Would You Use AI to Plan Your Vacation?

I did and it worked out perfectly. We had planned on a father/son trip to Scotland for 5 days after starting in Germany and Denmark. The criteria we used was 5 days/4 nights, starting in Edinburgh, we would be driving ourself, we wanted to see castles, we wanted to do some hiking, we wanted to see Isle of Skye, we wanted to tour a distillery, we wanted lunch and dinner recommendations, and we wanted hotel recommendations. 

Chatgpt came up with an itinerary with the starting and end in Edinburgh, driving up to Portlee in the Isle of Skye with starting times each day, stops along the way, how much time at each stop, where to stop for lunch and where to stay for the night.

The first day was in Edinburgh touring the city and castle with a great restaurant that night. That night we did the Scotch Experience and stayed at the Kimpton Hotel. Chatgpt told us when to leave and we started with one castle after another. Where Mary Queen of Scots was born, Stirling Castle and a castle that was in Monty Python. We headed north and stopped for lunch in a small country inn. We then saw the rail bridge in Harry Potter, and 3 more castles before stopping in Glencoe for the night. It was a full day and didn't feel rushed. The timing worked out perfectly. That night we had dinner in our hotel finished the day listening to a live band until the bar close.

The next day was a tour and tasting at the Talisker Distillery, hiking to the Fairy Pools, Fairy Glen with a few over hikes. We made it to our next stay in Portlee for 2 nights early to relax in the bar before dinner.

The next day was site seeing around the Isle of Skye. We hiked the Old Man of Storr, and then had many stops along the coast. Back at the hotel, we had drinks in the bar, then went into town for shopping and dinner. 

The last day we had to return the car in Edinburgh and catch a flight to London.  No stops, just driving. 

AI did incredible job. Timing was perfect. The time to get from one stop to the next was spot on, we had plenty of time at each stop and we ate at inns that we probably would have driven past. The hotels varied from a inn used by hikers and mountain climbers in Glencoe to a 5 star hotel in Portlee. 

I hadn't thought of using AI before but after this I'll use it more often. 

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

 

This year I went to my 10th F1 race in Abu Dhabi. Over my 10 races I've seen well run events like Singapore,Spa, Silverstone and races that I have criticized in the past like my post about Austin.  Of all the races I've been to Abu Dhabi was the most well run of all.

Getting there was very easy. Most circuits bus you to a main entrance and if you have seats on the far side of the circuit you are in for a long walk. Here, after taking a taxi or driving yourself to the Yas Mall, there are shuttle buses that will drop you off at the gate closest to your seat. 

Seats are comfortable and covered from the sun. No sitting on a bench. The big screens are easy to see and the sound system is incredible. At a previous race I purchased a F1 headset with radio so I could listen to the commentary. I found out right away that I didn't need them at Abu Dhabi as I could hear the commentary from my seat.

Other than Singapore, after the days track events, everyone leaves the circuit. Like Singapore,  there is a concert at the end of every day which makes for more of a party atmosphere.  Performers are top line from around the world. Maybe because it is a night race.

Since it is the last race of the year, Abu Dhabi is also a celebration to the end of the F1 season with a huge fireworks display and concert. All in all it was one of my top F1 experiences. 

Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Burj Khalifa 

I haven't posted in a while but after a trip to the UAE for a F1 race I had to share my thoughts. I have family in Denmark and Italy and am a history buff. With that said I would categorize my trips into family, and or interesting. I love visiting relatives and also find seeing history very interesting. 

Atlantis Hotel on Palm Island Dubai. 

After my trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai I would like to add a new category, fun. UAE is only 54 years old so it is hard to find history. Being so new I found the UAE to have the fastest, tallest, biggest sites in the world. On my trip I rode the fastest roller coaster in the world (Ferrari World), largest shopping mall in the world (Dubai Mall) and tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa). I went on a desert adventure with dinner and show, and a full day tour of Dubai. Every day was filled with fun and adventure.

Desert Adventure 

I would also like to mention that I went there with preconceived ideas of what to expect. Everywhere I went I was amazed how clean the country is. I even went out of my way to find trash and didn't find even a piece of paper blowing in the wind. The people there are very friendly and go out of their way to be helpful. I felt safe everywhere I went. It is easy to get around and after I downloaded an app it was easy to get a ride anywhere. You can find any kind of food, especially in the malls. And if you want alcohol it is also everywhere, just don't be drunk in public.

My hotel decorations for Christmas.

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UAE is a very rich country from profits from oil. However, they know revenue from oil is not sustainable. They are focusing on attracting business and also attracting tourism. I went there during a pleasant time of year where the temperature was in the 80s but the summers can be too hot. To address that, theme parks are mostly indoors and there are plenty of malls to shop in.

View from observation floor of Burj Khalifa. 

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I met many locals and tourists from all over the world. Everyone I talked to were very nice and made the trip enjoyable. I would definitely go back and after talking to some of my friends they want me to go with them.

Ferrari World

I haven't even talked about the F1 race but I will leave that for my next post.