Friday OT #2 - Permanent Vacation

I have a little less luck being Type A when the kids are involved, as they definitely need more downtime and flexibility. When we went to Disneyworld and Universal in 2018, I DID have mapped out the fast passes and where you were supposed to go at what time of day to beat crowds, to try and give them more grace and flexibility at times that were crowded and busy. But that was fairly transparent to them.


The wife can’t sit down, so it’s an issue the other 4 of us manage. My wife likes things planned out but her vacation planning skills are lacking. I have outside things, inside things, bad weather things, learning things etc that I always can pop out depending on the situation and mood of everyone. I’m used to managing groups of people and pivoting quickly so I fall back on that.
 
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I love seeing the different countrysides so a few days of just riding the motorcycle is great. I love getting on the interstate the first day and putting 600-700 miles behind me then I can spend a few days riding around.
When I went to the Grand Canyon I rode to Grand Junction Co. the first day. Made it to Vegas by 2pm the next.
Spent the night in Vegas just to say I've been there then it was off to the Grand Canyon and all back roads from there until Denver. Got up early enough to be riding through the desert as the sun rose.
I should fly somewhere overseas where I could rent a motorcycle
 
We're looking pretty hard at a tropical destination in this coming fall for our anniversary - my husband wants an all-inclusive and a beach, while I insist on finding an island with plenty of variety in the local options so that I can do excursions to non-beachy crap. Places like the Bahamas and Aruba are gorgeous and relaxing, but there's not much in the way of activities that aren't beach-related. I'm having way more luck with a place like Curacao - I can go on a submarine while he relaxes, which is perfect.
When we got married (Christmas time wedding so options on the honeymoon were limited) we almost went to Jamaica (in thing at the time) but after finding out it was just beach stuff and there were warnings to not venture of the resorts area we flipped to San Diego so we could at least have options.
 
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My wife and I could not be more different on how we vacation. I want to constantly be on the move. I hate sitting still. I just can't get over the concept of spending the time and money to go somewhere and just lay there, no matter the number of drinks involved. I just don't get it.

My perfect vacation would be going somewhere with some historic sites, neat geography, etc. and just wander around all day taking it in. Good food and beverage helps as well.
 
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We're looking pretty hard at a tropical destination in this coming fall for our anniversary - my husband wants an all-inclusive and a beach, while I insist on finding an island with plenty of variety in the local options so that I can do excursions to non-beachy crap. Places like the Bahamas and Aruba are gorgeous and relaxing, but there's not much in the way of activities that aren't beach-related. I'm having way more luck with a place like Curacao - I can go on a submarine while he relaxes, which is perfect.

I would love to go back to Maui some day. Such a beautiful island and seems much more local and less touristy than Honolulu was. Have things I want to see that we didn't the first time after spending nearly a week there and got a good idea of what else there was that we didn't have time for. The 2 coolest things we did there was took a guided tour with a small group through the north part of the island which the car rental places will tell you that voids your agreement because the roads on that part of the island are narrow and mostly winding 1 lane roads so was fun to have someone drive a van and take us through villages and some random places like an art gallery that also had a cool rock sculpture garden that was off the beaten path. Took a helicopter tour over the south part of the Island which was really cool to see it from that perspective. If we go back again sometime I want to drive the road to Hanna some day, everyone I talked to says it is a great trip to make.

You can still kind of get your "resort" kick in there too I guess but there really is not anything all-inclusive for Hawaii packages and probably not quite as a party atmosphere as some of those other beach destinations. If the resort atmosphere is your thing then Waikiki Beach is probably more close to that. The 1 thing I did not like about Honolulu was it was WAY more touristy and busy than anything in Maui and it was noisy outside all hours of the night it seemed. Maui just seemed more relaxing and peaceful. I'd also like to make a trip to the Big Island next time if possible.
 
When we got married (Christmas time wedding so options on the honeymoon were limited) we almost went to Jamaica (in thing at the time) but after finding out it was just beach stuff and there were warnings to not venture of the resorts area we flipped to San Diego so we could at least have options.

I found the same thing with Jamaica! I found SUPER cheap flights last night to there and Bahamas, but when I tried to research them on Atlas Obscura (my favorite travel site ever) and Trip Advisor, etc., it was basically, "Ride an ATV on a beach." "Ride a horse on a beach." "Take a jeep ride to a beach." I get it, the beach is there!

I would love to go back to Maui some day. Such a beautiful island and seems much more local and less touristy than Honolulu was. Have things I want to see that we didn't the first time after spending nearly a week there and got a good idea of what else there was that we didn't have time for. The 2 coolest things we did there was took a guided tour with a small group through the north part of the island which the car rental places will tell you that voids your agreement because the roads on that part of the island are narrow and mostly winding 1 lane roads so was fun to have someone drive a van and take us through villages and some random places like an art gallery that also had a cool rock sculpture garden that was off the beaten path. Took a helicopter tour over the south part of the Island which was really cool to see it from that perspective. If we go back again sometime I want to drive the road to Hanna some day, everyone I talked to says it is a great trip to make.

You can still kind of get your "resort" kick in there too I guess but there really is not anything all-inclusive for Hawaii packages and probably not quite as a party atmosphere as some of those other beach destinations. If the resort atmosphere is your thing then Waikiki Beach is probably more close to that. The 1 thing I did not like about Honolulu was it was WAY more touristy and busy than anything in Maui and it was noisy outside all hours of the night it seemed. Maui just seemed more relaxing and peaceful. I'd also like to make a trip to the Big Island next time if possible.

I had looked a bit at Hawaii! I'd seen that Maui is AMAZING, and that Kauai (sp?) is very under-the-radar as far as visitors. I'm hoping some day we can get the kids there!
 
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Depends on the type of vacation, I switch it up quite a bit.

Relaxing vacation - Beach or camping. I don't do much in the way of sights for these because they're usually in places where I'm "in" the sights. Camping trips I'll take hikes but for these it's mostly just about taking it easy and not talking much with a beverage in hand.

Tourist vacation - these are usually in cities or countries with lots to do. I usually plan it out in a way where I'll have one or two or three big ticket items/places I need to hit each day with a bunch of other optional things that could happen along the way. Then I just meander through them all. I can't stand having too much of a schedule while I'm on vacation but without some plan then it would just turn into a relaxing vacation. Who would go to Tokyo to sit around and relax?
 
I found the same thing with Jamaica! I found SUPER cheap flights last night to there and Bahamas, but when I tried to research them on Atlas Obscura (my favorite travel site ever) and Trip Advisor, etc., it was basically, "Ride an ATV on a beach." "Ride a horse on a beach." "Take a jeep ride to a beach." I get it, the beach is there!



I had looked a bit at Hawaii! I'd seen that Maui is AMAZING, and that Kauai (sp?) is very under-the-radar as far as visitors. I'm hoping some day we can get the kids there!


Heard they have cheap lodging in the leaper island.
 
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I like to see as much as I can without having to rush. I usually have a list of “must see”, “see if possible” and “nice to see” in every place. We usually book stuffs we must see in the morning and let the rest of the day to be flexible, just wing it based on what we feel. We usually walk a lot (7-8 miles a day) and don’t return to our accommodations until probably 11.

It is more than ticking a box that “I’ve seen this or I”ve been there”. I know some family members have done some crazy itinerary thar you guys won’t believe. But I like to savor the experience and spend at least 3 days in a city because day 1 you need to get a feel, bearing etc and plan for the unexpected.
 
My ideal day on vacation: start out with a mountain bike ride or trail run. Follow that with historical stuff, sightseeing, food at unique restaurants and beer all day long

Two popular vacations where I don't see the allure - cruises and sitting on a beach or beside a pool for hours on end
 
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Like having the ability to relax by the beach but also like to go hit up some of the local things to do. Vacationed to the Oregon coast back in November, and it was about an even split, spending time along the beach but also going to breweries and local restaurants, seeing sights, etc. I generally put together a list of ideas and hit them up as i feel like once there.

Depending on the area sometimes you wouldn't want to be too rigid in your itinerary as the weather can be unpredictable and you want to spend the sunny days taking advantage of the outdoor things you have planned, so adjustments on the fly happen.
 
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More a type B I guess. Don't want every second scheduled. That sounds too much like work - "We HAVE to do this NOW! Then THIS, then THIS!" GTFO! LOL.

But I do like to schedule stops and usually the reservations for a driving trip. I do get nervous thinking about not being able to find lodging (or getting stuck at some $300 a night luxury resort when I am only showering, sleeping and going).

My other problem with traveling is I tend to worry about missing flights or any scheduled transportation. Thus I'm rarely relaxed the day of travel or the day before returning for any vacations including air travel. I envy those who can wait to get to the airport a few minutes before their flight. I am more comfortable being at the gate well before time to board. So often am one of the first ones checking in for my flight.

Depends on the type of vacation, I switch it up quite a bit.

Relaxing vacation - Beach or camping. I don't do much in the way of sights for these because they're usually in places where I'm "in" the sights. Camping trips I'll take hikes but for these it's mostly just about taking it easy and not talking much with a beverage in hand.

Tourist vacation - these are usually in cities or countries with lots to do. I usually plan it out in a way where I'll have one or two or three big ticket items/places I need to hit each day with a bunch of other optional things that could happen along the way. Then I just meander through them all. I can't stand having too much of a schedule while I'm on vacation but without some plan then it would just turn into a relaxing vacation. Who would go to Tokyo to sit around and relax?

These both describe me. I am a pain in the ass before we go because I get excited and anxious about leaving the house and my wife is always trying to make sure every last doomsday preparation is accounted for. Once I get all parties in the car or on the plane, I'm chill.

As far as type A or B, I can adapt to anything because I switch to vacation mode. Whenever we go on vacation, I can shut down the stress and just enjoy whatever happens because it is always less stressful than the overly scheduled life I left behind.

I like a rough idea of what I want to do, but I allow a lot of flexibility to adjust. Some of the best things that have happened on my vacations weren't planned. My wife is very much type A, but needs me to be more type B to help her relax. We complement each other in that regard.

In general, I have a deep appreciation for vacations. We rarely went on vacations growing up since we were poor and couldn't really get away from the farm very often. Vacations were car trips to see my older siblings, with an occasional stop-off.
 
Type B here. Case in point: last night I booked hotel and tickets to join our friends at Disney World in 2 weeks. And that's about the extent of the detailed planning I'll do. I happily discovered our hotel is about a 5 minute walk to the countries in Epcot so there will definitely be some nights spent enjoying beverages there though!

And all the comments about sitting on a beach are now making me yearn for an all-inclusive vacation. We've gone to Mexico twice in the last 3 years so I'm thinking next winter will set us up on a nice every-other-year schedule.
 
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I totally, 100% get this. This is also how I am - I don't just sit and relax at all, and I don't like to go to chains for anything. I can sit down at home for free, why would I spend money to go somewhere else and do that the whole time?

I have a travel app that I use. I research the **** out of things online, and then map each day out with it - down to what I have found are the best items to order. I've gone to Rome w/my mom the past two Mays - the first time we went, we literally walked off of the plane at 8 am after an all-night flight, and I made her do all of this immediately:

View attachment 69640

We only walked 7.7 miles that day, which made it by far our lightest day - but it was awesome to do all of the things.

That’s funny, it’s like ms Project for vacations.
 
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Type B here. Case in point: last night I booked hotel and tickets to join our friends at Disney World in 2 weeks. And that's about the extent of the detailed planning I'll do. I happily discovered our hotel is about a 5 minute walk to the countries in Epcot so there will definitely be some nights spent enjoying beverages there though!

Beach Club?
 
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I would spend every single vacation skiing if I could. I guess I could go ski in the Andes in the summer but that would be over the top.

I used to hate beaches, but I’ve become a fan as a way to chill from working life. I do love sailing so that has something to do with it. I enjoy local cultural activities but it doesn’t always win out.
I used to work with a single guy who would spend all free time he could get in the Rockies skiiing. He did get so he would plan trips to South America in our summer so he could ski as well. Eventually he retired and moved to the Rockies so he could ski full time.
 
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My wife and I could not be more different on how we vacation. I want to constantly be on the move. I hate sitting still. I just can't get over the concept of spending the time and money to go somewhere and just lay there, no matter the number of drinks involved. I just don't get it.

My perfect vacation would be going somewhere with some historic sites, neat geography, etc. and just wandering around all day taking it in. Good food and beverage helps as well.

Same. I like to party when I get the chance and enjoy plenty of cold ones, but the idea of sitting on a beach for a week getting hammered every day for a week sounds awful to me. We have a lot of friends that go to Mexico every winter that claim it isn't just that, but it seems like 90% of what going to Mexico entails.
 
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