Kathryn:
It is difficult to pick a favourite vacation because anytime my family went away, we had lots of fun and created enough memories to last a lifetime. Having said that, our trip out west to British Columbia in 2000 for my cousin’s wedding ranks right near the top, if only because of how breathtakingly beautiful it was out there. We flew into Calgary (Alberta) and then the next day started our drive to BC (I can still vividly remember driving past the large ski jump in Canada Olympic Park where the 1988 winter Olympics were held and hearing “Who Let The Dogs Out” for the first time). We stopped in Banff and the Columbia Ice Fields (surprisingly chilly and windy out on the glacier in August) before making our way to Kamloops (where we watched the first Survivor finale) and then to Whistler (probably more idyllic in the winter with all the snow but still pretty fantastic in the warmer months). One aspect of the trip that really sticks out in my mind is watching the Rockies get closer and closer as we drove west; Canada’s west coast has hands down some of the most glorious scenery (okay, I might be a little biased). If you ever find yourself on the west coast of Canada, you must go to Lake Louise and dip your feet in (I may or may not have squealed like a little girl at the coldness… it’s glacier water people!).
Aside from the sites we saw, the funny moments add even more enjoyment to any vacation, although so many fall into that “you had to be there” column. For instance: “Don’t be squeamish about Squamish.” “Look it’s a giant potato bug!” That second one had me laughing uncontrollably for several minutes; I wish I’d taken a picture. Okay, so it wasn’t really a potato bug, it was a dome type thing that looked like one. For so many reasons this trip is a favourite of mine, and my family, and I hope that we will be able to make it back out to BC soon.
Amy:
I have to say that my favorite vacation thus far was the Southern Caribbean cruise we went on with my family in June 2010. We left from Puerto Rico, and went to Curacao, St. Thomas, Aruba and Dominica. This was both my husband's and my first cruise and it definitely won't be our last. My three favorite ports were Curacao, Aruba and St. Thomas.
The main attraction we visited in Curacao was The Hope of Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in the Americas. Definitely check it out regardless of your religious beliefs, as it is beautiful.
I can't explain how beautiful the Aruba beaches are, but I hope the picture below does it justice. The ocean is the most turquoise I've ever seen out of all the Southern beaches I've visited. The water doesn't get cold. I swear we could have stayed in the water for hours. That wouldn't have been a good idea because we would have gotten fried. Pink sands...
We were supposed to do on an extraordinary snorkel excursion but of course it rained almost the entire day. However we did walk through the cute town, which has many shops, cafes and restaurants.
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Those do sound like memorable vacations. Mine was in 2004. I was turning 40 in a couple months and for the special birthday, my ex (said I said my ex) wanted me to come visit him in Hawaii. He moved there in 2002. We have stayed really good friends. I was already living with Russ (my current husband, but boyfriend back then). He was happy for me and let me go without a second thought. He took me places he found out about that the tourists don't know about and showed me the Hawaii he had come to love. Prior to our divorce, we had visited different Hawaiian islands every summer. So, the last time was the most memorable and fun.
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