Sparky

Airline staff tend to spend most of their holiday time in far-flung places, so I've made a conscious effort to also go domestic in recent years and have spent time in Devon/Cornwall/Dorset/Scotland/Wales. This is a glorious island to explore - as long as the weather's half-decent! Desperate to get back to the Western Isles as they are heaven, and the ferry services are pretty good. Except for that crap Islay-Jura boat that's always broken when I want to get to the distillery...

Had that panel blown at 35000ft, the outcome would have been very different.

Tracy loves LAS unfortunately, so we've been numerous times. It redeems itself by being ideally situated for access to some fantastic drives and sights.

Boeing are no longer to be trusted with their 737. I'm disgusted at the type history and how they've got into bed with the FAA. I haven't flown one for more than 25 years, and will continue to avoid them if I can. In fact, I'd trust an ancient -200 variant more than the Max.

Bollox, missed that variant.

Aaaaagh

So far it's been very basic. A roller skate here, silicon sprayed floor there...

May I substitute 'freighter' for 'cruiser'?

We'll be leaving the MIL behind many times this year, in the vain hope she'll make another uncontrolled flight into terrain from the top of the stairs.

Boeing Stratofreighter, I reckon.

Looking forward to trip reports...

For us, the fun of getting there is the major component of a holiday. We really don't like any kind of schedule. At some point, we'd be the ones sprinting toward the ship in a viral video.

Exactly what I hope to do! Tracy and I really don't like the idea of cruises, but it's the only way to see that part of the world.

KY/AL/GA/MS/VA/FL to name but a few! I have so many stories...

Stay out of the cities, stay off the Interstates, find the quirky places. Waaaay more fun.

Yes, keep an eye out for included service charges; they're definitely on the rise. If not present, we generally do tip 20% unless someone has been especially miserable or useless. But we really don't find that. We've generally has fantastic interaction with locals all over the US. 'Five a day' there means five servings of fries. Hadn't thought about road laws as I'm so used to them. Right turn on red is a double-edged sword. Do so with attention to oncoming traffic and crossing pedestrians. Fail to turn if you're in that lane and you'll incur the wrath of the driver behind. Best to choose to stop in the middle/right lane. Pull out to the left lane to avoid emergency vehicles on the shoulder. Roundabouts (traffic circles) are growing in numbers but are treated with amusing caution. Prepare to be told to slow down almost half a mile before one, and be aware that they don't take roundabout lines like we do. We British prefer to hit a roundabout at unreasonable speed and insert ourselves if there's a gnat's tadger of space. 4-way stops, though, are a thing of sublime beauty. Everyone tends to take their turn in a civilised fashion that we Brits could never manage.

Agreed ref flight booking. Even I've used Kayak before (to Newfoundland) and it was fine, but if it goes wrong you are likely to have major issues. and nobody to talk to. When you have dates, speak to me and I MAY be able to get you a modest discount direct with BA. On that note, roughly when? Baltimore airport is a nice alternative to the biggies. I love NY and PA, but must confess I find OH a bit sedate. MA drivers are insane, especially around Boston (apols to MA members but you know it's true). If you're driving between MA and NY, don't be fooled into thinking the 95 is the easiest route! USA car rental is a bit of a lottery and operates very much on the 'or similar' principle. Obtaining a specific vehicle type can be vexatious. Don't buy the fuel up front; return it full. Refuse ALL extras at the counter, and ensure you see this on paper before signing. Buy additional rental insurance here before travelling. Buy a US mobile SIM in the UK (Amazon works) and if possible take a spare phone for it. The one I had recently even gave free international calls. Hotel prices in the US are waaay higher than they used to be, and you'll really get nailed in city centres and especially near any campus. Unless you have very specific geographical requirements, stay on the periphery where hotels/motels with parking are abundant. Generally, metro transportation links are excellent and cheap. Use hotel booking sites (I favour Hotels.com and Booking.com), check amenities and ratings, then compare with direct bookings as occasionally it's cheaper. Generally there are so many rooms available (especially East Coast) that I wouldn't bother booking until 1 or 2 days before. This leaves your itinerary nice and fluid. That 7-mile trip to the campus in the morning? It'll take longer than you think as there's a light every 300 yards that will steal 2 minutes of your life... No doubt there are plenty of US members that know more than i! But if you want anything else, or specifics, let me know...

Ooooh, nice! It's on my bucket list. Pray tell more. Heading down to Ushuaia? Hoilday or something else? Sorry, this stuff excites me.

Need any advice? 😁

On that note... I don't insta, but my daughter sent me this and I enjoyed it hugely: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0yxNoPhpeb/?igsh=MTIyYmI3NGVkNGYydg==

Planned so far: NYC one-nighter to see friends in a band Jan/Feb; Brussels in March, Naples in April, Florida in October with kids/grandkids (I swore I wouldn't do that again, but hey ho, it's what they want) and somewhere in between maybe something silly in Alaska and/or Canada. Probably busman's holidays to Denmark too. MIght try Cyprus one day...

Case in point: years ago, in my office, there was a hot water dispenser. Pretty obvious what it was, and everybody used it. One day, one of the project managers (blonde, but that's entirely incidental and my lawyers will put up a good fight) scalded her hand through lack of care and made a thing of it. Next, we have a huge sign on the front of the hot water dispenser, warning people that it dispenses, of all things, hot water and it's turned down several degrees. So we all had to endure colder cuppas because one person made a stupid mistake.

They put 50% vouchers through my door all the time; I still wouldn't. Unmitigated shite.

Orlando, Disney publicity stunt!

Haven't seen the white one for some time, so can't comment on the paint nowadays. But the black one, last I saw it not long ago, was original paint, lovingly polished many times over the years, with concomitant wear throughout. Personally I think it'd be a shame to paint it. Maybe that accounts for the majority of the difference. Alternatively you could ask Mark at Stocks; he won't bite!