Vacation destination decisions

My husband keeps bringing up places we can possibly go for vacation this year. The past several years, since the kids have been grown, we have gone out east since that is where my daughter lives and we can combine seeing her and taking a few days break by the ocean. But now we are ready to do something different. Though I love seeing my daughter, I have had enough of vacationing on the east coast.

So, he came home today and told me about a deal he saw for a four-day vacation for two to Cancun for only $1,100, and what attracted him to this? This one line - "ALL FOOD INCLUDED". Food . . .that is what sells this man. If you ask him what he likes best about baseball games, he says "hot dogs, nachos and beer." Over the holidays he was invited to go to a Bull's game, in a special skybox room and when I asked him how he enjoyed the game, he proceeded to tell me "boy, they had a spread of food that you wouldn't believe!" and he listed the food items to choose from: Italian beef sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, chips, relish trays, appetizers of various types -- and beer. (Funny thing is that he is not a big beer drinker.)

Our last vacation that was not out east was in 2001 when we went to Las Vegas for a week. Why did we go to Las Vegas? Gambling? Shows with practically naked dancing girls? Because we like sweltering oven-like heat? No...he wanted to go there because of the deals on the food buffets! He was in 7th Heaven with all the food buffets to choose from! We stayed at the Tropicana where they had an excellent selection at their breakfast/brunch buffet, and it was indeed a good deal. We went to various buffets during the week and he had the time of his life.

So, back to this Cancun decision. I think it would be great, but food isn't my priority. My priority is the beach and watching the waves go in and out and relaxing under the sun. I have a weakness for souvenier shops, too. I like to look at the crap for sale even if I am not going to buy anything. I used to want to buy a bunch of useless stuff, but not anymore. I would rather spend my money on books.

I would like to go on a cruise, but getting this man on a ship or boat is nearly impossible. He hates boats. Being Chicagoans our whole lives, you would think that he would be more willing to go downtown and go on a lake cruise once in awhile. We have done the dinner cruise thing on Lake Michigan twice in 25 years (once for our 10th anniversary, and then last year when our friends from Sweden were here) and all he did was complain about how much things cost and that they didn't leave the food buffet out long enough. If they would have left it up the whole time so he could "graze" he would have thought it was the best time he ever had.

Niagara Falls would be another place I would want to go since we have only been there when it's been freezing cold. One year we were there when the kids were little. Our oldest had to go to the bathroom and we were looking for a place where he could go and the coldness made his bladder weak and he peed himself and we were far away from our hotel. Another time we stopped by on the way back from Maine in the month of June and it was cold once again, and raining. The last time we were there was about six years ago when we took our daughter to an audition in Rochester, NY. At that time, everything was covered in a thick coating of ice and there were about 50 inches of snow on the ground. They use this kind of stuff to thaw the ice that smells like cat piss. (If anyone from Niagara Falls reads this and knows what that thawing agent is, please let me know. I am curious.) Anyway, I would like to go back to Niagara in the middle of the hottest month of the summer and see if we can finally see the falls in some sunshine and warm weather.

But the Cancun thing sounds appealing. I will have to check into it some more and maybe push the idea since he is the one who brought it up. I will keep emphasis on the places to eat, of course. ;)