What’s your vacations like?

Ours have turned into staycations due to my Wife's physical limitations. And the millions of miles I've driven/ seen  already in my life.  
    If I could get her I'd like to do. Little train riding .  Those big comfortable seats while scientists beauty goes by?  Yeh!   And I don't have to pay attention?   When I get a little tired  I can just close my eyes and nap 

I've found maximum relaxation happens when gone for less than a week, or at least three. Those first couple days, your mind rests. After a week, you start thinking and worrying about stuff at home and don't relax as much any more. Then after two weeks, you accept you're on vacation and let loose again. So I don't do 2-week vacations anymore.

Being outside of "home" also makes it easier to relax because you're outside your normal headspace. But you don't need to fly across the country, just get outside of town.

So, we mostly take lots of short vacations instead of fewer big getaways.

Usually we take a full week off work. On Monday or Tuesday, drive somewhere a couple hours away to stay in a cabin or a suite somewhere. Come home on Thursday or Friday. Monday-Thursday is awesome. The weekends aren't stressful, because weekend. Being back in town Friday, there's no point in going in to work, and you get to feel almost like you're playing hooky, which makes it even more special.

My vacations range from

1.  Camping with the family

2.  week-long motorcycle trips

3. Jumping a plane to more favorable February destinations (Florida Keys, Vegas, Hawaii, etc)

4. Just grabbing a local nicer hotel with my wife for a change of scenery.

I do think it would entertaining to try one of the travel companies that provide randomized trips that you don't know whats happening until you arrive at destination unknown.

Usually when we go out of town it's for Disney. So I suppose my vacations look like I spend too much. It's a 6 hour drive if nobody has to pee. Also much more relaxing when we leave the 3 and 6yo with grandparents. 

In reply to Beer Baron :

My wife's dad used to take trips to a nearby city ( about 15 minutes away)  and take pictures of each other at the city limit sign.  
    That weekend they'd show slides of their "vacation" ( the city limits sign)  I guess it's funny in a different context. 

In reply to Grtechguy :

That sounds too much like my Monday Mornings.  I'd go to the hanger and glance at the flight schedule to see where I was going that week.  
  Yes the Corporate jet is a lot more comfortable than commercial. But it still gets old. 

In reply to barefootcyborg5000 :

I tell the kids on my school bus that we are going to Disney House.  Not Disney land, or Disney World.  Disney House.  

All-Inclusive in Mexico (Rivera Maya).  Going in December for the 6th time.  Easy flights to CUN and easy transfers.  Once at the resort there is no agenda.  The big choices of the day are which swimsuit to wear and which buffet to have breakfast at....and then, pool or beach?  Can get a nice place with flights for $800-1200 per person for a week.  No better value anywhere.

Mostly sex dungeons 

Usually stay with family in another country for 2-4 weeks and visit nearby attractions. Sometimes I go to the Challenge...this year's will be my most expensive vacation yet.

Took the family on a camping trip the other week. I was glad to be back home working in my office so I could relax finally.

Depends on the year. This year is our 20th wedding anniversary so we have a week's stay on the big island week before Christmas. Before the pandemic crap we did cruises. Our last was 2017 out of Rome doing the western Med. Did Alaska, several Caribbean as well. Loved cruising. We;ve done week long road trips out west, shorter long weekends in Florida or a beach area, we've done a northeastern trip so I could get my last 3 states to make 50. 2019 was our epic Hong Kong trip for 12 days with friends. 

That doesn't include the weekends I go racing.

edit: curious if this also gets voted down out of sie

In  October, going down to the the Gulf coast then across to New Orleans for a wedding.

Every spring go to Mardi Gras. Every September go to Dragoncon. Hopefully next year doing a weeklong beach trip with friends.

We go to the beach every year with my wife's family who I already live close to. Crazy how that happens. We look forward to it all year. About 1 month before we start to stress because my SIL's are impossible to please and usually start getting really angry about the house plans. Two weeks before there is optimism about actually having fun. The week before vacation my work usually gets hair on fire I hate my life busy and people get really cagey when I tell them I don't plan on working even though I take my laptop. I work long hours leading up to the trip putting stress on my wife to pack for 5 people solo. Work gets even busier. My clients get angry. The night before we leave we pack until 11pm and then are exhausted traveling the next morning. I am on the phone that day non stop (typically a Friday). We finally arrive at the beach and im so stressed relaxing is impossible. Someone in the house is mad about something or lack of planning or "lack of communication!!!!!" that is typically channeled at my BIL's. Mondays the phone rings a lot because of work emergencies while we're on the beach and my wife is mad at me for engaging. The kids cry because they didn't get to do exactly what they wanted that night and go to bed. Tuesday through Friday the cycle repeats and we're somehow sad we have to go back to the real world in Saturday. The trip home takes 3 hours longer than anticipated. Unpacking takes weeks.

I can't wait til next year! 

Fueled by Caffeine said:

Mostly sex dungeons 

Is that like Dungeons and Dragons?

Do what now? Vacation? Never met her. 

My father-in-law moved from rural Alabama and worked for GM at a plant in Chicago - Fisher Body.  Plant shut down to change dies so he drove to Alabama and visited family for 2 weeks.  One week with his family and one week with my mother-in-law's family.  Two weeks with cousins.   

My wife only went to 'bama so when we got married we've taken epic road trips - 46 states covered.  We're not people to lay by the pool all day and we've covered a lot 2-3 times.  

Some trips we're up at 5am to get the train to DC to be on the first tour through the mint.   Sometimes we question if this is really a vacation.  

For somebody with mobility problems I think a train trip would be awesome. Across Canada or Asia or even USA would be a bucket list type vacation for me.

Growing up my family would rent an RV for 2 weeks and mostly went to national parks. I saw 48 states by age 15. My brother once took a dump across three states.

Wife grew up near Charlotte and they went to Myrtle Beach every year. Two totally different models and I preferred my own. So with my kids we.. have done like she did. Aw shucks. 

Recently we busted a streak of fifteen straight June's going to HHI. It was the 1st week of cheap beach season and right after school got out and we split it four ways so it was a great value. Great memories for the kids with their cousins but too repetitive.  

Last two years have been different. A relative sold a business and effectively won the lottery and we have been gifted amazing European five star vacations complete with Michelin rated restaurants and first class airfare. It's berkeleying awesome. You get off the plane and jet lag isn't a thing because you're rested. So my recommendation is 100% win the lottery and do this. 

edit: At age 51 - since I've been working in the real world I've never taken a vacation of more than nine days. Hope to change this soon. 

I'm very grateful for the vacations that I get to go on because they're usually a week or two at either the mountains, the beach, Florida, or a lake

Expensive. We're Disney people. 


Though there is a much cheaper Route 66 roadtrip/vacation in the works.

My wife is the "Vacation required" type.

8-10 hours drive from home. 

Air BnB home for 1 week.

Shop locally and keep diet relatively static.

No less than 1 parent date night. 

There are minor exceptions, next year we are driving to the Metro Orlando area but really 10 hours of travel time from I-94 and I-69 is a giant area with a lot of cool sights. 

VolvoHeretic said:

Fueled by Caffeine said:

Mostly sex dungeons 

Is that like Dungeons and Dragons?

roll a 1d20 saving throw and put your feet in the stirrups. 

OHSCrifle said:

For somebody with mobility problems I think a train trip would be awesome. Across Canada or Asia or even USA would be a bucket list type vacation for me.

Growing up my family would rent an RV for 2 weeks and mostly went to national parks. I saw 48 states by age 15. My brother once took a dump across three states.

Wife grew up near Charlotte and they went to Myrtle Beach every year. Two totally different models and I preferred my own. So with my kids we.. have done like she did. Aw shucks. 

Recently we busted a streak of fifteen straight June's going to HHI. It was the 1st week of cheap beach season and right after school got out and we split it four ways so it was a great value. Great memories for the kids with their cousins but too repetitive.  

Last two years have been different. A relative sold a business and effectively won the lottery and we have been gifted amazing European five star vacations complete with Michelin rated restaurants and first class airfare. It's berkeleying awesome. You get off the plane and jet lag isn't a thing because you're rested. So my recommendation is 100% win the lottery and do this. 

edit: At age 51 - since I've been working in the real world I've never taken a vacation of more than nine days. Hope to change this soon. 

The few train trips I've been on have been remarkably relaxing and interesting  in only a way people who love to read enjoy.  Parts of any train trip are scenic  and some is not only dull but depressing. 
  During the later I'm reading and sleeping.   I understand why babies who can't sleep fall asleep when in motion like a car trip.  
     The most interesting trip is from San Diego to San Lois Obispo. ( North of LA just before Hurst  Castle ). California coast line is awesome. Plus there is so much of it absolutely vacant. 
      Plane trips are never relaxing to me. The tension of getting through airport security and onto the plane.  The crowded conditions even in first class and the strained breathing where cabin pressure is kept to 8000 ft or higher. Plus the thick soup of bacteria, virus,  and other contaminants.  Hoping you don't catch something your bodies defenses can't deal with.  
    Private planes are different.  The red carpet rolled out, parking by valets who also carry any baggage.  The personal attention of the crew and much more formal attire of friends and associates. 
     And the meals tend to be really good.  
  Even the little Lear never had more than 3 in it.  Myself and 2 potential customers. Any time more were expected we got the bigger plane.  
    From the moment I stopped at the gate until we were airborne was never more than 15 minutes and that long only if a client was running late and called ahead. 
     It's seems silly now but 200 feet was the furthest I had to walk from the gate to my seat on the plane.  
     So yeh!   I'd arrive relaxed and ready 

Hey, do you have any winning lottery numbers? 

Unfortunately not frequent enough.  Doing the single-parent thing with my son & traveling is not something I excel at, so I dont do anything grand.  Without him I am vacationing alone though which I am also not good at.  I need to find some vacation buddies.  

When combined with family where I have some support I'm happy to do something more fun.  Last year we did a week on Oahu, next summer we are planning a week in Iceland.

Does being out of work for 3 months, with zero income or benefits, without haven f time to build a proper emergency fund back up from the last time count?

Of not, 5 years since visiting my mom, for a week, while up there for my dads funeral. 
Several more years before that.