Do You Take A Vacation ??

Gaer said:
I experience as much happiness as possible every day or at least value
and try to learn from adverse occurrences.
It doesn't matter if I'm sitting and looking at Glacier Park or in the middle
of a war zone, I can experience the joy of being healthy, strong and alive.
Love travel but have no need to travel.
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Wow! It takes a special person to be able to maintain that happiness in the middle of
a war zone! Love it! I'd be shaking and trembling, to say the least.
 
Gaer said:
I experience as much happiness as possible every day or at least value
and try to learn from adverse occurrences.
It doesn't matter if I'm sitting and looking at Glacier Park or in the middle
of a war zone, I can experience the joy of being healthy, strong and alive.
Love travel but have no need to travel.
Click to expand...
Travel is BIG Business. Millions of people depend on travel to make them money. Unfortunately in this day and age of global warming, tourists are part of the problem.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-2023-180982494/
 

As in..."Have I taken vacations", over the 7+ years I've now been retired in which every day I wake up is always Saturday? Obviously, that was not what the OP probably meant in his own mind and why several people just blurted out, NO. What he is actually asking is if people enjoy multi day activities AWAY from their residences where they need to travel to do so. Thread might have been titled:

Do you take multi day leisure activities away from your home?

For many people, especially those in 8-5 m-f careers, when they have left home outside of say just visiting relatives, it is always narrowly in the form of traditional vacations. More broadly, there are other working persons like this person that have been engaging in multi day activities away from home all their adult lives, especially over weekends as well as longer periods. A key reason I, as a financial peon and outdoor enthusiast, chose to live in California is because I could drive within a few hours to a wide range of world class leisure activities.

Like each winter over 2 and 3 day weekends during working years before retirement, had been driving a few hours to Tahoe ski resorts while often staying overnight in lodging. Or during wet winter/springs when I have driven down to Southwest deserts for wildflower photography. Or summer when I'll drive up to 7 hours to High Sierra trailheads for backpacking trips. Much more. Over 5+ decades have done over 200 overnight backpacking trips into wilderness each from 2 to 11 days long. This 2023 spring did 2 multi-day road trips, a 5 hour drive, down to Carrizo Plain National Monument for wildflower landscapes. But have I:

Taken an ocean cruise?
Done a Disneyland / Disney World vacation?
Done an air travel vacation to Hawaii or myriad other popular locations?
Gone to Las Vegas for days of casino gambling?
Traveled to some fancy all in one place resort over several days of relaxing leisure?

No. Because the activities I have been driving to for decades are IMO for myself, more an adventure and exciting. Actually over years, travel companies have offered me several nearly free vacations to such places. But was never interested. When I was in the USAF during the Viet Nam War, I did plenty of national air travel and some world travel, and after that have occasionally flown across the nation to visit relatives. So it isn't like I've never been out airline traveling like some people that have never ever left their home regions.
 
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Packerjohn said:
I have been away on a vacation for 2 months. It was good but I find that as I get older, the glamour of travel is starting to pale.

First there are all those bad stories in the media about airports. The delayed flights, the canceled flights and all that "lovely" sleeping on the floor of the airport without knowing if and when you would fly. Feel like talking to a fellow passenger? You must be crazy! All the passengers are texting "loved ones" telling them what a wonderful holiday they are having.

Resorts can be very noisy places. Restaurants prices are going up and up and I really hate that compulsory tip on your final bill. Want to ask someone about their trip? It's pretty hard as everyone in the restaurant is texting someone somewhere.

You pay for a room and have to listen to your neighbour watching some soceer or other sports channel all evening. Often you get to "enjoy" your fat neighbour, sleeping on his back and snoring all nights. What a treat! Often drunks are walking past your door. If you face the street, you get to "enjoy" the roar of the traffic all night. My "favourite" is the loud roar of those motorcycles with the fancy mufflers.

Beggars seem to be all over the place. Some guy tries to sell you some sort of illegal drug. In many countries the police stop you and try to shake you down for some money. In Europe the little gypsy kids are a real danger to you.

Sometimes, it rains; sometimes the heat is unbelievable! You go out and your shirt is soaked due to the very high humid. Foreign languages can be fun! I'm just kidding here! You were planning of using "Google Translate" for your foreign trip? Wonderful idea but too bad there is no internet around where you are.

If you are a single white male, the local prostitutes keep chasing you. If you are a single white female, then all the local males keep pestering you.

Tour prices are getting higher and higher. Go on a cruise and they want a tip every time, they pull back a chair for you. Want to leave the ship and you stand and stand in a lineup to get off the boat. Lots of great food on the cruise but unfortunately a lot of loud drunks shouting so everyone can hear them.

Try to change money and they almost always "rip" you off. No one seems to like you unless they see you as a source of income.

Go fly the "unfriendly" skies and you end up sitting beside some fat person, a screaming kid in front of you, the front seat is almost in your face and you end up "fine dining" on a tiny bag of prezels or peanuts. The coffee looks and smell like McAfee but it is unfortunately terribly watered down. Fly overnight from Canada to Europe. You were hoping for some warm food! Forget it if you are flying Westjet. No food but the jokes over the PA are good but only if you can understand them.

Airport check ins are always a hoot. They make you take your belt off and remove your shoes. Sometimes I wonder if they are going to soon ask you to remove your trousers and under shorts too!

All the above abuses sure makes staying at home a wonderful alternative to being a dumb tourist!
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I don't find this at all.
I guess it all depends on where you 'shop' for vacation.
I believe that if I'm going to spring for a vacation, I better do 'top shelf'
Airline, business or first class
Hotel/resort, high end rooms (average $400 night, have known to go $1100 a night)
Transportation to/from airport, Black Car only
Tip everyone, you would be surprised how people appreciate that 1) you recognize them, 2) you want them to be happy 'The echos of small kindness. Small kindnesses are not loud, but they echo forever.

If I can't afford 'top shelf', then I'm not going.....its vacation, it should be as high as you can go. The memories are priceless.
 
Yes, I take vacations, but of the two-day sort.
Places I can enjoy and appreciate some time away
and usually in the state where I reside.

My last week of vacation was this year. It was
just a few hours away from home, loved it.

Otherwise, a 'day' vacation here and there, now
and then, when the mood strikes me, goes just
fine, as far as vacations go.

I've not left my state for vacations, since about
2010.
 
Packerjohn said:
Travel is BIG Business. Millions of people depend on travel to make them money. Unfortunately in this day and age of global warming, tourists are part of the problem.
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Well, you can't blame people for wanting to travel. The solution is to provide 'clean' affordable transport.

"Top shelf" travel... we're all free to spend our money as we please, but I've had some great holidays on a more modest budget. I can tolerate doing without first class travel for short / medium flights. I've stayed in plenty of 4 & 5 star hotels, but a clean, comfortable, well appointed room in a small hotel suits me fine. Leaves me more cash to spend on other things. The memories may be priceless, but that doesn't always mean expensive.
 
Been on vacation since retirement. I don't enjoy travelling any longer; I get restless and irritable. Hubby mentioned going to San Diego one more time and I just can't picture myself ~ vacationing.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
You've got to get out of the house. You have to change the dynamics in your life. You've got to get out of your comfort zone for bit, and see other people and places. Or you're going to be one of those old fogeys stuck 50 years in the past. Travel broadens your life, and enriches your daily routine.
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^^This!
 
I have to say that I think I am getting tired of going to Europe. I was standing in a huge gorgeous church in Prague thinking just this.

I was shocked that I had that thought because the churches in Europe are so much bigger and beautiful than in the states. My friend wants to go to France in 25 and I told her I would go. But it’s uncertain if it will happen because of her husband’s health. I also used to love cruising but am also tired of them.
 

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