Swamp Travel Advice: Week between Christmas and New Years

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:30 pm

Since I couldn't find a more general travel/vacation thread, I'll start a new one. Here's the dilemma: Since I am now a regular employee, I get the week between Christmas and New Year's off as paid holiday (Thanks Mr Allen!). The GF also has that time off, and we are looking to travel somewhere for the week. The places we've thought about:

1-Somewhere warm and tropical, like Hawaii or Mexico. But we are most likely going to Maui in March with a bunch of friends, so that's probably out.

2-Somewhere domestic but still south/warm, like New Orleans, Savannah, GA, Sedona, AZ.

3-Europe. We almost pulled the trigger on tix to Brussels, with a couple of days in Bruges and then NYE in Paris. Or maybe Barcelona or Portugal.

4-Somewhere domestic, not South. We threw around the idea of New York or Chicago, but then went "Wait...it'll be too damn cold".

Thoughts?

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:34 pm

You looked at airfare for that week yet?

Post by **Sabo** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:35 pm

Mrs. Sabo and I decided to start taking trips during that week instead of going to Cincinnati for family Christmas get togethers. This year, we're going to a resort near Hocking Hills State Park in southeast Ohio for a couple of nights. I doubt we'll ever go too far from the area due to time and money constraints, but the idea of sitting on a beach on Christmas morning is awfully tempting.

So, maybe you can find a resort not too far from Seattle and enjoy the snow and/or rain?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:42 pm

Do not fucking go to Chicago in winter.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:45 pm

New Orleans and Savannah may not be warm. It's probably hit or miss that time of year. I've frozen my ass off in New Orleans between December and January.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:55 pm

I'm envious of those of you who don't have family obligations at the holidays. We are usually with one family at Thanksgiving, and the other one at Christmas (or sometimes New Years instead). Usually hosting once and traveling once. Frankly, it all blows. But the parents on both sides are old and we do what's expected of us.

GoodKarma · Post by **GoodKarma** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 3:23 pm

If you want somewhere warm & close and just want to chill, would a resort in either Phoenix or Tucson be enjoyable to you?

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 4:56 pm

P.D.X. wrote:You looked at airfare for that week yet?

Yeah, that's part of the issue. Crazy expensive! Trying to keep it under $650 round trip.

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 4:56 pm

mister d wrote:Do not fucking go to Chicago in winter.

Yeah, I lived there for 3 years. That would be a "see friends/go to the Art Institute" kind of trip.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 5:23 pm

I just remember it being a kind of cold I'd never really felt before and didn't like at all.

Post by **brian** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 5:29 pm

New Orleans may be a clusterfuck because of New Year's and the Sugar Bowl. At best you're likely to have to share the town with a bunch of idiot SEC fans.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Aug 31, 2016 5:48 pm

Austin might be cool if you're into that scene.

Unfortunately your airport is expensive as tits to go just about anywhere.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:23 am

Yeah, come to Austin! I'll make the drive over.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:29 am

Giff wrote:Yeah, come to Austin! I'll make the drive over.

They may not be into that.

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:41 am

DaveInSeattle wrote:
mister d wrote:Do not fucking go to Chicago in winter.
Yeah, I lived there for 3 years. That would be a "see friends/go to the Art Institute" kind of trip.

Seconding the "do not fucking go to Chicago in winter".

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:40 am

This may be a bad time to mention I am going to be interviewing for a job in Chicago...

duff · Post by **duff** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:04 am

sancarlos wrote:This may be a bad time to mention I am going to be interviewing for a job in Chicago...

Why, Chicago is a great town.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:15 am

duff wrote:
sancarlos wrote:This may be a bad time to mention I am going to be interviewing for a job in Chicago...
Why, Chicago is a great town.

I think so, too. But, winter, man...

duff · Post by **duff** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:24 am

sancarlos wrote:
duff wrote:
sancarlos wrote:This may be a bad time to mention I am going to be interviewing for a job in Chicago...
Why, Chicago is a great town.
I think so, too. But, winter, man...

It isn't so bad. The guys complaining are just soft.

Post by **Sabo** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:26 am

Well, SCK would be going from the SF bay area to Chicago, so I could understand why the winters would feel harsh, at least for the first year or two.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:50 am

Sabo wrote:Well, SCK would be going from the SF bay area to Chicago, so I could understand why the winters would feel harsh, at least for the first year or two.

Yes, and no. Even with 28 years in Chicago, the coldest winter I ever had ...

Dave, I think that if you want warmth, but want to keep your airfare down and minimize your travel time, Arizona is the place you want to be.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:51 am

I've been to Chicago in the winter. It was cold as fuck and snowy but still awesome.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 11:16 am

Arizona pretty much sucks year-round and it's maybe not even as warm as you would think that week. I'd say consider Key West or San Diego.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 11:18 am

I liked Phoenix. San Diego isn't exactly warm in the winter.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 11:20 am

Gunpowder wrote:I liked Phoenix. San Diego isn't exactly warm in the winter.

It's as warm as Phoenix and with a lot cooler shit to do.

Phoenix

San Diego

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 11:24 am

brian wrote:Arizona pretty much sucks year-round and it's maybe not even as warm as you would think that week. I'd say consider Key West or San Diego.

Don't go to Key West expecting a beach, unless you happen to be staying at a hotel that has a private beach. The public beach there is shit, and smells like sulfur. It's a fun town for two days, but a pain in the ass to get to, and after 48 hours you'll probably run out of things to do.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 11:26 am

govmentchedda wrote:
brian wrote:Arizona pretty much sucks year-round and it's maybe not even as warm as you would think that week. I'd say consider Key West or San Diego.
Don't go to Key West expecting a beach, unless you happen to be staying at a hotel that has a private beach. The public beach there is shit, and smells like sulfur. It's a fun town for two days, but a pain in the ass to get to, and after 48 hours you'll probably run out of things to do.

All true. But I think it's a pretty good place to get away from it all for a few days especially if you want to not bring a passport. But if you're looking for the kind of vacation where you're going to be hitting Michelin three-star restaurants and racing from attraction to attraction during the day, then it's not the place.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 11:33 am

Then again getting from Seattle to Key West is probably a PITA. Would literally be faster to fly to Iceland.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 12:19 pm

brian wrote:Then again getting from Seattle to Key West is probably a PITA. Would literally be faster to fly to Iceland.

Since Iceland is only about 900 miles farther from Seattle than Key West is, you're probably right.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 12:21 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:
brian wrote:Then again getting from Seattle to Key West is probably a PITA. Would literally be faster to fly to Iceland.
Since Iceland is only about 900 miles farther from Seattle than Key West is, you're probably right.

There are also non-stops from SeaTac on Icelandair.

EnochRoot · Post by **EnochRoot** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 12:26 pm

DaveInSeattle wrote:Since I couldn't find a more general travel/vacation thread, I'll start a new one. Here's the dilemma: Since I am now a regular employee, I get the week between Christmas and New Year's off as paid holiday (Thanks Mr Allen!). The GF also has that time off, and we are looking to travel somewhere for the week. The places we've thought about:

1-Somewhere warm and tropical, like Hawaii or Mexico. But we are most likely going to Maui in March with a bunch of friends, so that's probably out.

2-Somewhere domestic but still south/warm, like New Orleans, Savannah, GA, Sedona, AZ.

3-Europe. We almost pulled the trigger on tix to Brussels, with a couple of days in Bruges and then NYE in Paris. Or maybe Barcelona or Portugal.

4-Somewhere domestic, not South. We threw around the idea of New York or Chicago, but then went "Wait...it'll be too damn cold".

Thoughts?

I'd do Hawaii, but focus on things you won't get to do when you're with your friends on Maui.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 12:27 pm

I dunno about Hawaii. next thing you know you buy a VW minibus and you're living on a bike trail somewhere.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 12:48 pm

You could drive up to Vancouver/Victoria. Not cold either.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:01 pm

A_B wrote:I dunno about Hawaii. next thing you know you buy a VW minibus and you're living on a bike trail somewhere.

Gotta love swamp callbacks.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:05 pm

Yucatan or Belize. Different kind of "tropical" than Hawaii.

Keg · Post by **Keg** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:17 pm

Can't go wrong with Cabo.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:22 pm

Keg wrote:Can't go wrong with Cabo.

Was going to suggest that as well. Great weather (especially in December), safe and easy to get to.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 3:54 pm

brian wrote:Then again getting from Seattle to Key West is probably a PITA. Would literally be faster to fly to Iceland.

That's at least 3 flights each way I'd assume. Seattle, regional hub (Seattle, Houston, Charlotte, Philly, NYC), then Miami, then Key West.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:07 pm

govmentchedda wrote:
brian wrote:Then again getting from Seattle to Key West is probably a PITA. Would literally be faster to fly to Iceland.
That's at least 3 flights each way I'd assume. Seattle, regional hub (Seattle, Houston, Charlotte, Philly, NYC), then Miami, then Key West.

Especially when compared to easy non-stops from Seattle to anywhere in the west.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:08 pm

Can do 1-stops on American in Charlotte or Miami, but yeah, it's a PITA. Would be even if you could get a non-stop from SEA.