Don't forget Canada. I'd love to show you Niagara Falls!

Skunkee, I would love that - maybe I'll take you up on that in 2008!

This is something I've discussed with a number of other married men and they all agree. I think you'd find if all the others were telling the truth, this would be their answer:

When you have holidays, i.e. a break from work, your wife has a list of at least 100 things to do and instead of having a rest (because that what recreation leave {that's what annual leave is called around here} is supposed to be)you find yourself having to go back to work to take a break! Even if you have an understanding wife or she's forgaotten to write the list, you sit around for half a day and think "I really should fix the fence" or "I really should paint the bedrooms" or something like that.

The reason we married men go away on holidays is so that doesn't happen. If you're away from home, you can't do that. Despite that, when you go away, your wife will make you cook and clean, so that she can have a break!

My husband does the cooking and we share the cleaning, so when we go anywhere, we usually both clean like mad people so get the house absolutely spotless before we leave, so that when we come home, it will be VERY relaxing. The last time we went on a trip, to visit his mother, he actually did cook about half the meals, but only because he wanted to show his mom some recipes.

Because I can!

My wife and I regard our holidays as an adventure, and an opportunity to spend quality time together after both pursuing highly stressful careers.
Having raised our families, it is now "our" time and we always make sure that our destinations fit exacting criteria:

Small intimate hotels in a quiet location - town or country.

No children under 12

Good local cuisine rather than "tourist" food

Flights at sociable departure time from either of the two local airports.

No extremes of climate.

We always book our own flights, car hire and hotel - much cheaper and more controllable....

To this end, we have had many holidays over the past few years to some wonderful parts of the world. Probably the highspot was Seychelles although the downside was the extreme humidity and an overlong flight.

Europe is still our favourite with probably Spain and France topping the list. There are now so many boutique exclusive hotels with maximum of 8 to 10 suites which satisfy all the criteria. Strangely enough they are not all prohibitively expensive and often cheaper than a package tour to a huge 5* establishment .

Our ultimate nightmare holiday is a cruise!

I never realized how lots of women felt about vacations or camping until I lived in Europe.
My mother always took it in her stride as being in the mountains makes her joyous. She just called me up at ten thirty pm and said they'd been on a four hour hike with the two youngest grandchildren, rock climbing with the little one that I'd have loved to have seen his Spidey impression, and hauling water and lunch on their backs. They're fit seniors thank God and still kicking more than I am.
When we were young, mom set up camp in the mountains with no running water, a gas stove, no roof on the kitchen and two tents and a cat, dog and four kids. She was always as happy as a lark up there.
So when I realized that some women really felt this a burden to have to do normal work in more primitive conditions, I was surprised.
I realized that my mother in law or other French women for example, did the bulk of the housework, so found that camping was no rest and even worse than during the year.
My mother in law deemed this time to be taken care of a bit more than usual and thankfully, her husband did too.

We used to stay in apts all over France when the children were younger and the French really regulate tourism so that everyone is vigilant for abuse of people renting out things and being dishonest. In June, people start in on their watchdog type programs about how to avoid summer rip offs.
We'd just go to the town hall and find lists of renters and manage that way each year.
We almost never reserved until we had two kids. Two kids were much harder to get into a room because of what SMW says, the smaller hotels cater to couples without kids and really do great meals and basically do not wish to disturb their clientele with noisy children. MInd you, lots of French children managed very well but, with the first one, we tried to manage in the Logis de France type hotels and it was hellish. All eyes are upon you when you go down to the dining room and a baby feels this great instinctive urge to cry or whine!

The apts we rented were great, fully equipped and the price was wonderful. That way you could take advantage of the local foods and shopping for food.
The French leave nothing to chance in those kitchens and you have all sorts of equipment available. You never have to go pick up a corkscrew or a coffee filter.
In Italy, we often stayed with relatives, but occasionally in hotels and that's interesting. I found I was more at ease in Italy with my children because the hotel owners always loved them.

In Greece, we were really welcomed with open arms because our daughter spoke about four words and charmed them and we had our own inflatable bed and didn't ask for special favors. I can honestly say that the Greeks were really hospitable and gave us information about the area etc.

Traveling in the UK is much better now, but, there are still a few hiccups in tourism in the UK. If you want a 'family room', you must really search for one because not all of the hotels have the room to block that much space. I mean in the countryside. A real 'hotel' costs a lot more than other solutions in some places and doesn't always include breakfast. A B and B is a waste on some families because the full English breakfast is a lot for some of us and if you pay for it, you feel compelled to eat it each morning. I last about two days, then, just want cereal.
We had a Novotel Accor card then, and though they are rather anonymous looking, they cater to families with kids and business people. They simply gave us fantastic deals that made us feel better about not frequenting smaller more charming places held by locals.
For the price of a smaller B and B in the country for four people, you'd have a buffet and other advantages and the kids were free.
We did stay in several of them, the Lake Country, Scotland and Cornwall, so, the kids had some local color or colour I suppose.


The aforementioned baby is now the one who organizes trips for us. She's taken over the arrangements and is quite capable of getting deals on the phone with her grownup voice. It always cracks me up to hear her negotiating prices like a pro.

In America, I tend to find deals online and I'm not too bad at it. If you can get discounts, you can manage quite well now and they are trying to include breakfast in their deals more and more.

I go on vacation because I am fascinated by history and natural wonders. Trying to get across this country and see eveything I can before this old body gives out. Talk about heat-nominate me for the idiot award.
Badlands in South Dakota dressed in all black in 107 degree heat. Loved it though . Never left my own country-havent seen all of it yet. Alaska next year on a cruise-cant wait.

We did the Alaskan cruise this year - it was incredible!

I cant wait for the cruise-I'm a big waterfall junkie-and I like to go places with the awsome scenery. Seen Niagara(from both sides) and most of the falls of the UP of Michigan, and many in New York, Sioux Falls in SD and am just looking for more great visuals-figured Alaska might be a good place to start(not to mention the salmon).

Since we see so much in our day to day travels, our holidays usually consist of visiting with family members and just "vegging out". But I am oh so looking forward to our Alaskan cruise next year. We did the Western Carribean cruise last year and had a wonderful time for the seven days we were there, but Alaska is the place we want to be!

Camping, you can keep it. When I was young, as in teenager, camping was all that I could afford so I went several times. I love Cornwall and spent several holidays there. Then I went camping with a girlfriend when we were 24, again for a cheap holiday. Later my ex-husband bought a camper van when our children were young, we took it to France (and Spain once) and it was appalling. As has been said, doing the chores but with none of the conveniences of home. Cooking, washing up, washing clothes and then not being able to have a nice hot soak in the tub - no thanks.

I can quite understand visiting the same place a number of times, I have been to Cornwall quite a few times over the years, Ibiza a couple of times, also Majorca, Cyprus, Tenerife and if I hadn't been ill last year, I would have been in Crete for the second time.

Well, I have to say my main vacation goal is rest and relaxation! I have the luxury of most family members close enough to visit in a day trip, so that's not an issue.
My husband and I took a Southern Caribbean cruise in 1999 for our 20th wedding anniversary, and I was hooked. I love nothing more than sitting on a chair staring out into the distance with nothing but the ocean as far as the eye can see. No phone, no doorbell, no bills in the mail! We went on another with my in-laws in 2001, and are planning a 3rd in March. As a mother of 4, who has homeschooled for 16 years, being waited on hand and foot is heaven for me! The only problem with cruising is that we can't afford to do it often....
We do go up to a state park for a week in the summer occasionally, and I enjoy that. The family understands that I am on vacation, too, so everyone pitches in even more than at home. We stay in a cabin - I draw the line at sleeping on the ground - there's no running water, but there is electricity. For me, most of the work of a camping trip is all the packing of equipment, food, etc. and coming home with so much dirty stuff! After we get there and get all set up, it is very restful.

To satisfy our addiction.......
And for all of the above.

In the last year we had 6 days in Hong Kong. Poluted water, poluted air, too many people, to many buildings, but strangely, Hong Kong and the outlying islands are one of the most intriquing places we've been.
6 Days in Romania, Stayed with family, drank Sweeka the Romanian way... quickly!
7 Days in Gran Canaria...... laid in the sun and drank Cocktails !
4 days in Amsterdam. Surprise birthday,last weekend. Met friends there.
Two camping trips in between, Sennen cove Cornwall,and New Forest.

Just say NO to holidays kids !! It ain't worth it. Small mini breaks "do" lead to full blown, two week vacations!
Rehab is not an option..... they're great places too visit !

Regards


Ian