Sightseeing: My Favorite Thing About Vacation

Ahhh... vacation... a time of relaxation, relief, and rejuvenation. Whether it's a weekend trip, a week-long trip, or an undetermined hiatus from life, vacation is a great way to step away from "real life" and go to a place where life is what you dreamed it to be - if only for a short time.

For some the best part of vacation is the first day when they arrive in the new location and they see the first new buildings and new environment. It can be an instant refresher; I know it has been for me. It's the feeling that I'm entering something new. For others it's the hotel experience - this would be my wife. I stay in better hotels now because of my wife... in fact I stay in suites now because of my wife. I'd be okay in a 3-star hotel that has nominal amenities, but I know she likes as many amenities as possible... and to be honest, I've grown to want them too.

My favorite thing about vacation though is sightseeing, especially if this is the first time I've been in a city. It is an ABSOLUTE must for me to sightsee; in fact, it's probably the whole reason I go to a particular city otherwise it really wouldn't matter where I go. Sightseeing for me is all about the adventure, the journey, the exploration... what I can find, what new I discover, what the culture of the city is. All of this makes the vacation relaxing for me. I know some people that can stay in a hotel their entire trip... that would be traumatic for me. I need to be outdoors seeing the sights.

My favorite vacation outside of my honeymoon was probably the two-week trip I took in January/February of 2001. I went to four cities within a two-week period. First stop... New York City. I'd never been there and I went in the winter. I got to see the Statue of Liberty, Madison Square Garden, Battery Park, Wall Street, Central Park and more... all within four days. My last day there I stayed up all night, found an internet café, and made the most of my last experience there. They say it's the city that never sleeps... they aren't kidding. Starbucks were open 24 hours there and people were out at 3am as if it were 3pm. Besides that, I had a 6am flight to the next stop which was Orlando, Florida.

I spent three days in Orlando, Florida. I wanted to see Mickey and his friends. I bought an all-inclusive Magic Kingdom ticket that allowed me to visit any park at any time. I was able to go to Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, MGM Studios and even Downtown Disney. I loved Downtown Disney; next time I'll be able to actually eat and do things there, but I still had fun sightseeing it. After three days in Orlando I was on to my step which was... New Orleans!

I had a connecting flight through Atlanta which was brief but then I was able to spend four days in New Orleans. I got to take a cruise tour of the Mississippi River... walk along Bourbon Street in the French Quarter... eat nothing but Cajun or Creole food... and stay at the Queen & Crescent Hotel. One of my fun moments there was to ride a streetcar and go to the Audubon Zoo. I'd never ridden a streetcar before so that was fun! My last bit of adventure was getting to go to a cooking class where I got to try Bananas Foster. Wonderful dish if you haven't had it before. After my fun time in New Orleans I took a flight to the last leg of my journey... Atlanta.

Atlanta, Georgia I'd been to before so this part of my journey wasn't so much of a sightseeing tour but more so a vacation from my vacation but still not at home. Have you ever been to a place so much that you're very familiar with it as if you were at home? That's what Atlanta is like for me, a second home. I went there to visit a friend of mine and I got a chance to go rock climbing at a local sports store. I also got a chance to go to ESPNZone where I had this cookie ice cream dessert that was to live longer for! I wish I didn't have to leave, but Chicago was awaiting me.

Sixteen days... four cities... five different flights... four hotels... lots of memories. I love sightseeing; I'm willing to go almost anywhere to see almost anything. I have a passion to see the world and I plan to see as much of it as I can before I leave this earth. Whenever you go to a new city, I highly recommend seeing the sights... especially the places where natives go. Take that city's public transportation at least once. I like to feel like a native whenever I go somewhere... eat where they eat, and do what they do... not just the touristy stuff that you find on the websites. I want the real experience! That's what real sightseeing does for me... it relaxes me. That's why sightseeing is my idea of a vacation.