Travel / Vacation thread

[Irish2155]

2008, last year for the original stadium. Knowing I've been a lifelong Yankees fan but never been, my sons & SIL surprised me with a road trip to NY on Memorial Day weekend. Hit a number of touristy sites and went to a Yankees game. I'm sitting there in between innings taking it all in, when I realize all of them are yelling, "Dad, look at the scoreboard". There it was on the board, "Yankees welcome my name". What a memory. Don't mind saying the spring pollen was making my eyes water a little. Enjoy the game.

That’s pretty awesome.

Think I’ve shared before that I got engaged at Fenway. The folks within the Red Sox org. was kind enough to display it on the Jumbotron for a little donation. It actually wasn’t as expensive as I had expected.

 

[irish4ever]

Planning on flying to Vegas and then starting out in Zion. Looking at nine days total to cover all five parks then flying back out of Vegas. Vegas isn’t a big deal for us so I don’t plan on spending really much time there. Want to try to squeeze in one day for the Grand Canyon ( is it possible or even worth hitting the South Rim from Zion in a day and then go to Bryce Canyon the next). As far as hiking we are a bit older so low to moderate is what we’re targeting. Also since the wife is with me camping is out. She’s got a lily white ass so it’s hotels along the way. Don’t mind paying up a bit for the convenience and time factor along the route. I’ve researched online for itineraries but would rather have someone with the actual experience of having done it provide more insight. Appreciate anything you can share.

My wife and I are planning to go to Utah this October to visit the Mighty 5 Nat'l. parks as well. Also planning to fit in a "B line" trip to the Grand Canyon but considering the North Rim for convenience (timewise). IF I can secure a couple of tickets to the BYU vs. ND game on 10/17, then I'm considering flying in and out of Provo, UT. Otherwise, probably do the in and out of Las Vegas. I've been to LV enough times to where we don't need to spend much time there, other than possibly catch a Raiders game (yes, I'm a Raiders fan 🫣), but would prefer the ND-BYU game of course.

 

[T Town Tommy]

I think 9 days for all, with the driving involved, is a bit aggressive, especially if you want to add South Rim.
I'd actually suggest leaving out Arches & Canyonlands (though they're both very cool) and doing a smaller loop, looking at inserting Escalante & Grand Staircase. In the latter, there's a cliff face where you can see umpteen million years worth of geological strata in one go...like a layer cake.
Good slot Canyons too...though depending on month, those can be dangerous with risk of flash floods.
Ultimately, your best bet is actually to look at lodging options along the route for whatever month, cuz they're few, and sell out quickly. Its been a mess since covid when the world discovered the NPs.That may determine which parks you can actually do. And in between the Big 5, there are National *Monuments* (Escalante, Grand Staircase etc), National Forests, BLM land and State Parks that are all gorgeous and worth visiting.
Do look into the Annual NP pass...more than 3 visits in a year and you're saving $.
Just outside Vegas is Valley of Fire, and it's a stunner too.

If you're a drinker, know that draft beer is 5%max in UT, though bottles can be much higher, and to get a decent cocktail, you wanna order with "flavoring". Vodka Tonic + lime Vodka flavoring gets you to normal for an extra 50 cents or so. Not all Restaurants are licensed to sell alcohol, not all bars sell food. In a restaurant, you must order *some* food to drink.

Bedtime now, might post more later.

Thanks for the info. I like the idea of maybe pairing down a bit and seeing the other sites you mentioned. And that’s interesting about the restaurants and bars.

I think 9 days is plenty especially if you're not hiking much. I haven't done the entire big 5 but I've done Bryce and Zion plus several other places around southern Utah and Nevada. We just went to Zion this past Thanksgiving. We did 2 full days there but we did a bunch of hikes. Easier hikes would be Lower Emerald Pool, Riverside Walk, and the Grotto Trail. If I remember correctly we saw a bunch of mule deer on the Grotto Trail. The Canyon Overlook is considered moderate but is an amazing view and there were several bighorn sheep just off the trail. We did a UTV tour in Kanab, UT that was pretty amazing. I'd definitely recommend that. Bryce Canyon is mostly scenic overlooks if you don't plan on doing any hikes. It can easily be done in half a day. It's absolutely worth it though. As far as the Grand Canyon goes, it's pretty out of the way. The north rim will be closed in mid-November and the south rim is a long drive, 5 hours or so, from Vegas or Zion. Valley of Fire is worth a visit. Lots of great scenery plus petroglyphs and more bighorn sheep.

Thanks. I think we might have to catch the Grand Canyon on another trip.

My wife and I are planning to go to Utah this October to visit the Mighty 5 Nat'l. parks as well. Also planning to fit in a "B line" trip to the Grand Canyon but considering the North Rim for convenience (timewise). IF I can secure a couple of tickets to the BYU vs. ND game on 10/17, then I'm considering flying in and out of Provo, UT. Otherwise, probably do the in and out of Las Vegas. I've been to LV enough times to where we don't need to spend much time there, other than possibly catch a Raiders game (yes, I'm a Raiders fan 🫣), but would prefer the ND-BYU game of course.

Have fun on your travels and I agree… ND- BYU would be a great game to take in.

 

[NDPhilly]

The whole Chelsea area is pretty sweet along the Hudson from Chelsea down to the West Village. Less craziness than the Madison Square Garden/Times Square areas, but still good activities and great food. Chelsea Market itself is worth checking out but don't get food inside as it's essentially an overpriced upscale mall. Some other activities worth while:

• Take a walk on the High Line
• Go to Bleeker Street area and get pizza from any of the joints
• Take the Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island if it's a nice day. It's totally free, and you get the best view of the Statue of Liberty without actually going to it. Don't stay in Staten Island though lol
• Depending on what Yankee game you go to, you may want to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and go to the Bronx Zoo beforehand. You don't want to go to the Bronx twice, but your kids will love the Bronx Zoo.
• Central Park is pretty cool just for the sheer size of it all surrounded by skyscrapers.
• The American Museum of Natural History is great family activity

I used to commute to NYC 2-3 days a week from 2018 until 2024. Have only been a handful of times since so I'm not the most up to date.

Great call. I work right off of Bryant Park and my advice is always to spend as little time around Penn Station / Times Square as possible. Really midtown in general. So many better neighborhoods to explore.

 

[notredomer23]

Headed to Italy next week for my honeymoon. Incredibly excited. Anyone have feedback on Sposi Novelli at the Vatican? Seems like once in a lifetime to have a very solid shot at meeting the Pope, but I have to admit I am not super pumped to be going in full wedding/formal attire the day after arriving to the Vatican at 6:30 AM for a general audience that starts 4 hours later, and just for a chance to meet Pope Leo. We're only in Rome for 2 nights and this is going to take up about a third of the time. Would we be better off just going to the normal general audience rather than arriving super early for the Sposi Novelli section? I still think we're gonna, but haven't gotten any feedback other than our priest and random people on the internet. So what better place to ask than some slightly less random people on the internet.

 

[calvegas04]

Just back from San Diego.... such a great city. Mexican food and beer everywhere you look.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

I'll be in Ireland in 72 hours!

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Headed to Italy next week for my honeymoon. Incredibly excited. Anyone have feedback on Sposi Novelli at the Vatican? Seems like once in a lifetime to have a very solid shot at meeting the Pope, but I have to admit I am not super pumped to be going in full wedding/formal attire the day after arriving to the Vatican at 6:30 AM for a general audience that starts 4 hours later, and just for a chance to meet Pope Leo. We're only in Rome for 2 nights and this is going to take up about a third of the time. Would we be better off just going to the normal general audience rather than arriving super early for the Sposi Novelli section? I still think we're gonna, but haven't gotten any feedback other than our priest and random people on the internet. So what better place to ask than some slightly less random people on the internet.

If it's important to you and your wife to receive a blessing from the Pope, then yes, I think you should do it.

If you're in Rome for two nights and it's just as important to site-see and take in as much as you can, maybe don't do it. I only got two nights in Rome years ago, and it didn't feel like enough, tbh.

Congrats on your wedding!

 

[FU BK]

Headed to Italy next week for my honeymoon. Incredibly excited. Anyone have feedback on Sposi Novelli at the Vatican? Seems like once in a lifetime to have a very solid shot at meeting the Pope, but I have to admit I am not super pumped to be going in full wedding/formal attire the day after arriving to the Vatican at 6:30 AM for a general audience that starts 4 hours later, and just for a chance to meet Pope Leo. We're only in Rome for 2 nights and this is going to take up about a third of the time. Would we be better off just going to the normal general audience rather than arriving super early for the Sposi Novelli section? I still think we're gonna, but haven't gotten any feedback other than our priest and random people on the internet. So what better place to ask than some slightly less random people on the internet.

See you in the wives and stupid shit they say/do thread soon....lol. Congrats on the wedding, would be a hell of a time over there....one day I'll get to Italy

 

[IRISHbluehen]

Headed to Italy next week for my honeymoon. Incredibly excited. Anyone have feedback on Sposi Novelli at the Vatican? Seems like once in a lifetime to have a very solid shot at meeting the Pope, but I have to admit I am not super pumped to be going in full wedding/formal attire the day after arriving to the Vatican at 6:30 AM for a general audience that starts 4 hours later, and just for a chance to meet Pope Leo. We're only in Rome for 2 nights and this is going to take up about a third of the time. Would we be better off just going to the normal general audience rather than arriving super early for the Sposi Novelli section? I still think we're gonna, but haven't gotten any feedback other than our priest and random people on the internet. So what better place to ask than some slightly less random people on the internet.

If it's important to you and your wife to receive a blessing from the Pope, then yes, I think you should do it.

If you're in Rome for two nights and it's just as important to site-see and take in as much as you can, maybe don't do it. I only got two nights in Rome years ago, and it didn't feel like enough, tbh.

Congrats on your wedding!

Wife and I went to Italy a couple years ago, still my favorite place I've ever been. I echo the same sentiment, if its important to you, you'll never have that opportunity again. But you will likely need at least an entire day each if you want to do the religious sites as well as the Roman history sites. Highly suggest making it to San Pietro in Vincoli (St Peter's chains) as well as the Scala Sancta (Holy Steps). I think I still have all of our favorites saved to my google maps should you need any recommendations! Florence and Milan as well.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

I'll be in Ireland in 72 hours!

Enjoy! Such a fun trip man. You'll love it there.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Just back from San Diego.... such a great city. Mexican food and beer everywhere you look.

Got to go there for a company retreat 4 years ago, agreed. Very cool city. And it's in the 70s practically all the time. Can't beat that

 

[RDU Irish]

Just back from San Diego.... such a great city. Mexican food and beer everywhere you look.

I still wonder if it was human or animal poop I stepped in last time I was in San Diego.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

I still wonder if it was human or animal poop I stepped in last time I was in San Diego.

Depending on where it was, it may have been both.

 

[IAIrish]

On vacation to Manitou Springs and trained to the summit of Pikes peak. Saw two other guys sporting ND (one osu jerkoff). Cuz we're bad and nationwide.

 

[calvegas04]

I still wonder if it was human or animal poop I stepped in last time I was in San Diego.

You were in TJ

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

On vacation to Manitou Springs and trained to the summit of Pikes peak. Saw two other guys sporting ND (one osu jerkoff). Cuz we're bad and nationwide.

Such a great town. My brother and SIL live in Colorado Springs and we spent an evening in Manitou. Loved it

 

[RDU Irish]

You were in TJ

Walking Little Italy to convention center - lovely watching the clean up crews work around all the vagrants, half of which were tripping balls at 7:30 AM. Good family friendly environment but hey - the weather amirite!

 

[calvegas04]

Walking Little Italy to convention center - lovely watching the clean up crews work around all the vagrants, half of which were tripping balls at 7:30 AM. Good family friendly environment but hey - the weather amirite!

Weird, we were in Little Italy to eat at Filippis and didn't see any homeless. There are some down by the sea walk but no more than any other large city.

 

[RDU Irish]

Weird, we were in Little Italy to eat at Filippis and didn't see any homeless. There are some down by the sea walk but no more than any other large city.

LOL - definitely on par with Denver in my experience. I'll take your word on other large cities being the same. Queenstown pub not far from there wafted urine smells through the open windows of the otherwise awesome experience. People placed their left over boxes on the ground next to the trash can on the street thinking there were homeless to feed in that area on the regular.

 

[calvegas04]

LOL - definitely on par with Denver in my experience. I'll take your word on other large cities being the same. Queenstown pub not far from there wafted urine smells through the open windows of the otherwise awesome experience. People placed their left over boxes on the ground next to the trash can on the street thinking there were homeless to feed in that area on the regular.

Denver is a terrible, we gave our leftovers to homeless there. Not even close to the same class as San Diego

 

[jerseyborn1971]

Quick Ireland vacation recap:

Family Ancestry Visit in Roscommon: Better than I expected.
Westport: By far our favorite part.
Galway: Overrated. Not much fun. The Spice Bag was one of the best things I've ever eaten though.
Dublin: Is Temple Bar a tourist trap? Yes. Is it actually more fun than the "cool, local" places. Also, yes.

The people of the US are much friendlier than the Irish. Yes, I know you're supposed to say stuff like that, but it's true. The coolest person we met was an electrician fixing the lights in the dungeon of a manor house we were touring in Westport.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Headed to Italy next week for my honeymoon. Incredibly excited. Anyone have feedback on Sposi Novelli at the Vatican? Seems like once in a lifetime to have a very solid shot at meeting the Pope, but I have to admit I am not super pumped to be going in full wedding/formal attire the day after arriving to the Vatican at 6:30 AM for a general audience that starts 4 hours later, and just for a chance to meet Pope Leo. We're only in Rome for 2 nights and this is going to take up about a third of the time. Would we be better off just going to the normal general audience rather than arriving super early for the Sposi Novelli section? I still think we're gonna, but haven't gotten any feedback other than our priest and random people on the internet. So what better place to ask than some slightly less random people on the internet.

Shoot I missed this a couple weeks back, but it sounds like everyone else steered you in the right direction. Let us know how the Sposi Novelli went as I'm supposed to be heading to an audience soon

 

[notredomer23]

Shoot I missed this a couple weeks back, but it sounds like everyone else steered you in the right direction. Let us know how the Sposi Novelli went as I'm supposed to be heading to an audience soon

We had a slight travel hiccup that prevented us from getting the Sposi Novelli tickets as there’s a small window to pick them up the day before. We still went to the general audience which was incredible. Europe’s going through a fierce heat wave but I’d say that’s one of the highlights of the trip so far. For the general audience you can get tickets on the Vatican website ahead of time. There’s plenty on Get Your Guide that you can pay to get prime positioning. The guides are literally camping in tents the night before to get a prime spot. If you need a spot for lunch or dinner within a stones throw of the Vatican, Arlu was very good and a decent place to cool off with hydro-fans.

After Rome we went to Tropea in Calabria which was my favorite place I’ve ever been in Italy. Food was incredible, beach was even better, and limited amount of Americans/Brits so it gives it a more authentic Italian experience. I had to brush off the cobwebs on 4 years of high school Italian to get by some places, but everyone couldn’t be more welcoming. This is the beach view from our hotel upon a cliff:



Clearest, cleanest water I’ve ever been in.

In Sorrento currently. It’s very nice but it has me missing the more authentic experience we had in Tropea.

 

[zelezo vlk]

We had a slight travel hiccup that prevented us from getting the Sposi Novelli tickets as there’s a small window to pick them up the day before. We still went to the general audience which was incredible. Europe’s going through a fierce heat wave but I’d say that’s one of the highlights of the trip so far. For the general audience you can get tickets on the Vatican website ahead of time. There’s plenty on Get Your Guide that you can pay to get prime positioning. The guides are literally camping in tents the night before to get a prime spot. If you need a spot for lunch or dinner within a stones throw of the Vatican, Arlu was very good and a decent place to cool off with hydro-fans.

After Rome we went to Tropea in Calabria which was my favorite place I’ve ever been in Italy. Food was incredible, beach was even better, and limited amount of Americans/Brits so it gives it a more authentic Italian experience. I had to brush off the cobwebs on 4 years of high school Italian to get by some places, but everyone couldn’t be more welcoming. This is the beach view from our hotel upon a cliff:

View attachment 3063803

Clearest, cleanest water I’ve ever been in.

In Sorrento currently. It’s very nice but it has me missing the more authentic experience we had in Tropea.

Ah shoot sorry to hear about the travel hiccups, but thanks for the tip on the general audience. My wife will make me go back for southern Italy so Tropea sounds right up our alley. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

 

[NDPhilly]

We had a slight travel hiccup that prevented us from getting the Sposi Novelli tickets as there’s a small window to pick them up the day before. We still went to the general audience which was incredible. Europe’s going through a fierce heat wave but I’d say that’s one of the highlights of the trip so far. For the general audience you can get tickets on the Vatican website ahead of time. There’s plenty on Get Your Guide that you can pay to get prime positioning. The guides are literally camping in tents the night before to get a prime spot. If you need a spot for lunch or dinner within a stones throw of the Vatican, Arlu was very good and a decent place to cool off with hydro-fans.

After Rome we went to Tropea in Calabria which was my favorite place I’ve ever been in Italy. Food was incredible, beach was even better, and limited amount of Americans/Brits so it gives it a more authentic Italian experience. I had to brush off the cobwebs on 4 years of high school Italian to get by some places, but everyone couldn’t be more welcoming. This is the beach view from our hotel upon a cliff:

View attachment 3063803

Clearest, cleanest water I’ve ever been in.

In Sorrento currently. It’s very nice but it has me missing the more authentic experience we had in Tropea.

Very cool, Sorrento was my favorite favorite spot i've been to so far in Italy. Wife and I stayed in the imperial hotel tramontano for our honeymoon. Definitely was a little more "touristy", but views were incredible and the access to Positano, Capri, Ischia, Naples, Pompei etc... made it an incredible base.

 

[notredomer23]

Very cool, Sorrento was my favorite favorite spot i've been to so far in Italy. Wife and I stayed in the imperial hotel tramontano for our honeymoon. Definitely was a little more "touristy", but views were incredible and the access to Positano, Capri, Ischia, Naples, Pompei etc... made it an incredible base.

That’s the hotel we’re at! We too chose Sorrento as more of a home base. Tomorrow is Capri. Day after Pompeii. I’m open to recommendations on what you prefer between Positano and Ischia. My guts telling me Ischia

 

[calvegas04]

We had a slight travel hiccup that prevented us from getting the Sposi Novelli tickets as there’s a small window to pick them up the day before. We still went to the general audience which was incredible. Europe’s going through a fierce heat wave but I’d say that’s one of the highlights of the trip so far. For the general audience you can get tickets on the Vatican website ahead of time. There’s plenty on Get Your Guide that you can pay to get prime positioning. The guides are literally camping in tents the night before to get a prime spot. If you need a spot for lunch or dinner within a stones throw of the Vatican, Arlu was very good and a decent place to cool off with hydro-fans.

After Rome we went to Tropea in Calabria which was my favorite place I’ve ever been in Italy. Food was incredible, beach was even better, and limited amount of Americans/Brits so it gives it a more authentic Italian experience. I had to brush off the cobwebs on 4 years of high school Italian to get by some places, but everyone couldn’t be more welcoming. This is the beach view from our hotel upon a cliff:

View attachment 3063803

Clearest, cleanest water I’ve ever been in.

In Sorrento currently. It’s very nice but it has me missing the more authentic experience we had in Tropea.

All those umbrellas set up like that looks terrible. I know that's how they do it in Italy but give me Hawaii beaches any day

 

[NDPhilly]

That’s the hotel we’re at! We too chose Sorrento as more of a home base. Tomorrow is Capri. Day after Pompeii. I’m open to recommendations on what you prefer between Positano and Ischia. My guts telling me Ischia

great question - i think Positano is definitely worth seeing, but if you really want the more "authentic / non-touristy" experience than the answer is Ischia pretty easily. Just can get so crowded on those narrow Positano streets, and it can really feel like an open air mall in parts.

Ischia is surprisingly big, so i might recommend renting a scooter for the day if you are going there. Definitely is more relaxing and authentic, and the ferry ride across the bay is awesome as well.

That being said - this hike down into positano was my Wife and I's favorite thing we did on the trip:

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