I'm trying to plan some trips for 2007 and am curious, what has been the most amazing place you've visited or your favorite vacation spot, and why? I'd be interesting to hear your opinions...

AC and CC of course :rolleyes:
Isla Mujeres, Mexico
The Pacific coast of Costa Rica
Trinidad
St. Lucia

Hi travelqueen,
Looking back, the most amazing place for me was the top of the World Trade Center with my entire family the last week of August 2001.
Favorite vacation spot? hmmmmm.... gotta be a tie between Ireland and Hopetown, Abaco. Totally different but love both places - must admit San Pedro is mighty close in that race, love it too. Ireland for the people and scenery. Hopetown for the fishing and exploring. San Pedro for the people,food, ambiance, reef!

TQ

Maldives amazing!!!!!!!!

Malaysia and Penang food out of this world and watch the King Cobra snake charmers!!!!!!!!!

Anguila, upscale but beautiful. The Deputy Prime Minister was a taxi driver part time when I visited.

The cabinet used to hang out at The Prime Ministers beach bar in the evenings playing dominoes.

TQ...
Aside from Belize...in no particular order...St. Lucia, Zimbabwe, Long Beach Island (NJ), Ireland, Guatemala...too name a few.

Rykat, with you completely on being on the top of the WTC...Windows of the WOrld for parents anniversary April, 2001.

get a spine chill everytime I think about it!

Ireland( 14 visits)!!! Brazil, northern Spain.

Check out Ecuador. Check out Northern coastBeen there 2x, no crowds. Fly up from Quito. Wild & crazy drivers, so take a bus for any in-country travel. Gotta go to Otavalo for the Indian market experience.

(and your employer flies there!! )

klc, I was thinking about Quito in the next couple of weeks! Thanks for the advice!

Interesting to see the mutiple votes for Ireland! I'll try to make it there eventually! Thanks!

Rykat/Motown, I can see where having visited the WTC would leave an everlasting impression. I hadn't been to NY before 2002 and have never been to the financial district.

Tradewinds, your recommendation about Isla Mujeres is about the 10th I've heard. That destination will be on the calendar for next year!

Beachboy, Thailand is a must next year so perhaps I'll try to make it to Malaysia as well... I can be a slave there too, wanna come???

if ya go, TQ, lemme know. I'll see if I can find my old info. Great little B&B/inn away from the noisy part of town, yet walkable to lots of fun restaurants & bars and fairly cheap. Not been there for few years, so like everything else, most likely changed.

Before the polarized their economy - it was wacky when you did a money change. Any amount over $50US, you pratically needed a shopping bag to carry all the local currency!

Ireland/Scotland/Wales.....or Fiji.....people,food,scenic beauty. Can't lose on any of those.

TQ...My most amazing spot has been Alaska in June/July. The scenery there is beautiful!
We're hoping to go to Ireland/ Scotland this summer.

Avignon, France, month of July - annual theatre festival. Amazing old walled city, great food, great street entertainment everywhere, great wine, great shoe shopping....

Afganistan cave spalunking.{sp}

Canary Islands, Greece, Holland, Australia

Tahiti , scenic beauty loved it ,Hong Kong,a total blast ,Greek Isles ,like a picture post card !!!!! Any where in Italy ,the food the women ,Especially the Amalifi coast.Ciao Bella !!

Angel Falls, Venezuela
Arco, Italy
Anna Bay, Australia
Airlie Beach, Australia
Stockholm, Sweden
Banff, Alberta Canada
Hana, Maui
LaFranc, Spain
Yellowstone Park
Yosemite Park
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
And you always have a place to stay with us in San Diego!

Florence, Italy
All of Italia is beautiful and the coffee is soooo yum, but Florence was by far the most amazing to me.
Morocco is also facinating, little slices of the whole world all in one place, fantastic food and great shopping!
As for US cities - there is no comparison to San Francisco, and you know where the free lodging is there!

Law, do you serve pizza?

I do not serve pizza, in fact I rarely "serve" anything; I am an excellent cook but my place is generally serve yourself. Perhaps Pedro's is more in keeping with your tastes.

Cuba baby! and Tulum, Q. Roo, Mexico, one of the World's most amazing places.


[img]http://cdn.tripadvisor.com/Images-g150813-d260693-b1223893S-a_caption.-Cabanas_Paraiso-[/img]

AHHH we want to go to Cuba and I hear Tulum is beautiful and romantic.

klc, I'd like that info.! I'm seriously planning a trip although I hear it's not safe for SWF's... but...

Another vote for Ireland!

Alaska is in the plans...

deacon, Afgan spelunking? The closest I'll probably get is finishing this book I'm reading called the Kite Runner. Otherwise, don't think so...

capt jeff, thanks! Will stop in Hong Kong as I fly to Thailand... I think.

Reaper, Angel Falls is a MUST, before 2007!! Can't wait!! San Diego is SOON and thanks.

Law, thanks for the suggestions and yes, I do LOVE San Fran... and any place you live.

SIN, if I am able to go to Cuba... and Havana is certainly appealing... I guess I won't be telling anyone. Roo? As in Winnie the Pooh? I know you are up-to-date on your Pooh characters! LOL

KZK, shhhhhhhhhhhhh gial... can't let anyone know about Cuba!

TQ - I loved Kite Runner, read it last year in the pool at Banana Beach!
Any place I live is always more fun with you around! more coffee please......

Awe, likewise!!!

Liking the Kite Runner although not sleeping well at night and only on page 130!

Truly one of the best books (not only in story, but with style) I've read in the past 5 years! TY Law! BB read here also.

I'll scour the closets this weekend TQ, since rain likely to keep me inside

Thailand is a very interesting place to visit at the moment just ask Tom Vidrine and Casey. They still haven't returned!

TQ I would go anywhere to be with you!

You might get some good ideas from this old thread... Favourite vacation spots

Casey has been back for a couple of days.

Weather what is the reports from Thailand? Did they have any problems? I called by Roadkill today to see how things were with him.

AOK- And no, they didn't have anything to do with the coup!

OOOH! forgot Iceland - cool place - The Pearl restaurant, people, Heimaey Island(in the Westmans) volcano crater stil smoldering right next to town,skillions of sea birds and puffins flying around island, guys on cliffs catching puffins with nets to eat, small plane flight over glacier - can't wait till next trip to northwest of Iceland - Reykjavik neat city everybody is bombed most of the day. Fun Fun

TQ I laughed when I saw the comments on The Kite Runner mixed in here. I read it too..on my last trip to Ireland. lol Great book!!! Now on "Life of Pi". Uhoh Hijack! Travel and books...great thread!! Should you decide on a trip to Ireland btw pm me as my hubby is from there so it is like a second home for us. Another nice, enjoyable trip: Northern Portugal, wine country, crazy winding roads and staying in posadas and drinking our fill of port!

Rhon - you are so right about Portugal - great wine, great food, lots of fresh fish, plus really great buys on pottery - I have so many great pieces from there!
Life of Pi? Really? Seems we have similar taste in books as well!

Rome and Pompeii No place else like it on earth!

Found it TQ - great little place. In a very safe & fun area (near the embassies so you know there's lots of "presence").

http://www.lacasasol.com/index.html

"Old" Quito has lots of great architecture, plazas, etc - just watch out for the pickpockets. They're crafty! My friend had her backpack unzipped by one who did the casual bump & run trick, followed closely by his partner who tried to get his hands inside. I wonder if his wrist still hurts from the manhandling she gave him . :p But hey, that can happen anywhere!

If you will be traveling to different areas, you can leave your unneeded items there & pick them up on return. Great if a combo beach/mtns adventure - I mean why lug all your stuff around when you can leave it safe & secure for a measly buck a day?

Hey Law....too funny same books! Yes portugal was great trip. We deliberately stayed away from the south and the Algarve as that is where most people seem to head. Love the blue and white pottery!

Klc...you have me interested in Quito now!

TQ, There was a skydive boogie in Ecuador last year and everyone that went loved it there!

Sosua, Dominican Republic.:. this country has a lot to offer and see!! BEAUTIFUL!!

San Pedro, Belize.:. well what can i say... BEAUTIFUL!!

I loved both places and hope to go back to DR soon... am coming back to SP this DEC...
Good post though u can get some good ideas about the next and new possible vacation spot!

Hey, another big Kite Runner fan here and also read at BB :-)

Some of my favorites:
Koh Samui and anywhere else in Thailand
Lake Pokhara, Nepal
Bay of Islands, North Island New Zealand
Florence Italy
Greek Islands
Bali Indonesia
Close your eyes and spin the Globe and point!!:-)

Five years later and I still can't get used to the void in the skyline from the WTC..

P.S. Law, think I'm coming out of my "self imposed exile".. hope to catch up with you soon..think about you lotssssssss

catdog!
Been thinking about you too, girl. It's time we caught up! We are overdue on several counts!

Most amazing - the wilds of Ladakh.

Hi TQ!

If you get to New England, be sure to check out Block Island. Idyllic, especially at end of summer and early fall when it's less crowded.

TQ I have travelled to over 80 countries in my life. Belize is around in the top three.

Cambridge, England where I come from is still number two on my list. It is truly the most beautiful place plus you Travelqueen can stay for free!

Ellington, Missouri.

Hon, thank you for bringing back that other post - more good info!

klc, thank you for the information. We're still debating on Quito or Bogota, Columbia for Nov... it'll be one of those and then the other in 2007... I think.

ida, planning on DR... but thinking of Punta Cana. Ever been there?? Santa Domingo doesn't look all that apealling but just from the travel books I've read.

Catdog, glad you liked Thailand! I'm really looking forward to it!!

Portugal? I hadn't thought about it but will now! Thanks!! And if Law agrees - it's got to be good!!

Thanks Diane!

RI Beth! Hola! I want to go with you on your next girly outing in Belize!! Did y'all have a great time or what???

Ah beachboy, gracias! I hear Cambridge is beauuuuuuuuuuuutiful!

Bill, as my 5 year old would say, "are you for real?" I don't know anything about Missouri.

Missouri, isn't that the "show me yours" state?

I have been watching this thread with interest, always looking for new places to visit. My wife does not like long flights (me neither, more money than time) and does not tolerate altitudes, so we are stuck with islands ( ) Punta Cana does look nice, we spent a vaca in the DR a few years ago, nice. Also liked Bonaire, Roatan, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, St Maarten, St. John. Love Puerto Rico. Every place is a little different for everyone, so it depends on what your interests are.

Minnesota...warmer than Siberia, but not as friendly.

I really enjoyed my trip to St. Maarten St. Martin, the beaches are beautiful & you can take day boat trips to Anquilla, St. Barts, Saba.

Don't get me started, Bill.

Oh, come on, Bobber, start - start!
You two are funny and I'm borrowing the comments about both states for future use!

I used up my one Missouri comment, but I do have a pile of Minnesota comments. I do have a vast repertoire of California references tho. :p :p

California's an easy target - we're all just a bunch of wierdos and hippies out here!
Have family in both Missouri (which I always thought sounded a lot like Misery) and Minnesota, so those lines will come in handy! :p :p

Oh yeah, and I have some really good friends in Minnesota too!

I have friends in Misery. Oooops, Fruedian slip?

I was in SF mid 60's for a few months. You think it's wierd now? You now have wannabe hippies and old burned out originals. The originals were something in their day. Ahh, nostalgia.
California is a good place to stand and look at the ocean and still keep your feet dry. :rolleyes:

I LOVE Cali!!!!

Law, I've been thinking of going back to Carmel/Monterey here soon... wanna come? Make a weekend of it??

Great posts! Thanks to everyone!!

California is the only place I have ever found that can make decent sourdough bread. That alone makes it supremely important (plus I do have friends there too ).

Bob, the wine ain't bad either.

Not a wine person, fortunately or unfortunately (surprising how many expensive habits I have avoided). Do have a branch of the family up in Sonoma that might need visiting someday.

A few weeks ago we drove through the intersection of Haight/Ashbury...A Ben and Jerry's on one corner and a GAP on the other!
Timothy Leary must be spinning!!!!!

Bob, tell the family I'm on my way!!!

reaper, where is that?

San Francisco, home of the hippy movement in that area.

reaper. I resemble that remark. Those were certainly different days.

Deacon, that area is now quite "Madison Avenue"...Starbucks, McDonalds, etc....
How ironic!
But there is still a great collection of unique humanity to watch there!!!!

Progress always ruins the past

Doesn't ruin it, just changes it. San Francisco is still my favorite city in the entire world.
TQ - pick a date girlie - I'm in! Will that be before or after I visit you next month?
Bobber, start planning that trip - I do believe the altitude is appropriate!

Yes, I do love San Fran!

Law - anytime gial! You name it! I've been thinkin' about Big Sur a lot lately!!!

Bob, where does the family live? Law and I will crash there if it's convenient.

Anyone been to Liberia? What'd ya think of it??

Early November Weekend, TQ - Napa for post-harvest release parties, Carmel for the shopping and beach, the City for the food, the theater and the people watching!

Sounds great!

Law / TQ, Wow that sounds cool, (As I get ready to open a bottle of 2003 Franciscan Oakville Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to have with our pasta dinner tonite) I'll be thinking of you guys on your trip

Man that label must be BIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG or else small type to get all that in 2m!

But I'ts real gooooooood KLC, Much better than the stuff we shared in FPT. Will have to Export some to stock up our San Pedro Ponderosa (sp) so you can enjoy with us next time down.

deal. I've some Australian Shiraz (and perhaps a few other vinous surprises) headed this way Sunday, so don't feel tooooo bad about me :p

Ive got some Thunderbird

convertible or hard-top?

I jes tro da top away

T-bird screw top. Nice E, what year?

Austrialian?
Thunderbird?
Gentlemen, where is your taste?
Napa Valley, or at least France! :p

Hey Law, Stick to your CA vinyards, They aint broken

So true, Napa, even Cal central coast has some great production! Gee, I do believe it's time for me to head home and open a bottle of my own!

well hell Law, the price is right! Decorum prohibits me from refusing the kind offer of a well deserved gift, espcially one coming from 1/2 way around the globe!

Got a li'l bit of that taste in my mouth.

Hope ya never need that top again E!

T Bird screw top, vintage, noon today . . . . YECK ! I remember only too well

Sorry E, I should have asked for the "Born on date" Law, One of the good things about being from the right hand side of the USA is we get to start Happy Hour earlier than the left side

Law - did a Napa trip a few years back and bought the most amazing champagne (flavored??) soap - Just amazing! Would go back just to buy more. Ever tried it? (Of course, must be used in the tub with a bottle of wine on the side... )

Hey 2miles...at least we don't have to stay up until the wee hours to see the end of Sunday and Monday night football! :p

Sounds interesting, Nova. Do you remember where? Domaine Chandon is my absolute favorite sparkling wine and the winery is goergeous!

Law - don't remember which vinyard, but they had a little shop at the edge of the property where you could buy wine, champagne, and tons of other touristy/winey stuff. Little wooden gingerbread type shop. Will check out Domaine Chandon next time I'm in the LC.

A great wine I've been drinking lately is Trinchero Cab. It was $9 + change at Spec's, last night I was out to din din and they wanted $9.50 a glass!!! I had noticed it is up in the $12 range at Spec's now.

Malibu, thanks! I'll pick some up on the way home from work tonight. Gotta love the downtown Spec's! Plus, they give free samples!

I lived in the Napa Valley for 10 years and just loved it over there. Everyone who came to visit me always wanted to go tasting. . .and, so we did. Pretty soon, the employees in the tasting rooms were saying, hey its you again, out for a free buzz? Now, most of them charge per taste. I love Sterling Vineyards - take the tram up to the tasting room. Beautiful view of the Valley. And while you are at it, head up to Calistoga for some spa treatments!

Laurie, we need a girls' weekend in Calistoga! How fun would that be!

I LOVE tasting room! Never been to CA but went to Washington state, not the best wine but still fun. I would love it in NAPA, hubby and I have been trying to go to do that vinyard train thing. Anybody do that?

Malibu: Never tried the Vineyard train; however, there are a number of limo services available that you can customize your itinerary to go to those wineries that you are most interested in. The driver comes in real handy after about the 8th or 9th stop.

i will be heading to the caribbean coast of costa rica in nov, wil get back to you on how that is, cuz it looks like AC 15 yrs ago. i loved different places for different reasons. pine cay, turks & caicos was the most peaceful, but last may i did turkey, and the history and people were fantastic. close by, we did this place http://www.xpuha-palace.com/ 10 miutes n of this cool town called akumal. next plan is bali. i tivo my future destinations!

for photos of where i've been:

http://www.pbase.com/sweetjane/root

Not a big fan of the train, for just the reason ambergrishog pointed out - there are lots of wineries and I want to pick which ones to visit. Never done the limo thing but it sounds fun.
If you go, check out some of the lesser known wineries: Cakebread (one of my all-time favs!), Opus One, Silver Oak(pricey and worth every penny). Also Rubicon Estate, Coppola's winery, is always worth a visit - their wines a good and a decent price and upstairs there's a great display of things from Coppola's movies, the desk from the Godfather, etc. Very fun visit.

I've been to the Caribbean side of Costa rica and although the wildlife is fantastic, it doesn't hold a candle to the Pacific side or the mountains. The water was brown and dirty as well as the community, trash everywhere. Maybe it has changed or we just went to the wrong place.

I would go back to French Polynesia in a heartbeat. Most beautiful place I've seen. I'll avoid Jamaica at all costs.

For all you serious wino's, check out Torres Mas La Plana 1994, from Penedes, Spain. Yummy beyond words! Spoil yourself (and have me over, I love to be spoiled too!)

For a time now, I have been seriously into Pinots. Castle Rock Pinot Noir from Monterey County is a great one to try. In the world of wine, expensive is not always best. I feel lucky because Califiornia has the best wines in the world (IMHO), I live here and wine is my adult beverage of choice!

Sweet Jane,
Nice pics from your Akumal trip. Been there several times. So close to Cancun, but yet so far away! Did you get to see the turtles nesting/hatching while you were near Akumal? It is a big deal there May-Sep every year. Similar to Bacalar Chico only on a larger scale.

thanks for the compliment. means a lot to me.

yes! a local guy took us out at like 1 AM and we caught one turtle just finishing laying. have a pic of her scooting back in the sea. akumal's yakul lagoon was one of the prettiest places i'd ever seen.

i am not too much of a drinker, but my man loves wine (duh, he was a french chef. uh, he never was french, i mean he worked in french restaraunts). laurie is so right, good wine doesnt always have a big price tag, and many expensive wines are not great. IMHO, i really like the wines from chile, both red & white.

jzb - how long ago were you in cr? we will be in playa cocoles. i read voted cleanest beach by govt. ????

We were in CR just over 5 years ago. We were around Tortugero National park on the Caribbean side. Not sure where Playa Cocoles is. Probably farther south than where we were?

I've been on Caribbean side of CR twice and never saw any muddy, dirty water. When it rains, there are many rivers that empty into Caribbean and it does get stirred up. Cocles Beach is a few miles south of Puerto Viejo. I am just the opposite, did not care for Pacific side of CR, but absolutely loved Fortuna, Tabacon Hot Springs and Arenal area.

Jane, I need to send you my pics so you and french chef BF can see what it looks like!

whew. yeah, several hours south of there.

laurie...WADDA YOU WAITING FOR?????

I agree about cheap wine vs. expensive wine, but the Torres Mas La Plana is one of the best I've ever had. Also love the Aussie Shiraz's.

sweetJane - you lucky gal - a french chef has always been my dream - forget the lookin', just want the cookin' (Just don't tell mr. nuts)!

novascotianuts, I don't know if they have Rite-Aid drug stores where you live but if there is check out the weekly specials. Shiraz wine special 2 for $5.00. Good wine.

not mr. nuts again!

deacon - no such luck. In Nova Scotia we have government owned and run liquor stores - (other than a bootlegger)that's the only place to get booze - beer included. Obviously the government NEVER has sales....

Rykat - leave my mr. nuts alone!!

nsn - yeah on the chef thing (who happens to be pretty darn cute too), but i've gained at least 10 lbs this year :rolleyes:

i live in PA - we have govt run stores too, but sneak over to jersey to get the good stuff. here, a nice chilean runs about $8-10.

sweetJane - good deal. Most average wines run $12- $25 (immissing would be happy to know that Thunderbird is pretty cheap). We have a few fairly good vinyards here, believe it or not - some awesome icewines, quite expensive, very sweet and packing a serious punch!

Not to change the subject from wine... one of my favorite things on earth ( I grew up in Napa Valley so go figure)

Has anyone been to Isla Holbox? The websites I've seen are peaking my interest.

WOW....sweetjane,live right in NJ and never knew Pa. had state run liquor stores - eye opener!!

sweetjane, those pics are BEAUTIFUL!!! I want to walk across that bridge right now. Just returned from Pittsburgh, leaves just starting to turn. We will be back to PA, what a beautiful place.

law -- my alltime favorite wine experience was Cakebread Cabernet 1994. I LOVED that wine, it was indeed a mouth full of joy.

Rykat, I went to college in PA and never knew that the liquor stores were state run either

Jane: Sent you photos of CR. Enjoy! I loved Azania!

Novascotianuts- My boyfriend came back from a trip to Germany last year and brought back a few bottles of icewine with him. Man they were good.
We've found a few comparable here in the states, bottled in Canada (I don't remember the names of them) but they just can't beat the ones from Germany! So true about the serious punch!

I still have 3 bottles of Icewine from Niagara Falls from a case I bought in June.
Love it, and might have to make another wine run!

Had a bottle of Chateau Margeau (sp?)1986 in Atlantic City a few years ago and I still think about it......Another favorite: Smoking Loons just because of the name!

Yep, Jane's right about the state stores here in Pa. I live in the Pocono's, a tourist area. Every weekend there are lots of people from NY and NJ wandering the grocery store aisles looking for wine that is not there!

Where did you go to college in Pa. Motown??

RMT-The University of Scranton. I do recall (slightly) that there was/is a drive-thru liquor store that we frequented after all our classwork was done , never knew it was government regulated.

Chugwater, Wyoming.....you wouldn't believe it. Bill.....you esp. may like it!

They still sell Mad Dog 20/20 there....liquor store in on the corner of Buffalo and Cow dung road.

mtjg - if it was a drive thru, it had to be a beer store. yo can buy beer in separate distributors here, along with malt based stuff like zima or mikes lemonade. 6 packs can be bought (over-priced) from bars or pizza places. but liquor & wine is in state stores only. we hop to frenchtown or lambertville, as we live not-to-far from new hope. rykat, u on the other side of NJ? (ps - hi rhon!)

hey mal - did you mean my local pics? (and thanks again). bucks is very picturesque, for sure, esp in fall. we are several hours east of pitts.

sweetjane, thanks for clearing that up for me. Being in college, we were on a beer budget. On the "special" occasions we would have liquor and I never paid any mind to where it came from just that we had it

No one cared where it came from or what kind it was

yep - i hear ya. in college (Temple U for me), we bought quarts of colt 45, in brown paper bags. (shiver runs down janes spine!)

funny, my roommate was from LI, NY, and said you couldnt get grain alcohol there, so she drand everclear & kool-ade :p

Ohhh brings back memories...I went to college in NYC and the drink of choice was either beer or get this...Riunite on ice ( so nice!) lol Do they still make that???

Hiya' Jane! Love the avatar btw! You're lucky to live near New Hope. Quaint little town!

sweetjane, Joisey Shore (Pt Pleasant) amazing what's right nearby and never get time to enjoy.
www.members.tripod.com/~firewife_sojourns/PA_NJ_Links.html

Stop watching so much "FOX News" and go for a drive once in a while! :p

Chugwater, Wyoming??? I'll look it up Carla. I used to really love driving through Wyoming in my 18 wheeler days. I remember fondly a stop at Sheridan, Wyoming for a round of golf. The mountain scape of the Crazy Women(?) Mountains was pleasing to the eye. Due to the high elevation, I must have lost 2 dozen golfballs...hitting over the green into gullies.

yeah, yeah, yeah!!!

Yeah, Bill....Crazy woman canyon is in the Big Horn Mountains....if you ever get the chance, go up there...into the canyon...it's just beautiful...DEEP canyon rock walls with a roaring Crazy Woman Creek in the bottom. The story stems from a crazy white woman who lived up there alone...the Indians left her alone cuz they were Skeered of her! Sorry 'bout the lost balls....maybe SHE took them.....hmmm

well, well, hi bill thornton...long time. didnt know you lost your balls...

will be first time in San pedro, everyone on the board has all good to say about it... hope to meet .
will be there in Dec. is any of you going that mo.