Thursday, January 3, 2008

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...


I’m starting to make tentative plans for a late winter/early spring vacation. For someone who doesn’t travel much this is a pretty bold step. It’s not that I dislike being in new places. I actually enjoy it. It’s the actual travel that I dislike.

1) Flying. Not a big fan. Had a rough encounter in college and it gave me some serious insecurity. However, it’s one of those things where I just tell myself I’m happy that the pilot is in charge and not me since he has a bit more training than I do.
2) Airports. Between delays, lines, waiting, rushing and other people's kids they drive me nuts.
3) Planning. I can’t keep straight what attraction is where, the days of the week, the time change, etc. I am the last person who should be in charge of a group itinerary.
4) Spending money on services like airfare, hotel, cabs, etc. It always feels like throwing money away and while I’m not the most frugal guy on the planet I like tangible rewards. I can spend $700 on a flat panel TV but get me to spend $180/night on a hotel room and I want to take their TV with me.

My good friend Kip is getting hitched on April 5, so I’ll probably schedule something mid-March so I can be present for the build-up.

I’m not a sun-worshipper so I don’t need exotic locations or equatorial latitude or even bodies of clear water. I’m not opposed to cold temperatures so just about every area of the planet is in play.

I have a valid passport from my trip to England/Scotland in 2006 so I could get international if that’s what floats my boat (or lifts my aeroplane).

So, with all that I’d love suggestions for a good vacation for Bruce. I’m looking for something fun that could keep me occupied for a whole week. I’ll likely be traveling solo so that’s another consideration.

So, what say you dear readers?

B!

5 comments:

Lucas said...

I suggest you go to Mexico. And while you're there would you please hit a farmacia and get me some of that fancy tylenol they have down there?

Anonymous said...

One tip...

If you decide to travel abroad, I'd suggest Mexico, Canada, or something nearby, simply because the dollar is getting so viciously pummeled by the ugly stick these days. If you're not big on flushing money down the toilet, then this is absolutely the wrong time to travel to Europe.

Kari and I are skipping Euro 2008 in Austria/Switzerland and instead going to Mexico this spring partly because the dollar-to-euro exchange rate is so nauseating.

Trask

Anonymous said...

I alway like to recommend Hawaii (I lived in Honolulu for almost 2 years and loved everything about it except the traffic, the paucity of good coffee, beer, pubs, and bookstores).

In February the MLS is throwing a "Pan-Pacific Championship" that would be fun to check out.

I might go myself actually, haven't been back since 2005!

Anonymous said...

How about the Mustang Ranch, in Nevada?

e.a. said...

Were I in your shoes I'd do Hawai'i for sure. People have already hit on the poor value of the dollar overseas, and Hawai'i isn't cheap, but all that vitamin D from the sun on your skin would do an Oregonian good at that point of the year.