Tell me about an expensive vacation experience that was worth every penny!

[Anonymous]

Just took an extremely crowded rail train to
A popular destination in Europe from a major city. On a normal day it would have been lovely but it was Easter Friday and all the locals were going to same place. Should have booked an Uber! Kids had to sit on the floor of the train because otherwise they were too tired to stand like sardines the 1.5 hours on super slow super crowded ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am currently trying to justify a helicopter ride to a glacier for dog sledding in Alaska.

I clicked on this thread to say helicopter in Alaska! Stupid expensive and worth every penny. We didn't do the glacier dog sled but flew to the glacier and it was wonderful.

I flew around Delani in a tiny prop plane and it was unforgettable.

I did a five hour hike in Denali and it was also unforgettable (and free). I do splurge on some vacation activities, but often you can do really amazing things for free or cheaper than going the luxe route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just took an extremely crowded rail train to
A popular destination in Europe from a major city. On a normal day it would have been lovely but it was Easter Friday and all the locals were going to same place. Should have booked an Uber! Kids had to sit on the floor of the train because otherwise they were too tired to stand like sardines the 1.5 hours on super slow super crowded ride.

This site is anonymous - you can say where you were going!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am currently trying to justify a helicopter ride to a glacier for dog sledding in Alaska.

We did this in Alaska a few years ago with our middle school and elementary school aged children, and it’s still one of my favorite life experiences. We did the dogsled on the glacier, played with the dogs, then went to another glacier and took in the views, the kids drank the melted glacier water, and ran around. It was stunningly beautiful and one of the highlights of an snacking trip.

Is it super different from doing this in Scandanavia etc. (I am rolling my own eyes at myself for asking, but I do really want to know!)

We did glacier dog sledding in Alaska and compared experiences with someone who did it in Scandinavia. Scandinavia version was much less touristy and my friends were doing it themselves. In Alaska, we were on a dog sled on the glacier and went in a big circle with an employee driving the sled. We also did a different dog sledding experience not on a glacier, but we were also just along for the ride (that time dogs were pulling an ATV)

When we went in Alaska they let us each drive the sled. That was 16 years ago. But I just did it in Breckenridge this year and they let us drive the sled. So that’s a little cheaper option but still great.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:People will call me super basic but here is my list —

Helicopter tour of kaui

Glacier dog sledding in Alaska

Getting the suite at el Tovar with the enormous patio looking over the south rim

Disney VIP private tour where they take you on all the rides with almost no waiting and drive you around between the parks — crazy expensive but you can do in one day what you would otherwise do in three so if you factor in savings on park tickets and hotel, it is more justifiable. I’m always embarrassed to tell people we did this though.

Oh and I don’t know if this was crazy expensive but chartering a boat for day snorkel trip for family — we’ve done that a couple times when we vacationed with my siblings and it is totally worth it to have the boat to yourself.

Snorkeling is so bad compared with diving. My 10 yo was eye to eye with a sea turtle today. I would never go back and neither would my kids.

DP. One upping that poster added nothing.

I was confident someone would call me basic and PP did not disappoint! FWIW, we are gojng to try a “discover scuba” dive this year. One of my teens is scuba certified and has done a lot of dives—the other has really bad asthma so it’s not great for them. But I also think scuba is a different experience than just a nice snorkel charter — they will often grill food, make fresh guac, etc. on board, you spend some time catching the rays, the often have slides or rope swings. It’s just a lovely way to spend a day relaxing.

I am the jerk PP and am so excited you are going to try scuba diving! I hope you love it! It’s so beautiful and some of the animals look like they belong on another planet. Xoxo

Please snorkelers and divers be aware to not choose the type of sunscreen that harms the coral. We all want our grandkids to have coral to explore too. The coral is getting killed and bleached by the heating of the oceans from burning fossil fuels, which is also a concern we should prioritize.

Divers don’t need sunscreen, so that is an advantage.

What people should be more worried about frankly is the bacteria destroying reefs all over the Caribbean, carried place to place by cruise ships.

This is a truly underreported story and a real tragedy happening right now.

[Anonymous]

This whole thread gives me the icks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread gives me the icks.

?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am currently trying to justify a helicopter ride to a glacier for dog sledding in Alaska.

Dog sledding is a not-to-be-missed experience, but there are plenty of places you can access it without a copter. Helicopters are inherently dangerous. Any hint of unpredictable wind gusts or of humidity that could lead to fog, and you can crash so, so easily.

Alaskan here. I fly in helicopters and small planes every year for field work. I have had several field seasons where I was in helicopters 7 days a week for months. They are very dangerous and Alaska's weather and terrain are very unforgiving. Google "temsco helicopters crash skagway" as just one example of just one company in just one town in Alaska. Last year I lost 3 coworkers in a helicopter crash, pilot also lost. The year before we lost a pilot in a crash. It is not a joke and you don't have to trust my anecdotes, you can easily do your own research.

I have also flown in many small planes and helicopters in Alaska, and I have lost multiple friends in airline crashes there. I only fly with people that the locals know and recommend.

I have done dog sledding, and it is awesome, but I wouldn't fly on a helicopter in Alaska booked through a cruise ship or such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For anyone reading this who doesn’t have the funds for these experiences on this scale, we went to Jasper, Canada. It’s one if the most beautiful places I have ever, ever seen, worth the hassle of getting there, and there are a range if price points so it is surprisingly accessible.

thank you! I have been reading this tread with pointless lust since I can’t afford any of these trips. Jasper is doable and good to know it is great- Lake Louise is already on my bucket list, if I can figure out how to go there when the parking lot isn’t full by 6am …

Go in the winter. It's spectacular and not nearly as crowded.

[Anonymous]

Disney World, and I don't care if you call me basic. We rented points and stayed in a 2-br at the Contemporary, so we had a kitchen and 3 bathrooms and could see fireworks and walk to the Magic Kingdom. It was fun to plan it, and fun to be there. We knew we weren't planning to go back any time soon, so we splurged on hopper tickets, Genie+ one day, some restaurant meals...no regrets.

[Anonymous]

Every trip to Hawaii. It’s like being on another planet. Business class on Air Italia or Air France. Renting a house in Italy and working remotely for a summer. We do one large trip a year and long weekend getaways to ratty cabins on the Delaware beaches or Shenandoah for balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Safari to Serengeti, on the Tanzanian side, with Arusha.
We slept above the Ngorongoro Crater and visited Serengeti, Lake Myanara, and nearby plains. Nothing compares. I only wish we visited the Olduvai Gorge. I am a historian, so that would have been special.
I want to go again.

I’ve been lucky enough to do this exact trip twice— once as a teenager and once in my thirties. (Also added on Zanzibar on the later trip.) It was spectacular each time! I paid for it myself the second time, and it was $$$$$, but it was still worth it.