Johnson Space Center, here in Houston Texas. Go to the Space Center Houston to get a tour of JSC, including the Apollo-era Mission Control Center. The tour includes different things of nerdly interest depending on what is going on.
I think the first LEGOland in Billund, Denmark has additional nerd value.
I know Tokyo’s not that unusual a vacation destination, but I’ve always thought of Joypolis, the Sega theme park, as the ultimate nerd playground.
Greenwich. With the Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, and Greenwich Park (the UK’s oldest enclosed Royal Park), there’s plenty for science and history nerds alike!
Answer: They don’t go on vacation. They’re nerds.
What?
Disney Star Wars theme weekends http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/special-events/star-wars-weekend/
Wherever you go, include some Geocaching.
Wow – thanks everyone! Especially Anne Neville, who pointed out that a very similar thread already exists (and in a nice way!). All of your suggestions are fantastic, but in response to Balthisar’s question, I suppose I mean a D&D-playing, videogame-FAQ-writing, toy-collecting, anime-watching, occasionally-cosplaying-but-not-comfortable-talking-about-it-in-public sort of nerd.
Is anyone doing bus tours?
Nerds with a lot of time and money, apparently, love flying to New Zealand to check out all the locations where Peter Jackson shot “Lord of the Rings.”
Or, there’s always a pilgrimmage to JRR Tolkien’s grave.
I recently learned about a quilting cruise to Alaska. For quilting nerds.
Pittsburg is great place for a nerd vacation. Loads of fantastic bridges. Amazing building designs all over downtown. George Westinghouse and Andrew Carnage stuff. The home of Heintz ketchup. It’s just a great city far people interested in unusual things.
These links seem to be seeking me out lately. It’s kind of like when you start dating someone new, and they drive a mint-green Cadillac DeVille, you suddenly start seeing them everywhere . . . is there a name for that? (Besides “stalking” of course, because -yes- I see now that is in fact Vinny again . . .)
Ahem. Anyhoo, here’s another one that popped up:
Two places no one thas mentioned on this thread yet: Powell’s City of Books in Portland, OR, and the Akihabara district of Tokyo, which is full of electronics stores and maid cafes.
What about any vacation that centers around traveling to a Con of some sort. My friend is desperately trying to get me to plan a vacation around Dragoncon in Atlanta. If I could afford it I would. I always plan a mini vacation around Macworld every January (not sure what I’ll do now that Apple has pulled out).
But you’ve missed us blowing up an old bridge.
Another nerdy place to go for a vacation is the city of Buffalo NY. Back around 1900 it was one of the most up and coming cities in the country. This is reflected in a lot of the really cool things that are still left over from this era. The history of electrical generation is interesting in Buffalo and I think it was the first city in the USA to be electrified. The Erie canal and all it’s history and importance to the USA is good to look into. Some of the first skyscrapers in the world were built there and they are beautiful. It’s also sadly a good study in severe urban decay and the results of cutting up a city with expressways. I Like Buffalo and always enjoy visiting there.
“Maid cafes”? Are they what I think they are (Anna Miller’s)?
I confess I spent way too much time looking at the google map of Mae East. Kinda bummed me out it was across the street from a mall. I’ve always imagined it being much larger, more intimidating and far more secure. Or at least I hoped so.
Then again, maybe it was 12 stores below ground with nuclear rockets, hungry lions and rabid feminists guarding the NOC.