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I'm currently planning out next year's main vacation and it made me wonder... where in the world have other dakkaites been and where would you like to go? Have you had any holidays that were so amazing you wish you could live in the moment forever?

For myself I would have to say the best moments have either been Reykjavik, Iceland standing on a raised balcony under the northern lights on new year's eve with the whole city erupting into fireworks around us, or in the Shiodome Media Tower, Tokyo with a great view over a large part of the glowing, modern city at night whilst proposing to my (now) wife. I've been all over the world and seen a lot of stuff, but nothing pleases my senses like a good view over a bustling, electric city late at night.

I lived in London for a year.... but you already live there so perhaps a holiday in Slough?

Last year in August/September the wife and I went to the US and Canada.

In brief:
LA 3 days inc Universal and Disneyland. Bit Meh really. Universal was great but the dramas involved in getting around town just weren't worth it.
Las Vegas 3 days. Grand Canyon for the win +1. We flew out to it, helicoptered to the bottom, rode along it in a boat. Helicopter back up, bus along the top to a lookout that is right out in the canyon, bus back to airport and fly back to LV. Top marks for the trip.

Las Vegas, despite the staggaring heat and hordes of mexicans flicking cards for ladies of the night at everyone was also great. Lots to do, lots to see, and you can get by on a reasonable budget.

Then flew to boston where we joined a Globus bus holiday where the average age would have been about 65-70.
The trip was really, really great and am so glad we did it rather than drive/fly to all the places.

Boston- Lots of history, lots to do for free/ cheap, great weather when we were there.

Quebec City. Stayed at the Hilton just outside the wall so amazing views of the city. The old city is amazing as people live there but it is so clean and the people are so nice, no no tacky tourist souvenier shops, everything was more upmarket which really helped the ambiance.
the waterfalls nearby and Isle de Orleans was also great.

Montreal. Didn't really enjoy it. But it was hot and we were tired so we weren't really objective. Plenty of great sightseeing though.

Toronto. A city of 4 million people. CN tower having tea at dusk in the revolving restuarant was probably the 3rd best thing on the trip.

Niagra Falls. very touristy now but going out on the maid of the mist made it far and away the second best part of the trip, close behind the grand canyon. Also got to eat dinner at dust at the restuarant overlooking the falls. :0

Lancaster county. Seeing the ahmish. Interesting but the novelty soon wears off.

Washington. Wife hated it but I loved it. All the sites are really close (We were at a Hilton again so just 3 streets from the white house and about 5 from the capitol building). Highlights were: Arlington, Smithsonian museums of all types, the WW2 memorial after dark, the capitol and white house, also really liked the vietnam memorial- its a pity that it had so much controversy when it was being built.

Philladelphia- Only spent the morning so Liberty bell and the buildings where the declaration and first continental congresses were held. Philly cheese steak FTW!!!

New York- Ended the bus tour here and went our own way for 7 days.
Stayed at 7th avenue and IIRC 49th street so right in the middle of mid town.
Too much to talk about here- I want to go back again though for at least another week.
Best city of the lot due to the vast array of things to do, but accomodation is a killer.

Seeing as I've been to the oldest European structure on this continent and been quite underwhelmed, I'd do a European tour. I've always had a particular fascination with Prague. Just a hop for you, really. From what I hear, it really pays to learn even a bit of Czech.

Nothing international from me, but I thought I'd second the Grand Canyons. One of the few things that truly lives up to its name and should be seen at least once. I didn't take the helicopter though, I hiked to the bottom and back up.

For someone outside the states (especially someone spending Euros or Pounds), the US is the place to go.

Right now, our gas is "only" a bit over $4 a gallon (about 2 Euros or Pounds) and we have a HUGE range of places you can visit.

Some highlights:

Grand Canyon... This thing will make you feel miniscule and humble in the grand scheme of things
Mount Rushmore... Huge faces carved in a cliff. What beats that? LOL
Crazy Horse monument... Not too far from Mt. Rushmore. Cool because it's a private endeavor & the family controlling it REFULSES to take government money for the project, even with "no strings attached." It's still under construction, so you would get to see it during its' creation
St. Louis Arch. This is the Gateway to the West, near where Lewis & Clark started their journey west. You can go up in it and see the city from the top. It also has a spectacular (free) museum undearneath (the Museum of Westward Expansion). We have a couple GREAT museums for kids (both hands on), a world famous (free) zoo, toasted ravioli, frozen custard and gooey butter cake. Also, you could take in a baseball game (St. Louis Cardinals).
New York, if you like the bustle & big city lights. You could see a Broadway play.
Florida has cool theme parks & is VERY WARM. Cubans here.
California has cool theme parks & is VERY WARM. Mexicans here.
Vegas is something that every person who is able should experience once in their life. You can take a half day trip to see Hoover Dam from here.

If you decide to do anything "out west," and you choose to drive, you should try to drive through the desert. The sights are beautiful.
Don't pet the rattlesnakes. They are NOT smiling at you & that rattle is NOT an invitation to Mariachi.

Eric

Speaking as an Australian it pains me to say it but New Zealand is lovely. Glorious views, great skiing, hilarious local accents.

China is really cool, great people, fascinating culture and history, and cheap as hell. Mind you, outside of Shanghai and Beijing you can expect it to be a little bit of work to get around.

I probably liked Berlin more than anywhere else I’ve been. Seemed to capture all the benefits of city life without any of the drawbacks.

Prague is nice but it is very touristy these days.

Budapest is wonderful. They say it’s the new Prague and they’re probably right.

I really liked Krakow and Warsaw, but no-one else I was with did.

Didn’t enjoy England as much as I thought I would, but I’d been travelling for 12 months by that point. Really expensive, especially in London.

Waaagh_Gonads wrote:I lived in London for a year.... but you already live there so perhaps a holiday in Slough?

LA 3 days inc Universal and Disneyland. Bit Meh really. Universal was great but the dramas involved in getting around town just weren't worth it.
Las Vegas 3 days. Grand Canyon for the win +1. We flew out to it, helicoptered to the bottom, rode along it in a boat. Helicopter back up, bus along the top to a lookout that is right out in the canyon, bus back to airport and fly back to LV. Top marks for the trip.

Las Vegas, despite the staggaring heat and hordes of mexicans flicking cards for ladies of the night at everyone was also great. Lots to do, lots to see, and you can get by on a reasonable budget.

Ill second that. LA didnt thrill me as much as I thought it would but LV is worth a trip. Ive visited several times already and would go again any day.
Also the Grand Canyon is a MUST! So is the Hoover Dam

MagickalMemories wrote:For someone outside the states (especially someone spending Euros or Pounds), the US is the place to go.

Right now, our gas is "only" a bit over $4 a gallon (about 2 Euros or Pounds) and we have a HUGE range of places you can visit.

Some highlights:

Grand Canyon... This thing will make you feel miniscule and humble in the grand scheme of things
Mount Rushmore... Huge faces carved in a cliff. What beats that? LOL
Crazy Horse monument... Not too far from Mt. Rushmore. Cool because it's a private endeavor & the family controlling it REFULSES to take government money for the project, even with "no strings attached." It's still under construction, so you would get to see it during its' creation
Vegas is something that every person who is able should experience once in their life. You can take a half day trip to see Hoover Dam from here.

I will also second this one.
Mount Rushmore and the the Crazy Horse Monument are rather nice to look at.
San Diego is always worth a trip

Last but not least, go to Kona or Kuaii (Hawaii). Seriously, Ive never spent some much money on vacation activities in two weeks.
Awesome diving with sharks, seaturtles and/ or Manta Rays - Check
Awesome snorkeling - Check
Helicopter trip round the Island - Check
Fourwheeling tour to several Indi Jones filming sights - Check
and so on and so on.

If you want to go European, obviously theres some nice stuff in Germany.
Greece is awesome. I went to the island kos for several weeks and id recommend that as well.
London is worth a trip (not for lego obviously). I had a hard time visiting everything even though i was there for 6 weeks (okay, had to work as well but still).

I guess we should ask...

Will it be you by yourself or family.

What do you like to do?
I'm a look at museums and see the sights guy but not into integrating into a city and partying etc.
My wife hates museums and loves to shop. :(

You could always go to Denmark and visit your spiritual home? Then set in on fire


*gets poked in the eye by Legoburner*

Owwww!

Seriously though, I'd recommend a southern France/northern Spain trip.
Fantastic history (Carcassonne, the old crusader frontier in Aragon, lots of Napoleonic battlesites, etc) good food (not touristy rubbish), good weather (wihout melting like you do further south). If you like cities you could start or end in Madrid or Marseille (or take a trip from one to the other, stopping on the way).

Oops, I guess I worded my initial post poorly... I already have the destinations planned, I was just wondering what other dakkites fondest holiday memories were

The trip we are planning is a big one, early in the year, going to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Tokyo, Kyoto and then back to Tokyo.

I've already been to every other place mentioned in this thread except budapest, poland, hawaii and a few of the smaller, more remote US locations anyway

Ironically Chimera_Calvin, I have about 5% Danish blood so it is more than a spiritual home, but I have not even been to legoland in the UK yet, even though I live within 15 miles of it

I went to Bimini island off the coast of florida for a diving vacation when I was younger. Aside from the diving, which was better than anything I have done in my admittedly limited diving experience, we lodged at the hotel " The Compleat Angler". Apparently Ernest Hemmingway lived there for a bit. I was saddened to hear that the place burned to the ground in 2006 ( IIRC it was somewhere around 1992 or 93 when I visited ). The only access, at that time was by sea plane or (presumably) a boat. I enjoyed it a lot more than a cruise I had been on, it was a lot more "real".

If you've seen Silence of the Lambs, the scene in the movie near the end where Hannibal Lecter calls agent Starling, that scene is filmed there.

Other than that, I want to go to Yellowstone quite badly.

Grignard wrote:
Other than that, I want to go to Yellowstone quite badly.

Do it, its worth it!!!

I took a road trip to Ottawa once, it's very much a canadian version of DC: smaller, friendly, cooler, cleaner. We took a day trip to take in an Expos game at the old Stade Olympique, we went to CFL game, toured all of the amazing museums there (the Canadian War Museum was nice, I went before the move), and the hostels are cheap and friendly. We meant to stay a few days but ended up there a week. Good times.

When I was a kid I went to the Boy Scout ranch in New Mexico, so if you have any love for the outdoors at all the American West is simply beautiful. You don't have to backpack in the mountains (although it was plenty of fun!) but the history and geography alone mack it worth a trip.

As a proud Rust Belter, I would feel remiss to point out the fun to be had in the Great Lakes region. I've done more road trips around than I can count, and no matter what you want to do, it's available. Sports, concerts, museusms, nightclubs, camping, etc. are all tons of fun. It's off season now, but taking a detour on a canadian road trip to Kitchener (a relatively small city) to catch an OHL (semi pro hockey with 16-20 year old kids) was an amazing experience.

I also have to make a somewhat shameless plug for Tennessee. Believe it or not, we have some of the most beautiful landscapes in the US. The Great Smokey Mountains national park is the most visited national park in the United States ( That is actually the bad part ), with some great hiking and backpacking opportunities. We have some good whitewater in the Cherokee national forest, though probably not as good as West Virginia or north Georgia.

Another one of my better trips was rafting the Chattooga river. If you've seen the movie adaptation of Deliverance, most if not all of that was filmed on the Chattooga.

Grignard wrote:I also have to make a somewhat shameless plug for Tennessee. Believe it or not, we have some of the most beautiful landscapes in the US. The Great Smokey Mountains national park is the most visited national park in the United States ( That is actually the bad part ), with some great hiking and backpacking opportunities.

Don't forget the Great Somkie Joe's National Trailer Park.

Grignard wrote:Another one of my better trips was rafting the Chattooga river. If you've seen the movie adaptation of Deliverance, most if not all of that was filmed on the Chattooga.

Is this something to brag about?
"The people who filmed Deliverance looked around and thought Tennessee seemed like the perfect place."

Can you get a tour of the location of Ned Beatty's *special* scene?

(all in good humor, no true insult intended)


Eric

Actually the Chattooga river is in Northeast Georgia, and parts of one of the Carolinas, IIRC.

Not offended at all. Most of the rafting places sell T-shirts with logos along the lines of " Paddle faster, I hear banjos"

The Chatooga runs through South Carolina, and it's some really pretty terrain. If you are into camping for a base in the area I can recommend Cherry Hill park as a place to stay, the banjos are somewhat muted. The Nantahala is up in the same area as well. between the two, there is some phenomenal white water rafting. Rafts, kayaks, whatever; but you gotta tackle Bull Sluice. They've got rapids for the kids, and rapids for those of us looking to make ourselves past tense. All in all pretty cool.

I spent two years travelling the globe when I was a little bit younger and I can safely say it was the most amazing experience of my life

In terms of the nicest place visited, I would have to go with Namibia. I've been there three times now (my boyfriend owns property in Windhoek) and every time I have gone, I've ended up with tears in my eyes because of the stunning beauty of the country

Sian xx

Personally I would like to visit different university libraries.

That, and Warhammer World .

Sid Meier has been to some pretty cool museum/ theme parks in Europe. I would have to look it up.

That, and South America + the Mediterranean area. Note that I have not actually BEEN anywhere myself.

I do like to visit Kitchener-Waterloo from time to time.

I second the US national parks, more amazing places you'll never see. Yellowstone is otherworldly, both with a wealth of wildlife, and active geysers.

The Grand Canyon is awe inspiring - and the North Rim is better than the South (but harder to get to, so most people go to the south).

Arches, Bryce and Zion Canyons, Mesa Verde, and Monument Valley are all in the same general area.

My wife and I have made two motorcycle trips out west.

We spent our honeymoon riding through the Black Hills (where Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Badlands, and Deadwood are), and then out through Wyoming, past Devil's Tower, and then through Yellowstone.

Two years ago we rode through the Southwest, going as far as Death Valley.

I have several pictures from each trip online:

Yellowstone Trip
Southwest Trip

The bay of Naples, see it and die. Paris, the Eiffel Tower.

Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, the isle of Capri. Florence -- the Ponte Vecchia, the central old town and museums. All cliches for a good reason.

Also in Italy, Paestum and Velia for the ancient Greek remains, and Herculaneum and Pompeii for the Roman stuff.

Some of my favourite memories of Japan...

A traditional ryokan in Kyoto.
Hakone in the snow, visiting an onsen.
Takayama traditional town.
Tokyo -- the New York Bar and Grill in Park Hyatt hotel, Rainbow Bridge, Kabukicho at night, various local districts which have a small town feel.
Numerous temples and shrines.

The USA
I've got to say I enjoyed Long Island and South Beach, Miami Beach and would go again.

I've never been to New York except for passing through, I would love to spend a week in Manhattan. I'd love to do a road trip in Nevada. Sadly the USA is off the menu now as my wife refuses to go there.

I've always wanted to visit Egypt, Jordan and other middle east places. India too. All too "third world" for the wife though.

Plenty of good stuff in the UK too. Old Wardour castle in Wiltshire. The Cotswolds, the Peak District, Edinburgh. London's a dirty, expensive place but it's got some of the world's best museums.

The world's a big place. Nearly anywhere you go that's different to home is worth a look.

I've just got to say that being 18-years old, sandwiched between two Italian blonde girls, riding a 250cc moped on the Amalfitan coast road, is something I'll definitely always remember. Oh yes.

There are days when I venture outside to witness the horror
of that great big fiery ball in the sky. I do a little dance,
then cower back into my cave where the shades are drawn
and the walls are padded.

I loved London when I was there. So many free, fascinating forms of entertainment!
So much excellent architecture! So much ale!

Portugal was fun, but mostly because of the people I was with. Yellowface was unobscured by cloud for the whole thing, and there was no fog or drizzle! How can people live in these conditions.

I'm finally heading to the states next year and I can't wait.

Anywhere in Germany rocks. It rocked in the '80s and '90s and it rocks today.

Spain = good. Italy = good. Switzerland/Austria = good. Heck, most of NATO Europe = good. Hated Paris but loved Lyon. Can't say much for the former Warsaw Pact, though I hear Estonia is amazingly cool for a Baltic nation, and the Czech Republic is worth a visit. Scandinavian countries are always fun, even Finland.

I'm biased, but there are few places in the US I've disliked, and I've covered virtually everything below the Mason-Dixon Line and most of the East Coast and Midwest in my travels. I cannot encourage touring the old battlefields more, both Revolutionary and War Between the States, as they are both eerie and fascinating. Easily as potent as Bastogne, Verdun, and the major battlefields of Europe.

Canada's major cities are recommended; Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver get lots of thumbs-ups. Newfoundland is just plain neat if you want to see people living in a world all their own.

I don't recommend Baghdad, Taji, Fallujah, or anything along the western bank of the Euphrates River. . .or the entire Middle East for that matter, with the exceptions of Qatar and Dubai.

The amazing places I saw:

London for it's museums and it's drunks...
Paris, because it's Paris!
(singing ) New york NEW YORK! tam ta tadam...
Machu pichu (peru) just great
The pyrennees (a montain chain betwen spain and france), great trek with french food
Barcelona, to see Gaudi's work
The "Salar de Uyuni" (salt desert in bolivia) just a weird and amazing place

I work for a vacation provider. They sent me to Greece for a week for free a couple years back. We started in Athens then did a bus tour up to Delphi and then Meteora and back to Athens. Was lotsa fun, I still haven't even opened the bottle of Ouzo I brought home

At our last xmas party I won a trip to Rio, but I wasn't able to go, bad timing and trying to get my house sold.

My bro in law is from Indoneia. One day I'll make it out there when they go back

But that trip to greece is the only time I ever left the US :( Well, I did live in Los Angeles for 2 years, I guess that kinda counts as a foreign land...