The Vacation Thread

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tennbengal
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The Vacation Thread

Post by tennbengal »

Where you going? Where have you been? What do you recommend?

(tried searching for a central thread - didn't find one - maybe one place to collect these might be in order)

I will start.

Just got back from the 10 days in northern Michigan. If you are ever looking for a quiet out of the way vacation -- I cannot recommend Beaver Island highly enough. Especially ESPECIALLY if you have dogs who like the water. Island is 30 miles NW of Charlevoix, Michigan in the middle of Lake Michigan. Reachable by ferry or a short plane flight. We went by ferry so we could get the car over there. 13 miles long, most of the shoreline was white sand beach. Almost all of it accessible to the public and walkable. Could have the dog off leash almost everywhere without a second thought. Just 600 residents on the island year round - but still several restaurants and pubs including a brewery. And a good grocery. It was heaven. Just seven days of reading, hiking, and staring at the water from the beach. Temps ranged from 65-74 during the day and 52-60 at night. Was almost cool - felt guilty about that given that the pacific NW was boiling at the time as were folks on the east coast. And oh my word, if you like star gazing, the island is extraordinary for that. We kayaked in the bays in Lake Michigan. Could have rented boats/jet skis. A TON of fishing (inland lakes and out on Lake Michigan) if that's your jam. It was insanely perfect. The place we ended up slept 6 but it was just me and Jen and my father-in-law. Got the place for $1800 for a seven night stay.

https://www.beaverisland.org/

Thus endeth my unsolicited interlude about Beaver Island. But, seriously, it was fantastic.
Last edited by tennbengal on Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Pruitt »

Looks gorgeous.

We're heading to a friend's huge cottage on Lake Muskoka in a couple of weeks. 3 days, but it's been so long since I've been anywhere, I'm already excited.

Lake, friends, dogs...
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by tennbengal »

Pruitt wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:09 am Looks gorgeous.

We're heading to a friend's huge cottage on Lake Muskoka in a couple of weeks. 3 days, but it's been so long since I've been anywhere, I'm already excited.

Lake, friends, dogs...
Nice. But also, holy fuckballs to some of these prices if you wanted to rent on that lake! $50K a week?? $80K a week?? Wow. Then again, those are absolute compounds. But even split amongst your nine or so closest couple friends, those are still 5K+ a week or so. Does look like a gorgeous lake.

https://jaynescottages.com/jaynes-lake-muskoka/
Last edited by tennbengal on Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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govmentchedda
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by govmentchedda »

Not everybody has Bobby Margarita loonies, Pruitt.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by rass »

Nice Beaver (Island)
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by A_B »

Amelia Island first week of August. Been there a few times, stay right on the beach, and only pay celaning fee because a buddy's dad won't let us pay him to use the condo. May have our youngest with us, may not.

Then Charleston in October. Wife has a work trip so we added a day before and after. I'll be disconnected, just doing school work and exploring Charleston a bit. No kids for this one.

Looking forward to both.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by rass »

We decided to stay close to home again this year. Have to book pretty early in the year to get a place down at the shore, I think because a lot of people leaned towards staying close to home, and especially since we bring the old-ass dog these days so our options are limited to start. So we have two consecutive weeks at the Jersey shore (Ocean City), starting 8/21. We did end up waiting a little too long (to verify the school schedules) and have to change houses partway through. Did the same last year and it was fine.

My wife and kids are spending the better part of a week earlier in August at the DE shore (beach, sorry I've gone native). They'll be in Bethany with my wife's family, but staying in a hotel and not a house with the rest of the group. They started planning that last summer, well before we were ready to commit to staying in a house with people from 3 or 4 other households. They didn't end up booking anything until very early this year, but finding a dog-friendly place that checked all of the other boxes proved about impossible so I'm staying home with the old-ass dog.

Right after that trip, we have rented a ridiculous cabin in WV for a long weekend to celebrate my mom's 70th. I think that will just be my parents and my sister/BIL and their dogs. Maybe some random cousins? That trip is a little too far for the old-ass dog so my wife is staying at home with him that weekend.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Nonlinear FC »

USVI last month.
Some kind of beach situation in August
Denver for Labor Day.

The Denver thing is to move the girl back to finish school, but could morph into a trip.
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mister d
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by mister d »

Mid-August going to Portland, ME then Boston for almost a week total. We will be bringing the young-ass dog which is, by far, going to be the most challenging part of this whole deal. Would be pretty lame to get thrown out of a hotel.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by GoodKarma »

Supposed to be Budapest then Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia with a few days in London on the way home.

Although right now can't get into Budapest without quarantine so probably switching that part to Venice or Vienna.
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Ryan
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Ryan »

Saratoga Springs at the end of this month. Stowe again in August.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by HaulCitgo »

Boston right now. First time in forever not at the parents house. Central square. Still mostly wiffle ball with the kid in the parents yard. Walk to Harvard square for bubble tea the big event today.

Amelia Island for a week last of July. Never been. Suggestions welcomed. After that likely burning up the highway any non soccer weekends to visit old folks.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by govmentchedda »

Just back from Anna Maria Island.

Black Mountain, NC for 3 weeks coming up, but I'll be working remotely for the most part.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Pruitt »

tennbengal wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:12 am
Pruitt wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:09 am Looks gorgeous.

We're heading to a friend's huge cottage on Lake Muskoka in a couple of weeks. 3 days, but it's been so long since I've been anywhere, I'm already excited.

Lake, friends, dogs...
Nice. But also, holy fuckballs to some of these prices if you wanted to rent on that lake! $50K a week?? $80K a week?? Wow. Then again, those are absolute compounds. But even split amongst your nine or so closest couple friends, those are still 5K+ a weeks or so. Does look like a gorgeous lake.

https://jaynescottages.com/jaynes-lake-muskoka/
Oh... we aren't paying! We are guests.

Lake Muskoka is huge and there are a number of areas where the Rich, Famous and Hockey Players hang out.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by mister d »

HaulCitgo wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:26 pm Boston right now. First time in forever not at the parents house. Central square. Still mostly wiffle ball with the kid in the parents yard. Walk to Harvard square for bubble tea the big event today.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by tennbengal »

Pruitt wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:45 pm
tennbengal wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:12 am
Pruitt wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:09 am Looks gorgeous.

We're heading to a friend's huge cottage on Lake Muskoka in a couple of weeks. 3 days, but it's been so long since I've been anywhere, I'm already excited.

Lake, friends, dogs...
Nice. But also, holy fuckballs to some of these prices if you wanted to rent on that lake! $50K a week?? $80K a week?? Wow. Then again, those are absolute compounds. But even split amongst your nine or so closest couple friends, those are still 5K+ a weeks or so. Does look like a gorgeous lake.

https://jaynescottages.com/jaynes-lake-muskoka/
Oh... we aren't paying! We are guests.

Lake Muskoka is huge and there are a number of areas where the Rich, Famous and Hockey Players hang out.
Yeah, sounded from your post like you had an invite (not that you couldn't throw those fat loonies around etc) - I was just caught off-guard by some of the first few listings...
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by brian »

Puerto Vallarta all summer. And then the fall
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by A_B »

HaulCitgo wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:26 pm

Amelia Island for a week last of July. Never been. Suggestions welcomed. After that likely burning up the highway any non soccer weekends to visit old folks.
Where are you staying? We are at the far Northern part just next to the state park. I can see Georgia from my beach.

T Rays Burger station (assuming it survived the pandemic) is a greasy spoon for breakfast/lunch. Brett's Waterway cafe was solid. It's a chain, but the Salt Life restaurant had an amazing seafood boil I am looking forward to trying again. Espana is a good spanish place but a bit pricey. More of a date place. The sandbar is basically attached to the building we stay in and is a solid lunch choice for us because of that. They do have live music in in the evenings if you're into that. Beach bar food fare.

We had our anniversary dinner at Lagniappe which is further south. It was excellent.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by testuser2 »

We have two weeks at Fripp Island SC. Planning on working remotely for part of that.

We've been going for a few years. We aren't really beach people and hit the half dozen different pools instead. Gated island so you park the car and drive golf carts around everywhere.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Sabo »

Excluding long weekends away, we haven’t been on a vacation since going to Hawaii in 2015. That isn’t changing this year. Our next big vacation will be to Ireland, but that’s probably a couple of years away.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Nonlinear FC »

testuser2 wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 1:28 pm We have two weeks at Fripp Island SC. Planning on working remotely for part of that.

We've been going for a few years. We aren't really beach people and hit the half dozen different pools instead. Gated island so you park the car and drive golf carts around everywhere.
OH, I've been there! Stayed in the house where they filmed parts of Prince of Tide... It was pretty dope. (ETA - They had a framed... collage? where they had pictures of Nolte and Streisand and the page in the script where they describe the house and surrounding dunes.)

We actually are beach people and where we stayed was across from this crazy HUGE sand bar that you could wade/swim to (depending on tide) and search for sand dollars.

The kids enjoyed it, but they are now at an age where they more stuff to do in the evenings.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Johnnie »

Some would say I've been on vacation since November 2019. Hahahahaa.

My wife booked a Sandals resort thing before I deployed as a honeymoon and we haven't had the wedding yet. So at some point I'm going to the Bahamas.

Other than that? No clue.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by tennbengal »

Sabo wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:31 pm Excluding long weekends away, we haven’t been on a vacation since going to Hawaii in 2015. That isn’t changing this year. Our next big vacation will be to Ireland, but that’s probably a couple of years away.
Long weekends away count.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by EnochRoot »

testuser2 wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 1:28 pm We have two weeks at Fripp Island SC. Planning on working remotely for part of that.

We've been going for a few years. We aren't really beach people and hit the half dozen different pools instead. Gated island so you park the car and drive golf carts around everywhere.
I'm sorry but this sounds freakin awesome. And living in Maryland that's a day's drive.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by wlu_lax6 »

currently in Rehoboth, DE. Have not seen the President.
First week in August we are going all Outside Magazine-style vacation in Asheville. We have some MTB, hiking, climbing, and repelling lined up (well that and the pinball museum). We will turn that into a bit of a first visit some colleges road trip and a stop to drink Bourbon with my buddy from college in Bristol.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Reaper »

Hitting OBX first week in August (specifically Avon) in what has become an annual trip. Four families, now consisting of 6 adults and 9 kids.

Then going to VA Beach for the first time for a 5-day trip the first weekend in September since the kiddos will also have off from school the Tuesday after Labor Day for a Jewish holiday. This was supposed to be just a girls weekend for my wife and her friend while they run a half marathon, but we made it a complete two-family vacation once we found out about the extra day.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Square Rob »

I’ve taken no time since I took my new job, so we have a couple of late summer things planned. Last month we looked really closely at getting a pull-behind camper to make it easier to get away for long weekends. But after looking into it more, we didn’t like the feel of most of the campers we looked at. I mean, I love the airstreams, but they are expensive for someone just trying it out. And since covid, in our area at least, it’s almost impossible to easily find places to camp. Decided to wait on that and bought a small boat instead. We’re right on the Tennessee river so boating is a pretty big weekend activity here.

In August I go with my brother in law as his +1 for a military golf thing outside of Phoenix. I know, Phoenix in August, but it’s cheap. The place we play is two miles from Mama Pentz though, so I get to see her and spend some time with family too. I’m really looking forward to it.

The wife and I have two beach trips planned for early fall. We go to Marco Island, FL first for an extended weekend. We’ve never been there, so are looking forward to seeing what it’s like. We bought some Marriott club points and that was a highly recommended place to try out. We’ve considered buying into the Marriott vacation club so want to see a place we haven’t been. Wife spent a big chunk of the last ten years traveling for work so she built up a bunch of points and is at double secret platinum or some such, so we could get a huge discount. I’d rather use the money towards a golf coast condo.

We’re spending a week in October in the Gulf Shores/Destin area for our anniversary. It’s not my favorite stretch of the gulf (Pensacola beach is my preference), but still will be nice. I absolutely love a beach week, and it will be zero stress, zero obligations for the week. We’ve got two friends joining us for three nights, but they are chill and it will be fun.

I’ve been working ~60hrs/wk and am on call 24/7 since late December so am looking forward to some breaks now.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by elflaco2 »

vacation?
we bought a house in February, moved in in March, have been renovating it since and as mrs. el flaco is expecting also saving up days for q4.


who has time or money for a vacation?





all kidding aside, likely taking last two weeks of the summer for an airbnb somewhere (likely Amelia) cause we ain't flying this year and now have two dogs with us as well.
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govmentchedda
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by govmentchedda »

Am I reading that wrong, or are congratulations in order?
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by rass »

A newborn and a 10th grader would seem to be madness to me but no, congrats, really. Unless you wlulax/flaco'd the shit out of that sentence in which case, phew, you dodged a bullet there.
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mister d
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by mister d »

Congrats. Unless you're kidding, then congrats on fooling us.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by testuser2 »

Congrats flaco! I guess you couldn't wait to fill up all those bedrooms.
Nonlinear FC wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:33 pm Stayed in the house where they filmed parts of Prince of Tide...
They filmed some of Forrest Gump there as well. The jungle scenes from Vietnam were on what became the golf course.

Other long weekends to see family & friends we've missed for the past year... Wildwood NJ, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, Charlottesville
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by elflaco2 »

no, its true.
a new house
a new pup
and a baby in October
to go along with the sometimes surly 10th grader.
my dream of selling everything, retiring to the islands to live on a sailboat will have to wait just a bit longer. and there goes my plan to leave the soccer club, why leave when i'll just be back to complain about how badly they fucked it up in six years.

had been thinking of how to drop it in here.. just told folks this past week (told the grandparents on mother's day, the granmas were bawling)

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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Nonlinear FC »

testuser2 wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:10 am Congrats flaco! I guess you couldn't wait to fill up all those bedrooms.
Nonlinear FC wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:33 pm Stayed in the house where they filmed parts of Prince of Tide...
They filmed some of Forrest Gump there as well. The jungle scenes from Vietnam were on what became the golf course.
Right... Forgot that... I think that is over on that little spit of land near that bar/restaurant before you go through the gate, right?

That was a fun trip, man.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Nonlinear FC »

And CONGRATS flaco!!!
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by BSF21 »

Just living his hot sauce dreams.

We're doing Boston with my family in mid-late September. First vacation with my mom dad and sister in 15+ years (my wife and her husband are coming too).

Work trip to Aruba in January. Wife is going to California with her cousins in October to do a short wine country visit.

Might do New Orleans once we get back from Aruba?

Still would like to plan a honeymoon (3-4 years late) to Europe but we're waiting until COVID really settles out and the world is a little more vaxxed.
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by Nonlinear FC »

BSF21 wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:17 am my wife and her husband are coming too).
This thread is full of surprises!
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by BSF21 »

Well that was hilarious. Sounded right in my head.

(goes back to coffee pot)
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by tennbengal »

thought you were announcing the "full giff".
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Re: The Vacation Thread

Post by bfj »

Just going to OC Maryland in August for a bit. Other than that. Nada.

Mazel tov Flaco!!
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