Vacation picture dump (2 Viewers)

[Irish]

Sunday was a short hike on the Appalachian Trail. I had hiked a portion of it before in North Carolina and Tennessee. This time, I hiked about a half mile of it to the amphitheater where the best signal was in the Park. I turned my phone into a hotspot and worked for about 5 hours... Couldn't beat the scenery, though.

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After dinner, we did a easy/moderate hike through the woods to the summit of Black Rock, a collapsed granite cliff with amazing views of the valley. Pictures do not do it justice.

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On Monday, we went to Luray Caverns, which was crazy (but a tourist trap) and also stopped at Cooter's Place, a restaurant and museum on the way back to the Park entrance.

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The temps were a brutal 95°, but it dropped to 85° by the time we hit the Park entrance, and dropped another 5° by the time we got to our camp 3300 feet up in the mountains.

Awesome! Shenandoah is beautiful, the park has some great hikes. Did you get any fresh blackberry ice cream while you were there? Crazy delicious!

And yes the Luray Cavern stop is a tourist trap, but the cave itself is pretty cool. And huge!

 

[Boother36]

I turned my phone into a hotspot and worked for about 5 hours....

I thought this thread was a VACATION picture dump?!?!?! WTF!!!

 

[WedgeRock]

Did you get any fresh blackberry ice cream while you were there? Crazy delicious!

I did not. And now I regret not asking in advance for anyone who had been there.

I thought this thread was a VACATION picture dump?!?!?! WTF!!!

It was with great humility and hat in hand that I asked the park ranger whether there was decent cell coverage in the park. I was planning a 25 mile drive to Panera's in town when she suggested the amphitheater.

 

[chrismurda]

Cannon Beach, Oregon - June 21, 2024

 

[Taghkanic]

I honestly can’t remember the last time I took a vacation. The paradox of working for yourself is that you can take time off anytime you want, but weekends and holidays become sort of irrelevant. You can give yourself time off but it’s just delaying your own goals... I did travel for four days to a WSOP circuit event this year, but I was grinding about 16 hours a day… Not sitting by the pool!

 

[WedgeRock]

On our last day in Shenandoah National Park, we hit another stretch of the AT. This one was a half mile loop right around our camp grounds!

My nephew:

Deuce, taking in the view:

I did not do this.

There was exhausting hike down to a waterfall, but my phone was on the solar panel charging (no electricity for five days), so I hafta get the pics from my son, who had his phone.

We broke camp on Thursday and headed to Virginia Beach, stopping at Jefferson's home, Monticello, and the colonial bookends, Jamestown (the first permanent English settlement in America)

...and Yorktown, the final battle of the Revolutionary War. Besides the Church, there was not much to see at Jamestown, but to be walking where the first settlers lived was surreal. They have a museum there too with some pretty amazing stories and artifacts.

At Yorktown, this is the house where Cornwallis agreed to terms of the Capitulation with George Washington and the French:

Surrender Field, where the ceremonial surrender took place and the Brits laid down their arms, turned over their colors and became POWs (except for Cornwallis and his Officers, who sailed back to England)

British armament surrendered

The Visitors Center had a small museum with Lord Cornwallis' desk, given to the Americans and the tent that George Washington slept in. It also had an interactive topographical map of the days before the battle leading up to the assault on Yorktown. If not for the French, the war would have continued on after Yorktown.

Virginia Beach was the typical east coast tourist trap, but the ocean was amazing.

The moon on Friday night:

...and sunrise on Saturday morning from the balcony of our hotel:

 

[Mr Winberg]

Great week in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria

 

[Tonysquander]

 

[Saoliver]

 

[Eriks]

In Madrid, beautiful city but hot af. Start heading north today, hitting Logroño, Pamplona, San Sebastian and more.

 

[rrobyrrroby]

Sardegna, italia

 

[Budha]

Sunday was a short hike on the Appalachian Trail. I had hiked a portion of it before in North Carolina and Tennessee. This time, I hiked about a half mile of it to the amphitheater where the best signal was in the Park. I turned my phone into a hotspot and worked for about 5 hours... Couldn't beat the scenery, though, and at least now I can say that I hiked the AT to work...

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After dinner, it was back to the AT (note the white blaze) for a easy/moderate hike through the woods; the trail was easy, the elevation gain made it moderate. It was a circuit trail leading to the summit of Black Rock, a collapsed granite cliff with amazing views of the valley. Pictures do not do it justice. We added a blue blaze (recreational) loop for more amazing views.

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On Monday, we went to Luray Caverns, which was crazy (but a tourist trap) and also stopped at Cooter's Place, a restaurant and museum on the way back to the Park entrance.

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They were supposed to have Boss Hogg's Caddy too, but I didn't see it.

The temps were a brutal 95°, but it dropped to 85° by the time we hit the Park entrance, and dropped another 5° by the time we got to our camp 3300 feet up in the mountains.

Thats just asking for an ambush - lol

The Shenandoah is awesome!! I lived not far from there and we used to do a 3 day canoe float. Great small mouth fishing!

 

[desselBANE]

The Le Blanc in Cancun. One of the best resorts in Cancun, it was amazing.

 

[Eriks]

Logroño and the main tapas street

Some Rioja wine touristing

 

[Boother36]

From our current RV trip - this is the sunset bomb-fire party on Stearns Beach in Ludington, Michigan. You can see the Ludington lighthouse in the background as well as the S.S. Badger, on its way to Manitowac, Wisconsin. The S.S. Badger is the last coal-fired passenger steamship in operation in the United States!

 

[Irish]

From our current RV trip - this is the sunset bomb-fire party on Stearns Beach in Ludington, Michigan. You can see the Ludington lighthouse in the background as well as the S.S. Badger, on its way to Manitowac, Wisconsin. The S.S. Badger is the last coal-fired passenger steamship in operation in the United States!

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Great fishing out of Ludington! We got to see the SS Badger up close and personal on our way out in the morning, quite a ship.

 

[Irish]

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This was, uh, quite the place. Like if Costco and a Love's truck stop had a baby (close cousin of South of the Border lol)

Pretty damn good brisket though!

 

[Eriks]

San Sebastian

 

[NVFlip]

This was, uh, quite the place. Like if Costco and a Love's truck stop had a baby (close cousin of South of the Border lol)

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Pretty damn good brisket though!
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Last time I was at a bucees those sandwiches were around $6. They were freaking delicious. I had a pulled pork and brisket sammich.

 

[Saoliver]

This was, uh, quite the place. Like if Costco and a Love's truck stop had a baby (close cousin of South of the Border lol)

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Pretty damn good brisket though!
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[Eriks]

More San Sebastian

Jesus Christ super star!

@k9dr

 

[Irish]

Hahahahaha, this was one of the last billboards on the trip home last night:

We stopped off on the way home to gas up and grab lunch and a snack. Leftovers for breakfast this morning...

 

[Eriks]

A new want was unlocked

 

[k9dr]

A new want was unlocked

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I have one for sale here in Florida. You can come stay at the beach for a week, then just drive it home when you are ready to leave.

 

[WedgeRock]

Where did I go (no googling)?

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

Few pics of my one-week vacation in Sicity in May.
I stayed between Trapani and Palermo.

Day 1 - Drive from Palermo airport to Trapani + visit of Segesta

Highway Palermo airport - Trapani

Arrived in Trapani, the first thing we did is find a place where we could buy an arancina :

During our first day, we visited the archelogical site of Segesta where there is an unfinished temple (the temple of Hera) as well as an ancient amphitheater.

Back in Trapani, she HAD to get her cannolo ahah.

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

Day 2 - San Vito Lo Capo

We first enjoyed a sunny morning in Trapani.

And then headed to San Vito Lo Capo, a beach with crystal clear water.

And here, a last picture back in Trapani at the evening.

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

Day 3 - Erice

Day 3 was dedicated to the visit of Erice, a small medieval town on top of a mountain next to Trapani.

Let's start with some pictures of our B&B from where, we can see Erice on top of the mountain.

And then, few pictures from Erice.

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

Day 4 - Castellammare del Golfo and Scopello

That day, we first headed to a belvedere offering a view on Castellammare del Golfo. The view was amazing !

And then we spent the afternoon at the beach of Scopello which is really close to that place.

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

Day 5 - Tonnara di Scopello and Riserva dello Zingaro

That day, we first went to Tonnara di Scopello.

And then we went to the Riserva dello Zingaro where we had a small hike to reach to a small beach with crystal clear water.

During our first trip in Sicily, in Sep-23, we met him as a kitten as we used to eat at the same restaurant in Trapani for a couple of evenings and during this trip, for our last lunch in Trapani, we had the pleasure to meet him again under our table at the same restaurant !