Suzie

I'm not so sure about the Californians not vacationing in CA. It's a huge and diverse state. Too much to see and too far to go for just a weekend, requires some of us natives to spend our vacation time absorbing the beauty of our home state.

Nina

Maybe because we have lived in California all of our lives (so far), and have spent time in most parts of the state, especially on family vacations as children and then again with our own children, that we now go elsewhere. We do spend a lot of time, mostly long weekends in Lake Tahoe.

RnR ... two favorites of ours, in S.F., both small with excellent food and service, are:

Delfina - 3621 - 18th St - 415-552-4055 (Reserve as far in advance as possible, very very popular)

Sumi-Ma Tante, 4242 - 18th St., 415-626-7864

I know that you will enjoy them both, nice casual attire is fine.

Nina

This has been our best and most exhausting travel year so far.
(I lied and told my husband that we won the lottery) ;-)

Since last May, we have gone to
Russia, Paris, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and end of May we will be in NYC, and then in September, Lake Tahoe, North Shore.

Fun, but barely time to unpack before the next trip. Work really interfers with travel doesn't it? Don't even ask how we got all of this vacation time, I still don't believe it myself. Paris alone was four weeks.

Ain't life grand!!!!

nina

Hi Nina, it's me, nina. I do live on the east coast, in a suburb of NYC (does that count?) in CT. We aren't New Yorkers even though my husband works there.

A busy travel year for this nina too. Came back from WDW last month, Mexico in June, Nantucket in July, Prague and Zurich in July (tagging along on hubby's bus. trip), Myrtle Beach in August and we're thinking of Napa/S.F or Amalfi beginning of November, for a no kids trip.

I love S.F. too. My best friend moved to Mill Valley 10 years ago and I love visiting her. You're reminding me that it's time I paid her a visit!

NYgirl

My turn
Lots of weekends in "upstate" NY.
March-Las Vegas
August-either the Berkshires or Maine
fall-California
possibly Mexico in the winter
And I miss Paris~
I would love to tag along with RnR and shop and eat and drink and shop.
Paris would be a treat, so would Venice,but then again, I am sort of in the mood for an adventure so --surprise me!

Emma

Just wondering . . . How does everyone get so much time off from work for these vacations? NYgirl: Do you work? nina:how much vacation time does your husband get? I'm self employed and can only find the time for short jaunts.

xxx

Great thread but I am SO depressed now! Sorry, but I have no choice but to hate most of you now because you have been to or plan to go where I used to go or always wanted to visit! My summer is going to be filled with camping in NH. My next "big" vacation will be WDW next April. Obviously, I have kids! Wondering how many of you do........

NYgirl

NYgirl has children,they go on their own vacations and travels now.I work at home,my own hours.My husband gets whatever time he wants off.
But don't hate me until we buy the apt in Paris

nina

Emma, the trick is not to take your husband on all your trips. WDW was with him and the kids, Mexico is w/ my mom, sis and our kids, Nantucket is w/ him and kids, Prague and Zurich he is working, no vacation needed!, MB is w/ my mom, sis and kids.

We learned a long time ago that our husbands weren't always willing and able to go on our trips so we often leave them home!

CariocaRio

Rio De Janiero in February
July- Miami
August - Cancun
November - Rio De Janiero.

Owen O'Neill

After five years with the same employer I finally get a total of 160 hours per year. Keep in mind that this is total leave time and includes sick/vacation - it's up to me how to use it. I take some shorter trips by using three or four day weekends, I also try to plan business trips so that they'll end on a Thursday or Friday - the company saves money on my Saturday stay-over airfare and I pay hotel, meals etc for the extra days at the end of the trip. I recently managed to enjoy a wekend in San Francisco this way and will be doing Chicago in May. I also (having the luxury of being single and having a grown daughter) plan my vacation times to occur during or adjacent to a week that has a company holiday. This year I have vacation time scheduled around Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day. Also fortunate in that my coworkers (with whom I must coordinate vacatiojn times so we always have coverage) have school age kids and love the fact that I'm always available to cover any and all summer and winter school vacation slots when they want to travel with their kids.

Nina

I took an early retirement and now work part time and can basically take off whenever I want. My husband works full time and gets four weeks paid vacation, plus personal days, holidays, sick time... He negotiated in his contract to get an additional four weeks off without pay. They of course balked at first and then asked that he not take the time consecutively. No way.

We usually take one six week a year, usually to Europe, mainly France, but this year we broke it up with several three to four week trips.

Our trips mentioned in another post, actually covered two vacation years, from May, 2001 to June 2002.

My daughter is grown and since travel is our major priority in life, that is our biggest expenditure.

NY Girl - our dream is an apartment in Paris too.

When I addressed the original question to NY'ers, I meant anyone in NY, not just the city dwellers.

Confession: This will me my first trip to NY. My husband has been there several times. I am really looking forward to it.

Native Manhattanite

Summer: Newport, Cap Ferrat, Deer Island

Winter: Jackson Hole, Gstaad, Courchevel

Spring: Sandy Lane, Barbados

Fall: Adirondacks, Paris

queensgirl

Last Christmas- Cancun.
Feb.- Denver, Co.
April- Aruba
July -will go to Hawaii
Labor Day and Thanksgiving- will go to
Miami because of my in-laws.
I had a baby last year so my husband and I just take her wherever we go.

suzanne

Last year:
West coast of Mexico
Denver (4-5 times, mainly business)
Chicago
Avalon, NJ (Jersey Shore)
NE Pennsylvania (kayaking)
Ohio (visiting relatives)
Portugal
Shawangunk Mtns (upstate NY)
Ann Arbor, Michigan (football game)
Hamptons
Thailand

This year so far:
Cape Coral, Florida (visiting parents)
San Francisco
Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Later this year:
Avalon, NJ
Cape Coral again
Cinque Terre, Italy
and hopefully a few other places...

Jeanne

Vermont with Family in July
Montauk with Family in Aug (long weekend)
Bermuda with husband in Sept

MJS

Last year:

Long Weekend to London
5-7 weekend trips to LA & San Diego
Bali and Hong Kong for two weeks
Utah to Ski
Jacksonville, FL

This year:
San Francisco - Opera
Utah (Olympics)
San Diego
Hawaii - Oahu, Maui
Leesburg, VA (wedding)
Adirondacks this summer
Two weeks in Italy in September - Rome, Amalfi Coast, and Tuscany Region

& who knows what else for the end of the year!!

Keep in mind that I only have three weeks of vacation, but have worked in other "comp" days. Also, my husband and I do not hestitate to pop over to the West Coast on a weekend jaunt! The people that I work with are amazed, but I have lots of friends that travel as often as we do! Its a lifestyle that we enjoy!

KAM

NY'er is a vague term, when I say I'm from NY people ALWAYS assume the city, but NY has so much more to offer than just NYC!

My favorite when staying in NY is either the Finger Lakes - lovely wine country, or Lake George in the Adirondaks.

Otherwise the reason to live in NY (Rochester for me) is because you can do short vacations so easily! I did VT last month and have nothing else planned except my June honeymoon in Italy (!) for 14 days.

Oh, one last great to see is the Watkins Glen gorge, stunning and easily seen on a 1/2 day trip from any of the Finger Lakes.