What was the best...?

Colinka · ‎10-15-2011

My husband and I often do this while we are on a long car trip. It helps us remember the many trips we've taken over our 40plus years of marriage. We'll pick a question such as, "What was the best hotel we've ever stayed in?" , "What was the best meal we've ever had while traveling?" or "What was the most scenic drive we've enjoyed.?". This never fails to pass the time, and helps us remember all the great travel adventures we've had! Sometimes we can't agree, but the conversation is always interesting! So, I'd like to ask you to respond to one or more of these questions with a brief answer. Perhaps we'll find a common experience, or discover a new place to visit.

Best hotel: Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone

Best meal: James Bay Inn, Victoria, BC

Most scenic route: Selkirk loop, Northern Idaho and into Canada.

Would you like to share yours?

ChiTownGal · ‎06-10-2015

Best Hotel: Hotel Le Royal Lyon (if you travel to Lyon, France during off-peak season you can book a room here for only $174 per night).

Best Scenic View: The heart of the city between the Rhone and Saone rivers. Also, the exceptional coastline of Brittany, the cities of Lyon and Bordeaux with picturesque villages and high mountains of the Mid Pyrenees, the low-key traditional wine region of Languedoc and the Gorge du Verdon can be considered France’s very own answer to the Grand Canyon!

Best restaurant for authentic French meal (dinner): L'inaTTendu (the above is all in Lyon, France which is about 4-1/2-hours away from Paris, France

gmkb · ‎07-29-2012

Unfortunately I cannot answer your questions only because I just don't recall.

But I will add to the conversation by telling about a way my husband would remember some trips. When we went to places that were probably one time experiences he would make extensive notes. When we returned home he would compile his notes into a typewritten story of the trip and what we saw, ate, bought, observed, etc.

The longest one was 40 pages about a trip to Russia, Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic. There was so much to remember about those places and rereading his story refreshed our memory.

Colinka · ‎10-15-2011

@gmkb wrote:
Unfortunately I cannot answer your questions only because I just don't recall.
But I will add to the conversation by telling about a way my husband would remember some trips. When we went to places that were probably one time experiences he would make extensive notes. When we returned home he would compile his notes into a typewritten story of the trip and what we saw, ate, bought, observed, etc.

The longest one was 40 pages about a trip to Russia, Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic. There was so much to remember about those places and rereading his story refreshed our memory.

Thanks for the reminder, gmkb! When I went to Ireland with a group of female relatives, one of them would take time each night to write in her journal about all the things we did and saw that day. In looking back several years later, I wish I had done that, as I am finding it hard to remember certain events and places from the trip.

One of the reasons we play our "Best" game is to help our memories live again.

mac116 · ‎03-26-2010

I keep a travel journal for each of our trips. They are so interesting to reread years after a trip.

gacat123 · ‎09-10-2010

@Colinka

MEMORIES....Like the Corners of My Mind.... <smile>

My DH was in a Finance CPA career that involved a LOT of travel. I would go on some trips with him over the many years. Now we are both retired and I do wish we had kept a simple notebook journal with a few simple details of his/our trips!

I think this would be a nice wedding gift, a travel journal for recording travel memories.

Keep Calm and Travel On,

CAT

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@Corina Ha! I'd have to disagree with the Old Faithful Inn. What did you like about it? My sister and I stayed there 3 years ago and thought it was awful. No AC, no TV, one lamp with a 20w bulb so you couldn't read. Food in dining room was terrible too. We left and stayed in West Yellowstone.

Best Scenic View: Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

lulu2 · ‎03-09-2010

Hotel Santa Caterina in Amalfi, Italy.

Scenic drives is the Ring of Kerry in Ireland.

We are not big foodies so I cannot say what was the best meal.

Colinka · ‎10-15-2011

@Kachina624 wrote:
Ha! I'd have to disagree with the Old Faithful Inn. What did you like about it? My sister and I stayed there 3 years ago and thought it was awful. No AC, no TV, one lamp with a 20w bulb so you couldn't read. Food in dining room was terrible too. We left and stayed in West Yellowstone.

Kachina624, I guess we just loved the total experience. The lobby is breathtaking, and, while the rooms are somewhat spartan, we loved the sense of history and magnitude. We got up very early and walked around the geyser pathways, and it was just the two of us in a magical morning. We found the food very appetizing--maybe it was the mountain air. We enjoyed visiting with all of the wait staff, as many came from foreign countries to work there for the summer. Many of the guests were very interesting to meet, as they also were from around the world. We were also celebrating a landmark anniversary.

For entertainment, we saw buffalo wandering around the parking lots. We certainly didn't need TV with so much going on in real life! Tthe temperatures were brisk, so we didn't need AC.

We've stayed in countless cookie-cutter motels. We love it when things are out of the ordinary and we can have new experiences.

Our list of favorite memories might not be yours or anyone else's. I just thought this might be a fun way to add a new topic to the travel forum.

Alter Ego · ‎03-12-2010

BEST HOTEL - I admit I don't always choose the "best" hotel, usually looking for a reasonable hotel in a good location. That being said, the nicest hotel I've stayed to date is Das Cataratas inside the park in Foz do Iguacu. Only hotel with private viewings of the falls. Not cheap, but worth it; wish I had another day there to just relax by the pool. It's one of those places that would bring you cold towels to cool off with and little snacks would be passed around while you were sunning, while wild and beautiful birds would sing nearby.

BEST MEAL - there are two that stand out and I can't tell you what either restaurant was! In fact, the first wasn't a restaurant at all, but a grocer in the south of France. Cruise ship excursion and we were on our own for lunch. Just perfect, but simple ingredients. French bread, ham and cheese. No sandwich can come close. Second was a restaurant in Parma. I had researched what the specialty was for the region and it payed off. Perfect ravioli. But, even better - these puffed bread squares that we ordered with Parma ham. Ah.Maze.Ing.

MOST SCENIC ROUTE - I don't have much to pull from. Have to go with the cliche (for a reason) Amalfi Coast.