Where would you go?

[Selah]

Yes, I have always been a traveler. My earliest jaunts started around the age of three, when I moved with my mother from Seattle, Washington, to Ann Arbor, Michigan. I began flying unaccompanied back and forth to Seattle to visit my father at the age of eight. At fifteen, I toured Europe with an international choir and never looked back. I was an exchange student during college and went back to England twice on work permit programs. After college, I went back to England and trained as an English teacher, and worked in Finland, France, England, and Ireland. Now I live in Israel and love it, but I sure wouldn't mind having a second home in Italy and a time-share in London!

[Dhiana]

Everywhere! Seriously, my list of places of places I wouldn't go is much, much shorter than all of the things I want to experience in this amazing world.

A lovely old Japanese woman gave me some great travel advice when I mentioned how surprised I was that she had not visited several places in Japan. She said she will explore what is close to home when she is no longer able to travel overseas. So do the most physically demanding things while you still can, the easier things closer to home as you age.

[catherine]

How about spend three months at a time in your favorite places? That's what I'd do. I'd spend three months at Ocean Grove, NJ; three months near my brother in Minnesota, three months in Burlington VT, three months in Portland OR, Three months in LA, three months in Connecticut. That would take care of over a year.

[Spartana]

Thanks for the ideas and input everyone. Making me drool just thinking about all the options. I should ad that I will try to do a budget version of travel and plan to stay within $1500/month for everything. Housing/lodging, food, transportation, etc... Grungy backpacker staying at hostels using rail passes (or biking) seems least expensive, as does Catherines idea of staying in one place for several months at a time. Could just rent a cheap apt or even a room. Much to think about.

[Spartana]

After the tacked-up bras and panties in the last post this will be a bit of a letdown I expect -- -- but personally I've always wanted to travel around Europe with a train pass and no really fixed plans.

And if I was going to do that, and was leaving for Europe from the east coast of the U.S., I'd go to New York and spend quite a bit of time in the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are lots of specialized art museums in Europe, and the Met and MOMA would give me some ideas about which ones I wanted to visit.

Of course I don't know if you have any interest in European art! So it's a bit presumptuous of me to suggest it. But if you do, in the spirit of these boards let me remind you that many museums have one day a week that's free or much cheaper than usual!

I did do the train trip around Europe years ago. Had a 2 month Eurail Pass and loved travelling that way - just a small backpack and staying at hostels. Definitely something I'd love to do again and this time be able to see all the great works of art. Didn't really get to do that last time. Thanks for the tip on free museum days. I know they have those in the USA so good to know they have them in Europe as well.

As of now I am leaning towards Herbgeek's suggestion of doing a car trip (camping probably) of the National Parks before heading anywhere further away. See how it goes with my sister watching my (our) dog for longer than a week. Hoping that will work out good. Will be leaving in a couple of weeks so the southwest and Calif Nat. Parks areas should have good weather by then- not too hot and not too cold - just right for Goldilocks. Just hoping I don't run into the 3 bears...in my tent...late at night... :-)!

[new2oregon]

Spartana, if you make it to Oregon Hells Canyon is supposed to be a nice drive. You can check it out on you tube. I plan on checking it out this summer. I like the Nat. parks and camping idea. I think you will have a great time.

[Spartana]

What is going on with the dogs? Your sister going to take them?

My older dog (the crippled Border Collie who I pushed/rode around with in a bike trailer) died last August so now I have just the little 20 pound Terrier. One that was my Dad's who we (sis and I) inherited after he died. My sister is getting a place that allows dogs near her work so she'll be able to keep The Barkinator (AKA Latte) with her. I may still take her with me if I do a car trip (leaning towards doing that first as it's the easiest for Lazy me :-)!) but I think she'd be better off staying with my sister. I did take her on a long road trip of a couple of months last Fall up the Calif coast and she did good, but it is pretty restrictive being with a dog 24/7. And so few places allow dogs.

[Spartana]

Spartana, if you make it to Oregon Hells Canyon is supposed to be a nice drive. You can check it out on you tube. I plan on checking it out this summer. I like the Nat. parks and camping idea. I think you will have a great time.

Thanks! I've never been to Hell's Canyon but have heard a lot about it. Would really like to go to the Nat Parks up that way - Rainer, Olympic, Mt. St. Helena, Crater Lake, etc... So many too see. If I drive I'll be able to take my mountain bike to ride a lot of the places which would be fun.

[Spartana]

Let me threadjack for a moment. For those of you responding to this, have you always been travelers?

(wondering if my lack of travel wants, comes from a lack of travel exposure?)

I do come from a family of wanna-be travelers. Both parents had wanderlust big time but in different ways. My Dad liked to move constantly and stayed in the military for 30 years so he could do that while he had a job. My Mom liked to be settled in one place (i.e. home) but liked to take long trips to different parts of the world each year for a few weeks on vacation. I am more like my Dad in that aspect in that I really dislike the "travel" part of travelling (like Jane I'd rather just teleport once and stay put awhile) so prefer to go once and stay a longer period of time - or at least not have to go home after 2 or 3 weeks. So I tend to take long trips (a month or more) and prefer to stay in one area for a longer period of time before moving on to the next place. One of the books that inspired me to retire young so I could travel was by a guy and his wife (Paul and Vicky Terhorst) called "Cashing In On the American Dream: How to Retire at 35". This couple did just that. Sold everything, put their fairly substantial savings from high paying jobs (and frugal living) into safe investments (bonds at that time I believe) and then proceeded to become "PT's" - perpetual travelers. They would go to an inexpensive country - Thailand for example - rent a nice but modestly priced apt and live there for long periods of time. They became involved with the culture, learned the language, travelled locally, and lived like the natives. Then they would move on eventually to somewhere else. They eventually settled down and bought a house in Argentina and last I looked at their website that's where they were still. They have lived like that for a long time (a few decades) and their lifestyle is one I find would be suitable to me also. Here's there website. They are older now but started this lifestyle when they were 35: https://sites.google.com/site/paulvicgroup/

[Spartana]

OK guys - I'm leaving tomorrow morning on the first part of my trip - planning on doing a tour of the National Parks in the west (south to north) first and then?????? Taking both the dog and my bicycle and "gear" so will try to do part of it bike touring if I can hack it with the dog (probably can't :-)!). No time limit to get back home (house hasn't sold yet but have a house sitter and sis is around) and no real plans - just meandering. Will check in (with photos!) when I can.