Things you'd really quite like to do

[ad hoc]

I'm somewhat surprised that Hobbes doesn't like driving. Don't you lust after/own some fancy car (name escapes me as I don't really speak car)? What do you do with it, wash it?

My longest road trip adventure was from home to the UK (and back) . I was slightly worried about it, especially as my kids were in the back, but we decided to have a rule to drive no more than 3-4 hours a day, which worked out fantastically. We ended up staying in places which were new to us, unexpectedly beautiful (Passau, wow), and really adventurous. The journey was the holiday. It just needs time.

This holiday I'm on now only involved a 9 hour drive, which no longer seems that far. Especially now that three of the four members of my immediate family drive

[hobbes]

Yeah, I'm a bit weird ad hoc.
If I have to drive I at least want to do it in comfort and style. I'd still hate it, but less so.

We did actually do a holiday where we drove from Gap to Paris over the course of a week. That was OK because a. The roads were empty. b. I refused to drive more than a couple of hours a day and we did that first thing. And c. It's was mainly through Burgundy.
The one thing worse than driving for hours though, is being a passenger for hours.

[WOM]

I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing.

http://www.thesouthoftheborder.com/

When I was a kid, seemingly every third car in Canada had that neon South of The Border bumper sticker on it. They had teenage girls in the parking lot who'd clandestinely stick it on when you were pulling out, and you wouldn't notice they'd done it till you were 500 miles away.

[ad hoc]

Yeah, I'm a bit weird ad hoc.
If I have to drive I at least want to do it in comfort and style. I'd still hate it, but less so.

We did actually do a holiday where we drove from Gap to Paris over the course of a week. That was OK because a. The roads were empty. b. I refused to drive more than a couple of hours a day and we did that first thing. And c. It's was mainly through Burgundy.
The one thing worse than driving for hours though, is being a passenger for hours.

That last sentence is very true. I could happily drive for 10+hours in a day but I could never expect someone to be a passenger for even half that time

[Uncle Ethan]

Interesting thread, I am just starting to plan a trip driving across the US - hopefully next year. Having driven across Australia and found it really enjoyable I am officially a weirdo when it comes to things like that.

Just did a fair bit driving in England, from Cambridgeshire across to and then up the Yorkshire coast and back across to the Dales. English scenery is massively underrated.

I've also driven the middle third of New Zealand. Started Auckland, zig-zagged across north island then along the the west side of the south island to Franz Josef and up the eastern side to Christchurch. Stunning. All of it.

[ursus arctos]

If you do that, I can't stress enough how much I endorse the advice to avoid/minimize interstates.

[Toby Gymshorts]

That last sentence is very true. I could happily drive for 10+hours in a day but I could never expect someone to be a passenger for even half that time

Take me along. I'd have no problem with that whatsoever.

[Lang Spoon]

I love trains and big stations but then I don’t have to commute by train.

[S. aureus]

I drove from Houston to Portland (OR) and back my second year in the US on my rather crappy motorbike, which took me about 6 weeks if I remember correctly. It would of taken me longer but I maxed out my credit card just outside Portland on the way back, so had to head down to Tucson (where I had friends) rather more rapidly than I was originally intending. I can't vouch for Kansas/Nebraska but the small towns in the flat scenically boring bits of Texas (most of it) are not without their own interest, at least it's a very different world to the UK or even Houston. All in all it was something I'm glad I did once, but I've never had any real desire to repeat the experience.

[Gangster Octopus]

We crossed the States by train. It seems the most logical way to do it...

[ursus arctos]

Which route did you take?

We did the California Zephyr about five years ago and had a brilliant time. I would eventually like to do all three (the other two being Chicago-Los Angeles (Southwest Chief) and Sunset Limited (New Orleans-LA)), plus the Canadian crossing.

[Hot Pepsi]

I wish trains were more of an option here.

Other than the train to Philmont that I mentioned on the Fire season thread, the only Amtrak experience I had was the train from DC to Williamsburg (VA) a few times. It was handy, but not cheap and not even that fast.

[Sam]

I'd like to go on the Trans-Siberian Railway, since you ask. I'd also like to spend some time on the canals of Great Britain, and do a cycling thing around some bit or another of Europe.

These things all seemed much more likely ten or fifteen years ago than they do today.

[Gangster Octopus]

Which route did you take?

We did the California Zephyr about five years ago and had a brilliant time. I would eventually like to do all three (the other two being Chicago-Los Angeles (Southwest Chief) and Sunset Limited (New Orleans-LA)), plus the Canadian crossing.

New York>Chicago>Denver>San Fransisco. We then did the tack-on bit of San Fransisco>Los Angeles>Flagstaff>Grand Canyon. I'm a little disappointed 'cos the year after the same trip took in the Niagra Falls on its way between New York and Chicago.

[Bored Of Education]

I think that travelling by train across Europe/South America/US/Australia possibly just pips by car for me. There is a great book by Hank Wangford called "Los Cowboys" where he travels down South America by horse (not exclusively). That sounds great.

I am not sure whether this thread is exclusively about travel but I want to learn the trumpet. I have the trumpet, the "play a tune a day" book and the keys to the local church to practice and now have a summer holiday stretching before me but bet I don't get more than two hours in. After my failed attempt at swimming with basking sharks last summer (which ended up with the equally engaging swimming with seals), I would like to swim with blue sharks which is possible in this country.

I would really like to have a bot of a boring life for a bit presently as well.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Drive up the coast of Norway with the crazy amount of tunnels under fjords (ditto for the Faroes)

We were in Norway this year and basically drove along the coast from Oslo to Bergen (then back to Oslo via Telemark).

Yes, there's a crazy number of tunnels (some very long indeed). For some reason, there's also a ton of roundabouts. On at least two occasions, we came across roundabouts inside tunnels.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Quite simple for me: I want to learn how to play the piano. Just can't find the time, really.

I'm on about my fourth attempt to learn piano. I've made much more progress this time, thanks to YouTube and headphones. I'm even playing with both hands.

For anyone interested, I do recommend the Yamaha P45. Great product for the price.

[MsD]

I'd like to go on the Trans-Siberian Railway, since you ask.

Yes, I'd really like to do that, and only having cats has stopped me.

I would recommend the Red Arrow overnight from St P to Moscow to anybody. I've done that many times and love it, but I'd love to do a Ziggy on the Trans-Sib.

Would love to do other long train journeys, too.

[Bored Of Education]

Oh, I would love to learn how to gallop as well.

[Bored Of Education]

...on a horse, I should add.

[ursus arctos]

I did the overnight Artika from Moscow to Leningrad in the 80s. The curtains in soft class featured a polar bear motif.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Which route did you take?

We did the California Zephyr about five years ago and had a brilliant time. I would eventually like to do all three (the other two being Chicago-Los Angeles (Southwest Chief) and Sunset Limited (New Orleans-LA)), plus the Canadian crossing.

In the mid 1990s with my then girlfriend I made full use of the regional train passes that Amtrak used to do (maybe still do) - 15 days unlimited travel, one price for the 'East' (as far West as, and including, Chicago and New Orleans), one for the 'West' (Chicago and New Orleans and everything West). We did the Sunset Limited in one go and it was a bit of an endurance test, but a great experience. On other routes we stopped off somewhere (e.g. Glenwood Springs and Memphis) for 24-48 hours and picked up the next train coming through.

A few years ago with my kids I took the Amtrak from Niagara Falls to NY, and the experience remained almost identical, for example the snack bar menu was almost the same as 20 years earlier - which was actually quite comforting, it made for a timeless feel.

[adams house cat]

Which route did you take?

We did the California Zephyr about five years ago and had a brilliant time. I would eventually like to do all three (the other two being Chicago-Los Angeles (Southwest Chief) and Sunset Limited (New Orleans-LA)), plus the Canadian crossing.

I did Albuquerque to Raliegh a few years back. Really enjoyed it but I had my own sleeping closet which helped. Some truly fabulous views on the way.

[Giggler]

I did a bit of the California Zephyr in two legs in 2015. Denver to Glenwood Springs was awesome in the truest sense of the word, then a couple of days later Glenwood Springs to Emeryville was great.

It's not a massive deal to most but something I'd finally like to do now I have a full-time, permanent job that pays a decent salary is go to an Inter game at the San Siro.

[ursus arctos]

The westbound Zephyr arrives in Denver at around 8 am, stops for about half an hour at the brilliantly restored Union Station and then climbs through the Moffat Tunnel before following the Colorado through the canyons down to Glenwood Springs.

It is probably the most spectacular 6-8 hours of rail travel open for daily passenger traffic in the US.