Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

So, I just got back from vacation, and I`m already getting ideas about where I`d like to go next. I have to be realistic, because I`m not rich (yet!) but I want to go someplace nice.

My top 5 ideas for my next vacation...

1. A secluded cottage somelpace on lake Huron or in the upper peninsula of MI.
2. A beach house at the Outer Banks (NC)
3. A scenic view cabin in the smoky mountains, preferably also on a body of water
4. A train trip to NYC and a few nights in a ritzy hotel within walking distance of lots of activities & good eats
5. A privately owned island in a lake with a nice house/cottage on it. (I didn`t even know these existed until I went looking at rentals online yesterday!)

So... where`s your next vacation going to be? What`s your idea of "vacation" anyway? Some people love adventure and lots of activity while others thrive on lazy days by the river. I`m the latter. Gotta have my relaxation time :)


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Hi Christina,

Having just gotten married in northern Michigan (west side on Lake Michigan) I strongly recommend a secluded cottage in the U. P.. As long as it`s not during winter months.

My next vacation though will be Greece & northern Italy. Suzanne & I stayed "up north" for our honeymoon, so our 1-year anniversary will be a more exotic trip.

Several mini-trips and a few vacations are coming up (my partner gets six+ weeks of paid vacation each year and must use it or lose it). When either of us has business travel we usually try to add a couple days on one end or the other as personal days.

Two weeks ago we were staying in Palm Springs at a friend`s condo. Working on my book by the pool was not a bad thing.

This past  weekend we were are on the Oregon Coast at Cannon Beach and Manzanita (one of our favorite get-aways) with a fun group of "foodies"

This weekend we`re off to Napa to visit my sister - wine, good food, fun times

In a couple weeks we`re off to Tampa for business and then Atlanta for pleasure.

The following week we`re back on the Oregon Coast for a crabbing trip with eight other people.

Most of our mini-escapes are with friends.  Amazing food (many gourmet cooks in the group) and great wines always play a big role.  As are heavy-duty discussions about business (most of our friends are business owners), food, wine, and the meaning of life.

As far as vacation-vacations, we may be going to Cabo for Christmas with a gaggle of friends, in February we`ll take our annual two-week trip to a friend`s house in St. Croix, in April we`ll be in Napa for my sister`s wedding, in June we`ll be in Atlanta again, next August we`ll do our annual week-long gold-mining trip in Oregon`s Wallowa Mountains, and Italy is on the schedule for next fall.  There will be lots of other escapes from reality along the way.

Italy is probably my favorite vacation location. We try to go at least every other year.  One year we rented a villa for a month with eight friends.  It`s usually a 14-16 day trip with a much smaller group.  We tend to rent a farmhouse out in the country away from the bigger cities (and all the tourists). Mexico would probably be a close second favorite destination.

Greece is a place I really want to visit.  A friend/client bought and restored a house on one of the islands.  This past year he completed a two bedroom guest house.  I told him it was "very nice of him to buy us a house in Greece" and he said "any time you want to use it."  I guess we need to get that on the schedule...

The perfect vacation for me is a location where cell phones and crackberries don`t work.  Internet connections are not a necessity.  Television, phones and electricity are not even requirements.  I want to be with fun people, having incredible food and wine, reading a lot of books (or magazines), learning a lot about the local culture and art, hiking/walking, and napping a lot. I don`t want to return from a vacation more tired than when I left.

With traveling for pleasure so much, my partner`s mother once asked "What about work?"

"That`s why I work, Mom" was the perfect response.

- J.






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Jeff Fisher | Jeff Fisher LogoMotives | Tweet! Tweet!

Jeff and Joel - I can already see that I`ll be picking you guys` brains about vacation spots. Be prepared   There`s so many places I want to visit, in the United States and abroad, both. I actually dislike the act of traveling though. I don`t like crowded highways or airports. So it`s something I just have to get through in order to make it to my relaxation destination.

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Christina - I can vouch for the Outer Banks. Besides being a beautiful
beach, there`s lots of history there. I warn you, the ocean there can be
rough, lots of rip currents. The water also stays VERY cold most of the
summer. But, I`ve noticed more and more ocean front beach cottages
come with a pool.

Some of our more enjoyable trips were to Key West, New Orleans and a
cruise to the Southern Caribbean.

On our list to visit is NYC, Cat Island in the Bahamas, the wine country of
Virginia, Charleston, SC and maybe Savannah, GA. For our 25th wedding
anniversary in 2008 we`ll go somewhere like Hawaii. Our next vacation
will be Emerald Isle on the coast of NC. We leave October 7, for 5 days.
And we go to the coast for a week every summer. We`ll also try and make
a trip to the NC mountains in October to visit an Uncle and enjoy the fall
leaves.

Of your list - they all sound wonderful. Just close your eyes and pick. :)

Joel, Jeff, Greece and Italy are high on my list of places to visit too. Until
both kids are out of college, I`ll have to live vicariously through you.

I highly recommend Ireland in the off-season. It`s an incredible place to be.

We went there in March; flew from Chicago on St. Patrick`s Day; rented a car, spent a couple of days in Dublin then headed out to see the country. Aside from the first 2 nights and the last night in Dublin we didn`t bother with reservations (I wouldn`t try that in the summer). We just drove where we wanted and stopped when we felt like it and stayed in B&B`s each night. The scenery, the history and the people were all amazing.

The whole 10 days we were there it rained a total of half an hour one day. I`ve heard of people who went in July and had non-stop rain. You just never know.



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Doris -
I`d love to see both Key West and New Orleans. My friend vacationed there this year and he had a great time. Oddly enough, that same friend also has been to Key West and has a relative that lives there. He loves it there. Sounds like a great place to me!

Steve-
Ireland sounds fabulous. I`d also love to visit Scotland too, as that is where my husband has his roots and he wants to see the family castle. Apparently it still exists and we are definitely want to check it out.


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