Holiday (vacation) ideas.
Apr 15th 2008, 3:06 am
#16
In Orange County, CA.
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,210
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
As I live here, I am also going to recommend San Diego - beautiful beaches, lots of nightlife in the Gaslamp and Balboa Park with lots of museums and the zoo. The public transport is OK and most of our visitors manage to get around fine without needing a car.
The only thing I'd say about weather is if you want to spend time on the beach, July & August are much better than early summer. The locals here refer to 'June gloom' - days where the marine layer doesn't really burn off until later on in the day, if at all. The weather is still pleasant for most stuff but not necessarily for lying on the beach.
The only thing I'd say about weather is if you want to spend time on the beach, July & August are much better than early summer. The locals here refer to 'June gloom' - days where the marine layer doesn't really burn off until later on in the day, if at all. The weather is still pleasant for most stuff but not necessarily for lying on the beach.
Apr 15th 2008, 10:38 am
#18
Septic Sprout
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 7,993
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
True - but I now notice that he did day "within the US", so will now follow with remotely-helpful answer:
Key West? If you can get there without driving (not sure about flying or bussing in) then this place is fab. Shops and restaurants clustered together, atmospheric, and while the beaches aren't right next to town they're very close by (couple of miles) and the place we stayed had free bikes so we cycled to different beaches on different days.
Key West? If you can get there without driving (not sure about flying or bussing in) then this place is fab. Shops and restaurants clustered together, atmospheric, and while the beaches aren't right next to town they're very close by (couple of miles) and the place we stayed had free bikes so we cycled to different beaches on different days.
Apr 15th 2008, 11:58 am
#19
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 68,280
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
True - but I now notice that he did day "within the US", so will now follow with remotely-helpful answer:
Key West? If you can get there without driving (not sure about flying or bussing in) then this place is fab. Shops and restaurants clustered together, atmospheric, and while the beaches aren't right next to town they're very close by (couple of miles) and the place we stayed had free bikes so we cycled to different beaches on different days.
Key West? If you can get there without driving (not sure about flying or bussing in) then this place is fab. Shops and restaurants clustered together, atmospheric, and while the beaches aren't right next to town they're very close by (couple of miles) and the place we stayed had free bikes so we cycled to different beaches on different days.
Tshirt and ice cream parlor..
Apr 15th 2008, 12:14 pm
#20
Septic Sprout
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 7,993
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
Key West has nice, rambling tree-lined streets, quaint old wooden houses, gorgeous sunsets, nice party atmosphere in the evenings but more toned down than, say, New Orleans. We stayed in a really nice old B&B on a back-street for not too much money (tripadvisor is everyone's friend) - happened to be run by the nicest pooftas we ever met.
There's a good and a bad opinion to be had about anywhere - just depends what you focus on. Except Rhyl - now that's a shit hole.
Apr 15th 2008, 12:20 pm
#21
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 68,280
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
As is most of Florida?
Key West has nice, rambling tree-lined streets, quaint old wooden houses, gorgeous sunsets, nice party atmosphere in the evenings but more toned down than, say, New Orleans. We stayed in a really nice old B&B on a back-street for not too much money (tripadvisor is everyone's friend) - happened to be run by the nicest pooftas we ever met.
There's a good and a bad opinion to be had about anywhere - just depends what you focus on. Except Rhyl - now that's a shit hole.
Key West has nice, rambling tree-lined streets, quaint old wooden houses, gorgeous sunsets, nice party atmosphere in the evenings but more toned down than, say, New Orleans. We stayed in a really nice old B&B on a back-street for not too much money (tripadvisor is everyone's friend) - happened to be run by the nicest pooftas we ever met.
There's a good and a bad opinion to be had about anywhere - just depends what you focus on. Except Rhyl - now that's a shit hole.
I was there 24 hours and I was bored..but then I don't do bars ...
Last edited by Ray; Apr 15th 2008 at 12:32 pm.
Apr 15th 2008, 12:25 pm
#22
Unmitigated Gall
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: it's still too dark to tell
Posts: 16,162
Apr 15th 2008, 1:18 pm
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 98
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
So the summer is approaching, my first semester is drawing to a close and after a disappointing 3 days in Vegas during spring break, the other half and myself have decided that we would like to spend some of the summer, only about a week or so by the ocean.
We are ideally just looking to enjoy the beach and the ocean/sea but also a place which does have a few interesting things to see and do and where shops, resturants etc are reasonably close by or that as a decent public transport system (could be asking bit much I know. - since we have not decided weather or not to rent a car since it appears to cost an arm and a leg to so if you are under 25.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where we can go (within the U.S.)?
We are ideally just looking to enjoy the beach and the ocean/sea but also a place which does have a few interesting things to see and do and where shops, resturants etc are reasonably close by or that as a decent public transport system (could be asking bit much I know. - since we have not decided weather or not to rent a car since it appears to cost an arm and a leg to so if you are under 25.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where we can go (within the U.S.)?
I went to New Jersey last July and was expecting a big industrial type area but was surprised when I was taken to a sandy beach! The sea was warm enough to swim in too.
Apr 15th 2008, 2:19 pm
#25
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Aspen, CO
Posts: 9,845
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
As I live here I have to agree with the other posters. You can go from the Appalachian trail with some breathtaking scenery in the West of the state (that's where I am) over to the East where you have the Ocean and the beautiful coastline.
If you do come up this way and you see some guy on a Harley with the licence plate reading UK, give me a wave
watch out for the nutters in between though.
If you do come up this way and you see some guy on a Harley with the licence plate reading UK, give me a wave
watch out for the nutters in between though.
Apr 15th 2008, 2:46 pm
#26
I approved this message
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,425
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
I think NJ gets a bad reputation solely because of the stretch through the Meadowlands along the Garden State and Turnpike... but there's a reason they call it the Garden State.
Apr 15th 2008, 2:50 pm
#27
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,016
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
Hawaii.
My rationale is something like this. Hawaii is probably as far away as you can get from the UK, and quite likely the last place you'll get a chance to visit again should you go back to the UK. But from Denver it is a 6-8 hour flight, a shade longer than flying to the East Coast.
My rationale is something like this. Hawaii is probably as far away as you can get from the UK, and quite likely the last place you'll get a chance to visit again should you go back to the UK. But from Denver it is a 6-8 hour flight, a shade longer than flying to the East Coast.
Apr 15th 2008, 4:19 pm
#28
Banned
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Santa Monica,CA from Birmingham, UK
Posts: 18,402
Re: Holiday (vacation) ideas.
Central CA coast - Cambria, San Simeon and Paso Robles. Carmel and Monterey.
I'd recommend staying in Cambria which is an artist community on the coast. Nice little town close to the beach.
http://www.cambriachamber.org/scenery-pics.php
Drive along Highway 46 to Paso Robles for numerous wineries and tasting houses. You can probably do a tour from Cambria if you want to have a good tasting session ;
http://www.pasowine.com/wineries/map.php
A little further up the coast along scenic PCH is Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
William Randolph Hearst is the newspaper magnet made famous in Citizen Kane;
http://www.hearstcastle.org/
http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi
Grandfather of 60's figure Patty Hearst. Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and other silver screen stars would stay here as guests of Hearst in the 1930's.
A bit further up the coast is Monterey which has a great aquarium.
http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/
This is John Steinbeck country many of his Cannery Row characters were based on people in Monterey.
Finally just up from Monterey is Carmel-by-the -sea. Clint Eastwood was mayor here.
http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/
A little bit 'twee' with it's art showrooms and old ladies restaurants. But still worth a look. Especially for 17 mile drive ;
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/212...11732687pPlDXp
If you go in August the Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance car show would be worth visiting;
http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/
My wife and I made an extended version of this trip scenario up PCH and through Big Sur from Los Angles ( minus the car show as we were too early) and it is well worth the effort.
A bit of everything, scenery, boozing, good restaurants, history and beaches.
The drawback is that you will need to rent a car..............
I'd recommend staying in Cambria which is an artist community on the coast. Nice little town close to the beach.
http://www.cambriachamber.org/scenery-pics.php
Drive along Highway 46 to Paso Robles for numerous wineries and tasting houses. You can probably do a tour from Cambria if you want to have a good tasting session ;
http://www.pasowine.com/wineries/map.php
A little further up the coast along scenic PCH is Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
William Randolph Hearst is the newspaper magnet made famous in Citizen Kane;
http://www.hearstcastle.org/
http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi
Grandfather of 60's figure Patty Hearst. Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and other silver screen stars would stay here as guests of Hearst in the 1930's.
A bit further up the coast is Monterey which has a great aquarium.
http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/
This is John Steinbeck country many of his Cannery Row characters were based on people in Monterey.
Finally just up from Monterey is Carmel-by-the -sea. Clint Eastwood was mayor here.
http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/
A little bit 'twee' with it's art showrooms and old ladies restaurants. But still worth a look. Especially for 17 mile drive ;
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/212...11732687pPlDXp
If you go in August the Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance car show would be worth visiting;
http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/
My wife and I made an extended version of this trip scenario up PCH and through Big Sur from Los Angles ( minus the car show as we were too early) and it is well worth the effort.
A bit of everything, scenery, boozing, good restaurants, history and beaches.
The drawback is that you will need to rent a car..............
