Vacations Thread III: Return of the Vacations

We'll be consoling ourselves with Les 400 Coups, Bouillon Bilk, Schwartz's and Reuben's Delis, and Dieu du Ciel! microbrewery/pub.

Oh god, take me with you. I haven't had a vacation since last October. Or barring that, take pictures of all the food you eat and post it here!

Just realized I've been on one non-wedding related vacation in the last 6 years so I'll be staring at the wall if you need me.

LazBro Dear God, am I excited for you and that exquisite wife of yours. Seriously, I don't think I could have designed a better Mediterranean itinerary, though it'd be nice if the political situation better allowed a few North African visits.

Somehow missed this thread entirely, too. I'm now on the last day of my weeklong, late summer staycation; college move-in begins next weekend and I wanted to get in some serious relaxation time before that (and college football season) begins. I always feel like I waste these somehow, just lounging around at home (not that there's anything wrong with that), but this year it really feels like I've gotten my money's worth. Much of this, of course, is due to Empress Peach's presence in my life. We drove out to the country and hit a lake beach Monday, had a happy hangout at my house and went to the local art museum Thursday, and I'm going to her house tonight for dinner and Munchkin with her and the Prince Imperial (and a movie after the latter goes to sleep). Coffee, conversation, cuddles, and a good deal else make for a very happy Judkins.

What's awesome, too, is that the days in between haven't gone to seed. I've done plenty of loafing about, sure, but I've also gotten back on my reading game (pretty sure 100 for the year won't be a problem) and hit a few places--cemeteries, botanical gardens, parks--for pictures that I've been meaning to visit forever. I leveled up on my infrastructure--finally got a smartphone and grabbed a new HP Notebook to eventually replace my now six-year-old Compaq Presario which I expect will certainly give up the ghost at some point this winter. An old friend of mine was back in town for a few days and we had a few drinks at the bar last night; she was delighted to hear of all the crazy new shit, but promised to put me on the "meat block" for her friends scattered across the country if this goes south (knock on wood). Last but not least, I've managed to keep my place from descending into complete squalor; as this staycation is also something of an anniversary for my independent living, feels appropriate.

Today, trying to do as little as possible before the evening, obviously, though I really need to submit a story and work on a book review I'm supposed to write. Just happy everything's worked out so well (and I'm back only two days before I have another two days off to get ready for move-in lunacy which is never as bad as they think it'll be). Maybe next year I'll actually go somewhere.

Ugh. Bad news, kiddos. Our cruise line has decided that September 18 is a bad day to be in Istanbul, so they're converting this into an additional day at sea and then docking on the 19th. Great, extra day on the ship, right? Wrong! The ship won't dock until after our flight leaves on the 19th, and there are no available flights later that day or the next, and two days out when there is an available flight, the total cost to the family would be another $10,000. That is, uh, not realistic for us.

The options we now face are:

1) Ditch the cruise in Ephesus and travel to Istanbul from there via a transportation service. About six and a half hours by ground. Contingent on availability of the services.
2) Ditch the cruise in Ephesus and fly from nearby Izmir to Istanbul, about a one hour flight. Contingent on availability of flights.
3) Ditch the cruise in Athens and fly home from there, which would be our cheapest "change the flight" option but still around $6000.
4) Ditch it all and recover 75% from the cruise line in the form of credit on a future cruise which must be used within one year.

Obviously we're leaning on one or two, but if we can't get transportation to Istanbul in time to catch our flight, we can't reasonably afford other options but cancellation. The remaining question is why Celebrity Cruises feels it is unsafe to dock on the 18th but apparently safe enough to dock on the 19th.

I'm in Disneyland right now crazy far away from the new electrical parade. People were camping for it over three hours early.

Well now I'm checking TI before bed because half marathon is in the morning.

The 60th anniversary fireworks program was really good.

My friends and I are debating spring break trip destinations.

Where would you rather go in March?
1. Ireland, St. Patty's day drinking wooo!
2. Portugal, warm weather and wine and fado
3. Grand Canyon road trip and spring training baseball

I'm going to Chicago in March for C2E2. I've never been to Chicago before, and I'm staying with a friend who's a native of the city, so I'm really really excited. All I have to do is buy my plane tickets - I already got my convention pass and bought my cosplay gear.

Ooooh, I'm so jealous!  I was hoping to get Chicago on my agenda for this year, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.  I love that city!

Ron Howard Voice, you definitely want to go with Option 2.  Option 3 would be my alternate choice.

Meanwhile, my own vacation plans for 2016 commence... TOMORROW!  Off to Disney World, where we'll be staying until next Friday morning.  It's going to feel like a lifetime in the warm embrace of The Mouse; I haven't been since I was 12 and haven't really had a burning desire to go back there, but then the marathon plan came up.  So now it's like going into a big unknown with a marathon attached to it.  Because I haven't spent a lot of time dreaming of going there I kind of have no idea what to expect, what I'm dying to do, or whatever.  And we have so many days there (so many of them very off-season) that it seems like we'll really get to explore and chill out and have a great time.  Assuming I don't die running the marathon.

Other travel plans for this year (fairly slim pickin's, considering how much my budget is hurting from this DisneyWorld blowout):
Early April -- Dallas!
Mid-May -- Cousin's wedding weekend in Los Angeles
Early September (assuming I successfully finish the marathon) -- Half-marathon weekend at Disneyland

Only thing on the books is San Antonio later this month for the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX).

Our goal is still to get up to the Chicago area this year. Mrs. Snape has family in Rock Falls, so the plan would be to spend a day or two there, then offload the child for at least a day + overnight so we could spend it in Chicago. Only problem is the main people we'd be there to see, Mrs. Snape's g-pa and g-ma, are really on in years and I don't trust them to watch baby all day or over night. Gotta figure this out still.

If that happens, we'd definitely be putting out the call for a Chicago Meet Up.

Hopefully I'll get a job, so I can actually save money up to go places. For sure I'm going to Spring Training and the WBC qualifier in Mexicali. I'm also hoping to take Minnie around California, as before me she'd spent two years in Los Angeles and never gone more than ten miles beyond USC. I want to take her on a train to Californio country with manchego, chorizo, and Rioja.

We're going to San Francisco for an unfortunately short 2-night trip in March. Does anyone have any hotel recommendations?

I'm starting to research the yearly Euro trip I take for work, and if I'd pair it with vacation. GumHERcules has expressed interest in Spain, so I'm trying to see if I can pair that with work in Germany. Traveling by train seems like a terrible option, as it's more costly than flying, and takes more time. However, since flying would involve multiple trips, those tickets aren't looking cheap. So I might do 2 Euro trips. Or see if GumHERcules would prefer to go somewhere else first.
I could also see if we could travel together for Spain, then she returns home while I go to Germany for work. My ticket is covered, so we'd just split the cost of her ticket.