Where Should I go on Vacation This Year?

“There is nothing better then travel to move you, transform you, and place you firmly in the world.” - quote from the travel channel

One of the things always perplexed me when I was a travel agent, was people asking me "where they should go on vacation."  I never understood not knowing where you wanted to go.  I always know places I want to go, I have my list.  But I would never tell someone else where they should go. My idea of what is fun or interesting isn't necessarily something someone else would find fun or interesting.  So then I would have to do some exploring, finding out what that person liked and disliked.  Are they a beach person?  Cold weather or warm?  What are their hobbies, sports, etc.?  Then I would at least have a place to start, where I could make some suggestions.

Shakespeare's home in Stratford

So, if you are one of those people who would like to take a trip, but have no idea where you would really like to go, then ask yourself what you are most passionate about. Do you love to cook, or are you a foodie? Are you into literature, or photography, lighthouses, trains? Are you a sports person, and if so what sports? And then think about places tied to what you are interested in. Did you know there are trips you can take, that go with almost every interest out there?

For instance, if you were into literature. There are tours in England that are for Jane Eyre or Bronte fans, for Shakespeare lovers or for Harry Potter fans. In France you can do a tour related to the book “The DaVinci Code” by Dan Brown. If you like the book “Anne of Green Gables” then you can tour Prince Edward Island, Canada.  And of course if you have a favorite movie, you can quite often find a tour to the area the movie was made, and if it was a very popular movie, there will probably be a tour set up associated with it.  If you go to Austria you can still take a "Sound of Music" tour.

Popular tours have sprung up all over for those interested in learning to cook. You can go to France to learn to cook French, or Italy to learn Italian cooking. Just pick a cuisine and go to that country on a Cooking tour. Or if you want to go on a tour that is just about eating or wine tasting, there are great tours set up for that also.

Sherwood Point Lighthouse
Door County, Wisconsin

A few years ago, my husband and I went on a tour of the lighthouses of Door County, Wisconsin. We have always loved lighthouses, but I wasn't really aware that there were lighthouse tours. We actually won this tour in a drawing, but it was great. We flew to Green Bay, Wisconsin where we met the group (all lighthouse lovers). We were transferred to Sister Bay where we stayed for the rest of the week. From there we toured different lighthouses. Most of these are not available for the general public to go inside of, since they are still working lighthouses, but they arranged it just for the tour. So we actually climbed to the top of several of them. We took a boat ride on Lake Michigan to see some of the lighthouses on the lake. And there were other fun things to do on the trip, like sampling the seafood in the area and visiting the cute towns. Lots of shopping opportunities as well.

I collect Christmas ornaments and love anything that is Christmas themed. So I have gone on two tours of Christmas markets in Europe. They of course take place in December, when it is cold. Really got me in the Christmas mood.


Gettysburg

 For History buffs, there are lots of tours.  If you are intersted in Civil War history, there are tours that will take you to Gettysburg and all through the south to the southern mansions and the battlefields. Or if you are more interested in earlier history, there are tours all over Europe that will cover history as far back as you want to go. 

If you are a baseball fan, then a tour of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York might interest you. Or if you are into music you might enjoy the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

There are tours for just about any interest. You just have to find what moves you, what you are passionate about, and go out there and find it.  Make your own list of things that interest you, and then you will always know where you want to go.

**All of the pictures above were taken from the internet.