Where to go next

So a certain someone (or, more accurately, someones) are off on travelling adventures for a while, which has me thinking about my next trip. Likely time frame for the next big trip is a week or two in the February-April timespan. There are competing philosophies here.

Philosophy 1. We just did a big trip (Morocco) that left us a bit worn out. It turns out our big-job lives make doing nothing on vacation a bigger priority than it once was. So this philosophy says we should go somewhere where we don't move around during the trip, and that somewhere should involve low stress. Leading contenders for the beach approach: a return to Belize, Costa Rica (I'm thinking this place in Malpais), a return to Tobago (at left). Leading contenders for the eat and drink wine approach: a return to Rome, a new Italian city, perhaps Provence.

Philosophy 2. Life is short and there are too many places not seen on the map. So we pick somewhere new, but not super nuts. Leading contenders for the exotic beach approach: Bali or a Thai beach or go nuts and go to this place that I just think is the coolest. Leading contender for the relaxing, but new mountains approach: a mountain house in the Alps. Leading contender for the new eating and drinking wine location approach: Dubrovnik, Madrid, Sevilla.

Philosophy 3. Why not just keep it simple and visit a few of those red states (or, ideally, newly blue ones). Contenders here: West Coast roadtrip (Cali or Oregon, I think) or see some canyons and mountains in the southwest.