What Fun Thing Have You Always Wanted To do? (Non-difficult child)

[HeadlightsMom]

Oops! HIt "post" too soon!

Travel and adventure are our favorite things. We did England/Ireland/Scotland. Scotland (Edinburgh, in particular, although I did love the lochs) really blew my socks off (moreso than England or Ireland). But I loved them all!

One of my favorite places in the world is Vancouver, B.C. and it's just a stone's throw from us, so we're lucky. It's a bit like Hong Kong in the mountains. We used to go snow skiing up there every winter (when the exchange rate was killer good!). Once I had to stop on a run to marvel at the view...... It was dust, so the sky was purple, the hills were white, the city sparkled right below (it is CLOSE to skiing), and the blue sea waters so close. We've also camped and canoed up the glacial waters in Banff, Alberta, and just had a fabulous time in Montreal.

We have also gone to Whistler, B.C. a couple of times with friends to do downhill mountain biking. What a rush! However, it ain't cheap (lift pass + supershock bikes -- which nearly resemble dirt motorbikes). And one of our friends was seriously injured doing it last year, so we've slowed down a bit. We all rented a cabin and made a weekend of it while the Cheese Rolling Festival (an absolute silly gas!) was on.

In Mexico (2 trips -- Puerto Vallarta, then Guadalajara/Guanajuato/San Miguel Allende) we snorkeled, rode quads, and ran into a bull on a jungle hike. No kidding. husband and I both hiding behind a tree shaking. LOL! "You go first!" "Noooo, YOU go first!" LOLOL! We got lucky. (Side Note: We had a similar problem riding quads in Sedona, AZ in 2010 when we rode right through the middle of a herd of cattle (including bulls) and husband and I just kept looking at each other like, "Sooo....you're gonna let us through without a problem, right?" LOLOL! They could care less. But, as we were only maybe 10-15 ft away from them, we realized it was not our wisest decision.

I'm a fan of trying languages (I speak moderate amounts of German and Spanish, minimal amounts of French, Russian and Tagalog (husband was in the Peace Corps in the Philippines -- he's traveled SE Asia fairly extensively -- Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore). Not me yet..........YET!

Domestically, we've hit most of the 50 states (43/50). When I was in college, a buddy knocked on my door one morning and this was our conversation:
Him: "What're you doing right now?"
Me: "Nothing."
Him: "Want to go to Wyoming?" (we lived in Utah at the time)
Me: "Sure! Let's hit it!"
So that day, my friend and I (we're still great friends to this day) started racing to see who would hit all 50 states first. Welllllllll....... I'm losing. I'm at 43 and he's at 49. He's only missing North Dakota. I'm still missing AK, ME, WI (which I'll check off this list this summer), LA, MS, AL & NE. However, when husband retires (4/2016), we are planning.

Domestic highlights for me include Hawaii (snorkeling with turtles), and....well, geez, it's hard to narrow down as we've hiked, kayaked, skied, and biked/motorbiked/quaded (yup, it's a word now!) in so many areas out in "the wild" -- all over the country. As far as cities go, I'm pretty partial to NYC and Boston. As far as beaches go, I'm pretty partial to most any non-swampy beach! As far as natural wonders go........Oh, so many! Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Crater Lake, The Black Hills Pinnacles, Yosemite, dang....so many gorgeous spots to see!

Internationally, we have been a few times, but need to go more. Lots of Canada and Mexico, Europe twice. Neeeed more! Lots to plan and dream about for future adventures! I'm always trying to plan how I can take in as much territory (multiple countries, if possible) in a short time. We once theorized (after extensively studying a map), that if we went to Switzerland, we could hit half-dozen adjacent countries at once! Before we opted for Rome in April, we were also speculating on Cancun and hitting Belize and Honduras as the same time.

husband belongs to a running club and they offered a trip to China (Beijing and outer areas), but it was insanely expensive. Can't do that yet. When we went to Burbank, husband's cousin just married a woman from Guilan, China. He asked if we wanted to tag along next year with them. Wellllllllllllllllll, maaaaaaybe!

And, I tell ya, one of these days I will be doing the Spain/Morocco combo! Spain is reasonable! We have another friend who just goes "wherever it's cheap". I hear Copenhagen is getting as reasonable as London these days. Is that right? Any of you visit Copenhagen yet? May just have to make that the plan one of these days!

Oh, my..........I'm writing up a storm here. But it is FUN to reminisce and to plan!

RE --- You betchya! Let's meet up in Spain/Morocco one day!

 

[Tanya M]

This would also be an amazing place to see. Crystal caves in Naica Mexico

 

[HeadlightsMom]

Tanya M -- Where is this in Mexico? It looks fantastic! I'll look it up!

Forgot to mention that I looove caves! Have been to many and always looking for new ones! I see you mention diving in cenotes. When we were looking at Cancun, that was on our list. Was it as awesome as it looks?

 

[recoveringenabler]

This is the thread that keeps on giving! I love it!! I keep remembering fun things (which as we all know, have gotten a tad dim in the last few years).........in my remembering all the fun things, it's like rewriting my history to include the FUN and balancing it. It all got kinda buried in the cruddy stuff. So, this is GREAT!!

In the summer of 2013 husband and I took a southern road trip, like you HLM, to Asheville NC, Savannah (which we LOVED), Tybee Beach, Charleston S.C, the Outer Banks and St. Augustine..........seems like the same route you took. I've driven across country, from coast to coast about 5 times, once alone with a Golden Retriever.......just me and Romeo the dog, having an adventure. Three years ago husband and I took a road trip up the coast of California to Oregon, to Idaho, Wyoming, Yellowstone, Montana, South Dakota, Little Big Horn, Devil's Tower, Crazy Horse Monument.........it was September and the weather was gorgeous in all of those places. We had so much fun and I was deeply moved at Little Big Horn. And at Devil's Tower, all I could think of was Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of The Third Kind.

In 2010 we went to NYC, saw China town, A Mets Game, Central Park, Wall Street, restaurants, went to Ground Zero where I had actually been on the first anniversary in 20o2. (A couple of my friends died there. If you grew up in NY, near the city, you are likely going to know people who died there.)

I've been all through the Caribbean, my very first vacation as an adult was to Jamaica. I spent a summer island hopping which has now evolved to husband and I going to Kauai as much as we can........tropical islands are extremely nurturing for me, like SS said, that tightness in the back of my neck disappears........I leave all my stress in the ocean..........I love it there.

I've forgotten a lot of the fun I really have had. Thank you HLM, to remember so many joyful times has made a big difference when I look back, it's been a "rich" experience this crazy life..........the good, the bad, the ugly and the just plain wonderful............

 

[HeadlightsMom]

RE -- Oh, yes! I agree that it is SO important to balance the fun with the yuck! Just speaking of our fun empowers us, doesn't it? Yes, yes and YES!

Why, yes, I think we took a very similar route in FL, GA, SC. Only we didn't trek up to Asheville, NC this time (we did a couple of years earlier as we contemplated moving there). But this was our first time in Savannah, GA (we went the Atlanta route other years). The reason we went is because a very dear life-long friend of mine is battling advanced cancer and she said, "When are you gonna come see me?" So..........we came to see her! I just adore her and we had a blast! And she's still beating the odds! FUN MATTERS AND HEALS!

Ya know, big loops are my favorite way to travel, too. Notable loops have been WA to OR to CA to AZ to UT to ID to Alberta, Canada and back to WA. Another was WA to ID to UT to WY to SD to MT to ID and back to WA. We've also driven cross-country twice -- both times via I-40. But never with a dog named Romeo! That sounds great!

RE & Tanya -- You both mentioned the Caribbean. That should be another easy one to hit. Will get there are some point. So many places to see, so little time!

 

[HeadlightsMom]

Seeking Strength -- Oh, S.F. and Atlanta will be fabulous places to visit! And I hear ya about getting that tightness out of the neck. Changes of scenery are the best ways to do that for us! And, heeeey, I like your idea about taking back, scenic motorcycle routes!

Jabber --- Forgot to comment.....YES, you do have a wickedly-funny avatar! I feel an inexplicable urge to go all Dr Evil on you now! Mwa...ha....HA!

Ok, signing off y'all. It's been very fun hearing, sharing, reminiscing, and planning adventures!

Goodnight and may all of us fully realize our dreams and adventures to come!

 

[Tanya M]

HM, here's a link for the crystal caves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naica

The Cenote we went through was in Tulum. So amazing. One thing that really sticks out in my mind were the tree roots. When you are in a cenote there is up to 40 ft of rock above your head but the tree roots manage to work their way through it to get to the water. The top of the cave from the top of the water is another 20 - 30 ft. The roots from the tree form their own trunk, so big you cannot get your arms around it. The really cool thing is how the roots form a ball shape at the surface of the water. I was absolutely fascinated by it.

 

[Lil]

Lil & Jabber --- Hey, hey, now! We all gots ta talk before husband and I head to Italy! Give us your April tips! We're staying within walking distance from Vatican City and want to hit all the hot spots (2 wks). Will head down to Naples/Pompeii and maybe hike Vesuvius a bit? Did you do any of those? Tell me, did you do the Amalfi Coast? Wondering if that's too far or worth it in 2 wks? Did you find public transportation easily navigable (we always try to take public transportation....buses and trains)?

Hmm. Let's see....

Not sure when you will be there in April, but we landed on the 8th. It was after Holy Week, but still "off season" which was great. Not too touristy yet. We actually stayed on Campo di Fiori and we were so central we walked almost everywhere the first week. We walked to Vatican City. The public transportation was pretty easy to navigate. When we got stuck we were in a hotel near Termini Station, which was convenient to go back and forth to the airport...over and over and over.
Our second week there was "culture week" or something, and all the tourist attractions were free. Which kind of sucked because we saw most of them the first week!

Okay, Rome tips.
1) GOOD walking shoes. You'll find it easy to walk miles. On the up side, I found the pharmacies stock the best blister pads ever!
2) Buy a Roma Pass.
3) Try to learn a little Italian. You only need basics; please, thank you, do you speak English? We found that if you tried to speak a little Italian, they were more than happy to speak English. Most useful phrase was "Dove' Qui" (totally spelled wrong), which roughly translates to "Where is here?" Say "Per favore, Dove' qui?", hold out a map, and you'll have someone point out where you are. Then you know where to go!
4) Galleria Borghese! If you love art, it's AMAZING! http://www.galleriaborghese.it/ You have to book in advance.
5) If you like creepy, the capuchin crypt.
6) The Sistine Chapel...find the time there is the least people. It was the most disappointing part for me, because it was so crowded and loud! I had expected quiet reverence and got noisy tourists. I'd pay for a private tour if I had money.
7) DO NOT DRIVE IN ROME OR NAPLES! Seriously, just don't. Italian drivers are CRAZY! In fact, there is a trick to crossing the street...if you see an opening, just go. Don't look anywhere except the other side of the street, don't make eye contact with the drivers, don't, under any circumstances, change your pace! If you start speeding up or slowing down, they'll be where they think you would be if you were maintaining and hit you! Best tip - get in a group of people crossing the street...absolutely best - follow nuns!
8) Buffalo mozzarella cheese. If you can figure out how to eat it every day, do. Best cheese ever.
9) There's always room for gelato. Always.

We booked a scavi tour, into the excavations below the Vatican. Well worth it if you like history.

For art and architecture, the churches are the place to go. All of them. Just amazing.

Trastavere is a cool neighborhood. We enjoyed wandering there.

I could go on forever.

My understanding is Naples is just a big, dirty, noisy, city. We did not do Pompeii, we went to Ostai Antica instead. But, we did spend three days on the Amalfi coast. Specifically, we stayed in a town called Agerola, WAY up...like right above the town of Amalfi. Apparently there is a hiking "trail of the Gods" or something like that, which is supposed to be amazing. We booked this little B&B: http://www.nidodeglidei.it/
It was FIFTY euro a night! Unbelievable. April is very off season for Amalfi. We stayed in the Eros room and you literally could see the medication from the bathroom! We took the bus to Amalfi. DO NOT DRIVE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN from Agerola to Amalfi! It's 11 km. and takes 30 minutes! Back and forth with a cliff to the sea on one side and a mountain on the other! Really, I considered kissing the ground when we got to the bottom.

We took a boat to Positano, walked up the hill to the top and took the bus back to Amalfi. Do it the other way! That's a heck of a climb UP. If we go again, we'll take the bus and then walk DOWN to the boat! LOL

This is getting really long, guess I'll stop now. But really, I love talking about this, so you just let me know if you want to p.m. about it.

Oh! One other thing...we were in Agerola on Italian Independence Day, which I believe is April 25, and they had a party in the piazza, with folk music and free wine and dancing. Amazing! So much fun and it was such a fun little town and the people were SO friendly and we were pretty much the only tourists that early in the year and we were treated so well! Be advised...the more rural, the more people don't speak English...but you get along fine with a phrase book and charades!

OH! And the mot important tip! The best Chianti has a black rooster on the label!

 

[Lil]

As for how much you can do in two weeks...I think you can easily do Rome, Pompeii and Amalfi. We rented a car in Rome (at the airport, so you don't have to drive in the city) and I think it was about 3-4 hours to Agerola. Pompeii is on the way. So you could leave early one day, do Pompeii, and be on the Amalfi coast that night...although realistically, you do NOT want to drive mountain roads after dark. So just map it out. Maybe spend the night near Pompeii and go on to Amalfi the next. Still, not hard to get back to Rome to catch a flight for instance. Make yourself an itinerary of what's most important and kind of map it out!

 

[recoveringenabler]

Tanya, I just looked up houseboats on Lake Powell. Wow. I want to do it. It is beautiful, I'd not heard anything about that before. Thank you so much, I just added that to my list!!

I've been to Antigua, it is a lovely island, and you said you love the Caribbean, so you will love it. I spent some time on Bimini, where Ernest Hemingway wrote Islands in the stream, it's like a mile long. I love the Caribbean too. It was the place to go when I was on the east coast, now it's Mexico and Hawaii.

HLM, I have a good friend who lives in San Miguel Allende! I love the plaza there. And, I went to Puerto Vallarta too......... I got completely drunk there, drinking Tequila, holy moly, I NEVER drink, but that Tequila was amazingly good. It was in a lighthouse bar at the Marina and I could not negotiate myself down that circular staircase! That hangover lasted 2 days! I have like one drink a year on Christmas or New Years!

Italy, oh my, I LOVED Florence. I planned that trip and we stayed in a little apartment where when you open the huge floor to ceiling windows in the back. you see all the laundry hanging outside of all the other apartments. I felt like a native. The food, Good Lord, I could eat all day long.........the Gelato.......to die for...........

HLM, the only states I've never been to are Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and West Virginia. Road trips ROCK!

Tanya, I want to follow in your parents footsteps too. That is one of my dreams. I want to leave California and go everywhere I want and end up in New York, around the world. If it takes a year, or two, so be it. That would be incredible. I may have to waitress my way through though, that would be a tad pricey. But you know, once I am retired, maybe I could figure out a way to do it, I'll have to work on it!!!

HLM, I have never been to Vancouver BC, but it is on our list. I have heard it is just extraordinary, so I liked that you mentioned it.

Lil, I have a friend who has gone to Bangkok lots of times and she and her husband stay for months and months. They know how to live there for practically nothing, not like a tourist, but like a local. They are an inspiration. They do that in Vietnam too, stay for 6 months at a time.

This is a lot of fun. You've all lit up my wanderlust........I am itching now to tell husband, "hey, let's pack a bag and head to the airport." It's funny because when husband and I get anywhere near an airport, we have to hold ourselves back from just getting on the first plane wherever it is going. When we drive someone there or pick someone up, it's like an addict needing a fix, it is SO hard to get ourselves out of there!!

 

[HeadlightsMom]

Tanya M -- Thanks for the cave link! Will check it out! We'd originally planned Cancun and Tulum (and Belize, if we had time), rather than Italy.

Lil --- THANK YOU! Excellent tips! We are definitely doing Pompeii. Amalfi Coast sounds incredible (I have a cousin who swears it's the best place on Earth), so will have to see if we can get it in.

Roma Pass -- Yes!
Italian -- Yes! Speak some Spanish, but just started Duolingo Italian today. Plenty of time to learn some and have fun with it.
Art & Creepy -- Art = Yes! Creepy = depends. Is the crypt part of the catacombs? But we frequent galleries & museums often.
Sistine Chapel -- Yes!
Driving -- A car? No. Scooters? Maaaaaaybe....
Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese -- Never heard of it. Will look for it now. Thanks!
Gelato -- Yes, please!
Trastavere -- Saw a bit on it yesterday.....Yes!
CULTURE WEEK --- BEST TIP! I looked it up online. We're there 4/13 - 4/25. Independence Day is 4/21. Says there are big festivities as the Colosseum. On it! What a serendipitous bit of timing we knew nothing about! THANK YOU, Lil, for enlightening us!

More later. I've been on the computer so much tonight, husband begins to suspect another dimension has swallowed me whole. And, hey, I guess, in a way, it has! LOL! Off to watch some Portlandia with husband.

Goodnight and thank you all, again!

 

[HeadlightsMom]

RE --- More soon! I'm loving your travel stories! Really gotta go, though. Goodnight and more soon!

 

[Tanya M]

Tanya, I just looked up houseboats on Lake Powell. Wow. I want to do it. It is beautiful,

RE, we went in 2002 and I had to reserve the houseboat 2 years in advance for the time I wanted which was in July. husband had mentioned that he had always wanted to go to Lake Powell and I knew I would need to save up, so in 2000 I started researching to see what it would cost so I would know how much I needed to save. When I looked at the website it said "now booking for summer 2002" I was shocked that you had to reserve that far in advance but it may different now. We were there 7 days. The house boat slept 12 but there was only 6 of us. One of our friends had a boat that he drove down from CO and we towed it behind the houseboat. It was great to hop in his boat and take off to explore. There is something like 3000 miles of shoreline.
I would love to do it again someday.

 

[Tanya M]

For husband's 60th birthday I surprised him with a Hot Air Balloon ride. That is one of the most fun things I have ever done. We didn't go on his actual birthday as I wanted to do it in fall so we could see the painted landscape of the trees. Breathtaking!!!
I want to do it again!!

 

[Scent of Cedar *]

I've always wanted to zip line.

What is "to zip line".

An action verb of some kind.

Heh.

Cedar

 

[HeadlightsMom]

Cedar --- Here's a zipline (on Catalina Island, CA)

http://2.BiPolar (BP).blogspot.com/-nYC18KkUhMU/UAL0ULbHgyI/AAAAAAAAAro/RCg1pB2rORc/s1600/Catalina+Island+Zipline.jpg

 

[HeadlightsMom]

Lil -- Told husband about your Italy suggestions last night and he loved it. Thanks you so much!! As for planning trips..... Well, we're hit-and-miss on that. Depends. Sometimes we like the thrill of freestyling it. For Italy, because we have limited time, we will definitely strategize (limited time/money. But we do like the freestyling, too. When we went to Puerto Vallarta we intentionally went with only backpacks (we rarely bring actual check-on baggage....might for Italy, though....although we've done Europe twice with only carry-ons before). Anyway, we just got off the plane (which was a FREE bumped flight) in PV with our backpacks and were immediately approached by a timeshare guy (but of course). As we walked away, he said, "What do I have to do to get you to come?" We replied, "Pay for a hotel for us for a week." Wellllllllll............they did! And we bought nothing. "Don't you want to haggle?" (Life of Brian).

Tanya M -- Antigua sounds fantastic! What fun you'll have! You'll have to tell us all about it! I agree with RE, Lake Powell houseboat sounds fantastic! What was your favorite thing about your houseboat adventure? I've never done that. Growing up, our neighbors used to houseboat for a week every summer on Lake Shasta. They just loved it! by the way, when you were at Lake Powell, did you get a chance to trek to any nearby sights? I ask because one of my favorite sights is very near Lake Powell (20 miles or so from one spot?)......... Antelope Canyon! It's a photographer's dream as the colors, light, and mood are constantly shifting.

And you did a hot air balloon? Wow! What were your perspectives on that, Tanya? Sounds intriguing!

RE --- Well, your posts just tickle me, ya know? I kept thinking about you and Machu Picchu headhunters doing business last night. Zowie! And you've got friends in San Miguel Allende, eh? I just bet you've got friends peppered everywhere! Yes, I do recall a large ex-pat community there. So much spoken English, shoot, someone American woman was even running a SPCA there in the plaze. The plight of stray dogs in Mexico struck me often...........rough life for them.

RE -- Florence! Hmmmm.....just how much can we squeeze into 1 trip to Italy? May have to see if Florence is possible. Tell me your thoughts on it? Your perspectives and experience? husband has energy like nobody's business and I do my best to keep up with him. He just go, go, goes. Periodically, I have to stop, stop, stop. LOL! But he always lets me do the language haggling (because I don't mind looking silly or resorting to mime if necessary!). But he's the Map Man. He's all about his maps.

RE --- Come to Vancouver, B.C.! It's really such a terrific place. Water, land, mountains, green, dramatic landscapes, fairly large cultural diversity. Used to be quite homogenous, but over time many have immigrated (particularly from the Far East) and it's just wonderful! Vancouver can be a bit pricey (as many large cities are). It's a progressive city. We will be up there next in May for a U2 concert.

RE --- We are similar in which states are missing! We will hit WI in July, and Spring, 2016, we will probably knock out all the others except ME as we're planning a retirement perimeter drive around the USA, stopping to see friends and family often along the way. We have friends in ND, so we'll hit there. We really should've hit ME when we drove from Boston to Montreal......zipped right through NH, but skipped ME when it was right there! Did the same silly thing missing MS as we drove through Memphis (had to get me some Elvis & Graceland!)....MS was right there. Sigh.....

Everyone ---- Well, I have just absolutely THOROUGHLY enjoyed hearing all of your adventures! Thank you all for sharing your fun, your insights, and your tips for the rest of us who want to follow in your footsteps (really...........every single fun footstep!).

We all have difficult child's, we all know how it can hurt. That's why I think it's equally important to take time to remind ourselves of our joy and take specific time to dream and create future joys (whatever they may be ---- travel, classes, experiences, spending time with friends and family, the arts, leisure time, nature time, and, of course...........football time!).

I believe when we speak our gratitude and our joy, we empower ourselves just a little bit more each time just a little bit more!

And I am very glad to have found this group and all of you!

 

[Tanya M]

What was your favorite thing about your houseboat adventure?

I loved that it didn't feel crowded. You see other boaters but Lake Powell is so large there's plenty of room for everyone. We went in mid July and it was HOT!! I loved that we could just stop the boat and jump in the lake to cool off. Our houseboat also had a water slide which made for a lot of fun. I also loved cooking for everyone, the houseboat also had a grill.

did you get a chance to trek to any nearby sights? I ask because one of my favorite sights is very near Lake Powell (20 miles or so from one spot?)......... Antelope Canyon! It's a photographer's dream as the colors, light, and mood are constantly shifting.

We pretty much stayed on the boat or took off on our friends boat and explored a lot of the little finger canyons. If we ever go back I will definitely have to check out Antelope Canyon. I've seen pictures of it before and have always been in awe of it.

And you did a hot air balloon? Wow! What were your perspectives on that, Tanya? Sounds intriguing!

I love it!! I'm glad we went in the fall so we could see the beautiful color of the trees. I'm not fond of heights so I was a little apprehensive but I did not get that "funny feeling" in my stomach at all. It was so peaceful and quiet up there. We flew for about an hour. Would love to do it again.

My travel tips for everyone is Tripadvisor website. It was a huge help in planning our Italy trip. I like that you get current honest reviews from people.
Google maps was also a big help. I was able to find hotels that were centrally located to all the sites we wanted to see.
Also, Rick Steves website, books and videos. I was able to download some walking tours for Italy on my phone.

 

[recoveringenabler]

Machu Picchu headhunters doing business last night.

There is a funny story attached to this event.......we traveled down the Amazon 35 miles from the nearest town, in a thatched roof boat. We walked about 1 mile in to the jungle to a small village of these very short natives who still did head hunting since you could see shrunken heads on poles around the village. We were told to bring trinkets like mirrors, combs, etc. to trade for blow "guns" and other native items. It was fun. The chief, all of maybe 4'8 or so, challenges my 6'5" boyfriend to a blow gun game. In the distance is a target, obviously the center of the circle is the winning shot. Well, the chief shoots through this long 3-4 foot blow gun and gets right outside of the inner circle. He proudly hands the blow gun to the "big white guy" who then proceeds to shoot the dart directly in to the very center of the target, bullseye. Oh Oh. After a second of feeling pretty good about it, you could feel the energy change dramatically since we have now humiliated this chief if front of the entire village. The guide said to us, in a pretty intense tone, "everyone, move fast, single file, get out of here." That was the longest mile I ever ran. I kept imagining poison darts flying through the air and my head ending up on a stick surrounding the village. It was dramatic. We got back to the boat and hightailed it outta there as fast as that old boat could get us. When we got back to Iquitos, we were thrilled. Another cool adventure which turned out to be a lot more fun in the telling of it as opposed to the living through it!!!

RE -- Florence! Hmmmm...

OK, you must eat in Da Il Latini. OMG. Make a reservation. There will be a huge crowd outside the door, but it will empty into the restaurant in minutes and you will be in a world of tastes, smells and utter delight. It is family style, so you'll sit with others on a culinary adventure where you will be served course after course of the most delicious food you've ever tasted from soup to nuts. DO NOT MISS IT.
The cathedrals are beautiful. One of the most famous places for shopping for Italian 18 karat gold in Florence is on the Ponte Vecchio, meaning “old bridge”. The Ponte Vecchio is located along the Arno River in Florence and is one of the most striking Medieval bridges in Florence as well as a picturesque aspect of the city. Just walking the streets is a pleasure.

Tanya, your description of your houseboat experience clinched the deal for me, that's a plan we'll make down the road a bit. And I live in an area where hot air balloons are seen in the sky every day.........and yet I have not been on one. It may be on the bottom of my list, but it is on there. When I was younger I wanted to go sky diving, but as I got older I thought less about it. My brothers used to go all the time. That sense of falling through the sky before the shoot opens must be exhilarating! And scary!

Tanya we use the Tripadvisor all the time too. In fact I write reviews for it! On a road trip where we just drive with no plan, when we decide where we're going to stay, I just get on the tripadvisor site on my phone and check out options. The reviews are always right on......you can get a complete idea of where you want to stay, eat, etc. from that site. Good call! And, I agree, Rick Steves' books are a terrific help, I used his books for Paris and London.

RE --- Come to Vancouver, B.C.!

We will definitely be there at one point. We're planning on flying up to Seattle in the spring for a weekend. I haven't been there yet. husband has and loves it.

I've not done any cruising but everyone always tells me about the Alaska cruise. Has anyone made that trip? Any suggestions if you have would be appreciated. In general cruising isn't our cup of tea, we like to move around on our own mostly..........but I've just heard so much about that particular cruise.........

Fun thread.

I believe when we speak our gratitude and our joy, we empower ourselves just a little bit more each time just a little bit more!

YES. Thank you HLM.

 

[Tanya M]

There is a funny story attached to this event.......we traveled down the Amazon 35 miles from the nearest town, in a thatched roof boat. We walked about 1 mile in to the jungle to a small village of these very short natives who still did head hunting since you could see shrunken heads on poles around the village. We were told to bring trinkets like mirrors, combs, etc. to trade for blow "guns" and other native items. It was fun. The chief, all of maybe 4'8 or so, challenges my 6'5" boyfriend to a blow gun game. In the distance is a target, obviously the center of the circle is the winning shot. Well, the chief shoots through this long 3-4 foot blow gun and gets right outside of the inner circle. He proudly hands the blow gun to the "big white guy" who then proceeds to shoot the dart directly in to the very center of the target, bullseye. Oh Oh. After a second of feeling pretty good about it, you could feel the energy change dramatically since we have now humiliated this chief if front of the entire village. The guide said to us, in a pretty intense tone, "everyone, move fast, single file, get out of here." That was the longest mile I ever ran. I kept imagining poison darts flying through the air and my head ending up on a stick surrounding the village. It was dramatic. We got back the boat and hightailed it outta there as fast as that old boat could get us. When we got back to Iquitos, we were thrilled. Another cool adventure which turned out to be a lot more fun in the telling of it as opposed to the living through it!!!

Oh RE what an incredible story. Thanks so much for sharing. As I was reading along it felt like an Indiana Jones adventure. I'm glad you made it out with your head in tact.

I have not done the Alaskan cruise but my parents did it. They were gone 3 months (standard time frame for their trips) I can't remember where they started but they did the cruise to one point then got off and took a train then at another point hooked back up with ship. They both loved it and had some amazing photos.