I've got two favorites: The first was our 2-week honeymoon in Hawaii. The islands are amazingly beautiful, the scuba diving quite nice, and the food was consistently excellent.

The other was 18 days in Peru and the Galapagos. It was a tiring trip, the food was merely ok, and there was the obligatory bout of Montezuma's revenge. But Machu Picchu was spectacular, and the Galapagos Islands are everything they appear to be on Discovery Channel shows and more.

i have never taken a vacation
in the entire 11 years i've been in the job world.

every time we've planned one
something has stolen the nest egg
(lost jobs, broken cars, dying pets...)

Why Antarctica? I looked into it a few years ago and there wasn't much about it that seemed interesting (to me), other than the cool factor of going. NCL had a cruise that "stopped" there but it looks like they don't do it any more (now they just have a flyover excursion). I remember the cruise+flight being around $4k-$5k for about 20 days of cruising.

Without a doubt, the best vacations were cruising/hiking in Alaska and Hawaii. Exhausting hikes leading to exhilarating views and ending with jacuzzi soaks.

Hmmm, this is a neat question. I've been alot of places and I've enjoyed them all for different reasons. I'd be willing to go back to any of them too. The only places I've been to twice (so far) are France and Scotland. But the 2nd France trip was more because the opportunity happened to come up.

I love Scotland, the music, the culture, the landscape. And I've had good food there too. I love it so much that I've been there twice and I plan to go again sometime.

Hawai'i is another favorite that I'd love to go back to - just beautiful. The food is great. It's exotic in many ways yet you are still in the US. Interesting history and culture too.

Of course our honeymoon in Nova Scotia is another favorite place - quaint towns, beautiful countryside, friendly people, lots of great food.

Have fun picking your destination!

Why visit for a day when you could work there for months.

http://rpsc.raytheon.com/

It's quite common for people to work a season or two on the ice and spend the interveining season tramping around New Zealand.

Been there, done that. Want to do it again.

Paul - Macchu Picchu is a place I would like to go to, absolutely. My sister is going to Hawaii soon. I'm jealous!

jhimm - Dude. What do you do with your vacation time? I'm assuming you may take a day off here and there to go visit familiy in New Jersey, etc. But...

Jay - Antarctica just has a fascination for me. Not sure I can explain it. Scott & Amundsen's race for the pole, etc. The only Kim Stanley Robinson book I like (the rest are so boooorrring) is called _Antarctica_ and it's a cool fantasy/science fiction story set there with some interesting stuff that happens... Highly recommended.

Er, anyway, wouldn't mind going.

Donna - I kinda agree with you. I'd be willing to go and visit any of the places I've been again.

interested user - I'm not sure I'd pass any sort of psych test saying, "She could be isolated for months at a time with few people around". :-) I'm sure they want to make sure they select the right people to work down there.

New Zealand is on the list for sometime in the next two years.

My favorite vacation was a trip to France, combining Paris, Normandy, and Brittany. The most amazing weather, divine food, and a good blend of history, architecture, and natural beauty. Most memorable was the walk to the Mont St-Michel at low tide.

For 2007, I've found a nifty itinerary for the Bavarian and Austrian Alps. This one promises the fantastic castles of Mad King Ludwig, the cities of Munich and Salzburg, and Berchtesgadener Land, too. (Ix-nay on the Eagle's Nest for me, though.)

Domestically speaking, you really can't go wrong with a lakeside drive in a convertible with the top down on warm summer's day.

Big Dead Place has an, ummm, unconventional view of Antarctica from the viewpoint of working there. Fun to read.

Elke - I love France. Ahhh....

John - That site is funny. Thanks for pointing it out. There's a whole book...I may browse that at the library.

Elke,

We did the Austria and Bavarian alps tour a few years ago; it's a beautiful area. Outside Salzberg, don't miss Wasserspiele at Hellbrunn Palace:

http://www.gasthofschorn.at/en/hellbrunn.shtml

Dachau is just outside Munich. Not pleasant, but worth the visit.