When I go on vacation, I like to see as many sights as I can. Sometimes, it's nice to relax, but if I spend my money to go to far away places, I'd like to get my money's worth. I know someone who recently flew to Maui from the east coast (only time to Maui for her) and I asked what she did. She said that she didn't see much because she lied on the beach almost the whole trip. To me, that's a little strange when she could've just as easily (and more cheaply) gone to Florida to lie on a beach.
What do you people like to do on vacation? If it's lying on the beach the whole time, how do you justify going somewhere far away to do that?
Just curious.

We always take 4 week road trips and we like to go to as many places to site see as possible. We will relax in a few places and we do like to end the trip at a familar place like Zion National Park, just to relax a little before heading home.

Utahtea

Gee, Allison, why didn't you tell your friend she could have really saved a bundle and just parked it in a backyard sandbox for a week?

Asking whether people prefer a relaxing or sight seeing vacation seems like a legitimate travel question but you seem to be baiting those people who don't vacation like you do.

Feeling a bit trollish today?

Allison,

What was wrong with your friend wanting to enjoy the beaches of Maui??

I enjoying sightseeing and chilling on a beach. I have been to beaches in Europe, America, The Caribbean and they all differ. Why should we justify anything?

Not to mention that I'm sure she ate in some interesting restaurants, perhaps stayed in a nice hotel...that plus relaxing on the beach makes a perfect vacation for me!

I'd rather spend a day vegging on the beach than running all over the place. Park me on a beach chair in the sand and I'm not leaving until my plane does.

I generally like a combination of sightseeing and relaxing. I probably wouldn't want to spend my entire vacation vegging on the beach, but I also don't like to cram as much into my vacation as possible. For me, balance is the key to a good vacation.

Allison: I am in the sight see catagory. I am up early, can't stand to sleep in, on vacation. In fact, my husband is opposite (he is the relaxer). We always have to take another couple or the kids so I can have a sightseeing partner. I love to plan months in advance and see everything possible on vacation. We can't afford to visit the same places over and over so I want to see everything in case I don't make it back to the area again. I usually need a couple of days rest when I get home so I try to end my vacations on a Friday so I can recover on the weekend before going back to work.

Sheila, I am exactly the same as you -- can't wait to get up and out in the morning when I'm on vacation. Can't stand to lie around, it feels like such a waste. I also have to go to bed pretty early while on vacation (no staying up late watching in-room movies) because I need the energy to be out all day.

I sorta agree w/Alison. If all you're going to do is sit on the hotel beach all day, you may go close to home. Florida beaches are just as nice as Hawaiian beaches, and the food options are much better. Cheaper too.

However, I stayed at Cala di Volpe on Sardinia a couple years back, and it was so incredible we didn't really go anywhere for four days. Vegging on the beach was heavenly. But we were in Rome, and its only a 30 minute flight. Not 10 hours.

CoachBoy

Count me in as a sightseer. Always come back from traveling tired,which is the only drawback.

I like a combination of both. But even if it was just a trip to relax, there are other factors to consider such as atmosphere, quality of the resorts, restaurants, etc., so just because there's a beach doesn't mean it's the same experience. And I have to disagree with CoachBoy about food options - there are excellent restaurants throughout the Hawaiian islands.

I do both and I know which will be which before I leave. I even call them different things. A trip is going, going all day seeing everything there is to see. A vacation I generally go closer to home for a bit shorter time period and do nothing strenuous. I love both. Occasionally I'll try and have a few slower days while on a trip so I don't overdue it. I also try to be home a day or two early to unpack and rest and settle in before going back to work.

I happen to like both kinds of vacations that's why we alternate between sight-seeing type trips and beach bum type trips. Last year we went to Italy and we were go-go-go the whole time and we had a blast but when I got home, I didn't have that refreshed, re-energized feeling that I like to have after a vacation. Sometimes a body just needs rest. So this year we went to the Caribbean and were extremely lazy and spoilt the whole time and I came home feeling like a million bucks. To me, heaven is laying on a powdery Caribbean beach, with the sound of the waves, a margarita and a great book. That's how I justify it.

I sure wish I were lying on a beach in Maui...mmmmmmm...sounds nice!