How often do U Travel?

[Panina]

Between timeshares, a second shore home the whole family shares, visiting mom and other adventures I probably will be away from home more then 1/2 the year.

My first husband use to say when I retired we will travel, he enjoyed one year of early retirement until the lord took him. My current husband use to keep saying when we turn 60....I say now as tomorrow is no guarantee.

Whether it’s a night or months that you have time for or can afford, go, enjoy, live today.

 

[turkel]

My mom still has a box in her garage that my dad wrote "for retirement reading" on it. He never made it, died at 58. He travelled extensively for work and pleasure. When I think of how short his life was ( I am now 51 ) I think of the traveling he did and all the places he saw in his short time here. He is the reason I travel. My husband saw no value in traveling till he met me, I told him it wasn't an option not to travel he's adapted!!!!

Live, love, and travel while you can!!!

 

[DaveNV]

My mom still has a box in her garage that my dad wrote "for retirement reading" on it. He never made it, died at 58.

My Mother was much the same. She deferred her selfish pleasures her whole life for the benefit of others, always saying, "Someday I'd like to..." and "When I retire, I'm going to..." She never retired, because she couldn't afford to not work. Then she got sick, and died of undiagnosed colon and liver cancer 35 days later. Gone at 67, much too soon. I vowed I would never do the same. I travel when I can, and enjoy my life to the fullest. I've told my kids if they want to see their inheritance, check out my photo albums.

Dave

 

[lizap]

4-5 weeks a year.

 

[Paumavista]

We sold our house and most of our possessions when DH retired and moved into our RV. We spend 8-9 weeks each winter in our timeshare in Grand Cayman and do several timeshare trips of varying lengths throughout the year with our Wyndham points. Often we take our kids and grandkids. The rest of the year we just travel the US exploring places we haven’t seen yet!

How do you handle routine medical care.....I posted on another thread but I don't think I worded my question correctly and don't know how to change it so people understand. Do you have a regular doctor somewhere for annual/semi-annual checkups? GYN/Cardiologist/dermatology/mammogram/prescription renewal, etc

 

[WalnutBaron]

We've got a nice travel year planned for 2018. I'm fortunate in that I own my own business and can be pretty flexible with travel from January-August of each year, and then with another window opening up in December. (The September-November period is out since that's our harvest season and it's all hands on deck during that intense and busy time of the year.)

Earlier this month we traveled to Miami for a business conference that was extended into a weekend to explore, and we used the time to rent a car and drive down the Florida Keys as well as to drive inland to see the Everglades. Fantastic!

In March, we plan to celebrate our 38th anniversary with a trip to our beloved Sedona using an internal Hyatt trade to Pinon Pointe. There's something magical about the Red Rocks, and the early spring is an ideal time to go.

Our big trip this year is 11 days in Hawaii and--like Dave--it will never be "meh" for us! We'll start out with four days at Waikiki. We've never been to the Bishop Museum, which offers so much history and Hawaiian culture, so we want to immerse ourselves. And we're planning to do some snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. When we were in Waikiki for our 25th anniversary, we hiked to the top of Diamond Head and we'd like to do it again during this trip. From there, we'll fly to Kauai, staying at both the Marriott Kauai Beach Club and the beautiful Hyatt resort at Poipu Beach. The Hyatt is a splurge, but we can handle the splurge for a few nights

In late May, we have another business conference in Monterey--and we always extend it to include a long weekend. We love being able to go during that time of the year--before the summer crowds start pouring in and the June Gloom sets in. Some days, the morning overcast doesn't clear until midday, but it doesn't matter. It's one of the most beautiful coastlines in America, and just a privilege to be there.

In July, we're traveling to Breckenridge, Colorado for a week's stay at the Hyatt Main Street Station. We're taking friends and look forward to a lot of hiking, biking, and excursions in that lovely part of America.

We'll finish off the year with a post-harvest getaway in December, and I'm looking at possibilities now: either Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, or San Diego--but no firm plans yet. There is one other option for December: we own a Christmas week at Hyatt Pinon Pointe and--if one or more of our sons and their wives want to celebrate Christmas in the desert, we'll lock in our fixed week there.

Vacation travel is a rich blessing, and we do not take for granted this time in our lives when we have the time, the means, and the good health to do it. Time to hit the road!

 

[shorts]

How do you handle routine medical care.....I posted on another thread but I don't think I worded my question correctly and don't know how to change it so people understand. Do you have a regular doctor somewhere for annual/semi-annual checkups? GYN/Cardiologist/dermatology/mammogram/prescription renewal, etc

Our kids and grandkids are still in the area where our doctors are so we plan our appointments for times when we are going to be back visiting with family. My doctors are very understanding of our travels and work with me by communicating through a patient portal on the internet and if I need tests or blood work between visits I can do that from anywhere and have it sent to them. My husband is retired military so gets his care from the VA and could go anywhere but so far has been able to schedule ahead at his original location. Our medication is all mail order. Just takes a little bit of juggling sometimes but definitely worth it!

 

[Timeshare Von]

Like most other timeshare people, I love to travel. That's why we bought (and still own) timeshares I think!

I travel three weeks for work (January somewhere warm), June (somewhere warmer - LOL) and September (to DFW & our national hdqtrs) plus roughly 5 weeks vacation/leisure. I'm fortunate that I'm getting 26 days of PTO/Vacation and with us being closed Fridays through the summer and the week between Christmas and New Years . . . it's actually quite easy to stretch it into 6 or 7 weeks.

David (my DH) and I usually take a 2-week vacation together . . . and I also take a 2-weeker as a solo trip. Some years he goes with me over the holiday week, but the last couple he's stayed home while I've gone back home to NoVA to spend time with my family and friends there.

Lastly . . . for my work . . . I get to travel the state of Wisconsin visiting bowling centers. "Bowlapalooza" has become a 10-12 day road trip staple in my work cycle at the end of August leading into Labor Day. I don't really count that in answering the question. Afterall . . . it is "WORK" . . . hehehe!

 

[Timeshare Von]

We sold our house and most of our possessions when DH retired and moved into our RV. We spend 8-9 weeks each winter in our timeshare in Grand Cayman and do several timeshare trips of varying lengths throughout the year with our Wyndham points. Often we take our kids and grandkids. The rest of the year we just travel the US exploring places we haven’t seen yet!

I really want to do the RV thing fulltime when I retire . . . but DH isn't sold on the idea.

 

[Timeshare Von]

For 2018 . . . here's how my travel calendar shapes up . . .

January (already done) 5 days in Phoenix for work
Leaving TODAY for Iceland for a week! (solo trip)
March for 2 weeks with DH to Scotland (timeshares for both weeks)
May for 10 days (road trip) to national parks in the Dakotas plus Yellowstone
June a week with DH to Vegas for work, but extra time for us (timeshare)
July a week (road trip) to Great Smoky Mountains, Myrtle Beach (timeshare), OBX with my sister from NoVA
Aug-Sept 12 days Bowlapalooza
Oct (maybe) trip home to NoVA for a long weekend
December (probably) home for the holidays for a week

 

[pedro47]

I truly feel for you. It just doesn't seem fair and I wish that you and your husband weren't going through it. I got a taste of it over the past 2 years - my husband was diagnosed with cancer *and* had a heart issue (complete with ambulance!) that required a stent placement. In addition to those issues, once you are on the merry-go-round of health problems, there are follow-on issues with medications, plus the inevitable decline in overall health because of the toll that the treatments take on the person going through them. My husband isn't even 60 yet. That said, he is a good sport about it and is trying to regain his strength. We haven't missed any trips (although had one cut short by a week) but I am cautious about the travel and try to keep the drives short, as well as flights. The one upside is the bucket list is shorter and more focused.

To klpca,
I can feel for you and understand every words and feeling in your post above. In the past ten (10) years my spouse & I have personally been involved with five (5) family hospice situations not including own medical problems & issues. I pray for you and I wish and hope only the best for your spouse and you.

Please enjoy your vacation time together (short trips or long trips; just enjoy) .

 

[silentg]

This year
March: A Place At The Beach Timeshare In Myrtle Beach

April: Family Visiting near us, so staycation.

May & June: Providence, RI overnight, then Peabody MA to visit family, then, overnight stay in Londonderry, NH with friend who will go to Smuggler’s Notch with us for a week. Followed by a week at Berkshire Mountain Lodge in Massachusetts then back to Southshore of Boston to visit family, then fly back home from Providence, RI

October: Timeshare Week In Fort Lauderdale, FL
Siene River Cruise with TUG
May plan a few more trips in between or after. But these are our plans for now! Not retired yet!
Silentg

 

[pedro47]

silentg, please share your experience or experiences about "A Place At The Beach" timeshare resort in Myrtle Beach. My best friend own at this resort and they have been able to exchange this resort for some of the best Top Twenty (20) Rated Resorts by TUG. Liked eight (8) out of the twenty (20) Best TUG Best Resorts in prime seasons.
(from Cabo San Lucas, Hawaii, Cancun, Mexico, Bonita Springs,Fl, Key West,Fl, to Aruba).

 

[Paumavista]

Yes, Jan M (and others) - once you retire, there are lot more opportunities. As most of you know, we sold our Ohio house in 2008 and were absolutely "homeless" for 7 full years as we timeshared the whole time (our BLOG, which does need to be updated, covers most of this) and now, although we do rent a condo from our son in Seattle in order to be nearer the grandchildren, we own so many timeshares, that we are still out 7-8 months. We are enjoying the west coast timeshares now, as in Ohio, we were mainly on the east coast (or even in the Midwest more.)
Our ownership (7 weeks) in St Augustine and 3 weeks plus available bonus weeks in Cable, WI keep us still in those areas annually.

I am definitely going to catch up when I have a few minutes and read your blog.....we won't move around as often as you do (we'd like to stay a couple months in each location) but we plan to be pretty mobile the end of this year (i.e. no real home base except our daughter's home in Tampa). I have been really trying to collect opinions regarding medical care (i.e. seeing our cardiologist / dermatology / GYN / mammogram, etc once or twice a year) - Do you "come back" to your doctor home and make all your appointments within a week or two; before heading out again?

 

[klpca]

To klpca,
I can feel for you and understand every words and feeling in your post above. In the past ten (10) years my spouse & I have personally been involved with five (5) family hospice situations not including own medical problems & issues. I pray for you and I wish and hope only the best for your spouse and you.

Please enjoy your vacation time together (short trips or long trips; just enjoy) .

Thank you for your kind words, Pedro.

 

[Paumavista]

We sold our house and most of our possessions when DH retired and moved into our RV. We spend 8-9 weeks each winter in our timeshare in Grand Cayman and do several timeshare trips of varying lengths throughout the year with our Wyndham points. Often we take our kids and grandkids. The rest of the year we just travel the US exploring places we haven’t seen yet!

I saw your answer on handling medical issues above - thank you.

 

[geist1223]

My Dad died at 61.5 after only 1.5 years of retirement. Patti's Mom died at about 70. She always told Patti to retire as early as possible. We will both shortly turn 64. We retired at 58.75. For 2018 we are currently about to finish a 3 week stay in San Jose del Cabo. End of March we are going to SLC to spend Easter with Granddaughters. We will be stopping at Worldmark Reno each way. In June we have a 2 week stay stay at Worldmark Victoria, B.C. In early September we will be at Worldmark West Yellowstone with the 3 kids, 2 DIL's, and 2 Grandaughters for a week. In late September to mid of October we will be In New Orleans for 3 weeks. In November we will spend a week at Worldmark Seaside on the Oregon Coast. So that is about 11 weeks for 2018. I still want to squeeze in a couple weeks in Hawaii. We already have a 2 week stay in Orlando for January/February 2019 Booked. 2018 is a light year. Since Retirement we have averaged 12 to 14 weeks of travel.

 

[Panina]

My Dad died at 61.5 after only 1.5 years of retirement. Patti's Mom died at about 70. She always told Patti to retire as early as possible. We will both shortly turn 64. We retired at 58.75. For 2018 we are currently about to finish a 3 week stay in San Jose del Cabo. End of March we are going to SLC to spend Easter with Granddaughters. We will be stopping at Worldmark Reno each way. In June we have a 2 week stay stay at Worldmark Victoria, B.C. In early September we will be at Worldmark West Yellowstone with the 3 kids, 2 DIL's, and 2 Grandaughters for a week. In late September to mid of October we will be In New Orleans for 3 weeks. In November we will spend a week at Worldmark Seaside on the Oregon Coast. So that is about 11 weeks for 2018. I still want to squeeze in a couple weeks in Hawaii. We already have a 2 week stay in Orlando for January/February 2019 Booked. 2018 is a light year. Since Retirement we have averaged 12 to 14 weeks of travel.

Love what you are doing, as I do it too.

 

[WinniWoman]

It's all great if you have the money and income. I would venture to say that the majority of people would retire much younger if they could financially afford to. And many would also love to travel more if they had more time and money, though it's not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[dougp26364]

Over the last couple of decades it’s varried some. Initially 1/2 weeks per year, up to 6 weeks/year, and now down to 4 weeks/year plus one 4 night trip over our anniversary. Part of that has been that we changed jobs and have less topime off. Part is because the cost was getting to high, both in MF’s and the cost of getting there. Another factor has been there isn’t enough drive-too destinations and we’ve grown tired of battling the airlines and all their changes. Mostly it’s been the cost of traveling, which includes $600-$800 to board our dogs when we’re gone for a week or more. In the past we had one dog and traded boarding duties with our daughter and SIL, who used to have only one dog. Now we have 2 dogs each and 4 dogs in one house is a little to much to handle, especially when one of the dogs isn’t well socialized and tends to snap at our dogs because they irritate her.

 

[geist1223]

Have you looked into hiring House Sitters? We currently have 1 dog and 1 cat. We use to have 2 of each. But in the last 14 months we lost 1 of each. We pay our House Sitters $25 per day. Substantial savings over Boarding and the Animals are happier staying in their Home. We,have been using House Sitters for over 10 years.

 

[WinniWoman]

Over the last couple of decades it’s varried some. Initially 1/2 weeks per year, up to 6 weeks/year, and now down to 4 weeks/year plus one 4 night trip over our anniversary. Part of that has been that we changed jobs and have less topime off. Part is because the cost was getting to high, both in MF’s and the cost of getting there. Another factor has been there isn’t enough drive-too destinations and we’ve grown tired of battling the airlines and all their changes. Mostly it’s been the cost of traveling, which includes $600-$800 to board our dogs when we’re gone for a week or more. In the past we had one dog and traded boarding duties with our daughter and SIL, who used to have only one dog. Now we have 2 dogs each and 4 dogs in one house is a little to much to handle, especially when one of the dogs isn’t well socialized and tends to snap at our dogs because they irritate her.

This is why when our dogs passed, we said "No More"- and, believe me, I never thought in a million years I would say that.. We did have a woman come to the house each day to check on our 2 dogs and let them run around. We had them in a very large outside pen attached to our garage with a doggy door. An automatic feeder and waterer. She only had to clean up their waste and give them some exercise each morning. At the time was $25 per day.

Prior to this, we always boarded our other dogs and it was very expensive. Although I miss having dogs, I don't miss the work and the expense and the worry as we have gotten older and we are still working.

I now have a big, fluffy St. Bernard stuffed toy dog named Max Wilson (Wilson after the soccer ball that became Tom Hanks' friend in the movie "Castaway"). He's great. Don't have to walk him, feed him, bring him to the vet or board him. He is quiet and doesn't bite or smell funny. He guards the house when we are away. But- we could take him with us on vacation if we want as there are no rules forbidding toy dogs at the resorts!

 

[cgeidl]

Our first five years we vacationed about half the year and went South of the equator in January to Africa,SA, or Australia/New Zealand. This way we didn’t have the short days and had two summers and no winters. We cut back then for about five years to about 100 days a year to this year where we will vacation about 45 days. Air travel is more difficult as we approach 80 so we have only one trip requiring air travel this year. We had five timeshare weeks but four were in Hawaii and we always got an extra week when we deposited so we ended up with about 8 weeks. We have just given up our weeks and are using the last four banked weeks this year. We plan using last minute TUG weeks on short notice and some getaway weeks. We like AZ in December and there seem to be good weeks always before XMAS in AZ in II. We are in the last and extra innings age approaching 80 and the kids did not want our timeshares. Luckily 4 weeks were the right to use type of weeks and we paid almost nothing for them and gave them back to the HOA that gave us the right to use.The other week we paid $250 to get rid of but actually got to use a week we hadn’t expected. We lost $5000 on that one. We are very fortunate lucky timeshare users and find them for us to be an enabler of staying at better places with much lower costs. As we both like to cook and eat out just either lunch or dinner we enjoy preparing our other meals. Our last maintenance costs were less than $600 per week in Hawaii and we can fly free on most trips as we have Space available flights on military planes where we live next door to a base with 30 plus Hawaii flights per month. We may make a few last minute Hawaii trips. We have made a couple where after confirming we got a Space Avialable flight we got last minute timeshare weeks at our resort for less than$200 per week Being retired militray has brought many benefits to us including medical at very low cost.

 

[easyrider]

Vacation travel is a rich blessing, and we do not take for granted this time in our lives when we have the time, the means, and the good health to do it. Time to hit the road!

For many reasons your statement resonates to me. More so than any other statement on this thread.

While I always traveled to fish, hunt, jeep, boat and hike, my wife and family only traveled with me some of the time. Then we bought a timeshare, traded with RCI, and took the family to Disney World. Great trip that was followed by other trips to other resorts every other year for a decade. We ended up with too many timeshare weeks so we sold some and have it down to between 7 - 9 depending how we use them.

Last year I was caught off guard by a heart attack that really affected our travel plans. It seemed I was recovering then at times I would feel odd. Found out that it was a tumor in my gallbladder which was removed right after we returned from Maui. On this recent trip to Nuevo Vallarta I was about two weeks out from the surgery. What a difference. I'm feeling pretty good. It does seem odd to be forced out by health and retired at 58 from my main occupation but I'm kind of liking the freedom.

We did make it to Loreto Mexico and Maui in 2017. Just returned from Nuevo Vallarta and the confirmed 2018 reservations include Lake Chelan WA. , Seaside Oregon and Maui. We are considering another Loreto trip or a Cabo trip. We also have relatives with a large Oregon Coast beach house that we try to visit in the summer with a large portion of our extended family. A couple of years ago we bought a property on Chinook Pass WA about 20 ft off the American River. The family seems to using this frequently all year long.



Bill

 

[Sugarcubesea]

We go two week's every year to my TS in Traverse City, MI --- Pinestead Reef
We either use or trade one week at my SDO
We either use or trade one week at my QH --- this year in house trade to Hilton Head in the summer