S/O of destinations that jumped the shark - has travel jumped the shark for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't go where the DCUM hoards go. I go to cool places. I'm not gonna say where because I don't want them to become the next Costa Rica.

Here’s the thing:

“Cool” is completely subjective.

Your dream vacation is probably very different from my dream vacation.

And the reality is that the dcum travel forum clearly illustrates that everyone has different travel goals. While many posters live for national parks, others would sooner cut off their arm than spend a week hiking and camping. And while many posters enjoy Costa Rica, Iceland, etc. others have zero desire to visit.

The most fascinating thing about Dcumlandia is how some posters truly believe travel is a competition. I think that mindset likely stems from insecurity (or possibly just run of the mill judgmental personalities).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't go where the DCUM hoards go. I go to cool places. I'm not gonna say where because I don't want them to become the next Costa Rica.

Here’s the thing:

“Cool” is completely subjective.

Your dream vacation is probably very different from my dream vacation.

And the reality is that the dcum travel forum clearly illustrates that everyone has different travel goals. While many posters live for national parks, others would sooner cut off their arm than spend a week hiking and camping. And while many posters enjoy Costa Rica, Iceland, etc. others have zero desire to visit.

The most fascinating thing about Dcumlandia is how some posters truly believe travel is a competition. I think that mindset likely stems from insecurity (or possibly just run of the mill judgmental personalities).

Wait what? There are people here who think their way is best and everyone else is wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't go where the DCUM hoards go. I go to cool places. I'm not gonna say where because I don't want them to become the next Costa Rica.

Here’s the thing:

“Cool” is completely subjective.

Your dream vacation is probably very different from my dream vacation.

And the reality is that the dcum travel forum clearly illustrates that everyone has different travel goals. While many posters live for national parks, others would sooner cut off their arm than spend a week hiking and camping. And while many posters enjoy Costa Rica, Iceland, etc. others have zero desire to visit.

The most fascinating thing about Dcumlandia is how some posters truly believe travel is a competition. I think that mindset likely stems from insecurity (or possibly just run of the mill judgmental personalities).

Wait what? There are people here who think their way is best and everyone else is wrong?

LOL! No. They aren't "wrong" as much as terribly misguided, ignorant plebeians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Traveling just to see sights is of course lame. The point of traveling is to meet people and get to understand viewpoints on life that are different from your own. The things I always remember aren’t the things I saw, but the people I met.

Hate to burst your bubble, but those people don’t care and don’t remember you. I’m not saying this to be unkind.

It may seem like a life altering illuminating transformative experience for you, but to the natives you’re just another tourist treating them like some sort of interactive living museum. Those people are living their life and facing their own struggles and joys of daily living wherever they live. Their lives are not transformed just bc you spoke to them.

The last poster makes a good point.

How many French, Australian, Indian or other countries' tourists do you chat to during a typical week of work or school in the DC area? Do you share your view points on life whenever you encounter a tourist?

I can't say I meet many tourists at the supermarket, the doctor's office, the dry cleaners, the car repair shop or at swim practice. Most people I encounter have earbuds stuck in their ears and don't talk as they do self check out at the store or library or airport. While I enjoy meeting people while traveling, most of them are too busy getting on with their lives as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The problem with y’all is you’re just too busy, too poor, or too particular to travel well - typically all three.

You need to take your time, schedule three or four times as much as is recommended for a given place, go off season, go off the beaten track, not stay in luxury hotels or fancy all inclusives, relax a little — and LIVE. Very few of you do that based on what I read on this website. You’re too busy trying to check boxes off. And when you’re older — as some of you appear to be on this thread — all of that gets just plain tiring.

Yes and no.

Part of your comment makes me wonder if you are one of the posters who tells people not to bother going to X if they only have a week (or whatever). The reality is most people can have a fabulous day (or two or five or whatever) in a place and there's no right way or wrong way to "enjoy" a visit to any destination.

RE: going off season - Sure. I guess. But the Amalfi coast or similar destinations really aren't best visited off season. It's better to enjoy dinner and drinks outside on a warm summer night after spending the day lounging on a private boat all day in the sun...hence all the celebs posting pics on yachts in the Med this summer (and every summer)(or Kris Jenner's annual summer trip to Portofino...I mean, there's really no reason to go to Portofino in November).

"Off the beaten track" is where I agree with you. But I still see value in going to popular tourist destinations like Rome. These places are popular for a reason (many, actually). But you can have a blast in Rome without setting foot *inside* the Colosseum (it's actually gorgeous around 9:30 or 10pm at night and it's rather magical wandering around it up close and bit further away when there aren't any crowds; ditto for the Vatican and all the other usual suspect spots).

RE: all inclusives - don't knock it, pp. Some are really nice (and fun). And there are plenty of luxury and mid-range spots that include breakfast and lunch that you might not even consider an all inclusive (several boutique resorts in the caribbean and europe offer such things but you would never know unless you stayed there).

In short: go live your life and have fun...whatever that means to you. I've never had a bad vacation...probably because I make sure I have fun wherever I go. (I basically try to "be the party" ... even if the party is mostly in my own head as I lazily lay out in the sun all day.)

The Amalfi coast? Some all inclusives are good? Lol. You’re not living. You're being a tourist.

Curtain Bluff is a fabulous AI on Antigua. Candidly, I don’t think anyone who spends a week or two in the Caribbean is a “tourist.” There’s not a lot of touring involved. You relax and enjoy your vacation.

Caneel Bay wasn’t referred to as an AI but they offered prepayment of meals on what I believed they referred to as a European plan. Fun fact: I stayed in the best cottage on the fabulous property before Madonna and Brangelina used it. Hardly boring. In fact, it was amazing.

And yes, the Amalfi coast is gorgeous! I loved every place I visited during a month-long trip up and down both sides of Italy. Our boat was amazing and the villas were quite lovely. I didn’t bother buying tickets to anything though, so I wasn’t the typical tourist. I mostly soaked in the vibe and enjoyed some fabulous sites that you wouldn’t read about online or in travel guides.

Anyway, travel isn’t a competition…it’s just a verb. I’ve traveled, and you’ve traveled. And I’ve never had a bad experience…just a helluva lot of fun.

You've never done anything adventurous in your life. You've just spent money.

I see we've encountered someone who firmly believes they are a *traveler* while everyone else is a tourist. I have bad news for you: you're a tourist too. I've been to some really off the beaten paths and experienced some very rustic places, but guess what, I was still a tourist. Just like you.

I'll echo what others have said. Common themes are aging and the hassles of travel involving long flights and transit times and the constant on the move and shifting from one strange hotel to the next just isn't as much fun when you're in your 40s. I'm also in my peak career years, which means a demanding job, and the concept of a demanding vacation doesn't appeal to me any more. Other common themes are the increased homogenization of the world. Every major city is more or less a clone. Hip Berlin is the same as hip LA and hip Tokyo and hip Melbourne. The crowds in the popular places. Growing up in 1980s/1990s midsize city America, going to France and Italy was a culinary revelation because you just did not get the croissants or cappucinos or pastries found in corner Italian or French markets in most American cities. But today? The food and coffee are quite often better in the US and I have no shortage of excellent bakeries and just about every world cuisine nearby. I don't need to go to China for the novelty of seeing Chinese supermarkets when there's a large one a few miles away!

I still travel for specific pleasures, we're doing a long hiking trip in the Alps this August and I'm looking forward to nearly two weeks free of the laptop and being offline. But I do increasingly appreciate the notion of going back to a favorite beach or mountain every year rather than seeking the strange and exotic.

[b]

The bolded confirms that you're a tourist and not a traveler. I've never had that kind of experience in my entire life, and I've been to every continent on the planet.

NP. Okay, this is getting ridiculous. If you've been to every continent then you have surely experienced long flights. It's simply not possible to go from the US to certain places without a long flight. Or did you stow away on a merchant vessel? How very edgy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Traveling just to see sights is of course lame. The point of traveling is to meet people and get to understand viewpoints on life that are different from your own. The things I always remember aren’t the things I saw, but the people I met.

Hate to burst your bubble, but those people don’t care and don’t remember you. I’m not saying this to be unkind.

It may seem like a life altering illuminating transformative experience for you, but to the natives you’re just another tourist treating them like some sort of interactive living museum. Those people are living their life and facing their own struggles and joys of daily living wherever they live. Their lives are not transformed just bc you spoke to them.

The last poster makes a good point.

How many French, Australian, Indian or other countries' tourists do you chat to during a typical week of work or school in the DC area? Do you share your view points on life whenever you encounter a tourist?

I can't say I meet many tourists at the supermarket, the doctor's office, the dry cleaners, the car repair shop or at swim practice. Most people I encounter have earbuds stuck in their ears and don't talk as they do self check out at the store or library or airport. While I enjoy meeting people while traveling, most of them are too busy getting on with their lives as well.

Agree. The "travelers" who like to live like the locals are tiring. They are probably the same ones who wear berets in France and the father has a murse (AKA man purse), because it looks so European. Locals, no matter where you are, can spot a tourist. I would guess they respect the typical tourist more than the annoying family that's cosplaying as a local.

Do you think persons from overseas, visiting the states, are skipping Manhattan, San Francisco, Grand Canyon and Disney World- all top U.S. attractions, and renting a house in Rockville or Leesburg so they can live like a local?!?!

[Anonymous]

EDITED

Agree. The "travelers" who like vacation like an local are tiring. They are probably the same ones who wear berets in France and the father has a murse (AKA man purse), because it looks so European. Locals, no matter where you are, can spot a tourist. I would guess they respect the typical tourist more than the annoying family that's cosplaying as a local.

Do you think persons from overseas, visiting the states, are skipping Manhattan, San Francisco, Grand Canyon and Disney World- all top U.S. attractions, and renting a house in Rockville or Leesburg so they can live like a local?!?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:EDITED

Agree. The "travelers" who like vacation like an local are tiring. They are probably the same ones who wear berets in France and the father has a murse (AKA man purse), because it looks so European. Locals, no matter where you are, can spot a tourist. I would guess they respect the typical tourist more than the annoying family that's cosplaying as a local.

Do you think persons from overseas, visiting the states, are skipping Manhattan, San Francisco, Grand Canyon and Disney World- all top U.S. attractions, and renting a house in Rockville or Leesburg so they can live like a local?!?!

No! They look for trending Air BnB mobile homes in Appalachia. Double-wide if they are truly hoity and toity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EDITED

Agree. The "travelers" who like vacation like an local are tiring. They are probably the same ones who wear berets in France and the father has a murse (AKA man purse), because it looks so European. Locals, no matter where you are, can spot a tourist. I would guess they respect the typical tourist more than the annoying family that's cosplaying as a local.

Do you think persons from overseas, visiting the states, are skipping Manhattan, San Francisco, Grand Canyon and Disney World- all top U.S. attractions, and renting a house in Rockville or Leesburg so they can live like a local?!?!

No! They look for trending Air BnB mobile homes in Appalachia. Double-wide if they are truly hoity and toity.

This isn't far from the truth. I've been in some pretty back-wood small towns that have one obscure sight to see, and have been amazed when locals say many foreigners have been there. Particularly Germans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't go where the DCUM hoards go. I go to cool places. I'm not gonna say where because I don't want them to become the next Costa Rica.

Here’s the thing:

“Cool” is completely subjective.

Your dream vacation is probably very different from my dream vacation.

And the reality is that the dcum travel forum clearly illustrates that everyone has different travel goals. While many posters live for national parks, others would sooner cut off their arm than spend a week hiking and camping. And while many posters enjoy Costa Rica, Iceland, etc. others have zero desire to visit.

The most fascinating thing about Dcumlandia is how some posters truly believe travel is a competition. I think that mindset likely stems from insecurity (or possibly just run of the mill judgmental personalities).

No. The difference? DCUM vacations. I travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EDITED

Agree. The "travelers" who like vacation like an local are tiring. They are probably the same ones who wear berets in France and the father has a murse (AKA man purse), because it looks so European. Locals, no matter where you are, can spot a tourist. I would guess they respect the typical tourist more than the annoying family that's cosplaying as a local.

Do you think persons from overseas, visiting the states, are skipping Manhattan, San Francisco, Grand Canyon and Disney World- all top U.S. attractions, and renting a house in Rockville or Leesburg so they can live like a local?!?!

No! They look for trending Air BnB mobile homes in Appalachia. Double-wide if they are truly hoity and toity.

This isn't far from the truth. I've been in some pretty back-wood small towns that have one obscure sight to see, and have been amazed when locals say many foreigners have been there. Particularly Germans.

This is the flipside of people going to Gimmelwald because Rick Steves said it has the most beautiful bench in the world is there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't go where the DCUM hoards go. I go to cool places. I'm not gonna say where because I don't want them to become the next Costa Rica.

Here’s the thing:

“Cool” is completely subjective.

Your dream vacation is probably very different from my dream vacation.

And the reality is that the dcum travel forum clearly illustrates that everyone has different travel goals. While many posters live for national parks, others would sooner cut off their arm than spend a week hiking and camping. And while many posters enjoy Costa Rica, Iceland, etc. others have zero desire to visit.

The most fascinating thing about Dcumlandia is how some posters truly believe travel is a competition. I think that mindset likely stems from insecurity (or possibly just run of the mill judgmental personalities).

No. The difference? DCUM vacations. I travel.

I travel for work. I suspect most of us on dcum do the same.

I travel for specific purposes: weddings, funerals, graduations, girls trips, etc.

Vacations are far superior to travel.

#themoreyouknow