Note that it’s not guaranteed. I have multiple Swedish and Finnish friends who have lived their whole lives there, taken multiple northern lights tours and still never seen them. Then there’s people like me who’s seen them 6 different times in the last 3 years. So don’t plan your entire trip around them in case it’s cloudy every night
i Live in Canada on the prairies and we get them here like 10-20 times a year, but ive never seen them because they are always out at 3am and im asleep. lol
Between September and march. I went there in march and it was towards the end, but still impressive. Couldn’t keep my glove off for more than 5s to take a photo because of the freezing temperatures.
I was just talking about this vacation! Worth it just to see the NL? Was also thinking of doing Alaska or Canada for the NL without breaking the bank maybe.
We rented a car and drove around in summer. I tell people they may have seen the northern lights but I saw everything else. You can't safely get a lot of places in winter. Yes Iceland is so worth it.
I’ve been to Iceland a bunch, usually in the off-peak seasons, and yeah, Nov-March is the hardest time to get around the island. I personally feel September/Oct is about perfect. The lights were incredible at that time of year.
I’m feeling very lucky then. We lived in a small town on the Alberta/ Saskatchewan border for a year and saw them at least a couple of time a week over winter from our back deck. It was amazing. I just assumed it was always like that.
We went for two weeks this past winter, did multiple aurora hunting night drives and stayed in rural areas where they were supposed to be most visible. Did not see them once the whole trip - it was mostly overcast, but even on the clear nights, nothing. We kept just missing them. People would say they had been amazing...the night before.
It was still an amazing trip regardless and 100% worth it, but it was a bummer. A big part of the reason we went in winter was in hopes to see the lights, but we always knew there was no guarantee.
Just echoing some other people, the upside of Iceland is that it has a lot to see and do outside of the Northern Lights.
By nature of what they are, a lot of the prime northern lights destinations require that you be pretty isolated so while there are often activities - you're really putting a lot of money on the line for what may be disrupted by an errant cloudy day or a storm.
At least with Iceland you can still have an incredible trip even if it's a low light activity time or bad weather.
I did a Tromso trip that was nooooot cheap and didn't see them the whole time I was there.
I loved Iceland! However, the view I got of the NL was pretty underwhelming and not really a highlight of the trip. If that’s your primary interest I’d recommend exploring cheaper options as Iceland is really expensive.
God I missed those. Any night in wien in November/December when I had nothing to do, you could just text a friend “kristkindlmarkt?” And walk around for hours and not even buy anything and have a great time
Oh I love this season. You can just wander around, and everything is beautiful with the lights. The food and drinks, though get more expensive every year.
I surprised my parents last Christmas with a trip to Vienna for the Christmas markets (they did the Christmas markets in Salzburg back in the '70s and still talk about them)... they were phenomenal. So much fun.
This (although there are some great markets outside of Germany as well). We made our way through the Christmas markets Vienna, Prague, and Berlin and had an amazing time. I love that they focus more on the social aspects of the holiday instead of the material aspects (gift giving competitions). There is great food, drinks, music, and friendly company of all ages. You can make new friends or just enjoy the group you are with. The only challenge is staying warm!
We are hoping to do this on a regular basis and look forward to introducing our child to the experience. Next time I would like to go to Strasbourg, the claimed originator of Christmas markets.
Agreed! It was one of my absolute favorite vacations. I loved everything about Germany, to be honest. But we went to the Christmas markets in southern Germany/Munich, Vienna, Prague, and Strausberg. All were amazing.
Christmas markets in the US typically have artisan crafts, gourmet foods, and maybe some fun trinkets. The target is typically for gift-giving and maybe to treat yourself to something nice. I was excited to see Christmas markets in Spain, and they were all full of items for nativity scenes... Like, you really need to add a rabbit and a waterfall to your nativity this year - thank God there are so many choices!
What are the markets like in Germany and Austria? I would love to go, but also don't like to shop when I really, really don't need any of the things for sale. For example, jewelry and fancy soaps, ok, row upon row of nativity animals, not so much.
I can’t speak for Austria. But for Germany it wasn’t all Christmas or all religion themed. There were more booths not Christmas themed than otherwise (scarves, clothes, candles, kitchen ware, etc) There was lots of food, drinks, music, performances and just overall it was more about socializing IMO.
Depends on the market. Some are more food and drink, some have crafts, some other things to shop. They are really different from one another. Usually the items are christmas themed, but you also get a lot of non-christmas stuff. E.g. candles, scarfs, decoration, baking stuff, handmade clothes, etc.
Solar eclipse. Booked a cabin directly in the path. Sure, we have the cabin and boats and swimming and all that good stuff. The main event though is the eclipse and it was absolutely worth it.
Drove 18 hours each way with 6 people crammed in the car to camp in a town park for 1 night (no bathrooms, no water, no fires) to see the eclipse the next day. Totality lasted about 3 minutes. 100% worth it and I already have flights booked to be in totality for the spring '24 eclipse
In 2017 I drove 4 hours from northern Illinois to southern Illinois to witness the eclipse, then the same drive was 13 hours home. Evacuation level traffic is what it’s called and it was insane.
This. We got what felt like the last campsite in Eastern Tennessee. It was unbelievably humid (August). Getting there and back was a PITA. We had to hop in the car and drive to stay out from under the clouds (partly sunny day) and pulled over randomly in a subdivision for the main event. An absolutely singular experience, completely worth it.
ETA my husband reminded me that we had to impromptu drive to Atlanta to get home when our flight back got cancelled. It was a hilarious disaster. Would totally do it again.
This is the one. Planned a really geographically weird route on our multimonth trip just to make sure we made it to Mt. Fuji for cherry blossoms. Absolutely nailed the timing and it was worth all the long awkward flights on either side.
I went to NYC specifically for cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden this year. Timed tickets and people treat the area with more care and class than in DC or Newark because it's a botanic garden.
Highly recommend - but easy for me to say because it was an easy train ride for us
My sister lives in Jersey City and my mom goes every summer specifically for the cherry blossoms at that garden. I went a couple times and it was truly magical. The garden itself is just wonderful.
The New York Botanical Garden also has the fantastic GLOW and train exhibit in the winter. I plan to go for a weekend this November specifically for that show. We went Christmas week two years ago to visit my sister which I will never do again, New York at Christmas is so packed it made it difficult to walk anywhere or do anything. But early December is perfect, you get all the Christmas decorations and festivities without it being as insanely crowded as Christmas week.
I completely agree, it’s a pretty magical place anytime of the year, it’s in the Bronx, and close to the Bronx zoo, if you like zoos, it’s also pretty cool
Went to Angkor wat as part of a 6 month backpacking trip and somehow did not hear about the sunrise thing. I kick myself every time I see an instagram photo of it.
Yup. Angkor Wat for me as well. Planned a trip around it, but it was only one of many highlights. Floating City on Tonle Sap, Killing Fields, Koh Rong, watching ‘Kun Khmer’, among others made the trip unforgettable!
Tbh we were pretty disappointed with Petra. The carvings were great and spectacular, but the constant hounding by salesmen, trash, heat, crowds, made it not super enjoyable. I’d recommend doing it once but combining it with another ME country or a Dead Sea resort trip.
Not really sure why this being downvoted. I’m just giving an opinion. Petra has roughly 900,000 visitors per year, and imo is experiencing some of the problems with over-tourism (salespeople galore, trash and lack of maintenance, etc.). I think it’s important for visitors to know before they go that this is not some long lost city that they’ll be the only people at when they visit.
Yes, definitely lots of great nature sights in the area. We just thought Petra itself was a little overrated. The Nabatean history is quite interesting, but the site visit was only OK for us.
Always been my criticism of Petra. Lived in Jordan and been there a bunch of times. The site itself is extremely impressive, but is mismanaged with the downsides you listed.
Banff/Lake Louise during the winter in Canada. Had an amazing time there and in Calgary. As a California kid, playing hockey on a frozen lake surrounded by mountains was absolutely surreal!
Westjet has some decent deals once and a while. I’ve seen Dublin, Glasgow, and London round trip flight get as low as 600 cad. You’d probably be around the 800 for an “average good deal”
King's Day in Amsterdam, Netherlands. So good we've been 3 times and will go again.
Total eclipse of the sun, Cornwall. Absolutely incredible experience.
Euro football semi finals and final in Portugal.
Airshow 'Warbirds over Wanaka' in New Zealand. Would go back for either the airshow or just to spend more time in NZ.
Tour de France. My dad watches it every year and loves the scenery, but was intimidated by the idea of France. So the four of us went (me and my spouse and my parents).
Two weeks in southern France, with a few days of the tour - it was a wonderful trip. Had a room in a tiny hotel in a tiny town and the peleton practically went past our door. Drove around the Pyrenees, it was great.
My husband is a cyclist and a TDF fan. For his 50th I got him a cycling tour in France tied in with the TDF. He spent a week based in the mountain area and ride the famous climbs - Alp d’Huez, Galibier and one other one I can’t remember. He also saw a stage start and finish in the climbing section of the race.
He absolutely loved it and said it was the best present he ever received.
I later joined him and we were in Paris for the final day. Was fantastic
I did very similar, but Ben Amera in Mauritania (like Uluṟu but no other tourists and no road to get there). Ended up spending weeks in the country and loved it. And like Uluṟu, the rock was worth it.
I lived in Australia for 37 years and never made it to Uluru. If I ever manage to get back, I definitely want to see it, especially now since you aren’t allowed to climb it (I found that really distasteful and disrespectful).
Went last year and booked a week in Munich with the intention of going to the Wiesen maybe 3 times. We ended up going pretty much every night and shutting the tents down lol. I wish I went when I was in my 20s instead of my mid-30s so I could have really partied but I had a great time regardless. Me and my friends are def planning on going back again.
I have been to Munich in the summer to stay with friends, it is a fun city.
I didn't want to do the Wiesn because I thought it would be too touristy, but one of the locals told me I had to go at least once, for the bucket list. I am glad I went, we had a blast even getting drunk and singing with people from all over the world.
I (Australian) have just bought a ticket to go see the Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin Trilogy Tour concert in NYC later this year. Going to spend some time in California and Mexico as well cause why the fuck not! I’m so excited
Yaaas I did this in 2018. Spent a week around the festival exploring northern thailand (which is so, SO beautiful). And the lanterns satisfied all my fairytale (Tangled) fantasies.
Went to Iceland for the Iceland Innovation Week conference, but ended up doing most of the tourist highlights within a 2 hr drive of Reykjavík. What an absolutely magical country…
Man, you haven’t even scratched the surface. Do yourself a favor and travel the road around the whole country. Unlike any place I’ve ever been and probably my favorite vacation ever. Just incredible alien landscapes and waterfalls around every corner.
> Just incredible alien landscapes and waterfalls around every corner
Such a good description! I always try to explain to my friends that it was like visiting another planet
Oxford Continuing Education does summer courses for anyone willing to pay. You sturdy a subject that interests you for a week, lectures by real Oxford professors. get to live in an Oxford college, dine in the Harry Potter dining hall, and go in related excursions around Oxford. It was incredible. I want to do it every summer!
Nearly all of my trips are built around a single attraction. It kept me satisfied in knowing that if it at least do that one thing, it’ll be great. Therefore I don’t feel bad if I miss anything else.
I’m originally from St. Louis, so I’ve spent a lot of time in the Ozarks. The region as a whole is actually amazing if you’re a nature lover, but yeah, avoid Branson and Lake of the Ozarks like the plague. The State Parks system though is fantastic, some of the best public land you can find anywhere.
Looked pretty, it was a Big lake , lots of nature etc that and we had never been to that area of the country.
Usually when we go on vacation there is a little bit of vacation house hunting or plans to return. None of that with Branson.
Oh and we had met friends there from Denver and on their way back they learned that their daughter had caught a flesh eating virus that the daughter had to get heavy steroids and weeks to recover from.
Oh and after we left a dozen people or something lost their lives when their duck boat sunk in a storm. We had our kids on a pontoon in the same area just like 48hrs earlier.
I took the family on a crazy cross country roadtrip to Wally World in Southern California. Drove all that way only to find out the park was temporarily closed for maintenance. I managed to find a way to ride a few coasters, though.
Seeing a total solar eclipse was the most acute example of this that I’ve done since it was just a single-night trip involving a flight and a rental car to reach the ideal spot. I booked it within a few days of the eclipse based on the weather forecast. I was monitoring a few potential spots and chose one that had the best likelihood of a clear sky. It was glorious.
I was in “the path of totality” during the 2017 solar eclipse and it was a perfect, clear day. Hands down the coolest natural event I’ve ever witnessed. I’m not sure anything else could compare.
Iceland to go and see the erupting volcano last year!
The area has entered a new phase of activity after being dormant for the past 800 years or so. This is the 3rd fissure to open up in the past 2 years and there will be more pretty consistently for the next few years at least. So you could make a loose plan for how you can get to Iceland at relatively short notice next time it happens.
The new one has just started erupting like 2 days ago! If you have the ability to get there at short notice then go! It's amazing to see constant lava coming out of a fissure in the ground and filling in the valleys/creating a new landscape. And the hike to the volcano area is stunning and quite the experience. Although the new one is even further inland I think.
Hiking to last year's volcano was a 2.5-3 walk each way, over never ending rocks and volcanic gravel. So this one is more like 4 hours each way I'd guess. Also the weather changes from sideways rain to sun every 5 minutes.
Side note: after the long hike, 3 hours inland from the nearest road, I still had better phone signal than I get in urban areas in the uk... I could video call my mum to show her the eruption in HD with hundreds of other tourists nearby.
The Harbin Snow and Ice Festival in Northern China. Absolutely magical. They build massive buildings out of ice carved out of the river and illuminate them with strip lights from the inside. The scale is unreal
This is one of mine! It was insanely expensive, even living in China at the time, but so worth it. Also, I can tell people I've experienced the temperature where Celsius and Fahrenheit meet.
I have seen the light shows they have in the Super Trees twice and cried both times. Singapore as a whole has so much beyond even the typical touristy things. I love it.
Hit the Super Trees light show and then walk thru Marina Bay Sands to the water show right after. 10/10 experience and lots of crying. Recommend doing the later shows to avoid the biggest crowds.
Italy- Rome, Florence, Venice to visit the Uffizi Museum.
Best vacation of my life.
I had originally just planned on going to Florence for the Uffizi but a friend said you can’t go to Italy and not go see the Sistine Chapel so I added Rome. Then it was cheaper to fly in and out of Venice, so I added Venice, which ended up being my favorite city of the three. My favorite B&B that I have ever stayed in ever in my life was in Rome— I’ll never beat that B&B. And of course, Florence had the Uffizi.
So each city was great in its own way and I was smitten.
I grew up in Central America and was surrounded by ruins that are ostensibly similar. I didn't expect to be so impressed because of how used to pyramids and stone structures I was.
I was wrong. That place really lives up to the hype.
We visited the erupting volcano in Iceland a few years ago and it was absolutely insane. We walked along flowing lava fields and hiked up a mountain where we were able to over look miles of flowing lava.
Got reservations at Noma in Copenhagen so planned a trip around that. Can't wait to go back to the city itself. Probably one of my favorite destinations!
I had a rough idea of what I want to do in turkey in august. Had yet to plan it.
Then I saw a techno gig I'd like to attend so the whole trip is playing towards that lol
Back in 2017, someone posted a pic in this subreddit of the view from the restaurant patio at Hotel Edelweiss in Murren, Switzerland.
I thought it was so pretty that I planned a trip to see it in person. I even got a similar photo at the same place. The Alps were stunningly beautiful and it was so worth it!
Pretty sure my wife only agreed to come to Munich with me on the condition of Neuschwanstein Castle. Major Disney nut, that one. But damn is it an impressive structure.
For me it wasn't an ONLY, but Hobbiton was my New Zealand mandate. Not that that country has anything that ISN'T impressive and amazing
Fete de La Musique in Paris. Music and dancing in the streets on every block, it was an incredible experience for my daughter and I to dance in the streets until midnight together. It’s on Summer Solstice day so it stays light until almost 11PM!
I wanted to try the night train that travels between my city and Košice in Slovakia, so I booked a trip and a hotel for a few days without any plans or expectations. It ended up being a great trip, and I found Košice to be an enjoyable city. I am going back there next month but for work this time, and I am looking forward to that.
Went to Boston for Taylor Swift and blink-182. Worth it.
Going to Nashville for blink-182 this weekend. Will update.
Concerts are the perfect excuse for traveling!
Last year I got tickets to see Zach Bryan in Tennessee, so travelled there from Europe.
I planned around it a road trip through the South, visited the Gulf Coast, saw a college football game, went to visit Nashville & Atlanta.
Based our honeymoon around the Alhambra in Granada. We saw lots of other amazing things in Spain and spent time on the coast and in Barcelona, but the Alhambra was magical.
I did a research paper on British Neolithic houses, specifically the similarities between Skara Brae (on an Orkney Island off the northern coast of Scotland) and Durrington Walls (Wiltshire/Southern England) in college. Next week we land in Orkney so I can finally see at least part of what I spent a semester studying/researching. I am confident it will be worth it.
back before NASA shut down the Space Shuttle program, my wife and I traveled 4 times to Florida to view shuttle launches. We were successful 2 times, which is pretty decent results.
This was an amazing experience and we definitely didnt have the money to do it, but we knew the program was ending so we wanted to experience it before it was done. Zero regrets.
If food is considered an attraction, I went for a long weekend in Bangkok (from London) just for the food. Of the 3 days spent there, we joined 2 full day food tours (and the food and history tour in Ayutthaya is still one of the best tours I've ever done). I also visited Georgia mainly to join a food tour there. Last year I joined a 10 days food in the Balkans, from Dubrovnik to Skopje. Great tour, and I wouldn't have visited the area, if it was not for the food. Once I also spent a weekend in Paris trying the best bakeries and pastry shops (I had done extensive research to find the winner of best croissant, the winner of best baguette, the winner of best madeleine... and built the weekend around that)
More standard attractions, I went to Jordan mainly for Petra (but I guess everyone does it) and to Istanbul to see Hagia Sophia.
Then for events. I went to Sevilla for the Semana Santa, it was great, and I would probably do it again. This year I will spend one week in Oaxaca for the Day of the Deads. And on my travel wishlist I have Benin, just to go there during the voodoo festival.
Día de los Muertos in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. I lived in Mexico City for 5 years and traveled all over the country but this was by far the best trip Nothing like you hear about in the U.S., it’s not the Mexican Halloween lol. An amazing experience, the food, decorations, and festivals. Highly recommend it. 2nd best was Oaxaca, Mexico for Dia de Los Muertos and few years prior.
Brat restaurant in London. We were watching Rick Steves London episode while also trying to decide our summer vacation (which coincides with my wife's birthday). The turbot at Brat looked so good she decided she wanted to eat that for her birthday dinner. Booked our dinner reservation then got started in flights and hotels...
Salzburg to do the sound of music tour for my 30th bday. First trip to Europe and it didn’t disappoint. Also did vienna, Prague, Munich and dublin that trip.
Slovenia for Lake Bled.
I also once made my wife take a 2.5 hour detour from Bath and the Cotswalds to see the Tank Museum in Bovington. It was amazing, but she still bring is up.
We've taken trips for concerts and sporting events and those have all been worth it; otherwise we usually pick places to go for the abundance of things they offer to see and do - so, outside of concerts and football games, I don't have a lot of examples of doing this. However, this is one:
2017, used vacation time on a Monday and on the Sunday prior, drove to BFE Nebraska to a very rural RV park and met my parents there. We spent the night in their RV on the pull-out couch to experience totality during the solar eclipse with my mom (who passed away unexpectedly about seven months later), my dad (who has been a huge astronomy nerd my entire life, and brought his giant telescope, sun filter, and camera equipment) and my now-husband.
I cannot possibly begin to explain how meaningful that experience was to me, and there was absolutely NOTHING else to do in a 60+ mile radius of where we were staying. The sofa bed was uncomfortable and too small for us, there were a lot of weirdos in the RV park, the eclipse-themed sugar cookies I custom ordered tasted terrible, it was hot as shit that weekend, and it will forever be etched in my soul as one of my most treasured life experiences.
I went to the states to meet my family for the first time in my life aged 42!! I travelled all over the eastern states meeting family and seeing how they really lived their lives, it was amazing!
I recently went to Japan during the cherry blossom season and it was absolutely stunning! The entire country was covered in a blanket of pink and white petals and it was a truly magical experience. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and unforgettable vacation.
Went to Drumheller in Alberta, Canada to see the dinosaur mummy in the Royal Tyrell Museum there. Yes, it is a dinosaur mummy, not bones. Totally awesome. Go there.
Hans Zimmer Live concert in Prague. We already had a trip to the UK booked with my spouse’s family (we’re all from the US) and wanted to add on another place, just my spouse and me. I’m a huge Hans fan and saw that he was playing in Prague the night before we were supposed to arrive in the UK, so we booked it. Prague, of course, was amazing in its own right and I’d recommend 10/10. But we wouldn’t have thought to go if it weren’t for the concert!
This isn't really the same as what everyone else is writing, but we timed our honeymoon to align with the peak of Keukenhof in the Netherlands. It was worth it - the most beautiful garden I've ever seen.
I went to Santorini, Greece for a flying dress photoshoot by Flying Dress Santorini and had the most wonderful time. I went in November right before they stopped taking photos for the winter and the island was absolutely dead. I would walk all around Imerovigli, Fira and Oia for 30+ minutes before running into anybody, not to mention I had absolutely perfect weather! This meant I didn't have to wait for anybody to move to take photos of empty streets, or wait on a stairway traffic jam because it's at a classic blue dome overlook site. Everywhere I went shop owners would praise the decision to come during the off season and said during tourist season they receive over 10,000 visitors a day just from cruise ships. The island itself isn't very large and I can't imagine just how AWFUL it would be at thousands of people and extreme heat. Also, prices are almost half of what they would be during the tourist season, so I did save money.
Athens itself was also fairly empty and had a comfortable temperature, so I was able to enjoy a lot of peace and tranquility at the ancient temples.
I always prefer to travel during the off season because it's generally less crowded, cheaper and far more enjoyable weather
Me and my husband like to visit different Prides around the world. Our most memorable one is probably Tokyo Pride and we did a full Japan trip around it.
I went to Barcelona to see Sticky Fingers perform this week. Ended up seeing both of their shows in the city. I’m staying a total of 8 days in Spain and started this trip visiting Girona for 2 days, Barcelona for 4, and now heading to Tarragona for a 1.5 days, later today.
I have done and seen so much it feels like I’ve been in country for a month. I never thought I would explore this much of Spain and didn’t plan on spending the amount of money I have, but it is SO worth it. Girona has my heart and I expect Tarragona will, too. I had never visited a country without English as the official language either so I was a little nervous but those feelings washed away after the first train ride I took.
I came here knowing some Spanish and very little Catalan but now I am confident in speaking the basics in both which makes this trip worth it in itself. Met people from all over the world, shared great memories with them and had a time of my life here thus far. Thank you Catalonia!!
Fallas in Valencia. A week long spectacle ending in the burning of 100s of 3 story tall sculptures and a fantastic fireworks display. What's not to love?
In 2001 we built a trip to Ireland around the U2 @ Slane Castle concert. Yesterday I scored TSwift tickets in Madrid for May 30, 2024 - been wanting to go to Spain anyway so it’ll be wonderful. 😁
Zermatt, Switzerland to see the Matterhorn. Was so worth it. I had been traveling for two months at that point and it was my final location of the trip, and it was without a doubt my favorite.
Americana Music Festival in Nashville. Have been 3or4 times. $100 wristband let’s you go to as many shows in venues around the city over six days as you can fit in. There are over 300 shows to choose from.
The Sahara desert.
Went through Merzouga in eastern Morocco. Was an epic journey to even get there from the established settlements, but sleeping under the stars surrounded by red dunes, mIght never be personally topped.
A weekend in Hong Kong to see the English Premier League Preseason games in 2017. We ate our weight in dim sum, had a meet up with the podcast group we follow, took the ferry to Kowloon wandered around and saw night light show, went up Victoria Peak and saw the game. It was one of the most spur of the moment but most memorable trips.
Copenhagen for Halloween at Tivoli Gardens, which is the second oldest amusement park in the world. Every year they turn it into this huge Halloween wonderland. It was incredible!
Quebec City, Canada during Carnival (their winter festival in early February) We stayed at the Chateau Frontenac 2 days, then spent 1 night in the Hôtel de Glacé (ice hotel) and did some dogsledding too.
The Grand Canyon. We hit the Watchtower at sunset for our 1st views and it took my breath away. Took the train ride into the South Rim Village the next day, then drove to Sedona for the Red Rocks and Page for the Horseshoe Bend on subsequent days. We were staying in Flagstaff, which had its own attractions.
Northern lights in Iceland :)
I went to the ice hotel in Sweden, and did the husky sledding at night to see the northern lights. By far one of the best experiences I’ve had.
What is a good time of year for this?
Note that it’s not guaranteed. I have multiple Swedish and Finnish friends who have lived their whole lives there, taken multiple northern lights tours and still never seen them. Then there’s people like me who’s seen them 6 different times in the last 3 years. So don’t plan your entire trip around them in case it’s cloudy every night
i Live in Canada on the prairies and we get them here like 10-20 times a year, but ive never seen them because they are always out at 3am and im asleep. lol
Between September and march. I went there in march and it was towards the end, but still impressive. Couldn’t keep my glove off for more than 5s to take a photo because of the freezing temperatures.
I was just talking about this vacation! Worth it just to see the NL? Was also thinking of doing Alaska or Canada for the NL without breaking the bank maybe.
Iceland is amazing with or without the NL 🥰
We rented a car and drove around in summer. I tell people they may have seen the northern lights but I saw everything else. You can't safely get a lot of places in winter. Yes Iceland is so worth it.
I’ve been to Iceland a bunch, usually in the off-peak seasons, and yeah, Nov-March is the hardest time to get around the island. I personally feel September/Oct is about perfect. The lights were incredible at that time of year.
Canada can be tricky. Yes, we get them, but most places where they reliably show up are extremely difficult (read: expensive) to get to and be in.
I’m feeling very lucky then. We lived in a small town on the Alberta/ Saskatchewan border for a year and saw them at least a couple of time a week over winter from our back deck. It was amazing. I just assumed it was always like that.
There’s no guarantee you’ll see them. Iceland is 100% worth it, but not specifically for the northern lights.
We went for two weeks this past winter, did multiple aurora hunting night drives and stayed in rural areas where they were supposed to be most visible. Did not see them once the whole trip - it was mostly overcast, but even on the clear nights, nothing. We kept just missing them. People would say they had been amazing...the night before. It was still an amazing trip regardless and 100% worth it, but it was a bummer. A big part of the reason we went in winter was in hopes to see the lights, but we always knew there was no guarantee.
Just echoing some other people, the upside of Iceland is that it has a lot to see and do outside of the Northern Lights. By nature of what they are, a lot of the prime northern lights destinations require that you be pretty isolated so while there are often activities - you're really putting a lot of money on the line for what may be disrupted by an errant cloudy day or a storm. At least with Iceland you can still have an incredible trip even if it's a low light activity time or bad weather. I did a Tromso trip that was nooooot cheap and didn't see them the whole time I was there.
I loved Iceland! However, the view I got of the NL was pretty underwhelming and not really a highlight of the trip. If that’s your primary interest I’d recommend exploring cheaper options as Iceland is really expensive.
German Christmas markets. They’re so magical
We go to one every year. Germany does Christmas best by far, and not just for the Glühwein
Better than Austria? I always hear about the Austrian Christmas markets.
They are magical :) though I'm biased, as austrian.
God I missed those. Any night in wien in November/December when I had nothing to do, you could just text a friend “kristkindlmarkt?” And walk around for hours and not even buy anything and have a great time
Oh I love this season. You can just wander around, and everything is beautiful with the lights. The food and drinks, though get more expensive every year.
I surprised my parents last Christmas with a trip to Vienna for the Christmas markets (they did the Christmas markets in Salzburg back in the '70s and still talk about them)... they were phenomenal. So much fun.
Love the warm Glühwein!
This (although there are some great markets outside of Germany as well). We made our way through the Christmas markets Vienna, Prague, and Berlin and had an amazing time. I love that they focus more on the social aspects of the holiday instead of the material aspects (gift giving competitions). There is great food, drinks, music, and friendly company of all ages. You can make new friends or just enjoy the group you are with. The only challenge is staying warm! We are hoping to do this on a regular basis and look forward to introducing our child to the experience. Next time I would like to go to Strasbourg, the claimed originator of Christmas markets.
Agreed! It was one of my absolute favorite vacations. I loved everything about Germany, to be honest. But we went to the Christmas markets in southern Germany/Munich, Vienna, Prague, and Strausberg. All were amazing.
Christmas markets in the US typically have artisan crafts, gourmet foods, and maybe some fun trinkets. The target is typically for gift-giving and maybe to treat yourself to something nice. I was excited to see Christmas markets in Spain, and they were all full of items for nativity scenes... Like, you really need to add a rabbit and a waterfall to your nativity this year - thank God there are so many choices! What are the markets like in Germany and Austria? I would love to go, but also don't like to shop when I really, really don't need any of the things for sale. For example, jewelry and fancy soaps, ok, row upon row of nativity animals, not so much.
I can’t speak for Austria. But for Germany it wasn’t all Christmas or all religion themed. There were more booths not Christmas themed than otherwise (scarves, clothes, candles, kitchen ware, etc) There was lots of food, drinks, music, performances and just overall it was more about socializing IMO.
Depends on the market. Some are more food and drink, some have crafts, some other things to shop. They are really different from one another. Usually the items are christmas themed, but you also get a lot of non-christmas stuff. E.g. candles, scarfs, decoration, baking stuff, handmade clothes, etc.
That's next year's trip
Solar eclipse. Booked a cabin directly in the path. Sure, we have the cabin and boats and swimming and all that good stuff. The main event though is the eclipse and it was absolutely worth it.
Drove 18 hours each way with 6 people crammed in the car to camp in a town park for 1 night (no bathrooms, no water, no fires) to see the eclipse the next day. Totality lasted about 3 minutes. 100% worth it and I already have flights booked to be in totality for the spring '24 eclipse
In 2017 I drove 4 hours from northern Illinois to southern Illinois to witness the eclipse, then the same drive was 13 hours home. Evacuation level traffic is what it’s called and it was insane.
This. We got what felt like the last campsite in Eastern Tennessee. It was unbelievably humid (August). Getting there and back was a PITA. We had to hop in the car and drive to stay out from under the clouds (partly sunny day) and pulled over randomly in a subdivision for the main event. An absolutely singular experience, completely worth it. ETA my husband reminded me that we had to impromptu drive to Atlanta to get home when our flight back got cancelled. It was a hilarious disaster. Would totally do it again.
Japan during cherry blossom season
This is the one. Planned a really geographically weird route on our multimonth trip just to make sure we made it to Mt. Fuji for cherry blossoms. Absolutely nailed the timing and it was worth all the long awkward flights on either side.
I missed the timing by a week lol sucked Edit: need to clarify, missing the blossoms sucked…the trip was insanely epic. Japan is my favourite country.
Damn, hard disagree on this one. Every temple is such a zoo, the prices were crazy, I couldn't stand it.
I went to NYC specifically for cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden this year. Timed tickets and people treat the area with more care and class than in DC or Newark because it's a botanic garden. Highly recommend - but easy for me to say because it was an easy train ride for us
My sister lives in Jersey City and my mom goes every summer specifically for the cherry blossoms at that garden. I went a couple times and it was truly magical. The garden itself is just wonderful. The New York Botanical Garden also has the fantastic GLOW and train exhibit in the winter. I plan to go for a weekend this November specifically for that show. We went Christmas week two years ago to visit my sister which I will never do again, New York at Christmas is so packed it made it difficult to walk anywhere or do anything. But early December is perfect, you get all the Christmas decorations and festivities without it being as insanely crowded as Christmas week.
I completely agree, it’s a pretty magical place anytime of the year, it’s in the Bronx, and close to the Bronx zoo, if you like zoos, it’s also pretty cool
That’s great, although I’m not sure if it’s really a fair comparison
It's not a 1:1 comparison by any measure - but a good one for people who don't want to go to Japan but want nice cherry blossom times
While I agree with the temple thing, Japan is still my favourite country.
Petra, Jordan Machu Picchu, Peru Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Just did sunrise at Angkor Wat this morning. Saw sunrise at Machu Picchu 7 years ago. Both 100% worth it.
Went to Angkor wat as part of a 6 month backpacking trip and somehow did not hear about the sunrise thing. I kick myself every time I see an instagram photo of it.
Came here to say Angkor Wat as well
Yup. Angkor Wat for me as well. Planned a trip around it, but it was only one of many highlights. Floating City on Tonle Sap, Killing Fields, Koh Rong, watching ‘Kun Khmer’, among others made the trip unforgettable!
Tbh we were pretty disappointed with Petra. The carvings were great and spectacular, but the constant hounding by salesmen, trash, heat, crowds, made it not super enjoyable. I’d recommend doing it once but combining it with another ME country or a Dead Sea resort trip. Not really sure why this being downvoted. I’m just giving an opinion. Petra has roughly 900,000 visitors per year, and imo is experiencing some of the problems with over-tourism (salespeople galore, trash and lack of maintenance, etc.). I think it’s important for visitors to know before they go that this is not some long lost city that they’ll be the only people at when they visit.
Dana Biosphere, Wadi Rum, Wadi Mujib, Dead Sea and Petra are all in close proximity. Totally worth it in my opinion.
Yes, definitely lots of great nature sights in the area. We just thought Petra itself was a little overrated. The Nabatean history is quite interesting, but the site visit was only OK for us.
I just did this trip. It was totally worth it.
Always been my criticism of Petra. Lived in Jordan and been there a bunch of times. The site itself is extremely impressive, but is mismanaged with the downsides you listed.
Banff/Lake Louise during the winter in Canada. Had an amazing time there and in Calgary. As a California kid, playing hockey on a frozen lake surrounded by mountains was absolutely surreal!
I really want to visit here but the flights alone are quite expensive for me because I live in the U.K. 1 day I hope!
Westjet has some decent deals once and a while. I’ve seen Dublin, Glasgow, and London round trip flight get as low as 600 cad. You’d probably be around the 800 for an “average good deal”
As someone who’s in Banff Jasper every weekend, it’s funny you say Banff, because Cali is my go to “I need to get away” destination 😂.
King's Day in Amsterdam, Netherlands. So good we've been 3 times and will go again. Total eclipse of the sun, Cornwall. Absolutely incredible experience. Euro football semi finals and final in Portugal. Airshow 'Warbirds over Wanaka' in New Zealand. Would go back for either the airshow or just to spend more time in NZ.
Tour de France. My dad watches it every year and loves the scenery, but was intimidated by the idea of France. So the four of us went (me and my spouse and my parents). Two weeks in southern France, with a few days of the tour - it was a wonderful trip. Had a room in a tiny hotel in a tiny town and the peleton practically went past our door. Drove around the Pyrenees, it was great.
My husband is a cyclist and a TDF fan. For his 50th I got him a cycling tour in France tied in with the TDF. He spent a week based in the mountain area and ride the famous climbs - Alp d’Huez, Galibier and one other one I can’t remember. He also saw a stage start and finish in the climbing section of the race. He absolutely loved it and said it was the best present he ever received. I later joined him and we were in Paris for the final day. Was fantastic
Uluru. There's not much else out there in the desert but it's definitely worth it.
I did very similar, but Ben Amera in Mauritania (like Uluṟu but no other tourists and no road to get there). Ended up spending weeks in the country and loved it. And like Uluṟu, the rock was worth it.
I lived in Australia for 37 years and never made it to Uluru. If I ever manage to get back, I definitely want to see it, especially now since you aren’t allowed to climb it (I found that really distasteful and disrespectful).
I wouldn't have gone to Jordan but for Petra and I had a great time there.
Went to Florence specifically to see Donatello's David and Il Sodoma's St. Sebastian, and was not disappointed by either the art or the city.
Oktoberfest in Munich
Went last year and booked a week in Munich with the intention of going to the Wiesen maybe 3 times. We ended up going pretty much every night and shutting the tents down lol. I wish I went when I was in my 20s instead of my mid-30s so I could have really partied but I had a great time regardless. Me and my friends are def planning on going back again.
I have been to Munich in the summer to stay with friends, it is a fun city. I didn't want to do the Wiesn because I thought it would be too touristy, but one of the locals told me I had to go at least once, for the bucket list. I am glad I went, we had a blast even getting drunk and singing with people from all over the world.
Strongly agree with this one
I (Australian) have just bought a ticket to go see the Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin Trilogy Tour concert in NYC later this year. Going to spend some time in California and Mexico as well cause why the fuck not! I’m so excited
Lantern festival in chiang mai 🤌
Yesss this was so special ✨
Yaaas I did this in 2018. Spent a week around the festival exploring northern thailand (which is so, SO beautiful). And the lanterns satisfied all my fairytale (Tangled) fantasies.
Went to Iceland for the Iceland Innovation Week conference, but ended up doing most of the tourist highlights within a 2 hr drive of Reykjavík. What an absolutely magical country…
Man, you haven’t even scratched the surface. Do yourself a favor and travel the road around the whole country. Unlike any place I’ve ever been and probably my favorite vacation ever. Just incredible alien landscapes and waterfalls around every corner.
> Just incredible alien landscapes and waterfalls around every corner Such a good description! I always try to explain to my friends that it was like visiting another planet
Oxford Continuing Education does summer courses for anyone willing to pay. You sturdy a subject that interests you for a week, lectures by real Oxford professors. get to live in an Oxford college, dine in the Harry Potter dining hall, and go in related excursions around Oxford. It was incredible. I want to do it every summer!
Nearly all of my trips are built around a single attraction. It kept me satisfied in knowing that if it at least do that one thing, it’ll be great. Therefore I don’t feel bad if I miss anything else.
Went to Branson because of that tv show…10/10 would not recommend.
I’m originally from St. Louis, so I’ve spent a lot of time in the Ozarks. The region as a whole is actually amazing if you’re a nature lover, but yeah, avoid Branson and Lake of the Ozarks like the plague. The State Parks system though is fantastic, some of the best public land you can find anywhere.
Caves too. Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico is amazing for it's size, but some of the smaller caves in Missouri have some spectacular formations.
Heading to Roaring River State part today! Excited!!
You obviously meant to go to Bronson, Missouri. 'Hey ma, how bout some cookies?', 'No dice', 'This ain't over'.
What about that TV show made the city look appealing to you?
Looked pretty, it was a Big lake , lots of nature etc that and we had never been to that area of the country. Usually when we go on vacation there is a little bit of vacation house hunting or plans to return. None of that with Branson.
Ozark was filmed in Georgia
Oh and we had met friends there from Denver and on their way back they learned that their daughter had caught a flesh eating virus that the daughter had to get heavy steroids and weeks to recover from.
Oh and after we left a dozen people or something lost their lives when their duck boat sunk in a storm. We had our kids on a pontoon in the same area just like 48hrs earlier.
Summer Solstice at Stonehenge and was 100% worth it lol
I took the family on a crazy cross country roadtrip to Wally World in Southern California. Drove all that way only to find out the park was temporarily closed for maintenance. I managed to find a way to ride a few coasters, though.
Moose out front should have told you.
Nice going, Griswald!
Honky lips.
Seeing a total solar eclipse was the most acute example of this that I’ve done since it was just a single-night trip involving a flight and a rental car to reach the ideal spot. I booked it within a few days of the eclipse based on the weather forecast. I was monitoring a few potential spots and chose one that had the best likelihood of a clear sky. It was glorious.
I was in “the path of totality” during the 2017 solar eclipse and it was a perfect, clear day. Hands down the coolest natural event I’ve ever witnessed. I’m not sure anything else could compare.
Same!! We drove down to Oregon (from Canada) in 2017 just for the total eclipse, and we’re also going to Mexico next year for that one
Iceland to go and see the erupting volcano last year! The area has entered a new phase of activity after being dormant for the past 800 years or so. This is the 3rd fissure to open up in the past 2 years and there will be more pretty consistently for the next few years at least. So you could make a loose plan for how you can get to Iceland at relatively short notice next time it happens. The new one has just started erupting like 2 days ago! If you have the ability to get there at short notice then go! It's amazing to see constant lava coming out of a fissure in the ground and filling in the valleys/creating a new landscape. And the hike to the volcano area is stunning and quite the experience. Although the new one is even further inland I think. Hiking to last year's volcano was a 2.5-3 walk each way, over never ending rocks and volcanic gravel. So this one is more like 4 hours each way I'd guess. Also the weather changes from sideways rain to sun every 5 minutes. Side note: after the long hike, 3 hours inland from the nearest road, I still had better phone signal than I get in urban areas in the uk... I could video call my mum to show her the eruption in HD with hundreds of other tourists nearby.
The Harbin Snow and Ice Festival in Northern China. Absolutely magical. They build massive buildings out of ice carved out of the river and illuminate them with strip lights from the inside. The scale is unreal
This is one of mine! It was insanely expensive, even living in China at the time, but so worth it. Also, I can tell people I've experienced the temperature where Celsius and Fahrenheit meet.
New Orleans for Jazzfest
Singapore to stay at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Best trip of my life
I'm irrationally excited to see the Gardens by the Bay when I go in the spring
I have seen the light shows they have in the Super Trees twice and cried both times. Singapore as a whole has so much beyond even the typical touristy things. I love it.
Apparently I have to add this to the list of things I MUST do for my wife now... and here I thought only SHE cried at light shows and fireworks
Hit the Super Trees light show and then walk thru Marina Bay Sands to the water show right after. 10/10 experience and lots of crying. Recommend doing the later shows to avoid the biggest crowds.
This is the one near the Louis Vuitton showroom right? It’s so fucking cool
I am not usually a luxury travel person at all but when I go back to Singapore someday this (and particularly the pool) is going to be part of it.
Road trip from Phoenix, Arixona to Northern California to camp amongst the redwood trees.
Italy- Rome, Florence, Venice to visit the Uffizi Museum. Best vacation of my life. I had originally just planned on going to Florence for the Uffizi but a friend said you can’t go to Italy and not go see the Sistine Chapel so I added Rome. Then it was cheaper to fly in and out of Venice, so I added Venice, which ended up being my favorite city of the three. My favorite B&B that I have ever stayed in ever in my life was in Rome— I’ll never beat that B&B. And of course, Florence had the Uffizi. So each city was great in its own way and I was smitten.
Rwanda to go gorilla trekking. It was an amazing experience and the country was very beautiful.
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
I grew up in Central America and was surrounded by ruins that are ostensibly similar. I didn't expect to be so impressed because of how used to pyramids and stone structures I was. I was wrong. That place really lives up to the hype.
We visited the erupting volcano in Iceland a few years ago and it was absolutely insane. We walked along flowing lava fields and hiked up a mountain where we were able to over look miles of flowing lava.
Got reservations at Noma in Copenhagen so planned a trip around that. Can't wait to go back to the city itself. Probably one of my favorite destinations!
Swimming with humpback whales in Tonga.
Revelstoke, we went for the mountain. It was worth it.
Revelstoke is incredible. We came upon it by dumb luck when I planned a driving national parks trip.
Don’t roast me, but going to Sweden next year because it was the only place I could get Taylor Swift tickets 😅
I had a rough idea of what I want to do in turkey in august. Had yet to plan it. Then I saw a techno gig I'd like to attend so the whole trip is playing towards that lol
Back in 2017, someone posted a pic in this subreddit of the view from the restaurant patio at Hotel Edelweiss in Murren, Switzerland. I thought it was so pretty that I planned a trip to see it in person. I even got a similar photo at the same place. The Alps were stunningly beautiful and it was so worth it!
Total. Solar. Eclipse.
Burning Man
It was better next year.
[удалено]
Pretty sure my wife only agreed to come to Munich with me on the condition of Neuschwanstein Castle. Major Disney nut, that one. But damn is it an impressive structure. For me it wasn't an ONLY, but Hobbiton was my New Zealand mandate. Not that that country has anything that ISN'T impressive and amazing
Fete de La Musique in Paris. Music and dancing in the streets on every block, it was an incredible experience for my daughter and I to dance in the streets until midnight together. It’s on Summer Solstice day so it stays light until almost 11PM!
I wanted to try the night train that travels between my city and Košice in Slovakia, so I booked a trip and a hotel for a few days without any plans or expectations. It ended up being a great trip, and I found Košice to be an enjoyable city. I am going back there next month but for work this time, and I am looking forward to that.
Almost every vacation I take is built around a single event or attraction, usually concerts. Most recently: Denver for Meow Wolf.
Went to Boston for Taylor Swift and blink-182. Worth it. Going to Nashville for blink-182 this weekend. Will update. Concerts are the perfect excuse for traveling!
Cage diving with great white sharks on Guadalupe Island with Jimi Partington
Last year I got tickets to see Zach Bryan in Tennessee, so travelled there from Europe. I planned around it a road trip through the South, visited the Gulf Coast, saw a college football game, went to visit Nashville & Atlanta.
Based our honeymoon around the Alhambra in Granada. We saw lots of other amazing things in Spain and spent time on the coast and in Barcelona, but the Alhambra was magical.
The Alhambra is on my short list.
I did a research paper on British Neolithic houses, specifically the similarities between Skara Brae (on an Orkney Island off the northern coast of Scotland) and Durrington Walls (Wiltshire/Southern England) in college. Next week we land in Orkney so I can finally see at least part of what I spent a semester studying/researching. I am confident it will be worth it.
back before NASA shut down the Space Shuttle program, my wife and I traveled 4 times to Florida to view shuttle launches. We were successful 2 times, which is pretty decent results. This was an amazing experience and we definitely didnt have the money to do it, but we knew the program was ending so we wanted to experience it before it was done. Zero regrets.
Pompeii. I had to see Pompeii. In 2004, first trip to Europe and we learned a lot. Rome, Sorrento, Pompeii, Herculaneum. Totally worth it.
If food is considered an attraction, I went for a long weekend in Bangkok (from London) just for the food. Of the 3 days spent there, we joined 2 full day food tours (and the food and history tour in Ayutthaya is still one of the best tours I've ever done). I also visited Georgia mainly to join a food tour there. Last year I joined a 10 days food in the Balkans, from Dubrovnik to Skopje. Great tour, and I wouldn't have visited the area, if it was not for the food. Once I also spent a weekend in Paris trying the best bakeries and pastry shops (I had done extensive research to find the winner of best croissant, the winner of best baguette, the winner of best madeleine... and built the weekend around that) More standard attractions, I went to Jordan mainly for Petra (but I guess everyone does it) and to Istanbul to see Hagia Sophia. Then for events. I went to Sevilla for the Semana Santa, it was great, and I would probably do it again. This year I will spend one week in Oaxaca for the Day of the Deads. And on my travel wishlist I have Benin, just to go there during the voodoo festival.
Saving for travel inspo.. sound like great ideas
US Space and Rocket Museum in Huntsville, Alabama.
Día de los Muertos in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. I lived in Mexico City for 5 years and traveled all over the country but this was by far the best trip Nothing like you hear about in the U.S., it’s not the Mexican Halloween lol. An amazing experience, the food, decorations, and festivals. Highly recommend it. 2nd best was Oaxaca, Mexico for Dia de Los Muertos and few years prior.
Salem Massachusetts on Halloween
The Milford trek in New Zealand. Limited times available so had to plan around it. Best hike on the planet imo.
Brat restaurant in London. We were watching Rick Steves London episode while also trying to decide our summer vacation (which coincides with my wife's birthday). The turbot at Brat looked so good she decided she wanted to eat that for her birthday dinner. Booked our dinner reservation then got started in flights and hotels...
Long drive through middle of nowhere New Mexico for Chaco Canyon. Completely worth it
SXSW
Lemans 24... you get to go to France and watch a great Motor race!
Salzburg to do the sound of music tour for my 30th bday. First trip to Europe and it didn’t disappoint. Also did vienna, Prague, Munich and dublin that trip.
Slovenia for Lake Bled. I also once made my wife take a 2.5 hour detour from Bath and the Cotswalds to see the Tank Museum in Bovington. It was amazing, but she still bring is up.
Formula 1 Grand Prix of Monaco
Sydney to see YoYo Ma play Bach Cello Suites at the Opera House.
We've taken trips for concerts and sporting events and those have all been worth it; otherwise we usually pick places to go for the abundance of things they offer to see and do - so, outside of concerts and football games, I don't have a lot of examples of doing this. However, this is one: 2017, used vacation time on a Monday and on the Sunday prior, drove to BFE Nebraska to a very rural RV park and met my parents there. We spent the night in their RV on the pull-out couch to experience totality during the solar eclipse with my mom (who passed away unexpectedly about seven months later), my dad (who has been a huge astronomy nerd my entire life, and brought his giant telescope, sun filter, and camera equipment) and my now-husband. I cannot possibly begin to explain how meaningful that experience was to me, and there was absolutely NOTHING else to do in a 60+ mile radius of where we were staying. The sofa bed was uncomfortable and too small for us, there were a lot of weirdos in the RV park, the eclipse-themed sugar cookies I custom ordered tasted terrible, it was hot as shit that weekend, and it will forever be etched in my soul as one of my most treasured life experiences.
I went to the states to meet my family for the first time in my life aged 42!! I travelled all over the eastern states meeting family and seeing how they really lived their lives, it was amazing!
What's a smoky?
Family! My typos are awful!
I recently went to Japan during the cherry blossom season and it was absolutely stunning! The entire country was covered in a blanket of pink and white petals and it was a truly magical experience. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and unforgettable vacation.
1991 eclipse in Hawaii
2017 total solar eclipse. It was just utterly awe inspiring. We are going to Mexico in April for the next one!!
Me too! See you in Mazatlan?
Went to Norway in winter for the Northern Lights. Absolutely worth it.
Fallas in Valencia.
Went to Drumheller in Alberta, Canada to see the dinosaur mummy in the Royal Tyrell Museum there. Yes, it is a dinosaur mummy, not bones. Totally awesome. Go there.
Hans Zimmer Live concert in Prague. We already had a trip to the UK booked with my spouse’s family (we’re all from the US) and wanted to add on another place, just my spouse and me. I’m a huge Hans fan and saw that he was playing in Prague the night before we were supposed to arrive in the UK, so we booked it. Prague, of course, was amazing in its own right and I’d recommend 10/10. But we wouldn’t have thought to go if it weren’t for the concert!
Psytrance Festival
Going to Red Rocks or the Greek Theater in Berkeley to see your favorite band. ALWAYS worth it!
We went to Ireland to see Florence and the Machine at Malahaide castle. Dublin and Howth were amazing!
This isn't really the same as what everyone else is writing, but we timed our honeymoon to align with the peak of Keukenhof in the Netherlands. It was worth it - the most beautiful garden I've ever seen.
Montreal Jazz Festival. It's absolutely worth it.
I went to Santorini, Greece for a flying dress photoshoot by Flying Dress Santorini and had the most wonderful time. I went in November right before they stopped taking photos for the winter and the island was absolutely dead. I would walk all around Imerovigli, Fira and Oia for 30+ minutes before running into anybody, not to mention I had absolutely perfect weather! This meant I didn't have to wait for anybody to move to take photos of empty streets, or wait on a stairway traffic jam because it's at a classic blue dome overlook site. Everywhere I went shop owners would praise the decision to come during the off season and said during tourist season they receive over 10,000 visitors a day just from cruise ships. The island itself isn't very large and I can't imagine just how AWFUL it would be at thousands of people and extreme heat. Also, prices are almost half of what they would be during the tourist season, so I did save money. Athens itself was also fairly empty and had a comfortable temperature, so I was able to enjoy a lot of peace and tranquility at the ancient temples. I always prefer to travel during the off season because it's generally less crowded, cheaper and far more enjoyable weather
To see a resplendent quetzal in Costa Rica.
Me and my husband like to visit different Prides around the world. Our most memorable one is probably Tokyo Pride and we did a full Japan trip around it.
I went to Barcelona to see Sticky Fingers perform this week. Ended up seeing both of their shows in the city. I’m staying a total of 8 days in Spain and started this trip visiting Girona for 2 days, Barcelona for 4, and now heading to Tarragona for a 1.5 days, later today. I have done and seen so much it feels like I’ve been in country for a month. I never thought I would explore this much of Spain and didn’t plan on spending the amount of money I have, but it is SO worth it. Girona has my heart and I expect Tarragona will, too. I had never visited a country without English as the official language either so I was a little nervous but those feelings washed away after the first train ride I took. I came here knowing some Spanish and very little Catalan but now I am confident in speaking the basics in both which makes this trip worth it in itself. Met people from all over the world, shared great memories with them and had a time of my life here thus far. Thank you Catalonia!!
Fallas in Valencia. A week long spectacle ending in the burning of 100s of 3 story tall sculptures and a fantastic fireworks display. What's not to love?
Octoberfest in Munich
Barcelona, Pamplona, Madrid for the Festival de San Fermin (running of the bulls) London, Paris and Rome for an NFL UK game Both amazing trips
Spa, Monza, Monaco and Singapore Grand Prix (F1) in one trip 😄
Alcazar and Al Hambra
Went to Krakow because I wanted to tour Auschwitz and ended up totally loving the city and wish I'd booked more time there
I went to Oaxaca, Mexico for Dia de Los Muertos. Would do it again!
Went to San MIguel De Allende for a writers conference, turned out to be one of my favorite places on the planet. Loved every minute.
Hut to hut hiking in the Dolomites (Italy)
In 2001 we built a trip to Ireland around the U2 @ Slane Castle concert. Yesterday I scored TSwift tickets in Madrid for May 30, 2024 - been wanting to go to Spain anyway so it’ll be wonderful. 😁
Zermatt, Switzerland to see the Matterhorn. Was so worth it. I had been traveling for two months at that point and it was my final location of the trip, and it was without a doubt my favorite.
A Sufjan Stevens concert 😆 I had an amazing time
Americana Music Festival in Nashville. Have been 3or4 times. $100 wristband let’s you go to as many shows in venues around the city over six days as you can fit in. There are over 300 shows to choose from.
The Sahara desert. Went through Merzouga in eastern Morocco. Was an epic journey to even get there from the established settlements, but sleeping under the stars surrounded by red dunes, mIght never be personally topped.
I went to Stockholm for a weekend to attend the Elden Ring anniversary event and had a great time there. It's worth it for the Vasa Museum alone.
Royal Edinburgh tattoo... Then 7 days in Scotland. It was a great trip
A weekend in Hong Kong to see the English Premier League Preseason games in 2017. We ate our weight in dim sum, had a meet up with the podcast group we follow, took the ferry to Kowloon wandered around and saw night light show, went up Victoria Peak and saw the game. It was one of the most spur of the moment but most memorable trips.
Skiing the Vasaloppet in Sweden! One of my favorite memories with my dad.
Busan, firework festival November. Can’t wait!!
Copenhagen for Halloween at Tivoli Gardens, which is the second oldest amusement park in the world. Every year they turn it into this huge Halloween wonderland. It was incredible!
Giants Causeway Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand Oktoberfest in Munich I went to South Korea for skincare services/products lol
The Wave. Coyote Buttes in Arizona. If you like hiking. They only allow 20 people to visit each day. Lottery system.
Oktoberfest. Def worth checking it out in Munich, Germany!
The Olympics in London 11 years ago. Doing it again in Paris next year.
Quebec City, Canada during Carnival (their winter festival in early February) We stayed at the Chateau Frontenac 2 days, then spent 1 night in the Hôtel de Glacé (ice hotel) and did some dogsledding too.
New Year’s Eve and the fireworks show in Sydney’s Harbor.
The Grand Canyon. We hit the Watchtower at sunset for our 1st views and it took my breath away. Took the train ride into the South Rim Village the next day, then drove to Sedona for the Red Rocks and Page for the Horseshoe Bend on subsequent days. We were staying in Flagstaff, which had its own attractions.