When I was a kid, my best friend next door would go to Malta every summer with his family. They were maltese and his grandparents lived there. He invited me many times to join them, but my parents couldn't afford the expensive flight. Other friends of ours joined him, but never me.
I would hear stories of the disco's, the beaches and more than anything all the beautiful young girls I was missing out on.
I would like to go there still, just to cross it off of my list and because it's supposed to be beautiful.
What's your Malta? Where would you like to go that you've missed out on or never been before?
I will also cheat and say Malta, which I visited in the off-season a couple of years ago. It's a cheap low-cost flight from here and outside of the holiday rush you can get incredible hotel room deals. I wasn't there for the discos, only a little for the beaches and had brought a beautiful young girl I prepared earlier, so mainly spent my time visiting the megaliths, the underground neolithic temple, the various castles with their connections to Knights Templars and evading the insane, suicidal drivers on roads either potholed beyond all recognition or seemingly planned by throwing wet spaghetti onto a map. Iceland, Easter Island and Peru are all on the list. Edit: I was looking for some photos from that trip to share with you but there's on a hard drive in a different country at the moment.
I recall hearing about those crazy drivers from my friend growing up. As for the other locations you are interested in visiting. I had the great fortune of spending 10 days in Peru and doing a four day backcountry hike to Machu Picchu. It was amazing! I would recommend it to anyone.
And right on cue: http://boingboing.net/2013/08/29/u-s-embassy-employee-filmed...
I'll cheat a little and say The UK, as I want to disappear and see a great deal of England, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Not just for family heritage etc, but evaluate every bit I see in films/TV/doco's just makes me want to be there and experience it: England for all the traditional British fair (and a Jack the Ripper tour); Scotland for the Highlands, Lowlands and their whiskey; Ireland for the countryside, a proper pint of Guinness, and who could say no to a lovely Irish lass with that accent... Heck they could read the Tax Code and I'd still be enthraled!
Sure come on over man, I'll buy you that pint.
I visited Skye several months ago. I would recommend it to everyone who can tolerate the weather (which is basically 45ยบ with light rain and driving wind--at least in May (which is apparently the "dry" month)). It is the most beautiful place I've ever been. Being there feels like being in a fantasy version of Earth. Bring your mud boots though, if you want to do any real hiking.
Tolerate?! That's the weather whenever I imagine myself living a different life. Ireland goes up the travel list a few spots. The travel list currently has Hawaii, NZ, Yosemite, Montana, Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Prague and Indonesia on it. In case anyone at home is keeping score.
Should you ever get to Montana, let me know. I went to the University of Montana and have some very fond memories of the state. Glacier National Park is one of my favorite places and I ha e lots of memories there. I was the first patient at their in-park Emergency Care facility. -interesting story.
Ha! First ever, huh? Well, Glacier is where I'm planning to be sometime soon, maybe this summer, maybe next. Feel free to recommend anything else in the state. I've technically been to Montana -- Yellowstone -- but not really, and I've been all over the Pacific Northwest, but never dared to cross Idaho (who would?).
Yeah, when I'm not at a crappy hotel in SC, half drunk I'll tell yo about that Glacier story. As for Montana, I'm obviously biased towards Missoula. But scrimetime might have some suggestions too, or Fever
One of my dads cousins lives in New Zealand and we have vowed that once my wife is done with her residency, we are going there for a full month. Just the two of us. I'll give my best to Frodo and Sam for you. [edit: I figure getting to NZ is the only way I'll ever get to try some of briandmyers mead and honey :)
I did a 4 day trip to Auckland a year or two ago - being across the ditch helps! Was in Auckland for the majority of it, but did drive down to Rotorua and back, as well as to some of the regional wineries too. From the little I saw, let me assure you it is insanely stunning and as glorious as the films make it out to be!
Can't wait to get back there and go a) for longer and b) to the South Island as well.
Maybe a weird answer. One of my hobbies is themeparks and especially rollercoasters. A month or so ago I finally overcame my fears and rode the largest rollercoaster my country has to offer: I feel like it's the closest thing I've come to perfect bliss. It gives me so much happiness, that it feels like the perfect place to be. My dream is to go to Cedar Point, Ohio. They have the most and the best rollercoasters in the world, and I just want to go there in the off season and ride all the rollercoasters.
If you get a chance, the fall and spring are both good. Cedar Point is still decent weather, but all the kids are in school, so it doesn't get crowded. You'll never have to wait more than 20 min even for a popular ride. It's a big commitment traveling to the States to go to Ohio (which basically sucks), but if you made it part of a larger tour of the Eastern US, it would be worth it.
That is a great answer! I also love roller coasters and not to rub it in, but I literally can't tell you how many times I've been to cedar point. Growing up in Michigan, Cedar point was only a 3 Hour Dr. from our house. It was where we went almost every single summer and sometimes several times a summer. It definitely has some of the best roller coasters I've ever been on. For my money, the best coasters there are still the Magnum 2000, and the Gemini. The Gemini is an old wooden coaster that has two tracks with cars that seemingly race each other as they go through the track. The first roller coaster I ever went on was at Cedar point, called the BlueStreak. It is now defunct. It's an awesome experience, the only thing I hate about themepark's are the lines though. Go on a Wednesday. Edit: Other notable coasters there that many people will skip because they are old, the iron Dragon, and the corkscrew. Another edit: I would be willing to bet that the following hubskiers have all been to cedar point: mk, b_b, sounds_sound, bgood79, jonaswildman, cgod, steve, ecib
Last time was in eighth grade and I cried the entire time I was on the Iron Dragon. If any one goes check out the Junior Gemini!
The Junior Gemini? C'mon! Not a roller-coaster fan, but you raced motor-cross professionally? There's got to be a bit of irony there. But, I guess when on a motorcycle you have control and on a roller-coaster it's more about relinquishing control.... right?
That's it, its about control. I think the whole time that the roller coaster is coming off the tracks.
Nice to find someone else with the same interest. I like to follow the construction of rollercoasters, been doing so for years now. I envy you, I need to fly halfway across the world to go there and you can do it in a couple of hours! Have you been on Gatekeeper yet? Looks like a nice Wingrider. Heide Park in Germany is building one for next year and hopefully I'll be there in one of the first weeks of operation. (ignore the instagram darken filter).
I would love to go to Australia someday. First of all because after all these years, I want to see where my aunt and uncle ended up, meet my nephew who I have never met and meet his now 5 year old daughter. But also because it is supposed to be beautiful. Long streches of land where there is nothing but sand. Visit Uluru if possible, since I will probably be somewhere around Melbourne (which is like wanting to visit the Grand Canjon in the US while visiting NY city if I am not mistaken). More places on the list are the northern parts of the UK, the large cities in Canada and Tokyo, Japan. That, and I would like to return to the Dutch Antilles. :P
I secretely want to live in SE Asia for a year or two, but I'm kind of tied down at the moment. Super interested in Thailand and Vietnam. Singapore if I had to throw in a third in the area. I'm just super obsessed with the culture, the Buddhist roots, the food, the landscapes, the sweltering tropical heat, the rice paddies, the dense cities, the markets... It all just seems so awesome to me. I would love to spend as much time as possible in any of those countries. I plan on getting there in the not too distant future, but with a home and job and soon-to-be wife, it's not gonna be living there. But hopefully I can pull a couple weeks off and convince the SO to go. She doesn't have as much interest in going to countries like that and feels they might be unsafe, whereas I'm a "Screw it, live a little, millions of people live there just fine" kind of person. Someday. :)
Make it happen pal. There will always be reasons to postpone. I have too good of a career here, I'm getting married, we are having kids, I'm near retirement....