u/traveladdict61

Hello. So we have been to many countries in Europe, some multiple times(Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, England). We’re probably winding down our extensive European travel for financial and age reasons, but we’re planning at least one more trip. We keep thinking we should go to Greece, but every time we look at it, it just doesn’t pull us like some other counties have. When traveling we love medieval architecture, wandering small charming towns, beautiful green countyside, wine tasting, seeing interesting sites, trying new food, embracing new cultures. We do love seeing ancient historical sites like Pompeii and sites in Rome, they were astonishing, but we get our fill of these very quickly, we don’t want to visit ruins for days at a time. Franky the same for museums and art galleries. We do very much appreciate and enjoy them but a little goes a long way. We also aren’t really that interested in beach time in Europe. Our favorite places have been Italy, France and Spain. We have watched multiple travel videos on Greece and though lovely, the dry arid landscape doesn’t really move us, the ruins look very interesting but just for a day or 2, and the beaches are nice but not an enormous draw. We saw a video of Portugal and it immediately appealed to us more, the landscape and towns, but Portugal is lower on most people’s travel bucket lists. I am truly not criticizing either country, just wondering if Greece is really not for us. But being fairly well traveled, it seems foolish to choose to never have visited a country as famous and loved as Greece. Any thoughts on what we may be missing? Maybe there is something we are just not understanding about Greek travel? Thanks.

Hello. We’ll be in Tofino early next week and it looks like we’ll have some rainy weather. I know the forecast can change, but right now Tuesday and Wednesday aren’t looking good. If we have to skip one day of hiking due to rain, which of these three would you skip?
1)Tonquin trail, Chesterman Beach and Long beach
2)Pacific Rim Rainforest trail A and B
3)Lighthouse loop Uclulet
I am really looking forward to lush old growth forest, and beautiful views. We’re staying in Tofino. Thanks for your advice

Edit: yes, I do get the irony of asking about how to avoid rainy hikes in a rainforest. 😀. We’re prepared to walk in the rain, but if it’s a heavy downpour all day, just trying to be mentally prepared. Thanks for the comments.

Hello. Here is our itinerary for our upcoming trip to Victoria and Tofino. Any input would be appreciated, particularly whether we’re missing major things, adding too much, etc. When we create these itineraries we usually end up being flexible, switching things around, not doing everything on the list, so these aren’t marching orders, just a base from which to plan our days. FYI, we have a full kitchen in Tofino so we will only have dinner out the first night, the other three nights will probably be cooking in. Thank you so much for your help.

1)Fly to Victoria, plane arrives 1230, out of airport by 2 PM, drive to Victoria, check-in, free by 3 PM. Stay Marriott Inner Harbor, Walk Inner Harbour + Causeway, see Parliament Buildings, Empress Hotel, Bard and Banker Pub for dinner,
2)leave by 9:30 AM, Drive 4 hours to Tofino, stop halfway at Cathedral grove-(arrive around noon, stay 2 hours, leave by 2, bring lunch foods, arrive Tofino around 4 PM, have dinner at 45th Parallel at Lodge, walk McKenzie Beach
3)Tofino, *Chesterman beach, *Long beach and Wickaninish beach, maybe Cox Bay,, do Lighthouse loop starting from town, explore town, buy groceries
4)Tofino, *Rainforest trail A and *B in Pacific rim park, Radar hill(drive near top and walk rest of way), maybe Willowbrae trail(30 minutes from Tofino)
5)Tofino, drive to Uculet, -*Lighthouse loop, Big Beach, possibly Terrace Beach, Ancient Cedars loop
6)leave Tofino around 10:30, Arrive Victoria around 4, check in at Inn at Laurel point , explore more inner Harbour, revisit Inner Harbpr, or Empress, dinner FInns Seafood, Chops and Cocktails
7)-Walk to Fisherman’s Wharf, to Chinatown via waterfront, Fan Tan Alley, Fisgard street, Lower Johnson Street, (maybe high tea at Pendrey tea house?), Market Square, back along the waterfront, Il Terrazzo for dinner. extras- walk to Beacon Park, or *Dallas Road, Clover Point
8)Buchart Gardens and Sydney(waterfront, Beacon park, Sydney pier, Shopping area), eat at Aura Waterfront restaurant at Hotel
9)Whale watching, leaves at 10 AM, return at 2 PM, anything left undone or probably chill rest of day, eat at Blue Crab Seafood
10)fly home








Hello. Can anyone recommend a good condo across from a good beach in Kihei? I’m concerned after reading about the March storms devastating the Kameole beaches. How disruptive is the damage to the tourist experience in town and on the beaches? We have stayed in Kameole Sands before but I heard Kameole 2 got hit pretty hard. A nice beach wide enough to enjoy and lay out on is important. Thanks.

Hello. We are in the early stages of planning a trip to Switzerland in 2027, visiting Zurich, Zermatt, and Montreux. We can choose between staying the last week of August or the first week of September. I assume there’s not much difference between those two weeks in terms of weather? But how about crowds? Would it be much more crowded in the places we’re choosing to visit if we arrive the last week of August vs first week of September? Thanks so much.

Hello. I’m planning a trip to Greece for September 2027. Will be visiting Athens and Nafplio for a total of 10 nights. I have a choice between arriving on September 10 and September 17. I’m assuming there’s not much difference in weather? Or is it much better to push for the September 17 date to hope for a bit cooler temperatures? Should I expect it to be very hot those weeks no matter which I choose? And I assume there won’t be much difference in terms of crowds? We’re not looking to swim. Thanks so much.

Hello again. Thank you for your suggestions on my previous posts. Your comments have helped me realize I actually need two keyboards. Something at home, with at least 76 but much prefer preferably 88 keys, with an authentic piano sound, a lighter key action since it seems my hands are getting fatigued more easily now. Some sounds or features are good, but primarily a good sounding digital Piano. I was thinking of the Yamaha 225, but so many of these pianos are listed as good for beginners, I’m an intermediate at this point, and I want a Piano I can grow into and not outgrow too quickly. I was also looking at the Yamaha p 525 which is twice the price, but worth it if I can grow into it and it’s a better match for me, although some of the reviews aren’t that great? I did like the natural light feel of those wooden keys. I don’t want to go much above $15-1700 for a digital Piano, honestly that price is pushing it for me, but I’d be willing to do it for the perfect Piano.
The second keyboard I need would be something very light and portable to take to open mics, etc. Good enough sound for an open Mic, with some arranger features like in the Yamaha 670 that are responsive and interactive to the left hand, 61 keys is OK although 76 or even 88 would be fine as well if very lightweight. The price of this one would depend upon how much I’m spending on the other, lol, I think I want my total output for both to be no more than around $2300, preferably less.
I’m used to Yamaha, but not committed to it if there’s another brand that satisfies my needs. Anyway, now that I’m much more clear on what I need, further advice and input would be so appreciated. Thank you.

Hello again. Thank you for your suggestions on my previous posts. Your comments have helped me realize I actually need two keyboards. Something at home, with at least 76 but much prefer preferably 88 keys, with an authentic piano sound, a lighter key action since it seems my hands are getting fatigued more easily now. Some sounds or features are good, but primarily a good sounding digital Piano. I was thinking of the Yamaha 225, but so many of these pianos are listed as good for beginners, I’m an intermediate at this point, and I want a Piano I can grow into and not outgrow too quickly. I was also looking at the Yamaha p 525 which is twice the price, but worth it if I can grow into it and it’s a better match for me, although some of the reviews aren’t that great? I did like the natural light feel of those wooden keys. I don’t want to go much above $15-1700 for a digital Piano, honestly that price is pushing it for me, but I’d be willing to do it for the perfect Piano.
The second keyboard I need would be something very light and portable to take to open mics, etc. Good enough sound for an open Mic, with some arranger features like in the Yamaha 670 that are responsive and interactive to the left hand, 61 keys is OK although 76 or even 88 would be fine as well if very lightweight. The price of this one would depend upon how much I’m spending on the other, lol, I think I want my total output for both to be no more than around $2300, preferably less.
I’m used to Yamaha, but not committed to it if there’s another brand that satisfies my needs. Anyway, now that I’m much more clear on what I need, further advice and input would be so appreciated. Thank you.
Edit: thank you all so much for your great advice. I just bought the Yamaha 525 and an amazing deal. I’ll check it out and come back with feedback. This was just as a home Piano, for gigging I’ll get one of the affordable keyboards that you recommended as well.

Hello. I posted about a month ago asking some questions about a keyboard, I went in a different direction and now I’m really second-guessing myself. I’ve been playing for several years, mostly pop and rock, I would call myself intermediate. I play mostly at home jamming with my husband and some other people, and would like to start breaking into open mics. I do own a Yamaha upright acoustic piano but rarely play it anymore. Mostly in the last few years, I’ve been playing on a 76 key Yamaha 310 digital keyboard. I wanted to upgrade and was struggling with finding just the right keyboard, and ended up recently buying a Yamaha 670, primarily because it provides the 88 fully weighted keys and it has so many fun features. Of course it’s completely too heavy to bring to open mics, it’s for home use. I’m really enjoying playing with the back tracks and all the different options. On the other hand, I find the whole sound just a little muddy, and the base notes seem to be a little too heavy. More importantly, the keys seem a bit stiff, and I’m noticing that my hands are beginning to ache after playing several hours. I never had this issue on my little Yamaha keyboard, or previously with my acoustic Yamaha, though of course I am getting older. I don’t know whether I’m just not used to playing with fully weighted keys or whether the Yamaha is particularly heavy. My acoustic piano does seem a tiny bit lighter. Anyway, I sort of love the 670 but I also am not liking it because I find the sound frustrating sometimes and because my hands are beginning to ache. My plan was to use a 670 at home and just bring my little 310 to open mics. But maybe I made the wrong decision. I still have 40 days to return the 670 keyboard for a full refund if I wanted to get something different. I would like to keep the price to $800 or less although if there was something for $1000 that was absolutely perfect. I guess I would go for it. I’m beginning to second-guess whether I really need 88 keys and whether for my playing style and at my age(65), whether the heavy 88 fully weighted keys are really necessary or whether they’d be an impediment. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Also, if I did buy a different keyboard than the 670, what would you recommend? I guess I’m open now to 76 or 88 keys, and it doesn’t have to be super portable if I use my 310 or just get a new 320 for open mics.
So the question is, should I return the 670, and if I do, what keyboard for home playing, not necessarily portable, would you recommend for me? Thanks so much
Edit: Thank you so much for your replies. So when I’m talking about heaviness, I’m not talking about the weight of the keyboard, which is clearly very weighty. I’m talking about the heavy feel of the keys as I play, and that it seems like there’s a heavier muddy sound to the keyboard.
-Honestly, I think part of the problem is I don’t know quite what I want. I’m a intermediate keyboardist, at the just breaking into open mics level. I have an acoustic Yamaha upright at home, that I rarely play, primarily because I do a lot of playing with a small group of other people and playing on a keyboard allows me to face and interact with the group. I sing and play keyboard.
-The only keyboard I’ve ever played extensively is my Yamaha 310. I figured I’d bring the 310 to open mics, so having a better quality, very portable keyboard isn’t essential, though it would be nice.
-I just felt that as I’m progressing as a musician that I should have a primary keyboard that’s better than the 310. Initially I was looking at just getting a better 88 keyboard to mimic my acoustic piano but be able to face my group. Several people I talked to really advocated for the 670 so I bought that. I don’t use a lot of sounds and such, but when I was playing around with the 670 and came upon the backing tracks that seemed to interact and respond with how I’m playing, it really seemed to improve my ability to be creative, learn better accompaniment, keep the beat, just get braver in my practice in general. So now that I’ve experienced that I’m reluctant to give it up, though it was not my initial reason for getting a new keyboard.
-So I feel like I’m going in a bunch of different directions not really knowing what I want or need.
The other major question I have is about the number of keys that I need. If this is going be my primary keyboard, it seems like 61 keys would be very limited, but maybe not? Do people use a 61 keyboard as their primary? That would open up the field a bit, but I’m concerned. Anyway, somebody asked for more detail and the nitty-gritty of what I’m needing, so this is my best answer to that. Thanks again.

Hello. I posted about a month ago asking some questions about a keyboard, I went in a different direction and now I’m really second-guessing myself. I’ve been playing for several years, mostly pop and rock, I would call myself intermediate. I play mostly at home jamming with my husband and some other people, and would like to start breaking into open mics. I do own a Yamaha upright acoustic piano but rarely play it anymore. Mostly in the last few years, I’ve been playing on a 76 key Yamaha 310 digital keyboard. I wanted to upgrade and was struggling with finding just the right keyboard, and ended up recently buying a Yamaha 670, primarily because it provides the 88 fully weighted keys and it has so many fun features. Of course it’s completely too heavy to bring to open mics, it’s for home use. I’m really enjoying playing with the back tracks and all the different options. On the other hand, I find the whole sound just a little muddy, and the base notes seem to be a little too heavy. More importantly, the keys seem a bit stiff, and I’m noticing that my hands are beginning to ache after playing several hours. I never had this issue on my little Yamaha keyboard, or previously with my acoustic Yamaha, though of course I am getting older. I don’t know whether I’m just not used to playing with fully weighted keys or whether the Yamaha is particularly heavy. My acoustic piano does seem a tiny bit lighter. Anyway, I sort of love the 670 but I also am not liking it because I find the sound frustrating sometimes and because my hands are beginning to ache. My plan was to use a 670 at home and just bring my little 310 to open mics. But maybe I made the wrong decision. I still have 40 days to return the 670 keyboard for a full refund if I wanted to get something different. I would like to keep the price to $800 or less although if there was something for $1000 that was absolutely perfect. I guess I would go for it. I’m beginning to second-guess whether I really need 88 keys and whether for my playing style and at my age(65), whether the heavy 88 fully weighted keys are really necessary or whether they’d be an impediment. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Also, if I did buy a different keyboard than the 670, what would you recommend? I guess I’m open now to 76 or 88 keys, and it doesn’t have to be super portable if I use my 310 or just get a new 320 for open mics.
So the question is, should I return the 670, and if I do, what keyboard for home playing, not necessarily portable, would you recommend for me? Thanks so much

Hello. We’re going be arriving in Dallas around 5 PM, and leaving the next morning at around 10 AM. We really just need a decent place to stay with an interesting neighborhood to walk around, safe, walking distance to restaurants, and reasonably close to the airport the next morning. What would you recommend? Thanks.

Hello. We will be dropping off a car at Avis on Sunday, June 14 and our flight to California leaves at 11:30 AM. Typically I would get to the airport at 9:30 AM. But I’m reading about long lines to drop off car, drop off bags, TSA. How early do you recommend we get to the airport car return? Thanks.

Hello. We are very active seniors, and are looking to have our first visit to Cabo. We have stayed at the Riu Palace in Puerto Vallarta and loved it. We’re looking for a similar experience. We don’t strictly need an adults only property, although we would like to minimize tons of children everywhere in the pools, etc. We will be going on the first week of May, and from what I understand that is a good week to minimize lots of children with families. The other hand, we definitely don’t want a spring break vibe or crowd, and want to feel comfortable as active seniors without most of the guests being bachelor parties, etc.. As I said, Riu Palace Puerto Vallarta threaded that needle perfectly. We do like entertainment in the evenings, shows and music, and even attended the Riu party in Puerto Vallarta. We love talking to people of all ages. So an active friendly scene for all ages, with a good amount of people over 50, with good entertainment in the evenings, but not a rowdy party scene, with some children okay but not dominating the pools, etc, is what we’re looking for. Just considering the Rio Palace Cabo San Lucas versus the Riu Palace, Baja, which is what we’re looking for? Or is there another different all-inclusive that you would recommend instead? Thank you so much.

We have to decide between these 2 ships for a 7 day cruise Vancouver to Anchorage(Whittier). We have been on Discovery’s sister ships Enchanted and Majestic and loved them. Those are the only 2 Princess ships we have been on. Our only other cruise has been on Celebrity Reflection, again, a similar size and age ship. All our cruises have been to the Caribbean. We really do enjoy the different activities and venues on cruise ships and are concerned Coral wouldn’t have enough to offer and that it is so much older. Yes we are there mostly for the Alaska ports and Glacier Bay but that still leaves a lot of time on ship. Yet I am reading Coral has some advantages for Alaska in terms of the wraparound deck. What are the opinions on Discovery vs Coral for Alaska? Thanks!

Hello. We’re taking a cruise and looking at excursions in Jamaica this upcoming January, docking at Montego By. So far considering Blue Waters beach club, Riu day pass, Harmony beach, Bamboo beach club. Has anyone been on these and which has the best beach (calm water for swimming, minimal seagrass, nice long beach for walking). Also, has anyone been on the Offroad Safari and was that worth it? How was the rum tasting? Thanks

Hello. We’re thinking of traveling back to Alaska, we will be taking a cruise of the Inside Passage and also spending three days in Cooper Landing for fishing and other activities, and three days in Girdwood. We’ve been to the Kenai Peninsula twice before, always in late July for the fishing. We want to stay with the last week of July for fishing, which means the cruise needs to be either the third week of July or the first week of August.. My impression is that later into the summer you are, the more rainy it gets, is this correct? Do you think there is a significant difference in rain between third week of July and first week of August in the Inside Passage? ? I know you can’t predict the weather for in advance, I’m just looking for what the averages or norms are. Thanks.

Hello. I’ve been playing for several years, I’d call myself an intermediate. I started on piano, but I have moved to keyboard. I mostly play with my husband who is a guitarist, and a few other guitarists and singers. We like to jam, write songs, and have fun, mostly pop and rock. I’m planning on starting to do a few open mics. I’ve been using the Yamaha 310 72 key keyboard, but I’m outgrowing it and I want something with fully weighted keys. I’ve started looking at other keyboards, but I can’t find one that quite fits everything I’m looking for. I was hoping to get a keyboard with 88 fully weighted keys, but lightweight and portable enough to bring to open mics. One thing I like about my current keyboard is how easy it is to transpose on the touchscreen when the guitarist want to capo up or down. But there doesn’t seem to be a 88 key keyboard with fully weighted keys, with a touchscreen, that’s lightweight and portable, at least not for under $2000 which around my limit. I’ve looked at the Yamaha 670, which is quite heavy, the Roland P 50, Yamaha 225, and others. If I got the 670 I think I would only use it for home play and I would have to have something else for an open mic, though. What would you recommend for my needs? Also, do you think that my Yamaha 310 would be appropriate for casual open mics or should I have something better for that? Thanks so much for your help. This is a whole new world to me.

Hello. A new question. We’re going to KA tomorrow at MGM, and we thought it would be nice to have dinner close to where the show is going to be. Do you recommend any of the restaurants at MGM or anything within a 15 minute walk? Thanks.

Hello. Can anyone tell me what the best breakfast buffet on the strip is that I can get for $35 or less per person and it’s still worth it? Bonus points if it’s walking distance from the Bellagio. Thanks.

Thanks to all. We’re just going to enjoy the Bellagio buffet one day which is $45 a person on weekdays.

Hello. We are starting to think about a trip to Quebec City and Montreal. We are thinking of around 14 nights but it can be anywhere from 10 to 18 nights. We’re thinking of maybe 3-4 nights in Montreal and 4-5 nights in Quebec city. From there we would love to see some beautiful coastal scenery and interesting small towns. We are looking at either Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, or more Quebec province. The distances are far though. What would you recommend we add to the Montreal and Quebec City stops? We will rent a car but need to end the trip near an airport so that we can fly back to the US. Thank you so much for any suggestions.