If and when we are living in the US full time I would go (despite the 24 hour travel time) to Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, the Philippines and others before ever going back to Florida. I am of course sans school-aged children.
My wife and I booked our first trip to HI for the end of Feb & first week in March. Few nights on Oahu in the Waikiki area then heading to Maui for several days on Kaanapali Beach area.
“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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We were starting to look at ideas for Spring Break and then I got an email from Icelandair about specials to Europe. We ended up getting 4 round trip tickets to Munich for $760 each at the end of March. They had similar deals for Paris, London, Oslo, and Copenhagen too
I'm pretty excited because I haven't been back to Germany since I left Berlin in late 1990. Bavaria is one of my favorite places we went while I lived there.
I am going to Hawaii in the end of March, I just booked my second Ski dive trip it will be a tandem jump from 14000 feet I can not wait till I jump again ?
I am going to Hawaii in the end of March, I just booked my second Ski dive trip it will be a tandem jump from 14000 feet I can not wait till I jump again ?
Mrs. GE and I are going to HI at the end of this month but we plan to take full advantage of and and all planes we're on; from take off to landing!
Good luck and have fun!
“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 have moved to Italy for 3 months, my husband retired and we decided now or never! Arrived yesterday in Florence and we are getting settled into our apartment. I’ve always wanted to go someplace and really live for awhile, we decided 3 months was doable. Only downside is it’s overlapping with the FF, hopefully we can stream the action. But right now I’m sitting on our sunny balcony drinking coffee and nibbling a pastry so I’m not boohooing too much.
What have I got? I got no snacks and I got no respect.
Travis-age 6
We were in Florence a few years ago while on a tour of Italy. Our daughter's friend did a semester abroad there and recommended a restaurant called Il Profeta. We had been told about the John Travolta pasta and how good it was. Then, our waiter had to tell us the story of how Travolta raved about the sauce and came back time after time. Maybe true, maybe not, but we enjoyed our meal there. I think there is also some big statue there.
There was a lot of rain forecasted when we were there in late Feb, if it's any consolation it did rain almost every day but most of the showers were relatively brief.
“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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but when I look on The weather channel it shows heavy rain for the dates I am set for
That stinks. A friend I met up with who lives on Oahu mentioned it's been unusually rainy this year.
If there was any positive the rainbows we saw on Oahu were numerous and spectacular.
“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 am set to go to Hawaii tomorrow, weather looks a little scary but I am going I hope the weather forecast changes
Northern Pacific has been a mess this winter. We've been hammered in the Bay Area and most of California all winter. The current snow in the Sierras should push many ski resorts north of 700 inches of snow for the season.
Speaking of travel -- I'll be doing a drive from the Bay Area to Moorhead in early May.
lol, that’s for mostly Asian tourists were a squat toilet is still the standard. I’m a pretty easy going traveler but I was horrified at using a squat, NOT easy for women at all.
What have I got? I got no snacks and I got no respect.
Travis-age 6
When my niece and her husband lived in Singapore they had a squat toilet in their apartment, it was a small room inside the laundry/mud room. It remained a curiosity for 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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lol, that’s for mostly Asian tourists were a squat toilet is still the standard. I’m a pretty easy going traveler but I was horrified at using a squat, NOT easy for women at all.
In Thailand the squat toilets are mostly gone, and I think this was mostly tongue-in-cheek. ?
lol, that’s for mostly Asian tourists were a squat toilet is still the standard. I’m a pretty easy going traveler but I was horrified at using a squat, NOT easy for women at all.
In Thailand the squat toilets are mostly gone, and I think this was mostly tongue-in-cheek. ?
Not in China! I still shudder. ?
We were once in Myanmar doing a 4 day/3 night trek. We stayed in small villages in peoples stilt houses. You live on the second floor, lower floor is were they kept the pigs and oxen. You climbed a bamboo ladder like staircase that was pretty wobbly. Bathroom, and that word is being kind, was a bamboo paneled shack over an open pit. A thick stick was pounded upright into the ground to hold onto to keep your balance. I told my husband I would literally pee the bedding rather than navigate climbing down that ladder in the middle of the night! And yes, we did this for fun ?
Honestly the trek was a true highlight experience, but I still have nightmares over those filthy toilets.
What have I got? I got no snacks and I got no respect.
Travis-age 6
lol, that’s for mostly Asian tourists were a squat toilet is still the standard. I’m a pretty easy going traveler but I was horrified at using a squat, NOT easy for women at all.
In Thailand the squat toilets are mostly gone, and I think this was mostly tongue-in-cheek. ?
Not in China! I still shudder. ?
We were once in Myanmar doing a 4 day/3 night trek. We stayed in small villages in peoples stilt houses. You live on the second floor, lower floor is were they kept the pigs and oxen. You climbed a bamboo ladder like staircase that was pretty wobbly. Bathroom, and that word is being kind, was a bamboo paneled shack over an open pit. A thick stick was pounded upright into the ground to hold onto to keep your balance. I told my husband I would literally pee the bedding rather than navigate climbing down that ladder in the middle of the night! And yes, we did this for fun ?
Honestly the trek was a true highlight experience, but I still have nightmares over those filthy toilets.
In Sri Lanka when I was there in 2019 my buddy and I stayed in Tree Houses that looked a bit like the Ewok village. We were probably about 60 feet off the ground and the hut had a makeshift bathroom in it. It had a real toilet, but I noticed when I flushed it that the contents just went down a tube and landed near the base of the tree. I couldn't help but chuckle because they clearly designed the bathroom to be suitable to westerners and then figured we wouldn't see where it landed. My buddy who was a little nervous staying in accommodations that high up out of wood, suddenly wished we were 150 feet off the ground.
'29, '40, '74, '76, '79, '02, & '03
GPL's Resident Cabin Enthusiast & Cadets Hockey Fan
Really? I know a couple people that lived there and they didn't want to stay.
I think it takes more than a few weeks to get there. I know a few people that lived there as well, moved back after about four years. They definitely miss the weather though!
We won't be staying in any huts in Myanmar - we're guests of the state and will be in diplomatic housing. ?
Well that’s hardly a challenge..?
Honestly Myanmar was one of the most fascinating countries we’ve visited. We were there before the recent political issues and folks were really excited about tourism and opportunities. Please tell us about your experience when you return.
What have I got? I got no snacks and I got no respect.
Travis-age 6
We got home from southern Germany last night just as the storm was starting. It was a bit of a hairy drive home but I'm glad we weren't landing an hour later.
I hadn't been back to Germany since I left Berlin in October 1990. We used to go to Bavaria a lot as a kid so it was a lot of fun to take my kids and see/do some of the things I did and just enjoy the beauty of the area. We were dodging raindrops most of the week (it's been really rainy there the last few weeks) but we never got rained out. The worst was being up on the Zugspitze in 30 degree weather with what must have been a 30mph wind... that was brutal.
The kids were fascinated by the castles and there were at least 2 tour guides who discovered my 4 year old asks really good questions. I'd forgotten how beautiful Salzburg Austria is and I could just drive around Bavaria all day for a couple weeks, take in the sights, and have a meal in some Gasthaus with whatever local brewery they happen to serve.
When I returned our rental car the agent poked a little fun at me because the max I drove on the Autobahn was a bit over 100mph. The Audi A4 wagon we had drove better at 100mph than most rental cars I get driving half that speed.
We booked our flights via Icelandair. When they are running specials you can find some pretty good deals and there's always the stopover policy they have. I've talked to so many people paying $600 to the west coast or $900 to Florida and we just flew round trip to Munich for $760 a person.
We got home from southern Germany last night just as the storm was starting. It was a bit of a hairy drive home but I'm glad we weren't landing an hour later.
I hadn't been back to Germany since I left Berlin in October 1990. We used to go to Bavaria a lot as a kid so it was a lot of fun to take my kids and see/do some of the things I did and just enjoy the beauty of the area. We were dodging raindrops most of the week (it's been really rainy there the last few weeks) but we never got rained out. The worst was being up on the Zugspitze in 30 degree weather with what must have been a 30mph wind... that was brutal.
The kids were fascinated by the castles and there were at least 2 tour guides who discovered my 4 year old asks really good questions. I'd forgotten how beautiful Salzburg Austria is and I could just drive around Bavaria all day for a couple weeks, take in the sights, and have a meal in some Gasthaus with whatever local brewery they happen to serve.
When I returned our rental car the agent poked a little fun at me because the max I drove on the Autobahn was a bit over 100mph. The Audi A4 wagon we had drove better at 100mph than most rental cars I get driving half that speed.
We booked our flights via Icelandair. When they are running specials you can find some pretty good deals and there's always the stopover policy they have. I've talked to so many people paying $600 to the west coast or $900 to Florida and we just flew round trip to Munich for $760 a person.
I, for one, am glad there was some rain there. I've been reading about the dearth of snow. I am supposed to be going on a river cruise there this summer, and I don't want a bus substituting for the boat. A few years ago I was in Salzburg and had the best schnitzel I've ever had at this small cafe in Bavaria, just a short trip from Salzburg. I'd have to do a little digging to come up with the name of the town, but I bet there are a zillion choices in that vicinity to have a similar experience.
We got home from southern Germany last night just as the storm was starting. It was a bit of a hairy drive home but I'm glad we weren't landing an hour later.
I hadn't been back to Germany since I left Berlin in October 1990. We used to go to Bavaria a lot as a kid so it was a lot of fun to take my kids and see/do some of the things I did and just enjoy the beauty of the area. We were dodging raindrops most of the week (it's been really rainy there the last few weeks) but we never got rained out. The worst was being up on the Zugspitze in 30 degree weather with what must have been a 30mph wind... that was brutal.
The kids were fascinated by the castles and there were at least 2 tour guides who discovered my 4 year old asks really good questions. I'd forgotten how beautiful Salzburg Austria is and I could just drive around Bavaria all day for a couple weeks, take in the sights, and have a meal in some Gasthaus with whatever local brewery they happen to serve.
When I returned our rental car the agent poked a little fun at me because the max I drove on the Autobahn was a bit over 100mph. The Audi A4 wagon we had drove better at 100mph than most rental cars I get driving half that speed.
We booked our flights via Icelandair. When they are running specials you can find some pretty good deals and there's always the stopover policy they have. I've talked to so many people paying $600 to the west coast or $900 to Florida and we just flew round trip to Munich for $760 a person.
I, for one, am glad there was some rain there. I've been reading about the dearth of snow. I am supposed to be going on a river cruise there this summer, and I don't want a bus substituting for the boat. A few years ago I was in Salzburg and had the best schnitzel I've ever had at this small cafe in Bavaria, just a short trip from Salzburg. I'd have to do a little digging to come up with the name of the town, but I bet there are a zillion choices in that vicinity to have a similar experience.
It may have been Berchtesgarten. That's a pretty popular stop in Bavaria and the one place we had to cut off the list due to time.
I was surprised how low the Alpsee (the lake right by Neuschwanstein) and the Eibsee (the lake at the base of the Zugspitze) were given it was late March. I doubt the Rhein or other major rivers will be low enough to cause you problems but I wouldn't want to be on a bus either.
I just got back from my Hawaii vacation, I have been there 5 times now I stayed at the Hilton Waikiki beach resort for the 1st time, rather bad experience. I stayed at the Rainbow tower, the big Pool area had so many trees and large boulders around the pool not a lot of room to sit at the pool so I spent my time at the beach. My prior experiences in Hawaii I would be able to get dropped off when I arrived and picked up at my hotel. This years trip we were left off at one location and had to walk to the hotel we were staying at and when we were leaving we had to walk back to the location we were dropped off at.The company we were set to be picked up at was 45 minutes late and I almost lost my flight.
When we arrived in MPLS on Saturday morning at 6:30am we had to sit on the runway for 45 minutes so the ground crew could shovel the snow from the gate for us to finally get off the plane. Then we had to wait about 45 minultes for our luggage to get off the plane for use to pick up.Then I had to keep trying to get a ride with Uber to get home. So we arrived in MSP at 6:30am I finally got home at 11am
I just got back from my Hawaii vacation, I have been there 5 times now I stayed at the Hilton Waikiki beach resort for the 1st time, rather bad experience. I stayed at the Rainbow tower, the big Pool area had so many trees and large boulders around the pool not a lot of room to sit at the pool so I spent my time at the beach. My prior experiences in Hawaii I would be able to get dropped off when I arrived and picked up at my hotel. This years trip we were left off at one location and had to walk to the hotel we were staying at and when we were leaving we had to walk back to the location we were dropped off at.The company we were set to be picked up at was 45 minutes late and I almost lost my flight.
When we arrived in MPLS on Saturday morning at 6:30am we had to sit on the runway for 45 minutes so the ground crew could shovel the snow from the gate for us to finally get off the plane. Then we had to wait about 45 minultes for our luggage to get off the plane for use to pick up.Then I had to keep trying to get a ride with Uber to get home. So we arrived in MSP at 6:30am I finally got home at 11am
A message from those of us who had to deal with Friday nights storm into Saturday morning: Boo. Hoo.
I just got back from my Hawaii vacation, I have been there 5 times now I stayed at the Hilton Waikiki beach resort for the 1st time, rather bad experience. I stayed at the Rainbow tower, the big Pool area had so many trees and large boulders around the pool not a lot of room to sit at the pool so I spent my time at the beach. My prior experiences in Hawaii I would be able to get dropped off when I arrived and picked up at my hotel. This years trip we were left off at one location and had to walk to the hotel we were staying at and when we were leaving we had to walk back to the location we were dropped off at.The company we were set to be picked up at was 45 minutes late and I almost lost my flight.
When we arrived in MPLS on Saturday morning at 6:30am we had to sit on the runway for 45 minutes so the ground crew could shovel the snow from the gate for us to finally get off the plane. Then we had to wait about 45 minultes for our luggage to get off the plane for use to pick up.Then I had to keep trying to get a ride with Uber to get home. So we arrived in MSP at 6:30am I finally got home at 11am
I always hate it when a relaxing vacation ends in a cluster? and all the nice feelings go up in smoke as you scramble to deal with problems.
But as Bigbeer stated so eloquently BOO HOO!
What have I got? I got no snacks and I got no respect.
Travis-age 6
We got home from southern Germany last night just as the storm was starting. It was a bit of a hairy drive home but I'm glad we weren't landing an hour later.
I hadn't been back to Germany since I left Berlin in October 1990. We used to go to Bavaria a lot as a kid so it was a lot of fun to take my kids and see/do some of the things I did and just enjoy the beauty of the area. We were dodging raindrops most of the week (it's been really rainy there the last few weeks) but we never got rained out. The worst was being up on the Zugspitze in 30 degree weather with what must have been a 30mph wind... that was brutal.
The kids were fascinated by the castles and there were at least 2 tour guides who discovered my 4 year old asks really good questions. I'd forgotten how beautiful Salzburg Austria is and I could just drive around Bavaria all day for a couple weeks, take in the sights, and have a meal in some Gasthaus with whatever local brewery they happen to serve.
When I returned our rental car the agent poked a little fun at me because the max I drove on the Autobahn was a bit over 100mph. The Audi A4 wagon we had drove better at 100mph than most rental cars I get driving half that speed.
We booked our flights via Icelandair. When they are running specials you can find some pretty good deals and there's always the stopover policy they have. I've talked to so many people paying $600 to the west coast or $900 to Florida and we just flew round trip to Munich for $760 a person.
Wow. I started looking for hotels around April 8th, 2024 in the path of the solar eclipse. Those that are booking now are charging $1000 a night in Indiana.
Wow. I started looking for hotels around April 8th, 2024 in the path of the solar eclipse. Those that are booking now are charging $1000 a night in Indiana.
I wouldn’t spend that kind of money for April in Indiana, too much potential for clouds.
Try Texas if you can find a cheap flight.
What have I got? I got no snacks and I got no respect.
Travis-age 6
Having been to over a dozen different airports in just the past 12 months alone that ranking doesn't surprise me. I might give Incheon the nod for comfort, but MSP does have a lot of great food options as far as airports go.
I posted this on Facebook a while back but am posting this here as our plans are firming up.
My wife and I are going to Washington DC next week. We will be there for 3.5 days. We have already booked the following:
1. White House tour
2. Nighttime monuments tour
3. Air & Space Museum
I have never been to DC before. I know there is a ton to see there. What would you put on the “greatest hits’ tour of DC if you were to visit for the first time?
I posted this on Facebook a while back but am posting this here as our plans are firming up.
My wife and I are going to Washington DC next week. We will be there for 3.5 days. We have already booked the following:
1. White House tour
2. Nighttime monuments tour
3. Air & Space Museum
I have never been to DC before. I know there is a ton to see there. What would you put on the “greatest hits’ tour of DC if you were to visit for the first time?
Thanks!
#2 should be fun! If you start at the Vietnam Memorial you can easily walk to the Lincoln Memoria, Korea Memorial, MLK Memorial, FDR Memorial, and finally around to the Jefferson Memorial. In my opinion they are even better at night and we've started a the Lincoln Memorial about 30-45 minutes before sunset and worked our way around.
Few suggestions:
- At the Lincoln Memorial look for the star on the steps marking where MLK gave his "I have a dream" speech.
- Look for the soldier looking back as you approach the Korea Memorial. Wicked cool, especially at night.
- Sit on the steps of the JM and look the same way Tom is looking. You can see trees have been strategically removed so Tom can "keep an eye on the white house"
Few other ideas:
- Look for Kilroy at the WWII memorial. Hint - It's not easy but think inner workings.... ? ?
- The Einstein statue along the Constitution Ave (??) is really cool
- The bar at the Old Ebbitt Gill (near the White House / Treasury building, on 14th or 15th maybe?) is really neat and worth a nourishment stop. If I recall correctly some of the stuffed animal heads were Teddy Roosevelt's.
- Walk along the Potomac from the Kennedy Center (which is also worth a quick stop) toward Georgetown and look for the Exorcist Stairs
- Martin's Tavern in Georgetown is really cool and JFK and Jackie allegedly got engaged in a booth there. YE and I shared crabcakes in the same booth but strangely this is not commemorated.
- The Library of Congress might be the most spectacular building in the city if you can get tour
- National Archives is also a great stop....our most important documents and heritage on display.
Have fun!
“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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Pearl Harbor USS Arizona Memorial such a stunning place to go. The Arizona still leaks oil today, when you go on the memorial you can see the oil floating in the water
If you tour the Capitol building statutory hall is pretty cool. Each state selects two people to be recognized so it's interesting to see who has been selected. Several are also on display (at lest they were several years ago) in the underground visitor's center where capitol tours start.
“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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1.We took the Monuments by Moonlight Tour. Worth every penny! Do not miss the Korean Memorial after dark. It's downright eerie! You can walk to it when the tour stops at the Lincoln Memorial.
2. Smithsonian Air and Space; Museum of American History
3. Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
4. National Archives
5. FDR Memorial is kind of a hidden gem that you don't hear much about but we really liked it. There's a section for each of his 4 terms.
PS We were there for 5 days about 10 years ago. When we came home we said hell there's another 5 days worth of stuff to see so we went back the next year.
Pearl Harbor USS Arizona Memorial such a stunning place to go. The Arizona still leaks oil today, when you go on the memorial you can see the oil floating in the water
Something tells me this would be hard to squeeze into a 3.5 day trip to Washington DC. 😉
we hope to get to Pearl Harbor next year as part of the vacation we missed due to 2020.
