What was your Trip of a Lifetime?
May 26, 2003 | 5:01 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2002
Programs: AA Plat, Fairmont Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 4,534
Everytime I go back to Hawaii it is my dream trip of a lifetime. We go over there twice a year for three weeks at a time. We have met many true friends there. Ka'maiana (sp) means local people and these lovely people have become some of our closest friends. My heart aches each time we have to leave again. We just got home the other day and already I am longing to go back to the civilized world of Hawaii again.
May 26, 2003 | 5:46 pm
#17
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Join Date: Feb 2003
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After finishing high school Dad treated me to a holiday in New York.
Limousine from home to the airport (well my Dads Merc S Class, and is limo as its a S500LWB)
Flew from London on Concorde.
Limousine from JFK to Intercontinental Barclay Hotel.
5 days of shopping and sightseeing
Limousine back to JFK and then flew back to London (in coach, but was offered F upgrade that kind of had to refuse, see my post in this thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum15/HTML/004046.html )
Limousine from LHR-home (Merc S Class again!)
Altogether a bloody amazing holiday made even better by the hospitality of the New Yorkers.
Limousine from home to the airport (well my Dads Merc S Class, and is limo as its a S500LWB)
Flew from London on Concorde.
Limousine from JFK to Intercontinental Barclay Hotel.
5 days of shopping and sightseeing
Limousine back to JFK and then flew back to London (in coach, but was offered F upgrade that kind of had to refuse, see my post in this thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum15/HTML/004046.html )
Limousine from LHR-home (Merc S Class again!)
Altogether a bloody amazing holiday made even better by the hospitality of the New Yorkers.
May 27, 2003 | 7:29 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Brisbane (BNE), Australia, QF/VA Forums Meeting Organiser
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Posts: 6,559
Similar to Mikey1003, my dream trip came after beating cancer.
I would normally do a J RTW every year visiting clients and taking days off in between, but in 2002 I personally paid the difference to F and organised my 22 sector 21 day RTW trip (including Concorde LHR/JFK).
As this was two of my life goals rolled into one, they are memories that I will treasure forever.
I would normally do a J RTW every year visiting clients and taking days off in between, but in 2002 I personally paid the difference to F and organised my 22 sector 21 day RTW trip (including Concorde LHR/JFK).
As this was two of my life goals rolled into one, they are memories that I will treasure forever.
May 27, 2003 | 8:44 am
#19
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 623
Big smile on my face as I recall all these:
* 2 - 3 times RTW with my family, then wife, 2 kids.
* to London/Paris with my daughter after her graduation from univ; summer camp trip with my son; several tennis camps.
* London/Paris/Rome on a Trafalgar tour with new gf after divorce
* cruise on Crystal Harmony, then Buenos Aires/Rome; 4 cruises on QE2, various places.
* Brazil/Europe with my Japanese friend
So many good memories, all worthwhile.
* 2 - 3 times RTW with my family, then wife, 2 kids.
* to London/Paris with my daughter after her graduation from univ; summer camp trip with my son; several tennis camps.
* London/Paris/Rome on a Trafalgar tour with new gf after divorce
* cruise on Crystal Harmony, then Buenos Aires/Rome; 4 cruises on QE2, various places.
* Brazil/Europe with my Japanese friend
So many good memories, all worthwhile.
May 27, 2003 | 8:50 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Munich, Germany
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,103
I had a few very nice, very memorable vacations.
3rd. was probably the 3 day skiing trip to Keystone, CO. Paid for it with my tax returns from my first real job in the real world (outside my moms store). I could either go for a weekend to Chicago (even with youth hostel I couldnt have afforded more) or take that skiingdeal. Everybody said I am crazy to be 26 hours on the road for 3 days of skiing (gotta show these people the milage run forum here!). It was worth every cent of it!
2nd was 2 years ago xmas and new years, 3 weeks in south africa with my complete family. It had been ages since all of us had been together again, that and the wonderful cape area, loved it.
Trip of a Lifetime was probably what I did last fall. Nearly 6 weeks in the US.
Flew MUC-IAH stayed there with my former hostmum in Huntsville and Houston.
IAH-ASE met with a good friend, another friend of both of us flew in just to spend some time with me! I missed her before a few times so that alone was great.
Instead of flying to SAN I went
ASE-SFO with my friend and a friend of him in the car, huge 4x4 truck and trailer, they had to drop some stuff of and take a second car back home, I gotten to do sightseeing.
SFO-SAN with Greyhound bus,
SAN-ORD UA in F, first time in my life
ORD - 4 nights at the Westin and the Seneca, way better than youth hostel, I love that town! Museums, architecture, comedyclubs, it was just a blast!
ORD-Detroit - gotten picked up by a friend who visited me in spring, a horse breeder. We went that day to the largest horsesale of that breed in Ohio, the first time I have seen Amish, and not only seen them but have been surrounded by them and gotten to talk to them.
Detroit-SEA - another friend (also horse person) picked me up and drove me to Leavenworth where she has a restaurant.
SEA - 1,5 days sightseeing there
SEA-ORD again in UA F, the rest of the trip in Y back home.
3rd. was probably the 3 day skiing trip to Keystone, CO. Paid for it with my tax returns from my first real job in the real world (outside my moms store). I could either go for a weekend to Chicago (even with youth hostel I couldnt have afforded more) or take that skiingdeal. Everybody said I am crazy to be 26 hours on the road for 3 days of skiing (gotta show these people the milage run forum here!). It was worth every cent of it!
2nd was 2 years ago xmas and new years, 3 weeks in south africa with my complete family. It had been ages since all of us had been together again, that and the wonderful cape area, loved it.
Trip of a Lifetime was probably what I did last fall. Nearly 6 weeks in the US.
Flew MUC-IAH stayed there with my former hostmum in Huntsville and Houston.
IAH-ASE met with a good friend, another friend of both of us flew in just to spend some time with me! I missed her before a few times so that alone was great.
Instead of flying to SAN I went
ASE-SFO with my friend and a friend of him in the car, huge 4x4 truck and trailer, they had to drop some stuff of and take a second car back home, I gotten to do sightseeing.
SFO-SAN with Greyhound bus,
SAN-ORD UA in F, first time in my life
ORD - 4 nights at the Westin and the Seneca, way better than youth hostel, I love that town! Museums, architecture, comedyclubs, it was just a blast!
ORD-Detroit - gotten picked up by a friend who visited me in spring, a horse breeder. We went that day to the largest horsesale of that breed in Ohio, the first time I have seen Amish, and not only seen them but have been surrounded by them and gotten to talk to them.
Detroit-SEA - another friend (also horse person) picked me up and drove me to Leavenworth where she has a restaurant.
SEA - 1,5 days sightseeing there
SEA-ORD again in UA F, the rest of the trip in Y back home.
May 27, 2003 | 10:32 am
#21
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
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Ah, what a question. I quit my job on a buyout offer providing about a year's income with the intent to take a traveling sabbatical for about that time (though I stretched and stretched, being such a travel addict).
Anyway, lots of trips now to look back on, but I think the zenith was a monthlong trip I did some six years ago through Indonesia. Just got to Jakarta and tried to make it up as I went along. After Jakarta, flew a 2-stop red-eye to Ambon (center of the old "Spice Islands") and then took a 3-day passenger boat liner eastward, trip making two stops and landing in Jayapura (western side of New Guinea island). From there, with some fuss I got a cargo plane to the Baliem Valley - a beautiful place with native peoples known only to the outside world since 1954. Planes were the only way in/out. Very different culture, beautiful climate, biggest crawfish I've ever seen for dinner, & few outsiders.
Flew back to Ambon from Jayapura after that and took the boat to the Bandas (former nutmeg center of the world, littered with forts). Place had barely changed since the Dutch left. Again, few outsiders, but one yachtie I met said it was what Jimmy Buffett really meant by so many of his songs.
To top it off, spent six days or so in Bali, which seemed like the bigtime after all I saw.
Was incredibly lucky to get all the transit to work out, and in the years since, sadly, both Maluku (Ambon, Bandas) and Irian Jaya (Baliem Valley) have had problems and are now on the "don't go there" advisories.
Other notable trips included Sri Lanka (especially Galle), Cambodia before the crowds arrived, Vietnam, Nepal, and places in Micronesia like Yap and Pohnpei. Also Jakarta on a separate time the week the rupiah crashed and suddenly I could afford just about anything (full meals with dessert at Planet Hollywood for $6, while it lasted).
[This message has been edited by RustyC (edited 05-27-2003).]
Anyway, lots of trips now to look back on, but I think the zenith was a monthlong trip I did some six years ago through Indonesia. Just got to Jakarta and tried to make it up as I went along. After Jakarta, flew a 2-stop red-eye to Ambon (center of the old "Spice Islands") and then took a 3-day passenger boat liner eastward, trip making two stops and landing in Jayapura (western side of New Guinea island). From there, with some fuss I got a cargo plane to the Baliem Valley - a beautiful place with native peoples known only to the outside world since 1954. Planes were the only way in/out. Very different culture, beautiful climate, biggest crawfish I've ever seen for dinner, & few outsiders.
Flew back to Ambon from Jayapura after that and took the boat to the Bandas (former nutmeg center of the world, littered with forts). Place had barely changed since the Dutch left. Again, few outsiders, but one yachtie I met said it was what Jimmy Buffett really meant by so many of his songs.
To top it off, spent six days or so in Bali, which seemed like the bigtime after all I saw.
Was incredibly lucky to get all the transit to work out, and in the years since, sadly, both Maluku (Ambon, Bandas) and Irian Jaya (Baliem Valley) have had problems and are now on the "don't go there" advisories.
Other notable trips included Sri Lanka (especially Galle), Cambodia before the crowds arrived, Vietnam, Nepal, and places in Micronesia like Yap and Pohnpei. Also Jakarta on a separate time the week the rupiah crashed and suddenly I could afford just about anything (full meals with dessert at Planet Hollywood for $6, while it lasted).
[This message has been edited by RustyC (edited 05-27-2003).]
May 27, 2003 | 10:38 am
#22
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 2,098
Hmm, that's an easy one. While I've had the opportunity to fly on Concorde twice, travel to many different countries and experience the various cultures and foods that those countries offered, I think my "Trip of a Lifetime" will be when I get to go to heaven.
May 27, 2003 | 11:26 am
#23
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Malta
Programs: LH HON, BA Gold, Bonvoy LT Titanium
Posts: 416
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by raffy:
Hmm, that's an easy one. While I've had the opportunity to fly on Concorde twice, travel to many different countries and experience the various cultures and foods that those countries offered, I think my "Trip of a Lifetime" will be when I get to go to heaven.</font>
Hmm, that's an easy one. While I've had the opportunity to fly on Concorde twice, travel to many different countries and experience the various cultures and foods that those countries offered, I think my "Trip of a Lifetime" will be when I get to go to heaven.</font>
May 27, 2003 | 11:26 am
#24
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
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Hard to pick one single trip, but these are my favorites:
My two one-month vacations...
- One month in Europe as a college student. A backpack, a couple of buddies, and not much money to speak of. Met a lot of great people that month - including a couple I still keep in contact with 10 years later.
- One month honeymoon: Hawaii, NYC, DC, and France. Done almost entirely with FF miles and hotel points.
And two odd ones...
- A grueling overnight roadie from Cardiff to St. Andrews to make an 11AM tee time on the Old Course.
- A 26.2-mile foot tour through the neighborhoods of New Orleans in February.
My two one-month vacations...
- One month in Europe as a college student. A backpack, a couple of buddies, and not much money to speak of. Met a lot of great people that month - including a couple I still keep in contact with 10 years later.
- One month honeymoon: Hawaii, NYC, DC, and France. Done almost entirely with FF miles and hotel points.
And two odd ones...
- A grueling overnight roadie from Cardiff to St. Andrews to make an 11AM tee time on the Old Course.
- A 26.2-mile foot tour through the neighborhoods of New Orleans in February.
May 27, 2003 | 1:21 pm
#25
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,085
May 27, 2003 | 5:18 pm
#27
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,467
My dream trip was spending three months traveling through South America and Africa in early 1998. The main spots I hit were Easter Island, Buenos Aires, Capetown, Victoria Falls, Lake Malawi, Zanzibar and the Seychelles.
May 27, 2003 | 5:25 pm
#28
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 5,284
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by thisworldtraveler:
My trip of a lifetime starts a week from Wednesday. I quit my job, leaving my apartment and I'm going to travel Europe and the rest of the world until the money runs out.</font>
My trip of a lifetime starts a week from Wednesday. I quit my job, leaving my apartment and I'm going to travel Europe and the rest of the world until the money runs out.</font>
May 27, 2003 | 6:04 pm
#29
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: No one cares
Posts: 7,618
two trips come to mind ~~
Taking my parents to Rome and London for my dad's 70th birthday. They had a hoot.
Going to Barrow for a long weekend with my taller half on bump tickets. We did the annual polar bear swim with all the locals and had a blast.
One trip I wish I had taken was leaving on September 22, 2001 for Iran to see my relatives. I hadn't been in over 30 years. Now it looks like it isn't happening.
Taking my parents to Rome and London for my dad's 70th birthday. They had a hoot.
Going to Barrow for a long weekend with my taller half on bump tickets. We did the annual polar bear swim with all the locals and had a blast.
One trip I wish I had taken was leaving on September 22, 2001 for Iran to see my relatives. I hadn't been in over 30 years. Now it looks like it isn't happening.
May 29, 2003 | 4:35 pm
#30
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Posts: 30
I have always wanted to go to Australia. I hear it is a beautiful country, I am a sucker for an Australian accent. Most of the men look like they could just ooze rugged, and the people seem so genuine.
But alas, it is so far away.
But alas, it is so far away.