Best city to go on a cigar vacation?

[Dave]

Charleston, SC - Classy lounge....very good hand-rolled shop.....good weather and decent enough sight-seeing

Couple of other favorites: San Diego (cigar friendlier than you might think - and LCdH TJ is only couple hours round-trip), Jacksonville/St. Augustine (sights, weather, lots of comfortable smoking spots)

Dave where in Charleston? I was just there this time last month and only found 2 shops (Tinder Box and Smoking Lamp) both had little to no inventory but did have a decent looking lounge area.

lol....I knew somebody was going to ask me. I cannot, for the life of me, recall the name of the 'classy lounge'. Been a couple/few years....It was downtown-ish -- nice shop downstairs -- seems like it was a sort of linear, rambling layout; lounge was upstairs - darkly lit, comfortable seating, nicely stocked bar.

The shop with the rollers was called Lianos Dos Palmas. They get limited amounts of superior tobacco -- they roll a fantastic corojo and a great CBL - I've ordered several times since I was last there 3-4 years ago:
http://lianosdospalmas.com/

 

[smokinbodybuilder]

Chicago is great for cigars as far as quality shops go...but you wont be able to smoke indoors anywhere besides the shops. If you are also looking for good eats, sports, sight seeing and tourist stuff then Chicago may be an ideal spot for you. Just don't come in Dec-Feb or you will be miserable coming from a warmer climate.

Chicago is definitely a place I am looking at as I've never been to the city, love that it is a sports town, has a lot of history, great restaurants, and great cigar lounges. I am also looking at San Francisco/wine country, Washington DC, NYC, and others.

Allow me to make your decision easy...spring/summer come to Chicago. Fall/winter go to west coast.

 

[ky70]

I'm surprised Chicago is getting mentioned so often. We certain have some nice lounges in the Chicago area but I would never guess this would be considered a great cigar smoker's destination.

As a Chicagoan, where should I go for a stogie vacay? I've been to Orlando (Corona Cigars was nice) and Tampa (King Corona in Ybor city makes a great cappacino), but I would like a destination with great indoor smoking spots and the option to be on the move to my next destination without any concern as a jump from place to place smoking. Would that be Vegas or Miami?

 

[icehog3]

I'm surprised Chicago is getting mentioned so often. We certain have some nice lounges in the Chicago area but I would never guess this would be considered a great cigar smoker's destination.

I'm with you....since the smoking ban here, the only place you can smoke is a B&M. Yes, there are some nice ones, but I'd want to go someplace I could smoke in other venues as well.

 

[PKNY1]

CA periodically writes a , "where to smoke" column . very descriptive with lots of pics you may like ..

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/category/index/id/18

 

[smokinbodybuilder]

I'm surprised Chicago is getting mentioned so often. We certain have some nice lounges in the Chicago area but I would never guess this would be considered a great cigar smoker's destination.

As a Chicagoan, where should I go for a stogie vacay? I've been to Orlando (Corona Cigars was nice) and Tampa (King Corona in Ybor city makes a great cappacino), but I would like a destination with great indoor smoking spots and the option to be on the move to my next destination without any concern as a jump from place to place smoking. Would that be Vegas or Miami?

I think the main reason is the quality of the lounges here, coupled with the fact that most shops have some exclusives and HTFs. And the history of some of the shops is cool too. Some of them have been around for a long time. Before I am called a Chicago Nut hugger...I hate the city in general. I'm a country boy. Or, what some of you may call, a hillbilly.

 

[UpInSmoke]

Detroit. Lol jokessss

Id recommend Chi town

Hey as a Detroit resident I'm offended we have a few good lounges here. It's the getting to and fro that's the issue


"Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar."

Plus, nobody wants to go to Detroit ;-)

Haha exactly.

And you live in Florida. That's like cigar smokers paradise in the US. Probably wont find a better place anywhere else

 

[Cigary43]

I'm retired and travel quite a bit and nothing makes travel more sweet than to bring your cigars on those trips. Now days one can choose the "type" of vacation to go on whether it's to a one destination kind of trip or cruising where you can go to as many as 5-7 ports of call. I tend to choose cruises over trips to one destination places...ports of call tend to let me roam around and look at different places where I can smoke my cigars. What really makes a great trip is to find cigar plantations where you can actually go to and see how your hobby is done from seed to wrapper. There are inexpensive trips to the Dominican or Nicaragua and at the same time I do coffee plantations and get my coffee fix in as well. Some of these cruise ships have some amazing cigar lounges. As was said Florida has some of the best cigar places to go...Tampa and Ybor City should give you a "fix" as there is a B&M every block. Miami is also a great place and if you want to mix cigars and a nice getaway...Key West.

 

[Heath]

It depends on your taste of vacation. If you don't mind a cool weather vacation Alaska or Maine if you want a warm weather vacation Virginia or the Carolina's.


Heath

 

[blueboy714]

I'm surprised Chicago is getting mentioned so often. We certain have some nice lounges in the Chicago area but I would never guess this would be considered a great cigar smoker's destination.

I'm with you....since the smoking ban here, the only place you can smoke is a B&M. Yes, there are some nice ones, but I'd want to go someplace I could smoke in other venues as well.

agree with you guys on Chicago - I lived in Chicago before all of the cigar-nanny/banning happened and it was fantastic going into the city on the weekend or hitting some of the B&Ms in the burbs (I lived in Schaumburg) - plus there were a lot of great restaurants and bars you could eat and smoke at. Since that time most my contacts in Chicago don't consider it to be a "destination" like it used to be. Nothing since I moved has made me want to make a special trip to Chicago for cigar mini-vacation and live 2 hours away.

For me - I like going to some place isolated where I can tune out the world... no phones, computers, etc. I take my own supply of cigars, etc. and vacation that way. Northern WI (the upper 1/3 of the state is forest and one of the few places with no cell phone coverage), the Dakotas, middle of nowhere AZ, NV, etc.. My dad says is the only time he didn't want the vacation to end was Cedar Key Island, FL - he spent most of days on the beach, fishing, relaxing and at night went out to dinner with my mom. Usually had a smoke on the beach or outdoor bar (not sure if they allow that in FL anymore).

 

[blueboy714]

I tend to choose cruises over trips to one destination places...ports of call tend to let me roam around and look at different places where I can smoke my cigars. What really makes a great trip is to find cigar plantations where you can actually go to and see how your hobby is done from seed to wrapper. There are inexpensive trips to the Dominican or Nicaragua and at the same time I do coffee plantations and get my coffee fix in as well. Some of these cruise ships have some amazing cigar lounges.

Cigary43 - any specific cruise lines/destinations that you can recommend? I was looking into a cruise to Iceland - but the cruise line I was looking at shut down their cigar bar.

 

[benjaminj78]

I lived in Florida for a decade. Buddy of mine did his graduate at UF,and harped about Cedar Key.He was right. Just when you think you're going to dead end into marsh and alligators,there's the town at the end of SR 24.Circa 2002-03,they still had a natural grass airfield at the local fly in spot. For Central Florida,it's a great spot to disappear and chill on the Gulf. Even when I lived in Jacksonville and Lakeland,nobody knew about it. It's definitely out of the way and lacking what most tourists want to experience. I have to agree with the above, Tampa Humidor is where it's at. Other than B&M's everywhere,there's plenty of gentlemen's clubs on most blocks to enjoy a good smoke,drink,and eye candy.

 

[YodisMatt]

I lived in Florida for a decade. Buddy of mine did his graduate at UF,and harped about Cedar Key.He was right. Just when you think you're going to dead end into marsh and alligators,there's the town at the end of SR 24.Circa 2002-03,they still had a natural grass airfield at the local fly in spot. For Central Florida,it's a great spot to disappear and chill on the Gulf. Even when I lived in Jacksonville and Lakeland,nobody knew about it. It's definitely out of the way and lacking what most tourists want to experience. I have to agree with the above, Tampa Humidor is where it's at. Other than B&M's everywhere,there's plenty of gentlemen's clubs on most blocks to enjoy a good smoke,drink,and eye candy.

Good info on hidden FL, how about you head over to the introduction area and tell us about yourself. Always great to meet new BOTLs.

 

[Cyrann]

There are a ton of awesome shops/cities in our great nation, but I would have to answer your question with a question(s):

(1.) Whats your budget like?
(2.) Are you looking for fun places to smoke and drink, just smoke, or an education?
(3.) Do you want everyday cigars or the rarest shit on earth?

All of these matter IMO with the likes of RC cruises, cigar tourism trips, and cigar safari in the mix.

 

[Boston Jimmie]

Key West.!!

~Boston Jimmie