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Planning Any Vacations? | Pad Patter 3.14.2018

I've got a scrap retreat this month and reader-author weekend in Milwaukee next month. I'm also 80% committed to going to a family picnic back in Erie, PA in July. DH & I don't have any vacation plans, but I'm hoping maybe we can do a couple of weekend trips.

I'd also like to plan a weekend trip with my daughter. She usually goes to the retreat with me, but can't this year because of a work conference.
 
We have a few small trips planned. A camping weekend to help celebrate a friend turning 50 (they are having over 150 come and camp at their place, man it's going to be huge...). We have a 3 nights in Queensland for a close friend's wedding and I'm taking my eldest and his GF to Sydney for a night - we are going to watch a Podcast recording/show at The Sydney Opera House.

I wanted to go to Singapore for a week with my youngest in July, they have started direct daily flights out of Canberra and we love Singapore but my car is dying so I think that may be a priority...
 
Yes! In fact I've been fixing up the car a bit at a time. Last month, 4 new tires. Last weekend, all new brakes. Not fun that these things had to be done, but so grateful it's well before our car trip. Over the boys' spring break, we're driving down to LEGOLAND in Carlsbad. Hotel is booked, got the tickets on Groupon, & I've been gathering new clothes. I'm thinking I want a new bathing suit, but we'll see. I think a new camera is more important. I'm just not happy with my Canon.

In August, we'll do our yearly camping trip in The Redwoods. We all just decided to reserve the same spot we had last year since it has a natural little platform where we can put the tent.

In November, we'll go to Tahoe.

We were thinking of spending Easter in Tahoe, but I don't know. I'm kinda not into it right now. We'll see.
 
Last year was our 'year of travel' as we went on A LOT of vacations- just happened that way, not really planned, but whatever- it was fun! This year, we've talked about doing fun 'day trips' or weekend adventures exploring our local area- probably a trip up to Canada (BC) since we are so close. We live in a flippin' gorgeous area of the country- and there is much that we haven't explored just because we live here! I think it sounds fun to be more adventurous at home & still have a sense of travelling! lol!
 
Everyone's plans sound like fun! We've had to change our plans because we're unexpectedly doing a full remodel of two bathrooms this year. (Their age is catching up with them; if we don't address it now, we're going to have bigger problems later.) So even though it looks like we have a lot scheduled, almost all of it is driving to visit family and then staying with them.

  • The kids and I are going to visit my family in New York and Connecticut. Depending on the timing of the first bathroom remodel, we'll either go over spring break or early in the summer.
  • In July DS and I are going to a conference about his genetic disorder. In the past just DH and I have gone, but this year they're doing it near Pittsburgh so we can drive. We were going to take all 3 kids for the first time, but we've backed off on that because of the bathrooms.
  • In August my parents rent a house in the mountains for a week, and the extended family gets together there. The rest of the family all lives in NY and CT and gets together frequently, but we're in Virginia so this is the longest we spend with everyone all year.
  • I just found out that my class is having a 25 year high school reunion :faint2in October, so we'll be going back up to stay with my parents for that. We'll also visit them for Thanksgiving.
 
I am planning a scrapping weekend with a friend of mine this weekend... does that count as a vacation? (cuz it sure does to me!) :agree

We have a couple different camping weekends planned for this summer, one near Traverse City and the other near Mackinaw Island, and we'll spend a day on the island.
 
Yes, we are leaving in 2 weeks to spend a whole week with my BFF and her husband at Edisto Beach near Charleston, South Carolina. The first of our retirements trips. I cannot wait to see her and to just relax.

Then we leave on April 30 for Siesta Key, Florida where we will spend 2 weeks in our favorite place. While there we will be shopping around for a place to live permanently. We hope to move there within the next 2 years. Goodbye, winter!
 
AnneofAlamo said:
you make me twitch, but I admire that, I am trying harder to be more free
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When we first married, my husband and I would take driving vacations where we planned what direction we were going (where we would end up) and would just drive in that direction, stopping to look for a hotel when we were ready to quit for the night. It's easy to do that, and get cheap rates, when there are only two of you. I like the flexibility of deciding to pull over because I saw a billboard for something interesting, instead of zooming past everything because you *have* to be somewhere.

Now that we have kids and often travel with my mom, I book all of our hotels ahead of time, usually about four to six days before we leave. We always build in lots of time for long meals, breaks, and impromptu site-seeing. I don't want to be rushed or anxious when I'm on vacation, and I want to have time to explore along the route as we go. (Not that there is always something to see, but it's nice to be able to stop when there is.)

The first time we went to Disney World, it was only my husband and I, shortly after we married, and we went to AAA about two weeks before to see what they could do for us; the agent there was shocked that we were going so soon. I didn't know at the time that people normally book Disney vacations months and months in advance! It worked out for us -- the only thing that was a bit expensive was the airfare, and even that wasn't too bad for just the two of us. We had a three hour layover in Atlanta that was pretty brutal, and I came out of it thinking I'd rather spend a day driving than spend that time at the airport.

The second time we went to Disney World, we had my mom, my dad, and our toddler. This one we booked about six weeks in advance, and rented a car instead of flying. (Through AAA again, because I wanted their parking pass, and still shocked the agent at what a short planning window we had.) Our agent was able to book us two character meals; once we were on site, we booked two more, each on the morning of, and we walked into a fifth one that happened to advertise openings when we entered the park that day.

I want to plan another Disney World trip, but now that the kids are in school, and my teenager is in marching band, finding a good week to go is getting difficult. I have time, though, since I don't see us going within the next three months or so. LOL
 
IntenseMagic said:
Edisto is beautiful!! I have a friend from high school who lives there. It's on my short list of retirement possibilities :)
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We lived about 45 minutes from Edisto when I had my daughter. It is amazing. Beautiful, a bit slower pace of life... heavenly.
 
In April school holidays we've booked to go down the coast again for a week. It's a couple of hours drive away but still far enough for us to consider it 'going away' - Cabin on the beach. So looking forward to it!
 
Wow, there are some pretty awesome trips coming up for many of you. I'm just a wee bit jealous. We don't have anything out of the ordinary planned for this year. Just 2 trips to the beach - spring break the first week of april, and then again in June.
 
BevG said:
If you want a lunch companion, send me a PM. I live just 30 minutes away in Durham.
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We'll actually be in Durham for the appointments. Probably staying closer into Raleigh. I'll be with the whole family this time. I'll be back again in 6 months with just the boys. Maybe we could meet up then!
 
My daughter starts college in the fall so we wanted to take a big vacay this summer since things tend to get less predictable as kids get out on their own. So, we're taking a cruise from Sweden to Estonia, Latvia, Russia and Finland. DH has family in Sweden who he's never met so we're hoping to meet them while we're there. It should be an awesome trip and, I think, very different from others that we've been on.
 
Karen said:
We have a couple different camping weekends planned for this summer, one near Traverse City and the other near Mackinaw Island, and we'll spend a day on the island.
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When will you be near Traverse City? I'm not sure when we'll be up at Crystal this summer... but maybe we'll overlap!
 
Yes! We're going to Oregon this summer. With 3 kids, ages 2-10, we're planning lots of stops along the way and on the way back. Kinda making a loop -- from Utah thru Nevada on our way to Oregon, and then thru Portland and east across Oregon and down thru Idaho on the return trip. I've booked the hotels 'cause they're already filling up. And we picked out a fun beach shack (back in January on airbnb) for the few days we'll be on the Oregon coast. Starting to map out the routes now with all the possible places to stop with our kiddos -- they need lots of breaks from the car. But they're happy with playgrounds or even the play area at McDonald's. :) So excited for this one! I love Oregon.
 
No trips here. We had planned to go to The Keys in January or February, but we all know that sadly that couldn't happen. My hubby has had a bad winter with the flu and pneumonia, so we'll probably just stick around here. Went to Disney last year. That will hold us for awhile.
 
tkradtke said:
When will you be near Traverse City? I'm not sure when we'll be up at Crystal this summer... but maybe we'll overlap!
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We will be there July 27-30 this summer. That would be super cool if we were there at the same time! If not, one of these times when you're driving through we should make plans to meet up... you drive right by me on your way up there!
 
Karen said:
We will be there July 27-30 this summer.
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I'll let you know if we happen to be up there at that time!

Karen said:
If not, one of these times when you're driving through we should make plans to meet up... you drive right by me on your way up there!
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You are assuming that my family would actually stop on our drive. They don't stop. I have stared wistfully out the window at the little Dutch village in Holland for close to 10 years now and that hasn't happened yet... sigh.
 
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