March: nothing planned yet, our kids will be tracked out so I would love to do something fun. Recently we were having a few drinks and DH mentioned going on a cruise & I was like YES YES YES. The last cruise we took was in '08, sheesh! Now he thinks it will be too much $$$. Arghhhh. Maybe we can find a deal on a shorter cruise??
Memorial Day weekend: take our camper to OBX! Late June/4th of July: camping in OBX for annual week beach vacay
Probably a few more camping weekends to the lake. I think I have at least 1 short work conference this year, to Chicago? It may be work-related but at least its a chance to travel and do something different!
This year will be scaled down because we had a big travel year last year.
I think our family trip this year will be to Door County in Wisconsin. I want a cabin, a lake and other assorted activities.
Oh I love Door County! Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek is beautiful. If you like hiking, I'd also suggest taking the two ferries to go over to Rock Island State Park (no vehicles allowed there). The hiking was fantastic! No food or anything, so we packed a picnic lunch. On the way back, we explored Washington Island a bit (cars allowed there) and got some ice cream.
Right now the only thing planned is a long weekend to a local ski resort for tubing and their indoor water park.
I wanted to go away for spring break, but it looks like my parents are going to be building a house, so spring break will be up to them to help purge/pack.
I'm still trying to convince them to do Thanksgiving at Disney, but I'm afraid that if they don't book soon the chance at a resort we want will be slim for that week. Maybe a new year's week cruise.
Our road trip this year will take us to Colorado and Utah. We are visiting the following: -Great Sand Dunes NP -Ouray -Telluride -Mesa Verde NP -Moab -Arches NP -Canyonlands NP -Dead Horse Point SP -Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP -Colorado National Monument
This will be over the 4th of July/early July, and I know Utah will be hot as hades, but as a teacher, summer's the only time I can take 12 days off for vacation, so we make the best of it. We plan on a lot of hiking and also doing a guided jeep/off-roading tour to Hell's Revenge in Moab.
We usually do at least one other long weekend, and right now I'm thinking of Pere Marquette State Park, which is more local to us. Doing a long weekend there with hiking, biking, and visiting wineries, possibly early June.
Our 10 year anniversary is in 2021 and we are saving up for Glacier NP and then driving into Canada to visit Banff, Lake Louise, and possibly a couple other Canadian national parks.
What a great trip! I love Utah. I think the people in Moab are the happiest people I've ever seen anywhere. It's one of my absolute favorite places I've visited. I can't remember how far Goblin Valley is, I think we saw it on our way to Dead Horse Point. If it's not too far out of your way, we really liked it. it was fun being in a place you could touch things and climb. It's especially fun if you liked the movie Galaxy Quest. We love that movie!
Post by doggielover on Jan 3, 2020 15:30:45 GMT -5
We don't have anything planned but this year is milestones. Both mine and DH's 40th birthday and it's also our 15 year wedding anniversary. I know we planned on a weekend away for the anniversary but I'd like to do a trip just not sure where.
We spent 4 nights in Barcelona, and took the train to Madrid for three nights
Did you feel like you had enough time in Barcelona? I'm currently looking at 4 days in Barcelona, 2 in Seville and 4 in Madrid.
How was taking the train? I am seeing a lot of recommendations to fly from Barcelona to Seville and then take the train from Seville to Madrid.
Yes, could have done another day in Barcelona, had a few more things we wanted to do but ran out of time.
Train was fine- about 3-3.5 hours, made several stops in between. We bought first class tickets so had a nice meal and some drinks.
If you do Barcelona, buy your tickets for Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell and the Picasso Museum in advance (I would have skipped Picasso, but DH wanted to see it)
I'm planning on sending DH to Chicago for a surprise Cubs game with his family for his 40th. We went over Labor Day, but this one will be without kids, so he might enjoy it better and I can splurge more on better seats.
I'm hoping I can finagle a weekend thing for my 40th in September, but I have no idea where I'd go or what I'd do. I just want to celebrate it.
Unlike most of you we have nothing actually planned. We do have some ideas.
A weekend trip away in Feb would be nice. We only have 35,000 airline points so that might not happen.
Spring break maybe a road trip/ weekend away. We typically do Florida but we just got back from Christmas in Hawaii, so nothing big here.
Summer is a challenge. There are a lot of wants and not as much time. DD wants to do Girl Scout day camp. DH wants both kids to do sleep away camp. The in-laws usually wants to take the kids for a week. And we have baseball and dance which limits travel. It’s a problem because school gets out really early and goes back really early but sports and dance go almost until July so traveling in the beginning and middle of June is out. We usually like to do a camping trip but maybe we will run out of time here.
I’ve been talking about a Thanksgiving trip but we have done one maybe this year.
Unlike most of you we have nothing actually planned. We do have some ideas.
A weekend trip away in Feb would be nice. We only have 35,000 airline points so that might not happen.
Spring break maybe a road trip/ weekend away. We typically do Florida but we just got back from Christmas in Hawaii, so nothing big here.
Summer is a challenge. There are a lot of wants and not as much time. DD wants to do Girl Scout day camp. DH wants both kids to do sleep away camp. The in-laws usually wants to take the kids for a week. And we have baseball and dance which limits travel. It’s a problem because school gets out really early and goes back really early but sports and dance go almost until July so traveling in the beginning and middle of June is out. We usually like to do a camping trip but maybe we will run out of time here.
I’ve been talking about a Thanksgiving trip but we have done one maybe this year.
I’m always so impressed that people can/do plan so far ahead haha. Sometimes I see people posting about going somewhere in 2021 and I’m like what? I don’t think I’ll ever live a life where I plan that far in advance!
I did get in to the Berlin marathon which is in Sept, so I do plan to go and likely will make it in to a vacation by going to another country, but I won’t be booking anything for awhile. I typically book things about 2 or maybe 3 months in advance.
We have a lot of travel planned for the year, and I can't wait!
Spring break road trip to Monterey, CA, Yosemite, and probably one other place (undecided) June - coastal North Carolina beach trip July - Northern Michigan August - H and I are getting a VRBO in Aruba for a week while kids hang with grandparents back in the states during summer vacation.
Fall (maybe) - trip with me and a girlfriend to London, Amsterdam, or Madrid. We went to Paris this past October, and had a blast, so are looking to do something similar for 4-5 days in the fall again.
Unlike most of you we have nothing actually planned. We do have some ideas.
A weekend trip away in Feb would be nice. We only have 35,000 airline points so that might not happen.
Spring break maybe a road trip/ weekend away. We typically do Florida but we just got back from Christmas in Hawaii, so nothing big here.
Summer is a challenge. There are a lot of wants and not as much time. DD wants to do Girl Scout day camp. DH wants both kids to do sleep away camp. The in-laws usually wants to take the kids for a week. And we have baseball and dance which limits travel. It’s a problem because school gets out really early and goes back really early but sports and dance go almost until July so traveling in the beginning and middle of June is out. We usually like to do a camping trip but maybe we will run out of time here.
I’ve been talking about a Thanksgiving trip but we have done one maybe this year.
I’m always so impressed that people can/do plan so far ahead haha. Sometimes I see people posting about going somewhere in 2021 and I’m like what? I don’t think I’ll ever live a life where I plan that far in advance!
I did get in to the Berlin marathon which is in Sept, so I do plan to go and likely will make it in to a vacation by going to another country, but I won’t be booking anything for awhile. I typically book things about 2 or maybe 3 months in advance.
We have a family party to attend, so that's why we know so far ahead. The date has been set by someone else!
It has been quite a few years since I went on a big trip. I don't have the $$$ to fly anywhere. I go to PA every year in August and I go to NH frequently, but I can drive to both of those places. My stay in NH is free and I split the hotel in PA with my Mom.
Maybe this year I will come into some $$ and can go visit my cousin in Seattle.
We don’t have anything purchased or planned yet. Just ideas that we send our travel agent.
Another place I’d like to go is Lake Cowichan on Vancouver island. It’s so pretty and so relaxing. I’d love to find lake property up there but it’s quite expensive. And from where we live it takes about a whole day to get there.
Most of our vacations are to national parks, and if you don't plan far in advance, you may not get in-park lodging, which is super important to me. That's why I plan far out (typically booking lodging about 6 months out because that's when we know when my parents are able to watch our dog, but many people book NP lodging even a year+ in advance). Last year, I booked Yellowstone lodging in late Dec. for a July trip and hardly anything was left because reservations opened the previous May. I like doing sunrise/sunset and stargazing in the parks, and so it's important to me to stay at in-park lodging when they have it, or if not, very close by.
One of my hobbies is planning trips and I know with being a teacher, it's always going to be summer for the big trips. We've known for awhile where we'd love to take our ten-year trip to, and as we don't have a ton of disposable income, it's important to have an idea of how much we'll need saved for the trip so we can start a saving plan far in advance. I'd love to be able to book a last-minute big trip, but with the money, plus needing to line up care for our dog, that just isn't going to work for us. It is what it is.
Post by ChillyMcFreeze on Jan 3, 2020 16:54:42 GMT -5
Oh yeah, I would also love to take my dad to our family cabin in PA this summer. We went every summer when I was a kid and left my mom at home. Those are some of my favorite memories. (It only has an outhouse, no indoor toilet, so my mom and husband refuse to go. I love it!)
It has been quite a few years since I went on a big trip. I don't have the $$$ to fly anywhere. I go to PA every year in August and I go to NH frequently, but I can drive to both of those places. My stay in NH is free and I split the hotel in PA with my Mom.
Maybe this year I will come into some $$ and can go visit my cousin in Seattle.
We've spent almost all of our vacations in PA, too. Only driving trips. We did overnight trips to Philadelphia twice and I really liked it. We never go to other cities so that was surprising. I'm going to be totally freaking out about flying since it's been so long.
Most of our vacations are to national parks, and if you don't plan far in advance, you may not get in-park lodging, which is super important to me. That's why I plan far out (typically booking lodging about 6 months out because that's when we know when my parents are able to watch our dog, but many people book NP lodging even a year+ in advance). Last year, I booked Yellowstone lodging in late Dec. for a July trip and hardly anything was left because reservations opened the previous May. I like doing sunrise/sunset and stargazing in the parks, and so it's important to me to stay at in-park lodging when they have it, or if not, very close by.
One of my hobbies is planning trips and I know with being a teacher, it's always going to be summer for the big trips. We've known for awhile where we'd love to take our ten-year trip to, and as we don't have a ton of disposable income, it's important to have an idea of how much we'll need saved for the trip so we can start a saving plan far in advance. I'd love to be able to book a last-minute big trip, but with the money, plus needing to line up care for our dog, that just isn't going to work for us. It is what it is.
It's a huge bummer to not get in-park lodging. When my sister was going to the Grand Canyon we all started calling The El Tovar the minute reservations opened for the days they wanted to stay. She got through first, but we were all ready to reserve for her. That place goes fast!
Our big trip is a cruise at the end of August. It will be our first Royal Caribbean cruise and we're really excited. It stops in FL and the Bahamas. Other than that, not much. We're going to visit my mom in Cleveland for a few days and hopefully we can do a long weekend or two in Boston or DC or somewhere relatively close.
I get the planning ahead to stay inside a National Park. We’ve done day trips instead for smaller NP, but for Yellowstone we need to stay inside. That might be our big trip for 2021 though. The kids did well (9 and 7) at Volcano National Park, but still being a bit goofy on the trails next to the steam vents. So I think another year would be better for them maturity wise. I know it’s possible to take younger kids, but a toddler age kid on those boardwalks next to hot gaseous liquids would be my nightmare. They would be fine- it’s more my anxiety that would be better off waiting!
Most of our vacations are to national parks, and if you don't plan far in advance, you may not get in-park lodging, which is super important to me. That's why I plan far out (typically booking lodging about 6 months out because that's when we know when my parents are able to watch our dog, but many people book NP lodging even a year+ in advance). Last year, I booked Yellowstone lodging in late Dec. for a July trip and hardly anything was left because reservations opened the previous May. I like doing sunrise/sunset and stargazing in the parks, and so it's important to me to stay at in-park lodging when they have it, or if not, very close by.
One of my hobbies is planning trips and I know with being a teacher, it's always going to be summer for the big trips. We've known for awhile where we'd love to take our ten-year trip to, and as we don't have a ton of disposable income, it's important to have an idea of how much we'll need saved for the trip so we can start a saving plan far in advance. I'd love to be able to book a last-minute big trip, but with the money, plus needing to line up care for our dog, that just isn't going to work for us. It is what it is.
One of my crown achievements was getting a cabin in the badlands last year. It was so amazing to stay in the park.
I don’t have the money to wing it! We have to know where we’re going to save.
Maybe that will be my life someday!
For big trip yes. I think since we just got back from a big trip the other ones will be less pricey this year like we could probably budget 2k for the year maybe, and be fine with a couple of road trips and a trip paid for with airline miles.
Most of our vacations are to national parks, and if you don't plan far in advance, you may not get in-park lodging, which is super important to me. That's why I plan far out (typically booking lodging about 6 months out because that's when we know when my parents are able to watch our dog, but many people book NP lodging even a year+ in advance). Last year, I booked Yellowstone lodging in late Dec. for a July trip and hardly anything was left because reservations opened the previous May. I like doing sunrise/sunset and stargazing in the parks, and so it's important to me to stay at in-park lodging when they have it, or if not, very close by.
One of my hobbies is planning trips and I know with being a teacher, it's always going to be summer for the big trips. We've known for awhile where we'd love to take our ten-year trip to, and as we don't have a ton of disposable income, it's important to have an idea of how much we'll need saved for the trip so we can start a saving plan far in advance. I'd love to be able to book a last-minute big trip, but with the money, plus needing to line up care for our dog, that just isn't going to work for us. It is what it is.
One of my crown achievements was getting a cabin in the badlands last year. It was so amazing to stay in the park.
Yes, those cabins are amazing! We've gone to the Badlands once when we got a cabin and then once when we stayed in Wall (it was a very last minute addition to our trip four days out so no luck on the cabins!), and it was so much better staying in the park. We got to drive up to the Door Trail at sunrise and no one else was there! Still one of my favorite memories of being in a national park.
I don't know what it is about the Badlands, but it has a special place in my heart as one of my very favorite parks. It is just such a neat place, especially early in the morning and in the evening when the crowds are gone.
One of my crown achievements was getting a cabin in the badlands last year. It was so amazing to stay in the park.
Yes, those cabins are amazing! We've gone to the Badlands once when we got a cabin and then once when we stayed in Wall (it was a very last minute addition to our trip four days out so no luck on the cabins!), and it was so much better staying in the park. We got to drive up to the Door Trail at sunrise and no one else was there! Still one of my favorite memories of being in a national park.
I don't know what it is about the Badlands, but it has a special place in my heart as one of my very favorite parks. It is just such a neat place, especially early in the morning and in the evening when the crowds are gone.
It seems a tad bit less populated which adds to it all. I loved loved loved it. We also did sunrise hikes and the kids were in complete awe the whole time.
i grew up going there, it man was I awestruck when we returned.
We are skiing Whistler in 2 weeks; I'm excited! I've never been to Canada. *any tips? Spring Break- Skiing in Colorado summer vaca TBD Fall Break- a week in Boston Christmas- hopefully Cancun/Cabo or somewhere beachy and warm celebrating my parents' 70th bdays.
Post by CheeringCharm on Jan 3, 2020 18:27:11 GMT -5
We’re doing
Belize in Feb A weekend skiing in the ADK (Gore) in March Turks and Caicos in April Azores in July OBX in August A week skiing in VT (Okemo) after Christmas
It has been quite a few years since I went on a big trip. I don't have the $$$ to fly anywhere. I go to PA every year in August and I go to NH frequently, but I can drive to both of those places. My stay in NH is free and I split the hotel in PA with my Mom.
Maybe this year I will come into some $$ and can go visit my cousin in Seattle.
We've spent almost all of our vacations in PA, too. Only driving trips. We did overnight trips to Philadelphia twice and I really liked it. We never go to other cities so that was surprising. I'm going to be totally freaking out about flying since it's been so long.
I really like PA. We go down the same weekend every year for specific event. Driving down to the Philly area is a very easy drive from Boston! We go for a long weekend; leave early Friday morning and come back Sunday afternoon.