I do not vacation with my Wife?!

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, Alleycat72 said:

Oddly enough my Wife and I are talking my oldest Daughter to Chattanooga for the weekend. LOL 

Going to do the dinner train. 

Let us know how that turns out. I wasn’t aware of a dinner train in Chattanooga.

[Alleycat72]

51 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Let us know how that turns out. I wasn’t aware of a dinner train in Chattanooga.

https://www.tvrail.com/

 

[Handsome Rob]

Jules & I have had exactly 1 'vacation' together in 27 years & that was a week in a tent to see if we could stand to be around each other long enough to move in together. 

The last time we took any kind of trip together was in 2012 to renew our I94s

We live & work together & we are together pretty much 24/7 & we both understand that, occasionally, we need our own space for a while. She'll grab the most portable dog & usually go spend a few days in an AirBnB near a State park so she can go walk around in peace & quiet. 

I generally do one or two longer hunting trips, either out west or Texas or somewhere. Neither of us understand 'Beach' vacations, although I really enjoy sitting & watching a rod tip, waiting for a decent Redfish to bite. 

We also hardly ever eat together. She's vegetarian & although she doesn't mind, I won't ask her to deal with meat on my behalf. She also thinks dinner time is 5:30 while it's actually around 7ish (9-10 if I'm engrossed in doing something interesting) Sunday nights, after work, we do enjoy settling down with a good,  home made, gluten free pizza though. 

 

[Alleycat72]

16 minutes ago, Handsome Rob said:

Jules & I have had exactly 1 'vacation' together in 27 years & that was a week in a tent to see if we could stand to be around each other long enough to move in together. 

The last time we took any kind of trip together was in 2012 to renew our I94s

We live & work together & we are together pretty much 24/7 & we both understand that, occasionally, we need our own space for a while. She'll grab the most portable dog & usually go spend a few days in an AirBnB near a State park so she can go walk around in peace & quiet. 

I generally do one or two longer hunting trips, either out west or Texas or somewhere. Neither of us understand 'Beach' vacations, although I really enjoy sitting & watching a rod tip, waiting for a decent Redfish to bite. 

We also hardly ever eat together. She's vegetarian & although she doesn't mind, I won't ask her to deal with meat on my behalf. She also thinks dinner time is 5:30 while it's actually around 7ish (9-10 if I'm engrossed in doing something interesting) Sunday nights, after work, we do enjoy settling down with a good,  home made, gluten free pizza though. 

 

LOL

Everything I do is on Eastern time even though I've always lived in the central time zone due to my job. It's also in military format. We eat lunch 11:00 human time and dinner and 5:00 human time. It confuses the s%÷t out of everyone that walks in the house. 

[Handsome Rob]

43 minutes ago, Alleycat72 said:

LOL

Everything I do is on metric time even though I've always lived in the central time zone due to my job. It's also in military format. We eat lunch 11:00 human time and dinner and 5:00 human time. It confuses the s%÷t out of everyone that walks in the house. 

[Alleycat72]

4 minutes ago, Handsome Rob said:

Stones ant metric. LOL

[Handsome Rob]

6 minutes ago, Alleycat72 said:

Stones ant metric. LOL

To be fair, they're not a measure of time either

[Alleycat72]

6 minutes ago, Handsome Rob said:

To be fair, they're not a measure of time either

[Alleycat72]

Half way through dinner and I think people who are into trains would love it. Apparently you can ride on a steam engine train. 

[monkeylizard]

On 10/7/2024 at 3:14 PM, Chucktshoes said:

Cruise line selection will play a huge part in the ability to enjoy a cruise. 

 

Don't ever go Carnival.

Wal-Mart of the Seas

[Elmo Fudpucker]

29 yrs married and still happily. We're not big TV watchers per se, but on the weekends my wife will chill out and watch Hallmark and Great American Family movies, most of which I can't stand. She hates the action stuff I like to watch. So we usually end up watching different things in two different rooms when we do. I'll sometimes break down and watch something with her she is watching just to spend time with her. She'll sometimes do things with me she doesn't really care to do. That's called relationship. 

When it comes to vacations, fortunately we both mostly like doing the same things. We both don't like the beach and would much rather be in a cabin in Gatlinburg or the like. 

[OldIronFan]

Today is the 24th wedding anniversary for my wife and I but 26 years together total. From nearly the beginning we have taken separate vacations and vacations together nearly every year. 

She likes the beach. If I am near the ocean I need to be on a boat with a fishing pole in hand. Even when we take a beach vacation together we spend our days apart, we do normally go to dinner together though. She also does the girls week at the beach with some of the girlfriends fairly often and I skip that. 

I ride my motorcycles a lot and enjoy travel by motorcycle including camping off the bike. I ride in excess of 25,000 miles a year many years. She likes to ride for an hour or two and stay in the local area when riding with me. I have no issue riding in excess of 500 miles a day or going to the other side of the country on a whim. Her idea of camping is a 2 star hotel.

She does get a touch jealous when I am stopping places she would love to see but not jealous enough to ride there with me. to combat that I have flown her out in the middle of some of my trips so she could spend a couple days with me in a new area/city.

Next big ride will be Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. I will fly her into Halifax so she can ride the Cabot Trail with me for a couple days before I drop her back off for a flight home while I head to the Newfoundland via ferry and ride the Trans Labrador highway back around to Quebec. She will probably only ride 500 of the ~8000 mile trip with me.  For my ~11,000 mile trip to Tuktoyaktuk and Alaska she has stated that I must also be willing to go on an Alaskan Cruise with her so she can see Alaska as well. She has no desire to ride with me in Alaska since she is not comfortable riding pilon off-road. I figured that was a fine compromise since I get to see Alaska twice!

We both love travel in general so we will pick a city or country we want to visit and plan a trip together every year or so. We normally spend a week exploring a new place. We love to walk and eat our way through a city. We do some of the tourist stuff but most of the time we try to "live" there for a week and get a feel for the place. We will go to a show/play/concert most places as well if we can find something interesting that still has tickets available.

Edited October 14 by OldIronFan

[steveo50]

My wife is my best friend, really my only friend ha, and we do most everything together. That being said, I like alone time and there’s a few things I’d like to do myself one day when the kids are older; ride a motorcycle across the country, and backpack in the Bob Marshall wilderness in MT. I also plan on lots of solo hiking/fly fishing trips when I’m older. 

[OldIronFan]

1 hour ago, steveo50 said:

... there’s a few things I’d like to do myself one day when the kids are older; ride a motorcycle across the country,...

Last year I did exactly that. So worth it. I will be doing several more versions of this taking different routes, i.e. more northern or central. 

My basic route was Middle TN -> Northern NM -> Moab UT -> Grand Canyon NP -> RT66 to Las Vegas -> Death Valley NP -> Joshua Tree NP -> San Diego, CA -> Junction, TX -> Jacksonville Beach Florida -> Richmond, VA -> Middle TN. 

17 days, 7300 miles. 

[steveo50]

1 hour ago, OldIronFan said:

Last year I did exactly that. So worth it. I will be doing several more versions of this taking different routes, i.e. more northern or central. 

My basic route was Middle TN -> Northern NM -> Moab UT -> Grand Canyon NP -> RT66 to Las Vegas -> Death Valley NP -> Joshua Tree NP -> San Diego, CA -> Junction, TX -> Jacksonville Beach Florida -> Richmond, VA -> Middle TN. 

17 days, 7300 miles. 

That sounds awesome! I’d really like to incorporate highway 1 in California if it hasn’t fell into the ocean by the time I retire. 

[OldIronFan]

1 hour ago, steveo50 said:

That sounds awesome! I’d really like to incorporate highway 1 in California if it hasn’t fell into the ocean by the time I retire. 

Highway 1 would be fun. Don't wait to long. I am a solid 10 to 15 years from retirement and I have been doing at least 1 long trip every year on the bike. Before the one I already mentioned I did a loop all the way around the Great Lakes and crossed most of Ontario. Also did a bunch of A1A with a little I-95 down to Key West and back to TN.

After Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, the Yukon, and Alaska I will probably be headed to Baja and other points south. I would love to do South America but that will probably require shipping a bike there or just flying in and buying one there. 

[res308]

Well, I did it. Went somewhere with the wife. She booked us a little cabin in Townsend because she wanted us to get away for a couple days. At least I was thankful for that because I despise Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area. Way too many people there. Keep in mind that I'm not much on traveling. My preferred version of "getting away" is to take the four wheeler to the woods and set up a tarp and hammock. Can't get her to do that though.

I don't really know what the deal with this trip was, but aside from having great food each time we ate, everything we tried to do sucked. Even the cabin sucked. Neither one of us slept well at all. I told her when I got up yesterday morning that I really think I'd have been more comfortable hanging upside down in a tree. We were eating at a cafe on the way out yesterday and laughing together about how badly everything had gone. The whole thing was just weird. At least I did most of the driving, so I wasn't having to remain in a state of abject fear most of the time. 

[Alleycat72]

My Wife and I have been struggling on a vacation for just us. I hate the idea of a cruise. I just don't understand the appeal. I've always wanted to go to Alaska. She has never seen the appeal of Alaska. I had an opportunity to move there once and didn't because she wouldn't be happy. She technically didn't say no, but she really comes first just don't tell her I said so. Cruise.......Alaska........Alaska........cruise....... I may have a compromise. LOL

[gregintenn]

1 minute ago, Alleycat72 said:

My Wife and I have been struggling on a vacation for just us. I hate the idea of a cruise. I just don't understand the appeal. I've always wanted to go to Alaska. She has never seen the appeal of Alaska. I had an opportunity to move there once and didn't because she wouldn't be happy. She technically didn't say no, but she really comes first just don't tell her I said so. Cruise.......Alaska........Alaska........cruise....... I may have a compromise. LOL

I wouldn't be opposed to an Alaskan cruise. The part I hated about the cruises I went on was the fact they were bargain basement, long weekend affairs. This seems to attract the dregs of society. I'm guessing you'd deal with a different class of fellow travelers in Alaska. The food and entertainment is great, and the price is fair for what you get.

[OldIronFan]

4 minutes ago, Alleycat72 said:

My Wife and I have been struggling on a vacation for just us. I hate the idea of a cruise. I just don't understand the appeal. I've always wanted to go to Alaska. She has never seen the appeal of Alaska. I had an opportunity to move there once and didn't because she wouldn't be happy. She technically didn't say no, but she really comes first just don't tell her I said so. Cruise.......Alaska........Alaska........cruise....... I may have a compromise. LOL

Keys to an great Alaska Cruise. 

1) Choose a small boat that can actually go into Glacier Bay. It will cost a bit more but is worth it. Many of the larger vessels can not navigate into the bay. Talk to a pro who knows the route your specific boat travels through the bay so you can book a room with a balcony on the correct side of the ship. That way you can sit in your room and see the glacier faces and not have to go crowd up to the rail on the opposite side of the ship. 

2) Book a package that includes a couple days off the boat on the train to the interior of Alaska. Both my parents and my in-laws said the interior trip by rail was the highlight of their Alaska cruises. 

3)  The above more or less dictates this but book a one way Cross Gulf route. You will see more of Alaska including Whittier and the Hubbard Glacier. You will still see much of the Inside Passage but you will not cover the same ground twice. This comes with a bit more airfare costs since you are booking two one way routes from different airports instead of round trip but it is not that much higher. You can also plan your package with a couple extra days at either end so you spend more time there between the boat and your flights. 

[FUJIMO]

3 hours ago, Alleycat72 said:

My Wife and I have been struggling on a vacation for just us. I hate the idea of a cruise. I just don't understand the appeal. I've always wanted to go to Alaska. She has never seen the appeal of Alaska. I had an opportunity to move there once and didn't because she wouldn't be happy. She technically didn't say no, but she really comes first just don't tell her I said so. Cruise.......Alaska........Alaska........cruise....... I may have a compromise. LOL

Been there, done that, got the pics

14 day land/sea combination cruise. Land was bus, train, then to the ship for the other half. Amazing time, excellent food, accommodations were spot on. Mind you this was pre covid and major changes in the travel industry have taken place since then.

Let me know if you need any help

[papa61]

5 hours ago, OldIronFan said:

Keys to an great Alaska Cruise. 

1) Choose a small boat that can actually go into Glacier Bay. It will cost a bit more but is worth it. Many of the larger vessels can not navigate into the bay. Talk to a pro who knows the route your specific boat travels through the bay so you can book a room with a balcony on the correct side of the ship. That way you can sit in your room and see the glacier faces and not have to go crowd up to the rail on the opposite side of the ship. 

2) Book a package that includes a couple days off the boat on the train to the interior of Alaska. Both my parents and my in-laws said the interior trip by rail was the highlight of their Alaska cruises. 

3)  The above more or less dictates this but book a one way Cross Gulf route. You will see more of Alaska including Whittier and the Hubbard Glacier. You will still see much of the Inside Passage but you will not cover the same ground twice. This comes with a bit more airfare costs since you are booking two one way routes from different airports instead of round trip but it is not that much higher. You can also plan your package with a couple extra days at either end so you spend more time there between the boat and your flights. 

This is on our list of things we both want to do. My wife and I neither like being apart. We don't do a lot but we do it together. It works for us, she will go to the range or gun show with me even though she has no interest in either. Luckily, neither of us likes the beach and we both love the mountains. If we were in better shape I'm sure we'd do a lot of hiking. But whatever works for you is what you should do. Everyone is different so every couple is different.

[Ivorinee]

It sounds like you and your wife have found a system that works really well for both of you, even if it’s not the “traditional” way couples vacation. I think it’s great that you’ve both recognized your differences and found a way to enjoy life without forcing each other into situations that would cause stress. It’s not odd—it’s practical and shows mutual respect.

In my family, we like to mix solo and shared activities too. This summer, my wife and I are planning a trip to a new water park in Florida, something we both enjoy. If you’re ever considering a fun family activity, I’d recommend looking into it. You can check amenities to make sure it suits your needs. Flexibility and understanding are key in any relationship, and it sounds like you’ve nailed that balance perfectly!

Edited December 10 by Ivorinee