The London NFL games are really, really fun. I went to the 2013 game vs Pittsburgh at Wembley and that was worth every single penny.
You should fully disclose and mention you only had to buy the game tickets since you were still on the payroll Mr. "Study" Abroad in London for a semester.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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The London NFL games are really, really fun. I went to the 2013 game vs Pittsburgh at Wembley and that was worth every single penny.
You should fully disclose and mention you only had to buy the game tickets since you were still on the payroll Mr. "Study" Abroad in London for a semester.
'29, '40, '74, '76, '79, '02, & '03
GPL's Resident Cabin Enthusiast & Cadets Hockey Fan
I'm in Dublin today and went to the Palace Bar yesterday and sampled a Midleton Very Rare and a Redbreast 17 yo. Not an experienced whiskey drinker like some of you, but enjoyed both. Later went to the 1661 bar, with very interesting cocktail menu:
Visiting NYC for the first time this summer. I'm sure we'll mostly do the must-see tourist stuff (which is fine), but I'm looking for at least one thing to see that's a bit under the radar. A hidden gem that most first-time visitors overlook. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Also, any recommendations for hotels in Manhattan would be a bonus. I know it's going to be expensive for anything, but I'm looking for something nice, clean, and relatively affordable.
EDIT: How big of a PIA is it to get to/from Manhattan from Newark International? I foolishly booked a flight to EWR without doing my homework on the 3 airports. They all looked pretty much equidistant on a map. Then yesterday I Googled "easiest airport to get to Manhattan". Let's just say Newark is dead last on just about every list. Apparently I chose poorly.
At least you didn’t rapidly age and have your head explode!
Theres a boat graveyard, sort of out of the way, but cool to see. The Highline Park is very cool. Kids? Ages? There’s all sorts of weird small museums on really strange topics, just about anything you can think of.
Dorothy: Who’s that?
Scarecrow: A man with an axe and a can of lube. I’ll ask if he wants to join us.
A lot of the bigger attractions require reservations - The Met, Guggenheim, Museum of Natural History, tops of the Empire State Building and the rock - so consider getting those soon.
There are some cool rooftop bars in midtown, we stayed at the Refinery and their rooftop was really cool and had a great view of the Empire State Building.
There is an area around Wall Street that looks like it is still in the 1800s. Really cool to wander around the area and there are some cool pubs and restaurants. Killarney Rose was a good stop for us.
Get a slice from some small pizza joint
Splurge for dinner at a cool restaurant. We did two really nice places and glad we did, amazing food and atmospheres.
Hang out a the local parks. While there some guy randomly wheeled a piano into Columbus Square and turn the place into a piano bar. Stuff like that is really fun to see & I have no idea if this happens all the time or if we got lucky.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Visiting NYC for the first time this summer. I'm sure we'll mostly do the must-see tourist stuff (which is fine), but I'm looking for at least one thing to see that's a bit under the radar. A hidden gem that most first-time visitors overlook. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Also, any recommendations for hotels in Manhattan would be a bonus. I know it's going to be expensive for anything, but I'm looking for something nice, clean, and relatively affordable.
EDIT: How big of a PIA is it to get to/from Manhattan from Newark International? I foolishly booked a flight to EWR without doing my homework on the 3 airports. They all looked pretty much equidistant on a map. Then yesterday I Googled "easiest airport to get to Manhattan". Let's just say Newark is dead last on just about every list. Apparently I chose poorly.
Paging @nyc-gopher-fan please pick up the White Courtesy Phone!
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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If I never have to book another flight, shuttle service or hotel...
Finally fully booked:
Wife and I - Philippines to Seoul and back, and then Philippines to Bangkok and back Kid 1 - Minnesota to Philippines, Philippines to Bangkok, Bangkok to Minn Kid 2 - Minnesota to Seoul, Seoul to Philippines, Philippines to Bangkok, Bangkok to Seoul, Seoul to Minn
What's left you say?
Book trips to Chiang Mai and Koh Samui whilst in Thailand.
Waiting to board our flight back from Seoul. We were only there for 5 days and couldn't possibly come close to seeing everything we wanted, but what we did experience was well worth it. It's a fantastic city with a lot of chill markets, historical grounds, so many food options, extremely friendly people, etc.
We were also very impressed while witnessing the younger converse in Korean. We didn't realize how advanced he is with it. It's a place we'll definitely go back to if given the chance.
There's another picture out there that makes it pretty clear what happened. The wing of the A-350 is wider than the taxiway, and the little CRJ that got the tail knocked off wasn't forward far enough, and the wing clipped the tail:
And, while the delays and such really suck for everyone involved, nobody was injured, which is definitely a good thing.
Currently living in Porto, Portugal for two months. We’ve only been here 2 weeks and I’ve drank so much port already lol. Very hilly but beautiful architecture, tiled exteriors that are stunning. Portugal is inexpensive to visit, glass of wine $3-5, a cocktail is usually $8. Lots of seafood or pork, not a lot of beef. I’m an adventurous eater but I’m not a fan of sardines and they love them. I’ll eat the local tripe over sardines! Our apartment is on a real block, not a tourist area but very close for walking. Porto is fairly small in area, no where is a long walk so it’s a very easy city to transverse. Fun fact: 2 competitive brothels on our street! I’m not kidding. Second day here I ask my hubby, so what’s the deal with the old lady always knitting in the doorway and the women hanging around on their phones? LOL. I think it’s more a dispatch location than active engagement, but who knows.
Dorothy: Who’s that?
Scarecrow: A man with an axe and a can of lube. I’ll ask if he wants to join us.
I'm headed to Seattle for the first part of next week. Any suggestions on what to do and/or eat there outside of the standard Space Needle and Pike Place Market? Unfortunately there will not be a sports team in town while I am there so I can't see any of the stadiums.
I'm headed to Seattle for the first part of next week. Any suggestions on what to do and/or eat there outside of the standard Space Needle and Pike Place Market? Unfortunately there will not be a sports team in town while I am there so I can't see any of the stadiums.
The aquarium is a really great one, right near Pike Place. One of my favorite PPM spots is this Chinese dim sum spot. No sit down, it’s just a walk up spot, dumplings, skewers, steamed buns. Near Jacks Fish. Try one of the big pork filled buns!
Dorothy: Who’s that?
Scarecrow: A man with an axe and a can of lube. I’ll ask if he wants to join us.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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@greyeagle if you like Chihuly, I designed a small art museum in Shoreview (exterior and interior renovation of existing building.)
It's called Cafesjian Art Trust in shoreview. They have a Chihuly Chili Pepper on permanent display and many other pieces that rotate. Mostly studio art glass.
It's free most of the time as well. Cool little space on the east side.
Seattle Central Public Library is really cool to walk through. It's a Rem Koolhaas building. Not only the coolest library I've ever been in, one of the coolest buildings. There is a neat spot on one of the upper levels to get up to and look down. I think it's worth a stop, and not a typical tourist spot.
This is about as close as I can get to showing the "before and after" views from our current stay in the mountains near Chiang Mai, Thailand. The night before with no fog, the morning after with the valley completely covered.
My wife and I are taking our 3 kids to the St. Louis area Easter Sunday (April 20th) thru Wed, April 23rd. Drive down Easter Sunday, so that day is pretty much shot. We are planning on staying in Litchfield, IL. Get up Monday and to Butler, IL and tour a place there that we have been on connection with, sending Bibles and literature to 3rd world countries. Then go to Springfield, IL and visit some of the Abe Lincoln exhibits and museum. Tuesday will be are day in St. Louis... besides the St. Louis Arch what are some other ideas... We have a 14 (non verbal down syndrome and needs a wheelchair if lots of walking), 12 and 7. It's April, so the weather is also up in the air. And we'll drive back on Wed.
I know the Frozen Four is the weekend before so some late ideas (while down there or getting back) would be great. If the Gophers win the Nat't Championship, we might have to stop by the arena and get a family photo.
I had to cancel my yearly trip to Honolulu due to other issues not related to travel, Delta vacations did process my cancellation and I received a full refund 😎
@slap-shot I’m glad your family is currently safe, may they and their friends and family get the help they need to recover. We visited Myanmar in 2017 and were astonished at the beauty of the country and the kindness of the people we met. We visited that large temple you show, shocking to see the destruction. Here was one of our favorite spots, just outside of the Royal Palace. Entirely made of teak. It survived multiple fires (wood and candles are never a good idea), it survived bombing in WW2. I shudder to think it may be gone now.
Dorothy: Who’s that?
Scarecrow: A man with an axe and a can of lube. I’ll ask if he wants to join us.
Thank you Kelly. I 100% loved my time in Myanmar and would recommend it as a travel destination. The people, the food, the culture, it was so tranquil, serene, and so much more really gave me a huge appreciation for the country. We also bought quite a bit of artwork while there that we have moved to our retirement home near Bangkok.
btw as someone that experienced a near 7 level earthquake before that actually hit home (2019?) to the point our house shook and we had to evacuate I know firsthand the anxiety it can cause.
I figure that when I visit MN in May I should be natural disaster free. 😀
Got to spend a week in Turks and Caicos. Would highly recommend going to anyone. The blues of the water were amazing and the people were very friendly.
We will be renting a car when we come to MN in May. Since we do not have auto insurance in the U.S. is it probably the right move to get insurance through the agency?
@slap-shot Check to see if your credit card covers a rental, some do, some don’t. Usually if you have a higher card like a Visa Platinum or similar they offer decent coverage.
Dorothy: Who’s that?
Scarecrow: A man with an axe and a can of lube. I’ll ask if he wants to join us.
@slap-shot Check to see if your credit card covers a rental, some do, some don’t. Usually if you have a higher card like a Visa Platinum or similar they offer decent coverage.
Thanks for the tip. I'll definitely check into that as we have a platinum card.
