22 replies to this topic

[NewMarketSean]

Where are you planning to go this year?

 

We just booked another trip to Aruba, we leave 2/15.  We were looking at Thailand and after we renewed our passports we decided to take a trip with less intensive planning. We looked at Turks & Caicos since we've never been but the Air B&Bs were limited and expensive. We didn't find any to our liking. So we just said F it and booked Aruba, which is our perfect little slice of heaven.

 

Beyond that we are looking to go to European Christmas markets during the Thanksgiving week. We did it in 2009 and had a blast. Gotta take advantage of the days off and air to Europe over Thanksgiving is cheap.

 

My sister wants to do a 5 year cancer free trip in May so we may go back to Puerto Rico for a few days. I also wouldn't write off another trip to somewhere else. O's play in Toronto in September.

[mweb08]

We're going to Puerto Rico next month for a long weekend with a friend that is Puerto Rican and stays there for the month of February.

Kelly is running a mountains to the sea marathon in Ojai/Ventura CA this spring break so we'll explore some of SoCal and visit some friends.

I'm going to New Orleans for a bachelor party in late April.

For our big summer trip, we're considering a Machu Picchu trek with an Amazon rainforest extension (potentially a pricey jaguar safari).

[BaltBird 24]

Machu Picchu is a good one. My GF is Peruvian and we did Machu Picchu last year. Definitely stay in Cusco for a couple of days prior just to get adjusted to the altitude. It didn't bother me much besides being short winded, but it wrecked my GF. If we do it again we'll definitely stay in Aguas Calientes the night before we make the trek to Machu Picchu.

[BSLZackKiesel]

Doing a camping trip in Glacier and Banff National Parks with my brother and sister-in-law over a couple weeks this summer. We did Yellowstone and Grand Teton last summer, which was fantastic. Best part about living in Colorado is the access to everything the West has to offer.

 

Also planning on flying out to Los Angeles when Maryland's football team plays UCLA in October. Rose Bowl has always been a bucket list item for me, so really looking forward to that.

 

Probably flying back to Maryland in the spring to visit family, and my folks live in Florida so that's always an annual trip for the holidays.

[mweb08]

Doing a camping trip in Glacier and Banff National Parks with my brother and sister-in-law over a couple weeks this summer.

 

Have you booked your campsites yet? My wife and I went with another couple in the summer of 2022 for 2 weeks so let me know if you have any questions. It's definitely worth visiting! I would consider Jasper and Yoho too if you can swing it.

[BSLZackKiesel]

Have you booked your campsites yet? My wife and I went with another couple in the summer of 2022 for 2 weeks so let me know if you have any questions. It's definitely worth visiting! I would consider Jasper and Yoho too if you can swing it.

Thanks! We’ll be booking soon, Banff sites open for the summer on Friday morning and Glacier’s are rolling 6-months ahead (planning on going in early August).

[Mackus]

Going to Vieques, PR later this week.  First flight for all the kids.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Headed to spring training Thursday.

[PrimeTime]

We did Deep Creek for Super Bowl weekend, which is always a blast. Then, we have 2 Outer Banks trips on the books, one at the the end of June with friends and all the kids, the other is in late August with my older sister, bro in law and nephew. We've been going to Corolla for the last few years but in June we're going to Avon for the first time. It's a little further south and a bit more remote. Apparently, stargazing and seashell hunting are pretty amazing in Avon.

 

I think this is the year that I'm finally going to make it to Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame. It was something that my dad and I always wanted to do but he got diagnosed with ALS and went downhill pretty quickly, so we never got to do it. On March 11th, it will be 5 years since he passed and I don't want to wait any longer. I think it would be a fitting tribute to my old man if my son and I make the pilgrimage to the Hall this year. If anyone has ever made that trip, I'd love any recommendations or tips. 

[glenn__davis]

Wrapping up a 10-day stay in Madrid.  Fly home tomorrow.  

 

Been an awesome experience.  My son got an invite from a soccer tournament to participate in something called LaLiga Select.  It's billed as a recruitment tool of US players by LaLiga.  I was skeptical that it was a money grab, and I'm still not convinced it wasn't, but even if it was it was an awesome experience for him.  

 

He got to spend a week training with LaLiga coaches on the grounds of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, play 3 games against academy teams over here, see games at Rayo Vallecano and Getafe, and tour Riyadh Metropolitano and the Bernabeu (frankly the Metropolitano tour was better).  Got some good feedback from the academy coaches and got to basically eat, sleep and breath futbol for a week.  What could be better?

 

As for me, I was able to see a few of the trainings as well as the tours/pro games, and added the Champions League game at the Bernabeu on my own, though I missed the first half due to taking a wrong train.  Other than I tried to take advantage and see as many sights as I could.

 

I've been mostly by myself for 10 days - a long time to be mostly alone when most people around don't speak your language.  Even eating is a bit complicated when you're alone and not really sure what you're supposed to do to order.  But I've gotten to explore the city, the public transportation is awesome, and the people have been friendly.  Definitely want to come back with my wife and be a bit of a better tourist when it comes to the cuisine.  But for my first ever international trip (embarrassing at my age I know) it was an extremely enjoyable city.

[NewMarketSean]

I liked Madrid a lot but it is probably one of my least favorite cities in Spain. The market in the city center was awesome, though! I hope you made it there.

[glenn__davis]

I liked Madrid a lot but it is probably one of my least favorite cities in Spain. The market in the city center was awesome, though! I hope you made it there.

 

I made it pretty much everywhere haha.  Lot of wandering/exploring the city.  What other parts of Spain have you been to?

[NewMarketSean]

I made it pretty much everywhere haha.  Lot of wandering/exploring the city.  What other parts of Spain have you been to?

 

I've been twice. 

 

2017 - Tossa del Mar, Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Seville and Granada

2022 - San Sebastian, Bilbao, Valencia, Palma and a few places in Mallorca

 

I love Spain and the plan is to retire there one day. Been learning Spanish for 5 years to prepare for it!

[glenn__davis]

I've been twice. 

 

2017 - Tossa del Mar, Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Seville and Granada

2022 - San Sebastian, Bilbao, Valencia, Palma and a few places in Mallorca

 

I love Spain and the plan is to retire there one day. Been learning Spanish for 5 years to prepare for it!

 

That's awesome.  I loved it as well.  I always said that if I got the chance to go to Europe the place I wanted to see most was Spain, and it just so happened that this trip kind of fell in my lap.  

 

How's the Spanish coming?  I took it for all 4 years in HS and am still able to speak it relatively well (well, enough to get myself by in a pinch if I need to), but understanding it, especially with the thicker accents over there, was extremely difficult.

[NewMarketSean]

That's awesome.  I loved it as well.  I always said that if I got the chance to go to Europe the place I wanted to see most was Spain, and it just so happened that this trip kind of fell in my lap.  

 

How's the Spanish coming?  I took it for all 4 years in HS and am still able to speak it relatively well (well, enough to get myself by in a pinch if I need to), but understanding it, especially with the thicker accents over there, was extremely difficult.

 

I can speak, read and write pretty well, the problem is understanding it when it is spoken to me. Spanish is spoken fast; they use more words and syllables than English so they make up for it with speed. I should be listening to more things in Spanish but for now I pretty much use Duolingo. But when I went to Spain in 2022 I was only 2 years in but I spoke it freely and at times it came in very handy. Plus the locals appreciate the attempt even though it's often easier for them to talk to you in English.

 

Same goes for Italian. I went to Italy last summer and learned Italian for 9 months ahead of time. Again, it came in handy and the locals appreciated it.

 

Languages are something I forced myself to do during COVID with all the downtime. Thankfully I stuck with it.

[Mike B]

16 days...Starting Italy (Rome,) eventually moving on to France, then finishing in Spain (Barcelona).  Then home to the poor house.

[Mike B]

We did Deep Creek for Super Bowl weekend, which is always a blast. Then, we have 2 Outer Banks trips on the books, one at the the end of June with friends and all the kids, the other is in late August with my older sister, bro in law and nephew. We've been going to Corolla for the last few years but in June we're going to Avon for the first time. It's a little further south and a bit more remote. Apparently, stargazing and seashell hunting are pretty amazing in Avon.

 

I think this is the year that I'm finally going to make it to Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame. It was something that my dad and I always wanted to do but he got diagnosed with ALS and went downhill pretty quickly, so we never got to do it. On March 11th, it will be 5 years since he passed and I don't want to wait any longer. I think it would be a fitting tribute to my old man if my son and I make the pilgrimage to the Hall this year. If anyone has ever made that trip, I'd love any recommendations or tips. 

Sorry to hear about your Dad.  Cooperstown is definitely a trip for fathers and sons if they love baseball.  The town is terrific and the Museum is even better.  Take your time going through it.  It is worth the drive.  I have been 3 times and we are going to take the grandkids at some point.

[NewMarketSean]

Almost pulled the trigger on Merida and Mexico City for late May last night, but backed off when we started reading about how hot it'll be in Merida that time of year.

 

Anyone ever been? Merida looks like a cool town with a bunch to do for day trips, and Mexico City looks like one of the best food and drink cities in the world.

 

Both look like they're pretty cheap too.

[NewMarketSean]

We booked Turks & Caicos last night. Never been. Also booked a flight using points for the first time last night. Pretty cool!

[Pedro Cerrano]

We booked Turks & Caicos last night. Never been. Also booked a flight using points for the first time last night. Pretty cool!

Getting free shit is awesome!