Send Me Away (on Vacation)

Its getting near that time when I need to start thinking about where to go on my annual overly long, overly expensive, and overly difficult early September vacation (September 1-15 or so). Its sort of getting to the point where I'm unable to pick where to go next. There's so many places I'd like to go, but so little time. Each time I go on one of these trips I have it in mind that it might be the last one-I could easily come back to work and get fired for letting things pile up while I was gone. Vacation after that would be something of a permanent state. So I really need to get maximum bang for the buck, as it were, each time out.

But as I'm in a somewhat dithering mode about picking a place, I thought I'd turn this into a gimmick and get some help from the four of you reading these posts (it used to be three but I finally persuaded a fourth person to read-I think she mainly skims it to see if there's any new pictures.). So here's the deal. If I get enough response, I will commit to go to the place that gets the most nominations from you readers. Unless you come up with something ridiculous of course. Like Darfur, or Paris.

Here's the rules. No, actually, lets call them "guidelines." I'm about as picky about vacation spots and activities as I am what I eat. Anyway, the first and primary goal is to get out of the heat. After three months of near 100 degree heat, I'm usually pretty drained and need to go somewhere cool (literally and figuratively). So that largely rules out places where it continues to be hot in early September, unless its someplace like the Utah national parks where it cools off during the evening. Beyond that,

• I ride alone. The second best thing about vacation is I don't have to talk or listen to anyone. I can come and go exactly when and where I please, and don't have to negotiate with anyone about schedules or agendas. Or come up with things to say. Or have to talk during breakfast. Or pay attention to the fifteenth annoying story about something clever Dave in marketing said the other day at happy hour. Not that I don't treasure the times I spend with all my friends of course....Plus, hey, lets look at this as a sorely needed vacation for all of you from me too.
• My main goal is to find somewhere that combines lots of outdoor activities (hiking, running, etc.) and great natural scenery with one or more cities that have great culture, performances, architecture, and restaurants. Typically I try to avoid so-called "adventure travel." If I wanted to risk my life and get sick at the same time, I'd spend my time riding the bus in Austin and save my money. So that rules out anywhere that I would have to take a bunch of shots before going, or where I'd have to brave famine, pestilence, disease, terrorism, mimes, or civil wars. If its somewhere I have to take money for bribing the local cops, forget it.
• Also, I know most of you think of vacation as lying on a beach somewhere reading a book and having someone named Manuel or Rolf bring you a fresh drink every half hour, but not me. About the last thing I want to do is lie around. This may come as a great shock, but I'm not so big on relaxing. Yeah. I relax, sort of, by actually doing something. So no beach getaways or singles cruises. [Shudder].
• I am not a family. Despite the fact that I have multiple personalities, I still am just one person. So I don't want to go somewhere that's mainly a big family getaway destination. That rules out places like the Disney cities, Mall of America, Niagara Falls, Las Vegas (actually, that's not a joke-you'd think Caesar's Palace would be the last place someone would want to be pushing little Snookums around in a stroller, but sure enough they are all over the joint).
• Finally, I don't do tours-see the first bullet point. Unless that's the only way to see something awesome (as was the case for seeing Milford Sound in New Zealand).

Basically, I'm happy to go somewhere by myself and try to blend in as much as possible. Its more important to try to live like a Londoner for a bit, for example, than to hit every single tourist spot in the town.

OK, places I've already been on vacation:

US: Oregon, Washington (state and DC), San Francisco (town and Bay Area, including as far south as Carmel and as far north as Mendocino), San Diego, LA, much of New Mexico (Albuquerque and Santa Fe), northern Arizona/Grand Canyon, Southern Utah (really just Monument Valley), Salt Lake City, most of Louisiana and Mississippi, much of southern Pennsylvania (including Amish country), Boston/Nantucket, Maine coast, NYC, everywhere in Texas worth seeing except Big Bend and Palo Duro canyon, Western Arkansas, Memphis, Chicago, Wyoming (Grand Tetons and Yellowstone), Montana, Las Vegas.

Elsewhere: Canada (Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, Banff, Montreal, Quebec City), New Zealand, England (mainly London).

Places I'm interested in going: Italy, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Colorado, Utah (national parks), Alaska.

Places I don't want to go (at least for now): Paris, Hawaii, Russia. I have my reasons. Do not question them.

So let me know what you think. Feel free to suggest places not on my list. Within reason of course.