Hubby an I always love to rent a house on the lake or ocean. We generally chose a location which is near a city so we can get the ammenities/recreation we want, but have the privacy we crave when we return to our rental cabin. We usually rent for a week, to give us plenty of time to relax before we have to pack up for the return trip.
Just sitting out on the deck and watching the waves roll in is extremely relaxing and romantic. (You can build sand castles if you want, too! :D) Bad weather is even cool, because watching a storm roll in off the water is amazing.
We also love to go to the mountains and hike, or just lay in the hammock and read, occasionally looking up to take in the amazing view.
Now, Hubby and I are not really active vacationers. We tend to want to spend our time more peacefully, away from crowds, so we generally try to stay away from the really popular places. (We took a cruise to Hawaii and hated it.)
My friend always rents condos here when he goes to Puerto Vallarta. He goes twice a year and loves it. He lives not far from you actually (which is where I grew up, btw).
If you want more info than you can find at that site, e me and I’ll get you connected with my friend.
Thailand. After you’ve paid for the flights, you’d be hard pushed to get through $40 a day, including accommodation. And it’s IMO the nicest country in the world in which to vacation.
Aruba is a very nice island IMHO. The weather is 82F year around. Never varies by more that 3-4 degrees. When I first scheduled a trip there, the info said that the newpaper did not even bother to publish a weather report. I called Bullshit, but when I got there I found out I was wrong. NO weather report in the paper. :smack: The island looks kinda like Catalina Island during the summer, only with more humidity.
The main town is on the lee side of the island, and most of the resorts are several miles north of town. Being on the lee side the beaches in front of the resorts have no surf, and the water is crystal clear. If you want surf, go to the windward side of the island.
If you SCUBA dive there are several wrecks that you can dive on. Several of these are in fairly shallow water (30-50’)
The hotels all have casinos if that is your thing.
Shopping is fun in town, Jewelry seems to be a major export of the tourist shops. I bought my lovely wife a new wedding ring to replace the one that had lost its stone. Whle I am no expert in such matter, the prices seems to be very competitive.
The people were all very friendly, and everyone speaks English.
To get there from the west coast you will probably either have to fly through Miami or Puerto Rico.
It is a great island, and I do intend to go back someday. Aruba
If you go, you must, must go have dinner at El Gaucho . One of the finest dinners I have ever eaten.
Yes! Sorry, I completely forgot about that thread till this very moment. Remember the rocket launches at Kaiser in the summer? Good times.
My friend would be happy to answer any of your questions. He’s always raving about his trips there, but he never pulls punches about what he doesn’t like. I’ve known him for 24 years. He won’t feed you any bull. If you want to chat with him, I can pass along his email.
Congratulations! I’ve heard wonderful things about Aruba (pre-Natalie Holloway, of course, but still).
Aren’t most timeshares sold without a personal visit? I thought they were sold via elaborate video and Internet presentations, glossy pamphlets, and enormous sales pressure?
And if so, do you have a link you can share with us?
We bought a timeshare in Aruba last week, sight unseen…