Time Share Talk
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Just curious Gip how old are you now and did you always travel?
I used to travel every year until I was in an auto accident which has slowed me way down. I'll be 67 in September mentally I sure don't act or feel 67 more like 27.
Did a fair amount of traveling for work seminars, plant visits and troubleshooting in my 20s and 30s. We also went on vacation every year even before we were married only repeat visit was Oahu, Hawai'i. Our honeymoon was to Mexico City and Acapulco, great trip!
Just curious Gip how old are you now and did you always travel?
I used to travel every year until I was in an auto accident which has slowed me way down. I'll be 67 in September mentally I sure don't act or feel 67 more like 27.
Did a fair amount of traveling for work seminars, plant visits and troubleshooting in my 20s and 30s. We also went on vacation every year even before we were married only repeat visit was Oahu, Hawai'i. Our honeymoon was to Mexico City and Acapulco, great trip!
I am 65. I think you can say that I have been traveling as a "serious hobby" since about 1997., but I would travel quite a bit before that. When we were kids in the 50s and 60s my Dad would take us on summer vacations to the Smoky Mtns, Shenandoah, New England. Camping trips. In college I would do spring break to Florida a few years. I also did some "guy" trips back then....went to Maine, Colorado and few other spots. I then started going to Kiwanis Conventions in 1985...Toronto, St. Louis, Montreal, DC, Anaheim, Denver, Miami, Nashville. I bought my timeshare while at a Kiwanis Convention in Las Vegas. That is when I started really keeping track. I had a goal to have been in all 50 states by the time I was 50, and I did that. Hit the last two: Hawaii in 2001 and Alaska in 2002...when I was 50. I have been on a National Park kick since. At one time I had been to every designated National Park in Continental US....but then they added one out in Calif. that I have not been to yet (Pinnacles). There are now 59 national parks. I have been to 52. The one newest one in Cal., one in American Samoa...and 5 in Alaska, which are unreachable by auto. You must take a float plane to get to them.
There are a total of 417 National Park units (inclusive of the 59 national parks). I have now been to 326 of them. (They have actually added 5 to the total just this year.).
I have concentrated mostly on the USA....but I have actually also been to all of these Canadian Provinces:: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and The Yukon. The only ones I have not been to are Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
I have only been to Europe twice and visited England, France and Ireland. (but I do have 5-6 places I do want to see in the future) A few times, before it was super crazy, I took a couple of trips just over the border into Mexico...at Tijuana and Nogales. Plus I did spend a week in Puerto Vallarta. Would not do the border thing now. I have been to the Caribbean only a couple of times, to the Cayman Islands and to St. John/St. Thomas USVI. I do have St. Croix and Puerto Rico on my bucket list as the only remaining Carrib. spots I have much interest in.
I have never been on a cruise. (though, my wife would love to do that)
Would I go? Maybe..if one made a stop in PR of St. Cx for a couple of days, but they don't do that.
Never been to S. America, Asia or Australia.
Edit: note, I have just been on my travel chat room in the last few days and the subject of Acapulco came up. Everyone warned against going there, as it is now a major city that has turned into a basic shithole. It is apparently very dirty now, and overrun with drug violence. Too bad.....when I was young Acapulco was considered the cool place in Mexico to visit. No longer. Lucky you got there before things turned to shit.
Puerto Vallarta was cool though. But I have no plans to ever re-visit Mexico.
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Just curious Gip how old are you now and did you always travel?
I used to travel every year until I was in an auto accident which has slowed me way down. I'll be 67 in September mentally I sure don't act or feel 67 more like 27.
Did a fair amount of traveling for work seminars, plant visits and troubleshooting in my 20s and 30s. We also went on vacation every year even before we were married only repeat visit was Oahu, Hawai'i. Our honeymoon was to Mexico City and Acapulco, great trip!
I am 65. I think you can say that I have been traveling as a "serious hobby" since about 1997., but I would travel quite a bit before that. When we were kids in the 50s and 60s my Dad would take us on summer vacations to the Smoky Mtns, Shenandoah, New England. Camping trips. In college I would do spring break to Florida a few years. I also did some "guy" trips back then....went to Maine, Colorado and few other spots. I then started going to Kiwanis Conventions in 1985...Toronto, St. Louis, Montreal, DC, Anaheim, Denver, Miami, Nashville. I bought my timeshare while at a Kiwanis Convention in Las Vegas. That is when I started really keeping track. I had a goal to have been in all 50 states by the time I was 50, and I did that. Hit the last two: Hawaii in 2001 and Alaska in 2002...when I was 50. I have been on a National Park kick since. At one time I had been to every designated National Park in Continental US....but then they added one out in Calif. that I have not been to yet (Pinnacles). There are now 59 national parks. I have been to 52. The one newest one in Cal., one in American Samoa...and 5 in Alaska, which are unreachable by auto. You must take a float plane to get to them.
There are a total of 417 National Park units (inclusive of the 59 national parks). I have now been to 326 of them. (They have actually added 5 to the total just this year.).
I have concentrated mostly on the USA....but I have actually also been to all of these Canadian Provinces:: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and The Yukon. The only ones I have not been to are Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
I have only been to Europe twice and visited England, France and Ireland. (but I do have 5-6 places I do want to see in the future) A few times, before it was super crazy, I took a couple of trips just over the border into Mexico...at Tijuana and Nogales. Plus I did spend a week in Puerto Vallarta. Would not do the border thing now. I have been to the Caribbean only a couple of times, to the Cayman Islands and to St. John/St. Thomas USVI. I do have St. Croix and Puerto Rico on my bucket list as the only remaining Carrib. spots I have much interest in.
I have never been on a cruise. (though, my wife would love to do that)
Would I go? Maybe..if one made a stop in PR of St. Cx for a couple of days, but they don't do that.
Never been to S. America, Asia or Australia.
Edit: note, I have just been on my travel chat room in the last few days and the subject of Acapulco came up. Everyone warned against going there, as it is now a major city that has turned into a basic shithole. It is apparently very dirty now, and overrun with drug violence. Too bad.....when I was young Acapulco was considered the cool place in Mexico to visit. No longer. Lucky you got there before things turned to shit.
Puerto Vallarta was cool though. But I have no plans to ever re-visit Mexico.
......
Edit: note, I have just been on my travel chat room in the last few days and the subject of Acapulco came up. Everyone warned against going there, as it is now a major city that has turned into a basic shithole. It is apparently very dirty now, and overrun with drug violence. Too bad.....when I was young Acapulco was considered the cool place in Mexico to visit. No longer. Lucky you got there before things turned to shit.
Puerto Vallarta was cool though. But I have no plans to ever re-visit Mexico.
We went to Mexico in 1981, 36 years ago, the "old" peso/$USD exchange rate was 25:1 I only wish I had an empty suitcase for the great deals I passed up in particular some sweaters and a hand tooled leather attache case way better than my Ohio leather case. I had two memorable meals at French restaurants of all places in the "Zona Rosa" in Mexico City. There was a lot to do in Mexico City but stay in the "Americanized" hotels where you can drink the water, I hoped to return but never did.
Then on to Acapulco the flight over on Mexicana airlines was memorable because my seat wasn't completely bolted to the floor but Alcapulco was nice, just finished redoing the main road through town. My rental car was a piece of junk but it was a memorable trip. When we drove over to the cliff divers and Love Boat dock someone stole my sandals out of my car -but- that was the only thing that was bad on the whole trip. Still I'd prefer Waikiki to Acapulco.
My wife took a cruise with fellow nursing 50ers about 10 years ago went on the Western route Ft. Lauderdale/ Key West / Cozumel/ Belize / Ft. Lauderdale. Great deal, she found it in a Walmart ad, took it to our travel agent and she matched it! About $450 for the whole trip, I booked land excursions and air, $858 total. (I was always good at that stuff.) I was on Caribbean cruises years back, I'd prefer the Western routes now.
Would I ever go to Mexico now, never.
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Actually, the well known tourist areas in Mexico of PV, Cancun, Mazatlan and a few more are fine from what I understand. As I said, I get a lot of info from my travel chat board on this subject. For whatever reason the Mexicans want their tourists safe in those parts of the country. There is one guy there that spends two weeks a year in Mexico...and has no problems.
But not the border areas. Not Tijuana/Nogales/Juarez etc. You don't want to go there, but PV, Cancun you would be OK.
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How about Belize? I heard it's crime ridden, although they have a lot of ads spouting about how great it is to retire there.
"You planning on having a long relationship with that glass or are you going to drink it? Drink up, man. Maybe we can get another.” - Janis Joplin, 1970. -
How about Belize? I heard it's crime ridden, although they have a lot of ads spouting about how great it is to retire there.
How about Belize? I heard it's crime ridden, although they have a lot of ads spouting about how great it is to retire there.
From Belize.com, they think it's nice.
https://www.belize.com/top-ten-reasons-to-live-or-retire-in-belize
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How about Belize? I heard it's crime ridden, although they have a lot of ads spouting about how great it is to retire there.
How about Belize? I heard it's crime ridden, although they have a lot of ads spouting about how great it is to retire there.
My neighbor here in my office building owns a condo in Belize. I will have to ask him about it.
Or how about this: have any of you all spent time in Puerto Rico. Its on my bucket list, sort of. My choices for going there are that I could spend an entire week in a timeshare.......or I could accede to my wife's desire to take a cruise sometime and schedule that makes a stop there in San Juan for a day. (or....one that departs from there).
Is Puerto Rico worth an entire week's stay...or just a day or so?
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Never been there. I know people who were stationed there that liked it, and others that hated it.
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How about Belize? I heard it's crime ridden, although they have a lot of ads spouting about how great it is to retire there.
My neighbor here in my office building owns a condo in Belize. I will have to ask him about it.
Or how about this: have any of you all spent time in Puerto Rico. Its on my bucket list, sort of. My choices for going there are that I could spend an entire week in a timeshare.......or I could accede to my wife's desire to take a cruise sometime and schedule that makes a stop there in San Juan for a day. (or....one that departs from there).
Is Puerto Rico worth an entire week's stay...or just a day or so?
I was in the hospital in 2015, 2016 and this year in 2017. In 2015 I was in for 4 months got a nasty kidney infection among other things all while in for other things but one really nice nurse was from PR. Talked a lot about her home she was an RN there but could not work in the states as an RN, went back to school here as an LPN. Her husband and two kids live here now, work is bad there. PR even though it is affiliated with the US is financially in bad shape.My neighbor here in my office building owns a condo in Belize. I will have to ask him about it.
Or how about this: have any of you all spent time in Puerto Rico. Its on my bucket list, sort of. My choices for going there are that I could spend an entire week in a timeshare.......or I could accede to my wife's desire to take a cruise sometime and schedule that makes a stop there in San Juan for a day. (or....one that departs from there).
Is Puerto Rico worth an entire week's stay...or just a day or so?
One fellow patient was visiting here from PR and had a heart attack here....he often said thank God because he said the medical care is so bad there. He retired from a steel mill here, relocated back to PR to be closer to family but might not return.
As far as travel now I don't know but my in laws visited Old San Juan about 30 years ago it was OK but preferred Hawaii, been there 26 times, my father in law was in WWII in some real hell holes in the Pacific and did R&R on Waikiki and loved it there.
I've been to the Bahamas in the 1970s and 1980s never PR but prefer Hawaii too. Never been to Jamaica (considered it for our honeymoon but passed) have heard some bad stories there unless you stick to the hotel grounds....I've always been the adventurous type, give me a map and a car.
Wherever you go it's always nice to return to the good ol' USA! OH when in Mexico City in a 17 story hotel I watched them putting wet rags on the elevator motors because they were overheating and would shut down.....being a maintenance foreman at USSTEEL I was horrified at the site of that.
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Sounds like a cruise either from San Juan, or stopping there for a day is about all you need of it, eh?
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Sounds like a cruise either from San Juan, or stopping there for a day is about all you need of it, eh?
Sounds like a cruise either from San Juan, or stopping there for a day is about all you need of it, eh?
I'd check around for the latest news on locations before traveling plus online forums, etc. Personal references are good but I'd weigh them out.
For another source of information: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html
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Sounds like a cruise either from San Juan, or stopping there for a day is about all you need of it, eh?
I'd check around for the latest news on locations before traveling plus online forums, etc. Personal references are good but I'd weigh them out.
For another source of information: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html
I'd check around for the latest news on locations before traveling plus online forums, etc. Personal references are good but I'd weigh them out.
For another source of information: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html
That was not much help. For specific hotels, resorts, attractions, etc., TripAdvisor is best. But to give issues on big matters like crime, unrest etc. I guess you have to go to the state department.
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html
Alert April 25, 2017
Peru Travel Alert Warning April 12, 2017
Pakistan Travel Warning Warning April 11, 2017
Israel, The West Bank and Gaza Travel Warning Warning April 11, 2017
Niger Travel Warning Alert April 6, 2017
Kenya Travel Alert Warning April 5, 2017
Nigeria Travel Warning Warning March 30, 2017
Sudan Travel Warning Warning March 29, 2017
Democratic Republic of the Congo Travel Warning Warning March 29, 2017
Saudi Arabia Travel Warning Warning March 28, 2017
Turkey Travel Warning Alert March 24, 2017
French Guiana Travel Alert Warning March 22, 2017
Mauritania Travel Warning Warning March 22, 2017
Cameroon Travel Warning Warning March 22, 2017
Syria Travel Warning Warning March 21, 2017
Afghanistan Travel Warning Warning February 22, 2017
Eritrea Travel Warning Warning February 15, 2017
Lebanon Travel Warning Warning February 14, 2017
El Salvador Travel Warning Warning February 7, 2017
North Korea Travel Warning Warning January 31, 2017
Iraq Travel Warning Warning January 27, 2017
Libya Travel Warning Warning January 23, 2017
Honduras Travel Warning Warning January 13, 2017
Kenya Travel Warning Warning January 11, 2017
Somalia Travel Warning Warning January 5, 2017
Bangladesh Travel Warning Warning January 4, 2017
Republic of South Sudan Travel Warning Warning December 23, 2016
Egypt Travel Warning Warning December 23, 2016 J
ordan Travel Warning Warning December 23, 2016
Mali Travel Warning Warning December 20, 2016
Philippines Travel Warning Warning December 15, 2016
Venezuela Travel Warning Warning December 14, 2016
Ukraine Travel Warning Warning December 13, 2016
Algeria Travel Warning Warning December 8, 2016
Mexico Travel Warning Warning December 6, 2016
Ethiopia Travel Warning Warning November 15, 2016
Burundi Travel Warning Warning November 4, 2016
Haiti Travel Warning Warning November 4, 2016
Chad Travel Warning Warning October 19, 2016
Central African Republic Travel Warning Warning October 6, 2016
Yemen Travel Warning Alert October 6, 2016
South Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season - Travel Alert Warning September 29, 2016
Tunisia Travel Warning Warning August 22, 2016
Iran Travel Warning Alert June 3, 2016
Hurricane and Typhoon Season 2016 Travel Alert Warning April 5, 2016
Colombia Travel Warning Warning January 20, 2016
No Puerto Rico.
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I'd check around for the latest news on locations before traveling plus online forums, etc. Personal references are good but I'd weigh them out.
For another source of information: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html
That was not much help. For specific hotels, resorts, attractions, etc., TripAdvisor is best. But to give issues on big matters like crime, unrest etc. I guess you have to go to the state department.
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html
Alert April 25, 2017
Peru Travel Alert Warning April 12, 2017
Pakistan Travel Warning Warning April 11, 2017
Israel, The West Bank and Gaza Travel Warning Warning April 11, 2017
Niger Travel Warning Alert April 6, 2017
Kenya Travel Alert Warning April 5, 2017
Nigeria Travel Warning Warning March 30, 2017
Sudan Travel Warning Warning March 29, 2017
Democratic Republic of the Congo Travel Warning Warning March 29, 2017
Saudi Arabia Travel Warning Warning March 28, 2017
Turkey Travel Warning Alert March 24, 2017
French Guiana Travel Alert Warning March 22, 2017
Mauritania Travel Warning Warning March 22, 2017
Cameroon Travel Warning Warning March 22, 2017
Syria Travel Warning Warning March 21, 2017
Afghanistan Travel Warning Warning February 22, 2017
Eritrea Travel Warning Warning February 15, 2017
Lebanon Travel Warning Warning February 14, 2017
El Salvador Travel Warning Warning February 7, 2017
North Korea Travel Warning Warning January 31, 2017
Iraq Travel Warning Warning January 27, 2017
Libya Travel Warning Warning January 23, 2017
Honduras Travel Warning Warning January 13, 2017
Kenya Travel Warning Warning January 11, 2017
Somalia Travel Warning Warning January 5, 2017
Bangladesh Travel Warning Warning January 4, 2017
Republic of South Sudan Travel Warning Warning December 23, 2016
Egypt Travel Warning Warning December 23, 2016 J
ordan Travel Warning Warning December 23, 2016
Mali Travel Warning Warning December 20, 2016
Philippines Travel Warning Warning December 15, 2016
Venezuela Travel Warning Warning December 14, 2016
Ukraine Travel Warning Warning December 13, 2016
Algeria Travel Warning Warning December 8, 2016
Mexico Travel Warning Warning December 6, 2016
Ethiopia Travel Warning Warning November 15, 2016
Burundi Travel Warning Warning November 4, 2016
Haiti Travel Warning Warning November 4, 2016
Chad Travel Warning Warning October 19, 2016
Central African Republic Travel Warning Warning October 6, 2016
Yemen Travel Warning Alert October 6, 2016
South Pacific Tropical Cyclone Season - Travel Alert Warning September 29, 2016
Tunisia Travel Warning Warning August 22, 2016
Iran Travel Warning Alert June 3, 2016
Hurricane and Typhoon Season 2016 Travel Alert Warning April 5, 2016
Colombia Travel Warning Warning January 20, 2016
No Puerto Rico.
That was not much help. For specific hotels, resorts, attractions, etc., TripAdvisor is best. But to give issues on big matters like crime, unrest etc. I guess you have to go to the state department.
No Puerto Rico.
Central and South America sure are a mess.
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How about Belize? I heard it's crime ridden, although they have a lot of ads spouting about how great it is to retire there.
My neighbor here in my office building owns a condo in Belize. I will have to ask him about it.
Or how about this: have any of you all spent time in Puerto Rico. Its on my bucket list, sort of. My choices for going there are that I could spend an entire week in a timeshare.......or I could accede to my wife's desire to take a cruise sometime and schedule that makes a stop there in San Juan for a day. (or....one that departs from there).
Is Puerto Rico worth an entire week's stay...or just a day or so?
My neighbor here in my office building owns a condo in Belize. I will have to ask him about it.
Or how about this: have any of you all spent time in Puerto Rico. Its on my bucket list, sort of. My choices for going there are that I could spend an entire week in a timeshare.......or I could accede to my wife's desire to take a cruise sometime and schedule that makes a stop there in San Juan for a day. (or....one that departs from there).
Is Puerto Rico worth an entire week's stay...or just a day or so?
Took a cruise with a stop in Belize where we took a river trip up to the Mayan ruins at Lamanai. Excellent trip with tons of howler monkeys, parrots and other wildlife along the way.
Never been to Puerto Rico but I am interested in going to Dominican Republic since I spent two summers as a dorm counselor for Dominican students studying agriculture at A&M. They have some pretty nice beachfront developments there like in Punta Cana
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How about Belize? I heard it's crime ridden, although they have a lot of ads spouting about how great it is to retire there.
My neighbor here in my office building owns a condo in Belize. I will have to ask him about it.
Or how about this: have any of you all spent time in Puerto Rico. Its on my bucket list, sort of. My choices for going there are that I could spend an entire week in a timeshare.......or I could accede to my wife's desire to take a cruise sometime and schedule that makes a stop there in San Juan for a day. (or....one that departs from there).
Is Puerto Rico worth an entire week's stay...or just a day or so?
My neighbor here in my office building owns a condo in Belize. I will have to ask him about it.
Or how about this: have any of you all spent time in Puerto Rico. Its on my bucket list, sort of. My choices for going there are that I could spend an entire week in a timeshare.......or I could accede to my wife's desire to take a cruise sometime and schedule that makes a stop there in San Juan for a day. (or....one that departs from there).
Is Puerto Rico worth an entire week's stay...or just a day or so?
Took a cruise with a stop in Belize where we took a river trip up to the Mayan ruins at Lamanai. Excellent trip with tons of howler monkeys, parrots and other wildlife along the way.
Never been to Puerto Rico but I am interested in going to Dominican Republic since I spent two summers as a dorm counselor for Dominican students studying agriculture at A&M. They have some pretty nice beachfront developments there like in Punta Cana
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Think I'll pass on that condo in Belize:
https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21487
"You planning on having a long relationship with that glass or are you going to drink it? Drink up, man. Maybe we can get another.” - Janis Joplin, 1970. -
Think I'll pass on that condo in Belize:
https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21487
Think I'll pass on that condo in Belize:
https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21487
That seems to reference one particular city: Belmpan. But Belize may be like Mexico....go to the wrong place and it may be bad news. But go to the right place, like Cancun or Puerto Vallarta and its all good, catering to tourists. I have been to PV and it was fine. Would never want to cross the border into Ciudad Juarez though.
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Think I'll pass on that condo in Belize:
https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21487
Think I'll pass on that condo in Belize:
https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21487
In 2010, an American citizen and a Belizean were killed by jaguars in separate incidents.....
You have to watch out for those jags.
Actually Belize is no more dangerous and maybe much safer than most foreign destinations.
GO BUCKEYES, BROWNS, INDIANS, CAVS, YSU, NAVY and yes I like ND! -
Think I'll pass on that condo in Belize:
https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21487
In 2010, an American citizen and a Belizean were killed by jaguars in separate incidents.....
You have to watch out for those jags.
Actually Belize is no more dangerous and maybe much safer than most foreign destinations.
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