Discussions started by Ducono

Hi there, after 5 trips to the American West, where should we go in May 2025? My last stay in SF ended badly for me (diabetes flare-up, hospitalization after returning to France), but my wife insists on SF and places we haven’t seen yet... so I’ve decided to skip the big parks and head for some offbeat spots instead... So, SF, then south to the crossroads where James Dean died. No luck—roadworks everywhere, impossible to stop—but I’d noted we could check out the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield and its bar before heading to Bakersfield.

Hi there, We’d like to spend a few days in Barcelona... the issue is accommodation, and we don’t know anything about it. My brother’s driving to a campsite up north, and his brother-in-law left at 5 AM when there are only two of us... I just got back from my 7th trip to the US, where I know all my spots, so I’m a bit lost here.

This is a nightmare! Auchan Telecom’s internet extension isn’t working… so no Google Maps! Big problem in the middle of nowhere yesterday, and we drove in circles for ages trying to find the hotel in Bakersfield. And today we’re heading to L.A. What’s a quick and cheap solution?

And off we go again for what’s certainly our last trip to the American West... After the disaster of September 2022, the diabetes flare-up, and the pulmonary embolism, we’re spending ten days in the spots we missed and some unlikely places. After flying over Scotland, still English,

Greenland, still Danish,



And Lake Huron, still half Canadian,

We land early in Detroit... a nightmare of an airport. A long, dreadful baggage check process, but we still make it to gate A10 just in the nick of time—only for disaster to strike! My passport has my first and last name, my boarding pass has my first and last name, BUT not on Delta’s computer—so we’re denied boarding! We head to the Air France-Delta-KLM desk, where an employee listens to us sympathetically. He books us two seats on an 8:30 AM flight to SF... Then passes us off to two colleagues who offer us a night in a hotel... and send a message to the baggage service to keep our checked luggage safe... In the end, we go to bed earlier, wake up earlier, but since we’ll still get some sleep on the plane, we might be able to look back on this whole mess with a smile... well, we hope so, anyway. 10:17 PM in Detroit—time to sleep. Our clean clothes and toiletries are in the plane. We’ll bounce back!!;

Hi there, We're leaving this Thursday, August 8th: Paris → Detroit → SF. Today I'm loading up the app and filling it out at my own pace, knowing I'll need to take the photos when we arrive in Detroit to benefit from the fast-track customs process. But what about SF? After a domestic flight, do we have to go through customs again? I did Rapid City → Minneapolis → NYC a long time ago... can't remember how it worked... Thanks!

After our first trip discovering the American West with our teens, Cécile asked me to go back for a romantic getaway to this wonderful destination. Whatever my wife wants, so here we are on a plane in September 2022, heading to San Francisco. Since we’d already visited the main parks two years earlier, this time we took the scenic route:



We arrived late in the evening, spent a short night at the hotel, and picked up our rental car to hit Highway 1 and the Pacific coast. The sky was gray, foggy, and a bit disappointing for now.



As Brittany lovers, we know coastal weather can change quickly... but no! Bixby Bridge was just a quick view from the car, and it was only 11°C outside.



We had a quick picnic on the spot, quickly bothered by the local wildlife.



And then—miracle! This charming animal made the wind shift and brought us sunshine. So this coast is absolutely worth the trip—it’s just stunning.



Only the sound of the wind and the seals’ calls disturbed the tranquility of the moment.





But even the best things come to an end, and we turned inland toward the sequoias. We drove through a long plain with fruit trees, vineyards, and endless straight roads.





First night at the hotel, tired but happy! !

After a first trip with her teens to the West during Easter 2019 and then to New York at All Saints' Day that same year, Cécile has only one idea in 2022: to go back!!!! So, we’re planning a loop from SF to SF, passing through the sequoias, LV, Death Valley, and Yellowstone.



Off we go, full of joy and good spirits, heading to San Francisco. To make the flight more comfortable, I’d booked a seat with extra legroom.



Really nice!



Anyway, everything went smoothly until we arrived—1h30 of waiting at customs!!!

But no matter, around 11 PM, we took the shuttle to a hotel, tired but happy

Hi there, We have the option to go to Venice from December 31st to January 4th or 5th. But is it a good idea?

et hop ! une nouvelle capitale européenne et ses alentours pour Cécile ....

Brel et Béart ont chanté cette charmante ville qui lui tardait de découvrir.. grâce à un CE généreux qui rend accessibles les Adagio Hôtel d'Europe...

11h de route ce dimanche de de retour de vacances... arrivée tardive et nocturne sur place donc dodo le 1er soir

La météo est mouvant mais que rien ne nous arrête... direction Utrecht..

1er choc: des vélos partout !!!! donc vitesse réduite ce qui permet de découvrir des bâtiments insolites





Utrecht centre ses canaux, l'Oudegracht





les touristes n ont pas encore envahi les bars des quais





Même le ramassage des poubelles se fait par péniche!



Pas de chance les 465 marches du Dom sont impossibles d accès

Où passer un WE hors de la canicule lyonnaise ? et pkoi pas Aurillac...

Départ vendredi début d'am... ça merdouille bien niveau autoroute au sud de Clermont puis nous passons aux choses sérieuses: sorite à Massiac, le Murat et le Puy mary.. enfin des paysages verts... et splendides









Nous nous garons un peu à l'arrache..



la terrasse est pleine et la pinte bien fraiche...

et laissons le sommet aux chamois



Les lacets descendants nous emmènent vers Aurillac





y a pas que la gentiane dans ce pays !!!

Après l'ouest américain https://voyageforum.com/v.f?do=post_view_flat;post=9613741;page=1;search_string=Cecile;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=20;

et New York, https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9796574;search_string=Cecile

cet été, Cécile découvre le Finistère....

certes cela peut faire moins rêver, mais bon la Bretagne c est toujours aussi beau ..sans les parisiens et autres touristes covidés !

Campement à Bénodet, sa plage, son ciel bleu......



Où boire un coup par cette chaleur ? à l Ile Tudy bien sûr ! situé en face de sa voisine Loctudy,



le bout de ce village se concentre sur son port , ses bistrots, restos.... encore calmes ce lundi



...il faut bien ça pour se remettre des 915 km de la veille

Descente de cervoise ambrée dans un bar connu



aussi pour la sa déco, affiche de concerts, artistes au plafond quant aux toilettes, super tapisserie



bref, on glande en admirant le paysage



la journée d installation se termine tranquillement.. Cécile se félicite de son bon choix...

bjr

je pars fin aout visiter les pays bas avec madame

4° visite pour moi, 1er pour elle

on dors tous les soir à amsterdam

y aurait il des bars et restos sympas ni ruineux no touristiques

trip advisor me méfie un peu

merci

Leaving in 15 days for Brittany, specifically the southern Finistère and Bénodet...

Tourists expected to boost the culinary restaurant industry!

Haven’t read the guide for latecomers yet, and I’m really wary of online reviews. Where can I eat without getting ripped off, enjoy quality food—crêperies, seafood, nice atmosphere... Thanks to all you savvy foodies!

2021 n est pas si lointaine quand on pense réservation....

Cécile ayant adoré le 1er voyage dans l ouest , elle veut redoubler en faisant SF et yellowstone entre autres...

pour ma part, ayant déjà trippé dans la région, je m ajoute quelques coins non visités comme antelope island à SLC, , cathedral gorge, cedar breaks, extraterrestreal road notamment

nous avons le choix entre 2 itinéraires:sans passage à cedar city:

V1



V2 avec passage par cedar city



cette version met 1 jour de plus ce qui devrait être faisable ..

N'étant pas fans de montagne, on voit le mont blanc de lyon, ni de longues marches, j ai supprimé: - grand téton où suis déjà passé voir mes cousins



- et kanarra creek , 3 à 4h de marche en plus avec le vertige ... - ceci dit , suis preneur de plein d idées originales et sympa

pour moi cela dépendra surtout d'un phénomène bien particulier : la possibilité de réserver sur yellowstone sachant, si j ai bien compris, que ceux qui ont du annuler cette année seront prioritaires pour 2021

ce sera certainement mon dernier voyage dans l ouest....