Where to go to find where to go...
I'm presently in the process of planning a vacation. Well, a long weekend. The Who, What, Why, and When are all taken care of: my boyfriend and I, a few days away somewhere, to relax, preferably over Memorial Day weekend so that I can leverage my time off. The problem I am encountering, however, is the Where.
Where to go? The parameters are dictated by practical concerns: lack of a passport, cost, the desire to maximize time spent relaxing and minimize time spent traveling. Further, I am interested in going somewhere nice, warm, and preferably beachy. Thus, the usual suspect emerges: Florida. True, I have been to Florida twice in the past five months, but it's a big state. There's a lot to see other than Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
A few web searches for fares have proved to be less than satisfactory. The problem is that you have to search for fares and availability based on where you want to go with particularity. I don't particularly want to go to any one place. I just want to go SOMEWHERE that fits within our parameters. The zip code is not so much an issue as is the fact that there is a pool on site, and maybe a tiki bar? Swim up pina coladas? That sounds good! I don't care if I fly into West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Tampa, or Miami International, I just want to fly somewhere. And I don't want to have to shell out a lot to do so. I don't see why this is so hard.
The thing is, I would imagine that many vacationers have this problem. Most the people I know don't set out on vacation with a particular destination in mind, rather they have an idea of what they are looking to do on vacation. So why don't travel websites address this better? Why can't I just pick through a list of options: price, amenities, nearby attractions, distance to the airport? It shouldn't be this challenging to find a place to go for a short vacation and relax.
Where to go? The parameters are dictated by practical concerns: lack of a passport, cost, the desire to maximize time spent relaxing and minimize time spent traveling. Further, I am interested in going somewhere nice, warm, and preferably beachy. Thus, the usual suspect emerges: Florida. True, I have been to Florida twice in the past five months, but it's a big state. There's a lot to see other than Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
A few web searches for fares have proved to be less than satisfactory. The problem is that you have to search for fares and availability based on where you want to go with particularity. I don't particularly want to go to any one place. I just want to go SOMEWHERE that fits within our parameters. The zip code is not so much an issue as is the fact that there is a pool on site, and maybe a tiki bar? Swim up pina coladas? That sounds good! I don't care if I fly into West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Tampa, or Miami International, I just want to fly somewhere. And I don't want to have to shell out a lot to do so. I don't see why this is so hard.
The thing is, I would imagine that many vacationers have this problem. Most the people I know don't set out on vacation with a particular destination in mind, rather they have an idea of what they are looking to do on vacation. So why don't travel websites address this better? Why can't I just pick through a list of options: price, amenities, nearby attractions, distance to the airport? It shouldn't be this challenging to find a place to go for a short vacation and relax.
posted by aerin at 12:27 PM
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