Vacation destinations...

[broncosmitty]

I like places that speak my language. Sure, most places speak passable English, but I still hate needing a translator just to get by. Spain was one of the places where it seemed like they were more like me in the sense of "speak spanish or get the fuck out".

The most shocking thing about Spain for me, people not speaking Spanish.

Euskadi wasn’t something I brushed up on before I went.

 

[beardown07]

Disneyland: 510 acres

Disneyworld: 27,000 acres.

It's 43 square miles. Twice the size of Manhattan, and roughly the same size as San Francisco. It's ginormous.

 

[ill]

The most shocking thing about Spain for me, people not speaking Spanish.

Euskadi wasn’t something I brushed up on before I went.

I did ok in Spain for the most part when I was in Seville or a bigger city

the wedding I was attending was in a smaller, less touristy town, so I had to actually reach back to my high school Spanish to get anything done.

 

[broncosmitty]

I did ok in Spain for the most part when I was in Seville or a bigger city

the wedding I was attending was in a smaller, less touristy town, so I had to actually reach back to my high school Spanish to get anything done.

I did okay once I left Bilbao.

Not that Bilbao wasn’t awesome, I loved it. Just was a complete stranger in a strange land.

Got mugged by Mexicans in Barcelona once I did leave. Which was very cosmopolitan.

 

[ill]

I did okay once I left Bilbao.

Not that Bilbao wasn’t awesome, I loved it. Just was a complete stranger in a strange land.

Got mugged by Mexicans in Barcelona once I did leave. Which was very cosmopolitan.

there were Mexicans in Barcelona?

 

[Handicappers]

Oh, and that's not including Universal, which may be the best of all of them.


(Tho, their "Fast Pass" is not near as good as Dibneh's)

sounds like ya'll shoulda stayed another couple weeks.

 

[dbldwn711]

there were Mexicans in Barcelona?

Si… banditos

 

[beardown07]

sounds like ya'll shoulda stayed another couple weeks.

Our business would've been tits up by the time we returned. LOL.

That was the longest vacation we've been on together since opening.


We can have my SIL fake it for one week. Much more than that, and the cracks will start to show.

 

[Skerpokes]

Worth it?

It costs a pretty penny but I can honestly say it was one of the nicest, most relaxing places on earth I've ever been. The airport is it's own island so you get picked up by yacht/boat by whatever resort you are staying at and they ferry you to the resort. Huts were modern, with a/c although I was barely inside except to sleep. Wake up every morning, make a cup of coffee and then jump off the lower deck for a morning swim in the ocean. Then shower off on the deck and sit and have my coffee.

Hardest decision every day was whether to swim in the infinity pool or the ocean because they were both the same temperature. Fresh scallops and mahi mahi every day.

Glad I did it at least once.

 

[HammerDown]

Glad I did it at least once.

This.

I did Tahiti and also the Cook Islands (Rarotonga and Aitutaki).

It's hideously expensive and takes forever to get there but glad I went. I just feel bad for families who can't really afford it because the overall value for non-wealthy people is awful and if you only have one week for vacation, now you only have five days because of travel time.

That said, to me the South Pacific is the holy grail. It stands alone.

 

[NU_WTF?]

It costs a pretty penny but I can honestly say it was one of the nicest, most relaxing places on earth I've ever been. The airport is it's own island so you get picked up by yacht/boat by whatever resort you are staying at and they ferry you to the resort. Huts were modern, with a/c although I was barely inside except to sleep. Wake up every morning, make a cup of coffee and then jump off the lower deck for a morning swim in the ocean. Then shower off on the deck and sit and have my coffee.

Hardest decision every day was whether to swim in the infinity pool or the ocean because they were both the same temperature. Fresh scallops and mahi mahi every day.

Glad I did it at least once.

plus if you ever get impaled through the heart they can fix ya there, right?

 

[Skerpokes]

That said, to me the South Pacific is the holy grail. It stands alone.

I missed my international connection in L.A. and ended up having to stay the night and then "had" to stay a night in Tahiti before puddle jumping to Bora Bora. Not a bad layover.

But agreed, I have now been to New Zealand, Bora Bora and technically Tahiti and the South Pacific islands are just different. The water is the clearest I've ever seen anywhere in the world and the lifestyle and attitude is just different.

 

[Skerpokes]

plus if you ever get impaled through the heart they can fix ya there, right?

Something like that. I did have a close encounter with a shark while feeding the fish leftover chicken and steak off my deck. Scared the beejeezus out of me.

 

[huskers1217]

As a youth (without kids) I always thought it would be Badass to live at sea just off the coast, move up and down the coast based on weather etc and just live. To be young and naive again

i was always jealous of Riggs living in that trailer on the beach. that would be dope as fuck

 

[Kburjr]

i was always jealous of Riggs living in that trailer on the beach. that would be dope as fuck

I'd take Gibb's cabin.

 

[Bamagrad75]

How about some ecotourism? Central America or South Africa?

South Africa another place I'd go back to. Kruger is amazing. Zimbabwe for Victoria Falls alone. Botswana is great for safari.

Madagascar interesting but horribly poor country. Mauritius wasn't much interesting. Mozambique has nice diving.

Would love to be there for one of the great herd migrations.

The ruins of Central America are stunning. Great diving in Honduras and Belize.

 

[Bamagrad75]

This.

I did Tahiti and also the Cook Islands (Rarotonga and Aitutaki).

It's hideously expensive and takes forever to get there but glad I went. I just feel bad for families who can't really afford it because the overall value for non-wealthy people is awful and if you only have one week for vacation, now you only have five days because of travel time.

That said, to me the South Pacific is the holy grail. It stands alone.

For divers, once you've seen the Pacific, hard to come back to Caribbean.

 

[Kburjr]

South Africa another place I'd go back to. Kruger is amazing. Zimbabwe for Victoria Falls alone. Botswana is great for safari.

Madagascar interesting but horribly poor country. Mauritius wasn't much interesting. Mozambique has nice diving.

Would love to be there for one of the great herd migrations.

The ruins of Central America are stunning. Great diving in Honduras and Belize.

A friend of mine went to a place in Costa Rica that had elevated, open air huts that was part of a working restoration park. Sounded amazing.

 

[packerzrule]

Rented this for the week with a pontoon for the family this summer

Lost Dutchman Lodge - Property Management of Hayward - Private Vacation Home Rentals

What a great find on quiet Teal Lake! This large lake home is located about 20 minutes from downtown Hayward with fabulous views of Pine Island. Bring the whole family, including your family dog, on your next vacation. The Lost Dutchman Lodge can accommodate up to 16 people comfortably and has...

www.haywardrentals.com

 

[Kburjr]

Rented this for the week with a pontoon for the family this summer

Lost Dutchman Lodge - Property Management of Hayward - Private Vacation Home Rentals

What a great find on quiet Teal Lake! This large lake home is located about 20 minutes from downtown Hayward with fabulous views of Pine Island. Bring the whole family, including your family dog, on your next vacation. The Lost Dutchman Lodge can accommodate up to 16 people comfortably and has...

www.haywardrentals.com

Been to Teal and Lost Land Lake, too. That's relaxing!!