Vacation Time

[papayahed]

I'm trying to decide where to vacation in October and I need ideas. I have one week. I want to spend 1 or 2 days doing nothing on a beach and the rest of the time either in a museum, looking at historical sites or nature.

Where should I go?

[Delta40]

Queensland. Although they have the highest rate of shark attacks in the country. I'm not sure where they stand on the box jelly fish and blue ring octopus though...

[cafolini]

I'm trying to decide where to vacation in October and I need ideas. I have one week. I want to spend 1 or 2 days doing nothing on a beach and the rest of the time either in a museum, looking at historical sites or nature.

Where should I go?

Costa Rica. Nice weather right now. Nice beaches. One of the best democratic countries in Latin America. And it is a papaya country.

[free]

Take two weeks and go up to the mountains and then down to the seaside. I mean, that's what I would like to do. Have a great time.

[Emil Miller]

Forget the historical sights and nature and head for Munich where the Oktoberfest will be in full swing.


http://imageshack.us/a/img51/8734/pr5m.jpg

[Lokasenna]

I guess my usual suggestion of Iceland is a no-go - unless the kind of beach you're after is a volcanic one you can stroll along in your thermal clothes whilst admiring the icebergs...

By the sounds of it, you're after a historic and tourist-friendly city with convenient and beautiful beaches... why not visit somewhere in or around the Mediterreanean? There's no end of such places. In Venice, for example, you can have your couple of days sunning on the Lido, following which you have all the wonders of that great and historic city to explore.

[Helga]

I am no expert in vacation spots but just because Lokasenna mentioned Iceland I should make it clear that we have a very nice and popular yellow sandy beach! Called Nauthólsvík and it's in the capital with hot springs and the sea, but in October maybe not so hot and nice. But In July and August it's very popular and I should know, I've never been there.

[tonywalt]

I've heard the Cayman Islands are nice.

[Charles Darnay]

I second Lok: somewhere around the Mediterranean seems to have what you are looking for - and the temperatures are not too hot/cold/hurricane-y in October. I would suggest Greece (or surrounding islands - Naxos is wonderful for a day, as is Rhodes, and of course Thera and Crete).

There is also Turkey or Israel - depends on your fancy.

[Volya]

Don't go to Greece... Go to a country that isn't arresting and oppressing transgender people...

[Scheherazade]

Not exactly what you asked for but this is what I want to do when I grow up:

http://www.adventurecompany.co.uk/holiday-types/trekking-holidays/inca-trail


Don't go to Greece... Go to a country that isn't arresting and oppressing transgender people...Name one!

[Volya]

Not exactly what you asked for but this is what I want to do when I grow up:

http://www.adventurecompany.co.uk/holiday-types/trekking-holidays/inca-trail

Name one!

It's difficult.

[Calidore]

You could just cross the lake to Chicago, unless you do that already and it's not really a vacation for you.

[cafolini]

The Mediterranean coast is very expensive. It ultimately depends on how much you can spend. You can go to Costa Rica for 1/10 the cost. There is a lot of history around there also. Not the same kind but a lot.

[Scheherazade]

Who else thinks Cafolini is originally from Costa Rica or there abouts?

[Volya]

cafolini fell from heaven, like an angel

[Ecurb]

I'm going to Sicily this October. Eureka!

[Scheherazade]

"Family" meeting, Ecurb?

[LitNetIsGreat]

Forget the historical sights and nature and head for Munich where the Oktoberfest will be in full swing.


http://imageshack.us/a/img51/8734/pr5m.jpg

Nice jugs...

[cafolini]

Mongo Aurelio.
I am not from Costa Rica nor even close. But I know Latin America fairly well. Did a lot of travelling around there. I was born in Argentina.

[Ecurb]

"Family" meeting, Ecurb?

I'm afraid I might be implicated by some of the testimony in the Whitey Bulger trial, so I'm going into hiding like Michael Corleone.

Sicily is an interesting place. Archimedes lived there (in Syracuse). It was controlled by Muslims for several centuries (when Arabic was the most learned language in the Mediteranean). Frederick the 2nd (since this is a literary board) was king of Sicily (and Holy Roman Emperor) in the 13th century, and his book on falconry, "Hunting with Birds" is reputed to be the earliest book to be continuously in print (probably because it was one of the first "printed" books).

[Lokasenna]

I am no expert in vacation spots but just because Lokasenna mentioned Iceland I should make it clear that we have a very nice and popular yellow sandy beach! Called Nauthólsvík and it's in the capital with hot springs and the sea, but in October maybe not so hot and nice. But In July and August it's very popular and I should know, I've never been there.

Ooh, I didn't notice that when I was last in Reykjavík - perhaps my unfortunate habit of generally visiting Iceland in winter months is stopping me from getting acquainted with Icelandic beach culture?

[cafolini]

It makes me smile when moderators change and know diddly-squad about the previous ones knowledge of my records, although the names remain the same. This has happened again and again.

[Melanie]

Since you only have a week then I would suggest something that isn't overseas. For history and a great beach I would suggest Williamsburg in Virginia and the nearby Outer Banks (2.5 hour drive to Corolla Beach and a little more to Ocracoke Island). You must take a ferry to Ocracoke Island, the town is charming, and the beach is rated at the top nationally. In Williamsburg, I took a Plantation tour by bike with a ski club (it was off season for skiing) through the countryside. I'm sure you're familiar with all the Civil War history surrounding Williamsburg and nearby Jamestown.

For nautical history, Blackbeard history, and Civil War history and a great beach all in the same spot, you can try Wilmington, NC. The historic River District, Fort Fisher, Wrightsville Beach, etc. ...but it's not as historically impressive as the aforementioned by a long shot.

[Emil Miller]

Nice jugs...

I don't know who was taking the picture but if it was a man he probably lost his lederhosen shortly thereafter.

[papayahed]

Forget the historical sights and nature and head for Munich where the Oktoberfest will be in full swing.


I like beer but not that much and for sights like that all I have to do is look down so I'll pass on Munich.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I like beer but not that much and for sights like that all I have to do is look down so I'll pass on Munich.

I like beer and I am prepared to like it that much! Me and Emil are going to try for two solid weeks of beer, jugs and sausages - it's a hard trip but someone's got to do it.

[*Classic*Charm*]

Somewhere NOT flooded. That should narrow down your choices a bit, no?

[Volya]

I like beer and I am prepared to like it that much! Me and Emil are going to try for two solid weeks of beer, jugs and sausages - it's a hard trip but someone's got to do it.

Jugs AND sausages
Sounds like a party....

[Emil Miller]

I like beer and I am prepared to like it that much! Me and Emil are going to try for two solid weeks of beer, jugs and sausages - it's a hard trip but someone's got to do it.

But are you prepared to handle something like this?

http://imageshack.us/a/img194/4779/24w7.jpg


Without getting involved in something like this?

http://imageshack.us/a/img560/5476/tgow.jpg

[LitNetIsGreat]

The bottom one is a direct result of drinking the top one.

...

Why don't you try somewhere like Tenerife, always nice weather and plenty to explore, that's where I'm off to in October. Or Cyprus, Malta, somewhere in Italy, France...anywhere in the Med got to be good.

[kiki1982]

Haha, actually some of those dances are quite nice. Quite cute, actually. Some regions make girls only turn though. That's a turn off... :D

Saying that, they're already gearing up for it here. Got the new seasonal catalogue of the local 3 Suisses and what's in it? Lederhosen with the obligatory horrible check shirt! The very first time we went to the men's department in C&A at this time, we couldn't believe our eyes: Lederhosen everywhere! And we are not even in a region where they every wore them.

Saying that, because of the Reinheitsgebot (Purity Regulation or whatever it's called normally), every beer in this country tastes the same because no other ingredients are allowed but malt and hops. So no thanks. I rather wait for a nice Belgian one. Drinking in big quantities doesn't bode well anyway. The best stuff is always in the smallest glasses :eyebrows:.

Saying that, we are going to Torquay in Devon this year, via London and Bath (of course, an Austen fan must visit everything there is to see over there :D). Oh, and we're also going to pass Russell Square in London on the way.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Torquay is very nice. I've been twice but it was over 10 years ago now, it took us about eight hours to get down there!

Of course I totally agree on your Belgian ale comments.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

I'm trying to decide where to vacation in October and I need ideas. I have one week. I want to spend 1 or 2 days doing nothing on a beach and the rest of the time either in a museum, looking at historical sites or nature.

Where should I go?

Let's first determine your limitations. Were you intending to keep here in the States?
If going out of the States, how far? Canada, Mexico...?

[OrphanPip]

Let's first determine your limitations. Were you intending to keep here in the States?
If going out of the States, how far? Canada, Mexico...?

You won't find many beaches in Canada though.

[kiki1982]

I've always wanted to go to Prince Edward Island. Ever since seeing AVonlea on TV. Must be a beautiful place. How about that? But yeah, there won't be much bikini beach involved...

[kiki1982]

Torquay is very nice. I've been twice but it was over 10 years ago now, it took us about eight hours to get down there!

Of course I totally agree on your Belgian ale comments.

I wasn't so sure at first, what with the image of Fawlty Towers and all (my hubby neither, actually), but the steam railway convinced me, and Drake's house to go and see and Dartmoor and a few other places. Oh, and apparently Agatha Christie is there too. So, we'll have enough stuff to do... And food, glorious food. I swear my husband will come back double his size...

We'll be about 6 hours in all, that's why we're staying over in London and Bath. Last year we went to the Olympics in London and we got a City Jet flight from Luxembourg to London City Airport. All great, until we were going to land. Turbulence! For the next 12 hours I and the ground kept going up and down and I felt permanently sick. Never again. We went back by Eurostar. Shame really, because it was so easy and quick... So, now we either have to opt for an airport an hour away, for the Eurostar which takes ages or for the ferry which is even longer, although it's nicer.

[Emil Miller]

The bottom one is a direct result of drinking the top one.

...

Why don't you try somewhere like Tenerife, always nice weather and plenty to explore, that's where I'm off to in October. Or Cyprus, Malta, somewhere in Italy, France...anywhere in the Med got to be good.

Well for one thing I don't like flying and Tenerife is over 4 hours flight time away but it's also it's a place that doesn't appeal to me.
Generally I prefer cities but on those occasions when I have been in the Mediterranean area, I have appreciated the sunshine that is so scandalously missing in the UK. Here's an early one taken in Italy, the heat was so intense that the beer I had in my rucksack went off and had to be thrown away; the only time I have had to carry out such a sorry task.

http://imageshack.us/a/img9/1191/uajr.jpg

[TheFifthElement]

I'm trying to decide where to vacation in October and I need ideas. I have one week. I want to spend 1 or 2 days doing nothing on a beach and the rest of the time either in a museum, looking at historical sites or nature.

Where should I go?

Sorrento, Italy. Not brilliant beaches (though there are some nice, small sandy beaches on the coast road between Sorrento and Massalubrense) but enough to satisfy for 2 - 3 days. Sorrento itself is a lovely little town with tiny cobbled streets called 'the drains' and there are many interesting places within easy travel distance - historic Naples scattered amongst the feet of Vesuvius, the islands of Capri and Ischia. The historical sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum are within easy distance by coach or train and Rome is within reach by train (we did Rome in a day, though two would be much better). Travelling the other way you have the rollercoaster ride of the cliffside roads which take you along the Amalfi coast, taking in the tiny village of Positano nestled precariously on the cliff's edge. It is a beautiful part of the country.

Venice is good too, but avoid Lido de Jesolo which is like Blackpool but hotter. A great place only if you're missing egg & chips. The Venice Lido is much nicer, however. Very easy to get the two mixed up.

[kiki1982]

Venice is good too, but avoid Lido de Jesolo which is like Blackpool but hotter. A great place only if you're missing egg & chips. The Venice Lido is much nicer, however. Very easy to get the two mixed up.

:lol: My parents go there every two years. First Biennale for a week and then Lido di Jesolo for the other week. It's not too bad, but then I've not been to the Lido at all, so I can't comment. What strikes me is that a beach holiday is usually so very very boring. I mean, unless you've got a good book with you, what the bl**dy hell is there to do apart from see the very same shops with the very same stuff in them every day? Saying that, the Black Cat Pub's club sandwich is the best I've ever eaten, not to mention their spaghetti with tomato sauce. You see I'm a fan :D.

Bur Venice remains nicer.

[kev67]

Torquay is very nice. I've been twice but it was over 10 years ago now, it took us about eight hours to get down there!

Of course I totally agree on your Belgian ale comments.

Torquay in October :out: I suppose it's out of season so at least the B&Bs should be cheap.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Of course there is always Skeggie or Ingolmols...

No Kev, Kiki's not going to Torquay in October and neither am I.

Good stuff Emil, all the hot ladies are going to be after you now!

[*Classic*Charm*]

I've always wanted to go to Prince Edward Island. Ever since seeing AVonlea on TV. Must be a beautiful place. How about that? But yeah, there won't be much bikini beach involved...

PEI is lovely, and well worth a visit. The locals are not the most welcoming of tourists, however.

[OrphanPip]

PEI is lovely, and well worth a visit. The locals are not the most welcoming of tourists, however.

The Anne of Green Gables stuff is mostly a tourist trap, but the island is pretty. Cavendish beach is not that bad as far as beaches in Canada go. There's not much to do though, probably why there's a charge to leave the island even though it's free to enter.

[kiki1982]

Oh, I just liked the landscape, not the Green Gables thing. Well, the TV show was lovely, and apparently they did film part of the Avonlea thing over there in an open air museum or something (one barn being the back of a house they used for someone else in the series), but of course, they would milk it for tourists. I suppose as soon as you only mention it, they go, 'Oh, no, not another one.' It's a bit like Venice and telling people over there it's so romantic... They just don't buy it anymore and they appreciate you more if you appreciate the place and the people for what they are. But i found the landscapes of sloping meadows and waving grass on PEI so nice.

As to Torquay in October. We're going at the end of August. Hope it's nice weather.

[Emil Miller]

Good stuff Emil, all the hot ladies are going to be after you now!

:lol: Most unlikely, it was taken a long time ago.



As to Torquay in October. We're going at the end of August. Hope it's nice weather.


If you do get nice weather it will be the triumph of hope over experience.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

You won't find many beaches in Canada though.

Haha, good point. Ahh but wait, there was that time I strolled along a beach near the U of BC in Vancouver and came upon a small clutch of nudists milling about, some dancing, some meditating, others waving arms about, the usual affair.

[papayahed]

Let's first determine your limitations. Were you intending to keep here in the States?
If going out of the States, how far? Canada, Mexico...?

Someplace outside north america. I want someplace without phones, or internets, or tvs but that seems a tall order so someplace different.



Sorrento, Italy. Not brilliant beaches (though there are some nice, small sandy beaches on the coast road between Sorrento and Massalubrense) but enough to satisfy for 2 - 3 days. Sorrento itself is a lovely little town with tiny cobbled streets called 'the drains' and there are many interesting places within easy travel distance - historic Naples scattered amongst the feet of Vesuvius, the islands of Capri and Ischia. The historical sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum are within easy distance by coach or train and Rome is within reach by train (we did Rome in a day, though two would be much better). Travelling the other way you have the rollercoaster ride of the cliffside roads which take you along the Amalfi coast, taking in the tiny village of Positano nestled precariously on the cliff's edge. It is a beautiful part of the country.

Venice is good too, but avoid Lido de Jesolo which is like Blackpool but hotter. A great place only if you're missing egg & chips. The Venice Lido is much nicer, however. Very easy to get the two mixed up.

Sounds cool, I'm putting it on my list.

So far:
Sorrento
Nicaragua
West Med. cruise

[Emil Miller]

Someplace outside north america. I want someplace without phones, or internets, or tvs but that seems a tall order so someplace different.




Sounds cool, I'm putting it on my list.

So far:
Sorrento
Nicaragua
West Med. cruise


A word of warning. When I went to Sorrento it was full of adenoidal 'singers' wandering around the cafés and warbling Come back to Sorrento.
Very much like this one in fact:

http://youtu.be/cMSzVdGeXIs

[cafolini]

Someplace outside north america. I want someplace without phones, or internets, or tvs but that seems a tall order so someplace different.




Sounds cool, I'm putting it on my list.

So far:
Sorrento
Nicaragua
West Med. cruise

Impossible. The internet is anywhere. TV's are anywhere. Remote regions like Alaska have Era Airlines. And now we have passive wifi close to x-ray vision through walls. This is as it should be.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

...I want someplace without phones, or internets, or tvs but that seems a tall order...


Not really, you simply turn them off.

[papayahed]

Not really, you simply turn them off.

The temptation to turn them back on is great, if there is no service temptation is gone. I'm nosey and if I have the chance I'm going to look.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Hmm, I see.
Have you considered the notion of leaving them at home?
Or run the batteries down in each device and sever the charging wires before you pack them.

[kiki1982]

What about not taking the chargers at all :D. OK, so if you're desperate, they're always on sale somewhere, but that takes trouble...

Come on, there must be places around without internet, but maybe not mainstream. Have you looked at holiday apartments/villas on sites like homelidays or something? Sme of those are in pretty remote areas without internet (or very slow), so provided you can get there (which is always our problem), you can do without internet.
But maybe you want something to do too... You can't have everything.

[Madhuri]

Goa - It's quite commercial but one of the favourite vacation places for the locals

The Andaman Islands - I was here last year and it's an awesome place - historic, white sandy beaches, away from any pollution, not crowded - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_Islands

And, of course, inexpensive since you'll be spending in Rupees.

[qimissung]

I've heard that Croatia has great beaches:

http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/beaches/articles/croatias-sexiest-beaches

Or for someplace closer to home, what about Galveston? Or Big Sur in California?

http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/history.html

Good luck, and don't be stingy with the pictures!

[papayahed]

Nicaragua it is!!!!!!




erm.....anybody know somebody from there???