What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
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diydocwifejd
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by diydocwifejd »

Lasik!
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." -Benjamin Franklin
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HomerJ
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by HomerJ »

Jetski

They say money can't buy you happiness, but I've never seen anyone look sad on a jetski.
"The best tools available to us are shovels, not scalpels. Don't get carried away." - vanBogle59
RXfiles
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by RXfiles »

HyperCat wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:03 pm A riding lawnmower. Worth every penny compared to push mowing.
paying someone to do your yard work
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Polar_Ice
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Polar_Ice »

The best investment you can make is a really good bed. Check out a natural latex mattress. A good night sleep will change your life. Most people just don't realize they sleep on garbage until they try something great.
Woodshark
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Woodshark »

I'll have to say our EBag MotherLode backpack luggage. It has all the right compartments, is comfortable to carry, fits in the overhead bin on airplanes, coverts to a shoulder bag with checking into fancy hotels and I can live out of it for several weeks at a time.
rrt
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by rrt »

Three weeks in the Galapagos Islands, staying on some of the different islands, not on a ship. Private guide the entire time. Fishing with a local family and having our catch for dinner. Diving with sharks, snorkeling with penguins, whale sharks.

Was the coolest trip we've been on and we splurge on the travel.
Eagle_
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Eagle_ »

lucha wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 12:07 pm
lucha wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:21 pm I did a lot of travel in my 20s... northern lights in Tromso, Norway and safari in the Serengeti were the two best experiences which were less budget-friendly.

Stateside, my singing groups and music classes. Music education is my greatest joy in life. :happy
OK I feel like adding a few things since reading everyone's posts....

- Healthy, organic food (you are what you eat!)
and
- My new BEREY WATER FILTER. Clean water is almost more important than clean food. Berkey beats Britta every time and is cheaper in the long run.
Thank you for mentioning BEREY. I've been looking for a good filter for a while now.
From the Pacific Northwest.
boglerich
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by boglerich »

* Long ethernet cable. Having an internet connection where I'm not reliant on wi-fi on my main machine is amazing. Lower ping, no connection issues, no robot voice / slow loading / sporadic downtime. Always.

* Blue yeti mic. Plug your headphones into it for feedback, get the settings right (low gain), and prepare to be complimented on your amazing voice.

* (used) Herman Miller chair. Sounds bougee / overpriced / culty the way some people advertise it but it just makes sense. I spend ~3000 hours on a chair per year.It's more comfortable material and the extensive adjustments mean I can compound that comfort by being positioned how I please. Lower priced chairs break or degrade. If you buy 100-200$ chairs on amazon ou'll end up spending high amounts on replacement chairs anyways.

* Grill. Nice to have a hobby and I need protein. Surprisingly relaxing.
sschullo
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by sschullo »

Education, travel, associate producer of a documentary, gifts for loved ones and friends, donations, 403b advocacy, and my Model S Tesla!
Never in the history of market day-traders’ has the obsession with so much massive, sophisticated, & powerful statistical machinery used by the brightest people on earth with such useless results.
gator15
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by gator15 »

Recently, an A/C repair guy and a hammock. The hammock is mainly for camping. It served us well during our recent camping trip.
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Sandtrap
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Sandtrap »

Health
Spouse
Family

j🌺
Wiki Bogleheads Wiki: Everything You Need to Know
finsterfolly
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by finsterfolly »

We rented a cabin in the mountains for my 50th birthday and invited two other couples to join us. Not only did it kick our friendships to the next level, but the two other couples, who didn't know each other previously, became fast friends, too.
Somethingwitty92912
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Somethingwitty92912 »

Freedom.
squirm
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by squirm »

Sandtrap wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 6:48 am Health
Spouse
Family

j🌺
^^^ This, big time.
gerntz
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by gerntz »

15 cent 10 oz draft beers at a bowling alley bar in late 60's.
kcannon1
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by kcannon1 »

Picked up a ridiculously battered tweed Fender Vibrolux amp on local craigslist. Tweed had long ago been stripped off and it was painted black. I know enough basic electronics to get it working and it sounds great. Got it recovered in tweed and the speaker reconed by local experts. Not likely to ever part with it.

Also, buying a house when I was 28yo in 1991. Thankfully my brother knew a friend/realtor, and this guy lobbied me to stay in a particular area of town that always has been desirable. It was/is a dumpy little house, and a huge step and commitment. Turned out to be a wise choice and I am likely to part with it for a substantial profit when I retire.
willyd123
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by willyd123 »

A Toro Timemaster mower. I can do my lawn 40% faster, get some exercise and save the $250/month in lawn service.
BogleFan510
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by BogleFan510 »

removed by author
Last edited by BogleFan510 on Fri Jul 09, 2021 5:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
GreenLawn
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by GreenLawn »

Somethingwitty92912 wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 7:34 am Freedom.
The most expensive gift to myself was early retirement. The foregone earnings are in the hundreds of thousands. And worth every penny!

I've recently discovered thriftbooks.com. I enjoy reading textbooks and they have non-current editions cheap, some of them under 5 bucks.

Riding motorcycles was really fun, and well worth the money I spent on them. I eventually gave them up, street bikes are inherently dangerous and I decided I had tempted fate long enough.
Afty
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Afty »

Our house. We stretched to buy a nice house in the Bay Area, newly renovated and move in ready, good size, in a great school district. It's turned out to be a great decision. During the pandemic it has been amazing for all 4 family members to have their own space to take Zoom meetings and work/go to school. I'm glad we stretched for this house.
CoastLawyer2030
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by CoastLawyer2030 »

willyd123 wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:25 am A Toro Timemaster mower. I can do my lawn 40% faster, get some exercise and save the $250/month in lawn service.
I got one of these this year. Cutting the grass went from about 55 minutes to about 35.

Previously I had to do two laps on the trim of the yard. Now just one. And two passes when I am cutting are equivalent to three from the old mower. It all adds up, and it's an amazing timesaver.

I am really going to try and maintain this beast for as long as possible.
Eat33
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Eat33 »

iPhone 12

MacBook
dknightd
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by dknightd »

Food and shelter
Retired 2019. So far, so good. I want to wake up every morning. But I want to die in my sleep. Just another conundrum. I think the solution might be afternoon naps ;)
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bogleblitz
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by bogleblitz »

IVF so I can have 2 kids. (I spent crazy amount of money and jealous of all the families that can easily get pregnant) I almost considered surrogate.

Being a boglehead forum. We should have another thread called: What is the BEST free things in life?
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canidothat
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by canidothat »

My beloved pet Mango, my lil' savior.
The camera I bought to plunge into my passion for the world of photography.
Reading through guides and investing into my own Shopify dropshipping store during college.
A scarf I bought from a local here in Alaska that has lasted me for over 15 years. I'll edit this later to add a pic, might be in the washer.
snapping moments–one bajillion buttons at a time
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ebeard
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Re: A Bottle of Champaign!

Post by ebeard »

Taylor Larimore wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:13 pm
Shalom Aleichem wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:30 pm Hi everyone.
Long time lurker.
What is the BEST thing you ever spent money on?
Shalom:

The best thing I ever spent money on was a bottle of champaign. I'll explain:

It was New Year's Eve 1950, I went to the New Year's Eve Bachelor's Ball on Miami Beach. I saw a very beautiful lady (the 1949 Orange Bowl Spirit of Youth) sitting with an older man at a nearby table. Deciding to make her acquaintance, I asked the maitre-de to give the couple a bottle of champagne.

A few minutes before midnight (carefully planned), I went to their table and asked the lady for a dance.

On the dance-floor at midnight I asked for a kiss. That did it. We were married a year later and had three children. Our marriage lasted 62 years until her death in 2013.

Splurging on that bottle of champagne was "the BEST thing I spent money on."

Best wishes
Taylor
Jack Bogle's Words of Wisdom: “Every winter my wife and I take a week off and go to a resort in Florida.”
Taylor, thank you for this!

Your posts always ring true. All love from a fellow Floridian who married his high school sweetheart and continues to love this woman with all of my uxorious heart.
3 core funds. Don't just do something, stand there.
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backofbeyond
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by backofbeyond »

Lasik surgery.
International travel.
Yeti cups.
Getting my teeth fixed in Thailand for 1/5 the cost of doing it in US.
The question isn't at what age I want to retire, it is at what income. - George Foreman
sureshoe
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by sureshoe »

IowaFarmWife wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 11:31 am
Starfish wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:13 pm C-section.
Oh yes, I had four of them. :happy
You're a bad woman than I am man. My wife had 3 kids the pushing way, and this 4th one the C-way... oof, it was rough.
Luckywon
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Luckywon »

Housekeeper 2x/week. Been a significant expense but having a very clean home, never having to do laundry, and having someone to be home for deliveries/service calls and over vacations has been life changing for us.
sk.dolcevita
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by sk.dolcevita »

gerntz wrote: Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:35 pm All the great vacations across North America, Europe, & Oz/NZ.

And top-notch walking shoes.
May I ask which brand/model of the walking shoes?
TurtleBeatsHare
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by TurtleBeatsHare »

A robot to clean/mop/vacuum my floors. It’s life changing!
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Abe
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Abe »

One of the best things I spent money on was a financial calculator. I like the Hewlett Packard HP10BII Plus. I see Amazon has it for $23.31. Nowadays I understand you can down load an app for it to your phone or use a spread sheet, but back in the day, we didn't have smart phones or spread sheets. I first started using one to calculate yields on mortgages bought at discount, but they can be used for all kinds of time value of money calculations. aleichem shalom
Slow and steady wins the race.
Cycle
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Cycle »

I bought a house on a pedestrian only street, so my walk to drop the kids off at daycare is down a half mile Greenway with just people walking and an occasional cyclist. I can let the older one walk without any worries of cars.

It is really pleasant living in an environment that is just people and nature.

Plus a couple blocks away are all the essentials we can get on foot like grocery, restaurants, salon, classy drag venue, doctor/dentist, etc
Never look back unless you are planning to go that way
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Taylor Larimore
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Taylor Larimore »

The best thing I spent money on was during a New Year's Eve party when I sent a bottle of champaign to the Orange Bowl Theme Girl's table on December 31, 1949. I subsequently asked her for a dance and we kissed at midnight. That did it.

We were happily married for 62 years and had three children.

Best wishes.
Taylor
Jack Bogle's Words of Wisdom: "The great game of life is not about money; it is about doing your best to join the battle to build anew ourselves, our communities, our nation, and our world."
"Simplicity is the master key to financial success." -- Jack Bogle
hudson
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by hudson »

A draft beer or two
Elena
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Elena »

Somethingwitty92912 wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 7:34 am Freedom.
+1000

My last response on this thread (still valid) was my $25 pound dog (I love her). I am adding my current response as buying myself the opportunity to leave my extremely secure job at 48 without a blink.

That is my big ticket item.
RoadagentMN
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by RoadagentMN »

1. Gym membership
2. Personal Trainer
3. LASIK

Note common denominator?
willyd123
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by willyd123 »

CoastLawyer2030 wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 1:29 pm
willyd123 wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:25 am A Toro Timemaster mower. I can do my lawn 40% faster, get some exercise and save the $250/month in lawn service.
I got one of these this year. Cutting the grass went from about 55 minutes to about 35.

Previously I had to do two laps on the trim of the yard. Now just one. And two passes when I am cutting are equivalent to three from the old mower. It all adds up, and it's an amazing timesaver.

I am really going to try and maintain this beast for as long as possible.
Yeah I love it
theplayer11
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by theplayer11 »

fireplace insert with blower
Dukenyc1
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Dukenyc1 »

My Dahon folding bike bought for $200 off of Craigslist.

I put it in the trunk of my car and now have a means to take a bike ride where ever I go.

Definitely helped me stay in shape and love the scenery when out on a bike ride.
cbeck
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by cbeck »

Best trip, by far: Galapagos
Best purchase, by far: Costco KS9 hearing aids
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Padlin
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Padlin »

Kids college education, although it didn't feel that way at the time. It's so nice to know they can live as comfortably as they choose.
Regards | Bob
Strummer
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Strummer »

kcannon1 wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:22 am Picked up a ridiculously battered tweed Fender Vibrolux amp on local craigslist. Tweed had long ago been stripped off and it was painted black. I know enough basic electronics to get it working and it sounds great. Got it recovered in tweed and the speaker reconed by local experts. Not likely to ever part with it.
Your mention of this amp means I am required (by law, I think) to post a link to this song. The reference comes at the end of the first verse. (Nice amp, by the way. I'd mention my Gibson GA-40 but, since I rescued it from a dumpster, I technically didn't spend any money on acquiring it so it would be off-topic for this thread.)
manatee2005
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by manatee2005 »

cbeck wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:34 am Best trip, by far: Galapagos
Best purchase, by far: Costco KS9 hearing aids
Why was Galapagos good? Was it a trip with a tour?
manatee2005
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by manatee2005 »

backofbeyond wrote: Fri Jul 02, 2021 8:33 am Lasik surgery.
International travel.
Yeti cups.
Getting my teeth fixed in Thailand for 1/5 the cost of doing it in US.
Did you have to fly all the way to Thailand? Couldn’t you get them fixed in Tijuana?
Topic Author
Shalom Aleichem
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Shalom Aleichem »

Abe wrote: Fri Jul 02, 2021 11:25 am One of the best things I spent money on was a financial calculator. I like the Hewlett Packard HP10BII Plus. I see Amazon has it for $23.31. Nowadays I understand you can down load an app for it to your phone or use a spread sheet, but back in the day, we didn't have smart phones or spread sheets. I first started using one to calculate yields on mortgages bought at discount, but they can be used for all kinds of time value of money calculations. aleichem shalom
Thank you! Shavuoh tov and choidesh tov!
cbeck
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by cbeck »

manatee2005 wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 1:37 pm
cbeck wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:34 am Best trip, by far: Galapagos
Best purchase, by far: Costco KS9 hearing aids
Why was Galapagos good? Was it a trip with a tour?
The ship, La Pinta, was excellent, food, guides, accommodations, other guests. We went in January to avoid the out-of-school kiddies. That worked out well. On our trip there were more staff than guests. During the day you might visit a couple of islands for snokelling or a nature walk. Then while you're sleeping at night the ship goes on to some other, very different island. Galapagos itself is a unique experience. It's like being in Eden before the animals learned to fear us. If you are considering it, you won't be sorry.

I should have made clear that all trips in Galapagos are guided. Almost all visits are one or two week stays on a boat. It is possible to go to the one town by plane and stay in a hotel, but then you would only see a very limited bit of the Islands.
Last edited by cbeck on Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dottie57
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Dottie57 »

epicahab wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:37 pm If anyone's on the fence about a Roomba/iRobot they are awesome. :)
Works on carpet, hardwood or both?
Last edited by Dottie57 on Sun Jul 04, 2021 5:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ron Ronnerson
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Ron Ronnerson »

cbeck wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 5:10 pm
manatee2005 wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 1:37 pm
cbeck wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:34 am Best trip, by far: Galapagos
Best purchase, by far: Costco KS9 hearing aids
Why was Galapagos good? Was it a trip with a tour?
The ship, La Pinta, was excellent, food, guides, accommodations, other guests. We went in January to avoid the out-of-school kiddies. That worked out well. On our trip there were more staff than guests. During the day you might visit a couple of islands for snokelling or a nature walk. Then while you're sleeping at night the ship goes on to some other, very different island. Galapagos itself is a unique experience. It's like being in Eden before the animals learned to fear us. If you are considering it, you won't be sorry.
I couldn’t agree more. My favorite trip of all time was to the Galapagos too. It was like being on another planet and just the most amazing experience.
Da5id
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Re: What is the BEST thing you spent money on?

Post by Da5id »

Ron Ronnerson wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 5:21 pm
cbeck wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 5:10 pm
manatee2005 wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 1:37 pm
cbeck wrote: Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:34 am Best trip, by far: Galapagos
Best purchase, by far: Costco KS9 hearing aids
Why was Galapagos good? Was it a trip with a tour?
The ship, La Pinta, was excellent, food, guides, accommodations, other guests. We went in January to avoid the out-of-school kiddies. That worked out well. On our trip there were more staff than guests. During the day you might visit a couple of islands for snokelling or a nature walk. Then while you're sleeping at night the ship goes on to some other, very different island. Galapagos itself is a unique experience. It's like being in Eden before the animals learned to fear us. If you are considering it, you won't be sorry.
I couldn’t agree more. My favorite trip of all time was to the Galapagos too. It was like being on another planet and just the most amazing experience.
Probably our best trip so far was Alaska, including seeing 18 grizzlies simultaneously at the falls in Katmai National Park. They run a bear cam there during the salmon run (https://explore.org/livecams/brown-bear ... ooks-falls), though only a bear or two there currently. Maybe that trip was best thing we've spent on, at least for a big ticket item (Hawaii was close). Galapagos is on our bucket list too, perhaps next year.
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