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I have a week and a half paid time off for an adventure this Sept/August -- Where should I go?

jkl345 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:12:22 -0800

What kind of adventure can I have in a week and a half this September or August? I have about a week and a half of vacation that I have to burn before the end of September and would like any suggestions the hive mind can offer. I'm looking for some sort of cool festivals, experiences or week-long trips that I can take to use this time and have a good adventure (or two). Ideal trip parameters:
+ Cheap would be cool, but not mandatory. I'll pay a bit for a 'bucket list' type experience. In general, tend to enjoy more of the backpacking/shoe-string travel experiences than the catered, package tour/planned travel experiences.
+ Relatively relaxing (Due to ridiculous drama and stress at the job, in my current state of mind I'd really prefer something relatively mellow. Running around being tourist nazi trying to cover Asia in a week and a half isn't what I'm looking for.)
+ I have a wedding the first weekend in September, so nothing tied to that weekend -- I was thinking of heading to Burning Man, but it's that freaking weekend! :\
+ I'll probably have to do this solo. Most of my friends are broke or don't have time off.
+ Foreign lands are doable, but I don't want to spend more time traveling to the place than I actually get to spend at the place. Also in general, if I'm going to take a 10+ hour flight somewhere, I'd prefer to spend a big chunk of time traveling there (as in, more than a month) ... so maybe not Iraq or somewhere really far away.
+ This could be two extended weekend trips instead of one long trip if need be (I don't HAVE to fill an entire week and a half in one shot)
+ I'll be starting from the Chicago area (Not that it really matters, but just fyi)

Just to give you a feel for some things I've considered:
+ Burning Man (can't do it because of wedding)
+ The Gathering of the Juggalos (this thread really piqued my curiosity as a sociological study.. all you can eat cheeseburgers and a waterslide sounds awesome too: http://www.metafilter.com/83540/See-you-there-ninja)
+ Go to Maine for the changing of the leaves in September (Seems a little too... I dunno ... late-30-something-married-couple-in-big-fuzzy-sweaters for me though... no offense to anyone)
+ I've considered going fly fishing in Montana or something (although I have no experience fly fishing, I've always wanted to try though and it'd be pretty relaxing)
+ Maybe doing a cruise up to Alaska to check out some glaciers before they all melt (I've heard you *have* to be double occupancy on these trips though or you get raped on the cost... this also seems like uh... it'd be me and 231882349 60 year olds).

Also, just to give you an idea of what I've done already:
I've backpacked across Europe for months, done Mexico, Toronto to Quebec, Australia and some Caribbean islands. I've driven cross country three times so that's kinda been done (although if there was an end goal like Burning Man, that would be cool.)

Any thoughts or suggestions? All help would be greatly appreciated. Time is pretty short. :\ We've had such a bad year at work that I've been working like a dog and the year kind of got away from me. If I don't use this vacation time I lose it. Thanks for your help!

Adventures in Living

greekphilosophy — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:31:53 -0800

If the world were your oyster, where would you go? I just learned that I failed the New York bar exam. That's actually better news than you might think, because now my partner and I feel free to head just about anywhere. Since I'll have to take a bar exam anywhere we end up, it's no more insane or taxing than staying on the East coast. In fact, if we land somewhere with a reasonable cost of living (unlike the East coast!), we'd end up better off than if we just stayed put!

We're young, I've got decent earning potential as an attorney anywhere I pass the bar, he's planning to go back to school to study something fun and creative, and we really just want to go on an adventure for the rest of our 20s. He's from Philadelphia, I'm from the Houston area.

Where should we have that adventure?

She unstuffs the stuffed shirt?

hyperfascinated — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:55:13 -0800

What are some films, books, plays, TV shows, etc. that feature a free-spirited woman trying to get a strait-laced man to loosen up? The Accidental Tourist, Something Wild, certain episodes of Frasier come to mind... There have to be more. The man and the woman don't have to have a sexual or romantic relationship. I'm gathering this list for an essay I'm writing, so the more mainstream/well-known the better, but more obscure examples are welcome.

Michigan Travel Excitement

thebarron — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 21:28:08 -0800

We’re heading up to the northern shore area of MI from Chicago mid-July and want to know about any exciting (safe) adventures like jet boat rides, dune buggy rides, zip lines, etc. that are memorable and “not to miss” while in the area. In the past, we have found some of these experiences are not mentioned AAA books or online travel sites. Thanks!

Help me explore the infinite abyss and become a more well-rounded, interesting person!

jkl345 — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 11:41:58 -0800

Help me break the bread of life and feast on the warm ooey gooey goodness inside. This summer I’ve set out with the goal of each week finding / experiencing / learning about / having 1 new, awesome experience that I haven’t had before. And I'd like to hear your suggestions/anecdotes/experiences for cool stuff I should do. Backstory: I’ve grown tired of the same 4 walls and going to the same parties and same bars with the same people in my spare time. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ditching my friends, I just want at least once a week to do something new, something cool, something that I’ll learn and grow from.)

For instance, in these first few weeks I’ve:
- Snorkled and spearfished
- Feng shei-ed my life
- Learned how to open a champagne bottle with a sword (or large butcher knife in my case)
- Learned how to salsa dance (at least the basics)

Upcoming plans:
- Volunteering at a local shelter
- Make sushi by hand
- Successfully organize a flash mob
- Taking a class on orchid growing

So, in general, I’m looking for stuff that is:
* Wacky - What are cool, wacky things I should try out? (I.e. opening a bottle of champagne with a sword)

* Adventurous - What are some adventurous daytrip experiences you’ve had that have been cool/enriching? (I.e. Renting motorcycles and driving down the coast.)

* Personal growth - What has been a great personal experience for you? (I.e. Climbing Mt. Kilomanjaro or screaming into the infinite abyss)

* Educational - What are things that everyone should know/experience/learn in their life? (I.e. Take a tour of the local recycling plant. Even practical things, like, how to tie a Windsor knot. Or how to filet fish.)

All suggestions are welcome!

The adventurous / educational / wacky / personal growth categories were just something I thought up. Cheaper options are generally preferred, but I definitely want to hear about them all! And if your suggestion takes more than a week, that’s cool too. Everything is welcome!

I’m looking to use this as a resource for planning my summer (I’m hoping this summer plan will just become a way of life) and hopefully, it’ll spur some Mefites to go out drink from the cup of life experiencing these things too!

(P.S. I’m in South Florida, if that can add any options.)

Help us plan some Minneapolis adventures.

stungeye — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 06:51:11 -0800

VacationFilter: Help us plan some Minneapolis adventures. My wife and I are driving down from Canada to visit the Twin Cities, July 1st - 5th. This post has already provided general adventure fodder.

Further ideas sought:

- Best place to celebrate July 4th
- Tasty restaurants
- Beer lover pubs
- Music lover clubs (non-mainstream: tekn0, hip-hop, indie)
- Shopping (used books, music, funky clothes, &c.)

We're staying at this hostel.