Agreed. Yet we saw very few Americans there. There were quite a few Europeans and some Canadians. There’s too much of a mindset that “the Middle East is dangerous!” H and I can’t count the number of people who openly questioned why we would let our son go there, and on top of that, who said they would pray for us for our trip. Even my dad told me, “I thought you were the smart one!” Friends told me he was certain we all would die and make the news.
We ended up pulling up crime statistics comparing Philadelphia, PA and Jordan (because Amman was the city of Philadelphia in Biblical days, but we couldn’t get stats for just Amman). Jordan (and Amman) have far more people, but far less crime of all sorts. H told folks on FB after listing this, “yes pray for us, we have to leave/return from Philly, PA.” One of our first nights there we walked around their equivalent of Central Park at night, worry free. As my son said, “Of course people go there at night. It’s too hot during the day.”
We did the cruise because we wanted to see all the Scandinavian capitals, and that seemed the easiest way, especially organizing it from a continent away, unpack once for the entire trip, and with 2 kids to keep entertained. St Petersburg was just a bonus! (But what a bonus) Have mixed feelings on cruises in general.
We went to Morocco with our kids about six years ago. My family was so worried for us and they thought we were just weird for wanting to go.
It was amazing. We never felt a twinge of danger whatsoever. Many Europeans go to Morocco, and our American accents were noticed. We got by with some rudimentary French, as most Moroccans speak it. It was one of the best places we ever took our kids, and being young teens then, I think it very much helped them understand that Islamic nations are not “enemies.”
I would love to go to Russia, but the visas for Americans are very expensive and would have added about $1500 to a trip, so that plan was axed. Same for a trip to Brazil. Hubby once got an alert for cheap flights. I had the flights ready to purchase, and thought I had better check the visa fees. Same thing, about $500 each. That was the trip that never was.
I have booked–and cancelled–our dream trip twice in the past year. 14 days - Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent and Paris. First scheduled for last April and then optimistically and foolishly rescheduled for last August. We WILL be taking this trip as soon as it is safe to do so. I’m guessing next summer or spring of 2022???
We had planned to spend a month in Portugal and Spain until covid hit. I’ve been working on post covid plans for a while. Since my wife’s time off was carried over (due to covid) I can look at 2 months + …make me happy
Some of my top choices for new locations would be Norway to see my grandparent’s childhood towns and houses, African safari and an Alaska sea and land trip (hate cruises but have heard it is a must for an Alaska visit)
I have loved almost all of our past trips and would be happy to redo any of them but tops are the BVI sailing trip, any trip out west especially if it involves Yellowstone and the Tetons and I definitely want to go back to Italy.
My first trip post-COVID (to celebrate our 40th anniversary, which already happened) will be a return to Italy and Croatia. We already have an itinerary worked out. I also signed up for a yoga retreat in Costa Rica (Blue Osa) in January 2022 (I was there in January 2020–before the COVID lockdown; the studio owner had planned a January 2021 trip, but decided to cancel. )
My bucket list trips: Japan and South America (Ecuador and Galapagos Islands). We’ve traveled to every state in the US except for Alaska and it’s on the bucket list too.
Same here! My youngest and his wife went there on their honeymoon mainly because he wanted that 50th state. They loved it there.
We threatened to go along as chaperones.
We’re hoping to sneak it in our travels sometime. There are so many places we’ve yet to get to. Sometimes it’s hard to pick which one makes it to the top of the bucket. We’ve considered making a real bucket of options and pulling one out as we have time/money.
After the holidays we should have “travel week” on CC. Start each week with a new country or state or attraction - people post all week on their experiences there - how they traveled, favorite foods eaten, great places to stay - not great places to stay - funny stories, etc!
I really like this idea @abasket! There are SO many places that I want to go, but not enough time, money, etc. If I had all the money in the world, I’d quit my job and rent a place somewhere overseas for a year using it as a home base to explore. After a year, pick another home base and explore. Repeat until I am no longer able to enjoy it.
But re: traveling across the country. My parents did it with us twice. Once I was a toddler, the other time I was 8. We spent a month in a large van (they added a second gas tank for the experience) traveling everywhere. I don’t think they had a set plan. We hit the major sites and lots of obscure places. And I believe I stayed in every Motel 6 and Super 8 out there. And we ate canned chicken pate sandwiches every day for lunch. First week, we were so excited. Second week - eh. Third week - ugh. Last week - just try to choke it down. And we also found ourselves in Sturgis during biker week. We had no reservations. We slept in the van on the side of the road. Different times.
We still fondly recall the night we spent in Steak & Shake’s parking lot due to a combo of Daytona 500, Super Bowl, and Spring Break. Steak & Shake was better than Walmart (which we tried first until I saw what was likely a drug deal). Breakfast was good too - milkshakes and eggs - who could ask for anything more?
And now I pay more attention when we’re winging it.
Lol, a friend and I once slept in his VW bug in a motel parking lot. The place was full and the mgr suggested that. Not fun. But it was somewhere in WY and we had a great cowboy breakfast the next morning.
I did VA to AZ and back with bff about 18 months ago and a few cross country drives with my brother or DH. Let me tell you, you have no idea how freaking big this country is, til you do it. Days on end.
For me it all depends upon the scenery. A same old, same old trip to “grandma’s” can take forever. If I’m traveling in new territory, esp different than where I live, a whole day’s trip can go by before I know it and I’m eager to get out the next day to see more.
One key is to stay off the highway. We live by Charles Kuralt’s line:
“Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything.”
― Charles Kuralt
@lookingforward I had a similar experience in my Ford Fiesta. A bf and I went to Vegas for NYE. It was last minute and there were no decent affordable hotels available. Our plan to just stay up all night fell apart at about 2 am, when we realized we were out of cash and tired. We decided to sleep in the Fiesta. After 45 minutes of freezing to death (Vegas is cold at night in January!) we gave in and ended up at, I am sorry to say, a motel frequented by, erm, ladies of the night.
I should have stayed in the car, as I don’t think I slept at all.
Another dream trip: Madagascar. I know this one will never happen, but wow, I’d love to see baobabs and lemurs in their natural environment.
And we also found ourselves in Sturgis during biker week. We had no reservations. We slept in the van on the side of the road. Different times.