OT: Summer Travel Plans
I'm headed to Charleston, SC for the first time tomorrow for a wedding and have some free time to spend. Anyone have any recommendations for what to do in the area (besides golf) or places to eat?
Also, the summer travel thread is a popular one every year, so use this thread to get travel advice or what have you. I'm sure people will get pissy when someone humble brags about how they just can't decide which one of their properties to summer at, but whatevs.
I'm going to take my 38' Winter custom yacht with twin Volvo Penta IPS 600's to the shores of Madagascar. I'm going to tow a dinghy behind me that will contain my '06 Land Rover, which was the first car I ever owned. My parents bought it for me because I was so motivated during high school by the thought of going to college to watch football and chase girls around. During my trip, I will be drinking Bell's Hopslam, Two-Hearted Ale, and Hoegaarden. I do not mean to brag - this is merely my existence.
What did you mean to do?
and you have to put up with the joys of Somali pirating.
There is a really nice harbor on Mahe, Seychelles. Great ice cream place, couple of really good restaurants.
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I'll spend a week in so. Maine, flyfishing for stripers, and I'll spend another week someplace else, flyfishing for something else, but haven't decided where/what. I'd like to get back the AK interior for pike or someplace like the Ribdon & tribs on the North Slope for sea-run char, haven't ruled out snook in SW Fla in June, and a trip to Wiscy for muskies is also under consideration -- though the likely outcome is pissing that week away here and there with mid-week drop-outs and extending weekend runs to the Fryingpan (trout), RMNP backcountry (trout), and SW Nebraska (hybrid bass, mainly).
I'm not sure what my wife's summer vacation plans are yet...
Take a carriage ride. They are a great way to see the city and get interesting info. They are all great but we took Red Barn's tour when we were there in November.
Folley Beach is close and a nice low key beach town. Taco Boy is excellent
I live in Huntsville, AL and am considering driving 4 hours down to the HARBAUGH camp in Prattville, AL on June 5.
I'm on the fence about an 8 hour round trip for a couple hour event, even if staying the night.
Hmmmm...
I lived in Huntsville once upon a time. Madison, to be precise. I hear it's quite a bit different these days, but I'll stick with "Any excuse to not be there is good one."
My wife has decided to go all in on some of the conventions for her favorite shows, so I shall be spending time in Chicago, Cleveland and a couple other cities within reasonable driving distance of the house, plus we're taking the kids to Maumee Bay and one or two other TBD places. Nothing lasting more than a few days - saving for bigger trips in the future. I need to take my wife to Washington, DC for example - I've been there many times but she's never been. Europe too - I have been and she wants to go.
I would like to work in the obligatory weekend up north, but I am running out of places I've not visited at least once - the kids have not been to Sleeping Bear Dunes yet, so that's another possibility later in the summer.
If you need advice from a local on a Chicago trip, tweet me. There's a reason people call this "the Greatest Summer City in the world". That reason is winter.
If you dine inside, you're doing it wrong.
We have a baseball tournament in the beginning of July in Grand Haven. My wife has been wanting to go to Myrtle Beach for a while and would like to go the week of the tournament.
I said we should just stay in Grand Haven for the week instead of driving to Myrtle beach, then having to leave on Thursday to get to Grand Haven for the start of the tourmnament.
We have one teenage boy. It's probably more fun in Myrtle Beach for my son, but a lot of driving to get back to the tournament. Plus they rent condos Saturday to Saturday at both places.
Anyone been to both places?
I'm not humble bragging; I'm bragging. I'm turning 50 this summer and my family is going to Paris and Barcelona to celebrate. It's also a reward for having to go to Itasca, Illinois for a three day 12U softball tournament at the end of July. Let's just say they're no Wolverines.
Tickets. Run by Albert Adria, brother of Ferran (of El Buli fame).
Need to make the reservation one month ahead of time. Reservations tend to disappear within 10 minutes.
One of the best meals we've had ever. Get the oysters.
Is it esoteric and experiential like El Bulli? I have two kids who practically insist everything be identifiable.
I don't understand most of these words that you are using. I believe the person you are replying to insisted it was 'very good' and that you should 'look into it'.
I'm sure it's great. Everything I asked is appropriate because the chef and restaurant he's talking about - Ferran Adria and El Bulli - is like going to a meal on an acid trip. He was the forefather of chemistry-based cuisine. Foams and flavored smoke and using N2O to cook things - all sorts of weird experimental stuff. I have two picky kids and that kind of food would go right over their heads.
Lady, I don't know what you are talking about but I love you.
Try the ghost tour, it's a hoot. No, you won't see a ghost :(
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Camp Michigania, Saugatuck, Door County Wisconsin... Should be a very nice summer.
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On the return flight i stop in Amsterdam, which I've never been, for a few days by myself. Woohoo!
In July, The wife and one son are heading to Venezuela for her sisters wedding. I know, I know but we don't linger in Caracas. So when they are gone I need to plan something for an eight and six year old boys. I'm thinking camping at Big Bend Texas.
We haven’t been to Europe since we were newlyweds (heh, heh) 24 years ago. Our daughter will be “studying” in Paris for about a month in June/July and our son will graduate from college in June (i.e. the last tuition payment has been made, now just need to pay off the loans!), so it’s time for the Griswold’s European Vacation!
In visit order: Paris, Normandy, the Netherlands (Delft in particular), St. Wendel (little German berg near Saarbrucken where my dad’s family emigrated from), Munich, Switzerland, and then back to Paris for the flight home. 3 weeks with a rental car. Will need to do a bit of work en route but they have the Internets in Europe, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Shit has changed in 24 years, so advice is welcome – Specific places to stay in Paris, car rental tips, must-see places, good wineries, festivals, etc. On a budget, as neither kid is off the payroll.
Was recently in Germany for work and get your rental car there if possible. Unlimited miles and by law rental cars are all new. Taxes and such make rentals very popular used cars, the opposite of the US.
Get a diesel and something with an english speaking GPS and you'll be fine. Prost!
We were in Paris five years ago and are going back this summer. We plan to revisit Luxembourg Gardens and rent sailboats to push around the pond. Very anti-technology. The museum of natural history is very cool, as is the Musee D'Orsay and the Picasso Museum. As for food, I consult DavidLebovitz.com. He's an ex-pat pastry chef who now lives in Paris and has great restaurant recommendations. Not a tourist trap among them.
As for accommodations, we're renting an apartment through VRBO. Cheaper than a hotel, and has more amenities, like a kitchen, which can cut down on meal costs.
Have you been to Paris? If not, here's some random advice for your first day. Drop your crap off and get situated, and then first thing you do, head for the Arc de Triomphe. It's not the tallest thing in Paris. But it has the best view. You're not lofted way above Paris - you're in it and yet above it. It feels like being in the whole city at the same time. It's on the far west side of the historic and interesting part of the city so you can stand on one side and see just about literally every landmark in the city. That was my first impression of the city and since Paris is easily among the absolute most famous cities in the world, it was breathtaking.
By the way, you might've been planning on this already, but don't rent your car until you leave Paris. Traffic actually isn't that bad, but I'll be damned if I ever saw where anyone parked. The Metro takes you anywhere you need to go.
Where you're staying, take a look through booking sites like Orbitz. I stayed at a place called the Hotel Eden Montmartre - nice little place, learned later that it was one of the few hotels in Paris that provides Kleenex - and booking through Orbitz got me a deal where breakfast was free. This was important because ordinarily it would've been 7 euros per person per day. Look for stuff like that to save a little money. The room itself was awfully reasonable for Paris.
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I've been twice in the past few years, and would second the comments above re: the beautiful homes and historic buildings in the city (a walk/run around the southern tip of the historic down town near White Point Garden, etc. is quite nice). If you can get out there, it would be great to visit Folly Beach (you can surf there, or just enjoy the sun and waves with a beverage or three), and I'd also recommend a visit to the SC Aquarium (http://scaquarium.org/), and Fort Sumter, of course, is good for dose of history. Have a great trip!
Mrs is from Peru and her family is still there. We'll probably head there in the late summer/early fall. Going eat all the food (except cuy).
We'll probably also do a Pictured Rocks trip since I've never been there (which I will admit, but only to all of you).
Peru was awesome. Want to go back there some day and see Puerto Maldonado and Colca Canyon. Maybe some parts in the north.
Ate cuy. It was kinda gamy, but wasn't horrible. I just ate the legs though.
Only thing that stopped me from eating cuy in Peru was "hmm, the cuy is 60 soles and everything else is 10-12. I'll wait til another place where it's cheaper." It never was. Alpaca steak is great stuff, though.
Spot to grab lunch and get out of downtown. The burgers there are awesome. Also Husk is one of the best meals I've ever had.
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Read Gameboys post, he nailed it. If you want to experience the Mana of Hawaii, look no further than The Big Island. Also, take a night and drive to the Hilton Waikola and catch the KONA KOZY Magic Show He's HOT like LAVA! Very Funny, Great Magic and Fun for the entire Ohana!
"Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono" "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"
Have a Great Time & ALOHA!
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If you have any interest in military/US history I would recommend going to Patriot's Point and visiting the USS Yorktown. If you've never had the opportunity to step foot on an aircraft carrier its quite the experience.
Charlotte NC for a pharmacy graduation next weekend, then the lake for memorial day. After that its a break until DC for the 4th of July!
Moved from AA to New Zealand 4 years ago so I get 2 summers every year (the kids don't realize just how lucky they are). Just had a brilliant summer down here in Jan/Feb/March with a trip to Vanuatu and touring around NZ with some friends that visited from Pennsylvania and Chicago. Will come to Ann Arbor in July for a month to visit family/friends. Some time in the UP in Cedarville, maybe Elk Rapids, maybe Gull Lake, maybe Chicago. Hoping it's nicer than July 2014, which was really quite cool and mild.
in the Canadian wilderness.
Despertely need a new boat.
The summer before last, we almost lost a trip to Russia to visit distant relatives. There was a problem with paperwork, and it was so confusing that I can't even explain what it was about. In the end, of course, they helped us, if anyone is interested, discard the following link . But our nerves were noticeably frayed then!