Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Trip

Staying in the Smokes

Hands of Manos — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:48:51 -0800

Putting together a Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg trip for after xmas and before New Years. Looking for lodging recommendations. As a kid, I visited Gatlinburg many times, now I'd like to take my girlfriend and her kids there to see all it's gimmicky (and mountainy) goodness. It's been a while so I'm not sure what's a good deal and where a reputable place to stay.

Our prerequisites is that it's a cabin/chalet, it has a hot tub and possibly a pool table (none of us really play pool, it'd just be a nice extra), the roar of the river/stream that runs near Gatlinburg

While the strip (where all the gimmicky stores are) is something we'd like to do...we're also wanting to do some geocaching and find weird oddities surrounding the area (example: Field of the Woods).

Like most people, we're on a budget but are willing to drop some cash for this trip.

SoCal Holiday Road Trip Tips?

Capostrophe — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:55:42 -0800

I'll be embarking on a two week road trip from just before Christmas until just after the new year. My plan is to drive south out of the SF Bay Area and spend most of my time in southern California, possibly with forays into Az, Nevada, and Mexico. My interests are nature, archaeology, and history, and I'm an avid photographer. Tell me about the places I shouldn't miss. I'm considering the obvious destinations: Death Valley, the Salton Sea, Pinnacles, and Joshua Tree. I also intend to spend some time in San Diego, visiting the zoo and wild animal park. Beyond that I'm eager to hear your suggestions about roads to drive, places to stay, places to stop, and places to skip.

Bonus points for forgotten little picturesque attractions, and double bonus points for practical tips on visiting Mexico for a few days.

Ultimate trip to Peru

deeman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:55:53 -0800

Help me plan the ultimate trip to Peru!!!!!!!! Ok here is the deal: a buddy of mine is Peruvian and we're looking into going to Peru beginning of June next year. Just me and two of my friends. The closest I've been is parts of Mexico for spring break but I want something more substantial for a trip and want to journey through south america. Three things that have always drawn me to Peru:

1) Machu Picchu - it's just so mysterious and ancient. kind of feel like I lived there in a past life and want to go home
2) Nazca Lines - mysterious and beautiful. taking a plane ride over the Nazca desert would be absolutely amazing
3) Ayahuasca - I work in a cubicle where my soul is slowly dying. I would love to take some Ayahuasca tea with a Shaman and take a spiritual journey

I'm 6'2" and your typical white guy from Boston. I would be so out of my element it's not even funny. Help me plan the ultimate trip:

1) what should I watch out for/avoid? I want this to be a safe trip as in coming home alive with all of my organs intact
2) what should I absolutely see/do before I come back home.
3) how should i prepare?
4) what should i not bring home with me (other than illegal drugs)?

Any tips/tricks/advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!

Fundraising ideas?

R a c h e l — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:28:38 -0800

Do you have good fundraising ideas for a high school junior? I've read the previous AskMes on this topic, but none seem as specific to my situation as I'd like. I'm not fundraising with a group.

I'm a high school junior, with a fundraising quota to meet for a program I'm doing. I'm going to get to go to Guatemala and participate in some sort of service project (I find out tomorrow what I'm doing) either construction of a school, picking coffee, working in a clinic/hospital, or reforestation. The money I'm fundraising goes directly into the fund fund that's funding our projects - none of it goes to the organization, my tuition, airfare, or anything else. Basically, this is a pretty much universally-liked cause.

This isn't, like, fundraising to offset my tuition or anything - it's required that we earn this - I couldn't even pay it off with my own, already existing money.

We've been provided with some tools - we can sell coffee, wreaths, tote bags, etc. The coffee is direct trade, which is great - it's from the farm where we will be staying/working, so that's awesome.

So, the first part of my question is, other than nicely worded emails and things, how could I sell these? I've sold ~20 bags of coffee and ~5 wreaths from this. I'd like to sell coffee throughout the year (I go next summer) but I don't want to be repeatedly emailing people if they didn't like the coffee or would rather purchase elsewhere (it isn't cheap).
As far as this goes:
-I don't go to a church but have already contacted one neighborhood church about putting a sign up
-I only have one more week to sell wreaths
-I've contacted those at my mom's office, though my dad's is more corporate and he doesn't think it'd be appropriate
-Many organizations around here sell similar goods, so I have decent amounts of competition

The second part of my question is, what are some things that people would buy that I could make? Are there recipes I could assemble or make and then freeze, providing people with ready made meals/cookies/whatever? Do you think people would be interested in purchasing entire pies or other baked goods? I'm a fairly skilled baker, always get compliments, and I have a few specialties up my sleeve. I also LOVE to make homemade ice cream, and I'm confident I could sell pints for $6-7 (is this reasonable?) that would far exceed even premium store-bought ice cream (think Ben&Jerry's. etc.).Would another email to the people who already bought things be inappropriate? I've pretty much harnessed my entire network of adults for it, so there aren't many other people I could contact (I could also include handwritten, colorful notes about it when I deliver the wreaths and coffee. Could attach it to a 'sample'?

Sorry for the length, brevity is certainly not my strong suit. Do you guys have any ideas? I'm happy to do whatever, labor, making stuff, etc. I'm not fantastic at physical labor but I am fairly artistic, kitchen-savvy, love to babysit but already do that for profit.

Palenque Package? Cabins? Ayudame!

Admira — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:17:06 -0800

I am going on a trip to Mexico next year and I'd love to go to Palenque. Friends of mine from Mexico recommend getting a package tour. I generally dislike package tours but I'm not sure how to find the best flight price, accommodation in VillaHermosa, trip to Palenque, and accommodation there. Anyone have any tips for how to get there, how to book, how long to stay, where to stay etc? A friend recommended staying on a cabin in Palenque but googling shows every one having extreme reviews of either "Loved it, best place in MY LIFE" or "Never stay here, terrible!".

We've also heard varying advice for how long to stay in Palenque, from 2 days to 7 days.

So I thought I'd ask the hive mind for Palenque travel tips!

Where to go for a fancypants Montreal dinner on short notice?

alleycat01 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:47:35 -0800

Where to go for a fancypants Montreal dinner on short notice? Details inside... Hi Montreal MiFites! On short notice, my boyfriend and I are taking a long weekend trip to Montreal (the weekend after this one). Boyfriend wants to do a nice dress-up dinner one night, and neither of us has been to Montreal before, so I'd love your suggestions on where we should go. The main criteria are:

- He'll be wearing a suit and I'll be in a dress, so somewhere where we won't look stupid or out-of-place in our fancypants duds
- Preferably not insanely expensive. We'll probably do a shared appetizer, bottle of wine (... we tend to pick from on the lower end of the cost scale on these), and 2 entrees, MAYBE a shared dessert but only if dinner portions are small and we're still hungry. With tax & tip, it'd be great if this would cost around or under $150. (What is tax there, anyway?)
- Sadly we're not bilingual, so somewhere where the waiters are ... and, uh, bonus if we can read the menus
- We can still get a reservation (or don't need one) for a Friday or Saturday night
- Preferably French-influenced food, or at least something that's not a total import to Canada (no Chinese restaurants, etc).
- Totally open to BYOs as well, if you think that might be a good bet.

I keep reading about the apparent amazingness that is Au Pied du Couchon and I'd LOVE to try it, but it seems like a non-dressy place. We're usually pretty casual dressers/eaters, but since Boyfriend suggested it this time around I'd like to honor that thought. (Or do you think I'm wrong and PDC would work?) We'll be staying in the downtown area, but we do have a car & can drive if needed.

Is this doable, Montre-fites? What are your suggestions? Other thoughts on things we MUST do that weekend are also welcome, though I know there are tons of other threads on this subejct. Our current plans are just to relax in cafes, hang out, and eat poutine. Thanks, all!

Denver in a Day

disillusioned — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:41:52 -0800

Boulder? Denver? Help me day-trip to Colorado *THIS* Saturday! So I snatched up an interesting offer: Frontier Airlines had PHX->DEN same-day roundtrip for $59, inclusive. (No add'tl taxes or fees, available ONLY for this Saturday, and only for an hour, at that!)

We arrive in DEN at 9:24am and we depart at 9:20pm.

We *may* have a ride from the airport, but what's the cheapest way to downtown Denver (or Boulder) if not? Where's best to land if we want to get around the city relatively easily once we do, assuming no car?

What's there to see and do for fun eating on a Saturday? Which would you recommend to make the best use of our time? We probably need to be back at the airport by 8:15 at the latest, so take that into account. (No checked bags, clearly.)

I like photography, museums, good food, fun art, cool people, markets, fairs, weird off-the-beaten path stuff, and anything else going. I'll have my brother in tow, who's also down for pretty much anything.

Help plan my one-day itinerary, and understand that very little is a bust for us; it was a $60 thing, so why not, right?

Thanks!

Vacation Ideas on the Cheap

hylaride — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:08:47 -0800

How should I spend my vacation time (by the end of the year)? I've got almost 4 weeks of vacation time left this year. I need to use it by the end of the year. I can only carry over a week and there's no cashout option. I'm also a bit strapped for cash. I don't want to take a staycation and I'd like to get out and explore a bit. I live in Toronto. I don't own a car.

I'm not completely broke or anything like that, I just need to be as efficient as possible. I can rent a car for a road trip and maybe camp along the way. I'm into cities (they don't have to be huge) and exploring things that are "really different." For example, I find this really fascinating. A "personal" transit system in a little university town that was built as a test in the 1970s. I'm also pondering a trip on the Ontario Northland Railway to James Bay, but it's a little up there on what I'd like to spend and would only kill half a week or so. I hear Cuba is cheap, but I'd like to save that for another time.

It may be possible to stay with friends in Phoenix, Baltimore, Nova Scotia, Atlanta. I've been to Ottawa, Chicago, Montreal, and most of eastern Ontario and I'd like to see something new.

Anybody got anything fascinating?

Where to stop on a road trip from Texas to Nevada?

Anonymous — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:33:05 -0800

Road Trip Filter: Two guys driving from Corpus Christi, Tx to Las Vegas, Nv (passing through New Mexico and Arizona). What are some absolute "must see" or "must eat" places along the road? I'm flying out with my friend to help him drive back an amazing car (Porsche GT3). We have about 1500 miles to cover and two days to do it in.

I'm looking for suggestions on great roads to drive (think smooth, wide, traffic-free), awesome places to eat, places we just must see or activities we can't pass up. Bonus points if there are any racetracks on the way we can stop at for some fun :D

Neither of us are really interested in sight seeing. To give you an idea of what we are looking for think partying on 6th st in Austin, eating anywhere Man vs Food has been, or getting to shoot assault rifles at a range (because we can't do that in cali).

Sorry for going with "anonymous" but I'd rather be safe than sorry....don't need the internet knowing who I am AND where I'll be :)

much thanks in advance!

Oh, his aching legs!

odayoday — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:37:36 -0800

How can I arrange an overnight layover, and how much will it cost me? My very tall boyfriend and I are planning to visit my dad in Shanghai, and we're hoping to find a way to give his legs a rest between flights. I've tried to book exit row seats in the past, but was told that we would have to use airline miles to do so in advance. We can't afford business class, but I'm hoping there may be a way to arrange our flights so that we have an overnight stopover somewhere in Europe (halfway to China) so that he gets a break from the cramping. Has anyone done something like this, and how would I go about it? Also, will it cost us a lot more this way?

Best Motorcycle Daytrip

swngnmonk — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:48:48 -0800

Renting a motorcycle for a day in San Francisco - what's the best day trip to take? I'll be out in San Francisco in early September, and I've decided to spend a day on a bike, getting out of the city.

Motorcyclists in the Bay Area - what's the ideal ride for early September? Assume the following criteria:

* Going midweek, somewhere between tuesday & thursday.
* Looking for something around 200-300 miles for the day.
* A great lunch stop.
* Curvy, scenic roads with photo opportunities.

I've heard about Alice's Restaurant in Woodside, and I remember the drive up to Stinson Beach being gorgeous, but those are two different directions, and so some local perspective would be a huge help.

Might be riding solo, might have a local with me, but that remains to be seen - hence I'll ask the question now.

Also - any suggestions on rental places are much appreciated - I've found a few online, but I have yet to hear anything about any of them.

Thank you!

First Road Trip - Providence to Toronto!

quodlibet — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:55:01 -0800

I am planning a road trip from Providence, RI to Toronto and need the hivemind's help! In early September, I will be driving from Providence to Toronto, and back. I've driven across country (from the south to north) and done the backpacking in Europe thing before, but always with friends/family - so this is my first trip that I get to plan for myself (!!). I'm 25, female, into history, politics, general quirkiness, and outdoorsy stuff.

My goal is to leave Providence on a Monday, drive/sight-see for two days, and end up in Toronto Wednesday morning. Stay in Toronto until Saturday afternoon, and head back to be back in Providence by Sunday night. I'm flexible on time other than Wednesday-Saturday I need to be in Toronto.

So, hivemind - what should I do along the way? And what should I do in Toronto? I already would like to see Niagara Falls (which side tho, not sure), Oneida Community Mansion House, something to do with the Hill Cumorah in Palmyra, see the Adirondacks...
what else should I add? where should i stay along the way?

where have all the gundersons gone?

tylerfulltilt — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:28:02 -0800

Me and the fam are in minneapolis. What should we see and do besides mall of america? We're here for a few days. Recommendations for toddler friendly stuff is most appreciated

Going to Vermont!

Cat Pie Hurts — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 08:50:00 -0800

Help me plan my trip from Boston to Burlington, Vermont next weekend! Next weekend, I'm making my first trip ever to Burlington, VT to meet up with a long lost, now found friend, all by my lonesome. Our meetup isn't happening until Sunday afternoon (Downtown Burlington, Church St., wherever that is :)), but I'd still like to make a whole weekend out of it (at the very least, arrive early Saturday and stay over). I'll be driving up (I considered taking the train, but $88 round trip blows the budget and limits my exploratory options).

#1: I'm having difficulties finding reasonably priced lodging (reasonable being in the $75 - $100/night range - less would be better - the hotel is just going to be a place to sleep and nothing more). I had even thought about camping in the area, but it seems there are no decent campgrounds around with showering facilities (which I need if I'm going to meet a long lost friend!). Even staying on the NY side is an option (especially if it's cheaper!) Also, I don't necessarily need to stay right in the Burlington area. If something well priced and interesting is within an hour's drive, that would be OK, too (as long as I can make Burlington by 1pm on Sunday).

#2 What to do Saturday day, evening and Sunday morning? I keep forgetting to acquire a passport, so going up to Canada isn't an option, unfortunately (but I may drive as close to the border crossing as I can, just to see it) .
I'm more interested in outdoors type stuff (could be hiking, could be a scenic drive) on Saturday (day), especially things that allow me to explore the interesting things around the Lake.

Thanks!

And here's GI Jane at the gas station on the way to Seattle...

alona — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:05:45 -0800

Help me prepare for my trip! What are some fun/funny things we can do abroad, not location-specific but rather things that have to do with being on a trip? We'll be in SF, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, and NY (and mabye Montreal).
I'm thinking of things like taking an action figure with us and photographing it in various places and making it a photo album.

I realize this is really broad, and really general, but what are some fun things you did on your trips other than actual trip stuff?

end of summer honeymoon ideas from NJ?

annoyance — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:10:04 -0800

late august/early september week or so honeymoon from NJ, suggestions? ok, yes, this is a follow up to my previous question as the lady has decided she does indeed want beaches if possible and is willing to fly further if it "is really cool". so around 8/30-9/8 or so, from the NJ/NY area.
pretty much we want something where we can go fun, active stuff, hike, see amazing things, or just relax on a beach or whatever and chill. nothing insane hot

we considered caribbean cruises but as it is hurricane season that made us a little nervous. but there is a very cool cruise to Belize, Honduras, Cozumel and Grand Caymen which is an option. a Mediterranean cruise would be cool too.

i am interested in Iceland or some northern European nation but am not sure of cost or best place to go.

i think a 7 or 8 hour flight would be very much the limit so although New Zealand would be great, it is too far for just a week anyway.

perhaps some all inclusive resort but we would like to see some stuff off the beaten path without it being too dangerous of a locale for doing so.

good vegetarian food is a plus.

alright, hit me up! got some good ideas last time so perhaps Canada or an Alaskan cruise too...

thanks so much!

Rocky Road Trip Advice

jpcody — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:47:49 -0800

I need some help planning and plotting and figuring what happens between Denver and Portland. I think it might include The Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Seattle and Vancouver, but I'm worried I'm trying to cram too much. jpcody, cncody and Barkley the English Pointer are headed out to Portland, and we need to figure out a portion of our road trip that is being quite a pain for me to figure out.

On 7/31, we're leaving our city of origin, which is Atlanta, and we'll spend 5 days getting to Denver.
On 8/7, we're leaving Denver.
By 8/24, we need to be in a city with a large airport where we can leave our car, board Barkley the dog and fly back to Atlanta for a wedding for a few days.
Our final destination is Portland, OR.

So in that 8/7-8/24 range, I'd love to hit the following:
• Grand Tetons
• Yellowstone
• Glacier National Park
• Banff
• Vancouver
• Seattle

Judging by distances, it looks possible. But I don't know how much time I should devote to the parks, any unexpected plans I should make, if it's *really* practical to drive from Calgary to Vancouver in a day, etc.

I've been to Yosemite, and I felt like two days there was enough to get a good grasp of the entire park. Is it the same way with these other big parks?

Should I cut off Banff and Vancouver? Can I make it?

Any tips for general dog travel, particularly in that part of the country? He's a champion in the car and can sleep in the car for the entire night if the weather allows. He's also 45 pounds of pure energy, sow we'll need to keep him moving.

I guess all in all, I'm looking for advice for me, wife and dog hitting those 6 locations in our 17 day time frame.

Thanks so much.

Needing a break...

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:31:01 -0800

Where should I go on a short trip, to both recover from a traumatic incident, and spend my birthday? My birthday is coming up soon. I encountered a recent upsetting event (sexual assault), and I would like to take a trip out of the state to give myself a break (most of my friends here are also friends with the perpetrator, and this has added to the stress of the situation for me), and to celebrate my birthday away from the situation and people involved. I am a college student on the East Coast of the US. Previously, I thought I might want to go to NYC - but I'm not sure whether the fast-paced, crowded atmosphere there might make me feel more stressed. Usually I love being there, but I have been having panic attacks from time to time, and I don't know whether the city would be too overwhelming. At the same time, I don't want to be in an isolated, rural-type place where there is nothing to do but marinate my head in my own thoughts.

I don't drive. It would be good to visit a place with decent public transportation. I like live music - or anything music-related, really - but it probably wouldn't be wise for me to hang around typical live music places (e.g. pubs) just yet. I initially wanted to catch a Broadway musical, since a theatre seems like a more organized, less 'iffy' environment to enjoy some sort of musical entertainment... but like I said, I'm not sure about the rest of the city.

I'm open to suggestions outside the US as well, but probably not too far away. Some places I've been to, that I've really liked, are Vancouver, BC and Salt Lake City. I liked the atmosphere of the former, and was interested to learn more about the culture and history of the latter (I am not Mormon, but I liked walking around Temple Square and learning new things about their traditions and history).
My budget is around $500 (I guess I could always increase it somewhat if the trip is really worth it, but would rather cap it at this amount).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Travelplan2.0

mr.marx — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:59:41 -0800

Looking for a website that helps me plan a 5-day vacation in detail. A lot of travel websites out there, but all of them seem focused on either a) booking and price hunting, or b) diaries.

I'd like to think there's a site that let's me add all the restaurants, sights, shops and events I find researching an upcoming trip (NYC if it matters) so I can make a day-by-day plan, complete with maps and notes.

Is there such a website? Or do you have any other suggestions on how I could plan our trip in an easy way?

Extra points for suggestions that let's me keep a mobile version of the schedule online.

How will Fiesta Nacional de España effect my trip?

lattiboy — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:26:38 -0800

I'm going to be in Spain RIGHT before October 12th (Fiesta Nacional de España), will anything be open? Got a RIDICULOUS airfare from Seattle to Madrid and wasn't aware of the holiday. My vacation is from October 1st, leaving the 11th.

Car insurance during a long overseas trip?

sharkfu — Sun, 31 May 2009 10:25:51 -0800

What can I do about my car insurance during a long overseas trip? I might be going on a long (3+ month) overseas trip and I don't know what to do about my car insurance while gone.

When I contacted a customer service representative, they said lapses in coverage aren't looked upon favorably by insurance companies (especially in California?) and that my rates would probably go up if I stopped coverage and then restarted upon my return. The best she could do was drop it down to the state minimum (about $57/ month for me) while I'm gone.

Since they have a vested interest in continuing to get money from me, are there any other options? Some kind of planned non-operation that doesn't actually appear as a lapse in coverage? Switching to mega-cheap company?

I've been with them (Progressive) 11 years, overall have been a really happy customer with a good driving record, but I don't want to throw away money without checking for alternatives. I'm also kinda bugged "keep using us or else!" approach when I've been loyal for 11 years... but I guess that's the insurance game.

I won't be driving while overseas, if it matters.

Strange/Interesting Places for a Summer-long Road Trip?

jkoby — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:26:47 -0800

Where can my friends and I go on a summer-long USA road trip in a similar vein to Burning Man or 24 Hours of LeMons? I'm thinking about getting a group (10 people or so) together to go on a mega-roadtrip for summer 2010 or 2011 (June-August). Burning Man and 24 Hours of LeMons are both options, but what else could we go to? Anywhere in the country is open to debate. On a related note, does anyone have any logistics ideas for how to pull this kind of thing off? We're all in college, and trying to keep this relatively low-budget.

LA to SF not on the PCH

kmtiszen — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:50:02 -0800

Los Angeles to San Francisco: Help me find an alternate route! This coming August, I'm going to be driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I've done the trip before via the PCH and absolutely loved it, but I'm wondering if there are any amazing alternate routes. Maybe a dessert adventure? I should have at least a few days, so time really isn't a concern.

Any bizarre/interesting/beautiful sites along the way get you bonus points!

Thanks!

Zipcar Update?

The Whelk — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:35:30 -0800

Daytrip Dreamin': I've read the previous question about Zipcars in NYC, but it's about a year old and I have some specific questions. I am considering joining, but have heard that the availability is not terrific. What's it like for a daytrips out of the city? Any big problems? Does it make sense if you're only planning to use it 2 or three times a year?

Who embarked on an early 90s bike/canoe trip with a computer?

waldo — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:32:00 -0800

Around 1990 I read a magazine article about a guy who took an extended journey by canoe, and then another by bicycle, rigging a computer to each to store route data, his journals, etc. Nobody had ever done such a thing before. Who was this man? I would have read this in a popular magazine, nothing esoteric, since I only would have been ~12 years old at the time. Incidentally, reading that inspired me to hike the Appalachian Trail with a laptop and a cellphone, updating a blog as I went. That was back in 1996, and I was the first to do such a thing. It occurs to me that I should figure out whose idea I was ~~ripping off~~ paying homage to. :)