Early planning for next years vacation...suggestions?

[joe]

We are no sooner home from out trip to the OBX and my wife is already thinking of next year. :p

 

We have never been to the NorthEast coast.....(New Englnd States)... And she was thinking of perhaps Maine. We would be going in the spring/summer....maybe late June , for a week or so. One of the things on her bucket list is to go whale watching ( and hopefully actually SEE a whale! )... She is deathly afraid of water, but if you have noticed, she loves the coast...lol...as long as SHE isn't in the water, she is good with it. She will struggle getting comfortable on a boat, but is confident she can do it.(we have been on small boats on Lake Erie....24ft. - to - 36 ft., and of course the ferry boats to the Islands.) During my search, it seems that maybe Massachusetts may be better place for whale watching, but of course, maybe they just do a better job of advertising...lol...

We don't really like the crowds of the more traditional touristy places, but rather a laid back scenic area where we can relax and just take it easy...and of course.....see a whale :D :p

I sent our friend Ginger a message asking her advice, but want to throw this out there to any of you who may have visited the(North) East Coast and have anything to suggest...

Whatcha think?...anything that is a "must see....must do" while your at it kinda thing?

[Sazerac]

She is deathly afraid of water, but if you have noticed, she loves the coast...lol...as long as SHE isn't in the water, she is good with it. She will struggle getting comfortable on a boat, but is confident she can do it.(we have been on small boats on Lake Erie....24ft. - to - 36 ft., and of course the ferry boats to the Islands.)

 

Red flags red flags red flags.

 

The Whale watching boats recommend sea sickness medicine on windy days.

Joe,  it is always windy.  Some days windier than others.  

They also recommend rubber soled shoes so you don't slip around on the deck

while the boat is rocking and rolling and tilting and heaving.

  

Remember,  The Atlantic is an Ocean  with major currents and tidal action up there in those latitudes.

You won't see whitecaps every day, unless you look out beyond the sheltered cove.

I've day sailed a little up there

and rode once in a diesel smelling lobster boat checking traps

but, never whale watched.

Saw whales while picnicking on a sunny highland of the NCalifornia coast with a bottle of Zinfandel.  Lovely.  

Missus Joe would have LOVED it !

 

I am confident Missus Joe will do fine, as long as she knows what she is in for. 

And you will be encouraging saying,

'my, look at that beautiful horizon'  

'aren't these deep gulps of air delicious'

'thar she blows'

 'here, let me hold your hair out of the way'

(oh, sorry about the last one)

[joe]

Lol....

 

She may have to cut her hair short before we leave. :D

 

Seriously though....thanks for the advice, and I am sure there may be a few "intrepid" moments, but over all I think she would do fine. Like I have said we have been on lots of (smaller) boats...and of course Lake Eries is nothing like the Atlantic, but she has never had motion sickness....It's HER that she is afraid of being in the water. She almost drown when she was little, so any water above her knees, and she panics...she can be ON the water....not IN it.

 

I do hear you though, about the rough waters... I think Dramamine will be in order no matter what....lol

[Sazerac]

LOL LOL LOL

 

I'm sure you'll be fine !   :D

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG6FhK96dBg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG6FhK96dBg

 

  :P  

[Doreensfree]

Oh my...I'm green and hanging over the couch ,with my sicky bands on....just reading this...

Me and boats and water...oh no...bad bad...

But Joe ..the whale thingy...that woild be unforgettable...

[Runfree]

I can't believe you've omitted Alaska from your whale watching options :o .  We also have sea lions, walrus, sea otter, numerous species of fish, bear, moose, musk ox, reindeer, caribou, puffins, more eagles than you can fathom.  We have mountains, water, trees..so much.  You should come see.  Pretty sure Sherrie would like it too.

[joe]

I can't believe you've omitted Alaska from your whale watching options :o . We also have sea lions, walrus, sea otter, numerous species of fish, bear, moose, musk ox, reindeer, caribou, puffins, more eagles than you can fathom. We have mountains, water, trees..so much. You should come see. Pretty sure Sherrie would like it too.

She would LOVE an Alaskan vacation...

 

However, with everything that is involved, I'm not sure it would be in the budget..... Then again, maybe I need to re-figure it.... My first thoughts are, a flight to the west coast...hotel room for the night....get on a cruise ship for the cruise to Alaska...that takes a few days..then if there is ANY time to do a few things, it will be severely limited...then cruise back to where I started from...most likely another hotel stay before catching a flight back home....all said, that's a lot of activity to pack into a 1 week- 10 day vacation, and a lot of expense......I suppose I am thinking like this because I have told my wife the only cruise I have any interest in would be an Alaskan cruise.... BUT, this wouldn't HAVE to be a cruise.... I guess I could just fly to Alaska and spend the week there...that eliminates a lot of the cost and time....

 

Ok...off to Expedia ...Travelocity....whatever, and check flight costs.... :D

[Runfree]

I've heard the Inside Passage cruise is very nice and especially beautiful when the sun is out.  AK isn't a cheap place to vacation...but it's a spectacular place to vacation.  If not the cruise, then I always suggest doing the plane/train/auto with a day boat trip.  I'd be happy to play tour guide for a couple days and send suggestions if you're interested.  Just know, as the saying goes, "Alaska is 20 mins outside of Anchorage".   Let me know if it's a possibility and I'll send you some info.