SURVEY SAYS: Favorite Vacation Spots

Last week, I asked NewsDash readers, “What kinds of places do you like to go on vacation, and what, if any, special vacation have you already taken or plan to take this year?”

Beaches (61.7%) topped the list of favorite vacation destinations by responding readers, followed by national parks, memorials or monuments (46.7%). The mountains and other historical places tied for third at 36.7%.

Other selections garnered these responses:

• Quirky, little-known attractions – 21.7%;
• Amusement parks – 20%;
• Family member’s homes – 15%;
• Campsites – 18.3%;
• Another country – 26.7%; and
• Stay home – 11.7%.

Twenty-three percent of responding readers chose “other,” which included motorcycle trips, walkable cities, cruises, the lake, gold courses, friends’ homes, wine country tours, “being a tourist in my daughter’s college town,” and large cities with great art museums.

Readers were asked to share a special vacation they’ve taken this year or are planning to take this year. Responses included cruises, trips abroad, national parks and many more. Responses gave me several ideas to put on my “bucket list.”

In general comments about vacations, many readers called for more of them. Others touted the benefits of getting away, but some noted they do not totally get away from the office. Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said, “Vacation punishment—the longer hours at work to reduce the load before you go on vacation, and the longer hours at work to dig out when you return.”

Special Vacations 

In June, we attended my nephew's graduation from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. In August we will spend a week with 3 other couples, renting 2 cabins and motorcycling through the Ozarks!

We just returned from Las Vegas. It is a wonderfully walkable city. We walked the entire Vegas Strip (not all at once). We learned a couple of things... 1) Visit Las Vegas in the Spring, Fall, or Winter. It was an energy-zapping 111 degrees. 2) Everything that happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. I caught a cold while there, and it followed me home.

No vacation planned again this year.

We are going to Norway.

I've already vacationed at Disneyland this summer and I have a mountain vacation planned for later in the summer.

Yosemite National Park for Spring Break Hopefully, Portland Oregon for LL Major Softball World Series, depends on team performance.

Took a bucket list vacation to Iceland. Amazing place!!!

Caribbean cruise earlier in the year, visit to Mexico later this year to celebrate my friend's 65th birthday

Two week road trip with 3 teen grandsons to the black hills of SD and 4 night camping in Yellowstone. Trip included historical sites of the Lewis and Clark expedition. And Key Lakota sites including battle field site of Little Big Horn

Glacier National Park - here I come, baby! Moose, bear, big-horn sheep, birds, mountains, and lakes. Absolutely breathtaking! The sheet beauty is also a reminder about the importance of taking care of Mother Earth.

Special Vacations (cont.) 

St. Croix and a summer lake house in Michigan

We took our son, high school graduate, to Disney - just as we did when he graduated from kindergarten.

In June, took an off season four day weekend on Cape Cod. Stayed in East Orleans enjoying the National Seashore and traveled between Provincetown and Falmouth eating our way across the Cape. In August, we will take two separate four day weekends in Narragansett, RI enjoying the beauty of the ocean again and awesome seafood.

Built a cabin on property in Wisconsin and have had to go up there almost every weekend just to take care of it. What seemed like a great idea is now just another item on the "to do" list.

After three years of road trips the kids said no more! We did a beach vacation at Panama City Beach, FL. Beautiful!

We are going to Kiawah Island, SC and Ponte Vedra, FL (TPC Sawgrass).

We are hosting a family reunion in Kansas City - only an hour away for us, so the place isn't new, but we are looking forward to sharing it with family.

Seaside Florida

We like to get away from the warm summer weather of NYC so prefer cooler destinations. This year Iceland, Denmark and the Netherlands are on tap.

In October we plan to go to Switzerland and Austria, with kids and spouses, my sister, her husband and their kids

Special Vacations (cont.) 

Yosemite, Death Valley and Kings Canyon/Sequoia--and it will be in the fall

St. Martin in April; Ireland in June. Camping on Lake Ontario in August. Block Island in October.

Last summer we visited a bucket list item - Alaska. Everyone needs to go there at least once - what a truly majestical place! Next up - New Zealand in February, another bucket list item!

Italy (started in Milan and went south to Rome). Everything I expected to be wonderful about Italy was better, the food, the landscapes, the art, the architecture, the people was so much better than expected. The whole trip was excellent even though I had a miserable cold.

Always wanted to see the fall colors in New England. Heading to Maine in October.

We are off to Ocean City, NJ. I have never been there but have gotten great reviews from family and friends.

My best friend and I are going to visit a childhood friend in Texas in August. Since she moved away in the mid-80's we've never gone to see her. We reconnected last year, thanks to Social Media, and are planning a nice weekend together. Some friendships do stand the test of time, even after 30 years!

We will be traveling to the Boston area this summer to experience the freedom trail. We will also use the time to visit family who live about an hour north in New Hampshire.

Heading to Cape Cod in a few weeks.

Special Vacations (cont.) 

Cruise to the Western Carribean Islands.

I wait all year for my vacation to Nantucket Island. This year it will ten GLORIOUS days - rain or shine -

7-day Caribbean cruise

Phoenix, Sedona, Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas Hot in July but worth it!

Living in Texas we try to get out of the heat in the summer. This year we went to Rocky Mountain National Park & Estes Park, Colorado. Wonderful!

Going to Phoenix in August! Can we bottle that heat for Minnesota winter?

took 4 days after the holiday as a 'vacation' to try to get stuff done at home that has been neglected

Took my grandsons, ages 6 and 4, to Lancaster, PA for Amish country adventures -- 100 year old trains, "Day Out With Thomas", farms and Dutch Wonderland (kiddie amusement park). Slower pace and had them all to myself (w/o their parents!)

I fulfilled the number one item on my bucket list earlier this year - spent three weeks visiting Australia. It was incredible and I sure hope to visit there again, soon.

Verbatim 

Wish I was able to take more

Vacation travel is great, but there are times that I really enjoy a day or two at home, whether to catch up on stuff there, or just have some down time! I'm on a 4-yr countdown to a permanent vacation commonly known as RETIREMENT! 🙂

We are walkers. Two of our favorite walkable cities are Manhattan and Chicago, but we enjoy walks along the beaches close to home (We live in Florida.), and loved our tour of Portugal. On the bucket list: Seattle and Philadelphia, Spain and Germany.

My wife and I have only had a 1 week vacation together in our 15 year marriage. Vacation time and money always gets spent on traveling to visit relatives out of state. We can't do both. Wondering when do we get to travel where we want to go to relax and explore?

I live in Maine, I don't leave Maine in the summer, it's too beautiful. Now in winter, that's another story, someplace warm and tropical, at least in my mind!

Time to relax and enjoy family time. Have new adventures. Usually takes a couple days to get to the relaxation point.

We go to beach vacations with two little ones, ages 5 & 6. But wherever we stay there MUST BE an indoor pool!

Not enough of them

Absolutely critical to my mental health. I try to make sure I have at least one planned every few months so I always have one to look forward to.

I like to disconnect from work and recharge. No one is too busy to stay that connected.

Verbatim (cont.) 

We need more of them!

Disconnect, disconnect, disconnect. I don't check in at the office and my cell phone is usually in my purse, outta site and outta mind.

Summer weather is like a vacation itself, so we would rather not waste precious time away from work trying to compete with the majority of folks jostling for a place at the best destinations, sights and restaurants. Summer travel is for tourists!

I may be on vacation, but I am still tethered to work.

Vacation punishment - the longer hours at work to reduce the load before you go on vacation, and the longer hours at work to dig out when you return.

Always need time to recover from vacations.

I never seem to get enough of them! And with our fast paced lifestyle, it is harder and harder to unplug and get a truly relaxing vacation in where you feel refreshed after it is all over.

Always like to go places where there is something that I cannot duplicate at home.

I always like to have at least one day off after returning from vacation before heading back to work.

Any time away from regular responsibilities is great!

Verbatim (cont.) 

We love doing big vacations with extended family. My parents started it by including in-laws after my sister and I were married and my sister and I hope to continue the tradition with our families.

Take vacations!!! Get away from your normal routine and get new experiences. Gain a new perspective. Eat a new food. Learn to explore. You will be a better person (and worker) for the experience.

All I need: a book a beach, a beverage.

Can never have enough vacations!

Travel has been a wonderful gift we've given our children. They can never remember what gifts they've received for birthdays, Christmas, etc...But they can remember in detail every vacation we've taken them on!

Hate summer, therefore I hate summer vacations.

I would spend every year at the Outer Banks if I could afford it.

Wish I was on vacation right now...

With a post-college age son and two middle-schoolers, it was always a challenge to find a vacation that met everyone's desires. Our best vacation was a few years ago when we took a cruise to the Caribbean.

Beach/Ocean Front vacations are the best. Great experiences in both Cape Cod, Outerbanks and Jamaica

Verbatim (cont.) 

Great way to restore/refresh yourself from work issues.

You can never have enough! Stay-cation or vacation - leave your seat and go!

Coulda, woulda, shoulda taken more [vacations] just to prepare for the upcoming longest vacation of my lifetime...and now I don't have a dang thing to wear, no frickin' idea what to do and nobody to share it with. Can't wait.

I live in Florida, so cruising is easy and cheap (relatively). You only unpack once; your cabin is cleaned twice a day; you eat all you want; entertainment is provided; you visit new places without changing hotels. It is the best! The only problem with cruising is that you can't cruise to Yellowstone or Glacier National park.

We take a family vacation every year. It is well worth it to get away as a family.

We prefer low-key places with atmosphere not the hustle and bustle we deal with every day.

Love them!!

My vacation consists of working from home at a reduced rate of only 40 hrs. per week.

Turned off the work cell phone and enjoyed real life in real time -- the only social networking was getting to know my grandsons better!

Going to see family is not a vacation...not at. all.