Retirement!

[Ryrin]

My husband just retired. I am already retired. Yes, I am truly “The Eldest.” 😉

 

If money were no object where and what would you suggest we do? 
 

 

 

 

[LilyElizabeth]

If it was me, I'd buy a motor home, and go see all my bondeds. 

[LadyWordsmith]

Congrats! 

If money were no object I'd recommend traveling to places you've always wanted to go. 
(For me those would include a long wandering trip through England and Scotland where I could poke my nose into every first hand experience and historical location and library I could get myself into. 😉 And a trip to Japan as well.) Then I'd probably go back to places I love that are not close by and I could never live there (I would totally zip back to NYC for short trips if I could afford it. I love Manhattan, but it requires a constant state of 'awareness' in public I just can't maintain. And of course, then there's the cost. lol). 

In the case of Manhattan in particular (on the 'do in the place' which I can recommend having actually been there bunches) category I always recommend The Cloisters, seeing a show or twelve on Broadway because I love live theatre (watching and doing and they have so many different types), the museums, and then there's a bunch of little places down in the East Village and historical little restaurants and stores and Italian bakeries and the like that the locals know and love that I always recommend because "real Manhattan" in the decent areas is so much better than just "Tourist Manhattan." 

My 'close' dream vacation is Chincoteague and Assateague islands. I want to camp on a beach in a park full of 'wild' ponies, and explore the nature preserve. (I used to want to go for the Pony Penning like in the books, but I watched it live online last year and you have to book months in advance and now it's 'super' crowded during the big event. So I'd rather go at a quieter time of year). 

Where 'would' you love to go? 🙂

[Ryrin]

I’d really love to go to Iceland, Ireland, England and back to Israel. I’ll think of more. 
 

Iceland

 

[Ryrin]

15 hours ago, LilyElizabeth said:

If it was me, I'd buy a motor home, and go see all my bondeds. 

Wouldn't that be something? Where do they all live? 
 

There are these campers I like and I’ll see if I can go find a pic. 

[Ryrin]

Best things to do on Chincoteague Island.

 

https://www.southernliving.com/travel/virginia/chincoteague-island-va

 

I’ve never even heard of it! 
 

I’d love these:

 

Hiking and biking routes help guide travelers through nearby Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, a utopia for birders and wildlife enthusiasts, with nearly 300 recognized migratory and resident birds. Make time to stop by the Herbert H. Bateman Educational and Administrative Center and Toms Cove Visitor Center for maps, guides, and interactive exhibits.

 

 

The Pony Swim occurs on the last Wednesday before the last Thursday of July and always starts during the slack tide—a 30-minute lull between low and high tides when there is no current. Thousands of people wait for hours to watch the horses make a six-minute swim across the narrow channel separating the two islands.

 

You can't visit Chincoteague without indulging in some fresh local fare. At the popular Pico Taqueria, the inventive taco menu encourages hungry diners to try several options, such as The Main Street (seared shrimp, slaw, and chipotle creme fraiche) or The Maddox (local fried oysters topped with pickled carrots and Thai basil). Their modest pricing makes it easy to experiment with different options and mix and match to create your ideal spread. When it's time for dessert, you'll discover the reason for the long line of people queued up at Island Creamery. Their small-batch ice cream and homemade waffle cones are a national phenomenon and an island treasure.

 

For dinner, AJ's on the Creek skirts the line between casual and upscale with tables covered in crisp white linens and topped with paper napkins and bottles of hot sauce. Seafood lovers can find the best of the best of the Eastern Shore catches here. Seasonal soft-shell crab is served deliciously fried on platters, and a romaine salad is transported into sublime territory with a zesty citrus Caesar dressing, Parmesan crumbs, and crisped bread.

[LadyWordsmith]

Yes! I've wanted to go to Chincoteague since I was 6? The first time I read "Misty of Chincoteague" by Marguerite Henry. (They made a movie of it called "Misty" in 1961.) There's a whole series of those, plus some fictionalized histories of other famous real horses that she also wrote (Disney made "Justin Morgan had a Horse" in '72 based on her book by the same name). 

The irony is I grew up in Virginia, but it was still over a 6 hour drive to get there because of how round-about you have to go to get to the islands, and I never managed to talk my parents into taking us on a trip there. So it's on my 'romantic trips once my son is out of college and my husband and I can afford it' list. 

Oh yes, Ireland, Iceland, and Israel would also be awesome! For Israel I'd probably want to talk my cousin into going with me as a tour guide. She went to college there. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by LadyWordsmith