Picking A Travel Destination: Are We There Yet?

 

Choosing A Destination 

Probably one of the most important travel decisions you'll make is where you’re going to go.  If you’re like me, no matter how much travel you do, there will always be destinations you missed.  So you need to prioritize. 

 

That said, sometimes you might not have a choice on the destination.  Maybe you’re part of a group and you got voted down.  Or it’s a set destination, like with a wedding or organized tour.   

 

Or maybe an opportunity arises, and it may not be your first choice, but it's too good to pass up.  Perhaps it's a business trip or seminar.  Again no choice on destination, but all expenses paid! 

 

Or you don’t really care, you just want to go somewhere.  Anywhere. 

 

Questions To Ask 

Assuming you do have a choice on the destination.  How do you decide where to go, when you can go anywhere?  How do you narrow it down?   

 

Well, obviously it's a personal choice.  But here are some basic questions you might want to ask yourself first. 

• How much money do you have for the trip? 
• How much time do you have? 
• Will you be traveling with children? 
• What time of year will the trip be? 
• What kinds of activities do you like to do? 
• Do you like cities with their food and culture? 
• Or do you like the outdoors and/or adventure vacations? 
• Are there any particular destinations you want to visit? 
• Or do you want to go everywhere? 
• Are there any deals or promotions going on? 
• Does cruising appeal to you? 
• Would you want to take a tour? 
• Do you want to drive or fly? 
• Are you interested in International destinations? 
• Or do you want to stay in your own country? 

Personal Preferences 

When I first started traveling, I wanted to go everywhere and wasn’t too picky about the destination.  I was part of a travel group, and although I had input on the destination, I didn’t make the final decision (kind of like a book club).  I’m not complaining as we went to some pretty cool places. 

 

Later on, as I saw more of the world and talked to fellow travelers, I had definite destinations in mind.  Of course I had a list.  By then I was organizing my own trips, and I would try to slot them into my life somewhere.  This one I can do in a long weekend.  This one is going to require at least a week. 

 

I was always partial to Europe.  Perhaps because my first few trips took place there.  It was familiar.  At first, I had no interest in Asia.  Too foreign.  But as my travel confidence grew, so did my desire to expand into unknown territories.  My last big trip was to Africa.  A dream come true. 

 

Some people might be turned off by 17 hour plane rides.  And I can’t blame them.  But if you want to go to Australia or Africa from the U.S. there’s no avoiding it.  It turned out not to be so bad.  Lots of free food and shows/movies with your own personal screen.  (Streaming before there was streaming.)  Just remember to stay hydrated and get up and move around. 

 

Photography Tangents 

I also liked destinations with lots of photo opportunities.  This usually meant cities.  I was a big photography enthusiast and even had my own black and white darkroom for a while.  I was doing selfies before they were a thing (pre-iPhone).   

 

As my travel friends will tell you, I can get a bit engrossed when taking photographs.  Not only do I lose track of time, but I will sometimes go to extreme lengths to get the perfect shot. 

 

For instance, I remember this time in California when I was on a day tour from San Francisco to Carmel on Highway 101. The scenery is gorgeous.  We were at a rest stop and I had wandered off on my own to these cliffs with a view of the ocean.  The wind was strong enough to blow you over and into the Pacific.  Which is almost what happened, before I wised up and got flat down on the ground to take my photos.   

 

These days you hear about people falling off mountains, etc. while taking a selfie.  I kind of get it. 

 

At least I never embarrassed myself, or my country, like this strange American girl I encountered in a Shanghai museum.  We were all waiting in line to get in and I think she was doing a travel video log of some sort.  Anyway, she was literally crawling around on the lobby floor and narrating what she was filming.  The marble floor design apparently. 

 

She was getting a lot of strange looks from the mostly Asian crowd.  I was trying to blend in like a local, making it clear I wasn’t with her.  “Crazy American.”  I figured it was only a matter of time before she clocked me as a fellow countryman.  Still, I had this mantra going on in my head, “Please don’t talk to me.  Please don’t talk to me.” 

 

No such luck.  She asked if I spoke English and was thrilled to learn I was American too.  Seriously?  Who let this girl out on her own?  I probably could have pretended to be from Spain, but my high school Spanish wasn’t up to the task.   

 

So I took one for the team and chatted briefly with her before the museum finally opened.  I then went my separate way.  The less crazy American. 

 

Conclusion 

Anyway, back to the main topic.  How do you decide where to go?  Names in a hat?  Spin a wheel?  Ask a travel agent?  I don’t know.  I’ve never had this problem.  I always knew where I wanted to go.  I had a travel schedule five years out. 

 

My best advice is to just pick a safe place that sounds interesting to you, and make the most of it. 

 

Where do you want to go?  What is your favorite destination so far?