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Originally Posted by RayinPenn
Decided in lieu of retirement for the next year to help keep me going and make life interesting we would take some awesome (hopefully) vacations. We look forward and have scheduled going to Hawaii shortly.
Now I want to plant something for the Christmas holidays and was thinking Australia, Sydney in particular and maybe up the coast (I like warm weather) but 20 hours in a plane?
All Thoughts and alternatives would be appreciated
A. good for 2 teenagers (19 & 15)
B. Warm weather
C. We enjoy the water, fishing, snorkeling, food, reading/lounging in the sun,
D. Oh the wife has an irrational fear of all of Mexico.
RayinPenn.
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Fewer hours on a plane: Madeira. it's a beautiful mountainous island off the coast of Portugal. Funchal is the main city, and that's where you should stay. The whole city puts on the most amazing Christmas Light display I've ever seen, with a miniature Christmas village down the middle of one of the main streets. It's moderate temps year around--70s. The port is great, salties coming in and out, lots of shops & cafes. There is a teleferico that goes up the mountain to a restaurant. Fantastic view of the city up there.
On New Years Eve we booked a harbor excursion on The Albatross (very funny fiasco, a story we still laugh about, being longtime sailors), which cruised the harbor during the fireworks display that were set up all along the harbor. (BTW, interesting to walk along the harbor during the day and watch them setting up the fireworks.)
We had our young adult children with us, and they found plenty to do, including some kind of live band thing in one of the squares on New Year's Eve. The city is safe to let them roam around. There's a (dry--no snow) toboggan ride you can take down the mountain that kids would like.
There's offshore islands you can take ferry to. I don't know about snorkeling. I'm not sure about fishing, but it is an island, so I imagine there's fishing. We rented a car and drove over the mountain, dodging cattle on the road, to a place on the opposite shore that had rock grottoes. You can drive up the mountain and hook up with a system of trails that go all over the place.
Really, it was one of the most interesting, different trips we have ever taken. We've talked about going back recently. So many places; so little time.