Places to visit while on vacation

[Altster]

OK, I'll start this off.

http://globalsearchusrs.ca.com/cities/mississippi/hot-coffee/

Da Mrs and I are on a southern swing thru the midwest this weekend (longer depending on the weather). We were on our way to Laurel, MS (Mississippi) along route 84 East and saw a sign on the side of the road with the names of two towns. Taylorsville, MS and "Hot Coffee, MS." Check out the link above for more info on Hot Coffee.

While we were there we spoke with the owner of the store and got some background on the location - interesting information. Fun place and of course we bought some trinkets to help remind us of the place. More later when I get back home.

 

[manilovecollege]

I haven't been able to explore that part of the South much but I did go to New Orleans a couple years ago and loved it. Would definitely recommend it as a vacation destination

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Our favorite place in the world so far is in the lower Exumas...in the Bahamas. Best place we've stayed so far is "Staniel Cay". Wanna unplug? Check this place out. Small, remote. You get your own little hut. In front of the huts are docks. Each morning, a Boston Whaler boat is waiting for you, gassed up, picnic basket for lunch. You get in the boat and take off on your own...in any direction, can go for over an hour in any direction (just limited by gas). Hundreds of little remote desolate islands and sand bars to explore, you can get to places were you won't even see another boat or human. Get to a little cay (tiny island) where there are no other footprints on the beach but your own.

https://www.stanielcay.com/

There is a similar resort nearby called Fowl Cay....it's also on our bucket list.
http://www.fowlcay.com/

Neary those two resorts, is an island with a bunch of wild pigs. You pull up to the beach and they see you and go swim to your boat, you can feed them, jump in and swim with them.

Also nearby is a famous cave diving site called Thunderball Grotto. From the James Bond movie in the 60's. Incredible diving.

Diving with schools of nurse sharks
I had a huge manta ray swim past me near one channel I was diving at
Simply amazing waters.

We prefer places away from the big tourist traps, so...for the Bahamas..that means away from the Disney like main islands like Paradise and Nassau. We want to really get away from it all, away from the crowds, and get the local feel and experience.

This is the area you can easily see from outer space, and one of the astronauts was quoted as saying from space..it was the most beautiful looking spot on earth!

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

If in New England (upper right corner of the US)...get to New Hampshire. The "White Mountains"...up north of Conway, Jackson, Bartlett. I always enjoy a trip to the top of Mt Washington...you feel like you're on top of the world!

 

[manilovecollege]

I've been to Vermont but not to New Hampshire. Seems like I need to add the White Mountains to my travel list though. Looks incredible

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Here's some pics of some beaches and sand bars in the Exumas...which is part of the Bahamas.

 

[GTP]

Beautiful.
Reminds me of the view from the back verandah of my Mum's place at Port Maquarie, NSW where the Hastings River meets the sea. Very similar topography, but I guess there are thousands of places round the world that would look similar.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

but I guess there are thousands of places round the world that would look similar.

A few years ago I read a story (re-run of the story linked below) about an Astronaut (Scott Kelly) that spent a year up in space, and after viewing the earth via all his orbits for an entire year, he commented "the most beautiful place from space #Bahamas"

Being a beach lover, diver, tropics lover..this made me have to check it out in person!

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2015/apr/28/most-beautiful-place-space/

And the picture he showed his daughter in his video conference from up there...

 

[Fred Claus]

I went on vacation around the time of that real bad hurricane up the east coast last year. RIght after it has passed through Georga, we stopped at a hotel and the lady said "We can offer you everything except wifi. Our system is down". I sprang into geek mode and offered to fix it for her. When I did, we got our room and breakfast for free.

Moral of the story? Always bring your tech bag everywhere you go.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Moral of the story? Always bring your tech bag everywhere you go.

LOL. My toolbox is always in my pocket, on a USB stick. It's rare that I need what's in my briefcase, other than a notepad (so I can remember details of what I did when I get back to the shop and write up the invoice).