GTKY: Travel Bucket List

hoffse · January 2016

brij2006 said I can see where you're coming from on this. I would love to travel a lot more than we do, but my H has a car hobby that he's passionate about and we utilize that to do a lot of our traveling. We have been to many places within the U.S. and have seen many different cultures, all from just a 3-4 day weekend road trip in the car. It's something we budget for and make a lot of cuts in order to do. Yet my H doesn't have much of a desire to travel internationally, except the Caribbean. He doesn't find it an enjoyable vacation at all to cram pack as much as possible into 7 days and run ourselves ragged. He would rather spend 7 days laying on a beach and vegging out. So international travel isn't prioritized because he knows I would want to fit everything we could into that trip. He actually told me the other day that he isn't looking forward to Hawaii because he knows I will want to do a lot of stuff. So I'm trying to plan it with a happy medium of experiences and relaxation. I would just get frustrated trying to do that for a European trip.
We make a very good income and have no debt, you would think we could make travel a much larger line item in our budget. But the desire just isn't there. We do our annual trip to the lake with our family for around $2,500 each year. Then we budget another $1,500/year for the quick little car trips. If we're not pregnant next year, then we'll probably do a cheap $2,000-2,500 Caribbean or Mexico trip in the winter (all-inclusive). But right now we're prioritizing all extra money toward maxing out his Roth.I only have 3 weeks of vacation and any time beyond that I have to take unpaid. Between days off for DD being sick, 6 days for our family vacation, and another 5 days for the random Fridays and/or Mondays off for our little weekend trips, I can't fit any international travel in.

Your H makes a good point about that, and I'm personally really guilty of the "gotta see it all" mentality when we do go somewhere. I tend to way overplan trips.

For Italy, I'm trying to limit myself to planning 1 thing in Rome, 1 thing in Venice, and 1 day trip across the 8 days we are going to be there. Anything else we do can be based on time, interest, and energy while we are there. I'm really determined to stick to that this time.

brij2006 · January 2016

@hoffse It's a hard thing to try and do. Even planning for Hawaii, I want to see it all. The only plus side to that trip is that we're renting a Mustang convertible. With my H being a car guy, he's happy to drive around the island and see sights along the way. So a relaxing day to him would be driving to a different beach or lunch spot.

Yet I want to snorkel off multiple coasts, kayak out to the humpback whales, go to a Luau, zip-line, do a helicopter tour, and hike for miles. That's all "vacation" to me. To him, that's work. We discussed options this weekend and we have some little towns and beaches we want to hit up. The only "set" things we're going to plan on doing are the Luau and kayak out to the humpback whales. We are also planning to take a day for the rode to Hana and make a bunch of stops, but he said that sounds fun to him. So I figure that books us for 2 days, we have 3 left with nothing set.

hoffse · January 2016

Xstatic3333 said:

I do agree with @hoffse as well that international trips can be done much more affordably than some realize. I know many people think of $10,000 as a starting point for a European trip, but our budget for our Amsterdam trip is well under half of that, all in. Air BnB is making things so much more affordable relative to staying in a hotel. We will save a ton by eating breakfast at home, and frequently lunch as well. I remember H's mom threw us a bit of shade about our trip to Bonaire being "extravagant." We don't share budgets with her, but I know from what she's told us that she spends just as much yearly making payments on her timeshare in Orlando.

**********SIB***************

H and I get this a lot. We get a lot of flack for spending money on what people perceive as being really elaborate vacations. I try to explain that we do it by leveraging points and tracking airfare deals and staying in apartments, but nobody hears us.

One person I work with gave me so much grief for going to Belgium over Christmas because "Christmas travel is so expensive!" And then when Alabama made it to the national championship, guess who went? I can almost guarantee that he spent more going to that football game than we spent going to Belgium.

Whatever. You can't convince people that it doesn't have to be insanely expensive until they try it for themselves. I just wish we wouldn't be openly judged about it, especially when those same people turn around and drop the same (or more) money on their own luxuries. It's just different priorities.

als1982 · January 2016

hoffse said:

Xstatic3333 said:

I do agree with @hoffse as well that international trips can be done much more affordably than some realize. I know many people think of $10,000 as a starting point for a European trip, but our budget for our Amsterdam trip is well under half of that, all in. Air BnB is making things so much more affordable relative to staying in a hotel. We will save a ton by eating breakfast at home, and frequently lunch as well. I remember H's mom threw us a bit of shade about our trip to Bonaire being "extravagant." We don't share budgets with her, but I know from what she's told us that she spends just as much yearly making payments on her timeshare in Orlando.

**********SIB***************

H and I get this a lot. We get a lot of flack for spending money on what people perceive as being really elaborate vacations. I try to explain that we do it by leveraging points and tracking airfare deals and staying in apartments, but nobody hears us.

One person I work with gave me so much grief for going to Belgium over Christmas because "Christmas travel is so expensive!" And then when Alabama made it to the national championship, guess who went? I can almost guarantee that he spent more going to that football game than we spent going to Belgium.

Whatever. You can't convince people that it doesn't have to be insanely expensive until they try it for themselves. I just wish we wouldn't be openly judged about it, especially when those same people turn around and drop the same (or more) money on their own luxuries. It's just different priorities.

This. Also, we drive beater cars and don't have cable. I'm guessing the average American family has one or more car payments and cable. Two car payments at $300 a month plus basic cable at $65 equals $7,980 over the course of a year. That's one darn nice international vacation right there, even for a family of four.

BlueBirdMB · January 2016

emily1004 When are you coming to Boston? You helped me with New Orleans, and I would love to help you with your Boston trip! I live just outside the city.

julieanne912 · January 2016

I will say, I've never given anybody flack for spending their own money on whatever they feel like, as long as they don't question what we spend our money on, or make comments about what we SHOULD be doing (ie traveling). H spends money on hockey season tickets. Could that money make for a good vacation? You bet, but his passion is hockey, and it's something we enjoy doing together. Plus, it lasts way longer than a 1 week vacation.

Side note: Another reason for not a lot of travel is that H has to travel a lot for work. So the last thing he wants to do on his time off is get on a plane and stay in hotels.

Xstatic3333 · January 2016

Sidebar: @brij2006, kayaking with humpbacks? Holy moly that sounds amazing. If you have any sort of waterproof camera please take pictures!

Mustard76 · January 2016

julieanne912 said:
I will say, I've never given anybody flack for spending their own money on whatever they feel like, as long as they don't question what we spend our money on, or make comments about what we SHOULD be doing (ie traveling). H spends money on hockey season tickets. Could that money make for a good vacation? You bet, but his passion is hockey, and it's something we enjoy doing together. Plus, it lasts way longer than a 1 week vacation.

Side note: Another reason for not a lot of travel is that H has to travel a lot for work. So the last thing he wants to do on his time off is get on a plane and stay in hotels.

I was thinking the same thing! Why do people care what anyone else spends their own money on? You spend yours and I'll spend mine. Who cares?! We dont really travel a whole lot, and there are several different reasons. But H and I are the only ones who should care about that. I don't consider us "uncultured" as some people may, but we have lived in 3 states and 5 cities in the last 4 years. That's culture, too. We've still seen a lot. No, it's not the same as international travel; I'm not saying that it is. But we've experienced things that many others haven't, and won't. Hell, my furniture and my dog have lived in more states than all of my friends and family.

brij2006 · January 2016

@xstatic3333 I just have a waterproof disposable, but that will do. Although we are bringing the GoPro. According to what I was reading on the website, you can bring any digital device you want. So I think we're going to toss it in the kayak and turn it on once we get out there.

dragonstarjk · January 2016

I always love this thread!

I don't think anybody on here has ever judged each other for traveling or not traveling; I know I certainly haven't. I'm jealous of the people that can travel more than me, but I say good for them . Some day hopefully I will get there also! I don't make anything remotely close to six figures; H and I don't even make six figures combined. It's really just about priorities.

We live in a little fixer-upper house with a mortgage that's half the cost of most people in our same demographic, in our area. There are a lot of things we skimp on (TV, cell phones, etc.) in order to afford travel. International traveling isn't happening for us right now, but we have plenty of places that we want to see in the US, and hopefully in about 10 years, we'll be able to afford more traveling. We also do a lot of long road trips. I know some people hate road trips, but H and I love them, and we can take our dogs with us. We're trying to do these when we're younger because we probably won't be so keen on putting in 8-10 hour days in the car as we get older.

Also, we are not debt averse, so we are not necessarily trying to have all debts paid before we do any travel spending. We are trying to balance our life now with planning for our future life. I'd hate for something to happen to one of us and not be able to say that we enjoyed some trips together. Anyways, that's my thoughts on travel in general. I don't judge anybody for making different decisions. As for our travel bucket list:

US:

-Visit every state together, I think we're at around 15 or so.

-See a game at every MLB ballpark

-Visit as many National Parks as possible

-New York City

-Road trip through the New England states

-Acadia Natl. Park

-Boston

-Niagara Falls

-Yosemite Natl. Park; CA road trip to al the natl. parks

-Washington DC

-Hershey, PA

-New Orleans

-Florida Keys

-Road trip around Florida

-Road trip around Texas

-Road trip through the Appalacians (sp?)

-Mall of America

-Glacier Natl. Park (this summer!)

-Visit the east coast beaches--Carolina area

International:

-Caribbean cruise, specifically one that stops in the Virgin Islands

-World cruise

-Amazon rainforest

-London

-African safari

-Denmark/Netherlands

-Paris

-Mediterranean cruise

-Banff, Canada (this summer!)

-Italy

-Ireland

-Scotland; possibly a British Isles cruise

-Australia & New Zealand

-Ecoresort in Belize

hoffse · January 2016

Mustard76 said:

I will say, I've never given anybody flack for spending their own money on whatever they feel like, as long as they don't question what we spend our money on, or make comments about what we SHOULD be doing (ie traveling). H spends money on hockey season tickets. Could that money make for a good vacation? You bet, but his passion is hockey, and it's something we enjoy doing together. Plus, it lasts way longer than a 1 week vacation.

Side note: Another reason for not a lot of travel is that H has to travel a lot for work. So the last thing he wants to do on his time off is get on a plane and stay in hotels.
I was thinking the same thing! Why do people care what anyone else spends their own money on? You spend yours and I'll spend mine. Who cares?! We dont really travel a whole lot, and there are several different reasons. But H and I are the only ones who should care about that. I don't consider us "uncultured" as some people may, but we have lived in 3 states and 5 cities in the last 4 years. That's culture, too. We've still seen a lot. No, it's not the same as international travel; I'm not saying that it is. But we've experienced things that many others haven't, and won't. Hell, my furniture and my dog have lived in more states than all of my friends and family.

I think this thread took a turn. I started it because the other thread indicated that a lot of people have travel plans for 2016/2017, and sometimes it's fun to dream.

I'm not saying never leaving the country makes you uncultured. All I have said is that you aren't going to know what China is like until you go there. If you want to know, then you have to go. Seeing it in pictures or on the news is not the same. I've never been to China. I have no idea what it's like. Some other places I haven't been to include Texas, Canada, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, Montana. I don't know what any of those places are like, but I want to find out someday.

If there's no interest, or if there are other priorities that are higher right now, NBD.

hoffse · January 2016

@dragonstark, I love that Mall of America is on your list... I have always want to go there too, lol

Mustard76 · January 2016

@hoffse I didn't mean you specifically. I was speaking in general terms. I didn't think you were calling me uncultured. And really, I agree with you that you don't know what anything/anywhere is like until you experience it. I also agree that it's a higher priority for some people. Again, I didn't specifically mean you.

hoffse · January 2016

Mustard76 said:

@hoffse I didn't mean you specifically. I was speaking in general terms. I didn't think you were calling me uncultured. And really, I agree with you that you don't know what anything/anywhere is like until you experience it. I also agree that it's a higher priority for some people. Again, I didn't specifically mean you.

Got it, sorry if I misunderstood.

Really, it was just supposed to be a fun thread. No big deal if people aren't interested though!

dragonstarjk · January 2016

julieanne912 said:

I will say, I've never given anybody flack for spending their own money on whatever they feel like, as long as they don't question what we spend our money on, or make comments about what we SHOULD be doing (ie traveling). H spends money on hockey season tickets. Could that money make for a good vacation? You bet, but his passion is hockey, and it's something we enjoy doing together. Plus, it lasts way longer than a 1 week vacation.

Side note: Another reason for not a lot of travel is that H has to travel a lot for work. So the last thing he wants to do on his time off is get on a plane and stay in hotels.

Agree. H spends a lot on his hunting trips and gear. It also means at least half of his vacation time every year is dedicated to hunting, and not to me, LOL. But that is his greatest passion in life, and I would never deny him that.

dragonstarjk · January 2016

hoffse said:

@dragonstark, I love that Mall of America is on your list... I have always want to go there too, lol

I have a feeling that by the time we get there, it won't even be that exciting. It will just be another big mall. It sounded really cool when I was younger! I still want to go though, LOL.

maple2 · January 2016

I grew up near the MoA, so it pretty much does just seem like a big mall to me. I will say that it was a good place to go with kids, though, because there is so much to entertain them.The theme park rides were surprisingly fun for everyone.

You can combine a trip there with a visit to the oldest mall in the US (Southdale Center) if you are really into malls.

dragonstarjk said:

hoffse said:

@dragonstark, I love that Mall of America is on your list... I have always want to go there too, lol

I have a feeling that by the time we get there, it won't even be that exciting. It will just be another big mall. It sounded really cool when I was younger! I still want to go though, LOL.

emily1004 · January 2016

BlueBirdMB said:

emily1004 When are you coming to Boston? You helped me with New Orleans, and I would love to help you with your Boston trip! I live just outside the city.

I am hoping we will get there by August or October. We are obviously huge Detroit Tiger fans, but we would not pass up the opportunity to catch a game at Fenway. Any game. So that is a must on our list. Also, where can we get the best lobster dinner? Any suggestions on places to see are more than welcome! Thank you!

BlueBirdMB · January 2016

emily1004 said:

BlueBirdMB said:

emily1004 When are you coming to Boston? You helped me with New Orleans, and I would love to help you with your Boston trip! I live just outside the city.

I am hoping we will get there by August or October. We are obviously huge Detroit Tiger fans, but we would not pass up the opportunity to catch a game at Fenway. Any game. So that is a must on our list. Also, where can we get the best lobster dinner? Any suggestions on places to see are more than welcome! Thank you!

A few questions before I answer. Will you have a car? How long will you be there? Do you like history? Boston is a very historical city, so there is a lot to see on that front. Also, where are you staying?

PurpleBookmark · January 2016

In no particular order:

1. Alaska

2. Ireland

3. Dollywood

4. Disney Land

5. Mount Rushmore

6. Graceland

7. Botswana

ETA: I forgot Hong Kong!

emily1004 · January 2016

BlueBirdMB said:

emily1004 said:

BlueBirdMB said:

emily1004 When are you coming to Boston? You helped me with New Orleans, and I would love to help you with your Boston trip! I live just outside the city.

I am hoping we will get there by August or October. We are obviously huge Detroit Tiger fans, but we would not pass up the opportunity to catch a game at Fenway. Any game. So that is a must on our list. Also, where can we get the best lobster dinner? Any suggestions on places to see are more than welcome! Thank you!

A few questions before I answer. Will you have a car? How long will you be there? Do you like history? Boston is a very historical city, so there is a lot to see on that front. Also, where are you staying?

I think we will go without the car and just use uber or lyft. I would like to go for a long weekend Friday thru Monday. AP U.S. History Nerd. We will stay at any Marriott or Starwood. I have my eye on the Ritz Carlton, W Hotel, Autograph Collection, or JW Marriott.

dragonstarjk · January 2016

brij2006 said:

@hoffse It's a hard thing to try and do. Even planning for Hawaii, I want to see it all. The only plus side to that trip is that we're renting a Mustang convertible. With my H being a car guy, he's happy to drive around the island and see sights along the way. So a relaxing day to him would be driving to a different beach or lunch spot.
Yet I want to snorkel off multiple coasts, kayak out to the humpback whales, go to a Luau, zip-line, do a helicopter tour, and hike for miles. That's all "vacation" to me. To him, that's work. We discussed options this weekend and we have some little towns and beaches we want to hit up. The only "set" things we're going to plan on doing are the Luau and kayak out to the humpback whales. We are also planning to take a day for the rode to Hana and make a bunch of stops, but he said that sounds fun to him. So I figure that books us for 2 days, we have 3 left with nothing set.

Helicopter tour is very relaxing and peaceful! It's like being in a whole different world. No work involved, just make a reservation

Plus, I've never met a guy-especially a mechanically inclined one--that would turn down a helicopter flight!

splotch716 · January 2016

dragonstarjk said:

I always love this thread!
I don't think anybody on here has ever judged each other for traveling or not traveling; I know I certainly haven't. I'm jealous of the people that can travel more than me, but I say good for them . Some day hopefully I will get there also! I don't make anything remotely close to six figures; H and I don't even make six figures combined. It's really just about priorities.
We live in a little fixer-upper house with a mortgage that's half the cost of most people in our same demographic, in our area. There are a lot of things we skimp on (TV, cell phones, etc.) in order to afford travel. International traveling isn't happening for us right now, but we have plenty of places that we want to see in the US, and hopefully in about 10 years, we'll be able to afford more traveling. We also do a lot of long road trips. I know some people hate road trips, but H and I love them, and we can take our dogs with us. We're trying to do these when we're younger because we probably won't be so keen on putting in 8-10 hour days in the car as we get older.
Also, we are not debt averse, so we are not necessarily trying to have all debts paid before we do any travel spending. We are trying to balance our life now with planning for our future life. I'd hate for something to happen to one of us and not be able to say that we enjoyed some trips together. Anyways, that's my thoughts on travel in general. I don't judge anybody for making different decisions. As for our travel bucket list:
US:
-Visit every state together, I think we're at around 15 or so.
-See a game at every MLB ballpark
-Visit as many National Parks as possible
-New York City
-Road trip through the New England states
-Acadia Natl. Park
-Boston
-Niagara Falls
-Yosemite Natl. Park; CA road trip to al the natl. parks
-Washington DC
-Hershey, PA
-New Orleans
-Florida Keys
-Road trip around Florida
-Road trip around Texas
-Road trip through the Appalacians (sp?)
-Mall of America
-Glacier Natl. Park (this summer!)
-Visit the east coast beaches--Carolina area

International:
-Caribbean cruise, specifically one that stops in the Virgin Islands
-World cruise
-Amazon rainforest
-London
-African safari
-Denmark/Netherlands
-Paris
-Mediterranean cruise
-Banff, Canada (this summer!)
-Italy
-Ireland
-Scotland; possibly a British Isles cruise
-Australia & New Zealand
-Ecoresort in Belize

DH and I want to go to every MLB park and NFL stadium in the leagues as well! Right now we are a little more than half way done. Our favorite baseball park has been Wrigley field because it is so iconic. However, we are going to Boston in April/May so we will see how Fenway compares. We always sign up for the designated driver program for the free soda/water and get a first game certificate. It has been fun and we have started taking DD with us. Our babymoon was actually a 10 day trip with 11 stadiums from Chicago to New York to DC!

JoanE2012 · January 2016

brij2006 said:

@hoffse It's a hard thing to try and do. Even planning for Hawaii, I want to see it all. The only plus side to that trip is that we're renting a Mustang convertible. With my H being a car guy, he's happy to drive around the island and see sights along the way. So a relaxing day to him would be driving to a different beach or lunch spot.
Yet I want to snorkel off multiple coasts, kayak out to the humpback whales, go to a Luau, zip-line, do a helicopter tour, and hike for miles. That's all "vacation" to me. To him, that's work. We discussed options this weekend and we have some little towns and beaches we want to hit up. The only "set" things we're going to plan on doing are the Luau and kayak out to the humpback whales. We are also planning to take a day for the rode to Hana and make a bunch of stops, but he said that sounds fun to him. So I figure that books us for 2 days, we have 3 left with nothing set.

I don't know if I already mentioned this at some point, but the Old Lahaina Luau is wonderful. It's supposed to be the most authentic but it's also hugely popular and sells out - advance reservations a couple months in advance are usually needed. We really enjoyed it.

For the Road to Hana - get the GyPSy app - it's like $5 and it will tell you the upcoming sights based upon the built in GPS so you don't miss anything. Just read a little ahead of time - there's no way you can stop at everything - you'll need to pick the ones that interest you the most. Money well spent.

And finally, one of my favorite things we did was a sunrise at Haleakala and then bike down. So much fun! We used Maui Sunriders (one of maybe two companies that lets you ride down at your own pace rather than with a group). We stopped for breakfast on the way down. If you do it, wear layers. It was so incredibly cold (probably 30s) and the wind was brutal. Not to mention, it was a 1am wakeup call and you're at the summit for an hour in the cold waiting. But so worth it!

dragonstarjk · January 2016

splotch716 said:

dragonstarjk said:

I always love this thread!
I don't think anybody on here has ever judged each other for traveling or not traveling; I know I certainly haven't. I'm jealous of the people that can travel more than me, but I say good for them . Some day hopefully I will get there also! I don't make anything remotely close to six figures; H and I don't even make six figures combined. It's really just about priorities.
We live in a little fixer-upper house with a mortgage that's half the cost of most people in our same demographic, in our area. There are a lot of things we skimp on (TV, cell phones, etc.) in order to afford travel. International traveling isn't happening for us right now, but we have plenty of places that we want to see in the US, and hopefully in about 10 years, we'll be able to afford more traveling. We also do a lot of long road trips. I know some people hate road trips, but H and I love them, and we can take our dogs with us. We're trying to do these when we're younger because we probably won't be so keen on putting in 8-10 hour days in the car as we get older.
Also, we are not debt averse, so we are not necessarily trying to have all debts paid before we do any travel spending. We are trying to balance our life now with planning for our future life. I'd hate for something to happen to one of us and not be able to say that we enjoyed some trips together. Anyways, that's my thoughts on travel in general. I don't judge anybody for making different decisions. As for our travel bucket list:
US:
-Visit every state together, I think we're at around 15 or so.
-See a game at every MLB ballpark
-Visit as many National Parks as possible
-New York City
-Road trip through the New England states
-Acadia Natl. Park
-Boston
-Niagara Falls
-Yosemite Natl. Park; CA road trip to al the natl. parks
-Washington DC
-Hershey, PA
-New Orleans
-Florida Keys
-Road trip around Florida
-Road trip around Texas
-Road trip through the Appalacians (sp?)
-Mall of America
-Glacier Natl. Park (this summer!)
-Visit the east coast beaches--Carolina area

International:
-Caribbean cruise, specifically one that stops in the Virgin Islands
-World cruise
-Amazon rainforest
-London
-African safari
-Denmark/Netherlands
-Paris
-Mediterranean cruise
-Banff, Canada (this summer!)
-Italy
-Ireland
-Scotland; possibly a British Isles cruise
-Australia & New Zealand
-Ecoresort in Belize

DH and I want to go to every MLB park and NFL stadium in the leagues as well! Right now we are a little more than half way done. Our favorite baseball park has been Wrigley field because it is so iconic. However, we are going to Boston in April/May so we will see how Fenway compares. We always sign up for the designated driver program for the free soda/water and get a first game certificate. It has been fun and we have started taking DD with us. Our babymoon was actually a 10 day trip with 11 stadiums from Chicago to New York to DC!

That is awesome!!! We've only visited 9 ballparks so far, mostly in the west. I really want to get to some of the oldies back east!

BlueBirdMB · January 2016

emily1004 said:

BlueBirdMB said:

emily1004 said:

BlueBirdMB said:

emily1004 When are you coming to Boston? You helped me with New Orleans, and I would love to help you with your Boston trip! I live just outside the city.

I am hoping we will get there by August or October. We are obviously huge Detroit Tiger fans, but we would not pass up the opportunity to catch a game at Fenway. Any game. So that is a must on our list. Also, where can we get the best lobster dinner? Any suggestions on places to see are more than welcome! Thank you!

A few questions before I answer. Will you have a car? How long will you be there? Do you like history? Boston is a very historical city, so there is a lot to see on that front. Also, where are you staying?

I think we will go without the car and just use uber or lyft. I would like to go for a long weekend Friday thru Monday. AP U.S. History Nerd. We will stay at any Marriott or Starwood. I have my eye on the Ritz Carlton, W Hotel, Autograph Collection, or JW Marriott.

Ok, without a car you can't do Lexington and Concord (which is totally worth getting a car for if you are a U.S. history nerd) but you can do the rest of the Freedom Trail. Bring a good pair of walking shoes- it's a bit exhausting. Don't miss the tea party museum, old Ironside, or Bunker Hill.

If you like art, the Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum is beautiful. The building itself is art and the collection, though small, is lovely. It's a wonderful afternoon. The Museum of Fine Arts is also a good museum and has one of the best (maybe the best) American Impressionist exhibits in the world.

Don't miss the Public Garden. It's a beautiful park. Go on a swan boat ride too.

Seafood... this is going to sound strange... but the best lobster dinners are on the shore, not in Boston. But since you will be in the city, (this might also seem strange) but your best bet for a solid lobster dinner is going to a Legal Seafoods. It's a chain, but it's always solid. Excellent chowder too. If you want something that isn't a chain and is a little different, look at Island Creek Oyster Bar, B&G Oysters, or Row 34. You might be a little shocked at dinner prices in Boston- it's one of the most expensive cities to eat in the country. It's hard to find a deal, even on seafood, but you will find good seafood.

Do you drink (there are some awesome bars in Boston)? Do you like ethnic food? Looking for some food options that are more MM?

Xstatic3333 · January 2016

BlueBirdMB said:

emily1004 said:

BlueBirdMB said:

emily1004 said:

BlueBirdMB said:

emily1004 When are you coming to Boston? You helped me with New Orleans, and I would love to help you with your Boston trip! I live just outside the city.

I am hoping we will get there by August or October. We are obviously huge Detroit Tiger fans, but we would not pass up the opportunity to catch a game at Fenway. Any game. So that is a must on our list. Also, where can we get the best lobster dinner? Any suggestions on places to see are more than welcome! Thank you!

A few questions before I answer. Will you have a car? How long will you be there? Do you like history? Boston is a very historical city, so there is a lot to see on that front. Also, where are you staying?

I think we will go without the car and just use uber or lyft. I would like to go for a long weekend Friday thru Monday. AP U.S. History Nerd. We will stay at any Marriott or Starwood. I have my eye on the Ritz Carlton, W Hotel, Autograph Collection, or JW Marriott.

Ok, without a car you can't do Lexington and Concord (which is totally worth getting a car for if you are a U.S. history nerd) but you can do the rest of the Freedom Trail. Bring a good pair of walking shoes- it's a bit exhausting. Don't miss the tea party museum, old Ironside, or Bunker Hill.

If you like art, the Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum is beautiful. The building itself is art and the collection, though small, is lovely. It's a wonderful afternoon. The Museum of Fine Arts is also a good museum and has one of the best (maybe the best) American Impressionist exhibits in the world.

Don't miss the Public Garden. It's a beautiful park. Go on a swan boat ride too.

Seafood... this is going to sound strange... but the best lobster dinners are on the shore, not in Boston. But since you will be in the city, (this might also seem strange) but your best bet for a solid lobster dinner is going to a Legal Seafoods. It's a chain, but it's always solid. Excellent chowder too. If you want something that isn't a chain and is a little different, look at Island Creek Oyster Bar, B&G Oysters, or Row 34. You might be a little shocked at dinner prices in Boston- it's one of the most expensive cities to eat in the country. It's hard to find a deal, even on seafood, but you will find good seafood.

Do you drink (there are some awesome bars in Boston)? Do you like ethnic food? Looking for some food options that are more MM?

I second all of these recommendations!

emily1004 · January 2016

@BlueBirdMB

H and I are never very MM when it comes to food on vacation. (Don't judge). And we love bar hopping! We love all food, and will try anything once.

BlueBirdMB · January 2016

emily1004 said:

@BlueBirdMB
H and I are never very MM when it comes to food on vacation. (Don't judge). And we love bar hopping! We love all food, and will try anything once.

Me either! We watch spending on flights, hotels (preferably paid for with points), but food... we don't watch.

I'd highly recommend going to Sportello (their spicy tomato soup is nectar of the gods) then ask to go down to Drink (voted best bar in the world by Esquire Magazine). There is often a wait for the bar, but if you go to Sportello first and tell them you plan to go to Drink after, they will take you down the back way (through the kitchen, which is fun!) with no wait for the bar.

I'd highly recommend going to Island Creek Oyster or Eastern Standard (both in Commonwealth Hotel) and then to their bar Hawthorne. It's also an awesome bar.

Tabanera de Haro in Brookline (it's just a step over the city line and Brookline is basically Boston anyway). It's the best tapas place in the city and their wine list is insane. They also have a gin and sherry bar attached, which is really great.

Some of the best restaurants are in Cambridge. Boston proper is actually really small, so while it seems strange I'm sending you to other towns, it is all basically Boston and just a short cab ride away. Craigie on Main and Oleana are some of my favorite restaurants in the city and they are both in Cambridge. I couldn't recommend these two places more. Oleana is a middle eastern inspired restaurant and it's a really special experience. If you go in August, go early and ask to sit outside. Their garden is just lovely.

Try the Omni Parker House bar for a drink and the Boston cream pie (invented there). The restaurant isn't very good, but the pie is awesome, and the place is really historic. Tons of famous artists hung out at the bar (which is classy and swanky). Ask them to point out the table where JFK proposed to Jackie.

bmo88 · January 2016

Just want to chime in on travel and income. DH and I now currently make six figures combine. However, for the past 5 years that was not the case and we have still managed to travel around a fair amount.

For the first three years out of college, we made $45,000 combine in a MCOL area. DH worked retail and I worked at a nonprofit. We saved up and managed to go on our 10 day honeymoon to Puerto Rico/a Caribbean cruise. We spent about $3,200 in total. That's not cheap, but we managed to save for it by not having car payments, not eating out often and being strategic savers. We also went to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, San Diego, California, and quite a few places around Colorado (where we live) in that same period. We planned budgeted trips, looked for discounts and saved accordingly.

Is it a privilege to travel? Yes, but it also must be a priority and one you work toward if that is something you value. There are affordable options to travel. But we all make choices about how we spend our money, and that's a personal decision.

GTKY: Travel Bucket List

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