How often do you vacation?

I think a lot of the SoWal people live in the South, so maybe they come down here a lot, because it is relatively close? Dunno.

When we were young, we did the 3 months in Europe thing. When we were young parents, we could not afford fancy vacations. Did a lot of camping.
When our kids got bigger, we saved up for nice 1-2-3 week trips to Europe or the Caribbean.
Once or even twice a year. We do not take really expensive vacations.
We still do the backpacking thing, though there are occasional splurges.

Now that we have left Colorado and live down here, I think our vacations might be closer to home--because I no longer have to chase the beach.

However, I have a kid in France, and I might go off to see him in February.

Lots more lately. We had an unexpected school trip and an unexpected ski trip this year. Then we managed to get to the beach a few times after that.

at least every three day weekend and every holiday.

Right now our 2 young ones are only in preschool, so every chance we get we drive down to Seagrove and spend what time we can. Luckily from Atlanta it is not too bad of a drive. If gas stays below $1.90 we might even afford to come down more often

This year we had tons of vacations--a week in Sept, Oct. and Nov., all at the beach but they were all working vacations, renovating our condo. We worked like dogs! I look forward to starting the "relaxing" part of being at the beach. :clap_1:

I love travel: planning it, doing it, and living on the memories until the next trip happens. Usually though, we're fairly predictable. One week at the beach during spring break (1st week in April; anyone else have the same?) and another week in the summer. We have more vacation time, but we fritter it away on long weekends here and there. Sometimes we go somewhere like Chicago but most times we stick around in town. Like Cil, we have done Europe vacations--with kids and without--but I can't see that happening again anytime soon given that we've made a mortgage commitment to SoWal.

I like to travel once every season, ideally, though it's usually not quite that much. Not including Sowal beach house maintenance weekends or gig travel (that falls into work category. Except for last year in NOLA during jazz fest, that was a 2-for-1!) I am a happy girl if I can sqeeze in a ski trip in the winter, a maintenance-free week in Sowal in the summer, then one really cool trip in May and/or September, like a road trip out west, or like last year, backpacking in europe. I can't ever travel for more than 10 days max, because we go into intense pet-withdrawal!

I am down in Seagrove for one week out of the summer. The best week of the year for me! I sure wish I could get there more often though!!!!

This year we were in Sowal twice (I feel lucky) and we do some traveling with my son's hockey team (it's kindof like a vacation, depending where we travel, except for those 5:45am games :shock: ). My dad likes to plan a trip once a year if all of our schedules don't conflict. We went to the Bahama's for his 60th this year! And we usually try to ski at least once during the winter (grown ups only), although we didn't make it last year. We may take the kids skiing for the first time this winter! Won't that be fun!!!... and work!
We spend some time at Lake Texoma during the summer but it's obviously no Sowal! I don't know if that can count for a vacation. Before kids... life was one big vacation!!! LOL You know what I mean!

We are usually at the beach the first week of May & October but try to squeeze in other weekend trips to see family.

KD... Start adding a couple of days to that week !!! One time a year is not enough especially since you are only 6 hours away

I am down in Seagrove for one week out of the summer. The best week of the year for me! I sure wish I could get there more often though!!!!

Ditto this for me.........but I would like to add NOT NEARLY ENOUGH!!!!!

Backpacking in Europe sounds so fun! We can't afford to travel much - I've never actually been on an airplane - but I have researched Europe, Rome especially, and so many other places out the wazoo. Fun to dream, and almost as good as being there, at least I imagine it is. LOL.

I have a long list of places I want to visit. The mighty redwoods in California, Yellowstone, the ancient cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, Colarado. Hawaii. And Europe! The whole world is before me. I just can't seem to see it all fast enough.

We go to the beach once a year, but we usually go to Vegas twice a year to see family. During one of the trips out west we go to the mountains in Utah. We just got back from Vegas on Monday night. We were out there for Thanksgiving. One of this year's side trips was to the Grand Canyon Caverns. What a sight.

We live at the beach so that cuts out some travel. We go skiing once or twice a year, New York once a year, Orlando at least once a year, and usually try to find some other place to go for a weekend or so.

We're at Seagrove so much that I feel like we're always vacationing. But we have way too many frequent flier miles built up. My husband is close to being a Delta Three-Million Miler. So we're thinking about doing a cooking school in Tuscany next summer.

Before we had the beach house, we used to do MLK weekend in NYC, spring break in New Orleans, one international trip in the summer, as well as a week at The Cloister and a week at The Greenbrier, Labor Day at The Cloister, and stayed home for the holidays.

Every first full week of April to SoWal. Sometimes a repeat visit in October. I usually get a few long weekend trips in as well - mostly to visit friends/family.

Is it Spring Break yet?

Always one week in the summer to Fl. and then weekend trips to other places....Vegas, Arizona, Kansas City, and what used to be New Orleans. Florida is definitely our favorite though; seaweed, love bugs, humidity and all!

We're at Seagrove so much that I feel like we're always vacationing. But we have way too many frequent flier miles built up. My husband is close to being a Delta Three-Million Miler. So we're thinking about doing a cooking school in Tuscany next summer.

Before we had the beach house, we used to do MLK weekend in NYC, spring break in New Orleans, one international trip in the summer, as well as a week at The Cloister and a week at The Greenbrier, Labor Day at The Cloister, and stayed home for the holidays.

Holy cow Beach Runner, I hope you know how blessed you are to be able to travel so much.

Backpacking in Europe sounds so fun! We can't afford to travel much - I've never actually been on an airplane - but I have researched Europe, Rome especially, and so many other places out the wazoo. Fun to dream, and almost as good as being there, at least I imagine it is. LOL.

I have a long list of places I want to visit. The mighty redwoods in California, Yellowstone, the ancient cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, Colarado. Hawaii. And Europe! The whole world is before me. I just can't seem to see it all fast enough.

BeachDreamer, it is fun to dream. I agree that a lot of the fun of a trip is planning for it--sometimes it really almost is as much fun as being there!
I have been to your list of places (I was a United Airlines brat and was bitten hard by the travel bug) and they are all indeed well worth it. You have excellent taste!

I also know what it is like to not be able to afford to travel. It's nice to do your dreaming during those times...that's when we would eat lots of pasta,check out travel books from the library, and put away those pennies.

I just bought a ticket to Toulouse, France, for only $504 round trip, out of Panama City, so I can go see the older son in February. We will just be backpacking and won't stay in fancy places, but we'll eat some good meals (and drink some good wine).

I am with you guys about traveling. Planning and dreaming are so much fun. Before college bills, we had one great vacation and 2 smaller ones. I believe a getaway each season is appropraite. :funn: But my weakness is traveling abroad. Both daughters have traveled out of the country, but the unknown leaves me stateside. I think it would be great to go to places outside the continental US, but do not have the courage. There are so many places in the US to see, I just dream about those places. OF course, SoWal is always the best palce to go!

I am with you guys about traveling. Planning and dreaming are so much fun. Before college bills, we had one great vacation and 2 smaller ones. I believe a getaway each season is appropraite. :funn: But my weakness is traveling abroad. Both daughters have traveled out of the country, but the unknown leaves me stateside. I think it would be great to go to places outside the continental US, but do not have the courage. There are so many places in the US to see, I just dream about those places. OF course, SoWal is always the best palce to go!

I feel your pain. I wouldn't go overseas until quite recently when HMM "forced" me to! I am not good on airplanes and the thought of being cooped up for so long made me sweat!!! I have now made THREE trips to Europe...have had many more opportunitites, but am happiest travelling to SoWal or discovering this great country of ours!!! I continue to be thankful and marvel how easily HMM, sara82 and MS just get on and GO!!!

I HATE flying, but look at it as a necessary evil. My anxiety gets worse as I get older, but fortunately there are meds for that, and I do much better when my kids are with me. And I always laugh after landing 'cause I remember my father always saying "Any landing is a good landing" as soon as we touched down!

We drive to Grayton because we would need a 747 to bring all the stuff down.

I HATE flying, but look at it as a necessary evil. My anxiety gets worse as I get older, but fortunately there are meds for that, and I do much better when my kids are with me. And I always laugh after landing 'cause I remember my father always saying "Any landing is a good landing" as soon as we touched down!

We drive to Grayton because we would need a 747 to bring all the stuff down.

jdarg, that's what my daughter is like! She hates flying too and is even more fearful of going over water. And don't even talk about what she's like when there's turbulance. I have the feeling I may have to get her a prescription when she goes to the Turks and Caicos for spring break. That's a whole lotta water to fly over. (But evidently NOT enough to make her refuse her friend's offer of going there with her, har har )

Hate flying! Had the trip from hell last spring coming back from Vegas-terrible turbulence and then stuck in Houston for 7 hours! Could have rented a car and driven the rest of the way, but noooooooooooo, said my friends. :roll:

MAY consent to visiting step-daughter in London in the spring--still trying to figure out if I can get there some other way

What about a nice slow boat trip? But it is not the gulf you will be crossing.

Holy cow Beach Runner, I hope you know how blessed you are to be able to travel so much.

I AM blessed. God blessed my husband and me with intelligence, and our parents instilled in us a good work ethic (as well as the smart genes). We were on food stamps in grad school - definitely no silver spoon. We refused money from my family because we wanted to make it on our own without my Mom throwing it in my face that we couldn't have done it without her financial support. To this day, my Mom is so jealous of my education and our success that she puts me down for it. The irony is that she gave me the genes and the work ethic to get where I am. Dunno.