Holidays: care to share your best vacation?

[dragonfly411]

Two more.

Location: Texas - San Antonio and west to Dixie Dude Ranch in Bandera

Accommodation/Where did you stay: I don't remember where we stayed in San Antonio, but we spent several days on the Dixie Dude Ranch in Bandera

Estimate of total cost (excluding spending money): No idea, I was too young for them to tell me (16)

Reason why this holiday rocked:I LOVE TEXAS. lol. We went to San Antonio and ate really great food, walked the canal, and shopped. We then drove west to Bandera. We actually stopped at this hole in the wall stone building that was turned into a cafe and had the best steak and eggs I've ever had the pleasure to eat. At the dude ranch we had twice a day trail rides, and saw lots of wildlife. My sister and I were pretty advanced riders, and the head cowboy ended up giving us private lessons on his cow horses because we were so bored by the trail horses. After he did, he told them never to put us on anything less than a cow horse again. They didn't. We had a mountain top breakfast fireside, sang folk songs, and hiked. It was really pretty.

Anything that could have made it even better: If they'd let me barrel race


Location: San Francisco and Carmel

Accommodation/Where did you stay: couldn't tell you I was 12

Estimate of total cost (excluding spending money):who knows

Reason why this holiday rocked: I really enjoyed San Fran, the food there is amazing and we were constantly finding little off the beaten path places to eat. I loved walking down the winding road, and riding the trollies. We got to see a Picasso exhibition at the museum, and walked across the bridge. We drove to San Simeon and toured Hearst Mansion which was gorgeous. We drove along the coast and stopped at Pebble Beach and stayed a night in Carmel in a little dutch style inn. They left us a basket of fresh bread at our doors for breakfast. I'm dying to go back.

Anything that could have made it even better:

 

[purselover]

My favorite vacation was definitely our honeymoon last year.

We went to an all inclusive resort -Breezes Runaway Bay Jamaica

Total cost was I think about $3000usd for 6 or 7 nights with our own private plunge pool, all food and drink was included so all we paid for there was a manicure for me and for the two of us to go rafting.

This was such a special trip because it was a) our honeymoon and b) my first trip to the caribbean. I could not believe how relaxing it was! It was so nice to spend a week just eating and drinking whenever we wanted with no actual plans. (All my vacations before this had been very structured)

What could have made it better -the weather, unfortunately it was cloudy and rainy EVERY DAY we were there and they had high surf warnings so we couldn't go in the ocean.

After my honeymoon my other favorite trip was China for a short term study abroad in college. We went to four different cities including Beijing and Shanghi and spent three weeks there total.

Total cost: I think about $5000 including air, travel in China, food and accommodations plus I spent probably another $2000 while there.

This was such an amazing trip because it was my first time traveling in Asia and my first non-family trip. Climbing the great wall and then zip-lining off was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. China was absolutely gorgeous and there is so much culture to be absorbed. Other high points included the Beijing Opera, seeing the Olympic construction underway, spending time with Chinese families and learning how to make dumplings!

The only thing that could've made it better was if we had time to see the terra cotta soldiers, but I definitely plan on going back and fitting it in!