Vacations/Trips For 2021

[4_kidd_4]

22 minutes ago, Draconator said:

My wife and I actually took a 2 1/2 week vacation this past January. Flew from Buffalo to Reno. Spent time in Lake Tahoe, then down the Eastern Sierra Mountains to Lone Pine, CA. Then across Death Valley to Las Vegas for a couple of days. Then off to Sedona, Arizona for a few days. Down to Phoenix for a couple of days. Then an evening in Solvang, CA (Dutch themed town on the Southern California coast). Up to the Bay Area to see my daughter for a few days, then back to Reno to fly home. I can try to post pictures, but I don't want to bog down this thread with a picture or two per post. 

 

We’re going to Sedona for 5 days this friday. Flying into Phoenix, meeting up w a good friend there and he’s gonna drive us to Sedona. Never been, looking forward to it.

[billsfanmiamioh]

Sedona is awesome. Did a few days at enchantment resort on the tail end of a west coast trip when my wife was pregnant. Scenery and night sky is unreal. Very spiritual type place (at least was for us) 

[4_kidd_4]

19 minutes ago, billsfanmiamioh said:

Sedona is awesome. Did a few days at enchantment resort on the tail end of a west coast trip when my wife was pregnant. Scenery and night sky is unreal. Very spiritual type place (at least was for us) 

 

Yes, can’t wait to see the milky way spanning the desert sky!!!

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

2 hours ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

 

We’re going to Sedona for 5 days this friday. Flying into Phoenix, meeting up w a good friend there and he’s gonna drive us to Sedona. Never been, looking forward to it.

we did Sedona about two years ago right around this time It’s great. Blue skies every day. 80 degrees.
 

I was really into hiking at the time, and so we spent the week hiking about 7-8 different trails (total of about 50 miles). Just really beautiful and interesting hiking and scenery— some hikes are mountain hikes, some are red rocks, and some are through valleys. 
 

we spent 5 days there and it was a perfect amount of time. We did a day trip to Grand Canyon too through Flagstaff. If I had to do it again, I would  have spent a few days in flagstaff— super cool town and totally unexpected to see out in the dessert. forests, snow capped mountains, etc. 

 

Edit: my only gripe about Sedona was the food scene out there was very average to below average. A lot of tourist traps too. Wouldn’t trust Yelp reviews either since the yelpers are all tourists. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Miyagi-Do Karate

[BeastMaster]

Going to make my way down the east coast stopping in Ocean City, Williamsburg, the Carolinas and maybe Florida if I feel like driving all the way down.

 

Did the same thing last summer when things were supposedly super risky and whatnot. 

 

I never let this BS stop me and my family from living.

[thenorthremembers]

My family and I are just finishing up a trip to OBX.   Glad to be out of NY for a bit.    Had to stop at a toy store to buy something for my niece and the woman working there said "how are you about masks?"   Way more relaxed down here.  

[sherpa]

Here's where we're going on Sun- next Thurs.

The cabin is near Sevierville TN., in the Great Smokey Mountains.

Our three adult kids will join us.

https://www.cabinsforyou.com/brothers-deja-view.htm

 

We always do a mountain cabins with the kids once per year.

I'll bring the flyrod and waders along, so we'll see how that goes, and plenty of other things to do there.

The Mrs. and I will do the annual Europe thing in late Oct, but no specific plans yet, as that situation re Covid changes weekly.

[Draconator]

9 hours ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

 

We’re going to Sedona for 5 days this friday. Flying into Phoenix, meeting up w a good friend there and he’s gonna drive us to Sedona. Never been, looking forward to it.

 

This was the view off of the deck at our AirBnB in Sedona. 

 

[Draconator]

7 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

we did Sedona about two years ago right around this time It’s great. Blue skies every day. 80 degrees.
 

I was really into hiking at the time, and so we spent the week hiking about 7-8 different trails (total of about 50 miles). Just really beautiful and interesting hiking and scenery— some hikes are mountain hikes, some are red rocks, and some are through valleys. 
 

we spent 5 days there and it was a perfect amount of time. We did a day trip to Grand Canyon too through Flagstaff. If I had to do it again, I would  have spent a few days in flagstaff— super cool town and totally unexpected to see out in the dessert. forests, snow capped mountains, etc. 

 

Edit: my only gripe about Sedona was the food scene out there was very average to below average. A lot of tourist traps too. Wouldn’t trust Yelp reviews either since the yelpers are all tourists. 

 

We know someone who lives in Sedona, and he recommended some great restaurants to us. Our favorite was Mariposa. Of course it's the most expensive restaurant in Sedona, but totally worth the price.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

31 minutes ago, Draconator said:

 

We know someone who lives in Sedona, and he recommended some great restaurants to us. Our favorite was Mariposa. Of course it's the most expensive restaurant in Sedona, but totally worth the price.

we actually ate there and it was the only good place we ate at. It was good, but a little over-priced for the quality of the food.  Every other place was super mediocre (despite mostly positive Yelp and google reviews). 

[Draconator]

Just now, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

we actually ate there and it was the only good place we ate at. It was good, but a little over-priced for the quality of the food.  Every other place was super mediocre (despite mostly positive Yelp and google reviews). 

You're probably paying for the ambiance and the view, more than just the food, but I thought the food was quite good and worth the cost.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

1 hour ago, Draconator said:

 

This was the view off of the deck at our AirBnB in Sedona. 

 

That rock on the left is flipping you the bird...🤔

[Draconator]

2 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

That rock on the left is flipping you the bird...🤔

Can't see it in this picture or with the naked eye, but using the binoculars that were at the property, at the top of that rock is a cave, and hieroglyphics were written below the cave entrance. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

1 minute ago, Draconator said:

Can't see it in this picture or with the naked eye, but using the binoculars that were at the property, at the top of that rock is a cave, and hieroglyphics were written below the cave entrance. 

Translation: 'Tourist Go Home'.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

16 minutes ago, Draconator said:

You're probably paying for the ambiance and the view, more than just the food, but I thought the food was quite good and worth the cost.

yeah, the views were great there. 
 

that said, the views are great everywhere! At the place we stayed at, after a long day of hiking, we soaked in the hot tub which overlooked a bunch of awesome peaks. Great way to end the day! 
 

[4_kidd_4]

@Draconator @Miyagi-Do Karate

 

Any worthwhile brewery or cocktail type places in Sedona?

 

Food schmood, gimme them dranks!! 😆 

 

I forget where we’re staying, but it’s a pretty nice joint with a great view so we’ll prob grab some stuff for a room-bar type of thing.

 

Was also reading Sedona gets pretty quiet relatively early, true?? I mean we’re beyond our ‘tear it up til 3am’ days, but we do get feisty like that on vaca once in a while.

[Draconator]

5 minutes ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

@Draconator @Miyagi-Do Karate

 

Any worthwhile brewery or cocktail type places in Sedona?

 

Food schmood, gimme them dranks!! 😆 

 

I forget where we’re staying, but it’s a pretty nice joint with a great view so we’ll prob grab some stuff for a room-bar type of thing.

 

Was also reading Sedona gets pretty quiet relatively early, true?? I mean we’re beyond our ‘tear it up til 3am’ days, but we do get feisty like that on vaca once in a while.

 

We liked the Golden Goose. It's a restaurant but with quite the cocktail selection. Sedona has a light policy for night time. As in if you own a house, you cannot have any lights that point up towards the sky. Does add to the quiet evening hours, but fun can still be had. 

 

One place you have to go to is Spirits and Spice. They have a location at the Talaquepaque Shopping Area. Just simply the best gin and vodka I have ever had in my life. They also have tequila, bourbon, whisky, etc. For the cook in you, they have different spices and cooking oils that I imagine are just as good as the alcohol they sell. They only have 3 locations. Wyoming, Vegas, and Sedona. Spiritsandspice.com

[4_kidd_4]

1 hour ago, Draconator said:

 

We liked the Golden Goose. It's a restaurant but with quite the cocktail selection. Sedona has a light policy for night time. As in if you own a house, you cannot have any lights that point up towards the sky. Does add to the quiet evening hours, but fun can still be had. 

 

One place you have to go to is Spirits and Spice. They have a location at the Talaquepaque Shopping Area. Just simply the best gin and vodka I have ever had in my life. They also have tequila, bourbon, whisky, etc. For the cook in you, they have different spices and cooking oils that I imagine are just as good as the alcohol they sell. They only have 3 locations. Wyoming, Vegas, and Sedona. Spiritsandspice.com

 

Awesome thanks. We do love all kindsa gin!!

[Seasons1992]

6 hours ago, sherpa said:

Here's where we're going on Sun- next Thurs.

The cabin is near Sevierville TN., in the Great Smokey Mountains.

Our three adult kids will join us.

https://www.cabinsforyou.com/brothers-deja-view.htm

 

Will you force the kids to be in the bunk beds?

[sherpa]

1 hour ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

Will you force the kids to be in the bunk beds?

 

Nah.

They'll get the kings.

Ms. and I will make do.

Living on an aircraft carrier in a junior officer's bunkroom for months on end, I get in one position and don't move much.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

4 hours ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

@Draconator @Miyagi-Do Karate

 

Any worthwhile brewery or cocktail type places in Sedona?

 

Food schmood, gimme them dranks!! 😆 

 

I forget where we’re staying, but it’s a pretty nice joint with a great view so we’ll prob grab some stuff for a room-bar type of thing.

 

Was also reading Sedona gets pretty quiet relatively early, true?? I mean we’re beyond our ‘tear it up til 3am’ days, but we do get feisty like that on vaca once in a while.

 

I defer to Draconator on any good bars. My wife and I usually don't hit the bars-- but I will say that we are mostly night owls with later schedules, and we would go to dinner sometimes later when we were out in Sedona--like 9:30 PM-- and places were closing down. So, to your point, it does seem to shut down early there. 

 

Don't get me wrong-- it is a great town and worth visiting. But I think the stuff to do is more nature-oriented and then the weird new agey stuff too.  Let us know how it goes. 

[sherpa]

58 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

 But I think the stuff to do is more nature-oriented and then the weird new agey stuff too.  Let us know how it goes. 

 

Did a five day thing there as well.

Nice place in the desert Southwest, but the new age stuff, to use your phrase is a bit, well a lot, over played, in my view. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

9 minutes ago, sherpa said:

 

Did a five day thing there as well.

Nice place in the desert Southwest, but the new age stuff, to use your phrase is a bit, well a lot, over played, in my view. 

i agree. I got super annoyed with it. They really ham up all the new age and crystal And vortex stuff. I had no idea it was like that before we went there, so it was surprising.  But the scenery and hiking were great. It’s one of those places I can see going back to every 5-10 years or so— but probably not more often than that. 

[4_kidd_4]

6 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

 

I defer to Draconator on any good bars. My wife and I usually don't hit the bars-- but I will say that we are mostly night owls with later schedules, and we would go to dinner sometimes later when we were out in Sedona--like 9:30 PM-- and places were closing down. So, to your point, it does seem to shut down early there. 

 

Don't get me wrong-- it is a great town and worth visiting. But I think the stuff to do is more nature-oriented and then the weird new agey stuff too.  Let us know how it goes. 

 

We are definitely mostly there for the hikes and the views.

 

But good heads up, we do enjoy late dinners and/or really taking our time when we go out to eat.

[Augie]

7 hours ago, sherpa said:

 

Nah.

They'll get the kings.

Ms. and I will make do.

Living on an aircraft carrier in a junior officer's bunkroom for months on end, I get in one position and don't move much.

 

And the Mrs is good with that? On all levels? 

 

I kid, I kid.... 

 

We need a king size bed, and recently changed one guest bedroom from a queen to a king after staying with friends in a queen bed. I guess we are spoiled.  

 

We have a family wedding in Chicago Sept 10, so I eagerly await the schedule release. I had hoped to be at the home opener (plus a road game, probably Nashville), but that home opener might be in jeopardy. Attending BOTH games and the wedding would be ideal! 

 

I haven’t been to Chicago since college, so I’d like to see it once at least partially sober. The guy we were supposed to stay with didn’t arrive home to his downtown apartment until the sun was rising. We literally slept on the sidewalk by the van for a few hours before this guy shows up. I do not miss those days. 

 

 

 

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

1 hour ago, Augie said:

 

And the Mrs is good with that? On all levels? 

 

I kid, I kid.... 

 

We need a king size bed, and recently changed one guest bedroom from a queen to a king after staying with friends in a queen bed. I guess we are spoiled.  

 

We have a family wedding in Chicago Sept 10, so I eagerly await the schedule release. I had hoped to be at the home opener (plus a road game, probably Nashville), but that home opener might be in jeopardy. Attending BOTH games and the wedding would be ideal! 

 

I haven’t been to Chicago since college, so I’d like to see it once at least partially sober. The guy we were supposed to stay with didn’t arrive home to his downtown apartment until the sun was rising. We literally slept on the sidewalk by the van for a few hours before this guy shows up. I do not miss those days. 

 

 

 

 

I have been thinking of doing a Chicago trip with my wife or the family. It’s a city you sort of forget about, but seems like a solid summer or fall trip. I have only been when I was in high school and then a handful of times for 2-day type work trips. Would like to spend some time there checking it out. 

[Augie]

11 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I have been thinking of doing a Chicago trip with my wife or the family. It’s a city you sort of forget about, but seems like a solid summer or fall trip. I have only been when I was in high school and then a handful of times for 2-day type work trips. Would like to spend some time there checking it out. 

 

My wife worked for Northern Trust Bank out of Chicago for 18 years. Somehow, I just never made the trips with her, probably because the kids were young and I was in charge in her absence. It’s an amazing city, and I hope we can build enough time around the fall wedding to get a full taste of what Chicago has to offer. The boat and architectural tours fascinate me. 

 

If a Bills home opener can happen the following weekend, that makes a GREAT month for me! If the Nashville game happens that same month, I may be completely overwhelmed, but I’ll give it my all!  That’s would be one helluva month. 

[Bad Things]

Woo hoo!

New Zealand and the Cook Islands have opened up a travel bubble for people to travel without the need for testing or for self/managed isolation.  (No cases of Covid in NZ or the Cooks)

The wife and I were going to go last (southern hemisphere) winter, but it was cancelled.  Fortunately, the accommodation providers kept our money, so we're going this August... exactly a year after our original plans.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by Bad Things

[Just Jack]

On 5/6/2021 at 6:10 AM, thenorthremembers said:

My family and I are just finishing up a trip to OBX.   Glad to be out of NY for a bit.    Had to stop at a toy store to buy something for my niece and the woman working there said "how are you about masks?"   Way more relaxed down here.  

 

My in-laws are planning to go to the OBX next year, late July.  Got lucky, we found a house with two bungalows that'll fit all 38 of us.  

[4_kidd_4]

Sedona was fun, definitely enjoyed the hiking and sightseeing more than the hokey ‘uptown’ area. The overall altitude definitely got to my wife and I. Bit of a foggy feeling, and then factor in the heat.

 

Restaurants and bars close way too early though, but we did catch a sunset or two on some nice patios. We’re 8-9:00 dinner people and that generally wasn’t an option. Ordered a 22oz ribeye and did not realize it was boneless. Crushed it! May have had something to do w that legal AZ weed...

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

1 hour ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

Sedona was fun, definitely enjoyed the hiking and sightseeing more than the hokey ‘uptown’ area. The overall altitude definitely got to my wife and I. Bit of a foggy feeling, and then factor in the heat.

 

Restaurants and bars close way too early though, but we did catch a sunset or two on some nice patios. We’re 8-9:00 dinner people and that generally wasn’t an option. Ordered a 22oz ribeye and did not realize it was boneless. Crushed it! May have had something to do w that legal AZ weed...

Nice! Thanks for the update. Definitely a cool place; but totally agree with you re being an early bird town. 

[flaz]

On 4/13/2021 at 2:28 PM, Chef Jim said:

Not really.  My idea is to head to WNY this summer after I get vaccinated.  My mom's 95th was last At and I missed it due to the NY quarantine.  I still have my SW ticket which is good for two more years but I need to see the Young Lady while she's still around.  

 

I missed my mother's 95th as well. My flight is booked for the week of June 13th for her 96th and family reunion in WNY

Edited May 13, 2021 by flaz

[Chef Jim]

1 hour ago, flaz said:

 

I missed my mother's 95th as well. My flight is booked for the week of June 13th for her 96th and family reunion in WNY

 

I'm trying to book a flight for July.  The rental car is going to be more than the flight from CA.  

[flaz]

9 minutes ago, Chef Jim said:

 

I'm trying to book a flight for July.  The rental car is going to be more than the flight from CA.  

Brother lives in San Rafael and works in Richmond. We arrive in Blo on the 12th within minutes. We'll be at Cuba lake by 1:30

 

 

[Chef Jim]

6 minutes ago, flaz said:

Brother lives in San Rafael and works in Richmond. We arrive in Blo on the 12th within minutes. We'll be at Cuba lake by 1:30

 

 

 

San Rafael and Richmond.   Know the areas well.  Lived in the Bay Area for 9 years and traveled through both to get to wine country.   I'm back in SoCal where I first moved to in 1983.  

 

And Cuba Lake!  My cousin has a house on the lake.  Or at least he used to.