BootsnAll is one of my premier go-to sites for travel related information. For anyone contemplating a RTW (round the world) trip. This is the place to start. In 2012 BootsnAll will be issuing one challenge/task/subject each week in 2012 for bloggers to write about.
Week #4
When the weather gets cold, do you prefer to head to sunnier locales or do you love the outdoor adventures or off-season prices of winter? Warm or cold, what’s your dream winter travel destination, and do you have any travel plans for the coming months?
Winter Travel
Traveling in the winter can certainly be a challenge for me. I really don’t like the cold, I don’t indulge in any cold weather activities (ie skiing, snowboarding, skating), and I tend to never pack/dress warm enough (I’m learning). LAYERS. Yep, thats the key!
Having said that, I realize that I have actually done quite a bit of winter travel. This has not been a conscious “I want to travel to ____ this winter” kind of thing but rather one of “Well, I’ve got this choice for $$ or this for $$$$”. I will almost always choose to travel to the place that is going to be the easiest on my wallet, cold or not.
Being a travel nurse also plays into my choice of location and sometimes lands me in a harsher environment that I would like. For example, I am currently in Chicago…in winter! Job availability plays a big role in this. I usually attempt to avoid the harshest of the seasons. I was able to enjoy winters in Southern Texas as well as Arizona and get out of both before the heat tempered too high in the spring, and I’ve been lucky to avoid winter weather altogether until the past couple of years.
I would have to say the some of my favorite winter travels have been Oslo Norway and Brugge Belgium. Both of these hold very fond memories and the cold weather was part of what made them memorable. I’m certain that both locations would hold a certain charm for me at any time of the year.
Ultimately, I’m not to be deterred by the weather at any location. The weather in any location is part of what defines a place and it’s people. In order to completly understand a culture doesn’t it make sense to see it in all of it’s extremes?
If I had choosen to visit Oslo Norway at a different time of year I am certain that my Oslo After-thoughts would have been much different.
I am a mere two weeks away from leaving for South America and will be arriving at the tail end of the ‘rainy season’ there. I’m certain that this will effect my experience. I’m also positive that I will embrace it and delight in the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to experience it.
Some of my favorite weather related experiences:
– Being ‘blown away’ by the winds at the North Sea in Belgium
– Anxiously seeking the next coffee shop to warm up in Oslo Norway
– Shopping for scarves in Gdansk Poland
– Helping my travel mate and friend Aaron find a warm coat in Brussles Belgium and delighting in cofffee and hot waffles from the street vendor in Brugge.
– Being soaked from rain every day in Vietnam
– Sharing the Windy City with Trinity and Trae in Chicago this winter.
– Delighting in the wonder of a brutal Boston Winter.
– Attempting to make it to the top of Lamoille Canyon Elko Nevada.
– My trip through Gettysburg, PA in a snowstorm with my Dad
– Getting caught in a flash downpour in Bologna Italy only to find out that we were a mere couple of blocks from our hostel.
I can only think of one Winter Getaway that I would likely actively seek out and that would be Antarctica. Do you have Winter Getaways that were memorable or other weather related travel memories? Share them with me in the comments. Maybe you will enspire me to seek out other Winter Getaways.