Favorite vacation trips you've taken?

[TrojanSkyCop1]

DISCLAIMER: for my fellow Irishmen here, merely going to a different pub every night does not count! :biggrin:

Anyways, my intent in this thread is to generate discussion on vacations we already have in fact taken, not hypothetical dream vacations (which merits its own separate thread)...

I enjoy my twice-a-year trips to Vegas (GSSF in January, Nevada Police & Fire Games in August), I loved hiking Yosemite's Half Dome in the summer of 1994, and the Grand Canyon on Memorial Day weekend of '95, and making my first pilgrimmage as a USC alum to South Bend, Indiana for the Notre Dame game in 2007 (
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.7241856401.19380.624196401&l=8e083c3992&type=1
). Then there was my pilgrimmage to Graceland in May 2004...and oh yeah, there was the Carnival Fun Ship cruise to Ensenada, MX on MLK weekend 2008 (
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10787541401.28569.624196401&l=7927be4ae6&type=1 )

However, I gotta say that the most fun-filled vacation I ever took, not to mention the most expensive, was going to Miami in January 2005 to personally witness my beloved USC Trojans destroy the Oklahoma Sooners to wrap up the 2004 college football national championship. Not just the game itself, but all the pre-game festivities partying it up with fellow USC fans and alumni, including eventual fellow WT'er T-Rex (especially on A1A "Beachfront Avenue"). I spent over $1,500 on that trip, and it was worth every dadgum penny. :finger:

(Oh yeah, the 2003 Orange Bowl trip was cool too. No national championship on the line for that one, but it was still great to see my alma mater kick the crap outta Iowa...)

[A.J. Adams]

I'd have to say my trip to Europe right after college. My favorite country that I visited was Ireland! I stayed in Dublin, then went down the east coast and stayed in a little town called Tramore, near Waterford. There is NOTHING like a real pint Guinness in Ireland.

[Gabriel Suarez]

The European tour in 2006 with the XO and junior staff. We saw Tuscany, Switzerland, and a few other places. Great memories, but I am always planning the next "adventure of a lifetime".

[bae]

Two trips I have taken with just my father and myself in recent years:

- up the Inside Passage in my boat for a month
- driving in my truck from here to the Arctic Ocean through BC, the Yukon, the NWT, to Tuktoyaktuk

The trips themself were incredible, but spending time getting to know my father again was priceless.

[Chris Upchurch]

Well, excluding all the great training trips I've taken (since we spend plenty of time discussing those elsewhere on WT), my favorite trip would have to be four day backpack along the Teton Crest trail. I've done other great high country backpacks in the Rockies, the Sierra Nevadas, and elsewhere in Wyoming, but the Teton Crest Trail was definitely the best. The portion of the trail along Death Canyon Shelf and wandering from lake to lake in Alaska Basin in particular were just extraordinary.

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[Chris Upchurch]

- up the Inside Passage in my boat for a month

One of the highlights of my trip to Alaska many years ago was standing alone on the deck of a Marine Highway ferry from Juno to Sitka as dawn broke. Taking a small boat up the inside passage is definitely on my lifetime to-do list.

[bae]

One of the highlights of my trip to Alaska many years ago was standing alone on the deck of a Marine Highway ferry from Juno to Sitka as dawn broke.....

I recommend the Alaskan ferry heartily to anyone looking for a discount Alaskan cruise. Start here at Bellingham, WA, end up in Alaska, not much in the way of luxuries, but it's a great voyage, and cheap.

[JPourciau]

I have to say that my all time favorite vacation was also one of the most special to me. In 2003, my dad took me with him on a business trip to Sudak, Ukraine. Not only was the trip full of new experiences, it was a glimpse into a very different way of life. Interesting to be so content with things so simple. I always enjoy going to places that are steeped in history. By way of example, in Sudak, there were ruins of a 14th century Genoese fortress sitting upon the ruins of a 2nd century fortress! We were also fortunate enough to be given a behind the scenes private tour of the palace at Yalta where FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met during WWII.

I also remember it as probably the last real travel I did with my dad before his health declined to the point that he couldn't travel. Definitely a very special time for me with many comfortable memories...

[Lucky1]

France in 1999. I proposed to my gf at the time in Paris. We spent 16 days all over France. We were chasing the Tour De France part of the time.
We were in Paris when Lance won the Tour the first time. I didn't know who Lance Armstrong was at the time. As a 7 time winner of the race he is a disappointment if what they say is true.
That was my best ever trip. An I got a great wife. One of those gun lovers. :inlove:

[USMC-03]

Cruise through the Panama Canal; I highly recommend it...

[ordinarysaint]

I spent a part of three summers in high school just outside of Kiev.It became my home away from home.Ive been wanting to go back for the last 15 years.
Every year since I was 13 my dad and brother and a group of guys from church go to a little town in Eastern Wa called Conconully.We fish,camp,ride motorcycles,wheel Jeeps and of,course dump a large volume of lead into the hillside.
Biggest surprise to me was Maui.Didnt think Id like it but my bride and I went there this January and really enjoyed it.I wouldnt mind a little bit of property out in Hana someday.

[Winchester67]

A heart surgeon I know owes me a favor because I didn't marry his daughter, so he offers up the Florida condo now and again for free. The balcony overlooks the ocean and the master bedroom overlooks the pool and hot tub. A frequent motorcycle destination, and very difficult to leave.
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[jmac_52]

We've taken a number of trips to the mountains, since it's our favorite type of journey. Out of all of them...and it's really hard for me to decide, the wife says our trip to Arkansas in February of 2010 took the prize. It had snowed a couple of times before we went, and once while we were there. It offered some of the greatest photo ops for me ever.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj69/jmac_52_photo/105_edited-2.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj69/jmac_52_photo/116_edited-2.jpg
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[Jon Payne]

The last two years we've gone to Grand Cayman. We have some really good friends there and it's always difficult to return to the States.

[fire4effect]

DISCLAIMER: for my fellow Irishmen here, merely going to a different pub every night does not count! :biggrin:


DANG IT! :beer:

Maine! Maine! Maine... Camden, Bar Harbor area. Spent about three weeks up there with my beautiful wife spent 5 days on a Windjammer cruise. Went up in late august through early september. BEAUTIFUL!

[yoni]

So many great places in the world.

1. for me not a trip but home Israel and Jerusalem are always #1

2. I love Panama City and the canal

3. I will not go back there because of current relations Istanbul is a great city.

4. Yellowstone

[T-Rex]

[QUOTE=TrojanSkyCop1;1218296]

However, I gotta say that the most fun-filled vacation I ever took, not to mention the most expensive, was going to Miami in January 2005 to personally witness my beloved USC Trojans destroy the Oklahoma Sooners to wrap up the 2004 college football national championship. Not just the game itself, but all the pre-game festivities partying it up with fellow USC fans and alumni, including eventual fellow WT'er T-Rex (especially on A1A "Beachfront Avenue"). I spent over $1,500 on that trip, and it was worth every dadgum penny. :finger:

Yeah, that was one awesome mini-vacation I took. The partying before and after the USC-Oklahoma national championship game (WHO WON THAT GAME, NCAA?) was off the charts. Really spoiled myself by going all out on creature comforts. Even though I knew TSC1 prior to the game, we really kicked if off at the pregame parties. Dang...the guy even rolled off Sgt. Hartman's famous "welcoming speech" line for line, word for word after dwoning a few.

My most memorable trip was way before TSC1 and I met up. Way before it became commercialized, I went to Boracay island in the central Philippines back in 1986. It was as if I landed up on Gilligan's Island. At the time, it was a rustic and out of the way tropical island. Now....no so rustic and a lot more "touristy".

[YARP]

The best trip I've ever taken I didn't even leave the state. Been to a good amount of foreign country's, it was cool but.....

Went to northern MI then up into the UP. Three weeks of hunting, hiking, canoeing, camping. No electricity, no phone, no city. I spent the first three days with my wife camping, then she went home. I spent the next four hiking, then a week hunting, and a week canoeing back towards home.

[fldback]

Most of my favorite family vacations growing up were extended camping trips in Northern Arizona. We did that every summer for many years.

One trip that will always stand out for me is on I took with my Grandparents. They surprised me with a trip across the south to visit family. We visited friends in Oklahoma, family in Arkansas and family in Kentucky. That trip more than anything else in my life made me want to live in the south. I was never completely happy living in the desert again after that trip.

[Pokeguyjai]

Loved TX, had awesome fun hanging with Combat Medic. But I didn't really consider it a vacation, just hanging with my bro...

So my favorite vacation is going to Asia (Hong Kong), visiting family, eating awesome food and getting a different perspective of this Earth.

If you have a friend going or know someone there... I highly recommend traveling to Asia!

[TrojanSkyCop1]

[QUOTE=TrojanSkyCop1;1218296]

Even though I knew TSC1 prior to the game, we really kicked if off at the pregame parties. Dang...the guy even rolled off Sgt. Hartman's famous "welcoming speech" line for line, word for word after dwoning a few.



That's GUNNERY Sergeant Hartman, Private T-Tex!!! :drillsergeant:

[ericb]

Backpacking europe for a month in the mid 90's. Northern Italy was my favorite. Runner up. Sydney, Australia in 2000 and Rio in 2003.

[paranoid]

I recommend the Alaskan ferry heartily to anyone looking for a discount Alaskan cruise. Start here at Bellingham, WA, end up in Alaska, not much in the way of luxuries, but it's a great voyage, and cheap.
Any particular time of the year that you would recomend doing this?

[Avenger2616]

Oooo... that's a tough question... Probably my honeymoon to South Padre last October. It was the off season, so there weren't crowds of college kids everywhere- but the touristy stuff was still open. The sunsets there were epic, as were the sunrises. If you know where to go, the food was awesome- especially recommend taking the sailboat dinner cruise. It was by far the least expensive "nice" meal we had- and probably the nicest dinner I've ever had.

[CaptnCornerBanger]

7 days sailing the Virgin Islands in a 51' sailboat staffed with a Captain and a Cook who were both dive instructors.......

Adventure when we wanted it...... And being waited on hand over foot the rest of the time......

Can't wait to do that again.....

[Teckomando]

When I was TDY at Camp Panzer Kaserne my cousins in Germany took me on a four day river cruise. It was the best experience of my life. The boat stopped at several small villages and ended in Prague. It was really cheap but the best vacation I have ever been on. It is the best way to see Northern and eastern Europe. I've been wanting to go back for a Russian river cruise that goes from Moscow to Helsinki. It stops at several small villages plus Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Helsinki.

[BGY]

Favorite trips for me has been the number of self guided barging trips I've taken with our family.We've done them in Burgundy France, Belgium and Provence in the South of France. The food, drink and scenery was amazing. Another would be our "eatfest" trips to Northern Italy. Best food on the planet. (Next to Chinese, of course. :grin:)

[blackballed]

I got to live in Germany for three years, and traveled to 11 various countries.

Best chicken I have ever had was in Karlovy Vary, Czechoslavakia. The restaurant was full, so we started to leave and a waiter chased us a couple of doors down to let us know there were tables outside we could sit at. Glad we did.

Best one with wife and kids was last summer thru the South. From here (Oklahoma) to Montgomery, Al, to Mobile (USS Alabama). Then the beach at Biloxi, Mississippi, thru N.O., La and we stayed in Baton Rouge. Spent time in N.O. at the zoo, the French Quarter, the River. Got to show the family where I used to live in Old Aurora. Took them to Oak Alley, Blue Bayou/Dizie Landin', ate alligator, gumbo, blue gulf crab, everyone had a great time.

The trip thru the South had to be the best family vacation I have ever been on. Nothing was rushed, we were able to rearrange our schedule as needed based on weather without any trouble, everything was relaxed.

[chad newton]

I have had lots of great travel. But my most resent fun ones was last December I was in Prescott for HRO training. The weather was good and being that close to Christmas the atmosphere was great. What could be better, doing one of my favorite things at my favorite time of year in a really cool town. Made me almost want to move there. I even brought along the whole famdamnly. Even tierd as h@@@ from my training, I made sure we did something everyday afterwards plus stayed a couple more days.

I did go on a couple trips to the sierras this year, they were fun too, but not as fun as Christmas time in Prescott.

[98 Joes]

The two that stand out are the ones I've taken with my Dad. We went to Bonneville in 2009 for the time trials and then 2010 we went to Hot August Nights. Both of those rank at the top of good time.

[bmp_sbi]

a week in the Yucatan in the 90's... before it became a war zone.