Vacation Travel Plans, Suggestions, Advice

Karen_S

Where are you planning to go or want to go?

I'm trying to figure out how to swing a family trip to Australia and New Zealand. My in-laws 60th wedding anniversary is in a couple of years and that's one part of the world they've never been to and want to see.

stever

I want to go to Rome and see all the little bitty minivans navigate the little bitty side streets.

fezo

Way back in 1979 I went to Australia for a bit over three weeks. Saw my first minivan before the minivan was supposedly invented. Rode in one actually - a Toyota Hiace.

caliberchic

Greece also has lil bitty vehicles, smart cars. They are so small they park a dozen to a block and even up on the sidewalk.

Sylvia

Cars from my trip to Greece

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

fezo

Is it new? :P

caliberchic

When did you go to Greece? I went a few months ago and was there for 18 days. I was amazed at the traffic, I had NO idea! Forget about pedestrian right away!

Sylvia

I went in Sept. of 2005. I spent a few days in Athens, then out to the Cyclades for a mega-swim trip before 2 end-cap days in Athens. I had a great time out on the islands, the swimming was great but the wine was pretty bad. By the time I arrived home I had enough feta cheese, eggplant and lamb to last me a lifetime.

kyfdx

Any suggestions for spending a couple of days there? Going the 1st week of April.

jipster

.. is one of my familys favorite vacation spots. Planning on going back this summer, about the 4th time. Aside from too many high rise condos and hotels, it is really nice family spot.

jlbl

Going there for the first fortnight of July. Any suggestion to pay a tourist visit there? Melbourne and whereabouts.

On the other hand, if someone is coming to Madrid, the El Prado Museum has been enlarged. It deserves to be re-visited, not only because of the forever paintings hanged in it but also for the architecture restoration of the buildings added to the old Museum. Mr. Rafael Moneo, a former Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, did the design and lead the works.

Regards,
Jose

stever

For a place that's not on the way to anywhere, we keep getting house guests. This past week we had one friend return from a reunion in Ohio who stopped over on his way back to Oregon. A few days before that a couple from Taos rested before driving up to Alaska. The natives are friendly.

If you haven't been to Idaho, you can go from Yellowstone along the Oregon Trail to the capital where I am, or head up into the Sawtooths and try ice skating at Sun Valley, or go further north to the lake country (big Navy submarine base up there - go figure).

Oh yeah, we did get to see a little bitty minivan:

toomanyfumes

How did you like Sedona? We'll be leaving Monday the 11th. We get back late Satuday the 16th then I leave on my GoldWing for a trip to Gatinburg and the Smokey mountains from the 19th through the 24th.

kyfdx

Sedona was very nice... Slide Rock State Park is very scenic. Wear your swimsuit.

It is imperative that you get out of the town and into the red rock area. We took a guided Jeep tour, which was pretty cool, but pricy. The Uptown area of Sedona will remind you a little of Gatlinburg, though slightly less tacky.

A good Mexican restaurant in Tlaquepaque (sp?) shopping center, just south of Uptown.. was a good place for dinner.

If you come in from the south, be sure to drive north of town, towards Flagstaff for 10-15 miles, then turn back and come into town from the north. The scenery on that drive is fantastic, driving down into the Oak Creek Canyon.

Good luck!
kyfdx

1racefan

Anyone got beach trips planned for this summer? Anyone just completed a beach trip and have any good stories?

jipster

I'm going to Panama City in a couple weeks. I'll bring ya back some shells. :shades:

stever

My nephew just got back from Destin - really fun area even though it's been years since I've been down that way. Eat something fried from the Gulf for me. :shades:

PF_Flyer

We're doing what may be our last "whole family" vacation as our first daughter has graduated from high school and starts at Penn State in the fall. So after this year she may not think it's cool to vacation with us

We're planning on heading down to DC for a weekend to do the museum and monument thing (we've done it a couple of times already, but we love it)

Then we're swinging across to Lewes, DE to catch the Cape May ferry on our way to Ocean City, NJ. Not being a beach guy, it's fortunate that the friendly confines of the poker room at the Trump Taj Mahal is just 10 miles up the coast :P

fezo

and another thirty miles up the coast is my house, though this is generally not considered a major vacation destination....

PF_Flyer

OK... another point of interest...

On your left you'll notice the residence of fezo, CarSpace forums denizen and all around good guy. No flash photography please!

fezo

You've got the idea. Drive up to Exit 63 and point west and take a picture.....

kyfdx

..and, maybe on up to Toronto for a couple of days... Cleveland and the Rock and Roll HOF on the way back..

stever

If you like theatre, don't miss the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake. Cool town even if you aren't into plays.

PF_Flyer

I was just on a four day trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls in April :P

Might want to make a reservation to eat in the restaurant in the CN tower in Toronto. That's pretty cool.

And then there's the Houdini museum in Niagara Falls and don't forget the Niagara casino! :shades:

guss

Then we're swinging across to Lewes, DE to catch the Cape May ferry on our way to Ocean City, NJ. Not being a beach guy, it's fortunate that the friendly confines of the poker room at the Trump Taj Mahal is just 10 miles up the coast

I'll be loading up the Mini-van(5 bikes,3 boogie boards,a wagon and a ton of toys) and heading to Ocean City, NJ also.

You'll like the ferry, we took it last year and the dolphins were fun too watch.

jipster

My brother use to live in Fort Walton Beach... just a dolphin ride from Destin. We'd often drive over to Destin for food, entertainment, and the beach.

Panama City Beach has a lot to offer. But, the recent growth in high rise hotels and condos take away a lot of the charm.

Eat something fried from the Gulf for me.

My stomach and I will try to honor that request for you Steve, but I usually eat the catch of the day grilled. Grilled amberjack or grouper being my favorite. :shades:

bryan

Or Shifty could just zoom past the Lewes turnoff and go south another 5 miles to my house in Rehoboth Beach!

Gotta love the Delaware/NJ coastlines--some of the nicest places to visit and vacation, and in my case, purchase a retirement home. I always smile when I hear folks are "going to the beach" in Delaware and "down the shore" in Jersey.

The Cape May/Lewes ferry is an awesome trip to make. I use it for short jaunts to Atlantic City myself!

Enjoy your vacation.

Karen_S

Rented a condo a couple of times there and enjoyed it very much. Savannah is just 45 minutes away too. I like the beach, but the mountains are my favorite getaway. I prefer hiking and bears to sand and sharks. :shades: However, I really, really hate how commercialized the Smoky Mountain area has become.

fezo

Rehoboth Beach? I'm all set to visit.

I love the Cape May Lewes Ferry. I toy with checking out what one could do to work on the boat. I could live with being on that all day. I go on it at least once a year and in some years much more frequently.

oldguy70

Karen, I can help you with the plans for a New Zealand trip--spent a great month there two years ago and saw it all.
Having visited many other countries, and lived in a few, NZ is by far and away my favourite!
It is a jewel.
E-mail if interested in some info.

toomanyfumes

Just got back from Sedona yesterday, beautiful area, we had a great time. Saw the Grand Canyon, did Slide Rock, Out of Africa, saw Jerome, many other things. Didn't do the Jeep tour, but we got our Mazda5 rental pretty far up the trail. When it started spinning the tires, it was time to turn back. We were in a little parking area, when one of the Pink Jeep tours went by. The tourists looked stunned that we got that far up the trail!

kyfdx

Sounds great! We didn't do Out of Africa..

Gee.. now I wish we'd done the trail in our rented Ford Fusion, instead of spending the $200..

toomanyfumes

Out of Africa was OK, probably best if you have small children. Ours loved the feeding giraffes, holding the snakes, etc. It was HOT, though. We were supposed to have a Fusion, but they were out. The Mazda5 was pretty decent: lots of room, handled great, sunroof. A little low on power climbing the mountains. I gave the manumatic a good workout.

jipster

Just got back from Panama City Beach. Had a great time with the wife and kids. Wife insisted on going July 4th week, as the fireworks on the beach are awesome. But, then you get some knucklheads lighting off large bottle rockets the next 2 or 3 nights up until midnight. As you all know, Jip needs his beauty sleep.

The food was great. I had the grilled grouper at: The Treasure Ship Restaurant, Montego Bay and at Skampies(blackened). Portion at Treasure Ship was small... and thus disappointing. The other 2 restaurants were generous.

My 6 year old son had 7 holes in one playing miniature golf at Coconut Creek. The Gulf World Aquarium was weak and a disappointment ($$$). The Pirate Ship Cruise was great. My son and I teamed up to beat the competition in a go cart race at Emerald Falls.

Next year? Going to try Disney World. :shades:

kyfdx

Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Cleveland..

Anything we shouldn't miss?

On tap:

Buffalo Bisons game (AAA baseball)
Niagara Falls (duh)
Indians/Red Sox game
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Family vacation.. me, wife and 13 yr old son.

stever

I've been to the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake a couple of times and really enjoyed it. The little town itself is trendy with lots of good restaurants, and there's miles of bike trails there too. It's a nice diversion if the touristy stuff at the Falls starts to get to you.

The Martin/Frank Lloyd Wright house in Buffalo is interesting too.

Kirstie_H

http://www.carspace.com/blogs/JamFactor/

Karen_S

http://www.carspace.com/blogs/sundaydriver/

toomanyfumes

And you'll feel right at home since there's more people from Illinois than Wisconsinite's.:) Nice area, though, we try to visit once a year.

euphonium

87 Octane, Chevron Gas in Blaine, WA = 3.20 (Pacific crossing)
94 Octane, Husky Gas in Whistler, BC = 4.65

The Blaine gas was substandard quality causing me to top off in Whistler. Averaging in the 94 octane with the so called 87 bought at the border increased the octane in the tank to almost 89 and that stopped the pinging.

At the start of the trip............
We filled up on the WA side of the Columbia and 87 = 2.79

odie6l

There is no such thing as a vacation in my future. I am looking forward on my next day off to go over the the AACA Museum here in Hershey. AACA Museum Funny, I've lived here in Hershey since '98 and have not yet been in there. :confuse:

Odie
Odie's Carspace

0patience

We drove down to Disneyland. These 2 are pretty much the extend oof my automotive pics. :surprise:

Had to pay my respects to a legend.........Oh and to James Dean too. :shades:

toomanyfumes

We'll be going to Vegas in a couple of weeks to see the Wisconsin Badger/UNLV football game. I'm going to rent a car for a day. Any suggestions for things to see? I know there' Hoover Dam, is there any other natural beauty to see that way?

I get a discount through Hertz, almost reserved the Shelby. 100 miles a day won't cut it though. Gonna probably end up with a Focus.

fintail

I just got back from there. We went out to Red Rock Canyon, which is a short drive from town.

I get a discount from Hertz as well, I had an Audi A6 for 2 days, very nice car.

toomanyfumes

How much was the A6? I'm looking for something more than just a Focus or whatever, but I don't want a convertible.

A Focus is $50 per day, the Shelby was $150.

fintail

I got the A6 for $95, it was my splurge for the trip as I am not a big gambler Here it is at Red Rock. I believe Hertz rents Volvo S80s out of Las Vegas for something around $85-90 as well, probably a nice ride too.

toomanyfumes

Looks nice. I'm not much of a gambler either, I'm going for the Wisconsin Badger-UNLV football game. We have a free day so I think we'll see Hoover Dam and maybe Red Rock.

Just reserved an Infiniti M35. Just over $100.

fintail

Excellent, good luck. I had a fine experience, more or less no wait at the gold club line too.

I saw those M35s, but I have a thing for German cars, so the Audi was the best (affordable - not like the $325 S550 from Dollar) option for me. It should also have Sirius radio and the somewhat weird Hertz navigation included. For someone who likes cars, it is worth it vs the price of a standard car.

texases

Any plans yet? We went to Australia years ago, big place! It might be better to go to either Australia or NZ, both would be a major trip, lots to see in either one.

melanied

Hello all, I have my plans coming up to visit Montreal in the next month. It is a corporate trip and I am in-charge of the arrangements there. We are having a tour of the city and since it is a corporate one, I need to arrange for the accommodations and the cars that would be used for the trip. I need some suggestions on the accommodations and the cars that I need to arrange for the trip. So, please do help me on this.

dtownfb

Heading to Sunset Beach, NC for a family reunion this summer followed by some time at Myrtle Beach.

Saw an advertisement that you can get a free meal plan if you travel to Disney World from mid-August to mid-October. You have to book by early June.