Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with destinations

Great destinations, routes and experiences in and around Toronto.

maudlin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:54:55 -0800

I want to go to there, but I need your advice on where "there" is. Starting point: Toronto. Range: any land within 100 km (60-ish miles) of High Park, but I can go further for something really special. Means of transport: my trusty steed. Time frame: now until November-ish. I'm looking for great routes or awesome destinations, urban, rural or suburban, like the best roti in Scarborough, a tiny potter's studio somewhere in Peel, or a gorgeous path by some body of water that isn't Lake Ontario. I want to go somewhere to do something neat, like picking apples or riding horses. And this is not Torontofilter or bikefilter. I'm looking for creative ideas from anyone, anywhere. If you're from the GTA or any place within reach, what places, routes and experiences would you recommend? For example:

- A great view or nearly-secret thing that few other people know about. I never got around to the secret swing, and I regret it.
- The best [meal / farmer's market] in [area of your choice].
- Galleries are an obvious choice for me, but beyond that, is there, say, a raku studio nearby that gives demos or classes?
- Some place I should go to with my camera or sketchpad, or else.
- Where is a movie or tv show being filmed right now? I don't care about star-stalking, but am curious about the ebb and flow of work on site.

If you're not from around here, what kind of place or experience do you have in your neck of the woods that I should try to find locally?

Restrictions: very few.

- These have to be day trips, thus my soft limit of 100 km (200 km round trip). However, if need be, I can justify taking a train partway to get to someplace great and back in one day.
- I favour free or cheap over expensive, but can justify spending some money on an awesome experience.
- I can carry a fair amount on my bike, but there are limits, so I don't think I'll be furniture shopping any time soon.

Otherwise, suggest away!

What to see in the Bay Area for a former resident who's lost his way?

kalessin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 06:38:51 -0800

Fun/Geeky things for me to do in the Bay Area next week either by myself or with my (retired but adventurous) parents? Details in extended. I grew up in California, went to high school in Berkeley, and a few years of college in Santa Cruz/Monterey until, in 1989, just after the earthquake, I relocated to the MidAtlantic and currently live in Baltimore, MD.

Each time I visit the Bay Area, I feel more and more out of touch with the area and my old haunts keep disappearing or changing. I sometimes have a completely inaccurate idea, too, of neighborhood safety when I visit (usually I am too cautious).

Every couple of years I make it out for a week or two to visit family and a few close friends. It turns out that this trip (Wednesday to Tuesday, starting 8/5/2009) is overlapping with friends' other family visits, so I may have a lot more time than I had anticipated to spend alone or with my parents.

I'll be staying with them very near the Ashby BART station. (Thank G-d, it sounds like BART will not be shut down during my visit.)

When I was living in the area, I liked various geeky attractions (Lawrence Hall of Science, Exploratorium, Dark Carnival, various comic book and book stores) and used to hang either in North Berkeley with various friends or would walk to Telegraph Ave or College Ave or through UCB campus and window shop. Sometimes I'd also explore various neighborhoods in SF (The Castro, Market, the Ferry terminals, Golden Gate Park, etc.) I'm also half Chinese which is relevant because I also find a lot of comfort and interest in going to and exploring the various Chinatowns around the bay.

I am now quite the food snob, and still a science/computer geek.

My question is for area residents. I am interested in foodie destinations and other geeky destinations I might not have heard about to visit by myself or with my parents. Can you help enlighten me and let me know about your favorite spots like this around the Bay Area?

The limitation is that it needs to be public transit/walking accessible for the most part, but my parents and I are adventurous with Bay Area public transit and can walk 2 or 3 miles comfortably on any journey's walking leg.

Oh, I should also say I'm not interested in wineries but might be interested in microbreweries, depending. :)

Thanks very much in advance for any answers. Also, I did search for previous questions, but nothing I could find quite fit my quesion/sought answers, but please let me know if I missed something!

With Kids In Portland, OR

jalexei — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:06:37 -0800

Looking for kid-friendly activities in Portland, OR We'll be staying in the Pearl District next week with 2 and 5 year-old kids in tow - beyond some of the obvious stops (OMSI, the zoo, Children's Museum, etc) we'd love to hear of any destinations that would make the kids happy (I'll be swimming in Widmer's once the kids go to bed, so I'm less worried about the adult fun). We don't have a car, so mass transit accessible is pretty much required - thanks!

What's a good destination in the U.S. Southwest for a weekend get-together?

Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:33:55 -0800

What are some good destinations in the Southwest (U.S.) for a weekend get-together for four guys? We are coming from No. California, So. California, and Southwestern Arizona and would like someplace central and easily reached by car. (Vegas is the easternmost limit.) Vegas is the obvious choice, but we are open for more exciting and different suggestions. There are some caveats inside. At least one of us is out of shape, so anything that requires strenuous activity (climbing, long hikes) is not recommended. A cabin somewhere might work, if it doesn't require a long trek, but the date is in February and we don't want to freeze. We do not have camping gear, and do not want to purchase any. We would also like "neutral" ground, so L.A., the Bay Area, and San Diego are out (Southern Arizona is okay, though). Are there places on the coast that would be fun? Skiing is an option, but where? (None of us is familiar with this region.) Thanks in advance for all your ideas!

Where in the World to Go?

netbros — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:13:33 -0800

What is the most beautiful place on Earth? I'd like to make plans to go there. I understand the answers will be subjective and partial. Let's assume cost and time are not factors. What are your reasons for your choice? If possible, please provide links to assist with research. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Where should we goa?

bitdamaged — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:29:27 -0800

Honeymoon Destination Ideas, something cultural and exotic but with a nice beach in November. Slightly adventurous but we definitely want to be able to chill out as well. Goa? Thailand? Any input appreciated. So in November right around the Thanksgiving break my new wife and I will be taking our honeymoon. We've been thinking of Southeast Asia ideas mostly, Goa and Thailand, maybe even Vietnam? Any other ideas and recommendations or revelations about Goa or Thailand? Thanks!

Romantic week away for a disabled traveller

kairab — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 15:44:57 -0800

Disabled travel. Direct flight from Dublin for one week in any direction. Wheelchair user. Five star hotel and interesting things to do. Can you help? It's difficult to find places that are genuinely wheelchair friendly. Many places say this but when you get there it's a question of them being "helpful" which really means lugging you around. Not conducive to dignity. Max. flight time from Dublin Ireland 7-8 hours. Two adults (one wheelchair) looking for a romantic but unusual destination.
This will be between October and December. We don't want to freeze but also not interested in very hot places. Links to disabled travel sites very welcome. Personal experience even more so!

Travel tips and destinations for Brazil or Peru?

Big Fat Tycoon — Sun, 20 Feb 2005 15:59:40 -0800

Me and a friend of mine are planning a 9-day trip to South America, likely Brazil or Peru. Are there any specific things we should know/do before we go and destinations we should see when we get there? How many cities, say in Brazil, can we cover in that timespan? I've been told about some universal flight ticket there that allows you to take unlimited trips within the interior for a limited time, does anyone know about this? My preliminary plan for Brazil would be to stay in the triangle occupied by Rio, Sao Paulo and Brasilia/Chapada dos Veadeiros, based on my reading of the Lonely Planet website.

As far as Peru's concerned, we were originally contemplating this because of the supposed history of the place, what with it being the seat of the Incan empire, but I've been told by modern day folks that it's actually kind of dull compared to sexed-up Brazil.

Any suggestions, anecdotes or warnings will be well-appreciated.

What's a good US trip for a woman traveling solo?

Juicylicious — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 07:28:21 -0800

Where should I go for my birthday? [mi] My bday is Dec 28. It sucks because it's smack dab between Christmas and New Years Eve. Everyone's broke, busy, and saving their last bit of energy for New Years. This year I want to take myself somewhere away from drab Minnesota. I would leave right after Christmas and return on Jan 2nd. I'm a woman and I'll be traveling alone. I want to go where there will be lots of other people to hang out with. Any ideas?

[I've already done So. Beach]