All About Vacations!

[Clio]

We usually take 2-3 weeklong vacations each year. Because we have kids and our families live in different parts of the country, most of our vacations involve visiting family. The kids need to visit their grandparents!

Last year, we did a week in New England with my in-laws (August) and a week in Florida with my grandparents (June). For my parents, rather than going to their house in the summer, we rented a house in upstate New York and vacationed with them there. That was soooo fun. We also spent Christmas week at my parents'' house in New Orleans.

This year, we''ll hopefully spend two weeks with my in-laws in New England, and we''ll also do Christmas week with them. We''ll probably spend Thanksgiving week with my grandparents in Florida. My parents will be traveling most of this summer plus doing some renovations on their house, so I don''t think we''ll go visit them in New Orleans this year. We will see them at Thankgiving in Florida, thoug.

We don''t do many weekend trips - we like to get away for at least a week - but this summer I think we''re going to do a weekend in DC to celebrate our anniversary (we live in the area, though, so it''s not exactly a trip away).

Having enough vacation time is always the challenge. I''m in pretty good shape, but my husband hasn''t been in his job long, so he doesn''t get much yet. Three weeks is the most he can count on, but within the next 18 months he should start getting more leave time.

The other challenge is that we can really only travel when the kids aren''t in school. That pretty much means summer or Christmas break. Spring break falls during a really busy time for me at work, so we don''t usually travel then.

 

[BeachRunner]

Date: 1/12/2010 6:48:16 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett

Date: 1/12/2010 6:43:07 PM
Author: BeachRunner

Date: 1/12/2010 6:39:30 PM

Author: ZoeBartlett

We''ve only taken a few big vacations in the six years we''ve been together (Quebec City, Ireland, and Key West). We tend to take a weekend here and there and explore a new area. So far this year, we''ve gone to Asheville, NC, and Charleston, SC. We''d love to visit Wilmington, NC, Atlanta, and Savannah this year, if possible. It''s fun to think about different possibilities.

One of my fav cities! We were there in June.

I''ve heard it''s great, but unfortunately when we were there, nothing was really open. We went to the Biltmore House, which was a lot of fun, but that''s all we saw. We''d love to go back some day, maybe in the spring.

Downtown Asheville is great. One of the best things about the town are all the restaurants. They are all non-corperate and utilize fresh, organic, and natural ingrediants. When we lived on the east coast, we''d make a weekend trip just to eat sometimes! I think they have one Subway downtown. The Biltmore is gorgeous as well. The town is a little bohemian, but its so free spirited, and I just love it.

 

[April20]

We try to do one big vacation a year and then another smaller one if it works out. Last year we did a week in Florida with DH''s parents at their time share and then went to Mexico later on for a week. This year we''re planning to do Turkey & Greece in the spring and if I can find a deal, a beach vacation in late summer.

 

[wsu12]

I love to travel. I whine about not traveling enough and then I wrote out where we went last year:

St.Louis (Family wedding)
Atlanta
Rome, Florence, Venice, Athens, Santorini (Honeymoon)
NYC
Palm Beach (twice)
Scottsdale
Vegas

I loved Europe so much, I wish we could take a 2 week trip to Europe every year!

This year:
Austin (Because we will be living in Dallas)
San Fran/Wine Country
Scottsdale
Mexico

 

[Bella_mezzo]

yay Sunnyd, that sounds like a fun trip!!!

 

[wsu12]

Date: 1/12/2010 12:44:45 PM
Author: kama_s
Oh, such fun locations!


Bia, SO nice to have 4 weeks worth of vacation time!! We have such a hard time juggling. Last year we went to Dubai to visit my father, a week in Punta Cana, our usual small trips to California and Montreal, plus time off during Christmas (to visit my in laws) and our honeymoon in Tahiti/Bora Bora! It was stressful saving vacation time and counting/calculating every single day.

Kama,
I wish there were a reality show about your life, because it is FAB-ulous and I most certainly would watch. Dubai is on my bucket list! As well as the Maldives, Thailand....

I''m hoping in your suitcase!

 

[vc10um]

This year is lots of wedding travel...4 of them out of our current state...plus several long weekends to visit family, etc. We''re not planning a long vacay this year b/c of that, and the HIGH HIGH HIGH probability of making several wedding planning trips out to KCMO from the DC Area...though we might be able to combine one of those planning trips with one of the weddings.

 

[CellarDoor]

We went to Belize for a week in November, it was amazing and CHEAP. We''re leaving for Miami tomorrow morning for five days for my birthday, and I''m taking him to Chicago in March for his birthday. We''re going to try to go to DC or NYC for a long weekend in May, and I''m really trying to talk him into going to Thailand/Cambodia for a few weeks at some point this year. We both maximize credit card frequent flier miles, so we usually don''t have to pay for flights which is really nice.

 

[Gayletmom]

Dh and I both love to travel and travel planning is my other internet obsession - after jewelry-so I would love to chime in:

We''ll be taking the kids skiing in Steamboat Springs, Colorado in February
I''d like to plan something for Spring Break ( April), maybe a trip to D.C. to see my sister and take the kids to the monuments, Smithsonian, etc.
This summer we are going to Yellowstone for about a week and will spend a few days in Jackson Hole
I''m planning Hawaii for the family next March (the kids'' Mardi Gras break)

I''m even thinking Europe for summer of 2011-maybe France or Italy.

My youngest kids are 6 & 8 so I have some pent-up travel frustration. Now that they travel easier, I''m ready to go!

 

[Lilac]

Last year (our first year traveling together because we got married in February) we were lucky and were able to take a 6 day trip to California over Memorial Day weekend and a 10 day honeymoon to Hawaii.

I think that's perfect and wish we could do something like that each year. Unfortunately, DH needs to use most of his vacation days in 2010 for Jewish holidays (he has to use 11 out of the 18 days to take off for holidays) so we're only left with 7 days to use for *actual* fun vacation for the year. It's the same next year because the Jewish holidays mostly fall out on weekdays again in 2011. So we'll probably do one week-long trip and a short extended weekend (3 day weekend) this year and next.

2012 the Jewish holidays fall out mostly on weekends, so he won't have to use his vacation days for those! So I'm really looking forward to that year because we can hopefully take two really nice length vacations.

ETA: With his 7 vacation days this year, we plan on using 6 for a trip to Israel in the summer (my father has wanted us to go with him for the last several years, so we're hoping this year to take him up on his offer for us to come with him) and either carry over the last vacation day to use next year, or use that last one for a short extended weekend to Las Vegas at some point this year - possibly before I start grad school (if I get in!)

 

[bee*]

We usualy take 4- 5 holidays per year. This year we were originally planning to go to Cuba but we''ve put it off till march 2011. We''re going to new York in a months time. In July we''re staying in Ireland and going away for 9 nights with the doggie, then a group of us are going to my parents house in France in august. We''re also going to Vegas for a week in October. Cannot wait for all of them!

 

[zoebartlett]

Everyone''s trips sound fabulous! I''m jealous.

 

[Elmorton]

I started a new job in September, and all DH and I have been able to talk about since is vacation time and what we plan to do with it.

Between the two of us, we''re in 3 weddings in 2010, so that will take up a little chunk - we''re going to Austin, TX for about a week for one of them (a city I looove, so I''m excited to go there with DH), and the others are nearby but will still require a couple vacay days.

We always go somewhere for our anniversary - typically, we try to stay close to home, so we stick to Midwestern cities. We''re thinking this year Minneapolis/St.Paul - not somewhere I''d normally be stoked to go, but I''ve actually heard it''s a very neat city in the summer (with fab dining).

I''ve been trying to convince my parents to do Mexico over Christmas, since I get about a week''s vacation then as well. They''re back and forth, since my mom just retired, and they think Mexico may be unsafe right now

so I don''t know if that will happen or not.

But - earlier this week, my ILs mentioned wanting to do a vacation with DH and me, which is something I''m a bit surprised that my SMIL remembered since I was just yammering at Christmas how I wanted to take a trip with my parents, and DH''s parents, etc (only child starved for family vacations here - I''ve been told I''m nuts, but naively, I think this sounds like a blast). I have no idea what they''re up for - whether they''d want to meet us in Chicago one weekend, the Ozarks in the summer, meet at my DH''s alma mater for a basketball or football weekend, go on one of our weekend trips to Galena - any of these could be really fun - or whether they''d be in for something bigger. They''ve done a lot of fun places in the last year or so - cali wine country, NYC, etc, so some places would probably be out because of been there done that, but we''ll see!

OH - and one of my girlfriends just moved to Hawaii. A May 28 (SATC II premiere) girls'' week has already been ruled out

but maybe early 2011 for a DVD release party

 

[Gleam]

We both work so it''s hard to take a lot of time off. We usually do one big international trip a year, and a few little domestic trips to see family.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 1/12/2010 1:56:50 PM
Author: Burberrygirl

Date: 1/12/2010 1:49:56 PM
Author: MC

Date: 1/12/2010 1:44:20 PM
Author: Burberrygirl

Date: 1/12/2010 1:36:36 PM
Author: MC

Date: 1/12/2010 1:29:40 PM
Author: Burberrygirl
I always go on multiple vacations, I absolutely love traveling! Every year my family does the mandatory trips Up North (I live in MI) to the lake house. Usually I go out to visit my sister in Portland once a year, but I didn't have time in 2009. I think I'm going out there this summer and we'll probably visit Washington and California. Then every other year I normally go to Puerto Rico or Mexico. This summer I might be going with my sister to Europe *cross your fingers for me*!

Hope you have a great time in WA! (that's where I live!) Any plans on what you're planning to do out here?

Thanks! I'm not exactly sure where I want to go yet. Hopefully I'll be out there for a couple of weeks so we can do a long weekend trip to Washington. She took my mom and brother to Seattle and they loved it. I'd definitely like to go there. Which places would you recommend going to in Washington?

I recommend Seattle! lol

If you're up for a long drive, you can do the Olympic National Forest. One thing about Washington is that there are A LOT of islands out here. The San Juans are gorgeous. The only downside is that there isn't much to do on those and the ferry prices are high. Whidbey Island makes for a great day trip - Langley is a fun little town. The ferry isn't very expensive for that trip. The south and central part of the island are civilian (that is the portion I recommend). The north part is Oak Harbor, which is a military base - I wouldn't bother with visiting there.

Thanks MC! I'm going to look into all those places!

Burberry - forgot to mention Deception Pass if you do go to Whidbey. It is on the north tip so you'll have to drive past the military base. . .it's breathtaking.

 

[soocool]

We do a lot of getaways/vacations. We usuallly go to Lake Tahoe every year for about 10 days. Then we do a lot of 4-5day trips, especially up to New England. My favorite places are Cape Elizabeth(Me), Mystic and surrounding areas (Ct), Watch Hill (RI),. We go down to the Jersey shore for a week, but in September when the crowds are gone. We sometimes do a getaway to Florida,especially Disneyworld, SeaWorld, & Universal. We''ll do just weekend trips to NYC since we are an hour away by train.

 

[blingbunny10]

Date: 1/12/2010 12:33:12 PM
Author:kama_s
Do you usually take an annual big vacation, or do you typically take several small trips a year? Also, what are your vacation plans for 2010?

I usually take a couple of small trips (weekend away, or Christmas with my family or bf's family) and one big trip to use up my allotted vacation days. Hoping to go abroad for the big 2010 vacation, since my recent travel has been pretty local.

Italy does sound nice.