Travel destinations, what are your favorites # 2

HEY! They are not!!! Unless your referring to yourself. ^_^

I will be heading to Pittsford, NY sometime in June as well, Viola....my niece lives there...if my brother's health is OK at the time....we usually go in August when the peaches are ripe, but my niece wants to see Borglund's Iris Farm in bloom....also will be heading up to Mascoma Lake in NH for Memorial Day, and over to Watch Hill, RI to my nephew's summer home.....also need to get to southern Maine to visit my stepson & his wife, who hopefully will be home from stroke rehab......

Would love to go to Europe or Australia *sigh*

VV - I agree. Lucky you. And to have a built in guide, that's great. I hope you enjoy the trip.

This thread had been dormant for so long, I don't think I even mentioned our October trip to Germany - for an International Viola congress, too. Yes, I play and I'm active in the Canadian Viola Society and have been on the executive of the International Viola society and the Congresses have taken us all over the world - New Zealand, Australia, Iceland, Austria, Germany several times and Glasgow.

Anyway, the last trip we flew to Berlin. Had originally hope to visit friends in Hamburg AND get to Dresden in side trips from Berlin, but in the end we skipped Hamburg since those friends had been in Ottawa in July before we all went to a conference in Montreal. So, spent several days in Berlin, a few in Dresden and then went to the Congress in Würzburg. If you want to look at pictures, you'll find them at: http://violaann.smugmug.com/Travel/Germany-2011/19643233_pL2nst

BTW, we've been to Germany many times and spent a year in the Hamburg area in 1976-77. So, while I'm not an expert by any means, I do have familiarity with the country.

flowAjen - keep on dreaming and meanwhile, start trying to plan and you'll get there. It's not impossible.

Bill:

Gotta figure out a way to translate your love of (stone) walling into plane tickets - any airline execs live in your part of the world? I see some symmetry evolving...

The places you mention (and the ways of getting around) align with what we've considered, and have had recommended by others. Darwin might be one we'd skip, sticking with the areas from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and up as far as Cairns/Kuranda and the Great Barrier Reef.

If you go in May, we'll expect a full report.

As far as Germany and beer...well, you can't hardly travel in the Dusseldorf/Cologne (Koln) corridor without being bodily held down and forced to imbibe the local elixir: alt. You wouldn't have any reason to consume mettwurst, bratwurst, grunekohl, and bratkartoffeln otherwise.

nice hat!:) In my opinion the Colonge Kolsch does not stand up to the Alt - planned to brew a Marzen later this week may reconsider and do an Alt.

Australia has a lot that is well worth seeing - it is a Continent after all - and it is hard to decide. i did have to explain that a couple times when discussing the in "country" air fares - looked into rail and it looks like it is all regional so you would still need to fly and the pricing was not that less expensive. I've been a few times on business (Melbourne/Sydney) years ago (In Australia I like the Victoria's Bitter the best)so it would not be a tragedy if we do not go. I keep trying the "you only live once line" to no success. I think I will be waiting on your trip report and planting japanese maples in May.

Ric and I still haven't gotten North. We were hoping to get up there last year and it just seems to keep getting pushed back.

Victor - where will you be in Fla? Any chance it's close to us?

debi - on your way to Savannah, think about a stop in Beaufort, SC. Their historical downtown area is very nice with a gorgeous waterfront park. We spent a couple days there on our way down this Fall,and we really liked it. We almost changed our mind on the strip coming into town, but we were glad we went into the old part of town.

Our big trip next Fall will be to close up the farm a month early and drive out in September to Glacier National Park to meet up with our Colorado kids/Grands. My stepdaughter was the architect for the renovation of one of the Lodges there, and we want to see her work, as well as vacationing with her and her family. We'll stop along the way to see some old friends and some historical places like Crazy Horse and Little Big Horn, and after Glacier we'll visit my college roommate at their summer cabin on Priest Lake, Idaho before heading down through Yellowstone and the Tetons and Jackson Hole on our way to visit again with our Colorado bunch at their home in the Rockies. We have to go early enough not to have the Parks close for snow, so we'll leave right after Labor Day. Don't anyone DARE to think of doing a Fall RU without us!! (just kidding...maybe). LOL

that sounds like a great trip louise!

Ft. Lauderdale for sure. Mot sure where else yet. Would love to visit. Have to see how the planning plays out. I will def let you know! Glacier is high on my list.

Teri, my grandfather is from Positano! So look forward to seeing it.

Based on my limited experience with German beer, I am guessing Alt might cause one to lose Control and Delete any recollection.

Any photos of the redesigned lodges, Louise?

it does taste good and go down easy :)

Victor, if the restaurant "La Tagliata" is still there above Positano in the Amalfi cliffs, you MUST go there. You will be reminded of all the food from you grandparent's table for their holiday and everyday dinners. This is truly a breath taking area.

Louise, that trip sounds wonderful! Have only been to western US once, but it was pretty thrilling!

I don't think the lodge is finished yet, Victor. I think it is still in the construction phase. There will be a Grand Opening in the Fall, and that's why we decided to go and to meet them there. I'll know more during the summer, but I think we'll go even if it isn't finished by then. We are both looking forward to the trip. We have been out to most of the National Parks out west a few times since DSD went to college in Colorado (and we lost her for good). We have not been to Glacier though. Yellowstone is a big favorite, so we can't get that close without going back through it again. We have never taken a driving trip with the dogs for this long, but they are such good little travelers that we're hoping we aren't nuts! :)

Victor, we are almost straight across the state from Lauderdale. Please do let us know your timing and your itinerary. Love to see you and the family!

Thrilling is a good way to describe the beauty out west, Marilyn. The National Parks are wonderful....class act, plus we now have lifetime passes and parking passes, so you can't beat that, although, they are priced very reasonably anyway.

We haven't hit Glacier yet either, maybe soon.

Debi, we've always wanted to take the train through the Canadian Rockies to go out to Glacier, but they don't allow dogs, so we'll drive instead. We are like you in loving the train trips. Have you done any of those trips across the Rockies?

Would love to train through the mts!

We did do the train thru the Canadian Rockies, and Durango Silverton in CO, and many others. Those 2 were awesome.

Would love that trip....traveling by train is such a great experience....west of the Miss. that is!

This message was edited Jan 26, 2012 9:37 AM

We've done the Durango - Silverton trip as well....loved it! DSD is also the lead architect on the project to renovate the historic school in Silverton. She's there as we speak. :)

I'd like to go anywhere but Maine for the next 48 hours :)

Just had to edit my post...the trains are better out west! Senior moment!

My one sis must be the only person in the world that didn't like a long train trip...hated the rocking motion she said

Yes, it does rock & I'm usually very motion sick, but the train didn't bother me....

I enjoy being able to look out of the large windows and see the scenery on a train. The rocking never bothered me, but I can see how it might bother someone.

Marilyn, I agree!

I find the rocking very relaxing.

We've done 2 sleepers, and the rocking and noise can disrupt sleep.

Cannot be worse than my wife's snoring!

Had a hard time getting used to the train's whistle through all the crossings!

victor you may have crossed her line there :)

Hoping Jan's enjoying her trip

Cool site!

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/

Nice photos!

So we are going to Savannah, but flying. Any suggestions on where to stay?

I haven't stayed in Savannah, so I'm afraid I have no suggestions...I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip though.

Stayed in Hilton Head when I visited Savannah.....

Oh, these all sound loverly!!! Loved the parks out west.

Thanks, Jen, for thinking of me. :). Had a great time!!!

Will be heading to Texas in April for Cora's first birthday. Hopefully to Oregon this summer again to see grandies. Or maybe they can come here.