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.