# Does anyone else hesitate to head to new places?



## SOS8260456 (Sep 9, 2012)

I am enjoying the thread about everyone's favorite timeshares.  Even before that thread, I know that there are so many many places that I would love to travel to with our timeshares.

However, we have tended to always head to Disney and I do think a lot has to do with familiarity.  I know what to expect and I know the best ways to get there, etc.  The same with the most of the other places that we have traveled to.

I am finally planning our first major non-Disney trip and it is just plain scary to me.  Timeshares are great, but I think you really need to do alot of the planning yourself, which means alot of reading and researching about things from the location, to the resort, to activities, to airfare, etc.  Before we finally decided on a tentative location/date for this trip, I was seriously thinking that maybe it would be easier to just call a travel agent.  Of course, now after hours of reading I am feeling alot better about it, but we did select a another well know resort area that lots of Tuggers have experience with and not one of the other many beautiful I am sure destinations in the Caribbean.

I also find I don't want to waste vacation funds and my husband's vacation time on a possible dud vacation.  Since everyone's tastes and expectaions are different, you can only rely on research material to some extent.

Do any other Tuggers feel this way?


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## DeniseM (Sep 9, 2012)

Disney is fun, but there is so much to explore outside of Disney - you will be glad you took the leap!  

With so much info. here on TUG and the internet, I think it would be hard to end up with a dud, unless you just go into it blindly - which obviously, you would never do.


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## Talent312 (Sep 9, 2012)

There's nothing like going to new places that helps one grow as a person. B4 I became a travel-nut, the prospect going to places where I did not speak the language seemed rather daunting. But there are many places where U.S. culture is so prevalent, like the Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Cancum or Cozumel, that it's only foreign at the edges. I started with these places.

You can read/watch about Florence and other such places, but unless you've
walked the cobblestoned streets, you can't understand what makes it special.

Rick Steve's show, "Europe through the Back Door," inspired us to take our first trip to Italy. I've now been to many places in Europe, from Scotland to Greece, all on our own. Closer to home, we've travelled throughout the U.S., including Alaska.  

My biggest headache at the moment is my DW's desire to return to Grasse, France, so she can buy fragrances. I say: "Hon, we don't need to go back. You can order from Molinard online. But as she says: You need to be there to smell what you want.

Just put one step in front of the other and keep going.


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## stmartinfan (Sep 9, 2012)

I actually find all the research to be fun, and it almost feels like I'm extending the vacation period because I get to escape into the place vicariously through reading about it.  

I agree that it can be a little scary to invest the time and money on the unknown, but we've found that with some decent research up front, we know what to expect and have an interesting time no matter where we go.  

One note: we have only1 week of TS and don't trade that, so our vacations have often involved renting apartments in major cities.  

I still remember standing in the dingy hallway of a Paris flat in a very old building waiting for the agent to arrive with the key, after a long flight and suffering with jet lag, watching the tears roll down the cheeks of my then elem. aged daughter, who was sure mom had led her to a disaster!  It looked far from the comforts of the suburban home she was used to, and I had some momentary pangs of guilt.  But once inside, the apartment was lovely, spacious and newly refurbished, and in a safe and quiet neighborhood close to the metro.  The Paris trip was lots of fun, and that daughter went on to eagerly sign up for a semester in London years later where she handled with no problems all the challenges of the city.  I think all those adventures when travelling as a family showed her how you can make the best and figure it out, even when things seem to go wrong.


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## Egret1986 (Sep 9, 2012)

*No, life's too short and we'll never get to even scratch the surface.*

We have been all over the mainland US, for the most part, and a couple of places in the Caribbean.  We do go back to places within driving range of our home, but try to go somewhere new for at least one of our vacations each year.

I enjoy the research and planning.  In 28 years of using timeshares, we've only had one bad experience (bad timeshare set the stage, but didn't really enjoy the area either).  There have been places that we have been that there is no real desire to return back to, but we're glad we went and enjoyed ourselves while we there. 

Get out there and explore some new destinations!  I think if you break out of your comfort zone, you'll be happy that you did.  There's so much more than Disney!


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## LisaRex (Sep 9, 2012)

I love exploring new places.  But if the prospect of finding new places stresses you out, then I'd recommend you use a travel agent who specializes in the area you are targeting.  Yes, they generally do make a commission, but it's a nominal fee and their expertise can be extremely helpful.

I also find a lot of information on travel sites.


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## Renny30 (Sep 9, 2012)

SOS8260456 said:


> However, we have tended to always head to Disney and I do think a lot has to do with familiarity.  I know what to expect and I know the best ways to get there, etc.  The same with the most of the other places that we have traveled to.
> 
> I am finally planning our first major non-Disney trip and it is just plain scary to me.
> 
> ...



The planning is alot of the fun for me. I remember when I used to research trips when I was married to DH. He would just look at the amount of data I'd gathered and say, "There's a career in that. I don't know what it is, but there's something..." I'd laugh. I wish I could figure out what that career might be. 

I have a little one with autism as well, I hope I'm not being too presumptuous,  here, but I think sometimes the familiar is easier to deal with for them and for us as we care for them. I've decided to start branching out. Both of my boys fly free, because my ex-DH works for a major airline. I tend to go places we can drive to in under 7 hrs as to not have to worry about the airport scene, potential ear pressure problems for my little one and such, but I've decided I'm going to begin to branch out. He'll be 7 next month. We've barely scratched the surface of Orlando, but I plan to do incorporate other trips like the Caribbean and Mexico starting in 2014. He'll surely be ready by then. Mom should be ready too. 

Have fun planning. I'm sure you'll make it a fantastic trip for your family.


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## PStreet1 (Sep 9, 2012)

You can relieve a lot of your anxiety by becoming a regular participant on www.tripadvisor.com     You want the forums for each place, not the hotels/restaurants/etc. list.  To get there easily, go to google and type in

trip advisor + ____________ (wherever you're going) + forum

Sometimes it's difficult to find the forum pages from the main page with all the hotels and restaurants.

On the forum, you'll find people who live there, people who go there often, and newbies asking questions/answering questions/providing lists you will probably want/etc.

Many forums have a "destination expert" who knows a lot about the area and regularly answers questions for their area--and there are tons of non-destination-experts who may know just what you want to know.  I, for example, am a destination expert for Rosarito, Mexico.  I send anyone who asks emails with my favorite restaurants/directions/things to do/etc. as well as answer questions on the open forum.  If there is a person you'd like to ask more than was posted, you can private message the person by clicking on their picture or name.

It is truly a fabulous, free, travel source.  (You might even enjoy answering a few Disney questions or questions about your home area or another area you've been to.)


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## WinniWoman (Sep 9, 2012)

I love the excitement of planning trips to new places. We now always use our home resort for 2 separate weeks, which is within driving distance, but we like to go somewhere else usually for a third week and sometimes even stay home (what a concept!). But, I still get excited going to our home resort, even after 15 years! I still make plans to do different things. With research, you would be surprised what new things you can dig up to do-even in a familiar place! 

Being to different places in the USA, Caribbean and one trip to the UK (that was stressful to plan), we have learned about the type of vacation we truly enjoy- for us it is natural wonders. like National Parks. We do not like spending lots of time in cities or gambling...We like the outdoors and scenery...maybe a day in a city tops.....

Once we decide where we might like to go, we look for a timeshare resort nearby that we can rent...then set up the airfare and car rental if necessary. I then look up where the closest grocery stores are and take a collapsible cooler with us if it is a good drive from the resort.

And then, I look to the Tuggers for info. on the best tips for that area and purchase a Discovery Channel Insight book!

The journey is the destination....


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## SOS8260456 (Sep 9, 2012)

Renny30 said:


> I have a little one with autism as well, I hope I'm not being too presumptuous,  here, but I think sometimes the familiar is easier to deal with for them and for us as we care for them. I've decided to start branching out. Both of my boys fly free, because my ex-DH works for a major airline. I tend to go places we can drive to in under 7 hrs as to not have to worry about the airport scene, potential ear pressure problems for my little one and such, but I've decided I'm going to begin to branch out. He'll be 7 next year and he's ready. Mom just has to get ready too.
> 
> Have fun planning. I'm sure you'll make it a fantastic trip for your family.



Renny,
     You hit the nail on the head.  Disney has been very comfortable for DD12 plus we had a few plane disasters years ago, so everything was driving for the longest time.  We finally tried flying this past summer and it went very well.  Even after we ran through Phillie airport to catch our connecting flight and we had to walk onto the tarmac? (where the plane is parked outsite) and board the plane with about 4 steps to the ground and total seating of about 20.  I didn't realize I had booked a put put plane and when I saw it all I thought was "Oh, no!".  But she handled it like a pro.

As she is getting older, I am finding her comfort zone expanding, and I am so looking forward to seeing new places.  When we first started doing Disney, I remember the hours of research.  Now I can put together a trip to Disney within 4 weeks if I need to.  I think her comfort zone became my comfort zone, too.


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## stmartinfan (Sep 9, 2012)

While I think online sites like TripAdviser can be good, I always start research on a new place by getting a couple of different travel books for a destination from the library.  That way I can start with a more neutral and professional viewpoint, rather than having to deal with the extremes in viewpoint you can find on places like TripAdviser.  

Once I decide from the books what my priorities will be in terms of things like major sites to see, general area of a city I want to stay, etc., then I can follow up with more research on line, like finding a specific place to stay, or restaurants in the area, or reserving tickets.  For major European destinations, I like Rick Steves because he focuses only on the top things to do, but then I supplement with a more general guide like Frommers or Fodors to get more indepth descriptions on an attraction or to see if there's something that might be of special interest to us.

For my daughter with special needs, one of the big benefits of our travel has been bringing to life for her things she was learning about in school.  We visited Mesa Verde the summer befor she studied it in school.  Her teacher marveled in a conference how much our daughter had been engaged in that study.  She was 
a little disappointed to learn it wasn't her teaching skill but the fact that my daughter, a experiental learner, had actually seen the things they were studying!  That's the value of vacationing in "real" places not just Disney

We did Disney a couple of times when they were young, but after other travel they were more interested in going other places.   Oh, and my other tip--don't overbook your days!  Part of learning about a place is just doing the day to day things people there do, like taking a break at the sidewalk cafe or going to the grocery store,  We don't do more than 1 museum in a day, ever, take a day to just hang out and wander around with no major destination, and don't overload on big churches, etc.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 9, 2012)

Lisa,
I started going away from home in 5th grade when I booked and paid for a 6 night stay away from home at a Girl Scout camp. I knew no one who had ever been nor was anyone going with me. That was 50 years ago and I hated the camp and the people. The next spring as research, I made my mom drive me to another Girl Scout camp 45 miles away from home to different county and town she and I had never been to. Yes, I travelled to that camp that summer and found that place delightful and fit me just right. That was 49 years ago and learned an important life lesson - research more and try again. 

I still have that brave attitude. Research. TRY. And now, know there can be options. 

And yes, my first trip overseas, solo, and my first passport was to Ireland 25 years via the Eastern Airlines Weekender Club for 5 nights with 97 other members who had booked just 7-12 days earlier. It was a long March weekend when Eastern Airlines went bankrupt and stranded thousands of flyers everywheres. And when we got back to NYC, the blizzard was dumping 26 inches of snow. And did I mention, I had not told anyone I was travelling? And I loved the trip, my fellow travellers and the local people ... I still tell stories of those days and that trip.

So, enjoy the adventure. Some are absolute winners and others, are life lessons to be learned from. And some trips go both ways.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 9, 2012)

You all might think my next timeshare adventure is a bit of a non-adventure.  I am planning a trip to Williamsburg next April, someplace we have never been, just the two of us, and it's been interesting.  I am not a person who can just book airfare and a timeshare and off we go.  I have to decide what we need to see and do, and I am a bit overwhelmed. As Lisa says, it's easy to plan Disney, even at the last minute.  

I am still struggling with which airport, which timeshare to book, and what we should do to fill our 2 weeks.  Should we book the Marriott for two weeks?, or should we consider moving the second week.  Can we find two weeks of stuff to do?  Should we go into Wash D.C., or save for another time?  These are all questions in my head. 

I don't do roller coasters and drop rides, but Rick loves them.  He really feels alone on those rides, so he may not even want to go to Busch Williamsburg.  I just want to see historical sites and ride the kid rides at Busch.


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## nalismom (Sep 9, 2012)

Planning and researching a potential trip is my idea of stress relief.  I can spend hours discovering new cultures and countries and others opinions, gathering them and putting them together in a way that works for me.  I think it started in my 20's when I had an unrequited passion for travel and adventure , a job that allowed me an unconventional schedule and unfortunately or fortunately friends who were more tied to conventional schedules.  If I wanted that adventure I had to get over any doubts about traveling alone and feel comfortable about it.  Once I accomplished that there was not alot stopping me except my work schedule and some life decisions.

I've had sailing experiences in New England and the Carribean, kayaking and beach camping in the Sea of Cortez, an opportunity to travel to both Israel and the Palestinian territories several times, Greece, Italy, and more recently Spain and Morocco.

When we went to Italy in 2007.....it had been many years since my husband and I had been overseas (besides the Carribean) and planning 27 days which included various museums and sites in major cities was daunting given that my husband has small patience for waiting on lines.  We decided on a 10 day Rick Steve's tour covering Venice, Florence, and Rome.  The remaining 15 days I researched using his books.  We learned alot taking a guided tour but both of us agreed that we could do the same on our own using his and other guidebooks and the help of fellow travelers on TripAdvisor......and for less money.  Spain and Morocco evolved out of that belief and I was easily able to plan out our route, sites we wanted to cover and secure reservations where needed, hire day guides for cities we wanted to learn more about and experience as a local, and most importantly learn about the culture and countries we would be traveling to.

Morocco felt a little trickier but research led us to decide on a guide/driver for our 10 days there.  Finding one raised much wariness especially since many reviews have to be taken with a grain since biases come out but I was determined not to work with a larger tour provider and instead go with a local who I discovered after combing through many reviews both positive and several not so much.  After 6 weeks of emailing back and forth we committed and needed to wire a deposit which in itself was scary.....and all this one year in advance of our trip.  A month before our trip I planned to re-contact our contact but I have to say I was afraid he would not remember.  To my surprise he re-contacted me way before I was planning to contact him and we went over everything and where he would meet us.  A year later Morocco remains the best trip we ever took and it was due to much research and a leap of faith in an individual over 6000 miles away.  We saw many things and had many experiences we would not have had if we had gone with a large tour group.  We spent 10 days and nights with this man and know we have made a friend for life.  He watched over us as he would have his own family.

This reinforced my passion to seek out experiences both far and near but 'lower to the ground'.  Not all of our trips are like this but at least once every two years I like to plan one like this.  We too have 2 weeks in a TS in Aruba every year and have not tired of it after 12 years...it feels like a second home now.  We have 2 other TS weeks that we purchased several years ago and use for trading to different places.....this year we are going to Hawaii.


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## PStreet1 (Sep 9, 2012)

rickandcindy23 said:


> You all might think my next timeshare adventure is a bit of a non-adventure.  I am planning a trip to Williamsburg next April, someplace we have never been, just the two of us, and it's been interesting.  I am not a person who can just book airfare and a timeshare and off we go.  I have to decide what we need to see and do, and I am a bit overwhelmed. As Lisa says, it's easy to plan Disney, even at the last minute.
> 
> I am still struggling with which airport, which timeshare to book, and what we should do to fill our 2 weeks.  Should we book the Marriott for two weeks?, or should we consider moving the second week.  Can we find two weeks of stuff to do?  Should we go into Wash D.C., or save for another time?  These are all questions in my head.
> 
> I don't do roller coasters and drop rides, but Rick loves them.  He really feels alone on those rides, so he may not even want to go to Busch Williamsburg.  I just want to see historical sites and ride the kid rides at Busch.



In my opinion, if you have two full weeks, you will be short-changing yourselves if you don't go to D.C.  There is so much to do there!  There's everything from fun museums to really serious, thought-provoking museums/monuments.


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## SOS8260456 (Sep 9, 2012)

PStreet1 said:


> In my opinion, if you have two full weeks, you will be short-changing yourselves if you don't go to D.C.  There is so much to do there!  There's everything from fun museums to really serious, thought-provoking museums/monuments.



and almost all of it is free!  Don't forget to contact your Congressperson if you are interested in a White House tour or Capital tour.


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## Talent312 (Sep 9, 2012)

PStreet1 said:


> In my opinion, if you have two full weeks, you will be short-changing yourselves if you don't go to D.C.  There is so much to do there!  There's everything from fun museums to really serious, thought-provoking museums/monuments.



I concur. We spent a week in DC and barely scratched the surface.

Stop by Mount Vernon, then catch a trolley-tour... The highlights:
-- On Capitol Hill... Tour Congress, the Supreme Court, Library of Congress.
-- On the Mall... National Archives, National Gallery and Smithsonian Museums.
-- West-End Memorials... Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean, MLK Jr., and Jefferson.
-- Entertainment: A show at the Kennedy Center.
-- Close By... Arlington Cemetary, Ford's Theatre, Bureau of Engraving+Printing, and White House (reserve thru a Congressman).


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## Renny30 (Sep 9, 2012)

SOS8260456 said:


> Renny,
> You hit the nail on the head.  Disney has been very comfortable for DD12 plus we had a few plane disasters years ago, so everything was driving for the longest time.  We finally tried flying this past summer and it went very well.  Even after we ran through Phillie airport to catch our connecting flight and we had to walk onto the tarmac? (where the plane is parked outsite) and board the plane with about 4 steps to the ground and total seating of about 20.  I didn't realize I had booked a put put plane and when I saw it all I thought was "Oh, no!".  But she handled it like a pro.
> 
> As she is getting older, I am finding her comfort zone expanding, and I am so looking forward to seeing new places.  When we first started doing Disney, I remember the hours of research.  Now I can put together a trip to Disney within 4 weeks if I need to.  I think her comfort zone became my comfort zone, too.



I understand completely. After-all, one of the goals on vacation is to reduce stress.   I'm glad you had success with that Philly flight. I have a vision of you running through the airport. I've had to do the same and was told by my DS that "We don't need to rush." Over and over again as he failed to walk quickly with me. LOL. I've avoided the airport eversince. Have fun planning. I'm sure your family will have an amazing time.


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## PStreet1 (Sep 9, 2012)

Talent312 said:


> I concur. We spent a week in DC and barely scratched the surface.
> 
> Stop by Mount Vernon, then catch a trolley-tour... The highlights:
> -- On Capitol Hill... Tour Congress, the Supreme Court, Library of Congress.
> ...



Don't forget the Holocaust Museum--we've seen several, and this one is impressive, sobering and depressing, but a must see, in my opinion.

The Spy Museum is interesting.  Consider seeing some of the monuments at night; they are beautifully lit----but the Vietnam Memorial was so badly lit when we went that we couldn't really see it at night.  I believe they have completely redone the lighting now so it is "seeable" at night.


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## Tia (Sep 9, 2012)

This all sounds wonderful and wishing I was as capable !   



nalismom said:


> ...Spain and Morocco evolved out of that belief and I was easily able to plan out our route, sites we wanted to cover and secure reservations where needed, hire day guides for cities we wanted to learn more about and experience as a local, and most importantly learn about the culture and countries we would be traveling to.
> 
> Morocco felt a little trickier but research led us to decide on a guide/driver for our 10 days there.  Finding one raised much wariness especially since many reviews have to be taken with a grain since biases come out but I was determined not to work with a larger tour provider and instead go with a local who I discovered after combing through many reviews both positive and several not so much.  After 6 weeks of emailing back and forth we committed and needed to wire a deposit which in itself was scary.....and all this one year in advance of our trip.  A month before our trip I planned to re-contact our contact but I have to say I was afraid he would not remember.  To my surprise he re-contacted me way before I was planning to contact him and we went over everything and where he would meet us.  A year later Morocco remains the best trip we ever took and it was due to much research and a leap of faith in an individual over 6000 miles away.  We saw many things and had many experiences we would not have had if we had gone with a large tour group.  We spent 10 days and nights with this man and know we have made a friend for life.  He watched over us as he would have his own family.
> 
> ....


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## shagnut (Sep 9, 2012)

rickandcindy23 said:


> You all might think my next timeshare adventure is a bit of a non-adventure.  I am planning a trip to Williamsburg next April, someplace we have never been, just the two of us, and it's been interesting.  I am not a person who can just book airfare and a timeshare and off we go.  I have to decide what we need to see and do, and I am a bit overwhelmed. As Lisa says, it's easy to plan Disney, even at the last minute.
> 
> I am still struggling with which airport, which timeshare to book, and what we should do to fill our 2 weeks.  Should we book the Marriott for two weeks?, or should we consider moving the second week.  Can we find two weeks of stuff to do?  Should we go into Wash D.C., or save for another time?  These are all questions in my head.
> 
> I don't do roller coasters and drop rides, but Rick loves them.  He really feels alone on those rides, so he may not even want to go to Busch Williamsburg.  I just want to see historical sites and ride the kid rides at Busch.



Cindy, when we were in Wmsburg, stayed at Greensprings they had a one day trip to DC. Talk about a whirlwind!!  I could never had seen as much as I did on my own.  I think we did every memorial, the capitol tour, the ford theater, a choice of one museum , arlington cemetary & unknown soldier.  This was one day!!! I had tried to do DC on my own one time b4 and almost ended up in tears as I had no clue as where I was going or how to get there.


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## shagnut (Sep 9, 2012)

When Kelli was little (she has emh) I'd pull her out of school to go on vacation. We did Wmsburg , the outer banks, etc. I always tried to go to something that was educational ( to asuage my guilt) She has developed my love for the unknown but doesn't seem to excited about the upcoming trip to Santa Fe. Guess because it doesn't have the beach, wrestling, or country music!!  lol  shaggy


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## PStreet1 (Sep 9, 2012)

shagnut said:


> Cindy, when we were in Wmsburg, stayed at Greensprings they had a one day trip to DC. Talk about a whirlwind!!  I could never had seen as much as I did on my own.  I think we did every memorial, the capitol tour, the ford theater, a choice of one museum , arlington cemetary & unknown soldier.  This was one day!!! I had tried to do DC on my own one time b4 and almost ended up in tears as I had no clue as where I was going or how to get there.



The Un-Official Guide to Washington, D.C. is my choice of guide book that makes it simple.


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## chriskre (Sep 9, 2012)

Lisa, the key is to book as many weeks as you can so that you dilute the chances of a bad exchange.  :hysterical: 

Seriously though, I joke but honestly I think I've booked more than 12 weeks this year.  Some were great, some were ehhh, some were duds but all are experiences that I'm glad I had.  Now I know where not to go next year.  

Of course I too am a Disneyholic and had my beach fix at DVC Vero this year.  I'll also be going to see him in October at an undetermined resort as of yet.  Maybe I'll get lucky and score a cheap TPU DVC last minute.  A girl can dream.  :whoopie:  I'll be happy though even if I have to slum it at Vistana.   

As for non Disney trips, I have found that when I started venturing off to far away lands that cruises helped me get my feet wet.  It's a cheap way to fix costs and for me at least, no airfare required since I live in Miami.  I'm planning on going to Hawaii next year and you'd think with all the different systems that I own that I'd TS but actually the cruise is more and more appealing to me than flying inter-island.  I'll just hit Alauni for my Mickey fix and then end up at HGVC afterwards.  Sometimes it's worth thinking outside the TS box.  Especially if venturing off Mickey territory.  

I find that I do lots of TS for a week and then combine it with the city that I fly in/out of.  Example, I flew to Boston and picked up a car, then headed to Cape Cod, then onto the Berkshires all in TS's and ended at Custom House for 3 nights before flying home.  It worked out great and I used my Marriott rewards points instead of an exchange for Boston.  I book overlapping weeks and shorten the week to 5 nights that way I don't get bored in one place but yet give myself enough time to enjoy the area. Still works out way cheaper than hotels and of course save money with the kitchen.  Since I end up doing split stays, if one place truly sucks, then hopefully the other place will redeem the trip.  Truth is I rarely stay a whole week anywhere anyways.  So far so good.


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## MichaelColey (Sep 9, 2012)

We love to return to our favorites, but new places can be fun too. I think one of my main hesitations with new places is that it takes a lot more planning and preparation, if you want things to go smoothly. Especially if it's in another country. But that doesn't stop us. Another hesitation is that we have so many favorites that we KNOW we like, so we don't like to risk going somewhere we won't like as much. That's seldom been a problem, though. There aren't many places we've been that we DIDN'T like. 

Also, when we're looking for ideas for new places, I like to look through TUG's Top 30 list (or the Top lists for regions we're considering).  Having a nice place to stay makes trips even better, and there are some pretty incredible places on the list.


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## Passepartout (Sep 9, 2012)

If you want to see some new places, yet have it be familiar, try a cruise. You only unpack once, see some new ports, everything (except tips and booze) is paid before you board. 

We mix it up. Some timeshares (3-5 stays a year), a cruise or two, RV trips not too far from home because of gas prices. And a family trip or 2 to see the grandurchins.

Research is the best part of the trip to some new territory. Tripadvisor, TUG, local websites, recommendations of friends. We build a folder for each trip with everything in it from walking out the door, the plane reservations, rental cars, lodging, attractions, you name it, it's there.

That's how we do it anyway and it's worked for us. 

Jim


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## MuranoJo (Sep 10, 2012)

I agree cruises are a great way to test the waters of a specific locale, then go back and explore further on your own.

My job allowed me to travel to Europe, Japan & China, Canada and MX (as well as all over the U.S.).  But DH had not been far except for an Army stint in HI. However, we took a Caribbean cruise, and he soon started making vacation plans for us on various islands, and we just branched out from there.  And that's when we were introduced to timeshare via folks we met at a few of the resorts.

I think there's a vagabond soul within most people on this site.


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## GrayFal (Sep 10, 2012)

rickandcindy23 said:


> You all might think my next timeshare adventure is a bit of a non-adventure.  I am planning a trip to Williamsburg next April, someplace we have never been, just the two of us, and it's been interesting.  I am not a person who can just book airfare and a timeshare and off we go.  I have to decide what we need to see and do, and I am a bit overwhelmed. As Lisa says, it's easy to plan Disney, even at the last minute.
> 
> I am still struggling with which airport, which timeshare to book, and what we should do to fill our 2 weeks.  Should we book the Marriott for two weeks?, or should we consider moving the second week.  Can we find two weeks of stuff to do?  Should we go into Wash D.C., or save for another time?  These are all questions in my head.
> 
> I don't do roller coasters and drop rides, but Rick loves them.  He really feels alone on those rides, so he may not even want to go to Busch Williamsburg.  I just want to see historical sites and ride the kid rides at Busch.





SOS8260456 said:


> and almost all of it is free!  Don't forget to contact your Congressperson if you are interested in a White House tour or Capital tour.


Due to your post, I just booked a one night stay at Wyn National Harbor for my April Marriott Manor Club exchange....now to get into the White House for a tour.....


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## elaine (Sep 10, 2012)

We have a certain level of comfort zone that we rarely cross:
WDW-DVC---super no brainer--love it
DVC-HHI--super no brainer
cruise almost anywhere--no brainer on Disney, Celebrity, Princess, RCCL (trying NCL next year)
Marriotts in Carib.--no brainer
East Coast beaches--no brainer
Hawaii--no brainer

cruise in Europe (on major US cruiseline)--no brainer if you use cruise transfers, cruise tours--cheaper and more fun to do most of ports DIY--but must study guide books, internet, and plan
Western Europe--using trains, major hotels--OK if you commit to studying guide books, lots of planning
West Coast USA, Pacific NW, skiing our West--semi no brainer--tons of nice West Ski and Pacific NW summer timeshares
Vancouver, Whistler--using ferries, etc.--semi-no brainer

not in my comfort zone--Eastern Europe (for now), Asia, many Carib. places, S. America, Mexico, Costa Rica (wish this was in my zone--as fabulous things to do--but just can't get comfortable with it).

Also, driving in Europe is out of DH's comfort zone--he had a client who died in a wreck in Italy---and I am not going to push him--so only train/buses.
Good luck. Elaine


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## csxjohn (Sep 10, 2012)

SOS8260456 said:


> I also find I don't want to waste vacation funds and my husband's vacation time on a possible dud vacation.  Since everyone's tastes and expectaions are different, you can only rely on research material to some extent.
> 
> Do any other Tuggers feel this way?



We do not feel that way.  

When we first got into timesharing we were members of DAE.  We would go on line to see what was available for exchange.  If the resort sounded decent and we could get to it for a reasonable fee, we would book it.

Now we would go into research mode.  Years ago the internet was not the great tool it is today but there were still ways to find out what to do in any particular area.  We used the AAA tour books, the library and the internet to a smaller extent.

We have seen so many places that we would have never thought to go to by doing it this way.  Eureka Springs AR and Newport Oregon come to mind but there have been many others.

The TS is *never* the focus of our vacations.  We make plans and have back up plans in case of bad weather.  

I think you could dump us anywhere in the US and would have a great vaca, no matter where it is.  Of course everyone is not this versatile and if you really think you'd be wasting your vaca time, then I'd stay with the relatively familiar.


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## geekette (Sep 10, 2012)

We don't go to the same places so it's always new to me (have never been to Disney in fact).  I don't work myself silly on research tho, as there are no dud vacations.  Sometimes there is a specific activity we need to have scheduled in advance but usually there are no firm plans beyond check in and check out.

I rarely even check reviews.  Why stress myself out by only targeting what some feel is THE BEST when quite likely, everyone in my party will be happy with any nice resort?


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## artringwald (Sep 10, 2012)

Who needs a travel agent when you have Google? We recently got a coupon for a week at list of II timeshare destinations. I did my initial research by Googling each destination and filtering by images. One picture really is worth 1000 words. After picking one that looked nice, I looked at reviews and other Google results for that destination.


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## SOS8260456 (Sep 10, 2012)

geekette said:


> I rarely even check reviews.  Why stress myself out by only targeting what some feel is THE BEST when quite likely, everyone in my party will be happy with any nice resort?



I like reviews for information about the area and possible surprize expenses.  For example, I read through all of the reviews on Harborside at Atlantis.  In one of the reviews a Tugger mentioned a free program there called People to People which the goverment tourism department sponsors where you are matched up with a local volunteeer family with the primary purpose being have a one on one cultural exchange.  The Tugger and family were invited to the volunteer's home for dinner.  They were even picked up in a limosine.  It was in one of the almost last reviews.  I checked and they still have the program.  I am glad I read through all of them because usually I will just read recent ones.


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## talkamotta (Sep 11, 2012)

I remember years ago when I first got into timesharing.  I really wanted to go to Hawaii.  My son worked for one of the airlines and I could fly one way for $30.  I was scared to take my children with me  "I could get lost".  

Fast forward, 10 years.  I look back and think how silly I was. For some, it takes time to feel comfortable branching out. Others have special circumstances that makes it harder to be as adventurous as others.   

If you enjoy Disney maybe you can take one week there and spend another week and  stay some place on the Gulf or maybe St. Augustine.  Two different types of vacations and all in the state of Florida.  

If you are thinking of a place, ask Tug for advice. Some of us not only love planning our vacations but anyone else who will listen to us.  Tug reviews will tell you the best timeshares to try for and they usually give lots of information on places to see and eat.  

Vacations are supposed to be whatever you want them to be.  Being stressed out isnt a vacation.


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## geekette (Sep 11, 2012)

talkamotta said:


> Vacations are supposed to be whatever you want them to be.  Being stressed out isnt a vacation.



Unless you want stressed out to be vacation!

I agree with you - different strokes for different folks.


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## x3 skier (Sep 11, 2012)

The first time I go somewhere like Europe, it is either usually on a business trip or an escorted tour. After that, I always go independently. 

Escorted tours by major tour companies are seldom problematical but we really prefer going by ourselves to have maximum flexibility. Unless it is in some remote and desolate place, it's no different than going to the next town over. 

Cheers


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## jehb2 (Sep 13, 2012)

SOS8260456 said:


> ...I don't want to waste vacation funds and my husband's vacation time on a possible dud vacation.



That's how I feel.  We go to Hawaii every year and absolutely love it.  I know how to do Hawaii fairly cheaply.  I can hear Tuggers saying there is so much of the world to see, and I hear you.

Because my father worked for the government, I spent much of my childhood growing up in a host of foreign countries.  Even as an adult I lived in Japan for several years. So I'm not afraid of traveling to other countries and am presently working on doing that.  I just don't want to plan a vacation that sucks and think "gosh we should've just gone to Hawaii." - I'm also a little timid because my kids are still young.

On a positive note two years ago we started branching out and took a road trip from Texas to Canada spending time in Raleigh, Atlanta, DC, NYC, Montreal and Niagra Falls. It was a truly awesome.  Last year we added Carlsbad to the front end of Hawaii.  I was pretty nervous about going to Carlsbad which sounds absolutely silly, but hey the unknown is the unknown.  And for us it was a different kind of timeshare experience, but I loved it  Now, my daughter now wants to move there so she can go to Legoland daily.


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## geekette (Sep 13, 2012)

This is a very interesting thread. 

It occurred to me that part of why I'll go anywhere, anytime, without regard to "what is there to do?" is that growing up, my mother insisted that she would not be in charge of entertaining me.  If I was bored, that was MY problem and if I took it to her, there would likely be chores.  This was true at home, on the road, at a relative's house, whatever.  Shut up and fix the problem yourself (this was Children are seen but not heard times).

so when we started doing road trips for the month of August, we had no plan except Head West.  sure, we'll do amusement parks, national parks, that are in our path, relatives, too, but no real plan, no whining about "how much longer" as we never really knew, would pick out a campground whenever Dad-the-driver said "Time to start looking for a place"  (Woodall's was The Campground Reference).  no concern as to what is there to do , where to eat, what to see, we just went wherever we felt like going - Hey Dad, there was a billboard back there for Corn Museum, can we go there?

Sure enuf, went to corn museum.  Somehow missed out on big ball of string but maybe none of us were interested.  

So going new places with no advance Anything is something from childhood, and entertainment is every individual's own problem.  It's very difficult for me to understand drivign all teh way to the beach and then going to arcades or other indoor whatnot. I don't understand it because the beach IS the vacation for me.  I don't ever recall being bored with it as a kid, and NEVER as an adult.   

It would be very difficult for me to see ANY vacation as a waste, as I would otherwise be, what?  Working?  taking time off to clean out the garage?  phoooey on that.  Going off into some unknown is exciting for me.  Sure, there may be some stress, but "Good Stress" as in Excitement and Anticipation.  Of course I want all in the travelling party to be accomodated for basic needs and wants, but it's usually along the lines of "it's YOUR vacation, spend the time as you desire".  

I was surprised to see a timesharer want group tours!  Cool!  

To each his own; a good friend of mine and her husband like travelling that way in Europe, but for me, no schedules, no timetables, no being herded around, I'll pick what's of interest to me which may not be in line with what would be 'mainstreamly popular'.  I don't want to have to be on the tour bus by 6 am, I want to sleep until 9 ...     Day trips are different and we did avail ourselves of those when in Ireland as we didn't want to drive the curvy 'wrong side of the road'.

I like threads like this because it causes me to wonder "why am I like this?" and it was fun to dredge up the Corn Museum memory ...   and going up the Pike's Peak trail with my brother, learning first hand that "higher elevations are cold, even in summer!"

My parents are explorers, and they bred explorers.  Perhaps it really is as simple as that?  Had mom shown stress preceding vacations, I would probably be doing that as an adult.


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## SOS8260456 (Sep 13, 2012)

I was lucky to go on one, maybe two at the most vacations growing up.  And these were 3 days at the most Wildwood NJ trips.  I didn't really go anywhere until I was in college and could pay for them myself.  And when I started going various places, my father would get so mad at me for spending my money that way, even when I did not live under his roof and was totally self supporting.  

Timesharing definately exposed us to a whole new world.  Sadly my father passed away about 6 months prior to us getting into timesharing and I can just imagine what he would have to say about it. - lol.  We probably wouldn't have been able to get him to go even with a crowbar.  My mom hates vacationing also.  And they are/were relatively young.  My mom just turned 65 and has no major health problems and my dad was 60 when he died.  Other than the cancer that finally got him, he had no health problems to keep him home either.  They were just homebodies.

Oh, I did go to girl scount camp though.  Good old Camp Louise and Camp Joy-lO, so I guess I vacationed more than I thought.


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## geekette (Sep 13, 2012)

SOS8260456 said:


> I was lucky to go on one, maybe two at the most vacations growing up.  And these were 3 days at the most Wildwood NJ trips.  I didn't really go anywhere until I was in college and could pay for them myself.  And when I started going various places, my father would get so mad at me for spending my money that way, even when I did not live under his roof and was totally self supporting.
> 
> Timesharing definately exposed us to a whole new world.  Sadly my father passed away about 6 months prior to us getting into timesharing and I can just imagine what he would have to say about it. - lol.  We probably wouldn't have been able to get him to go even with a crowbar.  My mom hates vacationing also.  And they are/were relatively young.  My mom just turned 65 and has no major health problems and my dad was 60 when he died.  Other than the cancer that finally got him, he had no health problems to keep him home either.  They were just homebodies.
> 
> Oh, I did go to girl scount camp though.  Good old Camp Louise and Camp Joy-lO, so I guess I vacationed more than I thought.



Yes, my dad also died before I got into timesharing.  I think he would have enjoyed it, Mom sure does.  

I'm sorry that your father didn't see the value in vacations, but glad that you did and continue to.  My personal opinion is that it is nobody's place to judge how another spends their money, but, eh, family always says what they think.  Fine now, a major PITA years ago...

Possibly he would have changed his tune when he got to stay in a lovely condo in a great location he'd not before seen, but, possibly incredibly uncomfortable and disoriented, off his turf.  

I do understand that "travel" is not for everyone, as I have been a few hours from my hometown for over 20 years and my friends back there seem to think it's Too Far for them to visit me, but somehow it's shorter for me to visit them?  Some people never leave the county they were born in, let alone the country.   If they are happy with that, then that's great, Happy trumps all.

But I want to visit EVERYWHERE at least once.  Lofty goal I am unlikely to attain, but I am giving it my best shot.  

Oh, and while I was never a girlscout, I don't think GS camp counts as "vacation" except maybe to the parents of unruly kids ; )


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## PStreet1 (Sep 13, 2012)

Like Geekette, I grew up traveling in the back seat of car going wherever my parents had decided it was going.  Even though I was an only child, they didn't see the purpose of their lives as entertaining me.  They stopped for museums (some on the order of the corn museum) they thought I would like or should see; they went to the places the AAA guide said anyone in the area should see--and it was my job to look, not say I was bored.  My own kids got much the same treatment from me:  we're here, look--and they did.

Now that the kids are grown and dealing with their own children, I continue to travel.  As a mature traveler (even when I was single) I went places to see things, and the day hasn't come yet when several good guidebooks don't seem enough for me to plan what I want to see.  I'm saving guided tours for when I just can't do it on my own any more--if I manage to get to Russia, I'll probably do a guided tour:  I can't read the signs!  From a cruise this October, I'll have a day in Greece to see the Acropolis, so I guess I can check out how I feel about not being able to read the signs.

There have been times when I was a bit overwhelmed, but I truly believe that leads to growth.  If you don't take the risks/take a chance on being overwhelmed, your horizons will never broaden.

At the same time, lots of people have jobs/lives that are overwhelming on a daily basis; I can see why they may say that a vacation should be little more than sleeping late and eating nice places somewhere with good views.  It may be not so much fearing new places as not wanting any more stress in your life.  Fortunately, vacations don't have to be "one size fits all."


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## chriskre (Sep 13, 2012)

geekette said:


> ............. (have never been to Disney in fact).


   



geekette said:


> But I want to visit EVERYWHERE at least once.  Lofty goal I am unlikely to attain, but I am giving it my best shot.



And Mickey will be waiting with the "welcome home" sign when you finally make it up/down his way.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 13, 2012)

geekette said:


> ....Oh, and while I was never a girlscout, I don't think GS camp counts as "vacation" except maybe to the parents of unruly kids ; )



NOT SO! As a girl scout who did overnight camp from 5th grade on, it was my vacation. From 6th grade on, I planned and paid for my camping stays. After the first year, I also went 2 weeks at a time each summer. After 10th and 11th grade, I did 7 weeks each summer as a volunteer aide. I left behind my older brother and 3 younger sisters with my parents. My parents had NO IDEA how I paid for camp or what I did there. I just hoped that at the end of the 2 weeks or the end of the summer, someone showed up to drive me back to the house.

And that is why no one twitched when I went 1000 miles away to college.  

P.S. And I never got mail or money for camp or college.


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## csxjohn (Sep 13, 2012)

*Boy Scout Camp too*



vacationhopeful said:


> NOT SO! As a girl scout who did overnight camp from 5th grade on, it was my vacation. From 6th grade on, I planned and paid for my camping stays. After the first year, I also went 2 weeks at a time each summer. After 10th and 11th grade, I did 7 weeks each summer as a volunteer aide. I left behind my older brother and 3 younger sisters with my parents. My parents had NO IDEA how I paid for camp or what I did there. I just hoped that at the end of the 2 weeks or the end of the summer, someone showed up to drive me back to the house.
> 
> And that is why no one twitched when I went 1000 miles away to college.
> 
> P.S. And I never got mail or money for camp or college.



I always looked forward to my summer camps when in the scouts.  Camping, fishing, swimming, cooking, handicraft, woodcraft and I'm sure others I can't think of right now.  They were definitely vacations.


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## rleigh (Sep 21, 2012)

Lisa,

I'd always been fascinated by travel and wondered the "who what when where why how" of it all. Didn't know how, but knew I wanted to do it.

Then Rachael Ray literally changed my life with a show called "$40 A Day." OMG. (And later the Giada DiLaurentiis show "Weekend Getways.")  

Yes it was all staged and she travelled with a pack looking to her every need. But it seemed so simple & easy and was a great starting point for me. Took out the mystery and the fear of the unknown.  We even went to a few places featured on the shows.

Researching: it can be fun, but I tended to get too much info and have too much on my must-do list. Just check a limited number of sources, and decide on a limited number of activities with maybe a couple back-ups.

An oft-overlooked resource is the city's or state's official Visitor's Association. They'll send you a nice packet full of must-sees and ideas. We used to go through AAA but found their guidebooks were too thick, unorganized, and full of info we didn't need or want.


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