The Coffee House

[SquarePeg45 7]

Flying used to be fun but now it’s an uncomfortable and stressful experience. The train is so much nicer and more relaxing than flying. More space, less hassle, less monotonous view and usually cheaper. But I do love a road trip! Having control over timing, stops, route and fellow passengers makes driving my preferred method of travel for anywhere at or under a full days drive.

 

[snowbear125 56]

Good morning, hosers.

We've decided ti hold off on the (most likely) Boston trip for a little while. We will be making a delivery to ME at the start of the month and the time might be better used working around the house. Maybe a trip in the fall would be better. We're still looking at a day trip, maybe to Assateague to see the horses and drive on the beach. There's also a club member that wants to go to easy off-road trail in the VA mountains.

 

[terri44 15]

Flying used to be fun but now it’s an uncomfortable and stressful experience. The train is so much nicer and more relaxing than flying. More space, less hassle, less monotonous view and usually cheaper. But I do love a road trip! Having control over timing, stops, route and fellow passengers makes driving my preferred method of travel for anywhere at or under a full days drive.

Isn't that the truth! The hubby and I were looking at an actual photo album that he had put together of prints from an extended trip out West - it included flying into Las Vegas (a short stay), then proceeding to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Zion National Park. For the trip we packed camping gear (tent, sleeping bags, etc), backpacks, a "wet backpack" just for hiking down the Virgin River into The Narrows, plus regular suitcases for clothes - AND our camera bags and a tripod.

All we had to do back then was pack everything carefully and carry on the suitcases/camera bags, and stow the rest. Without paying extra. I can can hardly envision doing anything like that now.

 

[SquarePeg45 7]

Good morning, hosers.

We've decided ti hold off on the (most likely) Boston trip for a little while. We will be making a delivery to ME at the start of the month and the time might be better used working around the house. Maybe a trip in the fall would be better. We're still looking at a day trip, maybe to Assateague to see the horses and drive on the beach. There's also a club member that wants to go to easy off-road trail in the VA mountains.

If you're driving up to ME why not combine the two trips and stop in Boston for a few days on your way home? It is prime cherry blossom season right now with the red buds right behind those! Although the cold and rain is cramping my style this weekend, the 6th - 13th looks to be fantastic spring weather here.

 

[snowbear125 56]

If you're driving up to ME why not combine the two trips and stop in Boston for a few days on your way home? It is prime cherry blossom season right now with the red buds right behind those! Although the cold and rain is cramping my style this weekend, the 6th - 13th looks to be fantastic spring weather here.

I like the idea, but ME is strictly a weekend trip. We'll be travelling slower than usual as well: pulling a small trailer so we're going the longer way since I want to avoid the GW bridge. SIL is going with us and she smokes so we'll stop more frequently.

 

[Original katomi]

Hi all, all this talk about driving. Here the problem is trying to get on or off the island. Bank holiday Weekend is manic here. Can be over two hours to get off the island when the grockels (visitors) all decide to go home.

 

[jeffashman19 3]

I work for an airline, but I agree with SquarePeg, flying is no longer a fun experience, so I drive most places, and only fly when I absolutely have to. The airport experience alone is a turn off. I'd rather spend two days on the road than two hours in an airport, and I get to actually see the trees and the mountains and the beautiful farmland.

 

[wobe]

I used to travel very etensively for both work and personal, any trip going, especially to the more weird locations and I was fully signed up.

Now I hate it and avoid as much travel as I possibly can. Luckily, with age and increased seniority, I can now delegate staff to go instead most of the time and I take full advantage of that!

As for trains, unfortunately in the UK they are expensive, very uncomfortable (on our line anyway - if you manage to get a seat at all) and often, depending on the route, populated by swearing/threatening drunks - was not always the way, another form of transport I used to enjoy and now avoid like the plague.

 

[smoke665]

There was a time when work had me crisscrossing the country so much that I would lay the phone book on the nightstand before I went to bed so I'd see it when I woke up and know where I was. It was exciting for a bit but then it got old fast. Nothing more disheartening than being in a terminal on a Friday evening and hearing on the PA that your flight home has been canceled.

 

[limr39 8]

Hey @snowbear , I'm late to the party, but whenever you decide to do the train trip, I'm going to add a vote for Burlington, VT. The ride up the Hudson is beautiful - you're along the river until Albany and then it cuts east a bit then north. Burlington is right on Lake Champlain and it's a fun little town to poke around for a few days. Good breweries.

 

[snowbear125 56]

Thanks, Leo. I know where it is, and have been meaning to get there to see if it's worth putting on the short list for retirement.

 

[jeffashman19 3]

We've started looking for retirement locations, since I've circumnavigated the sun more than sixty times, and retirement is looming on the horizon. Our first option is to stay put, but North Texas isn't cheap. The trick is to balance access to good healthcare with affordable cost of living in an area for someone on a fixed income.

 

[CherylL3 1]

Flying used to be fun but now it’s an uncomfortable and stressful experience. The train is so much nicer and more relaxing than flying. More space, less hassle, less monotonous view and usually cheaper. But I do love a road trip! Having control over timing, stops, route and fellow passengers makes driving my preferred method of travel for anywhere at or under a full days drive.

Flying was great service and plenty of roomy seating back in the day. The only flight I do now is a non-stop to Mexico which is 3 hours. Next trip we have to leave the house at 3am for a 6am flight. Drive an hour, park the car, shuttle, check in, etc. is a day trip in itself. On our return we have our transfer 4 hours before the flight because of major road work just outside the Cancun airport. Hit or miss if it is a 30 minute drive or a 2+ hour drive. Some people have gotten out of the shuttles and walked with bags to the airport.

 

[CherylL3 1]

We've started looking for retirement locations, since I've circumnavigated the sun more than sixty times, and retirement is looming on the horizon. Our first option is to stay put, but North Texas isn't cheap. The trick is to balance access to good healthcare with affordable cost of living in an area for someone on a fixed income.

It is getting to the point that property taxes and home ins will break seniors. We are sorta looking at downsizing options, but waiting until the market evens out a bit. The plan years ago was to move to Mexico. I don't want to miss out on the grands so we are staying in the area.

 

[jeffashman19 3]

It is getting to the point that property taxes and home ins will break seniors. We are sorta looking at downsizing options, but waiting until the market evens out a bit. The plan years ago was to move to Mexico. I don't want to miss out on the grands so we are staying in the area.

We have staying in the area at the top of the list primarily because this is where our kids and grandkids live, otherwise we really have no anchor here. We are fortunate that in two years I get a nice property tax cut, because I will no longer have to pay the school property tax, but it's crazy expensive even then. I've tried to sell my wife on the idea of Belize or Panama (big American expat community in Boquete, in the mountains), but that puts us too far away from the kids. With so much political instability at the moment, things can change drastically between now and retirement time.