What do you do once all your plans are made?

[glypnirsgirl Member Find all posts View Profile Close glypnirsgirl]

Here it is July, 2010 and I have all of my vacations planned all the way through to September, 2011. I don't have any more time that I could possibly take off from work between now and then. I am out of units to trade, RCI points to use, and will be for a while.

For about 2 years I have planned my timeshare acquisitions, stalked them, bid on them and finally have that all done. I did a good job with getting the right amount of the various weeks/points, etc - almost a perfect match for the time off that I have available.

So, now I am bored. No more plans to make, no more timeshares to purchase. What to do now???

elaine

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Start planning 2012.

[TimeshareVon Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TimeshareVon]

<<GASP>> Say it ain't so! No other plans to be made?

I do understand (sorta) what you're saying, but must admit that when I'm done planning one adventure (or three) I'm thinking about or researching other possibilities for the future. You know, that perverbial bucket list of travel places to see and experience.

Right now I have about five trips in various stages of planning and yet, I am thinking about and considering "where next" for 2012 and beyond. Like you, I have every day of my paid leave planned for more than a year (Sept 30, 2011 to be exact), but that isn't keeping me from tweaking upcoming trips and wishing listing more.

Here's what I have on my calendar for the next 15 months:

Aug/Sept Alaska by RV
Dec Washington, DC (Wyndham Alexandria)
Mar 2011 Anchorage, AK for the Iditarod
May Lake Lure, NC (T/S vacation)
Aug/Sept Kenya & Tanzania for safari

My next "calendared" thing to do is in mid August when the tickets go on sale for the Ford's Theatre production of A Christmas Carol, although I expect my travel companions for Africa will commit by the end of this month which will allow us to officially book (and pay deposits) for the safari.

Don't let boredum get to you. Seek out new adventures if only through books and movies (or television shows).

[jericap Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close jericap]

Think of places you would like to go and research the area and resorts within the area. Have several places researched in case you don't get what you want the first time on trade.
Happy vacationing!

[Dori Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dori]

We recently purchased a park model home in Sebring, Florida. That means we will stay there rather than making use of timeshare properties during the winter. Up until now, I have had a wonderful time hunting for our 6 weeks down south, rejoicing in each treasure I have snagged. Now I am experiencing severe withdrawal pains !

Dori

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Elaine,

Now is the time to hunt for those super, super bargains.

I find weeks for $79 sometimes using the alternate exchange companies and head to Disney. Of course it's not DVC but Westgate will do for a quick getaway to the mouse's house.

They also have other stuff available in other areas. So, how can you go wrong with $79 a week. I just use it for the weekend instead of the week and get in a quick getaway.

I've even gotten $112 weeks on II with some of their cheap promotions and that was for a week in Key Largo.
II also has an XYZ promotion where you can get a second week for just the exchange week. It's got rules but most of the II agents don't know about it. I'm planning on using that XYZ promo and dropping my gold membership.

Check out daelive.com for those $79 deals.

I'm sure there are other opportunitites I'm not aware of. Recently I found out that VRI has weeks for less than $300 in nice places. Trading Places too. Sometimes I pick up a week for $99 on ebay too from newbie sellers on ebay who don't really know how to run an auction.

So, Get busy researching. I don't see people posting the getaway deals like the sightings postings so you'll probably have to do that one on your own, but there are some great getaway steals and deals.

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

Here's what I have on my calendar for the next 15 months:

Aug/Sept Alaska by RV
Dec Washington, DC (Wyndham Alexandria)
Mar 2011 Anchorage, AK for the Iditarod
May Lake Lure, NC (T/S vacation)
Aug/Sept Kenya & Tanzania for safari

I like how you travel! The Iditarod is on my bucket list so I'm envious.

[TimeshareVon Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TimeshareVon]

I like how you travel! The Iditarod is on my bucket list so I'm envious.

Thanks! I would love to actually go out midrace on the trail at one of the checkpoint villages or in Nome at the end but alas . . . the ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday and the official start on Sunday . . . plus some "out on the trail" outside of Willow will have to do.

They have volunteer opportunities if you can get the time off for work and have an interest in "working" the event.

[glypnirsgirl Member Find all posts View Profile Close glypnirsgirl]

We recently purchased a park model home in Sebring, Florida. That means we will stay there rather than making use of timeshare properties during the winter. Up until now, I have had a wonderful time hunting for our 6 weeks down south, rejoicing in each treasure I have snagged. Now I am experiencing severe withdrawal pains !

Dori

Ahhh....so you understand!

elaine

[glypnirsgirl Member Find all posts View Profile Close glypnirsgirl]

Start planning 2012.

Great idea! I guess I need to work on the list of "possibilities."

elaine

[glypnirsgirl Member Find all posts View Profile Close glypnirsgirl]

<<GASP>> Say it ain't so! No other plans to be made?

I do understand (sorta) what you're saying, but must admit that when I'm done planning one adventure (or three) I'm thinking about or researching other possibilities for the future. You know, that perverbial bucket list of travel places to see and experience.

Right now I have about five trips in various stages of planning and yet, I am thinking about and considering "where next" for 2012 and beyond. Like you, I have every day of my paid leave planned for more than a year (Sept 30, 2011 to be exact), but that isn't keeping me from tweaking upcoming trips and wishing listing more.

Here's what I have on my calendar for the next 15 months:

Aug/Sept Alaska by RV
Dec Washington, DC (Wyndham Alexandria)
Mar 2011 Anchorage, AK for the Iditarod
May Lake Lure, NC (T/S vacation)
Aug/Sept Kenya & Tanzania for safari

My next "calendared" thing to do is in mid August when the tickets go on sale for the Ford's Theatre production of A Christmas Carol, although I expect my travel companions for Africa will commit by the end of this month which will allow us to officially book (and pay deposits) for the safari.

Don't let boredum get to you. Seek out new adventures if only through books and movies (or television shows).

I will start doing this next week when all of the guidebooks that I ordered from amazon get here. I will have about 6 books on Kauai alone. I also have the national parks guidebooks and several others.

I should order books for Europe and Southeast Asia also. (Suggestions welcomed). Then I could look at the picture to see what looks interesting. That should keep me busy for awhile.

elaine

[glypnirsgirl Member Find all posts View Profile Close glypnirsgirl]

Think of places you would like to go and research the area and resorts within the area. Have several places researched in case you don't get what you want the first time on trade.
Happy vacationing!

Great idea!

I know that we want to scuba dive in more places than we have so far. My husband once went through his log book and counted up over 100 dives done from the SAME BOAT in Cozumel. We have right at 200 dives so, more than half have all been in the same place. Of the other half, only 20 - 30 have been outside of Texas. So lots of good diving locations to research.

I also want to go to Europe (but I don't know where) outside of London, Paris and Rome where I have been and don't have any burning desire to go back. However, I would love to go back to Florence and Nice, both of which I loved. But lots of untapped itineraries there. Any suggestions as to research?

[glypnirsgirl Member Find all posts View Profile Close glypnirsgirl]

Elaine,

Now is the time to hunt for those super, super bargains.

I find weeks for $79 sometimes using the alternate exchange companies and head to Disney. Of course it's not DVC but Westgate will do for a quick getaway to the mouse's house.

They also have other stuff available in other areas. So, how can you go wrong with $79 a week. I just use it for the weekend instead of the week and get in a quick getaway.

I've even gotten $112 weeks on II with some of their cheap promotions and that was for a week in Key Largo.
II also has an XYZ promotion where you can get a second week for just the exchange week. It's got rules but most of the II agents don't know about it. I'm planning on using that XYZ promo and dropping my gold membership.

Check out daelive.com for those $79 deals.

I'm sure there are other opportunitites I'm not aware of. Recently I found out that VRI has weeks for less than $300 in nice places. Trading Places too. Sometimes I pick up a week for $99 on ebay too from newbie sellers on ebay who don't really know how to run an auction.

So, Get busy researching. I don't see people posting the getaway deals like the sightings postings so you'll probably have to do that one on your own, but there are some great getaway steals and deals.

I was able to take advantage of the XYZ promotion. Got some phenomenal trades that I was able to parcel out as employee incentives since I am out of time. I could do the same thing with the phenomenal bargains. One of my newest employees has never been to Disney World and would dearly love to go. I have been waiting until the 45 day mark was past September 1st to start looking for those. In part because I would like for her to experience the parks when they are not so hot and crowded.

So, I can also start scouting bargain deals and looking for getaways for other people. Hmmm ... this is very promising. I see many hours of research fun ahead of me!

elaine

[Laurie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Laurie]

sled dog racing

Thanks! I would love to actually go out midrace on the trail at one of the checkpoint villages or in Nome at the end but alas . . . the ceremonial start in Anchorage on Saturday and the official start on Sunday . . . plus some "out on the trail" outside of Willow will have to do.

They have volunteer opportunities if you can get the time off for work and have an interest in "working" the event.

Yvonne - before timesharing we raced sled dogs (limited class sprint racing, usually wheeled gigs on sand or dirt trails but occasionally sleds on snow) in the east. Trust me, it's more addictive (and probably more expensive) than timesharing! It was great fun, our dogs were fabulous, my team won 3-dog class, 3 years in row, in Mid-Atlantic Sled Dog Racing Assoc seasonal circuit.

You might enjoy our youtube of one of our training runs almost 2 decades ago:
YouTube - Sled Dog Training Run - Shameless Huskies!

That's me in green jacket / light blue sweatshirt, and those were 8 of our dogs - each dog is pulling more than its own body weight at over 20 mph, our training goal was for them to run full-out while pulling for the entire distance. Then we switched to lightweight aluminum carts or occasionally sleds for the actual race, and they really flew when pulling less weight.

The canine adrenaline there is nothing compared to what it's like when 50 or 100 teams are gathered in one parking lot! We used to travel up north most every weekend in winter, and enjoyed being team help and trail help for the other teams and classes during the weekend.

We once attended a Sled Dog Symposium in Fairbanks during October, which included tours to several of the top kennels, both sprint and mid-long-distance - it was a really fun experience, and maybe they still hold it. Yvonne, you might want to check into that: Alaska Dog Mushers Association

The big sprint racing event is the Open North American Championship Sled Dog Race, that would be very fun to watch as well- March 19-21, 2011.

If you really get the bug to be up there longer, many kennels have opportunities to be kennel help all winter - they'll give free room and board in exchange for your daily training and kennel maintenance assistance. Only the hardy need apply - it used to be my dream, but doubt I could do it anymore, either physically or temperature-wise.

It's great you're volunteering for trail help - have a wonderful time. (Let me know when you've moved up there and start training your own team - we'll come help out!)

Sorry I've gone on for so long, but sled dog racing was similar to timesharing in that folks who do it love to talk ad infinitum about it and share experiences. It was what we did, breathed and lived for every moment of our spare time for about 7 years.

[jlwquilter Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jlwquilter]

I too am getting close to hitting the wall for "immediate" planning. I am in negotiations for a direct swap which will effectively wipe out all my exchange planning until then end of 2012. I won't even be able to deposit weeks that are exchangable for another 11 months or so.

I so want to buy another TS but am afraid to get too many!

I am not a "window shopper" so planning too far in advance (more than 2 years) doesn't appeal to me.

I guess this is what they call a "first world" problem!