travel thread

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you MUST go to Panchos Takos.   I don't care what else you do.

I predict I'll be promptly informed it's a rough ridin' tourist trap for white boys and will be taken instead to some equivalent that's run by distant cousins.

KSU hoops chat's resurgence is coming.

lol, there are tourists there, but also a lot of locals.    But it's a great spot if you're afraid to eat from the street carts like most white people.

There's no fear.  I'm already still flying to Mexico with no insight as to where I'm staying or how I'm getting around or really anything, and after being told yesterday to bring "extra tick speedos."  I'll be fine eating a cart taco.

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Vancouver is cold af and the hockey game is super cheap when you sit loge with clients and it's all you can drink.  Locals hate Chinese drivers when it snows

What places did you eat at?

It's not cold there.

[wetwillie]

WTF stone, you really mailed that one in.

[420seriouscat69]

@michigancat

https://twitter.com/FareDealAlert/status/943897662914514945

[Institutional Control]

Anyone have suggestions for Tampa/Clearwater?

Suggestions on where to eat? Or what to do?


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[Mikeyis4dcats]

Anyone have suggestions for Tampa/Clearwater?

Suggestions on where to eat? Or what to do?


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all of the above.    family trip there in February.

[Institutional Control]

February is great time to see manatees. Drive up to Crystal and you will likely see hundreds of them.  Apollo Beach is closer to Clearwater but there will likely be fewer manatees.

Obviously, the beach is great in Clearwater. All kinds of beach things to do from parasailing to deep sea fishing....

If you like Greek food, the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs has many great Greek restaurants.  My favorite seafood place so far has been Frenchy's. There's one in Clearwater Beach and another in Dunedin. My favorite pizza place so far has been in Indian Rocks Beach which is just south of Clearwater Beach, it's called Slyce.

[Institutional Control]

Crystal River

[Institutional Control]

There's also a very nice aquarium at Clearwater Beach.

If you're into Scientology, they have a huge "church" there.

[420seriouscat69]

Kinda pissed. My buddy lived in Tampa and I went out there like 3 times to see him, but he never took me to Clearwater. Did New Years there at the Hard Rock Casino and that was pretty fun, but other than that, we just went downtown to the pier.

[Institutional Control]

Kinda pissed. My buddy lived in Tampa and I went out there like 3 times to see him, but he never took me to Clearwater. Did New Years there at the Hard Rock Casino and that was pretty fun, but other than that, we just went downtown to the pier.

You came to Tampa and didn't go the beach? Man, that's the best part of living here.

[420seriouscat69]

Oh, I know. I always went out there around new years and watched the k-state bowl games with him.

[420seriouscat69]

One of the times we drove down to Miami for the K-state game and that was fun. Tampa and Miami are night and day from one another.

[mocat]

Tampa and Miami are night and day from one another.

more like day and night from one another HEYO

[Mikeyis4dcats]

February is great time to see manatees. Drive up to Crystal and you will likely see hundreds of them.  Apollo Beach is closer to Clearwater but there will likely be fewer manatees.

Obviously, the beach is great in Clearwater. All kinds of beach things to do from parasailing to deep sea fishing....

If you like Greek food, the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs has many great Greek restaurants.  My favorite seafood place so far has been Frenchy's. There's one in Clearwater Beach and another in Dunedin. My favorite pizza place so far has been in Indian Rocks Beach which is just south of Clearwater Beach, it's called Slyce.

thanks!

[wetwillie]

I enjoyed watching the sunset at pier 60 at Clearwater beach.

[IPA4Me]

That Clearwater aquarium is tits. My youngest loved it. Dolphin Tale was filmed there. Good times.

I've stayed on Treasure Island a few times. Love the beach near John's Pass. Plenty of great food joints. Can you really go wrong with fresh seafood along the coast? I haven't found a bad place yet.

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When I went to the bank to confirm I'd have no issues using my ATM card down there to get pesos and not get hit with outlandish fees, they said yes but then made sure that card and my CSP know I'll be there and then told me I could get pesos at the branch right down the street.  I got $100 worth.  Sergio first told me I'd gotten a good exchange and a day later said it wasn't optimal.  I went back and got another $150-ish worth.  I might be out $10-15 from the ideal exchange rate but figured that's worth not taking the time to eff w/ATMs there.

And I found the last few travel-size bottles of sunscreen in downtown at the sketchy walgreens.  I think I'm all set.

[Institutional Control]

In Mexican cities that rely heavily on American tourists, they usually accept America dollars.


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I've never been to Mexico but when I did some volunteer work in the Sacred Valley of Peru I learned a valuable lesson.  If you are in a touristy area, money in most denominations is no problem.  Where I was, was not touristy.  It's almost a necessity to carry very small bills and/or change.  They often won't have enough money in the till to make change for even a 20 (which was like $6 US).  In the town I stayed in for a couple weeks they had an ATM that would spit out 20's.  I would then go to the market and try to spend said 20, and wait 10 minutes as they scrounged around to find me $10 in change or would flat out tell me they didn't have enough change for me and couldn't accept it.

[halfEmpty]

The mother-in-law is retiring and moving to Florida on Jan 1.  Looks like we will have annual family vacations down in the Venice/Tampa area going forward.  Any can't miss spots down there (especially for young kids <5 years old)

[DQ12]

When I was in Guanajuato and Guadalajara last year they did not like when we tried to pay with greenbacks. 

[michigancat]

ATM's in Mexico are the way to go. Really in any foreign country I'm guessing you won't find a better exchange rate. Then use whatever leftover cash you have to pay part of your hotel bill on the last day.

[star seed 7]

Very interesting tip kRusty, ty

[Phil Titola]

ATM's in Mexico are the way to go. Really in any foreign country I'm guessing you won't find a better exchange rate. Then use whatever leftover cash you have to pay part of your hotel bill on the last day.

Totally agree this is the best way to go...best exchange rate, bank fees are low, don't have to worry about loading up on currency/travelers checks/etc.  I always bring a little foreign currency to get me through the airport transfer.

I usually load up a second account that has an ATM card that I never use and use that on the trip.  That way if I was skimmed they don't have my primary checking account to drain and a failsafe in case an ATM eats a card or the bank shuts it down for fraud at an inconvenient time.