My family has opted to invest in a vacation for Christmas rather than buying a bunch of small gifts for everyone. We will not be traveling during the holiday (thankfully) and our trip could take place anytime after December.
Although I have a couple of things in mind (I am the master travel planner in the family) I would love to get some suggestions. I know many of you travel often. What are some of your favorite places? Why would you suggest them? My family loves to explore, eat yummy food, and balance relaxation with fun.
26 comments:
I can't say that I travel a lot, but one of the best places I've been to is Colorado. In late February the weather is great, not too hot not too cold. Of course if you enjoy cold weather going in January is always an option. It's really nice just sitting back and watching the snow fall. There are also a lot of nice ski resorts there and some little shopping centers with great places to eat. The last time I was up there I had lunch at a great Irish style restaurant, the food was outstanding. If you've never been there before it's definitely a place to check out.
I doubt you will take my suggestion into consideration, but if you ever get the urge to go to the Balkans during the winter, it is absolutely stunning. I've been to Aspen, New York, and Tennessee for vacations, but none of them could even closely compare to winter in the Balkans. Sure, it gets below freezing, but the country is made of pure beauty.
http://www.naturetrek.co.uk/pics/croatia_lrg.jpg
I feel it always good to get away sometimes especially durring the holidays when i am carefree.Some of my favorite destinations are London(England), Kingston(Jamaica),D.C(Pennsylvania,U.S) , and the Virgin Islands.Jamaica and the Virgin Island are lots of fun because the beach is never a few miles away from where you are staying and the people are friendly.It is great when you can take a cruise ship to these two destinations becasue they add to the fun.My 2 urban destinations listed above are fun because they have lots of museums and shops that intrest many people.MAny fun places such as Virgin Records and the White house are in these areas which are famous all around the world.These types of places have tehir own fast paced culture which is always fun to try out.I hope you choose a fun destination that intrigues you and your family.
Mrs. Stoklosa every year during the holiday time my family and I go out west to Utah. We love to go there and that is my favorite place to go. If you are looking for fun and relaxation it is the place to go. The mountains are beautiful and the skiing is great. The snow just makes it some much fun. For relaxation we sometimes go in the hot tub or my mom will go to the spa. Utah I'm telling you it sounds boring, but just ask Carla she will no.
Well, if you want a taste of Brown culture I would say Dubai. Its actually a great tourist spot, although its a little pricey. There's great food, housing, and attractions. I wouldn't definitely not suggest my parent's home country, Pakistan (huge economic recession, internal violence due to corrupt government) or Palestine (self-explanatory, and if not read my blog!!!!).
Well, the only two places I have traveled to outside of the U.S. are Colombia and the Netherlands. I'm not exactly sure you and your family would enjoy the 7 and half hour flight to Holland, so I am just going to stick with Colombia. I suggest you go to Cartagena, Colombia because of the history and the nightlife.
Cartagena de Indias has been an important port on the Caribbean since it was founded in 1533. Gold and silver left the port on its way to Europe, but pirates plundered the city constantly. So a fort was built to protect both shipping and slave trade. Cartagena still lures interest, but from tourists who come to enjoy the weather and nightlife. The beaches may disappoint, but dancing one of the city's hotspots might make up for it.
Although you seem to not trust me, (haha) I do know a few places that tend to be good in food even though I haven’t been to as many places as you have. The best food that I have ever had would have to say Israel, but I doubt that your family wants to travel the g-d forsaken 14hr flight and 7hr time difference. Besides Israel, Canada gave my pallet a great experience in many different tastes. I would say Victoria Island and Vancouver have the best food in the Americas. The wide variety of amazing steak houses along with traditionally famous Canadian food is very appetizing. If you’re not only in it for the food, Canada also has some of the best landscapes I've seen. When there you can visit the glaciers or Hells Canyon, and also not to mention, there is a great place that has a tree-top ropes course. I wish I could have only seen Canada in the winter.
Good luck in deciding.
Each year me and my family go to Colorado for a skiing vacation over Thanksgiving break every year. My step father owns a 4 bedroom house in the middle of the Colorado Rockies. The house, which he constantly rents out, is in Keystone. Keystone has the second best ranked ski resort in Colorado. The people there are super chill and friendly. Its a perfect little city which has many shopping plazas and centers. You could relax in the center of town at the ice skating lake, or have coffee in front of a fire. On the adventurous part, there's skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, partying, and making friends with the locals ;).
i would recommend Italy ! the landscape there is beautiful ! and not to mention the food, it is so delicious ! After you go there, don't be surprised if you gain a little weight ;). The food is like a taste of heaven. Maybe it's just me because i love Italian food but i recommend it. The only thing is that it doesn't have the best smells depending on the parts you go to. Overall, everything about it is beatiful. You should go :)
Well, if I were you Mrs. Stoklosa, I would definitely travel to Europe, to be more specific, London. London is such a beautiful place and the people are very friendly and nice. I would suggest the city of London because there is always something to do. Whether it is looking through the glamorous stores or just walking through the gorgeous parks with a cup of tea. I would say London, England is the place to be. :)
Peru is a great vacation place during the winter! Since it's in the southern hemisphere, it's nice and toasty down there during our winter, which makes for great beach days on one of its many beaches along the pacific. Also the food is great, especially if you love fish, their ceviche is, in my opinion, the best in the world!
If you are visiting Peru, going to Cuzco and paying a visit to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu is a must! I went a couple winters ago to visit family and it was one of the best trips I've been on. Good luck on your vacation planing!
I'm lucky enough to travel a lot, mainly because my parents did the same when they were my age.
For the last few years, my mom has worked with Cruise lines as a tour planner, so we get discounts as well as the best destinations.
My two favorites were Hawaii and Tahiti(French Polynesia). You already know about Hawaii, so I'll leave that alone. Tahiti is a lot like Hawaii, only not as urban. It's really a beautiful place to be, and if you're a scuba diver or a snorkeler, their reefs are pretty amazing. Lots of sharks, too.
Also if you're a snow person, I got to Stowe, Vermont. It gets some really nice snow during the season, and it's not as populated as places such as Vail, Colorado. South America is great for snow too, during our summer.
My family loves traveling, we travel everytime we are on vacation. last summer we went to New Zealand, France, and Spain. I think out of all The places i have been to in my whole life New Zealand was the most beutiful. If you have ever seen THE LORD OF THE RINGS, that is where they filmed it. Its a great place for exploring their beautiful castles and learning it's history, and also for just getting away and relaxing. Another beautiful place is Spain i go there every year since that is where my family is from. Spain has the most amazing food you will ever taste, their main dish paella is absolutely amazing if you ever go there i highly recomend you try it.
I will tell you the BEST place to travel to, Greece. Im not only saying this because I am from Greece, but it is filled with so much adventure but at the same time relaxation is a beach away. In Greece the big thing is to walk a lot, let me mention that again A LOT! You can travel by subway to downtown Athens, then you just walk all day to see the Parthenon, Museums etc... But if you don't want to walk, you can take the little train tour. For ultimate relaxation and still some adventure, you can take a hydrofoil to Santorini and/or Mykonos. There you can explore these beautiful islands, go see the volcano in Santorini. Then at night it is a hug party scene. In my opinion the clubs in Greece are the best!
So if you really want to explore and have a GREAT time, Greece is the way to go!
I love traveling, during the past times I have traveled though it's been by myself. Last summer I went to Puerto Rico and spent the whole summer there, I'm originally from there, but I like going and spending some time with my friends. This last time I went was great because I stayed at my friends house the whole entire summer, worked a little, but mostly had some fun. Puerto Rico s a good place to go to because you can go to the beach all the time and just enjoy the warm weather. Also, another great place I like to travel to a lot is Seattle, Washington. During the Winter Break I'll be going over there again, but usually the best time to travel to Washington is when it's cold, I like it better because I always go snowboarding during this time. Washington also has nice places to spend time with your family and you can always go and check out the needlepoint! Traveling is usually always fun and really it doesn't matter where you go because you'll get to spend some quality time with all the family!
The idea on investing in a vacation rather than buying individual gifts for everyone is genius! Why didn't I ever think about that, it’s so smart!
I haven’t really travel much but I will it’s on my list of things to do when I grow older; it’s actually my inspiration to start working at such a young age (14). I do have places I like to travel such as Beijing, China( I blame the Olympics), Vietnam( I blame Miss Universe) Europe (I blame you)South America( Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, etc..), Mexico, New Zealand, Ireland, and much much more.
I really don’t know how to help, but I could say that to travel to a new place you need to be open minded “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” - Aldous Huxley
Wherever you choose to go I wish you a safe flight
I would defintely go to Hawaii or Seattle. Both are great places to relax especially Hawaii. Hawaii is like paradise, you can do about anything their and the food is great. Hawaii is the best place to go site seeing, whether its surfing to seeing the volcanoes. Then Seattle, Seattle has the best weather, I like it because it's not hot or sunny outside.
I would suggest visiting Colorado, so you can ski with your family. I would also suggest some nature trail hikes and some scenery tours. During the winter Colorado can be purely lush. Just try to avoid the ruckus at Vail, Colorado.
Vacation, just makes me smile when I say that word. No school, lots of sleep, thats the life. One place I remember having a great time at was when I went with my family to Maine. Their was plenty of snow, the weather was perfect, and it wasan't too crowded. This year were planning to go on a family vacation aswell. Were hoping to go to a ski resort but nothings final. Colorado seems like a very popular winter vacation. Anything new and exciting should be fun. Just a few more weeks, I can't wait!
I would have to say that one of my ultimate favorite vacations was in Puerto Rico. Now I'm not sure if you've already been, but I must say I thought it was amazing. Puerto Rico's beaches are perfect for snorkeling, scuba diving, or just laying out in the sun and taking a swim. The water is almost crystal clear blue and the sand is fine and white. There are so many areas that you and your family could explore. I think the best part though, was the food. I remember this great little restaurant called "La Pared" (The Wall) where I had the most exquisite shrimp alfredo pasta I had ever tasted. Also a favorite was one of the more common Puerto Rican dishes, Mofongo. It’s a combination of fried plantains with chicken or pork and I must say it's absolutely delicious. But, other than the food, there’s a great adventure you could take part in and probably one of the most incredible things I’ve experienced. During the nighttime you go out with a group of trained scuba diviers as well as other tourists, and go swimming with the luminescent fish. Once you dive in, there is a plethora of bright neon green fish swimming around; it was one of the most memorable parts of my trip. So, I think that you and your family should take a trip to Puerto Rico, and experience some of the things I did it would surely an unforgettable vacation.
I have been lucky to have been to so many places at my young age and I have a few in minds that I would hope you would enjoy. You say your family likes to explore, eat yummy food, and balance relaxation and fun. At first thought I would say Sweden mainly because it’s definitely a different and much happier culture but with a little more thought put into my suggestion, your hate for cold weather makes me move towards turkey. It may seem like an odd place to suggest but it holds the extremes of everything you’re looking for. There culture is extremely diverse from being the main hub of the Ottoman Empire and the dream vacation for many European countries. Also because of this culture clash many rare and exquisite foods can be seen here. There beaches are also a marvel amongst the world and the architecture is one of a kind for its Muslim and catholic influences. It can be an overwhelming experience for many but if the feeling of adventure in an unknown setting is what you wish for, turkey will not disappoint.
My family and I are actually traveling instead of getting little presents for people. We are actually going on a cruise because we have never been on one. I would actually suggest a lot of places especially Buenos Aires in Argentina around Christmas time, New York if you like the cold, San Francisco, and Arizona. Buenos Aires has the perfect weather for this time of year, the food is amazing, and there is so much to see. San Francisco has a different ambiance compared to here in Florida and there are a lot of good places to eat. New York is New York and there's a lot to do there, but during Christmas it gets chaotic. Then, Arizona is just a calming place that has different weather than here and it's a good place to go to relax and enjoy yourself.
During the holidays, I'm going to visit Germany. I'm looking forward to it a lot since I wasn't able to go during the summer. But I know that no trip will ever beat my spring break vacation. Last spring break I went to Chile and Argentina. That vacation has everything you want. There is an endless amount of things to do, food is amazing, nicest people I have met (specially in Argentina), and really good hotels. My trip went like this:
I started in Santiago, Chile and stayed in my friends house. I did a tour of the city and its outskirts. After that, I took the tour of "Cruce de Lagos", which took me to Bariloche, Argentina. I stayed there and did fun activities, which included taking time of viewing the amazing mountains in the horizon. After BAriloche, I went to San Martin de Los Andes, an amazing little town which holds fun activities for every type of person. From water skiing, to ice climbing. After that, I took the road again up to Pucon, another small town where I stayed a few hours watching the amazing landscape. Then, I went back to Santiago and from there back to Miami. Best trip of my life. For information on the Cruce de Lagos, go to www.crucedelagos.com
I have traveled a decent amount of times in my life, but every year I go back to Canada during a month in the summer. I look forward to it every year, it has come my home away from home. I also have been once in the winter which was just as beautiful. Yes, the weather is extremely cold, but it's a nice difference from the heat and humiditity down here. There's many things to do that you can not do down here, including skiing, snowboarding, etc. The people there are extremely friendly and the crime rate is very low, making it a safe place to travel. If you have never been to cities of Calgary and Edmonton, I would definieatly recommend a trip there.
A vacation that my family and I always seem to really enjoy is Colorado. Compared to tropical Florida, Colorado is a great change of not only weather, but pace. I recommend staying near the mountains rather than the cities. To get your exploration fix, Colorado offers beautiful hiking, mountain biking, and sightseeing. At any time of the year Colorado is an extremely aesthetically pleasing place to visit because of its majestic landscape. In addition, because of its close location to mexico, a lot of good Mexican food (my personal favorite) is offered. Colorado is also very relaxing while having a lot of fun excursions to offer.
I have been to a lot of different countries, but I have to say my favorite so far was Dominican Republic. I go every year with my aunt and uncle on a trip out side the country. I am very fortunate that they take me with them, when they go, they do not stay in "All inclusive" they like to stay in little hotels and some times even hostles and just travel to different cities of the country. They have tought me to travel like that too, and I tell you it is so much better, you learn way more, and it is way more fun. You get a better feel of how the locals see their country. In Dominican Republic, we flied into the capitol, Santo Domingo, and took a 5 hour drive all the way to the top of the country we stayed there in a little hotel for 2 days, we walked to the closest town, and interacted with the locals. They are so freindly and very welcomeing. The people and kids there were a lot more grateful and appriciative then most in America. I gave a little boy there 50 cents and he had a smile from ear to ear on his face he told me "gracias" almost 50 times, then ran to the local supermarket. After we left that city we traveled south and stopped in a couple other cities. We went hikeing up and down so many mountains into waterfalls. The trip was very inexpencive and I had the best 10 days of my life. I highly suggest yu go to Dominican Republic and stay there like I did, NO ALL INCLUSIVES, Go stay and see how the locals live, and trust me you will have an AWESOME time!
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