# Post-retirement travel



## Bobw235 (May 11, 2016)

Since I left the workforce at the end of February, my wife and I have been pretty much homebodies, except for the necessary travel to FL in March to care for him mother.  But, with the weather this week finally trending towards spectacular, I said to her on Sunday that we should head up to VT for a few days.  Found a great deal at an inn we've frequented over the years and off we were the following day for a few days in Stowe, VT.  In fact the weather here has been so nice, we might stay one more night!.  So, maybe this would seem to be one of the real benefits of retirement, where you just head off on a whim (weather and finances permitting of course) and enjoy life one day at a time.  Stowe is a reasonable drive for us, about 3 hours northwest.  Perfect destination to have a quick getaway.

Anyone else find they do stuff like this now that they're retired?  I'm loving the fact that we can do this and it gets us out of our normal routine at home.


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## Ameriscot (May 11, 2016)

Most definitely!  Being able to be impulsive and also to go on very long trips when we want to go, not when an employer says it's okay.


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## Capt Lightning (May 11, 2016)

Absolutely, we can come and go pretty much as we please.  At this time of the year, we're busy getting the garden in order, but when that's done,  we've got the campervan ready to go.


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## Ameriscot (May 11, 2016)

We spend a month in Michigan every summer to visit with my family and especially my granddaughters.  Before retirement we would go at xmas for about 2 weeks.  Summer is a much better time to go.  

This summer my sister is coming to visit, then we go to the US, then we have inlaws from Australia visiting us, then I go Orkney the end of August with an online friend I've known for about 10 years.


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## Ameriscot (May 11, 2016)

Capt Lightning said:


> Absolutely, we can come and go pretty much as we please.  At this time of the year, we're busy getting the garden in order, but when that's done,  we've got the campervan ready to go.



Do you travel around Scotland or go to England or elsewhere as well?


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## Capt Lightning (May 11, 2016)

We're not long back from our first European trip in our van for a few years.
When we lived in Hampshire, it was very easy to nip across to France, Germany etc... Now that we are in N.E.Scotland, that's not as easy.  We tend to have a couple of holidays in Europe early and late season when we travel by air and stay in hotels.  Spring through to late Autumn, we travel round Scotland & N.England in the van. We have two daughters who live and work in the Midlands.  We take it in turns to visit each other.  The elder girl is a country lover, but the younger one is a city girl.

 We're planning a nostalgia trip later this year, visiting our old haunts in Ayrshire, Dumfries&Galloway etc.  Dianne & I used to drive down to the Lake district in our early days when the road went through lots of small towns that are now bypassed.


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## Ameriscot (May 11, 2016)

Capt Lightning said:


> We're not long back from our first European trip in our van for a few years.
> When we lived in Hampshire, it was very easy to nip across to France, Germany etc... Now that we are in N.E.Scotland, that's not as easy.  We tend to have a couple of holidays in Europe early and late season when we travel by air and stay in hotels.  Spring through to late Autumn, we travel round Scotland & N.England in the van. We have two daughters who live and work in the Midlands.  We take it in turns to visit each other.  The elder girl is a country lover, but the younger one is a city girl.
> 
> We're planning a nostalgia trip later this year, visiting our old haunts in Ayrshire, Dumfries&Galloway etc.  Dianne & I used to drive down to the Lake district in our early days when the road went through lots of small towns that are now bypassed.



Sounds nice!  Haven't been to the Lake District, yet.


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## Capt Lightning (May 11, 2016)

The lake district is very beautiful, but to a degree has become a victim of it's own popularity.  40 odd years ago, it was relatively inexpensive and you could park easily.  Now you have to rob a bank to afford the parking charges in some places.
I often stop there on the way from visiting my daughters. Keswick is a good place to buy outdoor wear.

This is Ullswater taken in December.


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## jujube (May 11, 2016)

That was my great dream for after retirement -- go off to see America.  The Spousal Equivalent and I bought a fifth-wheel trailer and set off in the summer of 2010 to do just that.  We made it as far as Yellowstone that year, along with a lot on the way and back again.  Now we leave Florida every summer for 4-5 months and truly see America.  We've hit most of the major national parks and a lot of the smaller ones.   He doesn't like to leave the country, though, so I have to travel out of the country with my sisters and friends.


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## Manatee (May 11, 2016)

When we lived in Arizona we were well situated to explore the western states and the many National Parks out there.  We belonged to an RV club and traveled on many trips ranging  from Alberta to down to Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.  We had the smallest trailer in the club, but we got to see all the same sights as the folks with the big rigs for a lot less $$$.  Camping is a fun way to travel.
Before we went to AZ we had gone to Nova Scotia by way of Thos Jefferson's home in Virginia and stops in New England.
When our kids were small we took trips to Montreal, Quebec and Ottawa.  The following year we went to Cape Hatteras.
Our last trip after we returned to Florida was up to the Great Smokey Mountains.


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## Bobw235 (May 11, 2016)

One of the shots I took today on a trek to a nearby waterfall.  This is in Stowe, VT.


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## Ameriscot (May 12, 2016)

Lovely, Bob!


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## Ameriscot (May 12, 2016)

I lived in Mass as a navy brat in the late 1950's and have always wanted to go back to visit.  I vaguely remembered some of the historical sites which at the age of 5-8 didn't mean as much to me.  

We did the trip last Sept with my husband, my sister and my brother who lives out there.  Loved it!


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## Ed Mashburn (May 17, 2016)

Good evening to all- Yep, Wife and I like to travel.  we go on cruises from time to time. Carnival has a ship that ports in Mobile, Alabama- that's 20 minutes from our house, so embarkation is easy.
We throw the kayaks in the back of the truck and go. We just did a trip to Texas and Louisiana- it was my JOB, don't you see. I was WORKING.
We flew out to Phoenix to see grands last fall.
that's travelling to us.
We would like to see more of the world- Sea of Cortez, more of the Caribbean, maybe New Zealand.
there are several places in the world we would not care to see, not at least, at this time.
good evening to all- Ed


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## Ameriscot (May 17, 2016)

Ed Mashburn said:


> Good evening to all- Yep, Wife and I like to travel.  we go on cruises from time to time. Carnival has a ship that ports in Mobile, Alabama- that's 20 minutes from our house, so embarkation is easy.
> We throw the kayaks in the back of the truck and go. We just did a trip to Texas and Louisiana- it was my JOB, don't you see. I was WORKING.
> We flew out to Phoenix to see grands last fall.
> that's travelling to us.
> ...



Ed, do you go sea kayaking?  I'd love to kayak the Sea of Cortez.


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## Manatee (May 17, 2016)

Ameriscot said:


> Ed, do you go sea kayaking?  I'd love to kayak the Sea of Cortez.


I swam in the Sea of Cortez.  It was pleasant, not cold like the pacific along the California coast.


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## Ed Mashburn (May 18, 2016)

*re: sea kayaking*



Ameriscot said:


> Ed, do you go sea kayaking?  I'd love to kayak the Sea of Cortez.



Well, I do go kayaking on the saltwater, but I don't have a kayak designed for long distance, high speed paddling like most seas kayaks are. I built a wooden kayak that could be called a sea kayak- it worked very well, but I gave it to a friend and his twin daughters.
Most of our kayaks are designed and built for fishing, which is what we do in them for the most part.
And yes, i very much want to kayak the Sea of Cortez and fish in it, too.
Ed


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## OneEyedDiva (Aug 5, 2016)

Hello Bob:  I just joined yesterday. I love the subject of retirement so I decided I'll reply to your post even though it's a couple of months old.  It's great that you can take off and go when you want. I LOVE being at the ocean so I've been staying at our timeshare home resort, which is oceanfront, once a month since April and will continue to do so until it gets cold.  Due to my husband's responsibilities caring for an ailing relative, we don't want to go too far or for too long right now but we have gone for a week at a time to Virginia Beach a couple of times and last year to Ocean City Md. I don't mind staying at our timeshare alone so have done that a few times.  I'm going to post a separate topic about the benefits of owning our timeshare. Safe travels always Bob.


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## Bobw235 (Aug 5, 2016)

OneEyedDiva said:


> Hello Bob:  I just joined yesterday. I love the subject of retirement so I decided I'll reply to your post even though it's a couple of months old.  It's great that you can take off and go when you want. I LOVE being at the ocean so I've been staying at our timeshare home resort, which is oceanfront, once a month since April and will continue to do so until it gets cold.  Due to my husband's responsibilities caring for an ailing relative, we don't want to go too far or for too long right now but we have gone for a week at a time to Virginia Beach a couple of times and last year to Ocean City Md. I don't mind staying at our timeshare alone so have done that a few times.  I'm going to post a separate topic about the benefits of owning our timeshare. Safe travels always Bob.



Thanks very much and welcome to the forum. We had a timeshare, but got rid of it a few years ago. Got tired of going there for some many years. Now we rent a place (looking at Prince Edward Island at present) so we can go where we want. Planning a trip in September. Can't wait.


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