Three coolest places you've ever been... GO!

[marinkitty]

I've been thinking and thinking on this. I guess it's a good problem to have that narrowing it down to three is impossible. It depends on my mood - am I in the mood for culture/history/city or natural beauty/serenity/mountains/ocean? It is really tough to say! The world really is an amazing place.

For sheer natural beauty, I guess I'd have to say:
1. Patagonia (both Argentina and Chile - the El Chalten and Torres del Paine areas both blew me away)
2. The Maldives (I haven't been since 1984 so my memory is of a totally unspoiled atoll paradise; not sure if that would hold true today or not)
3. Galapagos Islands (the sheer volume of animals and how unspoiled and untouched it all is, plus the diversity in landscapes amongst the islands)

Runners up - Moorea, S. Island of New Zealand, Bali, Yosemite Valley and the Vincentina Coast of Portugal. I'm headed to Bryce Canyon and Zion NPs in a week and suspect they may be right up there too!

For history/culture:
1. Italy (not one specific place, but the mix of the small hill towns with places like Florence & Rome is hard to beat)
2. Turkey (Istanbul is such an amazing mix of history/culture/modern city plus the ruins at Ephesus are the most amazing I've ever seen)
3. Greece (this one is more of a mix of nature and history, plus I just love their food and their lifestyle)

Favorite cities:
1. Lisbon
2. Amsterdam
3. Hong Kong

These might be my favorites because I know them so well. I lived in HK as a kid, studied just outside Amsterdam in law school and have a house not far from Lisbon now. To me, the measure of a great city is one that you fall more in love with the more time you spend there, and all three of these are this for me.

Runners-up (San Francisco, London)

[marinkitty]

Oops. Double post.

[smilequeen]

I’d go with, for now

Favorite city so far, Stockholm (Prague probably a close second)
The fjords in Norway
The Great Barrier Reef

[California]

We've had wonderful travel adventures right here on the west coast, and traveling in the US. You can definitely take your kids on great road trips, if you are feeling the travel bug, and have a budget that prohibits airline tickets for a big family.

- As PP have mentioned, the National Parks. Such a "Wow!"
Zion is just a road trip away, with an overnight stop in Las Vegas (or just passed it.) Bryce is also very soul-filling. And I'm blanking on the name, but there are other less popular National Parks in Utah (Canyon something??) that are beautiful.

- Big Sur is so beautiful. Our coast has such variety as you head from SoCal to NoCal.

- From my kids' perspective, Big Bear and Catalina are both wonderful places to visit. They love to hike, or sled in Big Bear if there is snow. So simple but for them these are top spots on their list. A couple of times a year Groupon offers discount boat tickets to Catalina.


On my list of top places, outside of the US:
- Croatia's Plitvice National Park was one of our favorite travel experiences. We went in the off season (I don't think I would have liked it nearly as much with a crowd.) You take a bus to the top of a trail, and as you follow it down you walk by one incredible waterfall after another, for hours. We were in heaven. Croatia's coast is breathtakingly beautiful, too.
- Prague during the Easter Markets, enjoying a cup of really good cheap beer while wandering the stalls, listening to live music
- Not a specific spot, but I love listening to live music in the churches and cathedrals in Europe. The ambiance is amazing, and it completely relaxes me in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of navigating a new city. Pretty sure listening to classical music in a chapel isn't "cool," but it works for me.

[marinkitty]

We've had wonderful travel adventures right here on the west coast, and traveling in the US. You can definitely take your kids on great road trips, if you are feeling the travel bug, and have a budget that prohibits airline tickets for a big family.

- As PP have mentioned, the National Parks. Such a "Wow!"
Zion is just a road trip away, with an overnight stop in Las Vegas (or just passed it.) Bryce is also very soul-filling. And I'm blanking on the name, but there are other less popular National Parks in Utah (Canyon something??) that are beautiful.

- Big Sur is so beautiful. Our coast has such variety as you head from SoCal to NoCal.

- From my kids' perspective, Big Bear and Catalina are both wonderful places to visit. They love to hike, or sled in Big Bear if there is snow. So simple but for them these are top spots on their list. A couple of times a year Groupon offers discount boat tickets to Catalina.


On my list of top places, outside of the US:
- Croatia's Plitvice National Park was one of our favorite travel experiences. We went in the off season (I don't think I would have liked it nearly as much with a crowd.) You take a bus to the top of a trail, and as you follow it down you walk by one incredible waterfall after another, for hours. We were in heaven. Croatia's coast is breathtakingly beautiful, too.
- Prague during the Easter Markets, enjoying a cup of really good cheap beer while wandering the stalls, listening to live music
- Not a specific spot, but I love listening to live music in the churches and cathedrals in Europe. The ambiance is amazing, and it completely relaxes me in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of navigating a new city. Pretty sure listening to classical music in a chapel isn't "cool," but it works for me.

Not to derail the post, but California - I JUST booked a camper van for a week for me and my 14-year old DS this summer to explore in CA. We are going to drop off younger DS in SF for camp (a 2-week Overland Sierra Adventure) and then spend 2 nights in San Fran and then pick up the van for a week of road tripping. I've booked camping spots for us (no easy feat this close to summer) to be safe and have a tentative plan and would love any highpoints you might have to add as a well-traveled, outdoorsy Californian. So far it looks like this:
1. Campground near Point Reyes National Seashore (see PR that day and the next day hit some other spots in Marin on the way back over the bridge and then south to Half Moon Bay and the next site)
2. Campground in Big Basin Redwoods State Park (give DS a taste of the redwoods and then head toward Monterrey/Carmel area)
3. Campground in Heart San Simeon State Park (plan is to see Big Sur that day on the way to the site - I could not get us ANYTHING in Big Sur; this was a close to the south and Big Basin Redwoods was as close to the north and it sounds like wild camping spots are almost impossible to come by in that area)
4. Camground in Sequoia National Park
5. Campground part way between Kings Canyon National Park and Yosemite
6. RV Park about an hour outside Yosemite Valley (closest I could get, again).

I've been torn about staying out on the coast and saving the Sierras for another trip and letting DS get a taste in hopes he'll be inspired to do an adventure camp the next summer.

[lizzywednesday]

...
- Not a specific spot, but I love listening to live music in the churches and cathedrals in Europe. The ambiance is amazing, and it completely relaxes me in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of navigating a new city. Pretty sure listening to classical music in a chapel isn't "cool," but it works for me.

I've been a performer at several cathedrals in England (Liverpool, Coventry, Ely Lady Chapel) and this is so gratifying to hear. (I mean, yes, we must have realized there were people in the "audience" at several spots that weren't the chaperones, but it's not always something I thought about too much.)

[California]

Liz you must have such great memories of those trips- traveling around with friends/fellow performers, singing in different cathedrals, exploring new towns together. I'm sure you have many stories to tell your daughter.

Going off topic to reply to MarinKitty...
Marinkitty, that sounds amazing. Are you from Marin County? I always figured you were from that area originally based on your name... internet assumptions. If you are, you know that it can be breezy and cool at Point Reyes even in the summer. Definitely pack layers. And the traffic in and around SF has gotten really, really bad. Give yourself a lot of time to get in and out of the city.

My personal opinion is that your itinerary is a lot to pack into one week. If you are considering staying near the coast, that's what I would do, if you can find campgrounds. One of the things that's wonderful about traveling along the coast is feeling relaxed amid all the natural beauty. Give yourself time to enjoy an early morning hike at your campground (less crowded before the day-use tourists show up). When you are at the coastal campgrounds, the beach sunsets are spectacular. Can be windy and cold, but oh so beautiful. Friends of mine who own a vacation home near Big Sur said it's the prettiest spring they can remember- the hills near the coast are covered in green and wildflowers. We had more rain than usual this winter. I bet some of that extra green will still be there this summer. Oh, and speaking of nature, know that the Big Sur area does have ticks. It's not a big problem on the heavily used trails (IME), probably because there is so much foot traffic and the trails are wider. But hiking pants and socks are a good idea.

Are you staying in Monterey at all? Guessing from what you wrote that the campgrounds are full. You could stay in that area and drive down into Big Sur. Monterey Bay Aquarium is worth considering to get some familiarity with the coastal habitat and animals that you'll be seeing on the trip. It does get very crowded. We went there several times while we were staying in Monterey and my kids were able to start identifying some of what they saw on our hikes. Another option is the guided (by free pamphlets you get at the lodge) walking trails at Asilomar. It's a little out of your way though in Pacific Grove. The woman who designed Asilomar lodge is the same person (Julia Morgan) who designed Hearst Castle. The lodge has boardwalk trails that are really pleasant to walk along. Think you can rent bikes there, too.

Point Lobos has an easy loop hike with gorgeous views. Believe there's no food allowed on the trails, but it's a short enough hike that that's not a problem. We liked every spot we stopped at in Big Sur. You really can't go wrong there, IMO.

If it works out that you need to keep the current reservations you have, I would recommend just really thinking about the flow of your day- hike early if you can, relax midday when the trails get more crowded, enjoy sunsets- that sort of thing.

Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

[California]

Double Post

[marinkitty]

Liz you must have such great memories of those trips- traveling around with friends/fellow performers, singing in different cathedrals, exploring new towns together. I'm sure you have many stories to tell your daughter.

Going off topic to reply to MarinKitty...
Marinkitty, that sounds amazing. Are you from Marin County? I always figured you were from that area originally based on your name... internet assumptions. If you are, you know that it can be breezy and cool at Point Reyes even in the summer. Definitely pack layers. And the traffic in and around SF has gotten really, really bad. Give yourself a lot of time to get in and out of the city.

My personal opinion is that your itinerary is a lot to pack into one week. If you are considering staying near the coast, that's what I would do, if you can find campgrounds. One of the things that's wonderful about traveling along the coast is feeling relaxed amid all the natural beauty. Give yourself time to enjoy an early morning hike at your campground (less crowded before the day-use tourists show up). When you are at the coastal campgrounds, the beach sunsets are spectacular. Can be windy and cold, but oh so beautiful. Friends of mine who own a vacation home near Big Sur said it's the prettiest spring they can remember- the hills near the coast are covered in green and wildflowers. We had more rain than usual this winter. I bet some of that extra green will still be there this summer. Oh, and speaking of nature, know that the Big Sur area does have ticks. It's not a big problem on the heavily used trails (IME), probably because there is so much foot traffic and the trails are wider. But hiking pants and socks are a good idea.

Are you staying in Monterey at all? Guessing from what you wrote that the campgrounds are full. You could stay in that area and drive down into Big Sur. Monterey Bay Aquarium is worth considering to get some familiarity with the coastal habitat and animals that you'll be seeing on the trip. It does get very crowded. We went there several times while we were staying in Monterey and my kids were able to start identifying some of what they saw on our hikes. Another option is the guided (by free pamphlets you get at the lodge) walking trails at Asilomar. It's a little out of your way though in Pacific Grove. The woman who designed Asilomar lodge is the same person (Julia Morgan) who designed Hearst Castle. The lodge has boardwalk trails that are really pleasant to walk along. Think you can rent bikes there, too.

Point Lobos has an easy loop hike with gorgeous views. Believe there's no food allowed on the trails, but it's a short enough hike that that's not a problem. We liked every spot we stopped at in Big Sur. You really can't go wrong there, IMO.

If it works out that you need to keep the current reservations you have, I would recommend just really thinking about the flow of your day- hike early if you can, relax midday when the trails get more crowded, enjoy sunsets- that sort of thing.

Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

Thanks so much, California! Yes, I think I've bitten off too much, which I'm usually really got about NOT doing. I just want him to see a little of everything, but he'll enjoy it more if we don't and I would frankly probably be exhausted beyond belief with all that driving. I am going to see if I can get ressies along the coast and then we can decide with more flexibility. Maybe I'll spring for a hotel in Monterrey one night which seems silly with the van, but might be a nice mid-week break anyway. DS doesn't honestly care what we do so it's really all up to me. He's just in for a road trip in a camper van with mom (because we did one along with his younger brother two years ago in Iceland and he loved traveling that way). Younger DS is spending the two weeks in the Sierras (with Overland), which is why I was trying to spend a bit of time there as well so they'd have that common experience. And thanks for the head's up on ticks. We will bring hiking pants for sure. Oh, and I'm not from Marin - the name comes from a cat we used to have (pronounced Mair-in) - but we got married out in wine country and I used to spend a lot of time in the Bay Area before kids and I love Marin County. For a long time we thought we'd end up there, but it just didn't work out well with the types of law we practiced and then we were entrenched and happy here in Chicago for our family-rearing/work years.

[marinkitty]

Ugh, I'm sorry! No idea why every time I post lately, it posts twice.