So our recent plans to do a NY/PA circuit off of my Toronto business trip fell through (partially due to logistics, partially because of my sister in Levittown and her remarkably petty behavior), so now we’re deciding on another plan of attack for our vacation (7/2-8). We’ve narrowed it down (listed alphabetically) to:
**Boulder
Dublin
Reykjavík
Santa Fe**
So, which would you choose, and why?
Boulder? No. It’s just a college town. Nothing going on there.
Dublin? No. Why risk getting blown up by an IRA bomb?
Reykjavik? Yes. Exotic, peaceful, short airplane ride from NY.
Santa Fe? Eh. Only if you like smoking pot and backpacking. Or smoking pot and botiques.
I’m curious about Boulder too, why would anyone want to go there on vacation? Not that it isn’t probably a nice place, but what’s there that’s worth going a thousand miles to see?
I’ve always heard nice things about Santa Fe, lots of backpacking, boutiques and pot (:D). Besides that, there’s a thriving arts scene, and the summer opera if you like that.
What’s wrong with Dublin? Isn’t most of the trouble concentrated in Northern Ireland?
I honestly don’t get it either, but this is on the list at my wife’s insistence. The main pro, it seems, is that it’s the cheapest of the four options, and there may be some opportunities to do some hiking, exploring, etc. in “the Rockies”. Essentially, she’s been and I haven’t, and this vacation is primarily for her so it’s on the list. I’m sure we could find some things to do (or just hole up in a nice hotel), but I’ll admit this is the one head-scratcher of the four.
I’m qualified to answer the Boulder question, having lived there 10+ years. And the Santa Fe one, too, having been there enough that we’ve just chosen it as our destination-of-choice for getting out of the Frozen North for several months this winter.
Boulder is a great vacation town, if you’re into hiking, biking, mountains, restaurants, or just generally hanging out. The Pearl Street Mall (pedestrian mall, not shopping mall) is great for wandering up and down, stopping for food, drinks, ice cream, people watching, or whatever. There’s a good crop of buskers and some sort of festival every weekend in the summer.
Within driving distance of Boulder is some kick ass scenery and cute towns to visit. Rocky Mountain National Park is 45 min away and a great place to spend a day. Peak to Peak highway has mountain views that will make you cry. There’s plenty of hiking and biking if that’s what you’re in to.
Santa Fe has much the same, but BIGGER. Fun place to wander around the old town people watching and shopping. More shopping, more bars, more restaurants. More expensive, too.
Outside of Santa Fe is some great scenery but in a desert-and-mesa way, not so much big-snow-covered-mountain way (although those are there if you drive a bit). Taos is an easy day trip. There’s great history in the area, too - old churches, old buildings, etc.
I like both places. We’ve visited them both a few times since leaving the general area, and have had a great time.
Thanks Athena, that was a big help! 
Well, we’ve ruled out Ireland, and it’s essentially come down to Iceland vs. Boulder, with Santa Fe holding one exceptionally unlikely wild card:
My wife loves Aliens & UFO stuff, and the week of our vacation happens to be when the 60th Anniversary of Roswell Festival is. How much does she like Aliens? I think I’m about to learn the definitive answer to that.
In the meantime, the big con against Iceland is that it might be raining the entire time we’re there, and that we don’t really have any of the clothes we’ll need. Of course, one trip to REI could fix that, but that’s putting too much faith in our ability to plan ahead (especially since I’ll be leaving in less than a week for Toronto anyway).
Still, we’re leaning heavily toward that, with Boulder being the saner/cheaper/easier option, which doesn’t mean we won’t have fun, but it doesn’t quite have the same exotic ring to it, eh?
So, anyone else have any opinions on the choices?
I hear you. For me, I’d want Dublin or Iceland, but that’s primarily because I’ve spent a lot of time in the other places you describe. I try to err on the side of new things for vacations.
And there’s different types of vacations, too. Going overseas, for me, is a learning experience. It’s like school, almost. Very fun, but at the same time not really a relaxing vacation. There’s so much new stuff thrown at you all the time that kicking back just doesn’t happen.
Boulder/Santa Fe, on the other hand, are great places to just hang out. No language issues, no having to work out local customs, just have fun.
I’ve heard most Americans can handle the language in Dublin.
You’ve never been on a meeting with the guys in Ireland when they’ve been up for 22 hours straight and the other guy in the U.S. has a thick Southern accent.
I know they THINK they speak English over there, but when the accents get thick, it can be hard to tell.
(My accent is of course, not an accent at all but exactly how English was meant to be spoken - with that flat midwesterness and the Minnesota Fargo-speak).
KNOXVILLE! KNOXVILLE! KNOXVILLE!
er, I mean, Reykjavík.
I thought the title was Vatican Showdown and I, well, I don’t know what I expected but I feel a slight disappointment.
My perspective is so different from yours (or, possibly, your GF’s) that this sounds like an intentionally comical choice, like “Edinburgh or Toledo, Ohio?” or “Paris or Calgary?”
IOW, you’re talking about what for me would be two different classes of vacation trips: Over Seas (expensive, longer time, logistically more difficult, possibly/probably once in a lifetime for that location) or Over Here (cheap (comparatively), shorter time, easier, can go now or later because I can drive there).
So I would never be asking Iceland or Colorado. I might be asking Iceland or Norway, and I might be asking Colorado or Washington, but not Iceland or Colorado. But if I did ask that question, I’d definitely go to Iceland. But then, I’ve been to Boulder several times.
Well, I should say that Iceland is definitely at the top of the To Do list now (up there with China & Prague) so if we don’t go in two weeks, we will definitely go sometime in the future.
The thing is I usually plan and arrange all the trips, packing checklists, etc., but since I’ll be in Toronto, I won’t be able to do any of that (I’m essentially arriving from Toronto and getting back on a flight straightaway, not even returning home) and Mrs. AG is always really really busy, so as appealling as Iceland may be, I want her to relax and not overexert herself (and there are so many cool, but physicall arduous, things to do in Iceland, we’re worried she’ll need a vacation from the vacation).
But she is stoked about it, so right now it’s Iceland (emotional) vs. Boulder (practical) vs. Santa Fe (tin foil hat). I’m going to love spending time with her away-from-it-all regardless, so I have no dog in this hunt. Whatever she thinks will make her happy (though I’m doing my best to objectively throw pros & cons her way, which is why I started this thread) is what I wanna do. 
Yeah, me too. Sigh.
Is this a whoosh? I’m pretty sure Dublin is quite safe these days. On 25 September 2005, international weapons inspectors supervised the full disarmament of the outlawed Irish Republican Army. There was recently a power sharing agreement between Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein. I was there in 2001, and it was completely calm. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable could tell us when the last terrorist act occurred in Dublin.
I think the greatest danger is drinking too much Guinness and Irish whiskey and falling in the River Liffey.
Well, thanks for the input. Given that I’ll just be coming off a Toronto flight and she’ll be subsequently leaving on a Houston flight, we decided Iceland might be a little too much for us–better we spend some longer time out there and not rush things.
So Boulder here we come! Any other suggestions on things not to miss will be most appreciated.