MikeL
Go Fish
Great, thank you!
ktmrider
Well-known
I will let the X70 sit in the front of my truck for a few days. It is still 90 degrees here in the SW so a good source of heat. I don't care that much about the camera but the SD card still has photos I want so hope that can be salvaged.
Note to self: wife is competent but not good with cameras.
Note to self: wife is competent but not good with cameras.
ktmrider
Well-known
Also, check out Sherpa Adventures out of London. They offer the same services as Absolute Escapes and have a great reputation. I have not done travel with them but they offer trips all over Europe in addition to the UK and Ireland. Absolute Escapes seems to be limited to UK and Ireland.
ktmrider
Well-known
Had a great time hiking around Loch Ness in September and it appears we may be moving from the US/Mexican border to Anchorage, Ak this coming year (wife's home). She has been there since 1 October and is coming home at the end of the week.
I am actually searching for a travel destination for February or March, 2019. I have been home taking care of pets and the house and now my wife is ready to stay in El Paso for awhile and I am ready to go. It may be someplace warm so thought I would revive this thread.
I am actually searching for a travel destination for February or March, 2019. I have been home taking care of pets and the house and now my wife is ready to stay in El Paso for awhile and I am ready to go. It may be someplace warm so thought I would revive this thread.
stompyq
Well-known
Visit Sri Lanka
And if you decide to do, pm me and i'll give you all the info you need
And if you decide to do, pm me and i'll give you all the info you need
rfaspen
[insert pithy phrase here]
I recommend New Zealand, but not from firsthand experience (yet).
I used to let my outdoor activities influence my travel destinations. Caving and climbing has prompted travel to eastern Europe and Russia (mostly Bulgaria), northern Mexico, several states in the U.S. (lincl. Alaska), British Columbia, Wales and England, Ireland (my wife's "homeland"), and Baja (for whale sharks). All wonderful trips to wonderful locations
Next is New Zealand to cave, climb, and photograph with friends.
Also on the list: Argentina, Chile, Spain, and Sweden (visit family). I also dream of visiting Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan, western Australia, Lake Baikal, and Wetzlar, Germany.
I need to retire first. Then the travel can begin in earnest. Right?
I used to let my outdoor activities influence my travel destinations. Caving and climbing has prompted travel to eastern Europe and Russia (mostly Bulgaria), northern Mexico, several states in the U.S. (lincl. Alaska), British Columbia, Wales and England, Ireland (my wife's "homeland"), and Baja (for whale sharks). All wonderful trips to wonderful locations
Next is New Zealand to cave, climb, and photograph with friends.
Also on the list: Argentina, Chile, Spain, and Sweden (visit family). I also dream of visiting Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan, western Australia, Lake Baikal, and Wetzlar, Germany.
I need to retire first. Then the travel can begin in earnest. Right?
seany65
Well-known
I'll suggest Sheffield in England, but make sure it's a really wet, miserable day.
You'll only need to spend a day there but it'll feel like a month.
You'll only need to spend a day there but it'll feel like a month.
Darthfeeble
But you can call me Steve
We did Madagascar a few years ago, very interesting place. There's a lot of sights you won't see anywhere else.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
Southeast Asia. Still one (of very few) places in a tourist-dollar-mad world where you get the best value for your travel dollar.
Climbing Everest can be fun (not for me!) when you are 30, but after 65 those snowy hills can be a burden to climb. India is crazy. Pakistan and Bangladesh are no-go's just now. Myanmar too volatile.
Many tourist destinations in SEA are everywhere, and most are truly beautiful, but the costs, wow.
Bangforthebuck places abound in SEA if you think laterally and take the time to do some proper research. Google everything and everywhere.
Now for the important question - where would I go? Whee I go often. Malaysia. To be geographically precise, Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah. Well serviced, civilized cultures, people and comforts. Enough cultural diversity and travel adventures to keep anyone young at heart. Good bus services let you wander around and visit places I would have found difficult in the 1970s when I was younger, fitter, and more prone to wandering about with only a backpack.
When one is 60 or older, good comforts become more important. I use the Ibis and Novotel chain of hotels when I travel and find their rates are pleasantly affordable with a (free for the asking) membership - I'm not a shareholder, just a satisfied guest. Last month I was in Kuala Lumpur and coughed up A$45 for room and breakfast, A$37 in Melaka, Ipoh A$40, Kuching A$50 (hotels cost a little more in Sarawak) - 1980s US prices.
I've been here six times since 2014 and I'll be going back with my partner and friends in March 2019. We'll get around by bus and occasionally hire a car or a river boat for forays to more isolated areas. No orang-outans, that's now too travel-tour touristy for us. Treks, visits to isolated villages, lazy days spent traveling up rivers. Enjoyable and still quite affordable.
Fly to Kuching (the capital city of Sarawak) and explore for a few days. Prepare an itinerary and then wander around Sarawak by bus.
Whether you want to cuddle orang-outans or visit museums and art galleries, Sarawak will satisfy. Brunei is great for an overnight stay and to visit mosques, good food also but no alcohol. Sabah is a small paradise as yet largely undiscovered by the global hordes.
New Zealand is stunningly beautiful but has become tourist-cash-grabby, also overpriced for what's on offer. Australia is gorgeous, travel distances are vast (2500+ miles from Sydney to Perth, east to west coasts) and accommodation costs can be high - in our country town in Tasmania the two local motels are distinctly ordinary and want A$125 a night for their second-tier rooms. Otherwise, very friendly people, eye-melting scenery, excellent food and a brain-boggling array of good wines. Sydney is every US city rolled into one with a stunning harbor. Melbourne every country in Europe linked by trams (streetcars to you).
Wherever you decide to go, when one is retired with good health and a reasonable budget for travel, the world is your oyster. Make the best of it. I am!
Wherever you go, bon voyage.
Climbing Everest can be fun (not for me!) when you are 30, but after 65 those snowy hills can be a burden to climb. India is crazy. Pakistan and Bangladesh are no-go's just now. Myanmar too volatile.
Many tourist destinations in SEA are everywhere, and most are truly beautiful, but the costs, wow.
Bangforthebuck places abound in SEA if you think laterally and take the time to do some proper research. Google everything and everywhere.
Now for the important question - where would I go? Whee I go often. Malaysia. To be geographically precise, Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah. Well serviced, civilized cultures, people and comforts. Enough cultural diversity and travel adventures to keep anyone young at heart. Good bus services let you wander around and visit places I would have found difficult in the 1970s when I was younger, fitter, and more prone to wandering about with only a backpack.
When one is 60 or older, good comforts become more important. I use the Ibis and Novotel chain of hotels when I travel and find their rates are pleasantly affordable with a (free for the asking) membership - I'm not a shareholder, just a satisfied guest. Last month I was in Kuala Lumpur and coughed up A$45 for room and breakfast, A$37 in Melaka, Ipoh A$40, Kuching A$50 (hotels cost a little more in Sarawak) - 1980s US prices.
I've been here six times since 2014 and I'll be going back with my partner and friends in March 2019. We'll get around by bus and occasionally hire a car or a river boat for forays to more isolated areas. No orang-outans, that's now too travel-tour touristy for us. Treks, visits to isolated villages, lazy days spent traveling up rivers. Enjoyable and still quite affordable.
Fly to Kuching (the capital city of Sarawak) and explore for a few days. Prepare an itinerary and then wander around Sarawak by bus.
Whether you want to cuddle orang-outans or visit museums and art galleries, Sarawak will satisfy. Brunei is great for an overnight stay and to visit mosques, good food also but no alcohol. Sabah is a small paradise as yet largely undiscovered by the global hordes.
New Zealand is stunningly beautiful but has become tourist-cash-grabby, also overpriced for what's on offer. Australia is gorgeous, travel distances are vast (2500+ miles from Sydney to Perth, east to west coasts) and accommodation costs can be high - in our country town in Tasmania the two local motels are distinctly ordinary and want A$125 a night for their second-tier rooms. Otherwise, very friendly people, eye-melting scenery, excellent food and a brain-boggling array of good wines. Sydney is every US city rolled into one with a stunning harbor. Melbourne every country in Europe linked by trams (streetcars to you).
Wherever you decide to go, when one is retired with good health and a reasonable budget for travel, the world is your oyster. Make the best of it. I am!
Wherever you go, bon voyage.
Sega
Established
I've long wanted to go Russia, Germany, Japan and Italy.
For Russia its the facination with the Former Soviet Union and the Cold war, I'm not old enough to have experianced it but still it intrigues me.
Germany and Japan, its the history, the tech, the automotive sides and in Germanys case the beer and in both cases the food.
Italy its the driving roads, alongside photography a good hard drive is what I use to calm me down and I also love italian food and wine.
I'd also like to go back to London and Edinburgh at somepoint, London is easy for me as its only 30 miles its just a case of funds, Edinburgh I could get happliey lost in, I'd pick a hotel at the bottom of the mile and start at the distllery at the top by the Castle and observe the gradual increased blurryness of my photos as I get to the bottom.
For Russia its the facination with the Former Soviet Union and the Cold war, I'm not old enough to have experianced it but still it intrigues me.
Germany and Japan, its the history, the tech, the automotive sides and in Germanys case the beer and in both cases the food.
Italy its the driving roads, alongside photography a good hard drive is what I use to calm me down and I also love italian food and wine.
I'd also like to go back to London and Edinburgh at somepoint, London is easy for me as its only 30 miles its just a case of funds, Edinburgh I could get happliey lost in, I'd pick a hotel at the bottom of the mile and start at the distllery at the top by the Castle and observe the gradual increased blurryness of my photos as I get to the bottom.
ktmrider
Well-known
I am still looking for a destination in February or March of 2019. The wife does not want to go as she has only been home two weeks in four months. I am thinking about Asia again with special attention to Japan or India.
Now I lived on Okinawa for a year back in the 1970's (Marines) and I spent a month in Nepal about six years ago so I am not a total newbie to either part of that world. India is so big and diverse I am thinking of a Roads Scholar guided tour (never done a group trip) but also feel India is either a country one loves or hates. Am not sure what I would do in Japan but would like to spend a couple days camera shopping.
Other options are motorcycle trip down to Panama or even TDF, a long walk somewhere warm (Malta, Greece, Italy, New Zealand), or the Galapagos.
So, just about anything is on the table but I do prefer a warmer climate as March is kind of marginal.
Now I lived on Okinawa for a year back in the 1970's (Marines) and I spent a month in Nepal about six years ago so I am not a total newbie to either part of that world. India is so big and diverse I am thinking of a Roads Scholar guided tour (never done a group trip) but also feel India is either a country one loves or hates. Am not sure what I would do in Japan but would like to spend a couple days camera shopping.
Other options are motorcycle trip down to Panama or even TDF, a long walk somewhere warm (Malta, Greece, Italy, New Zealand), or the Galapagos.
So, just about anything is on the table but I do prefer a warmer climate as March is kind of marginal.
ktmrider
Well-known
Well, after talking with my wife I think we will head toward the Lake District and York the first two weeks of April. I did the C2C solo a year and a half ago and was stunned by the scenery in the Lake District but I don't want to do the 93 mile loop described on the Absolute Escape webpage.
I am thinking five or six days in the Lake District and two or three in York. So, I still need advice on interesting destinations around England to round out a two week trip. The trains make travel in England SO easy.
I am thinking five or six days in the Lake District and two or three in York. So, I still need advice on interesting destinations around England to round out a two week trip. The trains make travel in England SO easy.
FujiLove
Well-known
I love York, but I’d say a couple of days would be enough. Time to visit the cathedral, railway museum and generally wander around the place.
How about the Norfolk Broads?
https://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/explore/Broads.aspx
The North Norfolk coast is also meant to be lovely, though I haven’t been myself, so can’t offer any specific places.
ornate_wrasse
Moderator
How about a trip on the Channel Tunnel? You could board a train in London. You could also board it near Folkestone, England.
A high school friend of mine, who now lives in London, and who I saw at our high school reunion, told me that people go to Paris for dinner and then return that evening! The Channel Tunnel makes it possible to do this.
So, I am basically saying you could do this for the experience of riding the train across the English Channel. And, it would be an interesting destination around England.
DougK
This space left blank
Looks like you've settled on a destination, but my top three choices would be:
- South Africa (my wife and I have a family friend who lives there)
- Japan
- Iceland
Steve M.
Veteran
Even though I'm quite happy here in the Southwest desert, I do remember traveling to the US Virgin Islands once. It was a memorable experience. We landed on St Thomas on a "runway" that looked no bigger than a Safeway parking lot. Didn't care for the US islands, so we took a ferry to Tortola in the BVI. They had the most pristine beaches I had ever seen, and many could only be accessed by water.
The locals were friendly, and it was all very low key. They don't get mobbed by the cruise ship crowd on that island. You found accommodations by simply driving around and going up to people's houses and asking if they had a room to rent, w/ or w/o meals. The water was incredible. It was this warm, clean, turquoise/bluish colour. I wanted to move there badly, but no go. You could only stay 6 mos even if you were a British citizen and then they booted you off. The only scheme that would keep you there was if you started a business that did not compete w/ anyone else there, and you hired only local help.
One thing I remember about St Thomas was that you could go out in the water and see and feel where the Caribbean ocean met the Atlantic. The Caribbean was warm and gentle, while the Atlantic was cooler and had a more insistent tug to it. At least I think it was on St Thomas. It's been a long time. Beautiful part of the world. Much more to my liking than the Hawaii islands.
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x8c0573242a399bd9%3A0x7790f5eb0642f62e!2m22!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e5!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e6!3m1!7e115!4shttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.escape-bvi.com%2FSmugglersCove.aspx!5stortola%20BVI%20-%20Google%20Search&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipM2dS37F9-5iQNz08kw-COg2xQ8BUZ052GM99PJ
The locals were friendly, and it was all very low key. They don't get mobbed by the cruise ship crowd on that island. You found accommodations by simply driving around and going up to people's houses and asking if they had a room to rent, w/ or w/o meals. The water was incredible. It was this warm, clean, turquoise/bluish colour. I wanted to move there badly, but no go. You could only stay 6 mos even if you were a British citizen and then they booted you off. The only scheme that would keep you there was if you started a business that did not compete w/ anyone else there, and you hired only local help.
One thing I remember about St Thomas was that you could go out in the water and see and feel where the Caribbean ocean met the Atlantic. The Caribbean was warm and gentle, while the Atlantic was cooler and had a more insistent tug to it. At least I think it was on St Thomas. It's been a long time. Beautiful part of the world. Much more to my liking than the Hawaii islands.
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x8c0573242a399bd9%3A0x7790f5eb0642f62e!2m22!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e5!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e6!3m1!7e115!4shttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.escape-bvi.com%2FSmugglersCove.aspx!5stortola%20BVI%20-%20Google%20Search&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipM2dS37F9-5iQNz08kw-COg2xQ8BUZ052GM99PJ
peterm1
Veteran
Not sure if I said this already. But I have something of an interest in experiencing what little remains of traditional Japan. The place the appeals to me specifically in Japan is the Nakasendo Trail one of the old feudal foot highways between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. Which strikes me as being something like stepping back in time.
ktmrider
Well-known
Thanks for the replies. I will give serious thought to the tunnel idea. As for the Virgin Islands, we lived in Puerto Rico for four years. I spent a lot of time in the Virgin Islands combating drug smuggling and often had my wife and daughter along on the governments dime.
One of my best memories was a high speed boat chase from St Thomas to BVI and while the smuggler's boat was smaller and faster then the US Customs go-fast (could not go through the yacht anchorage at 50kts although the smuggler did), we went ashore at BVI, described the boat to British authorities and they immediately seized the vessel. It turns out the owner/operator was standing trial for smuggling even as he continued to smuggle. Sometimes the good guys do win. And the reason it is such an outstanding memory is that I was usually overhead in the cockpit of an aircraft and rarely got to participate in the "fun" stufff.
And the photos from Japan are beautiful and inspiring.
One of my best memories was a high speed boat chase from St Thomas to BVI and while the smuggler's boat was smaller and faster then the US Customs go-fast (could not go through the yacht anchorage at 50kts although the smuggler did), we went ashore at BVI, described the boat to British authorities and they immediately seized the vessel. It turns out the owner/operator was standing trial for smuggling even as he continued to smuggle. Sometimes the good guys do win. And the reason it is such an outstanding memory is that I was usually overhead in the cockpit of an aircraft and rarely got to participate in the "fun" stufff.
And the photos from Japan are beautiful and inspiring.
