Visit 59 National Parks in Two Weeks! (Not!)

I am still enraged by yesterday's discovery of a couple who had "done" the 9 islands of the Azores and dismissed one island as "can be done in a day by car".

Let me offer some advice:

If you were visiting the US for the first time, you would not try to cram in all 50 States, just because there are 50 states.  And for anyone who has done it: congrats.  You have a very specific (and weird) experience.

OR, if you were visiting America (especially for any limited period of "vacation" time) I am pretty sure that you would not want to cram in all 59 NATIONAL PARKS.  Because that would be ridiculous.

In the same way, I would beg you not to try to visit all 9 Azores Islands (or even more than 3) in less than a space of 2 weeks.

Logistics are difficult.

This is not The Amazing Race.

If you are a grownup, you should plan to be interested.  And puzzled.  And surprised. Hang around an interesting area and see an amazing view (even if you have to do it a few times, it does not get boring).

Here is another (American's) report about the Azores.  I'm not sure how long they stayed, but a few nights on a few islands which are grouped together (they did Pico, Faial, Sao Miguel) are recommended.

I got the above off this original posting on Fodor's, with a great series of comments too!

Traveling Advice in The Islands

On Facebook, I see lots of postings by SATA, which is the major/only airline that flies to the Azores (although I think they are partnering with Jetblue to get you there from anywhere in the US, as long as you can fly through Boston or Newark).  Today, they posted a review from Fodor's, the travel site.

The title includes "Lovely Lovely Experiences".

Understanding that the travel industry is great at trying to target the "Tourist" population (vs the Returning Natives and Families), but I always find myself caught up between the two worlds.

My Mom is from Faial, and I return every 4 years or so.  I've been to the mainland (Portugal) and all of the 9 islands.  And I never understand why someone who has been there would recommend spending "a day by car"

I can appreciate that the "Adventure Tourists" are hikers, bikers, sailors and other "sporty" types.  This group also has a lot of crossover potential into the "Nature Tourist" group, who are birders, botanizers, ecologists and nature lovers in general.

Both groups would HATE to be put into any kind of "Tourist" group at all, because they despise anything that may have that label.  They want to experience the "purity" of a location, despite what negative environmental impact may be occurring-see The Galapagos. They want to avoid any other people who speak the same language as they do, even if that means missing out on "local natives" who happen to be sophisticated enough to speak English and have the ability to hold up their end of an intellectual conversation.  Any store that sells magnets emblazoned with the name of the location MUST be avoided at all costs, even if they contain books or objects that may intrigue the most sophisticated traveler.

I'm also a big fan of Walden Pond (which has its own flavors of tourists) and I'd recommend exactly what I recommend there.

Go.  Be.  Enjoy yourself.  Walk around, get up close.  Look for flowers/birds/people that you wouldn't encounter at home.

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The above was inspired by the following review on Fodor's:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/visiting-the-azores-islands-portugal-lovely-lovely-experiences.cfm#comments-open

My comment (as GirlsRock) on Fodor's site.

"I was intrigued by your title "Lovely Lovely Experiences", yet it seems as if you spent your time trying to cram in each island and then "easily tour it by car and see everything really in one day".  I wish you could offer up an example of one of the "Lovely Lovely Experiences", so future travelers don't get overwhelmed by the complex logistics.

That is NOT the point of the Azores.

This is the one spot on Earth where you don't have to rush.  Take as much time as you can afford.  Pick one or two islands.  By all means, make sure you travel between them by boat. Enjoy everything and let it unfold.

The views are GORGEOUS. Allow yourself to see something spectacular more than once. The flora is amazing, but anyone can easily be overwhelmed by all of the beauty and quickly lose touch with the idea of such a lush ecosystem in the middle of the Atlantic.

It sounds as if you had a marvelous time and that you have a great variety of resources to share with future visitors. Don't judge your vacations by how many waterfalls/caldeiras/hikes you can see or how many "tourist traps" you pride yourself on avoiding. This is not something to just check off your list.

If you are thinking of visiting, I'd highly recommend it.  But take a deep breath and let yourself catch up with The Place."