Your rich uncle...Herb...
 

Just gave you $5000 for Christmas, with the conditions of using it in the year 2006 to take you and your wife on the trip of your dreams. Where would you go, where would you stay when you got there, and why did you choose that place?

PS Don't forget to send your very generous uncle a thank you note...

5000.00 will not even pay for the air...
The airfare for my last trip to London was 4500.00
Give me 50,000 and I can have a dream trip.

$50,000 will not even pay for the private jet from my local airport to London.

Add another 0 and we'll start to approach my dream....

$4000 nearly covered our 12 day trip to Italy for our honeymoon...Positano (stayed in famous #210 at Miramare), Florence (apartment rental), Stigliano (castle rental outside Siena) and Venice (Hotel Art Deco - would not stay here on a dream trip...instead, go to Locanda Orseolo). Trip was 1st weekend of Sept 2003. Would do it again in a heartbeat, though I would daytrip to Florence instead of staying there.

It's pretty easy to use $2000 in airfare alone, but you can stretch your airfare dollar by taking advantage of fare sale and not going during peak times (like summer).

Thank, Uncle Herb!!!

$5k will go far if you don't have to fly 1st class travelpro.

great hypothetical heavens, now on to my trip:

for $5k, my husband and I would go to Italy (we are hoping/planning on going to France and Amsterdam next year already).

We would go to Rome, Florence, and Venice for 2 weeks.

We would priceline for 5* hotels in each locale so we could get more bang for the buck.

We would eat all of the pasta that would fit in our stomach, and then eat more pizza.

We would learn some Italian phrases in advance of the trip, and use it to order many bottles of wine.

Then we would pick out a wondeful present for the rich uncle to say thank you for the trip.

heavens- do you know someone who could pretend to be my rich uncle?

I've always thought it would be fun to take a Windjammer Barefoot cruise in the Carribbean. I bet my husband and I could quite happily spend the 5 grand on that :)

My original thought was Italy, but I didn't want to follow the crowd ;)

If your uncle is looking to adopt somebody... tell him I don't need diapers :) And no college payments either!

I think rich Uncle Herb must be about 85 and living in the past. No way $5000 will buy the trip of a lifetime for two - maybe 30 years ago - but not now.

You'd have trouble getting a moderate 2 weeks in europe for that - nevermind the trip of a lifetime (take a year around the world maybe?) I agree - give me $50,000 and it might be the trip of a lifetime.

Alright, make it 10,000. Didn't say you wouldn't have to kick in a little, ya cheap b....He is just applying some money to get you there on the trip that you maybe wouldn't have taken if you didn't get the windfall for Herb. Get it? Jeesh!

Ok... with 10k I would buy a good used 5th wheel and start my dream of traveling all over the US and Canada!

nytraveler: But we wouldn't want to offend uncle, now would we? So, we will either stay within the budget or kick in alittle to do what we really want!

Me, I'd go to Kauai. The reason is I had to omit it from the itinerary this past summer...only made it to Maui and Oahu, which were great, but really wanted to include Kauai!

And I think I could do it on 5,000...there just might be a little sticking point on taking DH! He's not super eager to return...he'd rather go to Canada...look for bears or something.

Belle

Oh Darling Uncle Herb, you always were my favorite! I would love to go to Patagonia and hike the Torres Del Paine.
I love to dream. Thank you, Uncle Herb

Alaska!

I always did love the name Herb, so does my brother. :>) And I would love an extra 5K for travel!

I would go to Thailand. Although not sure if it is recovered from the tsunami yet, but I have always wanted to go to Phuket. I hear it is amazing and affordable, once you cough up the pricey airfare. A friend that honeymooned there showed pictures of elephants in her hotel lobby--really wild!

Of the places I have been, I would have to recommend (in this order) Greece, Paris, Rome or Kauai. Had to throw Kauai in there as I am going in...15 days! It is our favorite HI island.

Uncle Herbie has a big heart (maybe bigger than his wallet).

I could swear I posted on this, but I will try again...
I will take Darling Uncle Herbs gift and go shopping!
Since this is the US forum, it will be a trip to NYC.
We will stay at the Pierre.
Why? we are homesick for NY and I was at the Pierre in the late 70's, it is time I go back again :D

Uncle Herb will get a note and a nice gift from NY.

I'd go to Zambia...oh yeah, I AM going to Zambia (again), without Uncle Herb's help! I'd reccommend an African safari for as many nights as $10,000 would buy (approximately 10-12 nights at 4-5* lodges) and that includes airfare from the west coast

Since this is an American message section, I think Herb might like us to be in the USA.

Our trip would involve moving around, not staying one place.

We'd probably do a steak and lobster test, starting in Maine, including Lincolnville, and working south until the lobsters turned into crabs in Maryland.

New York Strip in New York City, of course, starting with Smith & Wollensky's as the benchmark, and then comparing Palm and Peter Lugers.

Depending on timing, work our way to San Antonio via Kilgore, Texas, larning about barbecue in east Texas and then trying both the Ruth's Chris Steakhouses in San Antonio, because we know the owner.

We'd have to check shrimp along the gulf coast.

And since cowboys have something to do with cows, and cowboy movies come from Los angeles, more or less, we'd go there and check out the Ruth's Chris in Beverley Hills (happy memories) and then try to find some other steak and lobster to compare.

BAK

I would fly to Vancover and then take the train across the Canadian Rockies..and yes, I know I would have to kick in extra money..but Uncle's gift would make the trip affordable. And my mother (his sister) taught me to ALWAYS write thank you notes.

If Uncle Herb wants me to keep my travel to the continental U.S., I would have to say that we would spend a week and a half in the wine country of California.

I've never been as an adult (couldn't really indulge as a child), so my husband and I would stay in Mendocino or somewhere wonderful in Sonoma. We would go on tastings (of course, with a hired driver). We would use about $500 to eat at French Laundry, Thomas Keller's restaurant.

This is a true story:

My father's name is Herb. He is 81 years old, and the most generous man I've ever known. He has five (grown) children (I am the "baby"). Since 1986 he has been footing the bill for family reunions. Some years we go as six couples, but usually we bring the grandchildren, and now there are great grandchildren. He has paid for mansions in Nags Head, log cabins in Maggie Valley, NC, many cruises, a week at the Aruba Hyatt, etc. About ten years ago he decided that he could not afford it anymore. The five children decided that the memories we made were too important to miss, so we continued, only now we split the bill six ways. Guess what? This year, he decided to start "helping" again (which means paying about 75% of the cost for a New England cruise).

His wife, my mom, died 14 years ago today. I don't usually share such personal stuff on Fodor's, but some Christmas Spirit just tapped me on the shoulder, and said, tell these folks there really is a Herb.

God Bless You All, especially Heavens...you didn't know how truthful your words really were. May the spirit of Christmas touch all of you (beginning with those who scoff at a gift of "only" $5000).

Uncle Herb doesn't care where you travel, as long as you spend his money entirely and take the trip in 2006.

He is giving you the chance to take an unplanned trip wherever you would like to go, with your spouse, SO, and to have a wonderful time. Those are the only restrictions...so go for it...

Joan, God bless you, your family and your own special Herb. Thank you for sharing. Nothing is more special than wonderful memories of family. You are luckier than most.

Joan, that is so sweet. I'm glad this thread brings such great memories for you.

I hope that you have a good day remembering the wonderful time you spent with your mother.

Your dad sounds like a very special person.

joan, we must have posted at the same time. AHHH, to have a Herb in my life would be special. You have been very blessed to have those moments to share with family. What great memories you must have. We have had two family reunions, different families, and both have been incredibly special memories, especially for our children.

Joan, I'm getting weepy reading about your Dad Herb and the wonderful vacations he funded.

Ok, $5,000 in the US (but no husband) I'd visit the National Parks in the western US. I'd stay in the grand lodges and at each location I'd send a postcard to dear Uncle Herb.

From Arches down to Big Bend, over to Joshua Tree, up to Crater Lake over to Yellowstone with as many in between as I could fit.

Thanks Uncle Herb

Because I've got Christmas on my mind, my dream trip at this moment would be somewhere where there is snow, horsedrawn sleighs, ice skating, warm fires. Nestlenook Farm in Jackson NH sounds right or maybe somewhere in the Rockies or really in my own backyard.

My dream trip would be to Bora Bora,but since Ole Uncle Herb is a cheapskate, I guess I'd settle for a nice cruise to the caribbean

mrsd2fan: I'm offended for Uncle Herb! Anyone who offers you $5,000 is not a cheapsake in my book! I think Uncle Herb should give you ashes and coals!

:(
Belle

Well, I think I would take the gift and use it to take my kids to HI. And stay in the hotels that we could not afford if it weren't for my uncle's generosity.

And do some extra tours (take the helicopter trip) and go to some better restarants and order the lobster or the caviar if we want to. Toasting to Uncle Herb all the while...

I know people think 5k won¡¦t take them far but, Hawaii for 16 days is absolutely doable. 3 days in Honolulu, 5 days in Maui another 5 in Kauai and 3 days in the big island back to Oahu to head home to Florida. Like Mah1980 I would do it all through priceline (did it before have been 2x) able to stay in nice hotels with a full size car in each island. Thanks Uncle Herb, I brought you back a bag of Kona coffee and a jar of macadamia nuts, will email pictures later

I think I'll stretch UNcle Herb's $$ as far as possible & spend a month (hopefully) wandering out the Keys. I can stay at some seedy roadside joints a couple of nights & catch my own dinner if I have to...who I am I kidding...?...two weeks, w/half of my time in Key West at the Heron House.

Another true story:

My dad's name is Herb as well. He is
87 and has, throughout my life, been
pretty darn generous. We don't ask for the gifts and they always come with a note that says something like "Thought maybe you guys could use this....."

We have discovered that he gets the biggest bang from hearing the details
of how we used it. His eyesight is failing and he needs a walker,yet he is always pleased to hear his gift was
well received.

Now, if a check arrived for $5,000, I might call and ask if he intended those two extra zeros :)
and then I would get all misty eyed
at his generosity.

Then, when I pulled myself together,
I would grab Mr R5 and hop a plane for a surprise visit to him,my Herb.

Yup, that's what I would do.

R5

Scarlett, me too (thought i posted to this yesterday but don't see my reply today)!

Heavens, My question is about "single supplements". Will Oncle Herbie still give me the entire amount if I don't have a spouse or significant other to travel with?

I could do 2 weeks for 2 in Paris, using miles for an upgrade staying in a charming 2 star and eating nicely -- I dream about this trip nightly ;)

$5,000.00? Pocket change! Add a few more zeroes and then I can start to dream.

TravelTess: Then maybe uncle Herb will should just consider giving yours to someone alittle more 'needy' and deserving, someone who could REALLY show some appreciation....uhummm, I'm OVER HERE! LOL!

What's the old saying about the size of the gift not mattering?? ....Oh yes, it's the Spirit that counts!! And I would be completely humbled and appreciative if anyone were to be generous enough to give their hard earned money to me, especially with such a sweet sentiment attached!

I'm sure we could ALL think of more extravagant gifts...don't our kids do this every year??...but hopefully we can be content with such as we have!

Belle

Well to me $5000 IS a vacation, maybe two.

It would certainly pay for the 9 days in Calabria and Sicily next May- for two- with the 5 day cooking school lessons as well.

I am amazed how some would scoff at $5k. That would provide for a very nice vacation if you planned well.

Let's remember the Christmas season, and think about the children that used to live down here in New Orleans who are now in a strange state with no presents for the holidays.

RazzleDazzle, what a coincidence! Heavens sure chose the right name, eh?

The *trip of my dreams* is very similar to any other trip I've taken. I would go to Europe, Mexico, or Hawaii for a month. I've never yet spent $5000 on a single vacation, so basically this would cover anything I'd be interested in doing.