<p>My husband and I have taken our yearly no-kids getaway in the Riviera Maya for the past ten years. After our last trip I’m afraid we won’t be back.</p>
<p>The drug cartels have moved into the area (Los Zetas, Sinaloas and spin-offs). Now the quiet touristy streets in Playa del Carmen are patrolled by masked marines carrying guns taller than me. It used to be that the only armed guard we would see was the guy standing in front of the Rolex shop.</p>
<p>It’s really sad. As far as I know no tourists have been killed, so some might be comfortable with the apparently small risk of harm. But we decided that we don’t want to be the first ones caught in the crossfire. I sure miss that town.</p>
<p>I feel for you, Nrdsb4. I bet that was an easy flight. We would fly from Detroit into Houston and then Houston to Cancun… and we thought that WE had an easy time of it.</p>
<p>abmnj1
Junior Member
*
“Join Date: Jan The only thing about Florida is that after 2 days of sitting on the beach I’ll be really bored. Also, not sure what there is to do there after dinner.”</p>
<p>In Key West you can sail, snorkel, jet ski, kayak, hike, fish, eat, visit a few museums, etc</p>
<p>You can have a lot of fun in Costa Rica, Bermuda and Key West. It’s not all sitting on the beach.</p>
<p>H and I have done a fair amount of vacationing after kid. We spent a couple of days in Vegas- drove there from CA with relatives in S Cal. No desire to go there again. Did a nice group tour of Costa Rica in a February- good way to see a lot of the country. Did a number of visits to Florida when deciding where to retire. Did several driving trips from Wisconsin to points east and west (the distances are LONG west of the Mississippi). We have done the one week in a Mexico resort (both coasts, twice each) and some islands before and after kid. I can see how you can get bored. We have enjoyed blocking out 2 or 3 weeks for a road trip and planning an itinerary with flexibility- we usually returned home early.</p>
<p>Make a list of places you both want to see. Discuss what you are in the mood for. After several driving trips we like the thought of flying, and vice versa. Consider the weather- such as going to places in their best season. A lot more daylight up north in the summer than in the south, save the beach for when you want a break from snow and cold. Or go to the Traverse City, Michigan area and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore area. Great dunes, and other goodies (the prevailing winds sent the sand from Wisconsin to the eastern shores of Michigan). See the locks in Sault Ste Marie and cross the Mackinaw bridge. You have many, many years to go places ahead of you. We often chose a hotel from the coupon books en route to a final destination as we often didn’t know how long it would take us. So many places to go. Now that we are settled in here, and house renovations complete (finally) we will start trips northward up the coast.</p>
<p>wis75 has a point about it being lighter up north that time of year. We went to Iceland in late June and the sun never set! Plenty to do at “night” up there.</p>
<p>Michigan. A drive up the Lake Michigan coastline, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, Mackinaw Island - any or all of these! You can be active or sedentary. Great food, good prices. Romantic if you want it to be. Beautiful.</p>
<p>Bermuda is lovely …my husband could never take a vacation that involved sitting on a beach…or sitting anywhere really. We don’t ever take a vacation that involves sunny and warm , but we do go to some interesting places :)</p>
<p>Bermuda is a fun place to visit because it is more than just sun and beach. We used to take the local bus/ferry around the island. Food wasn’t cheap, but good. It was also clean and beautiful. We used to stay at the Princess in Southampton, which also allowed us to use the Hamilton facility. One way to save money is buy the meal plan before you arrive.</p>
<p>Bermuda is lovely but expensive. The most economical way to see Bermuda is probably cruising. Have been there twice and am going again in May for 5 nights on the Explorer of the Seas. There are cruises to Bermuda in June from NY,Bayonne(Cape Liberty),Boston and Baltimore.</p>
<p>Bermuda is expensive when it comes to food and lodging. I know that many people now cruise there as it is more affordable. My H grew up in Bermuda and his family is still there so we always have a place to stay. The Southhampton Princess that Oldfort mentioned is a lovely place. I would also recommend the Reefs. Cambridge Beaches is a gorgeous resort in Sommerset that I have always loved.</p>
<p>Depending on what types of activities you enjoy, five or six days in Las Vegas would not be too much. Poolside lounging, golf, gambling, shows, shopping and fine dining can consume lots of time - lol.</p>
<p>If you think you would be bored with that stuff after a couple of days, there are lots of side trips you could do from Las Vegas. The Grand Canyon, Death Valley, the Utah National Parks (Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef), Lake Mead, Lake Havasu – all within an easy distance of Las Vegas.</p>
<p>DH and I try to get away together every year for a 4 day week-end or longer if we can. Our favorites are the Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, SC and The Cloisters in Sea Island, Georgia. End of June would be perfect at either place.</p>