Headin' Out: Vacations 2024

[cal sharpie]

I leave this Friday for Chile for four weeks -- a week in Patagonia, a week in Valparaiso, a week between a beach spot and the Atacama Desert and a week in Santiago. Working remotely the second and fourth weeks. A complicated trip but should see some spectacular places. Hoping that the South American summer air will help my Wordle score in March.

[Fman99]

Sounds pretty dreamy to me.

While it technically didn't happen this calendar year, we spent Xmas week in Montego Bay at an all-inclusive resort. We had five straight days of 85F+ weather and little fruity drinks by the pool and the bay. It was pretty damn great. My IG account has some pics

[The Hot Corner]

Well, it's not as great ass sharpie's upcoming trip, but my wife and I are heading to Port. St. Lucie for spring training. we have talked about it for years and we finally decided this is the year. We will be staying in Jenson Beach (Friday, March 15th through Saturday, March 23rd) about 15 miles from Clover Park. We plan to take in 2-3 home games at Clover Park and a trip down to Jupitor to watch the Mets take on the Marlins. The rest will be beach and tourist time.

I know several of you have been to spring training in the past, so I would welcome any tips or suggestions for things to do and places to eat.

[metirish]

Sounds like amazing trips , enjoy

Heading to Suffield CT this evening for the long weekend, hoping for a lot of Eagles and other birds , we are doing AirBnB at a rustic farm house

[Fman99]

Well, it's not as great ass sharpie's upcoming trip, but my wife and I are heading to Port. St. Lucie for spring training. we have talked about it for years and we finally decided this is the year. We will be staying in Jenson Beach (Friday, March 15th through Saturday, March 23rd) about 15 miles from Clover Park. We plan to take in 2-3 home games at Clover Park and a trip down to Jupitor to watch the Mets take on the Marlins. The rest will be beach and tourist time.

I know several of you have been to spring training in the past, so I would welcome any tips or suggestions for things to do and places to eat.

Leave yourself 30-40 minutes of extra driving time to park your car prior to the start of the game. Getting to the stadium is a bottleneck no matter what direction you come from. Fboy and I caught the national anthem in the parking lot last year.

[The Hot Corner]

Leave yourself 30-40 minutes of extra driving time to park your car prior to the start of the game. Getting to the stadium is a bottleneck no matter what direction you come from. Fboy and I caught the national anthem in the parking lot last year.

I appreciate the heads up regarding drive time delays. Is it necessary to purchase tickets ahead of time or can I purchase them day of the game or at the gate?

[Fman99]

Leave yourself 30-40 minutes of extra driving time to park your car prior to the start of the game. Getting to the stadium is a bottleneck no matter what direction you come from. Fboy and I caught the national anthem in the parking lot last year.

I appreciate the heads up regarding drive time delays. Is it necessary to purchase tickets ahead of time or can I purchase them day of the game or at the gate?

You should try to by them 2-3 days ahead of time. I bought mine the morning of the game and our only options were the Berm or pricey seats behind the plate. We got the latter, which I didn't mind, as it was my son's birthday and a cool chance for us to be on TV for the duration of the game, but I paid for it.

[The Hot Corner]

Bought tickets to 2 Mets spring training games. The Mrs. and I will be behind the third base dugout for Sunday (3/17) afternoon Vs. The Marlins and behind the first base dugout for Tuesday (3/19) evening vs. the Cardinals. Plan to spend the remainder of our time on the beaches (under cover), taking in the sights, and sampling local breweries and wineries the rest of the week. Really, looking forward to a week away from work.

[whippoorwill]

Sounds like a fun week!

[MFS62]

Our first overnight time away from home since I started nightly dialysis will be in May, when we travel to Massachusetts for my granddaughter's college graduation. To us that will be like a mini- vacation.
Based on how that goes, we'll see if we could extend the time away later this year.
Later

[cal sharpie]

This has been discussed before but I did a study of it yesterday.

I have been noticing in my time in Chile so many New York-themed clothes and items. We were out pretty much the whole day in Santiago and I observed:

7 Yankee hats
2 New York (no team) shirts
2 Brooklyn shirts
1 bag from a bookstore in New York
1 Met hat (only the second one I've seen in over three weeks in Chile).

There were several Dodger hats and several Chicago Bulls shirts but no other teams were represented.

[Chad ochoseis]

I'm traveling to my employer's world headquarters in Munich at the beginning of June for some meetings and decided to tack on a couple of vacation days in Prague beforehand. Anyone ever been there? Any off-the-beaten-path places to go?

I have 2 1/2 days, and I figure the half day will just be spent shaking off jet lag.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was there for a few days in 2009. Lovely city, but I can't think of any useful tips to share.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Just wandering the streets in Munich, one platz to the next, was magical. The beer there was just super fresh.

[Lefty Specialist]

Heading to Scotland and England in a few weeks, starting in Edinburgh and working our way down to London where we'll be able to watch the Mets suck against the Phillies on another continent. In Scotland Mrs Lefty and will go our separate ways one day- she does the Outlander tour (they'll be filming while we're there) and I get to geek out on a St Andrews golf tour.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Sounds like a great trip! Say hello to Mons Meg for me!

[whippoorwill]

Now that sounds like fun!

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

My daughter and I are headed to the Grand Canyon in June! We are flying into Phoenix and will see a Diamondbacks game, then will head to the South Rim for two days. I was able to get a room at a lodge within the park. It looks like there are all kinds of tours and activities.

I've always wanted to see the desert and the canyon, so I'm really excited about this.

Has anyone ever gone there? Any tips?

[Frayed Knot]

Any tips?

Don't fall in.

[Lefty Specialist]

My daughter and I are headed to the Grand Canyon in June! We are flying into Phoenix and will see a Diamondbacks game, then will head to the South Rim for two days. I was able to get a room at a lodge within the park. It looks like there are all kinds of tours and activities.

I've always wanted to see the desert and the canyon, so I'm really excited about this.

Has anyone ever gone there? Any tips?

The Lodge inside the park is the best- it's much closer to the rim. Nothing really prepares you for the vastness of it all. If you get a chance, do a 'Slot Canyon' tour. It's incredible and it's like you're on another planet. They're a bit far from Grand Canyon, though, about a 3-hour drive.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Don't skimp on the water if you're hiking Bright Angel. Take gallons

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Thanks, guys!

[Fman99]

My daughter and I are headed to the Grand Canyon in June! We are flying into Phoenix and will see a Diamondbacks game, then will head to the South Rim for two days. I was able to get a room at a lodge within the park. It looks like there are all kinds of tours and activities.

I've always wanted to see the desert and the canyon, so I'm really excited about this.

Has anyone ever gone there? Any tips?

My son and I went last summer. It was the first time there for both of us. We also stayed on the park grounds which is the best way to do it. It puts you at a 2-3 minute drive from all of the best views from the south rim.

Over the course of our week there we did walking tours, driving tours, a river ride (though it was of Glen Canyon, a few hours north of the Grand Canyon and misleadingly named), and, our personal favorite, the helicopter tour. My recommendation would be to do that if it's in your budget to do so, and, also, take a bus ride or walk and watch a sunset from the west rim.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

My daughter and I are headed to the Grand Canyon in June! We are flying into Phoenix and will see a Diamondbacks game, then will head to the South Rim for two days. I was able to get a room at a lodge within the park. It looks like there are all kinds of tours and activities.

I've always wanted to see the desert and the canyon, so I'm really excited about this.

Has anyone ever gone there? Any tips?

My son and I went last summer. It was the first time there for both of us. We also stayed on the park grounds which is the best way to do it. It puts you at a 2-3 minute drive from all of the best views from the south rim.

Over the course of our week there we did walking tours, driving tours, a river ride (though it was of Glen Canyon, a few hours north of the Grand Canyon and misleadingly named), and, our personal favorite, the helicopter tour. My recommendation would be to do that if it's in your budget to do so, and, also, take a bus ride or walk and watch a sunset from the west rim.

Good stuff! Are you able to access the tours -- the bus, the train, the helicopter -- from within the park, or do you need to go outside? I'm reading horror stories of two-hour waits to get in the park, so I'm worried about leaving for an activity and then struggling to get back in!

[Fman99]

My daughter and I are headed to the Grand Canyon in June! We are flying into Phoenix and will see a Diamondbacks game, then will head to the South Rim for two days. I was able to get a room at a lodge within the park. It looks like there are all kinds of tours and activities.

I've always wanted to see the desert and the canyon, so I'm really excited about this.

Has anyone ever gone there? Any tips?

My son and I went last summer. It was the first time there for both of us. We also stayed on the park grounds which is the best way to do it. It puts you at a 2-3 minute drive from all of the best views from the south rim.

Over the course of our week there we did walking tours, driving tours, a river ride (though it was of Glen Canyon, a few hours north of the Grand Canyon and misleadingly named), and, our personal favorite, the helicopter tour. My recommendation would be to do that if it's in your budget to do so, and, also, take a bus ride or walk and watch a sunset from the west rim.

Good stuff! Are you able to access the tours -- the bus, the train, the helicopter -- from within the park, or do you need to go outside? I'm reading horror stories of two-hour waits to get in the park, so I'm worried about leaving for an activity and then struggling to get back in!

Yeah, most of the tours start in town and then re-enter the park through various ways, but we never waited more than a minute or two to get admitted. Plus you can pay for up to a week on your initial entrance, when you arrive, and then you can just show your receipt on subsequent entries.