The Travel Thread

[Shaxspear]

Has this been discussed in here?
http://www.airbnb.com/

It's a pretty awesome site for renting people homes/apartments for very affordable rates in just about every place imaginable.

I love airbnb! So far I've used it in NYC, San Fran, and Maui twice. The places we stayed at in Maui and NYC were amazing and such a good deal. The place we stayed at in San Fran was kind of a dive, but the location was good and it was incredibly cheap. www.vrbo.com is another similar site that I've used before.

[vulcandeathgrip]

On the way from Calgary to Vancouver you will be taking the Trans-Canada Highway. First off Calgary can be fun but it's mostly just the drunk kind of fun. After you wake up from haze feel free to make the hourish long drive to Canmore. While there I suggest checking into the Hostel Bear, probably one of the nicest hostels I've stayed in. Within stumbling distance is the Grizzly Paw Brewery. Very nice beers with decent pub food. Canmore locals are also very nice and if you're looking for more fun I'm sure striking up a conversation with anyone would not prove fruitless.

Next on your list in Banff, obviously. As an Australian you are bound, by law, to stop at Banff and flirt with some fun-loving Canadians. Apparently your accent is very appealing. I would suggest staying at the Samesun. Not only does it have the cheapest bar in the city but it's also full of other young backpackers who are looking for a good time. While in the area you can check out some very nice hiking trails. Maps and very friendly Park Guides are available at the Banff Visitor Centre which is right on Banff Ave. Approximately, a four minute walk from the Samesun. Unfortunately for you, the end of April is considered "high season" so if you do want to stay here you had better make a reservation. Also while you're in the area feel free to try out skiing or snowboarding as pretty much all the resorts stay open until May. Sunshine is the best price for the best snow.

When you leave Banff you'll head on to Lake Louise. Lake Louise is a very nice lake with a very nice hotel built basically on it. This area is definitely more expensive and I just suggest spending a couple hours here. Which you should spend hiking to the Lake Agnes Tea House. It's about 3-4km hike there so bring water and a snack (preferably something with protein in it). If you find you want to stay in Lake Louise, get yourself to the HI. HI of course stands for Hosteling International.

After Lake Louise you will take a sharp turn West and suddenly be out of Banff National Park and into Yoho National Park, which is absolutely stunning. If you don't see a moose at this point you have basically failed at touring in Canada.

Golden and Revelstoke are the next major stops on your journey but since I rarely travel to Vancouver I will let someone from BC explain the rest.

Good luck. Have fun. Don't litter.

Thanks heaps for advice, it's truly appreciated. We have started looking into some of your suggestions .

[Sleepingrock]

In Field, which is a tiny town in Yoho park there is a shop called The Siding, they have really good sandwiches, I would recommend checking it out! Do you guys know which route you are taking to Vancouver?

[scenicworld]

15 days until New York and 18 days until Philly!

Anyone have any suggestions on things to do or see while I'm in Philly?

here's a list of things I'm considering:
* The Franklin Institute
* Philly Cheese Steak at competing places
* the Historic area/Liberty Bell/Constitution
* Eastern State Penitentiary
* The Touch Museum
* Philly Zoo
* The Rocky Steps (Yo Adrian!)

Obviously I can't do them all since I'm only there for just under 3 days, but I'm somewhat clueless on what else is around there.

[mountmccabe]

I can't help on Philly but what are your plans for New York?

[scenicworld]

Just as much normal touristy stuff as I can fit into 3 and a half days.

I'm going to get a hopper pass and see most of the sights that way. Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Time Square, 9/11 Memorial, and Central Park. Plus I plan to check out the MET and the Bodies exhibit if I have time, and if I can find cheap enough tickets I'd like to see either Wicked or Book of Mormon or some other Broadway show. I'd also like to walk around Brooklyn too and see where it takes me, but that's not for sure. as for bars and clubs, I plan to go to Last Exit and/or Brass Monkey but I'm open to more suggestions there.

Gotye is playing a show at Terminal 5, but it's sold out so I've been checking stubhub and other resellers for some tickets.

I'm staying at the Chelsae Sheraton, so I'll take quite a few walks around that area as well.

[Fourthisto]

Anyone have any suggestions on things to do or see while I'm in Philly?

If you're interested in feeling better about your personal health as a whole, I recommend embracing a trip down Macabre Lane to the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. I mean, they have Einstein's brain on display there. Need I say more?

http://www.collphyphil.org/site/mutter_museum.html

[scenicworld]

If you're interested in feeling better about your personal health as a whole, I recommend embracing a trip down Macabre Lane to the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. I mean, they have Einstein's brain on display there. Need I say more?

http://www.collphyphil.org/site/mutter_museum.html

That sounds pretty interesting! Since I might see Bodies while I'm in NY, it would fit that theme quite well. thanks

[york707]

Hey I 'll be in DC next and actually get to do some tourist stuff instead of work.

[scenicworld]

Gotye is playing a show at Terminal 5, but it's sold out so I've been checking stubhub and other resellers for some tickets.

Got tickets to this show after all! hooray!

[algunz]

Sounds like an awesome and busy trip, scenic. Have fun.

[TomAz]

Hey I 'll be in DC next and actually get to do some tourist stuff instead of work.

I was just in DC last week.

[scenicworld]

I'm planning a DC trip for later this year, likely in July around my birthday. I have to fly back to Philly again, so I figured I'd check out DC before I have to be there.

Sounds like an awesome and busy trip, scenic. Have fun.

Thanks! I can't wait, I've never been east of Vegas.

[york707]

DC was good times. Record temps. I wish I had packed some shorts for walking around the monuments. We were there about 10 days too early for the cherry blossoms. Had some great food - first at the Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt on the edge of Georgetown and then at a great Mexican place called El Centro. Had a nightcap at the St. Louis-based pizza place District of Pi... it was Pi Day, after all.

[mountmccabe]

Got tickets to this show after all! hooray!

Good work!

And I guess I missed your reply earlier but it sounds like you've got plenty of things to see in NYC!

One option for trying to see the Book of Mormon, Wicked and several other shows is to enter the day-of lottery: Starting 2.5 hours before each performance you can sign up - in person - for the lottery and then 30 minutes later they draw names for the front-row (and sometimes a few other) seats; if you win you can buy a pair of tickets for something like $30 each. It doesn't take a whole lot of time and is entirely reasonable, especially as many of the other things you're looking to see are in the area.

Thus, for example, you could try The Book of Mormon's 2 pm Sunday matinee at 11:30 - noon and if you don't win you can go try for Wicked's 3 pm Sunday matinee (12:30 - 1 pm) and then if you don't luck out there you're still in the area to go visit Central Park/the Met, the Empire State Building and Times Square.

Also Wicked also has a spring break deal and is selling (somewhat) discounted tickets at the box office only for the time period you are in NY.

[captncrzy]

Just as much normal touristy stuff as I can fit into 3 and a half days.

as for bars and clubs, I plan to go to Last Exit and/or Brass Monkey but I'm open to more suggestions there.

.

I highly recommend The Pony Bar in Hell's Kitchen if you like beer.

[sonofhal]

Ditto on The Pony Bar - maybe after a visit to The Burger Joint.

[scenicworld]

sounds great! I like beer enough

Terminal 5 is in Hell's Kitchen so this will be a great couple places to grab a bite and a beer either before or after the show.

[algunz]

Fuck, I'm so jealous. I miss the NYC literally every day of my life.

[guedita]

So I think I'm going to go to either Chicago, or New York City for a long weekend in June. It will probably depend on what airfare is cheapest and/or my own whimsy.

My housemate and I are also going to Europe for 6 weeks in the summer of 2013; so far we know we're going to Utrecht (Holland) for 2 weeks (That city is still and probably forever my absolute favorite city in the world, also fuck Amsterdam). We're not sure where else to go. We want to do 2 weeks in a city; I'm pushing hard for Berlin because I want to check out the night life, but I don't know if that is really a city one could hang out in for a full 2 weeks. We're also definitely trying to stay at a beach/ocean area for two weeks and have been thinking about trying to do the coastline of Croatia.

[sbessiso]

Cara, Berlin is amazing and I think you could do some hard time there

[sonofhal]

Time it for Primavera. Barca is ace, warm and has beaches. Berlin rocks too. Can't say I've ever been to Utrecht. What is so great about it?

Croatia has quite a few cool festivals in the summer. I'm a little biased as my brother is involved, but check out http://electricelephant.co.uk/

[guedita]

I'm biased about Utrecht because I fell in love there; but the Dom Tower, so many great bars, cafes and clubs, beautiful canals, awesome museums -- it's got a huge population of university students in their 20s and it's a real Dutch city where you meet and hang out with actual Dutch people, not a tourist trap like Amsterdam. I can freely admit that I view it entirely quixotically, but it is still the one city I always want to return to.

I like the idea of timing my travels around a festival, but my travel mate isn't fond of festivals so that is sort of a determining factor. But that Croatia festival looks awesome.

[mountmccabe]

The guy that worked in my lab in Phoenix was from Croatia and he said they would always try to go to the Italian side of the Adriatic Sea to go to the beach but that was probably more about going somewhere different, because he clearly loved Croatia a lot, too.

I find the idea of staying in successive cities for two weeks to be quite intriguing. It sounds like a great fit for a long vacation that you actually want planned out; a tour of the continent style trip with a few days in each city would get tiring by the second week. We are planning a honeymoon/vacation and while there is that temptation to try and go all the places I think we are settled on staying in one country, at least.

Also I vote NYC for June!

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Heather's parents are looking likely to do a house exchange in Copenhagen next summer so I think we're probably going to go along and use the house as home base for other jaunts. i really want to see Berlin as well.

[RodFed1993]

I'm planning on studying abroad in Utrecht my junior year of college. My family is Dutch and when I first went to Holland I absolutely loved it. Also, I'm backpacking Peru his summer with my buddy. We're spending a month there seeing Machu Picchu, doing some jungle trekking, and exploring the bigger cities. I can't wait.

[sonofhal]

Heather's parents are looking likely to do a house exchange in Copenhagen next summer so I think we're probably going to go along and use the house as home base for other jaunts. i really want to see Berlin as well.

I love Copenhagen. Had a friend who lived there up until recently, so have been over numerous times. Not cheap, but has a ton of character. Also has no mid-size venues, so bands tend to play really small places.

[guedita]

I'm planning on studying abroad in Utrecht my junior year of college. My family is Dutch and when I first went to Holland I absolutely loved it. Also, I'm backpacking Peru his summer with my buddy. We're spending a month there seeing Machu Picchu, doing some jungle trekking, and exploring the bigger cities. I can't wait.

You're at UCSB, right? That's where I went, I did the study abroad program in Holland but in Leiden. It was so much fun.

[RodFed1993]

Yeah I'm at UCSB! And Guedita, how did you set up going to Leiden? Because I don't think you can do that through the school. Did you set it up yourself?

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

Ah, my sister is also at UCSB, currently doing the study abroad program in Madrid. She's in heaven right now.