For those well traveled...

I wondered when the pics were gonna start!

 

Not many places you can walk in and see the space shuttle behind an SR71!!

 

Having been to all 50 plus most US territories and 182 countries. Your request is most impossible, not enough direction and to much opinion. I’m surprised that Alaska is not on the list more, selfishly that makes me happy. One thing about Alaska is it’s has more diversity of ecosystems than most anywhere else. One thing is very few spend enough time here. There is no way to even scratch the surface in the whole summer season.

If you come this way bring plenty of time and $$$$. You may or may not leave. There is a reason that this is “The last Frontier”.

What’s your top 10 list so we know what direction your leaning towards?

No matter what/where it leads you-sounds fun.

 

This is well said…I edited and re-edited my first response several times and was flummoxed.

I think Hawaii and Alaska are cheating. They’re too huge and diverse and unique and special to compete with.

I’ve never been to Alaska—it’s #1 on my own personal list.

 

For sure.

Hawaii is much more affordable than Alaska. I base this off of accessibility with Hawaii have the advantage of whatever island you’re on there is some kind of access.


Alaska is so large and has only 5 highways, so much has no easy access. So you either pay someone to bring you or you need your own equipment. This is where the expense comes in. Planes, boats, wheelers and snow machines are expensive in that order. Pending the boat of course. To charter a boat like mine for 12 hours is $4,000, plus a $1,000 fuel surcharge. Then some of the cabins I’ve rented are $2,000 a night per person. I know of cabins to rent that are primitive and are $75 a night but require a boat to get there. One of the cabins we frequent is a 4 hour boat ride out of Valdez out in Prince William Sound. The next island over has a lodge on it and a week vacation leaving from Valdez for a family of 6 is over $126,000 plus what excursions you want to go on. My rental cabin is nothing like it that lodge, however my kids camp on a Pacific island and fish, beachcomb and be kids. We take a boat ride across Orka bay to the glacier to harvest calved of ice for use. Whale, sea lion and seal watch, we shrimp have s’mores on the beach watching the sunset. Having fish fries on the deck with some of the days catch. Watch eagles, puffins and sea ducks of all kinds. Nothing like a margarita on the rocks (glacial ice) and watching kids have fun. I can describe many other Alaskan adventures,, it’s the logistics that make it so damm expensive.

Two weeks ago we had Orkas hunting all around us while we were halibut fishing. Snow covered mountains in the background surfacing orkas. What better way to feel insignificant in the big picture of things- what memories. And the Makers Mark sing barrel over glacial ice while the kids made s’mores on a driftwood beach campfire-priceless.

 

Well, everybody might as well just stop now I reckon....

 

People from Michigan come to Maine to ride. Best trails in the country hands down. My uncle lived in Shreveport, unfortunately he was killed in a car accident 6 months before I was going to see him and do some pig hunting. Never ended up going.

 

We go to Cross Island to hunt sea ducks. National wildlife refuge with an abandoned coast guard station, from the days of being hand rowed surf boats launched off a catapult ramp into the water. Need to bring our own beds, heat, cooking stuff and food. It’s free. 6 miles off shore.

 

Is that the "miracle staircase"?

 

No hard working American should ever stop the pursuit of happiness. A normal fly in for a week rent a camper/car eat out 3 square a day count on $10,000 cheap end. Rent a beater, camp and cook your own less than $2,000 easy. Jump into an adventure it can be anywhere on price, Alaska rewards those who DIY. There is no way I could afford as a non Alaskan to come do the adventures I can as a resident. Or without a buddy here.

There are so many great getaways local to all of us, and many more slightly of the beaten path from sea to shining sea border to border. Key West and the Dry Tortuga’s the Carolinas-beach to piedmont to the Blue Ridge-Appalachia —-Appalachian Trail. To our mid Atlantic beach’s to battlefields to Northeast fall colors and Parks. Through our central rivers and lakes to the Rocky’s and desert southwest to Pacific coast into the San Juan de Fuca island to Hawaii and Alaska. Not to mention our US Territories. Hard to visit them all with a full time job.

 

If anyone is interested in a vacation/adventure in Alaska. Send me a message I will gladly try and help/give information. I would love for each and everyone of you to come visit. Alaska is so special it will change your life.

 

I'm guessing not many have been there, so they can't give informed personal opinions. I was hoping to get there around the year 2000. Even back then I figured $6k for my ex and me to have a week there (not including travel). That is was a steep price for us regular "Joes" and included way too much time in air travel to get to the west coast to hit a cruise ship, then see a few sites. And trying to narrow the sites down to just a couple was going to be super difficult. Ended up not going as there were threats of lay-offs where I was working.

Would I love to go there? Absolutely. But I would need to be retired so I could take more than 2 weeks off so it isn't all rush-rus. And, I'd need a rich uncle to die to get just myself there (which I certainly do not wish upon anyone - even fictitious uncles).

 

I’ve been fortunate enough to get around some in these United States, much of it as a youth with my parents and was to young to really admire it.
The last real trip I took with my parents was to Florida. I found the Epcot center pretty impressive considering the technology involved and when it was built, and that was over 30 years ago.
Now as an “adult” most adventures are to the west, going east feels like drudgery, ( to much humanity). It’s been a crazy busy spring and summer already and I’m thinking of going somewhere this fall with the wife. Leaning towards the Grand Canyon ( never been) or maybe another whirlwind trip to Alaska.

I think my top two bucket list places to visit are both in Alaska.
duck’s cabin at twin Lakes and the Olga bay cannery that was the base of operation for Pinnel and Talifson, the last of the great brown bear men, on Kodiak Island. Not sure if there’s anything left of the cannery. But I sure want to see Kodiak.
As I’m typing this number 3 pops into my head, and that is to camp in a tent north of the artic circle.

those of us that live in the United States are truly blessed with so much area to explore and the freedom to do so.
If we’re talking about out of country excursions, the top of that list would be to sleep in a tent somewhere in Africa where I could listen to a lion roar.

 

In 2018 the wife and I went to Alaska over Labor Day for my birthday. Drove to Denver and then flew to Fairbanks. Seems like the airfare was around $700 each, rented a stayed in a bed and breakfast type place the first night and then stayed 2 nights ( I think) at the Chena hot springs resort. Explored many of the attractions in and around Fairbanks. I felt the whole trip was surprisingly affordable, although it was not nearly long enough.

 

Regardless of what your spice of life is, where ever you are, every location has things to explore people probably aren’t aware of.

Duluth MN had the Glensheen mansion. Famous for the murder of the last surviving congdon family member in 1974. But a bit of learning of its history, and it’s over a century of global history. Chester congdon took on rockerfeller and won in a way. Mr congdon was also responsible for the iron range development in the area.
About | Glensheen


likewise, you’ll drive to Duluth along I35 and go past Hinckley Mn, you can stop by the fire museum and see someone else’s home who probably wielded just as much global power and was of much more modest means, the train depot conductor. Nothing went in or out of the arrowhead without his approval. Regardless of who they were.

The fire of 1894 changed all that.
The Great Hinckley Fire-1894

two bit of Minnesota history that are rather obscure and not greatly known.

 

Yep, that is the movie about it.

 

Here’s some Vancouver Island eye candy. We saw some orcas and had near death experiences trying to fish the pacific coast line.

 

Is the first picture the sunrise? Or taken from the Strait of Georgia?

 

Favorite place is anywhere in Alaska. Beautiful place.
The worst and most overrated place I have been is Hawaii.

 

Only state I haven’t been too is Alaska a plane change in airport doesn’t count.. my fathers cousin, was a preacher, on cruises up Alaskan coast and I missed opportunity

Hawaii is a great state if you get off tourist areas.. almost obligatory to Pearl Harbor..

a quick boat ride to islands without an major airport get you to amazing culture, very friendly people and amazing experiences