"Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread

[Natsinpwc]

I had a great 7 days in Panama. I might post about it in more detail later when I've recovered from what came next.

When we landed at Dulles today, we waited 4 hours to get our luggage because the cargo doors on the airplane jammed and they were unable to open them and get our luggage out. Then, after we finally got our luggage and went home, my wife left her phone in the Uber.

Life is telling me, "vacation's over, buddy!" with an exclamation point.

You will soon forget the bad stuff. 

[Natsinpwc]

Lol hey at least you’re not in the same boat as my niece’s brother in law-his gf tested positive leaving France today so they’re stuck there for the foreseeable future.

Maybe they can vote in the runoff election. 

[imref]

I had a great 7 days in Panama. I might post about it in more detail later when I've recovered from what came next.

When we landed at Dulles today, we waited 4 hours to get our luggage because the cargo doors on the airplane jammed and they were unable to open them and get our luggage out. Then, after we finally got our luggage and went home, my wife left her phone in the Uber.

Life is telling me, "vacation's over, buddy!" with an exclamation point.

This is why you should never come home from vacation

[Count Walewski]

OK. I've recovered from the disaster at Dulles.

Panama was great. It was only a 5 hour flight from Dulles. Panama's got a variety of different things to offer. Panama City is a big, cosmopolitan town with a good food scene and a great skyline. Panama City also has not one but two old towns: one dating to the 1500's (which is in ruins because it was burned down by Captain Morgan, yes that Captain Morgan) and one dating to the 1600's which is still preserved and now full of rooftop bars. But there's easily accessible jungle too: there's a jungle preserve just 10 minutes away from downtown Panama City where you can see wild monkeys, coatis, sloths, leafcutter ants, etc. Even if you never leave Panama City's immediately vicinity, you can see both urban and natural attractions.

We did leave Panama City and spent two days in Bocas del Toro, an archipelago of islands on the Caribbean coast of Panama. There are two roads (both on the main island) but apart from that you get around by hiring water taxi speedboats to take you from island to island. That was cool and different, though it rains there a lot. You get really, really soaked very quickly if a sudden rainstorm breaks out while you are in a speedboat going really fast.

We saw the Panama Canal too, they have a visitors center where you can watch ships go through the locks. I saw two big cargo ships and one small cruise ship go through the locks. It was funny because for all the tourists watching from shore (or on the cruise ship) this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but for the seamen on the cargo ships this was just an everyday part of their job. I got great pictures of the crew on one of the cargo ships just sitting around, bored, on their phones. Meanwhile on the cruise ship literally every passenger was crowded around the front of the deck taking videos of the locks opening in front of them.

Don't expect cheap, though. The US Dollar is the currency and prices are pretty similar to America. Panama is richer than you think: they make a ton of money off that canal. Very safe too.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Do they play the National Anthem by Van Halen?

[imref]

FINALLY!!!!!

https://dcist.com/story/22/04/20/dulles-airport-new-concourse/

Unfortunately it only replaces the A gates. The awful C-D terminal remains.

[Count Walewski]

Is Tangier Island worth an overnight stay or two?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Is Tangier Island worth an overnight stay or two?

before it washes into the bay.

[blue911]

Is Tangier Island worth an overnight stay or two?

If you’re into the Oyster Wars, it’s really cool. But then again any place close to Tangier Sound is really cool for the same reason.

I prefer Deal Island because it’s not an overnight stay and Arby’s is a great dive bar

[tomterp]

If you’re into the Oyster Wars, it’s really cool. But then again any place close to Tangier Sound is really cool for the same reason.

I prefer Deal Island because it’s not an overnight stay and Arby’s is a great dive bar

How about Smith Island, ever been there?  It's pretty close to Janes Island State Park, where I fish a couple of days a year.  I'm sometimes tempted on a calm day to run out there and fish the marsh complex on the north side but I'd be in big trouble if wind came up on me.  16' Carolina Skiff doesn't handle swells well at all.

[blue911]

How about Smith Island, ever been there?  It's pretty close to Janes Island State Park, where I fish a couple of days a year.  I'm sometimes tempted on a calm day to run out there and fish the marsh complex on the north side but I'd be in big trouble if wind came up on me.  16' Carolina Skiff doesn't handle swells well at all.

I’m not sure about the fishing but it should be decent. Smith Island is a long way from Crisfield in a 16 footer if the weather turns. I’ve been fishing the Honga from Golden Hill to Fishing Creek or the beer runs out

[imref]

the joys of travel - flight delayed 9 hours, 18 seats have opened up in United Polaris First Class. I am #19 on the upgrade list.

To add, I've been in San Francisco this week around the convention center. The place is a ghost town. Just about every restaurant / bar / etc. is closed with a couple of exceptions. Streets are largely deserted. I guess 99% of the working population is able to work remotely.

[skippy1999]

the joys of travel - flight delayed 9 hours, 18 seats have opened up in United Polaris First Class. I am #19 on the upgrade list.

To add, I've been in San Francisco this week around the convention center. The place is a ghost town. Just about every restaurant / bar / etc. is closed with a couple of exceptions. Streets are largely deserted. I guess 99% of the working population is able to work remotely.

Seems strange, even working from home people like to go out to eat.

[HondoKillebrew]

How about Smith Island, ever been there?  It's pretty close to Janes Island State Park, where I fish a couple of days a year.  I'm sometimes tempted on a calm day to run out there and fish the marsh complex on the north side but I'd be in big trouble if wind came up on me.  16' Carolina Skiff doesn't handle swells well at all.

We took a ferry from Crisfield to Smith Island several years ago to check it out, eat some crab cakes, and have some Smith Island Cake.  I'd had it before then, but if you ever see it on a menu I recommend trying it.  The original flavor, which we prefer, is a chocolate fudge-like icing on the cake and in between its many thin layers.  Amazing. 

[imref]

Seems strange, even working from home people like to go out to eat.

The area around the convention center is mostly office space, folks aren't coming into the city to work anymore. I did see a ton of traffic heading out over the bay bridge though at evening rush hour.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

I used to go there a bit for work and I recall a pretty big reverse trip of "brogrammers" living in the city and commuting out to San Mateo and Redwood City.  Guess that was in the before times.     

[Count Walewski]

Looks like there is a bit more to do on Tangier Island than Smith Island but I'll keep both in my plans in case a long weekend opens up.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Pretty soon one will need scuba gear to visit Tangier Island

[Count Walewski]

Speaking of natural disasters impacting travel, we are still ticketed for New Mexico and Arizona in June. But a wildfire has broken out along scenic Highway 4 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, shutting down two of the NPS sites (Bandelier National Monument and the Valles Caldera) that we had been planning to see

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news/cerro-pelado-fire-forces-closure-of-bandelier-national-monument-to-public/6460089/

They say that travel is about new experiences. Well, having to modify my itinerary because of a raging wildfire is a new experience for me!

[Mattionals]

Wife and I will take a jaunt up to Vermont in late June. First vacation leaving the kid with her grandparents. 2 nights is all, but I'm pretty stoked for good beer again. Wife and I did the same trip in 2019 before my daughter was born. Now we get to do it again before my son is born!

[imref]

Speaking of natural disasters impacting travel, we are still ticketed for New Mexico and Arizona in June. But a wildfire has broken out along scenic Highway 4 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, shutting down two of the NPS sites (Bandelier National Monument and the Valles Caldera) that we had been planning to see

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news/cerro-pelado-fire-forces-closure-of-bandelier-national-monument-to-public/6460089/

They say that travel is about new experiences. Well, having to modify my itinerary because of a raging wildfire is a new experience for me!

This is shaping up to be an awful fire season for the West-Southwest.

Where are you heading?  We did a Colorado-New Mexico-Arizona trip last summer, going from Denver to Cimarron to Durango to Sedona. We cancelled a trip to Lake Powell as the lake is so low right now we didn't think it was worth a visit.  If you are anywhere near Cimarron I highly recommend a visit to the St. James Hotel -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._James_Hotel_(Cimarron,_New_Mexico)

[Count Walewski]

This is shaping up to be an awful fire season for the West-Southwest.

Where are you heading?  We did a Colorado-New Mexico-Arizona trip last summer, going from Denver to Cimarron to Durango to Sedona. We cancelled a trip to Lake Powell as the lake is so low right now we didn't think it was worth a visit.  If you are anywhere near Cimarron I highly recommend a visit to the St. James Hotel -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._James_Hotel_(Cimarron,_New_Mexico)

Pretty basic itinerary: the strategic goal is to see New Mexico, which is one of just three US states I have never been to, and see the Grand Canyon which I also have never been to before. The plan is to fly to Albuquerque, spend 3 nights there (including an Isotopes game), then drive up to Santa Fe and spend 3 nights there, then take a very ill-advised 12 hour road trip from Santa Fe to Flagstaff before seeing the Grand Canyon the next day. Then, Flagstaff to Phoenix to catch a flight home out of the Sky Harbor.

There's two routes from Albuquerque to Santa Fe: the interstate, and the more scenic Highway 4. Looks like Highway 4 is literally on fire right now and we'll have to skip all the scenic things along that route. That frees up a full day in Santa Fe and makes a day trip to Taos possible as a replacement: but I hear the High Road to Taos is also shut down right now so it can be used to evacuate residents from ANOTHER big fire, this one east of Santa Fe.

Worst case scenario for me is that the fires become so bad that air quality in ABQ and Santa Fe becomes unacceptable. That's the scenario in which I would need to cancel the trip entirely rather than just remove the things that are on fire from my plans.

[imref]

For visiting the GC, we were advised to take the train from just west of Flagstaff,  it gets you past the long entrance lines that start to build around 7 AM,  unfortunately it only gives 3 hours at the South Rim:

https://www.thetrain.com/the-train/

WRT to Albequerque, the Sandia Peak tramway looked really cool if you are ok with the heights - https://sandiapeak.com

Hopefully the fires have calmed down by the time you get out there.  Our drive from Cimarron to Durango took us through some really cool areas, including the Earthships near Taos but we never had time to stop and explore - https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/earthships

Driving over the Rio Grande gorge is interesting as well, but it went by so fast we barely noticed it.

[wj73]

. . . That frees up a full day in Santa Fe . . .

Since you have that free day in Santa Fe, how about a balloon ride? We did a ride with Santa Fe Balloons a few years ago and it was fantastic. Don’t know how the fires may be impacting this, though. [/size][size=78%]https://www.santafeballoons.com/[/size]

[English Natsie]

Driving over the Rio Grande gorge is interesting as well

Not the edge of, I trust....