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Sue-Meg State Park
Whenever anyone asks us our favorite country we have visited, my wife and I, almost in unison, say New Zealand. Ironically we've never made it back but I would love to go back. Whenever someone asks us our favorite park, we again, almost in unison, say Sue-Meg State Park. Sue-Meg which we learned this time is actually pronounced Sue-May. It may seem odd to name a state park, formerly Patrick Point SP, not Yosemite or Bryce or Zion or Yellowstone, as a favorite, but for our money Sue-Meg is our fav. Why? Nice trails, we aren't big hikers anymore so there are a number of well maintained trails through grassland and forest. A long rim trail that gives you good views of the coast, which by the way is Oregon or Washington level. And finally nice individual camp sites. Will Sue-Meg hold up this time? It does. Two out of three days are very nice weather, third day overcast till about three. A bit of cool in the night, good for sleeping and we discovered the little town of Trinadad. Our visit was as great as our first time visit. We will be back. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...526c25f19.jpeg Entrance to the park off of Patrick's Point Dr. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...32e250cf9.jpeg Last time we camped out at the Agate campground, this time we chose Abalone Campground. Bigger loop and bigger sites in my opinion https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...89971859d.jpeg Looking up at the big trees surrounding our campsite # 39. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...af02e7014.jpeg Here is Nike under the big trees in our site https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...00daad3b1.jpeg There are a lot of agates on Agate Beach, hence the name. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1fbd609f9.jpeg The actual Agate beach. It looks like a long way down, once you've done it it doesn't seem that far, but it is a hike. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c384dc4b8.jpeg Looking out a Patrick's Point. Can't see them, but there are about 10 gray seals down on the rocks. They are barking like dogs! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...be5f01b0e.jpeg Here is a view of Wedding Rock. Don't know the reason for the name but you can climb it. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aeb172ab2.jpeg There is a series of steps made out of rock that leads up to the top of Wedding Rock https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2e372ecf2.jpeg Here we are at the top. A fantastic view https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a267421d9.jpeg From Wedding Rock you look over at Mussel Rock https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1c64cb9e3.jpeg Sunset on a perfect day in Sue-Meg |
A Day in Trinadad, California
We wake up to a socked in day in the campground. Not much going on so we decide to head into Trinadad for the mid morning / afternoon. Trinadad has a population of 321 according to Google, but it seems a little bigger. There are a lot of nice houses on the bluffs looking down over the bay. We move through town, it's also socked in, and head to Trinadad State Beach which is down by the harbor. The harbor has a replica of the Triandad Lighthouse and also a number of kayakers heading into the bay. We pull into a nice view spot looking out at a number of dogs on the beach and their surfer dude owners. It's still misty and we hunker down in the front seats of the van and watch the surfers. Only need one more thing, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys. Luckily I have my IPod, yes I have an IPod, none of that streaming for me, and soon "Wouldn't it be Nice" sounds out through the van. It is nice. I decide to hike the Trinadad Head, about a mile loop that gives me great views of the sea, then the wharf and the houses of Trinadad. It finally breaks around 2:00PM and we decide to stop at the local library, pick up a couple of sale books and back to the campground. It's very sunny at the park and we have a nice afternoon and evening at our favorite park! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bf514935e.jpeg This is dedicated to mariners that have lost their lives at sea. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cf5fd1ef4.jpeg Here are some kayakers. It's amazing how they simply throw the kayaks up on the top of this sedan. These guys were from Oregon and they said this area is Baha, Oregon! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...807ba1b69.jpeg This is the bay they were kayaking in. Very chill but so pretty https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e101baa3c.jpeg Starting my hike up the head. At first the path is asphalt then it turns into dirt but still pretty wide. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...17c68a1f8.jpeg This was an interesting lookout because of the four benches. It looks like you are going to church! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f8c3ce067.jpeg Coming back down to the beach. That is pretty much the whole town of Trinadad. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...95131a22b.jpeg The wharf https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c12dd18ef.jpeg Trinadad State Beach, looking down from the hike. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ed3191cd6.jpeg Hey, there is Nike, with my wife watching the surfers https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8cb0617dc.jpeg We saw this yard driving out of Trinadad. Had to take a picture of this. |
Avenue of the Giants
We have to see some redwoods while we are up here and the easiest way to see them is to drive through the Avenue of the Giants. There are numerous places to stop and take hikes. Lots of groves along this drive which is about 30 miles long. It's a very worthwhile alternative to Hwy 101 as you head south. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...580f457b8.jpeg The start of the Avenue https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...09c963ca4.jpeg The trees come right up to the edge of the road. Sometimes you duck when you drive through these trees. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b6053154b.jpeg An old fellow that's been down for quite awhile https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c8d41d4a0.jpeg You drive along the Eel River and every once in awhile you will see an opening to the pretty river. Looks kind of low this time of year. |
Worldmark, Clearlake
Most of the Worldmarks we stay at are pretty cookie cutter. Inside you know exactly what you are going to get from place to place. Clearlake is not that different, but it does have a history, the main building was the Clearlake Lodge back around 1920 by a brother of Kit Carson. They have a lot of pictures in the halls of the old days. People came here to eat and dance and I think there were a few rooms here. Real Estate companies were offering lots around this area as Clear Lake Villas. Now, it has it's own dock and people come here to fish. It's our last timeshare stop and we are only about three days from home. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...97ea7da26.jpeg The old Lodge, Worldmark added the pool https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...df889d6ba.jpeg This area used to have entertainment with dancing. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...baa6b3886.jpeg Walking out on the dock https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...99be8f8cb.jpeg Another picture of the dock https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b9120e750.jpeg On the grounds. Worldmark added all of the wings. I think there are about 8 buildings. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2f2de72ce.jpeg We missed the sunset because I was watching football! My bad. |
Kelseyville Pear Festival
One of the greatest gifts of traveling is the people that you meet on the way, and this is especially true for camping. We usually meet people while we are loving up their dogs! Jeff and Janice, and Penny, the dog, are from Lakeport which is just around the corner from Nice. They were surprised we were going to Nice, pronounced Niece like in France. There is a hierarchy around the lake and Nice is not in the top of the list. We explained the timeshare situation and asked if there was anything we should do. Well, they replied, you have to go to the Kelseyville Pear Festival! Now the Pear Festival was not on my bucket list, but we went and had a great time. It's all things pear. There is a unique soil around the lake, volcanic, and it's great for pears, ap-pear-antly. (Sorry). Also good for white wine and many Europeans came here, that's why you have the name NIce and right next store is Lucerne. The whole Main St. of Kelseyville is blocked off and there are about 5,000 people in a fairly narrow place downtown. Live bands, pear margaritas were a hit and it was a way for us to see some country living and spend a nice afternoon. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6e2524e7f.jpeg Meet the Giant Pear. Everyone got their picture around the pear. Kelseyville grows about 20% of the pears in California. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3c045bf53.jpeg Downtown Kelseyville is historic but we couldn't see much of it because of all the people and arts and crafts stands https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...322446c82.jpeg You gotta have a little line dancing. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1f3cae347.jpeg We listened to these guys for about an hour and they were good. I recognized about half of the songs. I talked to the guitar player later and he said they play a lot of "modern" country, which to me sounded like Rock n Roll. He agreed. My Dad would not have approved. He was strictly Ray Price, Ferlin Husky and the Wilburn Bros. Buck Owens was as rocky as he got. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5934d972f.jpeg There is a place on Main St. called Lady Luck Garage and they sell classic cars and they were beautiful. 1954 Mercury, hey that was the year I was born! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...721c9b231.jpeg They had all kinds of cars. They sell a lot online too. The owner said a lady from Indiana saw a car , 1940's I think, that was owned by Jerry Garcia and she bought it, flew out and drove it home. Reported that it was a long way to drive a classic car. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a3d6135de.jpeg Oh yes, we have antique tractors don't you know. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b622acdff.jpeg A truck full of pears. Now I can mark the Kelseyville Pear Festival off my wish list. Been there, done that. |
Really enjoyed reading about the Oregon coast and also CA - what serendipity to visit the pear festival! I sent you a private message explaining how to embed a hyperlink. hope that helps!
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yk- Let's see if this works Worldmark Clearlake. This didn't work, see the next post. Thanks for everyone's patience as I do some on the job training.
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yk - Worldmark Clearlake. Yeah!!! I figured it out! Took two times, thanks for your message. I wasn't putting in the info in message part so I wasn't getting the blue hyperlink. I could very well be dangerous now.
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Upper Lake, California
For anyone not familiar with Clearlake, it's a very big agriculture area, big on pears and grapes. It has a special volcanic soil and many Europeans moved here in the 1890's to grow grapes. We are in Nice, pronounced Niece, and it's right down the road from Lucerne! There are a number of towns around the lake and because, I was told, no railroad ever came in this area, the towns still have a lot of that old west character. Kelseyville and Lakeport both have Old Towns, but when I asked the front desk where we should go to eat our final dinner, she asked if we had been to Upper Lake. No, we drove right past it but didn't give it any attention. Well you have to check it out. It turned out to be lovely, it's got a main street that's filled with antique stores and book stores. Some coffee spots and the recommended restaurant, Blue Wing Saloon Blue Wing Saloon at the Tallman Hotel. Tallman Hotel. The Tallman Hotel was built around 1874, burned down in 1895 and rebuilt. It sat vacant for over 40 years until a couple from San Francisco bought and pretty much took it down to the studs and rebuilt it. We met Levy at the front desk and he told us all about and showed us a picture album of the re-building. They opened in 2005 and the couple recently sold the hotel and restaurant. Dinner at the Blue Wing was great, there was a female singer, I'm guessing maybe 75, doing acoustic songs. She lives right around the corner and said she could walk to work! We had read the Yelp reviews of the restaurant and one poster went on and on about the waitress, oh let's say Madeleine, not her real name, how cute she was and he wished he had enough nerve to ask her out. When we were seated, Madeleine was our waitress. Yes, she is cute and does have a great personality. It was kind of slow on a Sunday evening and after dinner we asked her if she knew she had a secret admirer on Yelp. She kind of blushed and said yes she knew about the poster. Did you ever meet him we asked? Yes, she said, we are dating now! I guess he was a good guy and not a stalker! LOL https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ce6f91ebf.jpeg Welcome to Upper Lake! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3e8889c7a.jpeg Old Town clock, still working https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1f5851763.jpeg Stop at the gas station, two pumps, both for decoration now but you used to Mohawk Gasoline https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...af703c030.jpeg Nice mural with pony statute https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cb06e061a.jpeg The Odd Fellows hall #241, one of the oldest in California. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2a4f6fb6b.jpeg This was the old stables for the Tallman Hotel right next store to the Blue Wing. The hotel, the saloon and stables were all in a row. Pretty convienient https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5a3a96fca.jpeg The Tallman Hotel. Four rooms inside and some lovely rooms around a back courtyard. Was recently sold to a small boutique chain. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3828ea5a6.jpeg Inside the hotel https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b1eb9b023.jpeg Another shot of the stables with horse head, horse racks to tie up your horse. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2e1771c6a.jpeg This was the old ice house now an antique store run by Margie. |
I'm glad you figured out the hyperlink! Are you home now?
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Hi yk - Yes, we are home, for about 4 days now and I've got two more posts before I can wrap up the trip!
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New Brighton Beach Campground
In all the years I lived in Santa Cruz, I never went down to New Brighton Beach. I didn't camp then and there were other beaches to go to. Apparently, according to our Lakeport friends, Jeff and Janice, it's hard to get into NBB, but we booked it on our first travel night in Redding for the end of September, so we must have hit a slow time. Frankly, it's not a great campground, there are some nice spaces, but also spaces that are open and right next to each other. Also in some of the spaces, the parking is right next to each other for the adjoining spaces. We lucked out because we didn't have too many neighbors. There is a nice beach walk and some good scenery plus we saw a dolphin show of a lifetime. We were up on the bluff but we could see at 10 or 15 different dolphins and they stayed around for a long time. A dolphin sighting is always good luck. We got to visit three different friends and they were all close to the campsite so that was another advantage. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...04baa532f.jpeg Entrance into the park https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...56fd5bebb.jpeg Picnic area, it has a good picnic area, but the grass is kind of wore out. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d03f2faf6.jpeg This is where we got to see the dolphin show https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eec6f30cd.jpeg A group of great trees in the campground https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...52c887a50.jpeg Down on the beach looking toward Capitola, Ca. |
Santa Cruz, California
On August 27th, 1981 a young woman walked into the music store I managed to "rent" an electric keyboard. I would say we hit it off, she was quick with a retort, laughed easily and was from the Midwest! I ended up selling her a Casio keyboard and threw myself in with the deal. I took a bold step and asked her out on the spot. You can do the math, but that was 44 years ago, and we are still going strong. In 1981 Santa Cruz was electric. It was this weird crossover from all the hippies who had moved down to Santa Cruz mountains from Haight Ashbury, plus a fair mixture of punks up at UCSC. There was music everywhere, buskers and a real cool jazz band at the Cooper House, headed up by Don McCaslin. On a side note, a few years ago, I ran into / saw play, Donnie McCaslin, his son in Paris! My wife and I both have such good memories of Santa Cruz and we always love to go back. First we hit the Wharf, Santa Cruz Wharf and then a drive along West Cliff Drive, West Cliff Drive and finally Erik's Deli for a Pilgrims's Progress Sandwich. Erik's Deli Erik started out with one store in Scott's Valley where we used to live and I think he has, or franchised 20 - 30 now. There were great concerts, Neil Young at the Catalyst, a bar that holds 600 people. You saw people on the way up, REM, Squeeze, Bela Fleck, and people on the way down, Donovan and David Crosby. We were in our 20's, not knowing what was going on but loving every minute of it. We can't afford to live in Santa Cruz or the area now, but it's always nice to visit and great way to end our trip. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4f5dfdad4.jpeg Entrance to the Wharf where my wife was a waitress for 10 years. The restaurant she worked, The Miramar, has been torn down now. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2bb995e56.jpeg Picture of some of the original families. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eb799a995.jpeg From the Wharf you can see the Arcade... https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...070e8ad88.jpeg ...and the Boardwalk with the oldest wooden rollercoaster in the US. I think that's a fact? https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6d779b582.jpeg Old fishing trawler https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9d2d2207e.jpeg End of the Wharf, I am using the term loosely, see the next picture https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6f5f372a2.jpeg I've included this shot because some time last year, the Dolphin Restaurant and the Public Restrooms, fell into the ocean and floated for quite awhile. There were three workers on the Wharf when it collapsed. All were rescued, but the restaurant and restrooms with a small Caterpillar floated for a real long time. You Tube it. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9e743c4d0.jpeg We were so excited to see 5 sea lions in Washington, big deal... https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...78b9950de.jpeg This place is lousy with sea lions. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...08593f193.jpeg Shot of the Surfer's Museum on West Cliff Drive https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...13da30a30.jpeg Cliffs of West Cliff Drive https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b539a384d.jpeg A surfer waiting to jump into the ocean! They actually climb down much lower than this picture would indicate |
Final Thoughts
4,122 miles, 3 States, 51 days, 12 Campgroundsa, 4 Worldmarks and a hotel. What a trip, days were lost, I mean we lived them but didn't always know which day it was. By and by we had a lot of sunshine which was a surprise and a relief at the same time, especially when camping. We saw so much water, in every natural form, from the ocean to the smallest trickle of a creek. We started with a wonderful family get together and then met so many good people on the road. Heard a lot music, ate a lot of food and saw a lot of trees. Came away with the realization that Washington is one of the most beautiful states we've had the pleasure to visit. It's good to be home... because we have to start planning for Mexico in December! Then Japan next spring. I will be on the Forum asking everyone questions. Thanks for coming along on the ride. See ya' next time. |
It's good to be home... because we have to start planning for Mexico in December! Then Japan next spring. I will be on the Forum asking everyone questions. Thanks for coming along on the ride. See ya' next time.
Thank you for such a marvelous trip report. Even those of us who live here and have traveled extensively have to take our hats off for this colorful, well written, amusing and comprehensive coverage. Well done! Now your closing paragraph, coupled with other TRs you've posted, in particular your equally wonderful account of your trip to England and Wales earlier this year, leads me down my well-trod path of suggesting that frequent travelers like yourselves, with numerous countries and continents being visited in short-ish order, have a look at round the world (or RTW) airline tickets for your future excursions. Note this is a personal fixation of mine (I don't call it a "fetish" because this is a PG-rated website) so if you've been the recipients of my propaganda before, sorry and move along, folks. Your post says you're entertaining trips to Mexico and back to Asia sometime starting this winter and extending into the spring. Now the reason I bring up RTW travel is that it can offer some excellent value and flexibility for people that take more than one trip per year. There are rules and limitations, of course, but you might think of this as a thought experiment to see if there's any point in looking deeper into the subject. RTW tickets are sold by member airlines of two of the big three airline alliances, Oneworld and Star Alliance. A comparable RTW product was sold by Skyteam members up until Covid but was suspended during the pandemic and never returned. Pity. The tickets are similar in many respects. Both alliances' RTWs require you to go around the world, crossing both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans going in the same direction. They all require you (with a few exceptions) to end the trip in the same country where it began. This does NOT have to be your home country and therein lies one of the major potential benefits of these products. They all allow up to 16 flight segments (with overland "gaps" also consuming one of the 16 allowed flights - a feature of e-ticketing systems) and are good for a year. Within a given continent one can zigzag and backtrack, but travel between the three major "tariff conference" zones (the Americas, Europe and Africa, Asia and Australasia) must be in a continuous east-to-west or west-to-east direction. The tickets are quite flexible and can be modified at no or at relatively low cost depending on the type of change. Generally, you can stop over (24h +) pretty much anywhere, for as long as you want, provided you complete the trip by the end of the 12th month following the start. The alliance's main RTW products are priced based on what class of travel you choose - economy, business or first class - but differ in how the final price is set. In the case of the Star Alliance RTWs, they're priced based on how many miles are flown, with tiers starting with 29,000 miles or less, 34,000 or less, or 39,000 or less. In the case of the main Oneworld RTW, the price depends on how many continents are touched or overflown, from 3 to 6. However, a feature in both alliances' pricing is that the base prices for these tickets vary hugely depending on where travel begins and ends. For example, a basic 3-continent business class ticket with Oneworld has a base price of around $11,000 if one begins and ends in the USA. However, the same ticket, but starting and ending in Norway, has a base price of around $5200, less than half the US price. The savings with Star Alliance RTWs can be similar, although rarely as extreme as those with Oneworld. So what does this all mean for you? I'm going on very incomplete information, so forgive any assumptions on my part that are wrong. But let me paint a scenario, all of it imaginary at this point. Sometime this autumn or winter, you pop for some cheap tickets to Norway, just one way. If you can tough it out in coach, maybe around $400, or if you have some frequent flyer miles, this would be a good use. Anyway, in Oslo (or Tromso if you want to see the aurora while you're there) you start a round-the-world ticket on Oneworld airlines, and use it to fly home (to California, right?) You use the same ticket for your Mexico visit. You're allowed up to 6 flights within North America, which includes Central America and the Caribbean, so use some of them to get to... where? Mexico City? Oaxaca? Merida? ... and back. Then in the spring you jet across the Pacific. I thought I read that Japan, Korea, and Bali were on the list. Fine, no problem. Remember, this is all in the pointy end with flat beds. When you're done in Asia, head back to Norway, maybe with stops in Doha or Muscat, or in Rome, Paris... anywhere you choose, then end up in Oslo. You'll have earned enough miles for a "free" ticket home, or maybe you just buy a new RTW and keep on keepin' on. Maybe this time for Australia or New Zealand? Cape Town? Buenos Aires? The world's your destination. Here's an imaginary map. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b0e30873cb.png Now like I say, this all imaginary, but might be food for thought. I've posted a lengthier "guide" to RTWs on the "air travel" board, that might be useful. Happy planning! |
I have been a silent lurker, but this has been a fabulous report, all the way up to your reminiscing of Santa Cruz, 1981. Wow! Great photos and fun writing. Thanks for posting.
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Originally Posted by Nelson
(Post 17683442)
I have been a silent lurker, but this has been a fabulous report, all the way up to your reminiscing of Santa Cruz, 1981. Wow! Great photos and fun writing. Thanks for posting.
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Gardyloo -Thanks for the info on the RTW flights. We have looked into it but I didn't know about starting in a different country other than the US. I like that idea. Two people we follow on YouTube, the Retirement Travelers, talked about flying to Panama City to get on a first class flight to New Zealand and I think they saved about $4,000 vs. flying out of the US. Plus they got to spend a couple of nights in Panama City. The flight from Miami to Panana was I think about $200, still way cheaper than flying from the US.
You are very perceptive, because we definitely are planning an around the world trip next year starting in Japan. I wanted to be spontaneous and go where the wind took us, however, I had to start planning a little. For instance, you really can't just fly into Japan on an open ticket, you have to show them a departing ticket. At least that is what I have read. So we are planning to fly to Tapei for a few days after Japan. Currently I've been using Google Flights, the Explore function, to see what the next cheapest location might be from where I will be at the time. From Osaka, Japan, it turns out to be Mainland China or Tapei. I believe mainland China would be it's own trip, so we will probably head south to Taiwan and then maybe Indonesia. Phillipines would be another logical stop, but again, I think the Phillipines rate a longer stay. Either way you will be seeing a lot of me on Fodors asking for advice. Thanks for following along on my TR. If you live in the Northwest you are in a wonderful part of the country. All the best! |
Originally Posted by Tdiddy12
(Post 17683453)
I think the last time we spoke was when we were in Merida and I took a picture of that hotel you stayed in once! Hope all is well with you and family. Keep Traveling
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Originally Posted by Tdiddy12
(Post 17683455)
Gardyloo -Thanks for the info on the RTW flights. We have looked into it but I didn't know about starting in a different country other than the US. I like that idea. Two people we follow on YouTube, the Retirement Travelers, talked about flying to Panama City to get on a first class flight to New Zealand and I think they saved about $4,000 vs. flying out of the US. Plus they got to spend a couple of nights in Panama City. The flight from Miami to Panana was I think about $200, still way cheaper than flying from the US.
You are very perceptive, because we definitely are planning an around the world trip next year starting in Japan. I wanted to be spontaneous and go where the wind took us, however, I had to start planning a little. For instance, you really can't just fly into Japan on an open ticket, you have to show them a departing ticket. At least that is what I have read. So we are planning to fly to Tapei for a few days after Japan. Currently I've been using Google Flights, the Explore function, to see what the next cheapest location might be from where I will be at the time. From Osaka, Japan, it turns out to be Mainland China or Tapei. I believe mainland China would be it's own trip, so we will probably head south to Taiwan and then maybe Indonesia. Phillipines would be another logical stop, but again, I think the Phillipines rate a longer stay. Either way you will be seeing a lot of me on Fodors asking for advice. Thanks for following along on my TR. If you live in the Northwest you are in a wonderful part of the country. All the best! In the meantime, I haven't had that "proof of onward travel" problem with Japan, and if you go the RTW route, you'd have an itinerary and booking reference in hand before you got there anyway. |
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