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Since my other thread flew into a wormhole, let's try this one.
For everyone that has a few days off and can't get much vacation time allotted, how do you choose to play it?
Going off of the things that have worked in the past that didn't exert me, I'd say the suggested ideas of keeping things within a 200-400 mile/10hr driving radius does seem okay when one thinks about it.
Enough time to get out there, do whatever it is that they do out there and not feel so rushed to get back to home base.
The only disadvantage to this strategy is if you happen to live in plains some place and everything cool is right at the edge of that radius you set.
I can find plenty to do in New Mexico. If there is nothing there that you want to do or see, my best suggestion is that you move to Southern California. Then the stuff you want to do is close by.
Personally, I don't want to spend my free time driving. I'd like to keep it a 2 hour drive each way. Three hours at the most. Then I can spend the rest of my time doing whatever it is that my vacation is for. I do, however, deliberately live in an area where the things I like to do are close by, every direction I look.
I stay home and enjoy exploring the area I live in. I'e been here for 10 years and still haven't seen or done even half the things within a three hours drive.
I get on a plane and fly someplace. This fall I am headed to Washington State for a few days. I fly on a Thursday early am arriving SEA around noon, and fly back on Sunday around noon. That gives me three days to explore. Not a huge amount of time, but certainly enough to make the trip interesting.
10 hours one way is a long time to be driving, and I wouldn't find that relaxing. Such a waste of precious vacation hours! Save some cash and fly someplace you've never been to before.
10 hours one way is a long time to be driving, and I wouldn't find that relaxing. Such a waste of precious vacation hours! Save some cash and fly someplace you've never been to before.
Not wanting to derail the thread again, I'm not a big fan of dealing with the TSA or any security outfit for that matter.
It probably would've been a little easier to swallow had I been frequently flying on a regular basis from a younger age.
But since that never happened due to a variety of reasons, I'm not going to risk my first airline flight being my last.(as in blacklisted)
That said, if I were going to fly, I'd much rather look into getting a private, fixed wing license for those long trips.
Figure a semi-fast plane to skip all the roads and as long as I'm staying in the country, probably won't have to deal with any of those pesky lines.
A long-shot, but not impossible seeing as I'm not really tied down to anything else.
Not wanting to derail the thread again, I'm not a big fan of dealing with the TSA or any security outfit for that matter.
It probably would've been a little easier to swallow had I been frequently flying on a regular basis from a younger age.
But since that never happened due to a variety of reasons, I'm not going to risk my first airline flight being my last.(as in blacklisted)
That said, if I were going to fly, I'd much rather look into getting a private, fixed wing license for those long trips.
Figure a semi-fast plane to skip all the roads and as long as I'm staying in the country, probably won't have to deal with any of those pesky lines.
A long-shot, but not impossible seeing as I'm not really tied down to anything else.
FYI--If you don't want to deal with the TSA/DHS/FAA, don't bother to apply for a pilots permit. It requires a criminal background check these days.
Why would you be on a no-fly list?
I think you are reading a lot more into airport security than is actually there. The "nudoscopes" are gone, and as long as you follow directions and don't try to carry on prohibited items, it's really a breeze.
Since my other thread flew into a wormhole, let's try this one.
For everyone that has a few days off and can't get much vacation time allotted, how do you choose to play it?
Going off of the things that have worked in the past that didn't exert me, I'd say the suggested ideas of keeping things within a 200-400 mile/10hr driving radius does seem okay when one thinks about it.
Enough time to get out there, do whatever it is that they do out there and not feel so rushed to get back to home base.
The only disadvantage to this strategy is if you happen to live in plains some place and everything cool is right at the edge of that radius you set.
As I suggested: NM has a lot to see, and what about AZ or southern part of NV. Plan a trip to say, Laughlin and do a side trip to Grand Canyon for starters...You can head up toward Colorado; wonderful scenery and lots of nature things to do. I can think of so many short side trips it would keep you busy for a couple of years.
Not wanting to derail the thread again, I'm not a big fan of dealing with the TSA or any security outfit for that matter.
It probably would've been a little easier to swallow had I been frequently flying on a regular basis from a younger age.
But since that never happened due to a variety of reasons, I'm not going to risk my first airline flight being my last.(as in blacklisted)
That said, if I were going to fly, I'd much rather look into getting a private, fixed wing license for those long trips.
Figure a semi-fast plane to skip all the roads and as long as I'm staying in the country, probably won't have to deal with any of those pesky lines.
A long-shot, but not impossible seeing as I'm not really tied down to anything else.
As a GA pilot and Single Engine aircraft owner for many years ...
I would encourage you to pursue this avenue if you have the time and resources. It's not that difficult to get an ASEL Private ticket, and if you are even the slightest bit mechanically inclined, much maintenance can be done by yourself (certain routine items are permitted as the owner, and everything else can be done under the watchful eye/supervision of your cooperating A&P/IA, including much of the work of an annual inspection).
I don't have the fastest craft, a C182, but it's got a lot of practical utility for me living and flying around the Rocky Mountain states region. I did a lot of trips for years into the New Mexico area ... mostly SFe and Albuquerque, but also to Taos. Lots to see and explore throughout the region.
When I was based at KAPA, access to Idaho's backcountry was a good adventure for a long weekend of travel, camping, fishing, etc. It wouldn't be that much further for you from you area of NM. During the summer months, leaving on a Friday afternoon and returning on a Sunday afternoon (into the evening daylight hours) is quite viable with many aircraft that will do this length of cross country.
Of course, there's lots of choices to be made in GA. Just like cars, boats, and motorcycles, every series of aircraft has it's compromises and virtues. There are many options available to you for speed, fuel burn, utility, range, load carrying capacity, and price points. It's all about your priorities for your leisure time and where you want to travel to. There's a lot of options for GA aircraft which totally avoid the hassles of large commercial airports. Distance travel with aircraft in the 165-195 mph cruise ranges are very realistic to plan in the region. The only limitation I'd say that one has to weigh the cost/value/time of the travels is when you're looking at commercial seat costs to a much more distant location, say the West Coast, vs the cost and time of flying your SE GA aircraft. I've done it many times with 3 seats filled, so it was worthwhile given the time we had for the trip and the stops we made enroute for camping and visiting, but if the real goal is to "be there" on the coast and you're only flying one seat, it made be a tough choice to make.
And to the poster above who doesn't think that a commercial flight is a bother ... I'd say it sounds like they've not enjoyed the freedom and opportunities that a GA aircraft from a small muni airstrip offers to their users for regional travels.
As I suggested: NM has a lot to see, and what about AZ or southern part of NV. Plan a trip to say, Laughlin and do a side trip to Grand Canyon for starters...You can head up toward Colorado; wonderful scenery and lots of nature things to do. I can think of so many short side trips it would keep you busy for a couple of years.
I agree with you--there are many wonderful things to see and do in that part of the country--exploring them a few days at a time would take several years if not longer!
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