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View Full Version : Where are You Vacationing this Year?



Rich Riddle
07-17-2014, 4:18 PM
We are in the midst of planning a vacation to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a couple of weeks. A friend lets us stay four days on his lakefront house on Torch Lake and from there we progress up to the Upper Peninsula. This year includes a trip to Copper Harbor and Isle Royale. Nothing like being outside with wild wolves to make one appreciate vacation (wife says).

Anyway, where are you folks going to vacation this year. Please no curmudgeon vacation-hating responses, just happy ones about where you plan to visit.

Larry Browning
07-17-2014, 4:48 PM
Not this summer, but next spring or maybe summer we are planning a 2 week tour of Italy. SWMBO is retiring after 30 years of teaching 8th grade English. Her school lets her accumulate personal/sick days from year to year and she has managed to save up a total of something like 120 days. They pay her what ever the substitute is paid for each of those days when she retires. So we decided that was sort of "free" money and we are taking the vacation we have always dreamed of taking, but could never afford.

Jim Rimmer
07-17-2014, 4:54 PM
We spent a few days in San Marcos, TX with daughter's family. They tubed the San Marcos River; we all swam in the Blanco River (the San Marcos is 72 degrees year round so I passed), visited the old Aquarena Springs. It's a conservation area now but used to have a mermaid show and Ralph the Swimming Pig.

Ken Fitzgerald
07-17-2014, 6:25 PM
Earlier this year, February 15-March 21, my wife and I spent 34 days in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. It was a once in a lifetime trip....the honeymoon we couldn't afford 45 years ago. That will probably be it for this year.

Howard Garner
07-17-2014, 6:26 PM
Already done with my vacation.
Attended a model railroad convention in Memphis for a weekend.
Then north to St Louis to visit the arch.
Then to LeClaire, IA for a boat trip up the Mississippi to Dubuque, overnight-ed and then returned by the same boat.
Dropped the wife in Oconomowoc, WI with a daughter
I then when to LaCrosse for a weekend of operating model railroads.
Picked the wife up and returned home to SC
Two weeks on the road.
Typical of my vacations, trains are involved somewhere along the line

Howard Garner

Justin Ludwig
07-17-2014, 10:18 PM
We took one already to Dallas. Forced the kids (11 & 12) to endure a week of Six-Flags, Hurricane Harbor, a Rangers game and other amenities.

Next up is a flight to LA in early August. We got a condo near the beach. We'll be spending time with in-laws that are flying in from Australia, attending an Angels vs Dodgers game and just taking it easy.

Tom Leftley
07-17-2014, 10:26 PM
My wife and I are going to a fishing lodge during the second week of August again this year.
This lodge, which is called "Old Mission Resort" is about a twelve hour drive from home.
It is located about 300 miles north-west of Toronto.

This lodge is located on a lake on the Ontario/Quebec border.
It is rather small with only about 8 or 9 cabins.
No hydro, no cell phone coverage, but lots of good bass fishing.

We have developed a "painless" way to pay for this trip (about $1,000) total.
All year, at the end of the day, we empty our pockets and put all of our loose change in a large jar.
Then in late July, SWMBO deposits the coins in a special savings account. (As of this week, total is 1,024.95).

Rich Riddle
07-17-2014, 10:30 PM
Already done with my vacation.
Typical of my vacations, trains are involved somewhere along the line
Howard Garner
Mine as well. Love the trains. This year Amtrak to and from a destination. Would rather ride the train than take a plane.

Phil Thien
07-17-2014, 11:17 PM
My wife won't commit. We were (are?) going somewhere for our anniversary (Oct.). Her first thought was NYNY. Then she thought maybe we should wait a little longer into winter and go to FL. It wouldn't be a long trip either way, but it sure would be welcome.

Shawn Pixley
07-18-2014, 12:06 AM
We spent a few days in San Marcos, TX with daughter's family. They tubed the San Marcos River; we all swam in the Blanco River (the San Marcos is 72 degrees year round so I passed), visited the old Aquarena Springs. It's a conservation area now but used to have a mermaid show and Ralph the Swimming Pig.

When it is 110 degrees out, you appreciate that temp in the San Marcos - DAMHIKT. When I was single it was a great place to meet the girls at SWTSU.

Matt Meiser
07-18-2014, 8:48 AM
We already took our primary vacation for the year. We rented a cabin on a mountain above Pigeon Forge, TN and had a great time doing a mix of nothing, touristy stuff, shopping, visiting the National Park, and a day trip over to Biltmore.

With moving this summer we've only gotten away one weekend and the primary purpose of that trip to Ohio Amish country was to look for some furniture we need for the new house. We do have an overnight trip to Kalahari coming up--need to use a gift certificate we bought at the school auction last spring.

Dave Anderson NH
07-18-2014, 10:20 AM
Later in August we'll make a trip out to western NY (Rochester area) to visit my elderly parents for a few days. In November we will take a week and go to the Washington DC area for the annual CAP Marine Veteran's Association reunion. It's a mix of touristing and veteran type stuff. My wife is particularly looking forward to the tourist as she loves going to DC. We'll also do a couple of long weekend getaways up to the mountains.

Jim Matthews
07-18-2014, 10:37 AM
I'm home all Summer with two kids under the age of 10.

Traveling with children this young isn't relaxing.
They go to camp this year - our vacation budget.

It's cheaper than therapy, or pharmaceuticals.

I get one "man-cation" this year, and it will be the
first Friday of WIA in Winston-Salem.

Even if it's just two nights eating room service and watching cable TV,
it will be a slice of sanity away from the asylum.

Joe Tilson
07-18-2014, 10:37 AM
We probably will just take day trips to GA, or NC, maybe up to TN to see mom. We just don't like to travel like we used to. We might even travel the seven miles up to Howard Garners home town of Pickens,SC to the Wednesday jockey lot. One of the best flea markets around.

Gordon Eyre
07-18-2014, 11:23 AM
We spent some quality time at Seabrook on the Washington coast. It was my 80th birthday and we rented four cottages for 45 members of my immediate family. What a great time we had. When I say immediate family members I mean my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren (plus spouses). There were 15 that could not make it due to previous commitments but all those that came had a great time.

Ole Anderson
07-18-2014, 12:45 PM
Just got back from two weeks in our RV, stayed at the Platte River campground in the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore near Traverse City MI. Packed up right now waiting to leave for a weekend at the Silver Lake State Park and take the Jeep on the Dunes on the western shore of lake Michigan.

Jim Rimmer
07-18-2014, 1:14 PM
When it is 110 degrees out, you appreciate that temp in the San Marcos - DAMHIKT. When I was single it was a great place to meet the girls at SWTSU.


As the temp rises, the enjoyment of the San Marcos does, too. I wish I had known about tubing the San Marcos and the Guadalupe when I was younger. I would have really liked it, I think.

SWTSU is now just TSU. I've lived in Texas most of my adult life and was surprised at the size of TSU- 40,000 plus students; larger than Texas Tech.

Jim Creech
07-18-2014, 3:09 PM
Today marks 6 years, 4 months without a vacation. I'm so broke I can't afford to get out of sight. I usually run out of money before I get to the end of the driveway! Being self employed ain't what it used to be!

Malcolm Schweizer
07-18-2014, 4:27 PM
I was going to the Lie-Nielsen open house, but last minute had to cancel the trip. We agreed that next year we will better plan and go for a week.

If any of you want sand and sun, I would like to suggest our lovely islands in the US Virgin Islands. No passport needed, and you can have the best beaches in the Caribbean on St. John, and shop til you drop on St. Thomas. Dive the wall on St. Croix. Just 2.5 hours flying time from Miami. Sail, surf, dive- you name it. Shameless plug here. I am not getting paid for this- just a loyal citizen. We depend heavily on tourism for our economy. :-)

Kevin Bourque
07-18-2014, 5:28 PM
I'll be vacationing in Glenmoore Pa. this summer.

They have a beautiful State Park with a clear lake for kayaking or fishing.
Rolling hills and lustrous fields of hay and corn. Pastures where cows and horses spend lazy summer days eating grass under a big sky.
Winding country roads lined with old trees and stone walls.

I may stay longer than just the summer.

John C Lawson
07-18-2014, 8:06 PM
We used to go to Maine every summer (New Harbor), but haven't been since we moved to Texas. This year we are driving up to NY, picking up our daughter, and spending a week at Lake George and a week in Maine. It's more than we can afford, but she's getting married next June, so this is probably the last family vacation with just the three of us.

Jim Becker
07-18-2014, 8:11 PM
Driving vacation again this year. (Last year was Kure Beach NC - "curry" beach) This year, we need to visit the 'rents in central Florida for a few days as travel is difficult for them, but we're going down via Asheville NC when we travel so we can visit Biltmore, see a friend in the Atlanta area, visit the 'rents and then on the way home we're going to spend a day in Charleston SC since neither Professor Dr. SWMBO nor I have been there before. We just have to survive doing all those days on the road with two crazy teenage girls along for the ride... :o (One of them is actually diagnosed as crazy and the other is a normal 15 going on 20 crazy)

Dennis McDonaugh
07-18-2014, 9:58 PM
Spain, Madrid, Toledo, Seville, and Granada.

Roger Feeley
07-18-2014, 11:11 PM
We celebrated our son-in-law being sworn in as an American Citizen.

First stop was in California where the Chief Judge of the 9th Circuit Court had us to his house and did the swearing in on the 4th of July. I can tell you that that experience was far more meaningful than a fireworks display.

Then it was off to Seattle for a 7 day Alaskan Cruise. The aforementioned son-in-law totally bonded with the shipboard food. He adopted the Hobbit system of eating: Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevenses, Luncheon, Afternoon Tea, Dinner, Supper.

After the cruise, the kids went home and the bride and I spent another 4 days up in the San Juan Islands. Talk about an island paradise...

Moses Yoder
07-19-2014, 4:55 AM
I am on vacation this weekend. Starting the day off with Maxwell House Gourmet roast, 3 over easy eggs for breakfast, then a leisurely stripping of the MIL's drop leaf table, casual mowing of the yard, some grocery shopping, and by the end I hope to start sorting plane frogs. It just don't get any better than that.

julian abram
07-21-2014, 4:34 PM
We took our 13 yo adopted daughter on a birthland tour of China the first two weeks of June. The main purpose was for her to visit her orphanage in Nanping and spend some time seeing her birth culture. It was a great trip for her and us, we visited 8 cities in China during the 14 days tour. Visited the normal tourist sites, the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Olympic Birdsnest Stadium, Terra Cotta Army in Xian, National Panda Research Center in Chengdu, river boat cruise on the Liang River near Guilin. We enjoyed the trip greatly, but must admit it was wonderful to come home. There's no place like USA for this hillbilly!

Rich Engelhardt
07-21-2014, 5:48 PM
Today marks 6 years, 4 months without a vacation.We're in the same boat.
Our last vacation was in October of 2004. We went to Tunica for a week with my wife's parents.
We had a great time!
Since then, we've spent every vacation working on one or more of the rentals.

We had a trip to Florida planned for the beginning of August to celebrate my uncle Bob's 100th birthday - but - our little peanut dog developed lymphoma.

Mike Olson
07-22-2014, 9:35 AM
Later in August we'll make a trip out to western NY (Rochester area) to visit my elderly parents for a few days.
Hey Dave, check this place out when you go there. http://toolthriftshop.org/index.php
I have been wanting to check it out but I just have not had the time to make that hour trip.

Dave Anderson NH
07-22-2014, 11:26 AM
Thank You Mike. My parents live in Fairport and the village landing is about a 5 minute drive from their house. I grew up in Penfield, the next town over.

Don Orr
07-22-2014, 11:44 AM
We're heading to Yosemite in September for a walking/hiking trip with a tour company called Backroads. Phenomenal organization that treats us like royalty! We did a trip with them last year and loved it so much we are using them again this year.

Joe Bradshaw
07-22-2014, 2:39 PM
I'll be taking my vacation this year at John Campbell Folk School. It's summer camp for adults. I will be taking Frank Penta's platter class.

Chris Walls
07-23-2014, 9:43 PM
Rich
You are going to love Isle Royale ! It's North America's least visited park , they say more people go through any gate at Yellowstone in a day , than visit Isle Royale in a year. It's just an amazing place. Once you get a little ways away from the landing it's like you stepped back in time. 0 changes to the island except the foot paths. Copper Harbor is nice too ,be sure to go to the top of Brockway mountain and take in the view. Or visit the Estivant Pines. And be sure to hunt for an agate on the beach.
Chris

Peter Kelly
07-24-2014, 10:35 AM
At the cabin in New Hampshire this week.

Tom Stenzel
07-25-2014, 10:27 AM
This summer the family has only been able to go on short trip vacations.

Tuesday we got back from a trip in Ontario. We spent a day at Point Pelee and day at the African Lion Safari park. An ostrich took a liking to the rear view mirror on the van, almost kept if for himself.

Earlier this summer we spent a few days in Indianapolis. One day we went to the Children’s museum, I was concerned that my daughters were too old for it. Not to worry, the dinosaur exhibit itself was suitable for kids of all ages.

One thing that the SMC’ers would be interested in there was a bronze cannon thought to be from Captain Kidd’s ship sitting in an electrolysis tank. Turns out they use sodium carbonate in the solution just like the neanders use for de-rusting. I’m still kicking myself but I forgot to ask the nice lady there what they use for a cathode when working on bronze.

-Tom

Bill Bukovec
07-25-2014, 12:21 PM
My wife and I were in Israel in April. I went for business while she toured around. I did have four free days to see the sites too. Glad I'm not there now.

In October we are going to northeast Tennessee. (Cherokee Forest Mountain Cabins) near Butler. We go there about every other year. (this will be our 4th or 5th visit).

If you like peace and quiet, beatutful scenery and top notch accomodations, check it out. The "cabins" are well kept modern log homes with satellite, hot tub and full kitchen. Drinking adult beverages in the hot tub, while overlooking Wautauga lake is pretty relaxing. Bathing suit not need in the hot tub.

The owner, Elizabeth, is about the nicest person ever.