Bear Down Wildcats

I'm looking for destinations combining relaxation with adventure, where the beverages have umbrellas but I can also have my picture taken on the back of an oversized mammal. I want whens and whereabouts, excursions and lingering pancake breakfasts. I want to travel, dogonit! And I want leisure.

Is this the discussion board for me?

Absolutely. Couple of thoughts:

....Reply to what you want. Costa Rica. Huge variety of flora and fauna. Extremely nice people. Amazing literacy; as I recall the rate from a few years ago---about 95%. Very stable politically, with minimal risk inside San Jose and none outside in my view. Very easy and clear Spanish language. A nice hotel scene, but Dianne and I had a primo trip renting a 4-Wheel and travelling the West coast to surf, beach it in general, hike in some of the most accessible junglish(jungle-ish) areas you might find. And wherever you go out on the country you can't turn around without meeting eye-to-eye with a 14 food iguana who has been studying you. Sure, the big guy's studying you the Prof, LH.

But I can't help myself on the next one. Paris. Dianne and I returned from a two-weeker in late October. Our third trip, and we've made up our minds to return every couple of years. You know the place. History. Food. Character. Food. Beauty. Food. Good grief are those guys serious about food.

If you have any interest in a Paris trip, I can heartily recommend a place we discovered on this trip. Location, the walk-street leading to the main gate of the Sarbonne. Two blocks from the Luxenburgh Gardens and park. Midway between St. Germaine & the Latin Quarter, four blocks to the Seine and across to Marais, and classical concerts on rainy nights at one of the cathedrals, seven world-class art museums.

I can't stop, so I will. Winter there is fine, but Spring and Fall are supreme. Avoiding summer and of course August when Europe goes on vacation.

Not sure about the large mammals, umbrella drinks and what not. . . but you have to agree. . . that's hot!

It's amazing how something that violent stays together for so long.

azgreg wrote:It's amazing how something that violent stays together for so long.

Gravity, Greg. Duh.

Costa Rica is fantastic, but it's pretty lacking in large mammals. I'd say go to Phuket.

http://thentmblog.blogspot.ch/2013/12/n ... nt-on.html

That's a photo shoot you don't see often.

Meet me in Barcelona in May, bring long pants ...

Reydituto wrote:Meet me in Barcelona in May, bring long pants ...

This is the correct answer. "Just go to Barcelona."

Dalmatian coast. I spent most of my time in Croatia in Zagreb (also an incredible destination), but the few hours I spent on the coast made me want for much more. You might be disappointed on the large mammal front, but otherwise, I don't think you can go wrong.

Dubrovnik is on my bucket list.

Helsingborg, Sweden

You can get drinks with umbrellas (http://www.tropicbar.se/menyer-22092689), lingonberry pancake breakfasts, and probably get your picture taken on a reindeer.

ASUCatFan wrote:Dalmatian coast. I spent most of my time in Croatia in Zagreb (also an incredible destination), but the few hours I spent on the coast made me want for much more. You might be disappointed on the large mammal front, but otherwise, I don't think you can go wrong.

Dubrovnik is on my bucket list.

Ever since I saw Anthony Bourdain's episode in Croatia and a few friends went there....oh man it is very very high on my list of places to travel.

scumdevils86 wrote:

ASUCatFan wrote:Dalmatian coast. I spent most of my time in Croatia in Zagreb (also an incredible destination), but the few hours I spent on the coast made me want for much more. You might be disappointed on the large mammal front, but otherwise, I don't think you can go wrong.

Dubrovnik is on my bucket list.

Ever since I saw Anthony Bourdain's episode in Croatia and a few friends went there....oh man it is very very high on my list of places to travel.

Too bad you're not a single guy. The women there are stunningly beautiful.

Heading to Paris for a conference in October and really stumped on where to head for a week or so after. I've been to Paris several times so want to see someplace new, but I'm thinking that October is going to be getting rather cold and dark. I went to Barcelona two years ago after the same conference and thought it was awesome so something in the same vein would be ideal.

If you're with a girl, rent a car and drive around Burgundy for a week with a Micheline restaurant guide.

Longhorned wrote:If you're with a girl, rent a car and drive around Burgundy for a week with a Micheline restaurant guide.

Do what LH said but along the Cote de Azur and Provence. Beaulieu sur mer is just sublime. I really enjoyed Cannes this past June as well, not the circus I anticipated it to be. Just good food, gorgeous women, stunning scenery.

You might try the Mayan coast. Not Cancun but further south. I've been three times.

Great world class resorts, and you can snorkel (or dive if that is your thing) locally or take a short excursion to Cozumel for diving that will blow your head off.

There are several mind-boggling ancient pyramid cities within excursion reach including the two famous ones, Chichen Nitza, and the one on the coast, Tulum. Another one I really enjoyed, which has the highest pyramid in the Yucatan, is Coba.

There are incredible cenote swimming holes inland too. One I went to had a cave descending from the jungle's surface down to the water and a high dive platform. Waterfalls were falling off the edges into this thing.

For animals, there are monkeys around.

Food is fantastic too.

I think Guatemala and Belize are within reach by bus trip also.

Ended up popping for 3 days in Rome since I've never been.

8 flights, 2 shuttles, 2 car rental periods, ferries, visas, a bazillion hotels, 3 day-tours, all booked under female oversight. Tired, so tired.

Headed to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica first week of November. Flying into SJO, rented a 4x4 Hyundai Tucson (because why wouldn't I) and road-tripping to the coast. I'm going single with several couples. We've rented a pimp villa on a cliff in the jungle overlooking a relatively private looking beach. Pretty excited as I've not been anywhere interesting or out of the country in a long long time.We'll be right next to the Manuel Antonio National Park and a few mile from Quepos - central Pacific Coast. A few of the others are adventurous as well, so planning to do some hiking and exploring. There will be plenty of pool and beach time as well I'm sure.

Seems to be plenty of eco-tourism type options, monkeys, sloths, birds, jungle and the tail-end of the rainy season as well. I'm more or less open to anything. Anybody been? Can't miss suggestions?

Anyone every been to Whitehorse in Jan/feb?

Have a air canada voucher that needs to be used in 2020, so wife and I are thinking of going for a long weekend to see the Northern lights

Awesome idea or a terrible idea?

Your nipples will fall off.

I think so.

The average high is 10f in Jan and feb. lol

I’m excited if we go through with this, but also really fucking scared about the cold. This will be a true travel adventure, so from that perspective I really want to go.

Flying up today to the Yukon

Gonna be balls cold.

That is cool. Take some pics. I would assume over 22hours of darkness a day

Whitehorse is at about 30 degrees with 15.5 hours if darkness.

Thinking of taking the wife to somewhere in French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora?) for our 20th anniversary. Anybody ever been or have any ideas?

Alieberman wrote:Thinking of taking the wife to somewhere in French Polynesia (Tahiti, Bora Bora?) for our 20th anniversary. Anybody ever been or have any ideas?

I talked to a couple that was from Tahiti. They said the best island is Moorea. They also said that once you leave the resort areas of Bora Bora, it's pretty dirty and that Tahiti was nothing special outside of the resort areas, but then they live there, so who really knows.

Was recently torturing myself with travel fantasies. Round trip business class LAX-Brisbane is 3 grand less than normal for travel in Oct. 2020. Hotels over there are dirt cheap. My wife just gave me the Jethro Gibbs headslap.

Yea kind of hard to plan any type of trip at this point. Daughter is getting married in Hawaii in June and really thinking that won’t happen.

I had 2 trips planned in April and May that I'm thankfully only going to lose about $600 on.

Cancelling summer trip,

Will get airfare credit immediately or cash back in one year. That’s fine; we’ll use it either way.

Hotels except for one will be fully refunded. We’ll be out about 800 for that one, cause the French are assholes. Lol

However, in its place I’m taking the fam on a back packing trip in kings canyon sequoia NP.

I’m looking forward to it as are my wife and kids.

No people and rather deal with bears than coronavirus.

CalStateTempe wrote:
No people and rather deal with bears than the French.

Fixed your post.

There is truth in that post.

We were hoping to visit Mesa Verde this spring. Oh well.

This thread title has a much different connotation now, huh?

Taking the family to the Smoky Mountains in early June. The wife and I haven't really been anywhere on vacation since mid-2019, and nowhere with the kids since January 2019.

Gonna do some hiking, maybe some ziplining, and hit up Dollywood.

Nice Chi!

I just booked a giant house in Big Bear, CA in July for my family, my sister's family and my cousin and her family and our parents. All adults have been vaccinated and we are all so excited!

Speaking of which- I've never been to Big Bear. Anybody have any summer tips of things to do / eat?

Just booked 4 nights in Rocky Point for late May. Our fully vaccinated bubble are renting a beach house. We have not done much of anything in 18 months...

UAdevil wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:45 am Just booked 4 nights in Rocky Point for late May. Our fully vaccinated bubble are renting a beach house. We have not done much of anything in 18 months...

Las Conchas?

I love Las Conchas!

Alieberman wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:04 pm

UAdevil wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:45 am Just booked 4 nights in Rocky Point for late May. Our fully vaccinated bubble are renting a beach house. We have not done much of anything in 18 months...

Las Conchas?

I love Las Conchas!

Yep. One of the 1st handful of homes after going through the gate. A nice 60 year old place right on the beach. I'll be able to walk to Manny's. Looking forward to it!

UAdevil wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:20 pm

Alieberman wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:04 pm

UAdevil wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:45 am Just booked 4 nights in Rocky Point for late May. Our fully vaccinated bubble are renting a beach house. We have not done much of anything in 18 months...

Las Conchas?

I love Las Conchas!

Yep. One of the 1st handful of homes after going through the gate. A nice 60 year old place right on the beach. I'll be able to walk to Manny's. Looking forward to it!

Nice! Just FYI- the gate doesn't exist anymore after a political fight declaring it was a public street (at least as of a year ago) The govt. bulldozed the gate in the middle of the night

UAdevil wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:20 pm

Alieberman wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:04 pm

UAdevil wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:45 am Just booked 4 nights in Rocky Point for late May. Our fully vaccinated bubble are renting a beach house. We have not done much of anything in 18 months...

Las Conchas?

I love Las Conchas!

Yep. One of the 1st handful of homes after going through the gate. A nice 60 year old place right on the beach. I'll be able to walk to Manny's. Looking forward to it!

Definitely should include a trip to the Pinacate Biosphere reserve. The visitor center is about 12 miles north of RP (about a 10 minute drive from RP) and is first rate. A few miles north of that is the field station where you czn take a 30 mile loop trip into the backcountry and see bizarre very huge craters, recent lava flows and black desert. If the gate at the field station is closed, just look south a 100 yards or two and you can bypass the gate.

It amazes me that 1000s of Americans blow right past this place every weekend and don't even know. its there. I have some pics on my phone if I can figure how to post.

Okay, so is Payson a poor man's Flagstaff for fat rednecks and I'm figuring that out too late? Or do I have that wrong?

There's excellent hiking area around Payson.

Yeah but if I'm with a 5 year old and can't hike, is this place for rednecks?

Longhorned wrote: ↑Sat May 29, 2021 6:04 pm Yeah but if I'm with a 5 year old and can't hike, is this place for rednecks?

Absolutely yes. It is the mountain retreat for ASU after all. Lots of Apache Junction/Glendale calf tattoo/lifted truck types there.

Longhorned wrote: ↑Sat May 29, 2021 6:04 pm Yeah but if I'm with a 5 year old and can't hike, is this place for rednecks?

If you're not hiking I can't think of a single reason to go to Payson.