# Retired and not having the desire to travel



## Lc jones (Sep 23, 2019)

I retired two years ago and we relocated from Nevada to Florida. Is it strange that I don’t feel like traveling at all? I would think as a new retiree that I would be ready to travel around and see the world but I have no desire to. My daughter and I are going to France next year and even that is not exciting me. I did travel around a lot with my family when I was young we would move every few years with my father’s job and then I married a man who was in the service and we moved around for 10 years. Could it be that I am just traveled out? How about some insight?


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## Pecos (Sep 23, 2019)

Lc,
You could very well be "traveled out." When you traveled overseas in conjunction with the military, you actually lived there and probably visited other nearby countries as well. You got the "full experience." I was in the Navy for 31 years and lived overseas for nine years in addition to visiting numerous countries while assigned to ships. 
My wife and I have made two trips to Europe as civilians  in the last 12 years and we are "Traveled Out" just like you. Among our reasons for not finding travel very exciting include:
Many airports are a mess, and going through security is well ….. 
Long flights have become flat-out unpleasant with lots of additional irritating fees.
Packing and unpacking, well …… 
Americans are not welcomed like they used to be.
Long lines, forget it.
Crime has picked up in many countries and Americans seem to be targets.
and finally, there is a lot to be seen right here in the USA and our tastes have changed.


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## jujube (Sep 23, 2019)

That was my main purpose for retiring, to get to travel and not in little one-week segments either.  

But I can why people wouldn't enjoy it.  It is difficult at times.


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 23, 2019)

Now that I'm not working my life is a vacation and I don't have any real desire to get-away.


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## Marie5656 (Sep 23, 2019)

*I am the same way.  I have no more interest in travel. Not that I was a big traveler in the past.  With all the issues with airline travel these days, defective planes, all the security, it hardly seems worth it. Plus I have never LIKED flying.  Though I will admit that a train trip somewhere seems nice.  
Like @Aunt Bea I am more a stay at home person.  I will do a day trip now and then, but I like coming home to my own house at night.*


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## 911 (Sep 24, 2019)

We have done a lot of traveling since retiring. We were out of the country twice, but a lot of trips inside the 48, plus Hawaii. I would like to go to Alaska. I really enjoyed San Francisco and San Diego.


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## JustBonee (Sep 24, 2019)

Lc jones said:


> I retired two years ago and we relocated from Nevada to Florida. Is it strange that I don’t feel like traveling at all? I would think as a new retiree that I would be ready to travel around and see the world but I have no desire to. My daughter and I are going to France next year and even that is not exciting me. I did travel around a lot with my family when I was young we would move every few years with my father’s job and then I married a man who was in the service and we moved around for 10 years. Could it be that I am just traveled out? How about some insight?



I totally understand this. ..   I have no desire anymore to pack up and go anywhere.  ...   I'm on my own for one thing,   and I just really enjoy listening to others travel adventures now.  That's enough for me. 
All my married life  my husband loved nothing more than traveling.   We hit all the states, Canada, Mexico, Central America  and Islands in the Pacific.   It was fun back then.   
I feel traveled out  and just have no desire to do any of that again.


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## Liberty (Sep 24, 2019)

Bonnie said:


> I totally understand this. ..   I have no desire anymore to pack up and go anywhere.  ...   I'm on my own for one thing,   and I just really enjoy listening to others travel adventures now.  That's enough for me.
> All my married life  my husband loved nothing more than traveling.   We hit all the states, Canada, Mexico, Central America  and Islands in the Pacific.   It was fun back then.
> I feel traveled out  and just have no desire to do any of that again.


Yep, traveled out is a good term. We traveled so much with our business for years, both in and out of the country .  To me the term is "Value Received" about everything we spend our time and/or money on now...its gotta meet that criteria for us, and travel ain't got what it takes - one hotel room looks pretty much like another one, and  lets face it, you get a whole lot more frustration thrown in these days. Lotta "been there, done thats", so why bother.


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## Roadwarrior (Sep 24, 2019)

I neither fly or travel by train.  My favorite mode is a private auto.  I have been in every state save one (N Dakota) somehow missed that.  The most fun trip we (my wife & I) took was a trip back east.  I let my wife man the Atlas, I told her to avoid the Interstates as much as possible.  We were gone 4 weeks, I think we went through 26 states.  We discovered many out of the way places, Boonesboro KY  (Dan’l Boone’s Fort), Jim Thorpe's home in OK, the Will Rogers Museum OK, got invited to dine free with a church group (Bar-b-que & fixin's) near Eli Whitney's home in PA.  Discovered the indoor flea market (had tiny fresh fried donuts & a Pennsylvania Dutch lunch) along Route 13 in Del.  Stopped at the 'Good-n-Plenty' in Lancaster Co. PA.  Had an Amish meal in N Ohio.  Flea markets galore.  A large Cave in VA, which I didn't care for, claustrophobic.  Stopped at a little wine cellar in MO, reminded me of the Idaho potato cellars, bought 2 bottles of wine both with floaters in them.  

I'm reading a book called Blue Highways the author took the trip after a complete breakdown of his marriage & job.  The blue highways refer to the color of the older roads not the interstates.  He visited some of the places I've been to.  Visited Gatlinburg TN before the big tourist traps found it.  Bought a carving of an old man & his wife by an artist that was over 80.  Since passed on could be worth millions or not.  Travel along as much of Route 66 as I best could.  Visited Hannibal MO (OMG for the humidity!).  Huck & Tom's hometown.  Made it to Graceland in Memphis TN.  Who was his decorator?  Discovered the beauty that is western Arkansas.   Toured the outer banks in NC.  All in all I still like to take the 2 lane roads to where they lead.  Ate at one of the original Cracker Barrels in TN when there were only 8. 

Some of my trips were before I retired but even now still like to leave on a whim & see things.


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## fmdog44 (Sep 24, 2019)

I have traveled a good part of my working life and I loved every minute of it. When I retired I found myself content not to travel. Driving is boring if you drive the interstates.  Trains & planes are out. I think part of it is knowing I can pack a bag and go whenever I feel like it so it's no big thrill.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Sep 24, 2019)

I have no desire to travel either. I enjoyed vacations with my parents when I was young. Mostly going through the New England states. I did enjoy two trips across country to see my daughter when she lived on the west coast. The hubby and I differ in what we call a vacation. If I do travel I like to meander with no destination in mind. He, on the other hand needs a destination and time schedule. Breakfast is early in the morning, I like to sleep until the maid knocks on the door. He likes hot weather, I like cold. I'm staying home.


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## squatting dog (Sep 24, 2019)

We have traveled out of country a bit when we were younger, but, as others have said, with the hassles of airports etc,  we only travel now in one of our two portable house's, AKA Todd and Margo  (motor homes). One is decked out for long term boondocking, the other for shorter trips. Neither of us have any great desire to venture outside the US anymore. There are still plenty of places and things to see and do in our great country.


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## Lc jones (Sep 24, 2019)

Wow so I’m in good company I thought something was wrong with me LOL thanks everybody good to know I’m not alone


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## JustBonee (Sep 24, 2019)

Liberty said:


> Yep, traveled out is a good term. We traveled so much with our business for years, both in and out of the country .  To me the term is "Value Received" about everything we spend our time and/or money on now...its gotta meet that criteria for us, and travel ain't got what it takes - one hotel room looks pretty much like another one, and  lets face it, you get a whole lot more frustration thrown in these days. Lotta "been there, done thats", so why bother.



Yep ...  'been there, done  that' ... my motto..


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## AnnieA (Sep 24, 2019)

Traveling is exhausting which is why I've never traveled abroad.  With autoimmune issues, my full-time working was "live to work."  I could hold down a job, but had nothing much left in the tank for other things. When I did travel  while working full-time, I made sure to take off several days after returning home to rest up before going back to work. Now that I'm working part-time, I do want to travel. I've been coast to coast (both north and south ends of each) in the US and a good bit in between, and there's so much more here that I want to see.  I'm researching small Class C or Class B RVs for that so I can take it easy and rest when I need to.  I do, however, want to visit the UK once because of genealogy.  Am hoping to do that in 2020 or 2021.   Some of the other places abroad I once wanted to visit no longer interest me.


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## Camper6 (Sep 24, 2019)

I haven't travelled for awhile now and I miss it. Something keeps telling me if you want to relax take a trip. I enjoy trips for the food. Always an experience. I would love to see an NFL game live.


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## Lakeland living (Sep 24, 2019)

No urge to travel now  at all...my itch got worn right out.Years travelling doing my job did that. Now I do like day trips here and there.
  Best time for me to do it was when I was young enough to make the most of it.


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## 911 (Sep 25, 2019)

I have always thought of travel as something that is not for everyone. My one sister has Agoraphobia and she won't even leave her house to come and visit me, which is only about 15 minutes away. About the only time she leaves her house is to go to the doctor's office. She has had numerous panic attacks and emergency room visits. This is a terrible mental illness to have to suffer with.

I have invited her to go along on numerous trips that my wife and I have taken, but she won't budge. She does have medication available to take, so that she can go away, but she won't take it because she says it makes her feel funny. I think she means that it makes her feel strange, scary or weird. 

If I want to see her, I have to do the visiting. She has her groceries home delivered now, thankfully, because I was the bag boy before that.


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## IrisSenior (Sep 25, 2019)

I do want to travel a bit although I get stressed with all the planning. My hubby likes to travel and he is expecting to when he retires later this year. We are going to Nevada in Nov. but that is for his birthday and our anniversay. Part of the problem is the places he wants to go to aren't the ones I want to go to and yes, we do try to pick different places that each other would like but it isn't any fun.


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## TravelinMan (Sep 25, 2019)

Traveling is not for the faint of heart.  As others have said, it has become more and more difficult because of the masses of tourists, so I can understand how you might feel "Traveled Out".  I have been fortunate enough to have traveled extensively, all for vacations and pleasure.  At last count, I have been to 55 foreign countries and every continent except Antarctica, so I don't really have any plans to go overseas any time soon.  But I was fortunate enough, when I was still working, to spend 2 years with a company that sent me to just about every state in the USA, so there are still plenty of places here I would like to go back to as a visitor.  

I see that you live in Florida so have you any desire to escape the hot/humid summers, at least for a little while?


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## Gary O' (Sep 25, 2019)

Being in other countries on work related ventures is OKish for a few days. Months? Not so much.
Trying to learn another language while in country is somewhat tedious.
Thought my Mandarin and Cantonese was gettin' pretty good
One night in Y2K I found myself attending some sorta variety show at the top of a five star hotel in in the Guangzhou area.
Very loud
Weak drinks
In the middle of the MCs dialogue, the spotlight was turned on me
I was prodded to stand up
I was sure I just said 'thank you, thank you very much'
waved and sat down
The crowd roared
Later, my broker told me I'd said something more in the realm of 'I've gotta pee, I've gotta pee very much' 

Anymore, I don't care to go anywhere I can't get home before dark.


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## TravelinMan (Sep 25, 2019)

That reminds me of what John Kennedy said when Berlin was cut off by the Soviets.  According to some reports, JFK should have said "*Ich bin Berliner*" ("I am a citizen of Berlin"), because "*Ich bin ein Berliner*" means "I am a jelly doughnut." A *Berliner* is, in fact, a type of jelly doughnut made in Berlin.


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## Lc jones (Sep 25, 2019)

TravelinMan said:


> Traveling is not for the faint of heart.  As others have said, it has become more and more difficult because of the masses of tourists, so I can understand how you might feel "Traveled Out".  I have been fortunate enough to have traveled extensively, all for vacations and pleasure.  At last count, I have been to 55 foreign countries and every continent except Antarctica, so I don't really have any plans to go overseas any time soon.  But I was fortunate enough, when I was still working, to spend 2 years with a company that sent me to just about every state in the USA, so there are still plenty of places here I would like to go back to as a visitor.
> 
> I see that you live in Florida so have you any desire to escape the hot/humid summers, at least for a little while?


No we just relocated here from Nevada which is the high desert country very dry and cool so the humidity is wonderful it’s especially wonderful for me for breathing purposes and also we are now at sea level and I can breathe much more easily, it was very difficult in Nevada as I had high altitude sickness quite a bit


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## Lc jones (Sep 25, 2019)

AnnieA said:


> Traveling is exhausting which is why I've never traveled abroad.  With autoimmune issues, my full-time working life has been "live to work."  I could hold down a job, but had nothing much left in the tank for other things. When I did travel  while working full-time, I made sure to take off several days after returning home to rest up before going back to work. Now that I'm working part-time, I do want to travel. I've been coast to coast (both north and south ends) in the US and a good bit in between, and there's so much more here that I want to see.  I'm researching small Class C or a Class B RVs for that so I can take it easy and rest when I need to.  I do, however, want to visit the UK once because of genealogy.  Am hoping to do that in 2020 or 2021.   Some of the other places abroad I once wanted to visit no longer interest me.


Yes I also have some medical issues and you just never know what’s gonna happen when you’re traveling I like that my doctors and the hospital arenearby that gives me a sense of peace.


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## Lc jones (Sep 25, 2019)

TravelinMan said:


> That reminds me of what John Kennedy said when Berlin was cut off by the Soviets.  According to some reports, JFK should have said "*Ich bin Berliner*" ("I am a citizen of Berlin"), because "*Ich bin ein Berliner*" means "I am a jelly doughnut." A *Berliner* is, in fact, a type of jelly doughnut made in Berlin.


Yum and that’s funny too


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## Lc jones (Sep 25, 2019)

I feel the same way


Aunt Bea said:


> Now that I'm not working my life is a vacation and I don't have any real desire to get-away.


 I feel the same way I have a built-in pool in the backyard a lovely home grocery store down the street any book I want life is good why would I want to go somewhere else stand in long lines have snarling people looking at me be on an airplane for hours like a sardine there’s no logic to it I’ve traveled all over the place so there’s a reason why people are anxious to come back home. Like Dorothy said “there’s no place like home there’s no place like home.”


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## Leann (Sep 25, 2019)

I still have a little bit of the travel bug within me. There are more than a few places I'd like to see but the reality is that I'll just need to select the top 2 or 3 and be content with that. And I am. The first trip is later this year, another is next year and possibly one more trip in two or three years. That last one is a big 'maybe'.


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## oldman (Sep 25, 2019)

Being a pilot for 33+ years and flying millions of miles, I would now like to stay home and maybe just do day trips.


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## Patio Life (Sep 25, 2019)

I really enjoy travel. Hate planes, but good drugs take care of that pesky issue. What is enjoyable is going someplace very different and staying in one spot for a couple of weeks in a hostel or apartment. Find the grocery store, learn where the cafes are and wander around a lot. We do see the tourist sights, but spend time just learning a place. We can't afford to do that type of travel often. 

What I want to do now is have a small camper and see some of the places in the US. I've not seen much of the south east. Hubby has not seen Yellowstone. We both enjoy camping.


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## treeguy64 (Sep 26, 2019)

I like hitting the open road with our RV. I did enough world traveling as a young guy, although I missed a few countries on my list. For me, flying is a hard pass, now, due to what it has become, so I'm content to stay in this very interesting country of mine.


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## treeguy64 (Sep 26, 2019)

squatting dog said:


> We have traveled out of country a bit when we were younger, but, as others have said, with the hassles of airports etc,  we only travel now in one of our two portable house's, AKA Todd and Margo  (motor homes). One is decked out for long term boondocking, the other for shorter trips. Neither of us have any great desire to venture outside the US anymore. There are still plenty of places and things to see and do in our great country.
> 
> View attachment 77079


Ha! I recognize those RV's, that exact pic, from an RV forum. I was the guy who wrote you, years ago,  asking why anyone needed two, large Class A's.


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## squatting dog (Sep 26, 2019)

treeguy64 said:


> Ha! I recognize those RV's, that exact pic, from an RV forum. I was the guy who wrote you, years ago,  asking why anyone needed two, large Class A's.



I had a third rv for a while, (a lot newer) but, gave it up as it was nothing but problematic. A poorly built glitzy pile of dung.


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## squatting dog (Sep 26, 2019)

The glitzy lemon.   Lost a little money unloading it, but life's too short for the aggravation.


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## treeguy64 (Sep 26, 2019)

squatting dog said:


> The glitzy lemon.   Lost a little money unloading it, but life's too short for the aggravation.
> 
> View attachment 77166


Wow, a stunner! Sorry to hear it was poorly built. It seems the whole RV industry sells the sizzle, not the steak.  They load their products up with flashy accessories but, when you get to the essentials, like the frame, the skin, the electrical wiring and plumbing, etc., they are all very similar, and not the greatest quality. I'm on my fifth RV, now, a new, 30' Keystone Springdale. It's cool, but much like the rest, when you get down to the basics.

FWIW, on that forum I wrote you from, I was the guy who built the great RV shelter using 2" PVC pipes and a tarp, only to find out, the very hard way, that PVC gets as brittle as thin glass once the temperature hits the low 40's. I saw my work go to ruins, in high winds, at 42°F. Wrestling with that flying tarp and broken, sharp, PVC pipe, on top of my RV, in a driving storm, is one experience I can forever live without repeating!


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## squatting dog (Sep 26, 2019)

treeguy64 said:


> FWIW, on that forum I wrote you from, I was the guy who built the great RV shelter using 2" PVC pipes and a tarp, only to find out, the very hard way, that PVC gets as brittle as thin glass once the temperature hits the low 40's. I saw my work go to ruins, in high winds, at 42°F. Wrestling with that flying tarp and broken, sharp, PVC pipe, on top of my RV, in a driving storm, is one experience I can forever live without repeating!



Sometimes it truly sucks to learn something the hard way ehhh? That Foretravel  (aka the brown turd) was nothing but an expensive lesson. Water leaks, electrical problems, loose screws, and worse of all, computer issues with that 600hp engine.    I definitely got one that must have been built on a Monday by hungover workers. I used to think my Independence was a technical nightmare... Ha... not even close. It's funny, I originally bought the second Independence really cheap figuring I could use it as parts, but, it was so good that I ended up using it for shorter trips. (week or two). Go figure. My babies


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## gennie (Sep 26, 2019)

I did some combo work/pleasure overseas travel in the 1970s.  Was retired and did a lot of travel here and abroad in the 80s and 90s.  Little less the next 10 years and even less since.  I'm very content to stay in my little home in the Florida boonies now.  I too 'traveled out.'

I'm especially glad I traveled in Europe when it was safer and plane travel was not so tedious.  Never cared for planes but loved trains, especially in Europe.


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## StarSong (Sep 26, 2019)

We  like to travel and also like to be home. We travel via plane a couple of times a year - mostly to NY for family events.  Our more frequent travel is in our 5th wheel RV.  (2005, 32' Cardinal that we pull with a 2004 Silverado 2500HD)  Bought both gently used vehicles four years ago and are delighted with them.  Three slides provide plenty of space (more than my first "bachelor" apartment) and we have a very comfortable king size bed.

If we could figure out how to get into back in sites in less than 30 minutes, we'd be golden. Our attempts can be quite entertaining to others. Usually somebody eventually takes pity on us and helps guide us in. (We could undoubtedly use some lessons from a professional truck driver, but the only folks I know who fit that category live 3000 miles away.)

RVing offers a terrific way to have a home away from home. Pack and unpack one time. The dog comes along. We go out to eat only when we choose to do so. A clean bathroom is always close by. Win, win, win, win.


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## oldman (Sep 26, 2019)

I think that it's somewhat surprising that so many people say they don't like flying and won't fly, yet ridership is at an all time high and according to Conde Nast Traveler, ridership is expected to double in the next twenty years. Only about 15% of air passengers are doing so for business, but they pay the highest for fares because so many of their trips are in either an upgraded class or outside the 21-day window to receive the discounted fare structure.

So, my point is that there are people out there that do fly and do so a lot. For those of us retired, we are in no hurry, for everyone else, flying is generally their first choice for travel, which means that air travel is not going away anytime soon.


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## Roadwarrior (Sep 26, 2019)

I don't fly, fear could be the reason.  I don't like the control the airlines have over me when I need to fly.  I'm at their mercy or whim.  Get there an hour before your flight, if you get boarded by the assigned time you are lucky.  Then if there are any problems then you could sit on the tarmac for hours on end.  Luggage could be mis-directed or lost.  Try to find a parking spot, then pay to leave your auto.  Stand in line, hopefully you won't be embarrassed at the metal detectors.   Why should I squeeze myself into a confined space, including a cramped seat for hours & take my chances that something could go wrong that I would have no control over.  

Have you seen how many more travelers there are on the roads, on buses or trains these days.  We are over populating our world as we speak.  I would be surprised if ridership had gone down on any venue.  I avoid the interstates, malls, restaurants, big and even some small cities because of the horrendous traffic.  Insurance is rising every month, one reason is because of the many more drivers on the road.  

I've had 3 near misses back in the days of my air travel, no thank you.  You don't need to quote me any stats, I know how they can slant them to make it appear things are rosy in their house.


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## jujube (Sep 26, 2019)

I have a possible Taiwan trip in the works.  I am NOT looking forward to the flight......

I'd hold out for teleportation, but I don't think I have that much time left.


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## jerry old (Sep 26, 2019)

Roadwarrior:
Have read you  travel adventures with interest,  
Once retired had intentions of driving through Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Dakotas-love mountains.  I also have strong interest in 
being a rock hound.  Not to be-spouse develop cancer, lingered five years.  
Tell us about Idaho, seems remote,  desolate...


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## oldman (Sep 26, 2019)

jujube said:


> I have a possible Taiwan trip in the works.  I am NOT looking forward to the flight......
> 
> I'd hold out for teleportation, but I don't think I have that much time left.


I have been to Taiwan. Some parts of Taipei are OK, but most of the other parts of the country was disappointing. Good luck with the food.


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## Pecos (Sep 26, 2019)

jujube said:


> I have a possible Taiwan trip in the works.  I am NOT looking forward to the flight......
> 
> I'd hold out for teleportation, but I don't think I have that much time left.


Taiwan is one of the few places that I would go back to for a visit. Especially if they can work in the teleportation instead of shipping me in a cramped, aluminum tube with a couple of hundred other miserable people.


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## oldman (Sep 26, 2019)

Pecos said:


> Taiwan is one of the few places that I would go back to for a visit. Especially if they can work in the teleportation instead of shipping me in a cramped, aluminum tube with a couple of hundred other miserable people.


Have you visited Snake Alley? Try some Cobra Blood. Interesting taste! How about a nice glass of Deer Penis Wine?”


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## Lc jones (Sep 26, 2019)

Roadwarrior said:


> I don't fly, fear could be the reason.  I don't like the control the airlines have over me when I need to fly.  I'm at their mercy or whim.  Get there an hour before your flight, if you get boarded by the assigned time you are lucky.  Then if there are any problems then you could sit on the tarmac for hours on end.  Luggage could be mis-directed or lost.  Try to find a parking spot, then pay to leave your auto.  Stand in line, hopefully you won't be embarrassed at the metal detectors.   Why should I squeeze myself into a confined space, including a cramped seat for hours & take my chances that something could go wrong that I would have no control over.
> 
> Have you seen how many more travelers there are on the roads, on buses or trains these days.  We are over populating our world as we speak.  I would be surprised if ridership had gone down on any venue.  I avoid the interstates, malls, restaurants, big and even some small cities because of the horrendous traffic.  Insurance is rising every month, one reason is because of the many more drivers on the road.
> 
> I've had 3 near misses back in the days of my air travel, no thank you.  You don't need to quote me any stats, I know how they can slant them to make it appear things are rosy in their house.


I agree, travel It’s not what it used to be it was a pleasure to travel when I was younger always great customer service they treated you with respect today they treat you like a criminal when you’re paying the money to them, it’s disgusting and ironic no thanks


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## Roadwarrior (Sep 26, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> Roadwarrior:
> Have read you  travel adventures with interest,
> Once retired had intentions of driving through Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Dakotas-love mountains.  I also have strong interest in
> being a rock hound.  Not to be-spouse develop cancer, lingered five years.
> Tell us about Idaho, seems remote,  desolate...


I still have an 8 acre gated plot located in SE ID near Bear Lake & Onieda Reservoir.  It's covered in Quakies & Pines overlooks the Onieda Narrows & reservoir.  It sits on a saddle between two higher summits.  I've been offered much more than I paid back 20 years ago.  It has both southern & northern exposure.  Great for cell phone service as well as solar.  My wife wants to sell it & divide the money between the kids, I stand firm.  They're not making anymore ground & I could still park a trailer on it.  Taxes run less than $100 per annum, HOA fees have moved up to $350 per.  My son is moving his trailer & a couple sheds on it but we still have enough room for my other children & g-children.  Homesteading when the Zombie Apocalypse starts.

As for Idaho, both east & west sides are populated east side is the main route to Yellowstone Park.  Beautiful trip along I-15 into Montana.  The west side has Boise it's also populated from there to the panhandle.  The middle has Salmon, Sun Valley & Ketchum (Hemingway's home).  I would say the only desert area would be the SW.  The rest is breath taking.  My ancestors come from the east side, my grandfather had a mine on the Id/Wyo state line.


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## jerry old (Sep 26, 2019)

Roadwarrior:
Good for you, and thanks


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## Butterfly (Sep 26, 2019)

I traveled pretty much all over when I was a military wife and have little to no desire to do it any more.


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## Pecos (Sep 26, 2019)

oldman said:


> Have you visited Snake Alley? Try some Cobra Blood. Interesting taste! How about a nice glass of Deer Penis Wine?”



I have been to snake alley, but didn't try any of the exotic stuff. I didn't chew any beetle nuts either.


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## jerry old (Sep 26, 2019)

Snake Alley? Where they have individual play with toxic snakes--What is it?


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## jujube (Sep 26, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> Roadwarrior:
> Have read you  travel adventures with interest,
> Once retired had intentions of driving through Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Dakotas-love mountains.*  I also have strong interest in
> being a rock hound.  *Not to be-spouse develop cancer, lingered five years.
> Tell us about Idaho, seems remote,  desolate...



I'm a rock hound.  I thought I was in heaven in South Dakota.  The first time we went to the Black Hills, I climbed over the gate at the back of the  RV park into the state forest and discovered all the quartz just laying around, I about died of joy.  

You can legally remove two gallon buckets of quartz per day.  Of course, I didn't have a bucket with me....or a back pack....or even a bag.  I did, however, have pockets, which I filled to capacity.  Which was fine, until I got back to the park and was half-way over the tall gate when the weight of the quartz made my jeans fall down to my knees.  In front of several people, of course.  Well, it was let 'em fall or let me fall...…  I chose showing my butt rather than broken bones.  I don't know which was pinker....the quartz or my cheeks.


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## Pecos (Sep 27, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> Snake Alley? Where they have individual play with toxic snakes--What is it?


Snake Alley is an actual alley with many opportunities to eat various snakes or parts of snakes, including their dried "you know what." It is kind of hard to imagine the guy who first decided that this was a good idea.


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## jerry old (Sep 27, 2019)

Pecos:
Ug! Thanks, but still Ug...reminds me of those that dine on Puffer Fish, knowing the possible consequences
Lot of rattlesnake served in my part of the world; its more for the brag than the taste.  (Taste like chicken


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## 911 (Sep 27, 2019)

I once ate rattlesnake chili. With all of the other ingredients included in the soup, I couldn’t taste the meat. I did notice the texture was different. Kind of course and a little chewy, not much, but tougher than a piece of cheap roast, like Chuck Roast.


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## Pecos (Sep 27, 2019)

911 said:


> I once ate rattlesnake chili. With all of the other ingredients included in the soup, I couldn’t taste the meat. I did notice the texture was different. Kind of course and a little chewy, not much, but tougher than a piece of cheap roast, like Chuck Roast.


That doesn't sound too bad as long as they didn't include the heads.


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## oldman (Oct 5, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> Snake Alley? Where they have individual play with toxic snakes--What is it?


Snake Alley is a few blocks long with vendor stands selling what the Taiwanese people refer to as delicacies. Some of the food items that I saw were turtle and snake meat, drinks of different breeds of snakes' blood and deer penis wine. Most of the customers that I saw were foreigners. I don’t know if it’s still in operation or not. I did taste the cobra blood, but nothing else. I only did it to be sociable with my hosts. One very small sip was enough for me.


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## DaveA (Oct 9, 2019)

Travel very little nowadays.  We spend a few weeks each spring and fall at our daughter's cottage in western Maine.  It's been a home away fro home, for the past 20 years. She and her family use it during the summer and it's usually snowed in during the winter. Have to park and snowshoe in. Here's a look up from the beach.



http://imgur.com/az2hfgi


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## GeorgiaXplant (Oct 10, 2019)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who would rather stay home and sleep in my own bed. I must have been born minus the travel gene because I haven't ever liked it. During my working years, travel was on the agenda way too often. I learned to take my own pillow along in order to get a decent night's sleep. Occasionally I'd have to share a room with a colleague, which was usually okay, but on one trip I got really unlucky and had to bunk with a woman who snored like a freight train. Wrapping the pillow around my head didn't begin to drown out the racket. It was so bad that I got another room at my own expense.

I worked in Germany for a while and that was bearable because I was actually living there. I did get lucky enough to go on two three-week vacations in Europe. That was fine because I was in each of the places visited for at least few days at a time, long enough to unpack, wander around the neighborhoods, do some sightseeing, chat with the locals. The only country I didn't get to that I'd have liked to visit is Luxembourg because it's a country with a 100% literacy rate and 100% of its citizens vote.

Now? Blech. Living out of a suitcase appeals to me less than it ever did. A one-week trip is tentatively planned to my hometown next summer, and while I want to see family, the prospect of traveling to get there is...I dunno...daunting.


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## Liberty (Oct 11, 2019)

GeorgiaXplant said:


> I'm glad I'm not the only one who would rather stay home and sleep in my own bed. I must have been born minus the travel gene because I haven't ever liked it. During my working years, travel was on the agenda way too often. I learned to take my own pillow along in order to get a decent night's sleep. Occasionally I'd have to share a room with a colleague, which was usually okay, but on one trip I got really unlucky and had to bunk with a woman who snored like a freight train. Wrapping the pillow around my head didn't begin to drown out the racket. It was so bad that I got another room at my own expense.
> 
> I worked in Germany for a while and that was bearable because I was actually living there. I did get lucky enough to go on two three-week vacations in Europe. That was fine because I was in each of the places visited for at least few days at a time, long enough to unpack, wander around the neighborhoods, do some sightseeing, chat with the locals. The only country I didn't get to that I'd have liked to visit is Luxembourg because it's a country with a 100% literacy rate and 100% of its citizens vote.
> 
> Now? Blech. Living out of a suitcase appeals to me less than it ever did. A one-week trip is tentatively planned to my hometown next summer, and while I want to see family, the prospect of traveling to get there is...I dunno...daunting.


Gosh, Georgia, you sound so much like me its eery!  I've often thought if we had that "beam me up Scotty" thing on Star Trek it would make traveling so much easier.  Do not care about it except for short trips.  Do wish I was a better traveler though, don't you?


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## GeorgiaXplant (Oct 11, 2019)

Liberty...nope! Don't even give a rat's rear anymore


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## Liberty (Oct 11, 2019)

GeorgiaXplant said:


> Liberty...nope! Don't even give a rat's rear anymore


The main reason I'd like to travel better is driving to see the kids...its a long way away and when we get there they tend to treat us like "old rock stars"...lol.  They come down a lot, but if I traveled better, it would be easier and more "fun" to go up there more often.  Of course, now winter is coming up there in Ohio and we don't "do cold".  Ha ha.  It does have its "perks", after all, too.


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## Happyflowerlady (Oct 11, 2019)

I would still like to travel if I could. Since I grew up in northern Idaho and lived in both Idaho and Washington most of my life, I really miss being out there. 
Both of my sons still live out west, and my daughter lives here in Alabama (which is why I ended up out here), and we usually go out to Spokane about once a year, so we can visit the rest of the family who still live out there. 
If I could do it, I would take another cross-country train trip, just to see more of America, and I really love traveling by train.


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## Liberty (Oct 11, 2019)

Happyflowerlady said:


> I would still like to travel if I could. Since I grew up in northern Idaho and lived in both Idaho and Washington most of my life, I really miss being out there.
> Both of my sons still live out west, and my daughter lives here in Alabama (which is why I ended up out here), and we usually go out to Spokane about once a year, so we can visit the rest of the family who still live out there.
> If I could do it, I would take another cross-country train trip, just to see more of America, and I really love traveling by train.


If I might ask ...what did you enjoy about traveling by train?  Assume you meant more than by car or flying, right?  Thanks for letting me know.  We've not traveled much by train.


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## Pecos (Oct 11, 2019)

Happyflowerlady said:


> I would still like to travel if I could. Since I grew up in northern Idaho and lived in both Idaho and Washington most of my life, I really miss being out there.
> Both of my sons still live out west, and my daughter lives here in Alabama (which is why I ended up out here), and we usually go out to Spokane about once a year, so we can visit the rest of the family who still live out there.
> If I could do it, I would take another cross-country train trip, just to see more of America, and I really love traveling by train.


I agree, I slept like a baby on a train on the two occasions when I crossed the country that way.


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## Lc jones (Oct 11, 2019)

Liberty said:


> Gosh, Georgia, you sound so much like me its eery!  I've often thought if we had that "beam me up Scotty" thing on Star Trek it would make traveling so much easier.  Do not care about it except for short trips.  Do wish I was a better traveler though, don't you?
> [/QUOTE
> 
> Georgia and Liberty you both must be my kindred spirits LOL!


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## Seeker (Oct 11, 2019)

I have no desire to travel anymore.

I have a hard time traveling the 30 miles to Wal Mart and the 120 to my mothers...I'm good.


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## hollydolly (Oct 11, 2019)

I adore travelling by train...there's more room than on a plane, and no stress about driving and heavy traffic problems... you get to see all the countryside, and sit and relax with a book or a computer..

Sadly it would cost too much to travel by train from here to Spain where my daughter lives so we fly , but we have travelled to France, and to Scotland by train,  and we live on the edge of London, so we regularly travel into the city by train..and I love it!!  

..I love travelling..it's just the airports I hate!!

ETA...we also spend a lot of time travelling by train when we're overseas....


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## Happyflowerlady (Oct 12, 2019)

Liberty said:


> If I might ask ...what did you enjoy about traveling by train?  Assume you meant more than by car or flying, right?  Thanks for letting me know.  We've not traveled much by train.



I enjoy traveling pretty much however I do it, and there are benefits and drawbacks to just about any way that you want to travel.  There are several reasons that I like the train, and @hollydolly has pretty much mentioned all of them, too.
The longest train trip that I have ever taken was from northern Idaho out to Virginia to visit my daughter when she was stationed near Norfolk, VA. 
The train does not follow where a highway goes, so sometimes we were deep in the mountain passes, or going through the plains, and no houses or cars anywhere around.  
The train has an observation car (used to be called a VistaDome), where you sit in kind of a glass bubble on top of the main deck of the train, and you can see everything from up there, in all directions. 
I loved being able to watch the front and the back of the train, and when we were going to go through a tunnel, you could just see the whole train disappearing into the tunnel, car by car.

With a train, you can easily get up and walk around,so it is not like being confined to a seat like you are with most travel modes. I enjoyed walking up to the dining car in the mornings and having a fresh cup of hot coffee served in nice cups and silverware that is actual silver plate and not stainless steel. 
There was also a snack bar where you could get sandwiches and pop or other snack food, and I carried protein bars along with me in my travel bag, so that helped to save on food costs. 

For one part of the trip, I had a sleeping roomette, and that was pretty nice, too. 
Not a lot of room, but an actual little bed, and private. 
In the dining car, I visited with other travelers, and learned that train travel is something that seniors are doin a lot of. One couple said they do their vacation each year by train, and had sold their motor home. 
They stopped wherever they wanted to visit, and either rented a car or used Uber to get around while they were visiting a city. They didn’t have to drive, try to find a nice motel or RV campground at night, and could both just relax and enjoy the  scenery. 

Amtrak has specials where you can buy a ticket for a certain amount of time (say 2 weeks or a month), and then get on and off the train anywhere along the route that you have chosen,sightsee, and then get back on another train when you re ready to leave and go somewhere else. 
I would totally LOVE to have a month to spend, just riding around America and seeing places where I have never been.


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## Liberty (Oct 12, 2019)

Happyflowerlady said:


> I enjoy traveling pretty much however I do it, and there are benefits and drawbacks to just about any way that you want to travel.  There are several reasons that I like the train, and @hollydolly has pretty much mentioned all of them, too.
> The longest train trip that I have ever taken was from northern Idaho out to Virginia to visit my daughter when she was stationed near Norfolk, VA.
> The train does not follow where a highway goes, so sometimes we were deep in the mountain passes, or going through the plains, and no houses or cars anywhere around.
> The train has an observation car (used to be called a VistaDome), where you sit in kind of a glass bubble on top of the main deck of the train, and you can see everything from up there, in all directions.
> ...


My husband says the train stations are in really bad areas of towns, and that's why he doesn't want to travel by train.  He also doesn't think they are very safe...lots of accidents.  Sigh.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Oct 12, 2019)

Seeker said:


> I have no desire to travel anymore.
> 
> I have a hard time traveling the 30 miles to Wal Mart and the 120 to my mothers...I'm good.


If I had to travel 30 miles to Walmart, I wouldn't go to Walmart!


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## Happyflowerlady (Oct 12, 2019)

Liberty said:


> My husband says the train stations are in really bad areas of towns, and that's why he doesn't want to travel by train.  He also doesn't think they are very safe...lots of accidents.  Sigh.


I can see where that might be possible. Most train stations are older buildings and would often be in the heart of town at this point. However, I don’t thing that they would be necessarily dangerous, unless you were in some city with a lot of crime, like maybe Chicago. You would normally not even be getting off of the train, so would be perfectly safe going through just about anywhere, and if the places where you do stop to visit are smaller towns, then the train depot should be safe there, too.
I didn’t have any problems with that on my trip. I did go through Chicago , and had to change trains there, but only had to go from one train to the next one, and not inside of the train depot at all.
Just don’t go to visit any city with a lot of crime, and you should be just fine with train travel.

As far as train accidents, those don’t happen often, and when they do, it seems to be with an oil tanker, not a passenger train.


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## hollydolly (Oct 12, 2019)

Liberty said:


> My husband says the train stations are in really bad areas of towns, and that's why he doesn't want to travel by train.  He also doesn't think they are very safe...lots of accidents.  Sigh.


 Oh wow, that's not the case here or in most of Europe!!


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## Liberty (Oct 12, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> Oh wow, that's not the case here or in most of Europe!!


Yes, the issue is the railways are old here and freeways were built so cars became the norm.
We could get on the westbound Amtrac in Houston (H-town), going to LA , but its in a crappy neighborhood - like the bus station.  Lots of nice, small towns to stop at, like Alpine & Marfra  - in west Texas, but its getting to and from the station that my husband is talking about. 

 We've stayed in vintage railroad cars - representing the old movie stars - in Indianapolis - at Victoria Station -as "hotel rooms"  but these rehab'd train station areas are few and far between from what we've seen, and we have traveled extensively.  

When living up north we took the "rapid transits" in Cleveland, and rode the trains in NYC.  That wasn't the most pleasant experience - they were necessities,  not like the cross country trains.


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## Getyoung (Oct 14, 2019)

I still love / like to travel. I really like road trips and love to drive and stopping along the way, though last earlier this year I was driving down to Arizona and the interstates in Montana and Idaho were horrible. One lane open with 2 feet of snow. Saw a few cars flying into the ditch.
I have a daughter in London, so I have been to Europe a few times. I absolutely hate plane travel, it is like licensed torture. All the waiting, security, trying to get on with your carry on bags, the extra ridiculous fees, etc, etc. But if you wanna go, it is the only way to get there.
I really liked the Eurostar train from London to Paris though, smooth, clean, 180 mph. And the French train system is pretty good to get to the Mediterranean coast.

BUT, travelling is a friggin quick way to drain a wallet!
Interstate I-15, not a good drive!


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## Packerjohn (Oct 30, 2019)

I have travelled to about 65 countries since my high school days.  I still love travel but have almost given up now.  I am in my 70s.  I get so tired of all the hassles at airports.  I get tired of watching everyone staring at their cell phones all the time & watching bad movies in airplanes.  I remember the days when people actually talked to you as you travelled.  I remember when they served you a meal when you flew instead of silly little bags of peanuts.  There are just too many young couples travelling with 2 or 3 month old babies.  Then there is the noise factor of many places such as Mexico.  Barking dogs don't help.  Don't like tourist traps.  Can't imagine going on a cruise ship with 5,000 people.  Tourists are over priced.  As a Canadian I can't afford the medical insurance to go to the USA.  These days I am more interested in road trips.  Might head out to BC next summer & The Yukon.  Tourism has become a big business & you are just a commodity.


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## squatting dog (Oct 30, 2019)

Just got back from a trip to NM. After all these years going back and forth this land, I finally made time to visit the giant cross off I-40 in Texas.  Worth the detour.


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## peppermint (Oct 30, 2019)

We traveled after our kids went to college and got married....We've travled to Hawaii, Canada, Florida (too many times), We also traveled with
our family to mostly the South....Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, and....Many Islands...Granada was our favorite...We stopped going our of the country....Even though there were many that were very beautiful....I'll stay in America!!!!!


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## OneEyedDiva (Nov 9, 2019)

As I was reading your account, it came to me that you're probably just "traveled out".  You seem to have had your share just in the course of normal living.  I was also wondering if since Florida is such a vacation destination, you feel that satisfies the need for vacations.  I never wanted to go to Europe so Paris might not excite me either but I do love to travel to oceanfront locations.


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## Lc jones (Nov 9, 2019)

TravelinMan said:


> Traveling is not for the faint of heart.  As others have said, it has become more and more difficult because of the masses of tourists, so I can understand how you might feel "Traveled Out".  I have been fortunate enough to have traveled extensively, all for vacations and pleasure.  At last count, I have been to 55 foreign countries and every continent except Antarctica, so I don't really have any plans to go overseas any time soon.  But I was fortunate enough, when I was still working, to spend 2 years with a company that sent me to just about every state in the USA, so there are still plenty of places here I would like to go back to as a visitor.
> 
> I see that you live in Florida so have you any desire to escape the hot/humid summers, at least for a little while?


Not really I love it here humidity is fabulous for my respiratory system and also for my skin LOL! We’ll probably go traveling next year to Gatlinburg up to the Smoky mountains that’s a beautiful area.


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## Lc jones (Nov 9, 2019)

squatting dog said:


> The glitzy lemon.   Lost a little money unloading it, but life's too short for the aggravation.
> 
> View attachment 77166


Gorgeous


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## Lc jones (Nov 9, 2019)

DaveA said:


> Travel very little nowadays.  We spend a few weeks each spring and fall at our daughter's cottage in western Maine.  It's been a home away fro home, for the past 20 years. She and her family use it during the summer and it's usually snowed in during the winter. Have to park and snowshoe in. Here's a look up from the beach.
> 
> 
> 
> http://imgur.com/az2hfgi


Cozy and quaint! When I was a child we would ggo up to Boothbay Harbor For vacation, what beautiful scenery!


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## Lc jones (Nov 9, 2019)

OneEyedDiva said:


> As I was reading your account, it came to me that you're probably just "traveled out".  You seem to have had your share just in the course of normal living.  I was also wondering if since Florida is such a vacation destination, you feel that satisfies the need for vacations.  I never wanted to go to Europe so Paris might not excite me either but I do love to travel to oceanfront locations.


I really am a beach person and I’m very satisfied going to the beach weekly and riding our bikes along the beach every other week. Our backyard is full of palm trees and we have a lovely swimming pool with a waterfall what more could I ask for? And it’s also very peaceful here and I don’t have to deal with crowds so thats another plus!


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## Packerjohn (Nov 9, 2019)

Yap!  Travelling is tiring & expensive.  Did some research on The Yukon today.  If I go there I would fly & rent a car but not drive.  It's too far & restaurant meals are mostly bad.  By that I mean that the food is expensive, mostly greasy & unhealthy & most restaurants are very noisy places with bad millennial music or blaring TV with sports.  Travelling has become a billion dollar industry & there is a lot of pressure to make us go but I am going to resist most of it.  Don't like "all inclusive resorts".  Just Goggle them & you'll be surprised how awful some of them are.  Like the song says, "There's no place like home for the holidays; no matter where you roam."


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## Liberty (Nov 9, 2019)

Lc jones said:


> Not really I love it here humidity is fabulous for my respiratory system and also for my skin LOL! We’ll probably go traveling next year to Gatlinburg up to the Smoky mountains that’s a beautiful area.


So agree, Lc...we live in the hot "mean season" summer area of Texas and generally love it. It is so good for your skin.  Your skin is your largest organ of elimination! Got A/C, pool, lots of  "canopied" land so what's not to love.  Would miss the change of seasons though if we lived in Florida. Spent enough time in SW beach area of the state to kind of know that.


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## Lc jones (Nov 9, 2019)

Liberty said:


> So agree, Lc...we live in the hot "mean season" summer area of Texas and generally love it. It is so good for your skin.  Your skin is your largest organ of elimination! Got A/C, pool, lots of  "canopied" land so what's not to love.  Would miss the change of seasons though if we lived in Florida. Spent enough time in SW beach area of the state to kind of know that.


Yes I do miss my change of seasons the foliage as well as winter time and snow at Christmas time but I have traded that all for year-round sunshine lovely skin and the ability to breathe hooray!


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## Liberty (Nov 10, 2019)

Lc jones said:


> Yes I do miss my change of seasons the foliage as well as winter time and snow at Christmas time but I have traded that all for year-round sunshine lovely skin and the ability to breathe hooray!


Nothing like great breathing, huh.  Everyplace you could live has pros and cons. We don't get snow here - thought I would miss it but didn't.  Have a nice seasonal weather change and really good leaf and foliage colors this time of year. 

Able to use the fireplace during January/ Feb., burn some great big brush piles/roast marshmallows. We planted 2 Sugar Maples some years ago and they are turning a vibrant orange even as we speak...we enjoy it a lot!


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## Catlady (Nov 10, 2019)

Lc jones said:


> Not really I love it here humidity is fabulous for my respiratory system and also for my skin LOL! We’ll probably go traveling next year to Gatlinburg up to the Smoky mountains that’s a beautiful area.


Funny, how you and Liberty love the humidity.  Proof that everyone is different.  I hate humidity and it was the #1 reason I left Florida after only one year of living there (North Palm Beach) in 1987-88.  Now I like living in the dry desert climate of Tucson, just wish the temps were lower in the summer here.

I don't know if anyone here knows.  In the early 1900's our Tucson Medical Center hosted lots of people who suffered with tuberculosis, the sunshine and dry air here was supposed to help them.  They used to have beds out in the open with canopies and to prevent scorpions from climbing up to the bed they had the bed legs resting on cups filled with gasoline. 
https://tucson.com/news/science/hea...cle_9b3b6c4f-2a07-57c7-bbbd-60ed524241a8.html


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## Liberty (Nov 11, 2019)

PVC said:


> Funny, how you and Liberty love the humidity.  Proof that everyone is different.  I hate humidity and it was the #1 reason I left Florida after only one year of living there (North Palm Beach) in 1987-88.  Now I like living in the dry desert climate of Tucson, just wish the temps were lower in the summer here.
> 
> I don't know if anyone here knows.  In the early 1900's our Tucson Medical Center hosted lots of people who suffered with tuberculosis, the sunshine and dry air here was supposed to help them.  They used to have beds out in the open with canopies and to prevent scorpions from climbing up to the bed they had the bed legs resting on cups filled with gasoline.
> https://tucson.com/news/science/hea...cle_9b3b6c4f-2a07-57c7-bbbd-60ed524241a8.html


Yes, we're all different aren't we.  Some people simply can't take the heat, others, like us detest the DRY & cold weather.  The dryness gets my skin big time.  Humidity is good for your skin and guess we wouldn't be able to afford our "lotion" payments...lol.


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## Bethea (Sep 27, 2020)

Lc jones said:


> I retired two years ago and we relocated from Nevada to Florida. Is it strange that I don’t feel like traveling at all? I would think as a new retiree that I would be ready to travel around and see the world but I have no desire to. My daughter and I are going to France next year and even that is not exciting me. I did travel around a lot with my family when I was young we would move every few years with my father’s job and then I married a man who was in the service and we moved around for 10 years. Could it be that I am just traveled out? How about some insight?


I'm sure after all that moving around this person would be ready to settle down in one spot. I would probably feel the same way.


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## hellomimi (Sep 27, 2020)

I'm the odd one here since I have traveled since then, now and won't quit as long as I'm able to. I can't go overseas now with travel restrictions in many countries. I never thought Americans will be un-welcome . I'm glad California has plenty of places to explore.


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