Anyone been to Sacramento?  I am doing a Phillies road trip there Memorial Day weekend.  I plan on going to Lake Tahoe for a day as well.

Any recommendations on all-inclusive resorts you've been to such as in Mexico or Dominican? Looking for nice pools, beach, decent food, stuff to do for a 12 year old. 

On 3/28/2025 at 6:41 PM, xzmattzx said:

Anyone been to Sacramento?  I am doing a Phillies road trip there Memorial Day weekend.  I plan on going to Lake Tahoe for a day as well.

I’ve been there like 17 years now 

1 hour ago, OCEaglefan said:

I’ve been there like 17 years now 

Damn bro, he wasn't asking for a reason to NOT go

13 hours ago, OCEaglefan said:

I’ve been there like 17 years now 

What are the places you like there?  I'm staying Downtown in a cheap hotel with my brother, who will be a seasonal park ranger at Crater Lake starting next month.  I want to walk around Old Town and Downtown, and hopefully the Capitol is open.  Any other suggestions for that area?

 

What bars and restaurants are worth a stop?

 

Is Sacramento known for any special food, like cheesesteaks in Philly?

 

Any suggestions for places to see on the way to Lake Tahoe?

Just got back from Mayakoba in Riviera Maya Mexico.  Went last year as well.  I'm not really one to go to the same place twice, as I like to explore new things, but it's so convenient for a long weekend.  3-4 days in and out.  Simple 3 1/2 hr flight from major east coast cities, point to point.  Just about as easy as going to Florida.  The beaches aren't quite as pristine as parts of the deeper Caribbean, but the mangrove jungle is pretty cool.

 

On 4/4/2025 at 7:16 PM, xzmattzx said:

What are the places you like there?  I'm staying Downtown in a cheap hotel with my brother, who will be a seasonal park ranger at Crater Lake starting next month.  I want to walk around Old Town and Downtown, and hopefully the Capitol is open.  Any other suggestions for that area?

 

What bars and restaurants are worth a stop?

 

Is Sacramento known for any special food, like cheesesteaks in Philly?

 

Any suggestions for places to see on the way to Lake Tahoe?

Hi, I have kids, I don’t get out like I used to

the stadium is in a crappy area of town that doesn’t have much around it.

The street of bars you want to go to is across the street from the capital building (search for the Hyatt regency and SAFE credit union performing arts center). Walkable street with all the places Michael Cera shot the new movie called Sacramento coming out.

alternately around golden one center down the street where the Kings play has a bunch of walkable. Try the punch bowl

Old town is fun to walk through for all of the kitschy stuff.decent pinball arcade

If you like museums the railroad museum is very popular there

12 hours ago, OCEaglefan said:

Hi, I have kids, I don’t get out like I used to

the stadium is in a crappy area of town that doesn’t have much around it.

The street of bars you want to go to is across the street from the capital building (search for the Hyatt regency and SAFE credit union performing arts center). Walkable street with all the places Michael Cera shot the new movie called Sacramento coming out.

alternately around golden one center down the street where the Kings play has a bunch of walkable. Try the punch bowl

Old town is fun to walk through for all of the kitschy stuff.decent pinball arcade

If you like museums the railroad museum is very popular there

Thanks! So K Street, apparently?

I will look into the Railroad Museum. I know Old Town was the terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, so that museum must be pretty good.

I head down to Belize on Sunday morning.

I'm back from Belize! Here's some highlights and tips:

Highlights:

~ Arrived Sunday afternoon and took the ferry to Caye Caulker. The island was packed with locals from the mainland, who had off Monday for the Easter holiday. Easter weekend is a big party weekend for them, partially because it is the only real holiday in their driest season.

~ Monday I went snorkeling on the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-biggest barrier reef in the world. I swam with the sharks and stingrays for part of it. I got really, really burned.

~ Tuesday was a beach day, mainly in the shade, and also had some day drinks in the water at the Lazy Lizard.

~ Wednesday I took the public bus to San Ignacio to see Mayan ruins, and also saw Belmopan, their capital building.

~ Thursday I walked around Belize City before flying home.

Tips:

~ Watch your back. I almost got pickpocketed.

~ Bring lots of cash. Most places to not accept cards. Belize dollars are tied to American dollars - BZE$2 is US$1 - so you can spend American money freely.

~ There is no way to get from the airport to Belize City other than taxi. It's $25, but the airport will tell the drivers it's $30 for a kickback. Make sure you don't pay more than $25 back to the airport when you head back.

~ Public buses are available on major routes, like one on the highway to Belmopan, then San Ignacio, then Benque (by the Guatemalan border). If you are going to another town, save money by taking the bus. There are express buses that to not stop and pick up passengers on the side of the road, and only stop at bus terminals.

~ Food is cheap. I had some fish dinners for $13 US.

~ On the other hand, you have to buy drinks all the time. You can't really drink the water.

~ Beer is pretty cheap. They wrap a napkin around the top because drugging drinks is apparently really common there.

~ As you can imagine if you have been in the tropics, the sun is blazing. Stay in the shade as much as possible.

Bonus:

~ I had a layover in Houston Hobby Airport. You go through Customs in the airport, then drop off your checked bags again, If you have the time, it can be easy to leave the airport and explore Houston, even after and international flight.

Heading out to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio. Looks like weather may not cooperate, but been there done that. Have a cabin for 3 days and look forward to some hiking.

21 hours ago, xzmattzx said:

I'm back from Belize! Here's some highlights and tips:

Highlights:

~ Arrived Sunday afternoon and took the ferry to Caye Caulker. The island was packed with locals from the mainland, who had off Monday for the Easter holiday. Easter weekend is a big party weekend for them, partially because it is the only real holiday in their driest season.

~ Monday I went snorkeling on the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-biggest barrier reef in the world. I swam with the sharks and stingrays for part of it. I got really, really burned.

~ Tuesday was a beach day, mainly in the shade, and also had some day drinks in the water at the Lazy Lizard.

~ Wednesday I took the public bus to San Ignacio to see Mayan ruins, and also saw Belmopan, their capital building.

~ Thursday I walked around Belize City before flying home.

Tips:

~ Watch your back. I almost got pickpocketed.

~ Bring lots of cash. Most places to not accept cards. Belize dollars are tied to American dollars - BZE$2 is US$1 - so you can spend American money freely.

~ There is no way to get from the airport to Belize City other than taxi. It's $25, but the airport will tell the drivers it's $30 for a kickback. Make sure you don't pay more than $25 back to the airport when you head back.

~ Public buses are available on major routes, like one on the highway to Belmopan, then San Ignacio, then Benque (by the Guatemalan border). If you are going to another town, save money by taking the bus. There are express buses that to not stop and pick up passengers on the side of the road, and only stop at bus terminals.

~ Food is cheap. I had some fish dinners for $13 US.

~ On the other hand, you have to buy drinks all the time. You can't really drink the water.

~ Beer is pretty cheap. They wrap a napkin around the top because drugging drinks is apparently really common there.

~ As you can imagine if you have been in the tropics, the sun is blazing. Stay in the shade as much as possible.

Bonus:

~ I had a layover in Houston Hobby Airport. You go through Customs in the airport, then drop off your checked bags again, If you have the time, it can be easy to leave the airport and explore Houston, even after and international flight.

Did you head to the split at Caye Caulker? Was going to go there once but it fell through.

3 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

Did you head to the split at Caye Caulker? Was going to go there once but it fell through.

The Lazy Lizard is at the split. It's just a boat channel, really. There are ferries to go across to the other island. I saw a couple of kids swim across as well, but the current is strong, so you have to plan to swim upstream a lot. If I ever go back, I'll go to the other island, but I saw the split just from drinking at the Lazy Lizard.

Rain coming

Big ideas that don’t pan out. Today I give you the wagon on the beach path. Many continue to struggle all the way to the top, only to discover those skinny wheels don’t roll any better down the other side. This guy just abandoned it altogether, cut his losses. Probably the smartest to try

I tried a beach cart one year. I knew to look for fat wheels because I see what those stupid looking beach wheel chairs look like. Most beach carts dont have those big wheels either. Found one with fat wheels. It still absolutely sucked. After 2 days, we left it by the trash cans on the way off the beach. It seems easier to carry all the stuff than to drag it through the resistance of the sand.

My wife just bought a beach cart today. Literally today. I am now concerned. Will report back.

3 hours ago, eagle45 said:

My wife just bought a beach cart today. Literally today. I am now concerned. Will report back.

In retrospect after you make this horrible purchase you realize, you only ever see like 1 or 2 poor guys using them. And somehow you're fooled in to thinking that guy is the ultimate beach dad who has it all figured out. So you get the cart and find that it sucks worse than carrying all the stuff. And then you realize, thats why you only ever see 1 or 2 guys with them instead of them being all over the beach owned by everyone.

The wagons are good for pools. Someone ought to invent a wagon with skis on the bottom for the sand.

On 4/2/2025 at 6:06 PM, NOTW said:

Any recommendations on all-inclusive resorts you've been to such as in Mexico or Dominican? Looking for nice pools, beach, decent food, stuff to do for a 12 year old. 

Wife and I just got back from Punta Cana and stayed at Secrets. We were there for a wedding and everyone stayed there. It was definitely not the Taj Mahal of All inclusives or Caribbean islands, but it was still a blast. We left our daughters behind and stayed in the adults only section, but a lot of people brought their kids and stayed right next door where they had lazy rivers and more pools. I don’t understand why anyone would bring their young kids to an all inclusive resort for an extended period of time unless they brought a nanny. Literally there were parents switching off boozing at the swim up bar then going back to their room to tag the other parent in.

Mexico:

Wife and I stayed at Atelier in Riviera Maya right before she was pregnant with our first. It was brand new, and it was insane. It’s a little more pricey but the rooms were insanely luxurious. The food was unbelievable and there was almost nobody there. They built this place in the middle of the jungle, so there were iguanas dropping down all over the place. I played their golf course one day and it was really nice. Not for kids but a 12 year old would probably still have fun.

Grand Velas - Riviera Maya. This is probably the nicest all inclusive resort I’ve ever stayed at. A crazy large infinity pool that pours out onto the beach, huge and luxurious rooms, and some of the best food I’ve ever had. I’ve only been here on work trips, but I would recommend. I remember waking into their insanely fancy restaurants with no shirt and dripping wet swim trunks, and carrying out as much fresh sushi rolls as I could carry for lunch everyday. 😂

Cabo - We got married at the Pueblo Bonito golf and spa adults only resort. Cabo is such a different feel from the rest of Mexico, and I liked it more, but our hotel wasn’t as nice as the Atelier. Food was decent, and the weather was awesome. Much less humid. We played a top 10 rated golf course in the world, and it was insane. 2 holes were on the edge of cliffs overlooking the Sea of Cortez, where there are dolphins, seals, and and abundance of wildlife you don’t really see on the east coast.

24 minutes ago, hputenis said:

Wife and I just got back from Punta Cana and stayed at Secrets. We were there for a wedding and everyone stayed there. It was definitely not the Taj Mahal of All inclusives or Caribbean islands, but it was still a blast. We left our daughters behind and stayed in the adults only section, but a lot of people brought their kids and stayed right next door where they had lazy rivers and more pools. I don’t understand why anyone would bring their young kids to an all inclusive resort for an extended period of time unless they brought a nanny. Literally there were parents switching off boozing at the swim up bar then going back to their room to tag the other parent in.

Mexico:

Wife and I stayed at Atelier in Riviera Maya right before she was pregnant with our first. It was brand new, and it was insane. It’s a little more pricey but the rooms were insanely luxurious. The food was unbelievable and there was almost nobody there. They built this place in the middle of the jungle, so there were iguanas dropping down all over the place. I played their golf course one day and it was really nice. Not for kids but a 12 year old would probably still have fun.

Grand Velas - Riviera Maya. This is probably the nicest all inclusive resort I’ve ever stayed at. A crazy large infinity pool that pours out onto the beach, huge and luxurious rooms, and some of the best food I’ve ever had. I’ve only been here on work trips, but I would recommend. I remember waking into their insanely fancy restaurants with no shirt and dripping wet swim trunks, and carrying out as much fresh sushi rolls as I could carry for lunch everyday. 😂

Cabo - We got married at the Pueblo Bonito golf and spa adults only resort. Cabo is such a different feel from the rest of Mexico, and I liked it more, but our hotel wasn’t as nice as the Atelier. Food was decent, and the weather was awesome. Much less humid. We played a top 10 rated golf course in the world, and it was insane. 2 holes were on the edge of cliffs overlooking the Sea of Cortez, where there are dolphins, seals, and and abundance of wildlife you don’t really see on the east coast.

Thanks. We went to Ocean Riviera Paradise in Playa del Carmen in May. The resort was nice, great pools, swim up bar, really nice beach, we paid for privilege so had some private access areas, the beach area was quiet and nice. The food was meh, but I expected that from the reviews. My son had a good time, he's old enough that he could be at the kids pool with the water park and swim up to get smoothies while we were at the privilege pool relaxing and swim up bar for the alcohol.

We want to do another one sometimes just as a couple and drop our kid off with his Aunt and Uncle. The relaxation is good, but I can relax at a Florida resort too. I want to do more vacations in Europe or places I haven't been to explore the area, history, culture, food and see more of the world.

6 hours ago, hputenis said:

Wife and I just got back from Punta Cana and stayed at Secrets. We were there for a wedding and everyone stayed there. It was definitely not the Taj Mahal of All inclusives or Caribbean islands, but it was still a blast. We left our daughters behind and stayed in the adults only section, but a lot of people brought their kids and stayed right next door where they had lazy rivers and more pools. I don’t understand why anyone would bring their young kids to an all inclusive resort for an extended period of time unless they brought a nanny. Literally there were parents switching off boozing at the swim up bar then going back to their room to tag the other parent in.

Mexico:

Wife and I stayed at Atelier in Riviera Maya right before she was pregnant with our first. It was brand new, and it was insane. It’s a little more pricey but the rooms were insanely luxurious. The food was unbelievable and there was almost nobody there. They built this place in the middle of the jungle, so there were iguanas dropping down all over the place. I played their golf course one day and it was really nice. Not for kids but a 12 year old would probably still have fun.

Grand Velas - Riviera Maya. This is probably the nicest all inclusive resort I’ve ever stayed at. A crazy large infinity pool that pours out onto the beach, huge and luxurious rooms, and some of the best food I’ve ever had. I’ve only been here on work trips, but I would recommend. I remember waking into their insanely fancy restaurants with no shirt and dripping wet swim trunks, and carrying out as much fresh sushi rolls as I could carry for lunch everyday. 😂

Cabo - We got married at the Pueblo Bonito golf and spa adults only resort. Cabo is such a different feel from the rest of Mexico, and I liked it more, but our hotel wasn’t as nice as the Atelier. Food was decent, and the weather was awesome. Much less humid. We played a top 10 rated golf course in the world, and it was insane. 2 holes were on the edge of cliffs overlooking the Sea of Cortez, where there are dolphins, seals, and and abundance of wildlife you don’t really see on the east coast.

Adults only... sounds nice.

Since we did Disney this march that was basically all the vacation budget and more. Just to do something this summer instead of our typical beach vacation we did 3 nights in Niagara Falls.

I think my kids not only ruined our time for most of the trip, but probably countless other tourist's videos with their annoying voices bickering, and me and my wife trying to silence them. I took my own video of them both kicking at each other on the white water walk.

Mrs HE (probably) half seriously said we are done taking them anywhere. I know we would love to not take them sometimes. But, probably cant get anyone to watch these hellions for a week while we get away either. So we will likely always take them on all trips.

Already have a cruise booked for May when I turn 40. Im sure they will give us a hell of a time there too. Cant wait!

I've got an upcoming trip to Bergen, Norway in a few weeks. Anybody been there?

Next April, I'll be on a trip with about 12 Americans (mix of some still working and some just retired) visiting Morocco. I'm not the organizer so I'm not sure what they are planning and mostly I'll just go along for the ride and enjoy the scenery. If you've been to Morocco then please let me know what things to do or to avoid.

We were in Niagara Falls, Onatrio for 3 nights. We thought it would be a low budget getaway- something to do in the summer since the whole vacation budget, and more was blown in March for our Disney trip.

I had been to the falls one before, as a kid maybe about 10 years old. It was nice to go back and it was the first time for my wife, and kids seeing it.

However, we were caught off guard by the price of food there. We paid for the hotel back in November. As well as purchasing the Adventure Pass Plus which gives access to a whole bunch of different attractions, plus transportation on the public transportation bus around town for 3 days. So we really only had to spend extra on the Hornblower/Maid of the Mist. And budget for food for the 3 days there. We still ended up going over budget by about $200. Food price was about on par with Disney food. It was pretty crazy.

On 7/22/2025 at 9:14 PM, HazletonEagle said:

We were in Niagara Falls, Onatrio for 3 nights. We thought it would be a low budget getaway- something to do in the summer since the whole vacation budget, and more was blown in March for our Disney trip.

I had been to the falls one before, as a kid maybe about 10 years old. It was nice to go back and it was the first time for my wife, and kids seeing it.

However, we were caught off guard by the price of food there. We paid for the hotel back in November. As well as purchasing the Adventure Pass Plus which gives access to a whole bunch of different attractions, plus transportation on the public transportation bus around town for 3 days. So we really only had to spend extra on the Hornblower/Maid of the Mist. And budget for food for the 3 days there. We still ended up going over budget by about $200. Food price was about on par with Disney food. It was pretty crazy.

Niagara Falls is the Vegas of Canada, and Canadian prices are high to begin with.

If you get out of the tourist area, prices come down. I recommend getting out of tourist areas no matter where you are anyway.