NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California is known for its sunny beaches but did you know that it is also home to the country’s main center for studies on Mars? For those of you who are into space travel and the Red Planet, then the JPL is the place to be. The tours are free (yes!) for anyone who wants to go on one.

Tsunami Research Facility
Head on over to the Oregon State University in Corvallis if you want to understand how a tsunami wreaks havoc. It is no laughing matter but if you have that yearning to learn how this powerful force of nature works, then the country’s largest wave basin is the place to visit. You can even take a look at real life experiments here.

Great Ape Trust
Where did human beings come from? Were we created by God or did we evolve from apes? No matter what your personal conviction may be, interacting with the world’s smartest apes is something that you just cannot pass up on! Go to Des Moines, Iowa and visit the 13 apes living in a 230-acre preserve. This tour is not for free – you have to be a member of the Trust and shell out $50 for individuals or $100 for families. Not a bad price for the experience, I think.

What is your idea of a great geek vacation?

One, the first thing that I did when I was done checking in was to see the farthest that the WiFi signal would reach. Obviously, I figured it out pretty quickly as I am online now and posting, right?

Two, my Tweeter has been busy since I left early this morning for the airport. Sometimes I used my phone, sometimes I used my netbook. But from the airport to the ferry boat, I have been Tweeting the hours away.

Three, I actually found myself a nifty gadget, a USB modem that allows me to connect to the Internet wherever I may be, as long as there is a mobile phone signal. I got it because I know how WiFi availability is so unreliable outside the city and the prospect of having no Internet for a full work week was just too unpleasant.

Four, my camera has been used a lot - and it’s the just the first day! Now you may say that this is not unusual, right? I have to say, though, the main thought in my mind as I take pictures is how nice they would look in my blog….

Enough said. And I guess that’s what geeks do while on vacation. What do you do?