Vacation Chat

[A Maybe Baker]

Where have you been? Where are you going? Where do you want to go?

My wife and I just spent some time in Mexico, and it was amazing. Here are some pictures. She likes to be private, so no pictures with either of us in them:

The view from our room:





The view from the rooftop of our building:




Chichen Itza:





Deliciousness:

 

[Cole]

I was in New York a couple months ago.

 

[Boots]

Maybe it's because I'm a regular user but I keep getting told the file size is too large. Which is weird since it seemed to work okay on other threads.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

Your vacation is destined to be hidden from us.

 

[Cole]

Maybe it's because I'm a regular user but I keep getting told the file size is too large. Which is weird since it seemed to work okay on other threads.

I have an s22 ultra, and I take my pictures at the full 108mp. I have to compress them to post here.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

I went even more so and literally just took screenshots to reduce the size of the files. You all don't need giant pictures from my vacation.

 

[Nebulous]

In April I went to some southern states. Never been to the south before. Lots of stuff to see and do down there. The people were super friendly, food was good. I had a good time. Probably will go back every year now that a family member of mine has moved there permanently.

 

[Boots]

Here are some photos from last September. Went on a road trip 4000+ miles across 12 states in 12 days.

• Visited a friend in Oklahoma.
• Spent a full day at the air museum in Dayton, Ohio. Highly recommend!
• Attended the Michigan Renaissance Festival with friends. Got put in jail and had to do a dance.
• Found an awesome bed & breakfast with a chicken cocktail hour.
• Visited my future cousin-in-law (she's really cool). Took some edibles and hugged a cooler on the sleeping bear dunes beach while my fiance built a fire from leftover scraps of wood and coals. Looked at the stars.
• Enjoyed all things cherries, cider, and mead in Traverse City.
• Chased the sunset for a full hour after crossing the Mackinac Bridge.
• Got engaged at Miner's Falls in Munising and immediately stuck my feet in Lake Superior.
• Enjoyed a boat cruise along pictured rock national park lakeshore.
• Attended my cousin's wedding in Wisconsin.
• Spent time at Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments. I really loved the hotel in Custer, South Dakota.
• Visited another friend in Wyoming.

And I don't know why I bothered to organize the photos because they have a mind of their own apparently.

 

[Lunar Kreskents]

Maybe it's because I'm a regular user but I keep getting told the file size is too large. Which is weird since it seemed to work okay on other threads.

I've just been uploading to google drive which embeds the image. Not sure what kind of storage space Crystal has anyway.

 

[Nebulous]

I mainly use imgur for all my pics. Been using them for years now.

 

[Cole]

I mainly use imgur for all my pics. Been using them for years now.

it's an extra step when the Forums can import on their own.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

All my [poorly taken] pictures are on my camera, so I don't have any sitting on my computer right now and I don't feel like fetching my camera. Therefore, I can only use stuff shared on FB.
I'm slowly checking off all of the states in the US that I've visited or crossed through. All that remains is Michigan, Louisiana, Alaska, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
Went to Hawaii last year.
Toured the Dakotas the year before, checked off the tourist traps near Rapid City.
Had a family get together in the Outer Banks last year and will be doing another one next year.
Checked off the New England in 2018, saw Acadia National Park.
Went to Aspen during the Winter X-Games one year. Realized that the number of layers doesn't matter when trying to stay warm, but the material of those layers.
Was in San Juan during the San Sebastian Street Festival in San Juan. This is what it looks like.
Visited Chicago numerous times, including during the Tastes of Chicago festival. Took a ferry out when they had the July 4th fireworks and took some really meh photos.
Played a round of golf in the redwoods. I can't fucking find this golf course on Google Maps anymore.
Outside of the US, I've been to Grand Cayman, Bocas del Toro Panama, Cartagena, Columbia, GITMO.

 

[Nebulous]

it's an extra step when the Forums can import on their own.

Not all of them can, this one does but some other forums disable attachments. Also I like having pics stored on imgur anyway as a backup in case my computer takes a shit. I even back them up on an external harddrive and all the photos I take on my phone automatically upload to google drive too. There's no way I am losing my pictures.

 

[Zell 17]

Here are some photos from last September. Went on a road trip 4000+ miles across 12 states in 12 days.

• Visited a friend in Oklahoma.
• Spent a full day at the air museum in Dayton, Ohio. Highly recommend!
• Attended the Michigan Renaissance Festival with friends. Got put in jail and had to do a dance.
• Found an awesome bed & breakfast with a chicken cocktail hour.
• Visited my future cousin-in-law (she's really cool). Took some edibles and hugged a cooler on the sleeping bear dunes beach while my fiance built a fire from leftover scraps of wood and coals. Looked at the stars.
• Enjoyed all things cherries, cider, and mead in Traverse City.
• Chased the sunset for a full hour after crossing the Mackinac Bridge.
• Got engaged at Miner's Falls in Munising and immediately stuck my feet in Lake Superior.
• Enjoyed a boat cruise along pictured rock national park lakeshore.
• Attended my cousin's wedding in Wisconsin.
• Spent time at Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments. I really loved the hotel in Custer, South Dakota.
• Visited another friend in Wyoming.

And I don't know why I bothered to organize the photos because they have a mind of their own apparently.

These are great pics. I’m a sucker for these types of vacations, into the wilderness. I don’t really care that much about visiting most cities. My wife and I went to Iceland during COVID, let me try to find some pics.

 

[Boots]

So far this year, I took the following mini vacations:

• I tagged along on a Vegas work trip. Circ du Soleil was awesome. I found a 24 hour restaurant and got to enjoy waffles and cappuccino while my fiance had pasta and an old fashioned. Everything is soo expensive and I don't gamble so it got tiring fast.
• 4 night trip to Michigan to visit friends and family. Went to the gun range with my future father in law.
• 3 day, 2 night camping road trip in Casper, WY. Borrowed my friend's cousin's RV, so it was more like glamping. The first night we spent a bunch of money at a machine gun and cannon shoot. We drove out to a military vehicle museum in DuBois. Had a nice meal in Riverton. Made a fire and got drunk.

Photos from Wyoming attached. That's a 90mm anti tank gun he got to fire. I have to get the rest of the photos off his phone.

 

[VashTheStampede]

We are at Universal Studios Orlando for a couple days for the daughter's 10th birthday. She's become a big Simpsons fan so we had to make the hajj to Springfield. And I had to wear this ridiculous outfit because I'm THAT kind of dad:

 

[Cole]

We are at Universal Studios Orlando for a couple days for the daughter's 10th birthday. She's become a big Simpsons fan so we had to make the hajj to Springfield. And I had to wear this ridiculous outfit because I'm THAT kind of dad:

View attachment 1744

why wasn't I invited?

 

[VashTheStampede]

I told you to come! You just had to buy your own ticket, hotel room, and transportation!

 

[Cole]

you're the worst daddy ever.

 

[VashTheStampede]

The hotel has an amazing view of an IHOP across the street

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Duff hat is a total win.

 

[Crystal]

Agreed, Duff hat wins it!

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

We are at Universal Studios Orlando for a couple days for the daughter's 10th birthday. She's become a big Simpsons fan so we had to make the hajj to Springfield. And I had to wear this ridiculous outfit because I'm THAT kind of dad:

Where did you get that shirt? Was it at Universal? I really need to know this. I will wear it. I really want to take my kids there as well, but haven't had the opportunity.

 

[Cole]

Where did you get that shirt? Was it at Universal? I really need to know this. I will wear it. I really want to take my kids there as well, but haven't had the opportunity.

not without me you're not!

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

not without me you're not!

I told you to come! You just have to buy your own ticket, hotel room, and transportation!

 

[Kat]

Most of my "traveling" lately has been camping somewhere in Oregon or Washington. Last weekend I "camped " in a cabin at Loon Lake in Oregon. We didn't spend much time at the lake because there was nothing to do if you didn't have some kind of water vehicle, so I didn't take any pics, but here's one off Google:



It's near the coast, so instead of staring at a lake, we went to see this lighthouse.




Then we went on a hike that was only about seven miles, but felt like it crossed half a dozen biomes. I didn't get any pictures of that trail because I had no pockets and made my friend carry my phone, but here's a few off Google to show the variety:





The last two pictures don't do it justice, but there's a section where the trees make an enclosed tunnel and it feels like you stepped into another world.

The sandy section was about half the trail, and that was interesting because the trail markers were just wooden posts sticking out of the sand, and there's a section in the middle where all the posts are mostly or completely buried, and you end up surrounded by sand without a great idea of where you should be going. It's so weird to feel like you're lost in a desert when the ocean is visible on the horizon (you can see it in the top left of the sandy picture).

After you get through the forest and sand and weird tree and grassy areas in sand, it spits you out onto the beach, where we didn't encounter a single other person. This pic is mine.



Then we got dinner in a town that calls itself "Oregon's bay area" and we saw this giant glass jellyfish penis.

 

[Cole]

I told you to come! You just have to buy your own ticket, hotel room, and transportation!

why does this keep happening to me?!

 

[shortkut]

@ABCDEFGHIJKLMN0PQRSTUVWXYZ - what resort was that?


Question for everyone: any vacation ideas with young children? Right now they are 2&4.5, but we would probably go in 6 months to a year

 

[TD]

.

 

[Kat]

Question for everyone: any vacation ideas with young children? Right now they are 2&4.5, but we would probably go in 6 months to a year

Some resorts offer babysitting. I'd personally pick one of those. My parents took me to Disneyland when I was a bit older than that and I don't remember it AT ALL, so I'm not sure I'd recommend a vacation that focuses on fun stuff for them until they're older.

 

[A Maybe Baker]

@ABCDEFGHIJKLMN0PQRSTUVWXYZ - what resort was that?


Question for everyone: any vacation ideas with young children? Right now they are 2&4.5, but we would probably go in 6 months to a year

Hotel XCaret Arte. That side is adults only.

However, Hotel Xcaret Mexico is family friendly. Both are all inclusive, but Arte is pricier and has more of the restaurants. Mexico has two of the really good ones (the Brazilian steakhouse and the Vegan restaurant in a "cave"). Activities like paddle boarding and kayaking are accessible to both, as they literally border eachother and those bits are in the middle.

Staying at either provides you access to all of their parks, mostly water themed parks that let you enjoy the beautiful nature and whatnot.

 

[Kat]

Earlier in the year I went camping at Dovre (you haven't heard of it, doesn't matter). It was lovely because our camp site had streams on two sides of it. I've never slept so well. We didn't leave the campground at all that trip, and instead spent our days walking up and down the streams.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Where did you get that shirt? Was it at Universal? I really need to know this. I will wear it. I really want to take my kids there as well, but haven't had the opportunity.

I got it (and a bunch of other crazy shirts like it) from some random website that I wish I could remember because people always stop me and ask whenever I wear them.

 

[shortkut]

Some resorts offer babysitting. I'd personally pick one of those. My parents took me to Disneyland when I was a bit older than that and I don't remember it AT ALL, so I'm not sure I'd recommend a vacation that focuses on fun stuff for them until they're older.

We took the girls with us to Aruba but their babysitting was for age 5+

 

[shortkut]

I got it (and a bunch of other crazy shirts like it) from some random website that I wish I could remember because people always stop me and ask whenever I wear them.

That was very informative, thanks

 

[Kat]

I got it (and a bunch of other crazy shirts like it) from some random website that I wish I could remember because people always stop me and ask whenever I wear them.

Maybe this site? It looks like the same shirt (I've never bought from them, I found it through a reverse image search). https://teeruto.com/product/the-simpsons-characters-hawaiian-shirt/

Edit: if that site seems shady, doing a search of their image brings up several other sites also selling it.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Maybe this site? It looks like the same shirt (I've never bought from them, I found it through a reverse image search). https://teeruto.com/product/the-simpsons-characters-hawaiian-shirt/

Edit: if that site seems shady, doing a search of their image brings up several other sites also selling it.

If it wasnt that one it was one similar. It was definitely a shady-ass site that I bought like 5 shirts from and thought "as long as I don't get my identity stolen". And so far no identity stolen and 5 ridiculous shirts acquired.

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

@ABCDEFGHIJKLMN0PQRSTUVWXYZ - what resort was that?


Question for everyone: any vacation ideas with young children? Right now they are 2&4.5, but we would probably go in 6 months to a year

Anything that can be done in chunks of time rather than days. We found that any activity that took more than 2 hours in itself was enough and anything more was a hassle.

Local-ish trips are better. Lot of lakes in New Hampshire, local beach trips. We did a trip to NYC in 2019 that was fun for them because they just kept gawking at the tall buildings and the carriage ride in central park. Short bursts of energy and then back to the hotel/house.

If you want the kids to remember it, wait a few years. That's why I waited until my youngest was 6 before we started planning anything big. When they were that young we kept to long weekends and 4 day maximum trips whenever possible and did what we wanted to as the kids wouldn't remember it anyway. There is always something they will find fun without making their fun the focus.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Trip successful

 

[Cole]

View attachment 1774
Trip successful

is that for me?

 

[canadaguy]

If you want the kids to remember it, wait a few years. That's why I waited until my youngest was 6 before we started planning anything big. When they were that young we kept to long weekends and 4 day maximum trips whenever possible and did what we wanted to as the kids wouldn't remember it anyway. There is always something they will find fun without making their fun the focus.

That's what really baffles me when you have people taking toddlers or even infants to Disneyland or something. It's like, is anyone involved getting enjoyment out of this at all?

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I swear, GW is place I've encountered the most Simpsons fans... and you guys aren't the "Yeah, the Simpsons were cool", you all seem dedicated to the cause.

I'm so used to Futurama being the popular show.

You guys almost make me wanna go and watch the 34 seasons... almost.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Carnival game success

 

[shortkut]

I need him.

 

[Cole]

View attachment 1775
Carnival game success

WHAT I NEED THIS

 

[VashTheStampede]

WHAT I NEED THIS

I failed on my last trip several years ago (though I did win a big pink donut and Harry Plopper). I was so sad.

Got it first try this time.

 

[Crystal]

There is so much awesome in this thread...

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

You guys almost make me wanna go and watch the 34 seasons... almost.

Start at season 3 and end at 9. Seasons 4-6 are basically perfection, the others are just a bit below that.

Everything else is hit or miss, especially after season 13.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Today's vacation Dad Fit

Green Eggs and Ham for breakfast. Churros and pretzels for the kids because they never understood the point of the dang book.

 

[VashTheStampede]

I'm being stalked