Favorite vacation spots?

[Topper]

What are people's favorite vacation locales?
Divide them into three categories, the usual touristy places, some unique lesser thought of places and something akin to a family place.

In category A, Tahiti, Hawaii, Costa Rica and Cote d'Azure come to mind.

In category B, Lake Powell (touristy but not really), Grand Canyon and Sedona.

In category C, the family ranch in Lamoille and Hope's family place in the Catskills.

Yours?

[HauteCoug]

What are people's favorite vacation locales?
Divide them into three categories, the usual touristy places, some unique lesser thought of places and something akin to a family place.

In category A, Tahiti, Hawaii, Costa Rica and Cote d'Azure come to mind.

In category B, Lake Powell (touristy but not really), Grand Canyon and Sedona.

In category C, the family ranch in Lamoille and Hope's family place in the Catskills.

Yours?

Rome, Lake Powell, Manhattan.

[Northwestcoug]

A: Tuscany, Hawaii
B: Banff, Sedona
C: Pacific City, Oregon; Waterton, Alberta

[clackamascoug]

A: Tuscany, Hawaii
B: Banff, Sedona
C: Pacific City, Oregon; Waterton, Alberta

One man's Pacific City is another man's Seaside. I think the Oregon Coast is vastly underrated. Although the San Juan's in a good boat are magical. Why does it always seen we're going to Utah for vacation though? Oh well...

A- Maui - I'm a veteran Black Rock Jumper.
B- SoCal for a quick winter escape.
C- We probably go to the coast 5/6 times a year. Never gets old.

[wuapinmon]

A. Apalachicola, FL (St. George Island); Playa del Carmen, Spain
B. Savannah, St. Augustine, Costa Rica (I go every year)
C. Asheville, NC; St. George, UT; Pine Valley, UT; Atlanta

[Scott R Nelson]

Something must be wrong with me, because I only like category A places.

Hawaii (Kauai, Maui, or Kona).
Mexico (Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa, Playa del Carmen).
Just about any Caribbean island.
And we're going to try out Costa Rica in December.

Just waiting for the stupid "humblebrag" comment.

[Northwestcoug]

One man's Pacific City is another man's Seaside. I think the Oregon Coast is vastly underrated. Although the San Juan's in a good boat are magical. Why does it always seen we're going to Utah for vacation though? Oh well...

The only thing that holds the Oregon coast back from being my category 'A' vacation is the weather. We've gone there a handful of times, always either late spring or summer. And there have been only a couple of days where it was warm enough to take off the jacket. Even when it's warm temperature-wise, it's usually windy. I still like to go, but it's hard to convince my wife to spend more time there, when she expects Cape Cod-esque water temperature when she goes to the beach.

It's a shame, because it's so beautiful.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

The only thing that holds the Oregon coast back from being my category 'A' vacation is the weather. We've gone there a handful of times, always either late spring or summer. And there have been only a couple of days where it was warm enough to take off the jacket. Even when it's warm temperature-wise, it's usually windy. I still like to go, but it's hard to convince my wife to spend more time there, when she expects Cape Cod-esque water temperature when she goes to the beach.

It's a shame, because it's so beautiful.

Since being in the water at the OC is something that is not intended to ever happen the best time to go there is usually in November or December. Watching the weather there will often be long breaks at the coast where the weather is 50-60, the sun is out and the wind is low.

I despise going to the OC in the summer, you go and wear jackets and freeze in the wind. Then as you drive back into the valley you realize that you just missed out on a gorgeous PNW day where it was 85 and sunny.

My favorite spots to get away are Kauai, Vegas and anywhere that it is just my wife and I or wife/kids and I. I loathe "vacationing" with a large group.

[MarkGrace]

Cape Cod water is relatively warm? I don't think I would have guessed that.

[Guest]

Cape Cod water is relatively warm? I don't think I would have guessed that.

It's probably 15-17 degrees warmer than the Oregon Coast. Remember the Pacific currents flow down from Alaska (clockwise) on the west coast, while the east coast Atlantic water comes up (also clockwise) from the Caribbean; the water is much warmer over there.

[Jacob]

A: Tuscany, Hawaii
B: Banff, Sedona
C: Pacific City, Oregon; Waterton, Alberta

One man's Pacific City is another man's Seaside. I think the Oregon Coast is vastly underrated. Although the San Juan's in a good boat are magical. Why does it always seen we're going to Utah for vacation though? Oh well...

A- Maui - I'm a veteran Black Rock Jumper.
B- SoCal for a quick winter escape.
C- We probably go to the coast 5/6 times a year. Never gets old.

Please help me out guys. I'm heading to Oregon Coast in a few weeks and need to decide where to stay. Home base is in Portland and I will spend a night on the coast. Want to keep the drive time down form Portland. Where should I stay?

[MarkGrace]

It's probably 15-17 degrees warmer than the Oregon Coast. Remember the Pacific currents flow down from Alaska (clockwise) on the west coast, while the east coast Atlantic water comes up (also clockwise) from the Caribbean; the water is much warmer over there.

Oh yeah, of course I remember that.

Seriously, I had no idea. I would have guessed it was just as cold -- if not colder -- over there.

[Omaha 680]

Please help me out guys. I'm heading to Oregon Coast in a few weeks and need to decide where to stay. Home base is in Portland and I will spend a night on the coast. Want to keep the drive time down form Portland. Where should I stay?

My mom would tell you Cannon Beach as it is the one and only true beach on the face of Oregon.

[Guest]

Oh yeah, of course I remember that.

Seriously, I had no idea. I would have guessed it was just as cold -- if not colder -- over there.

Yeah. And it takes forever before it starts to warm up. The difference in the ocean water temperature between Washington (say Ocean Shores) and Santa Cruz, CA - 900 miles south - is probably only 4-5 degrees...something like 55 up here to 58-59 down there. The water off the mid-Atlantic is in the low 70s this time of year, maybe even the mid-70s.

[Northwestcoug]

Please help me out guys. I'm heading to Oregon Coast in a few weeks and need to decide where to stay. Home base is in Portland and I will spend a night on the coast. Want to keep the drive time down form Portland. Where should I stay?

We really like Pacific City. The beach is really nice there. There's a huge sand dune right next to the ocean. But if you're only spending a night, the best bet is to just find a hotel, which means you'll be looking at larger towns. You can find nice accomodations at Lincoln City, and just travel up/down the coast where you want to go.