The Travel Thread

[guest-1185]

That sounds like a fun trip! I hope you have scheduled enough time in each city to really enjoy it.

Oh yes, outside of SF&LA I've got 4-6 nights in each city. Paris is now a go as well.

Your trip sounds wonderfully exotic. I've heard wonderful things from family members who've spent time in Africa.

It's London - There is easily over 100 venues. Let me know what dates you are in town and i'll see what is happening.

I'll be arriving around Aug. 14 and departing on the 19th. So anything from the 14th-18th would be choice Merci.

[BlackSwan]

big island

There is a beach between mile markers 88 and 89 on Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway. You have to hike across a lava desert to get there, but it is worth it.

[Courtney]

I have a $150 flight credit on United that will expire in November. I feel obligated to use it. Cheap flight options: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco or Los Angeles. Although I did weirdly see a sub-$300 roundtrip airfare from Honolulu to Yuma the other day.


Suggestions?

[miscorrections]

Seattle Seattle Seattle Seattle. Come visit me.

[tricorne]

Well, you DO have relatives in Portland. What did you say their names were? Uncle Powell's, Cousin Microbrew, Grandpa OMSI, Aunt Voodoo Doughnuts, and your sister-in-law, Aerial Tram That I Am Terrified Of? You should come visit them. After the last week in September.

[Courtney]

Woooop. That is a good suggestion. I'm going to some music festival or something on Sept. 9-14, so my trip would probably either be July or Oct/Nov. That doesn't narrow it down much though, now that I'm typing it.

[miscorrections]

You should go to both Portland AND Seattle. They're not very far apart. Or if you go to Portland and it's on a weekend and Hannah doesn't mind me sleeping in her bed with her I could come visit, and we all win.

[Courtney]

Yessss. I am so down with this plan.

[tricorne]

Down. I might not have any furniture yet but we can sit on the floor and pretend it's a culture thing.

[Courtney]

I think I would have the option of staying with my mother's step-sister in Portland, but then I would have to handle her husband's well-meaning but kind of really weirdly intense ramblings about our shared alma mater.

[tricorne]

Don't be ridiculous.

[Courtney]

Seattle I could stay with my kick ass lab-coat wearing disease-studying biologist aunt and her partner who besides being non-creepy is also an amazing pastry chef.

[Courtney]

These are important things to consider.

[tricorne]

http://www.omsi.edu/index.php/afterdark

I'm going to buy year passes that will get me into this for free. And a guest. And a guest.

[Courtney]

I like industry.

[Courtney]

I like playing the role of a forensic scientist, too.

[guest-1185]

If you're coming to Seattle you might want to look into the weekend of Capitol Hill Block Party in late July

[TomAz]

Is it sick that that article makes me want to do it more? Glutton for punishment.

I want to visit Mali because my nutso little sister joined the Peace Corps and is moving there.

I want to know how this turns out. not just the trip itself but also the travel logistics. especially the travel logistics.

[whynotsmile99]

got a few things in the pipeline. I work full time so have no idea how this will all work out. 2 weeks vacation time a year just isn't enough

a good friend of mine I've known since pre school is getting married in India in December. Would be a great way to see a part of India and would be a lot of fun

also working on World Cup South Africa. We'll see about that one. I would want at least a solid month if I went to Africa.

Got my free trip to Israel as well, have to use that in the next few years.

or i could go to Eastern Europe this summer. Buddy just got a ticket to German from LA or San Fran for only $500

[guest-1185]

So here's the final layout for Jeff's Musical Eurotrip Spectacular:

August
7&8 Leave Seattle for Underworld in Oakland and LA
9 Fly from LA to London
10-18 Dublin & London with family
19 - 22 Train from London to Brussels to eastern Belgium for Pukkelpop
23 Train to Paris -five nights in Paris-
28 Train to London -three nights in London highlighted by Orbital & Royksopp on the 30th-
31 Fly home a tad more cultured, worldly and with sharpened French (Hopefully)

[Courtney]

I want to know how this turns out. not just the trip itself but also the travel logistics. especially the travel logistics.

Unless I have the discipline to save up $4000-$5000, it's not going to work out at all. A more modest trip seems increasingly likely. But I will keep you updated.

[Courtney]

So here's the final layout for Jeff's Musical Eurotrip Spectacular:

August
7&8 Leave Seattle for Underworld in Oakland and LA
9 Fly from LA to London
10-18 Dublin & London with family
19 - 22 Train from London to Brussels to eastern Belgium for Pukkelpop
23 Train to Paris -five nights in Paris-
28 Train to London -three nights in London highlighted by Orbital & Royksopp on the 30th-
31 Fly home a tad more cultured, worldly and with sharpened French (Hopefully)

If people actually speak French to you, I will be impressed. I find that the only time I actually get to speak it is when traveling outside of the major cities. Otherwise, I find people just talk to me in English because inevitably their English is so much better than my French.

[guest-1185]

I've heard that. I'll have to work extra hard on my pronunciation from now until then, it'll make the inevitable letdown that much more disappointing...

[TomAz]

If people actually speak French to you, I will be impressed. I find that the only time I actually get to speak it is when traveling outside of the major cities. Otherwise, I find people just talk to me in English because inevitably their English is so much better than my French.

this is so much not my experience. I have had complete strangers come up to me on the street in paris and start talking to me in french. and it's not because my accent is good (it isn't, not particularly) or because I dress like anything other than an american tourist. they just do it. it's cool. i like it. one time this couple came up to me and asked me how late the metro runs. i told them what I knew (which, having just looked at the schedules that day, I actually knew the answer to). They spoke in this bizarrely accented french, by which I mean I could understand them perfectly clearly without trying. So I asked them if they were americans (thinking that maybe the 'clear' french I was hearing was actually an american accent) and they thought that was kind of funny. they were from Lyons.

but anyway I have also found that in paris if you are someplace where they suspect/know you are an american (restaurant, airport, taxi, etc) but they see you are trying to speak french they will accommodate you and compliment you on your french if they see you are making an effort.

in rural france I have had several experiences with people correcting my grammar. and they weren't being mean, not as I saw it -- they were trying to help. one time at this farmers market in Gordes this old guy corrected my grammar and I thanked him for it and he seemed to like that because then he kept talking to me for a while.

this is a long winded post but your posts, boarder and courtney, got me remembering.

[HowToDisappear]

Well, it's not far, and it's not exotic, but it is beautiful --- we're off to Bryce Canyon tomorrow for camping, hiking and stargazing. It's Astronomy Week (yay telescopes!), and unfortunately the forecast is for thunderstorms and partly cloudy skies, so I'm hoping the weather cooperates.

[real talk]

Awesome. I hope the skies clear. And I hope 1litro takes some good pictures.

I'm off in 9 hours to Siesta Key, FL. Ten days of oceanside living replete with swimming, sunshine and shells. And frozen drinks with umbrellas.

[HowToDisappear]

Ohhhh, sounds good. White sand, blue water, and your honey beside you. What could be better?

Happy vacation, rt.

[TomAz]

you should go up to Longboat Key one day and visit Mote Marine laboratory. it's pretty cool.

[Courtney]

Ooh both Bryce Canyon and the Keys sound pretty exotic to me. Please share photos when you get back!

I booked a flight to Maui for a freelance writing assignment next Friday, but I'll only be there for 48 hours so it's not really that exciting.

[marooko]

don't sleep. that will raise that excitement stock tremendously.