An article on the top 10 summer trips for 2011 is out from National Geographic and it features some nice places. <a class="postlink" href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-summer-2011-photos/#/best-summer-trips-minneapolis-minnesota_34537_600x450.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/tr ... 00x450.jpg</a> I've been there and done that with most of the stuff on the list and there's a reason we brave the winters... an extra-kickass summer. I'm staying in Minnesota for most of the summer. I only have one trip planned and that's to the Ozarks for a family reunion in July (and fuck no we're not a bunch of hicks). Otherwise, I can go hike along the North Shore and around Winona-Red Wing, go camping and fishing in the Boundary Waters, visit lots of breweries, never have to drive far to be on a beach, and enjoy a ridiculous amount of good restaurants, bars, shows, and good parties for the sake of them here in Minneapolis. Then again, I'll probably drive to Madison and Lincoln at some point to visit with buddies from high school that went to college there and will have fun at our respective schools for one last time. Focus: Summer trips. Whats up? Getting stoned at Bonnaroo? Seeing family in California? Visiting Minneapolis? Anti-focus: Hidden treasure cities. Only Ant raps about Minneapolis. What is the best place nobody really considers?
The girlfriend and I are going to tool around Oregon for a couple of weeks, just because there's lots of neat stuff to do there and the Pacific Northwest is nice.
Headed back home to Atlanta towards the end of May to see my dad, who will be home from Iraq for a couple weeks. Flying from there to Dallas for a wedding/weekend vacation, back to Florida long enough to take a dump and wash some clothes, then catching a flight to Seattle. Spending a couple days there, then going on a long cruise to Alaska to celebrate my girlfriend graduating medical school and becoming a goddamn doctor. The rest of the summer will be spent in the classroom, the golf course, or a lawyer's office. All of which are good things for me.
I've got a two week trip to Newfoundland at the end of June. I love natural beauty and hikes and such and it is hard to think of places that are as untouched by civilization as Newfoundland. I've got some family that lives in a small coastal town(they just got their first street light) where 5 minutes in any direction will get you to pristine natural beauty. We're going in June so the weather should be perfect. It's not a typical "woo summer beach drunk party time" place but I'm really looking forward to it. Aside from that I'm looking forward to finally having no classwork to worry about so I can put some good work in toward my research.
I'll be getting back from Afghanistan in mid-late July....stuck in NC for a couple weeks after that doing post-deployment shit (gonna try to make weekend trips to Asheville to visit my grandmother and Wilmington to get drunk and fuck beach sluts during this time, also might go to Boston for my buddy's annual pig roast that I've missed the last 2 years) then going to Sonoma County (visiting family) and Thailand for around 2 weeks in August. My dad lives in Singapore and I was going to go out there and visit him then make a 3-4 day side trip to Thailand, but he decided to take a couple weeks off and we'll be going to Bangkok and Phuket together for about 4-5 days each. I spent almost a month in Singapore a couple years ago so not missing anything there (it's OK but kinda boring compared to other places in SE Asia) and my dad goes to bed around 8-9 pm most nights so I'll be hanging out with him during the days then going out whoring after he passes out. After that I'll be spending a week or so in Philly and going to Boston for the BC home opener. Alt Focus: Hartford, Connecticut. A lot of it is an absolute dump, but the bar district is a good time and a lot less expensive than Boston/NY.
The wife and I are hoping to do a trip up to Montreal this summer with a friend of mine and his girlfriend. Went there for my bachelor party and had a lot of fun and really looking forward to going back. This time, however I shall be more savvy about exchange rates and travel and random stuff like that which will probably make the strippers a little sad but let the trip last that much longer.
I'm taking a trip to Key West with a girlfriend of mine sometime in mid June. I cannot wait! She went to college at the University of Miami and so she knows lots of cool places to go and things to do because that was always her vacation hotspot. I'm beside myself excited! But I have to say, even cooler than that is that my daughter who will just be finishing her freshman year in college will be leaving in July and going with 2 of her good friends to Italy for 7 weeks. We know a family who currently lives there for a work project for 3 years and they've invited her to have a "once in a lifetime" experience. I'm so excited for her as this is certainly not an opportunity that everyone gets in their lifetime.
This summer is shaping up pretty nicely. I got married last September, so I had to save up most of my vacation time for the honeymoon and didn't get to travel as much as I wanted to. This summer should more than make up for it. May - Derby in Louisville, bachelor party in Vegas, wedding in Nashville June - Driving down to Key West, business trip to Charleston parlayed into a long weekend with the wife July - D.C. for the 4th, family reunion in Horseshoe Bay, TX at the end of the month August - Greece for 10 days September - 1 year anniversary...not sure yet, but potentially going to the Cloister in Sea Island, GA
Ahhhhh, I cannot WAIT for summer. Kicking it off with an old family friend's wedding in SoCal. The family is LOADED and there will be tons of people from my childhood there, so it should be awesome. Chilling in SoCal with my parents and having some party time with my LA friends for a few weeks while my husband finishes up business in London. Hitting another family friend wedding without him, which promises to be a bit more trashy and therefore will provide much gossip fodder for me, my mom, my sister, and sister's fiancee. Driving husband's old car across the country to end up in RI in time for his cousins' wedding. I have done the cross country drive before, but the other way and with my cheap college roommate who made us eat PB&J for every meal, so I'm excited to actually poke around with the husband, see some fun stuff, and eat some awesomely bad for me road food. Said wedding promises to be a good time as well, busting out the Lily Pulitzer for this preppy shindig. July 4 weekend at Tahoe with my besties and their boys. This is how you do a long weekend at Tahoe, no ifs ands or buts. Drive up Thursday night (yes, you took Friday off because you plan ahead like that), and create your meal plan in the car. Hit Reno on Friday morning to stock up on meat, veg, and booze at Costco, then finish out the shopping list in Truckee on the way back. Park at the house and commence to grilling, eating, drinking, and sunning. Only leave to go hang out on the dock, go to the pool, or go waterskiing. You'll never feel more rejuvenated, and you get to enjoy the beauty of Tahoe while avoiding all the assholes at the casinos. Our first anniversary weekend in Vegas. We already have a sweet deal on a room at the brand new Mandarin Oriental, reservations at a couple of ridiculous restaurants, and plans for serious shopping. And we're going to go shoot some guns because my husband has been dying to do it ever since he saw the billboard on his first trip to Vegas. You would never think to look at us, we are the picture of uptight yuppies, but we LOVE Vegas and I am so flippin' excited. B-school friends' wedding in Eugene later in July. We think we're also going to make a road trip out of this one, and stop off near my husband's home town to do some sort of river based activities. This promises to be a giant shitshow, since both members of the couple are classmates and friends with all the hardest partiers. I. Cannot. Wait. Those are the concrete plans, but there will likely be more Tahoe time, potentially some wine country shenanigans, and hopefully a few quailty Sundays spent on the deck at Sam's with a bloody mary or five. Ah, summer.
I'm stoked. I just booked my first official vacation (as in, not to attend a wedding or a baby shower or any other event - just a week to relax) in six years. Rented a cottage up in the Kawarthas on Buckhorn Lake. No cell service, just fishing, bbqing, boating, swimming, hot tubbing, maybe a round of golf or two... I'm so friggin' excited!
This summer, I will probably be taking a few separate weekends to head on out to Guadalupe or Comal Rivers. A cooler with several cases of beer and a weekend floating down the river is pretty much the best way I can think of to cool off and relax during the summer around here.
I'm heading to Germany for 12 days starting June 1 to go see my fiancee. We're heading to Switzerland the day I arrive for four days, and then heading back to Köln for the remainder of my stay. We'll be hitting up the breweries sprinkled throughout the area as well. During the summer, I will be heading down to Cape Cod fairly often. Both sides of my parents family have summer homes down there. I plan on eating copious amounts of seafood, getting tan, and playing cornhole while getting drunk with my cousins.
No summer vacation plans. We're planning a couple of college visits with my oldest, but that's no vacation. And I'm working and taking three classes this summer anyway. We're thinking of taking a trip sans-kids the first week in January, possibly going back to either Cancun or Maui. Fall semester is going to be hellacious and I have my full-time internship in the spring, so a week in between to relax and recharge on a beach sounds about right.
Aside from spending the summer here at the cottage, we have our annual trip to PEI this summer. We rent a small oceanfront cottage on 10 acres. Its completely private and secluded. We'll do some ocean kayaking and try to wipe out the local shellfish population.
We have a wedding to attend in Utah, that will be interesting as I don't know any of these people, I am the +1. Camping, hiking and I am sure we will hit up some mountain towns. We have been thinking about a roadtrip to Texas, Austin specifically, but nothing is set in stone yet. Taking my kids to the local waterpark is probably a must, as is 6 Flags. I need a rollercoaster fix.
This is my first summer off from school in 3 years, and it's the last one off before 4 more years of school/residency. I won't have a break like this ever again. So, I'm trying to fit in as many trips as possible. The highlights include: Maui for a week with the family Austin multiple times to see friends and float the river Atlanta Napa for a wedding NOLA a few weekend trips to see family in small town, TX. Maybe a trip or two to Norman/Tulsa
My mother and I are going with a group of people for a "Girl's Weekend" in Wildwood. My cousin and her mother have been doing this for years with a group of their friends, and this year my mother and I were invited. I have no idea what happens on these weekends, but I know there will be a lot of alcohol.
You would think since you live with your mom, you would want a vacation from her. This thread reminded that I have yet to plan a vacation this summer. I'm looking for cheap flight options now. The only thing I really want is a beach and golf courses and tequila.
I'm going to Italy with the girl for 2 weeks just before Labor Day. Neither of us have been so I cant wait. Maybe well run into the Jersey Shore cast?
I will not be taking a summer vacation. My "time off" is two weeks right now and I have a licensing exam to study for. If I could, though, I'd do this: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.thestar.com/travel/europe/article/978540--sleeping-around-nothing-frisky-about-this-roll-in-the-hay" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.thestar.com/travel/europe/ar ... in-the-hay</a>