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Cool Summer: Get Some Vacation Inspiration With Even *More* of Daytime’s Greatest Location Shoots
Friday, May 12th, 2023
The days are getting longer, the temperature warmer and suddenly all that sunshine is making staying inside really difficult. In other words, it’s almost time for some summer getaways!
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Whether it’s jetting off to an exotic locale, beating the heat somewhere a bit cooler or just taking some time off to go exploring in your own backyard, it’s just about that time of year once again. And if, perchance, you haven’t gotten to planning your next vacation yet, we might be able to help you out with a little inspiration — courtesy of your favorite soap operas!
We can guarantee you’ll spot more than a few familiar faces in this summery ’70s romp from Ryan’s Hope.
Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Because believe it or not, there was a period in daytime history when your favorite soaps would be doing the same! Back during daytime’s Golden Age in the ’80s and ’90s, every show was sending it’s cast off to exotic locales to shoot breathtaking stories. Though it’s died off in recent years as budgets scaled back, daytime has still found ways to get out and about in the world — even if sometimes it’s just to a nearby park.
Soaps like All My Children and Guiding Light would hop down to the Virgin Islands for a honeymoon or two, while General Hospital would ship its cast off to Mexico or Puerto Rico for some high adventure. There was grand romance in New Orleans with Days of Our Lives and stunning Hawaiian weddings courtesy of The Young and the Restless. Heck, even As the World Turns would sneak off to the woods and Ryan’s Hope knew the perfect picnic spots!
The Bold and Beautiful, though, has to take home the crown for the sheer number of location shoots they’ve gone on, from their own backyards on California beaches to globe-trotting in Monte Carlo, Dubai and Australia. Over the years, the show has pulled out all the stops!
Anyone up for an Italian wedding on the water?
Credit: John Paschal/JPI
In fact, we can all but guarantee that whether you’re looking to blow the entire vacation budget on one grand trip or keep things simple with a woodsy retreat, you can find something to inspire you with all the places daytime has visited over the years.
More: Celebrate All My Children and One Life to Live
These days, expensive location shoots may be few and far between — it’s far easier to film tragedy a green screen than to actually visit a Greek cliffside — but at least we still have our memories. So why not sit back, relax, and see if you can find any vacation inspiration of your own in this wave of nostalgia.
Flip through our updated gallery of daytime’s greatest location shoots.
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Image: Sean Smith/JPI
1/34
<p>Sometimes, it’s nice to start out with a little backyard vacation. Yes, <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> takes place in Los Angeles, but it’s not often the show takes advantage of that fact. But back in 2010, they sent Brook and Ridge (then Ronn Moss) off for an upclose look at the famed Hollywood sign. Which, looking back, maybe they should have taken it as a sign that they would never, <em>ever </em>work out!</p>
Image: John P Iblis/JPI
2/34
<p>Nothing says summer like heading to camp. And that’s exactly where <em>As the World Turns’ </em>Holden and Carly almost gave in to their passion and kissed! In front of a team of kids. Look, we’ve got no problem with carrying on an affair behind Jack and Lily’s backs, but maybe don’t begin it in front of the little humans <em>least </em>likely to keep a secret!</p>
Image: Cathy Blaivas /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
3/34
<p>OK, this isn’t exactly a tropical island, but the very fact that <em>Port Charles</em>‘ Scotty and Serena were out enjoying the water and sun is about exotic as it gets on a show obsessed with vampires, werewolves and all the things that go bump in the night!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
4/34
<p>OK, they didn’t <em>actually</em> go anywhere for this, but <em>Days of Our Lives</em> visited heaven so many times in 2022 and 2023, we started to wonder if someone on the show had been conned into a timeshare up there.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
5/34
<p>When Luke and Laura returned in 1993, <em>General Hospital</em> pulled out all the stops — a bombing in British Columbia, a jump from a stolen plane, a daring river rescue and then an even more daring waterfall rescue! We have no idea where this is (between Chicago and Port Charles?), but it looks like it would be great for whitewater rafting!</p>
Image: Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
6/34
<p>You might have noticed some of the more recent locations were a bit subdued. But once upon a time, soaps had a budget to send their stars all over the world. And while this 1987 still looks like a trip to Niagara Falls, it’s actually from when <em>One Life to Live</em> went all the way to Argentina with Cord Roberts (John Loprieno) and Kate Sanders (Marcia Cross). Because why in the world not? </p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
7/34
<p>Ah, good ol’ NOLA. Who hasn’t wanted to visit the home of Mardis Gras and take in some of the raucous culture of the French Quarter? It’s certainly a change from Genoa City, Wis.! At least, we assume so. We suppose those benches look a bit decadent.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
8/34
<p>We’re certain that if you looked up “luxury” in the dictionary, this 2014 trip to Dubai would be pictured. Guided camel rides, extravagant hotels, high-octane cars and attempted murder by private helicoptor — this was a trip only the ridiculously wealthy could pull off! </p>
Image: Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
9/34
<p>Sometimes all it takes for some summer fun is a picnic in the park with friends. And since shows don’t get much more New York than ABC’s defunct <em>Ryan’s Hope</em>, it was a breeze to head out to Central Park in 1975 for a little arm wrestling and… conducting? Counting? We can’t quite tell what Kate Mulgrew’s Mary was doing, but it looks like she was having fun! </p>
Image: NBC
10/34
<p>A double dose of “Bope?” Oh yeah! Becase <em>Days of Our Lives</em> did New Orleans right when Bo and Hope visited in 1984. Actually, they might have leaned into the Southern spirit a bit <em>too</em> much. Dressing up and making love on an old estate? Er, don’t play plantation owners on your vacations, folks.</p>
Image: Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
11/34
<p>When All<em> My Children</em>‘s Julia, Noah, Matea and Hayley all ended up in Jamaica in 1996 there was something about a corrupt cop, voodoo trances and a coffin escape. But honestly, we were kind of ready to be fugitives from the law too if it meant a tropical vacation to the Carribean! </p>
Image: Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
12/34
<p>Forget about the forgotten underground city of Eterna — in 2003 <em>All My Children </em>visited the lost city of Atlantis! Wait, hold on… Oh, OK. What we meant to say was in 2003, Aiden and Maria visited very well-known not-at-all lost resort called The Atlantis in the Bahamas. Whatever. We still want to go!</p>
Image: Pierre Guibert/Visual/JPI
13/34
<p>Why does it feel like Victor is warning Ashley not to look at all the pretty sights during their 2008 visit to Paris? “Whatever you do, my dear, don’t turn around and make eye contact with that church. I think it’s following us.” “OK… But I’m pretty sure that’s just the Notre Dame Cathedral, Victor.”</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
14/34
<p>Erica and Dimitri’s whirlwind romance took them to Budapest in the latter’s native Hungary, where they made love all night and performed, from the looks of it, <em>The Nutcracker Suite </em>in the city square. Oh, and Erica got kidnapped. Twice. Maybe scratch Budapest off the vacation list.</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
15/34
<p>Anyone up for a staycation… with a twist? That’s what the folks of Salem got when they were fake-murdered and shipped off to backwards New Salem, aka Melaswen, back in 2004. It was identical to their hometown, except they got to wear Hawaiian shirts and frolic in tropical foliage! Strangely, no one wanted to stay.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
16/34
<p><em>General Hospital</em> pulled out all the stops when Ricky Martin was playing Miguel, even going on location to his native Puerto Rico to reunite the character with his long-lost lady love, Lily! And, well, we forgot where we were going with this. Does anyone have a fan handy? It’s suddenly feeling hot in here…</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
17/34
<p>Admit it — Eterna is better than a theme park. Is it a real place? No. Is it a safe destination? Not even remotely. But those jumpsuits alone make this trip to Llanview’s great underground city worth the price of admission. Disclaimer: The price of admission could be death.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
18/34
<p>There’s nothing better than spending a romantic getaway with your fiancé on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. At least, Emily <em>thought</em> it was her fiancé. Royce suffered from a split personality, so it was kind of hard to tell.</p>
Image: Nick Sined/JPI
19/34
<p>For a little while there, Monte Carlo was almost like <em>Bold & Beautiful</em>’s second home. A seaside resort for the wealthy, it was the perfect playground for the Forresters, Spencers and Logans. It had it all — beautiful buildings, beaches, yachts, people. So many beautiful people…</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
20/34
<p>The Florida Keys are a great destination spot — so long as you understand how the bridges connecting the islands work. Do not, for instance, do what Reva did while off her postpartum-depression meds and drive off an unfinished bridge. Always seek out the finished ones. </p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
21/34
<p>Some folks from Port Charles go on sun-drenched trips to places like Mexico and Puerto Rico, others to Mt. Rushmore. Terry fell into the latter category with her beau, Dusty, who was programmed to kill her, Anna and Robert… Some gals have all the luck. All the <em>bad</em> luck.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
22/34
<p>Hope (then Kimberly Matula) and Liam’s Italian wedding was never actually legal, so they both felt a bit like a heel when it was all over with. Then again, that might have just been because they were fake-married in the “heel” part of Italy. OK, OK, we’ll boot ourselves off the stage.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
23/34
<p>Well, we visited heaving, so no we guess it’s time for hell. It’s the vacation destination where you can get away from the cold and snow of the winter but not have to worry about the sun burning your fair skin like it might in more tropical climes. What’s not to love about it? Well, besides the whole eternal damnation thing.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
24/34
<p>We’ll just let you drink in this pic of Erica and Tom on their 1978 honeymoon in St. Croix. A honeymoon, we might add, that lasted… mm, almost as long as their very brief marriage. Heck, that <em>cocktail</em> almost lasted as long as their marriage!</p>
Image: Tammie Arroyo/JPI
25/34
<p>What could be more romantic than proposing to your love right next to the canals of Venice? Neither <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> nor Thorne spared any expense on this vacation engagement. But maybe they should have since it ended up being a total waste when Brooke went running back to Ridge.</p>
Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
26/34
<p>Carly and Bo headed south of the border for their 1991 wedding ceremony, which was pretty much entirely symbolic. Since they never bothered legalizing their union, we have a sneaking suspicion they just used “getting married” as an excuse to go paddle-boating in Mexico. Well-played.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
27/34
<p>OK, fine. So the show didn’t actually go to Hawaii. But they did stage their own version of the Tom Hanks classic <em>Joe Versus the Volcano</em> with Skye and Sharon, so we’ll be darned if this picture wasn’t making it in! Unlike in the Hanks movie, though, Skye did not get ejected from the volcano… RIP.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
28/34
<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em>’s visit to Lake Como gave the folks a chance to take a dip in its gorgeous waters — whether they wanted to or not. But c’mon, how could Stephanie resist that invitation? It would’ve been shocking if she <em>hadn’t</em> pushed Sally into the lake!</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
29/34
<p>Ericaland is a lot like Hollywood, what with that big sign and all, but in this place, everyone is named Erica and has egos the size of Australia. And that’s why Ms. Kane hailed a cab out of there as soon as she could. How’s a gal supposed to feel special in a place like that? “Taxi!”</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
30/34
<p>Ah, back to beautiful Venice, the Floating City of Italy. Holden’s brother Seth took fiancée Frannie there on the most romantic of getaways. Or did he take Sabrina there? Eh, they were identical and he was engaged to both of Julianne Moore’s characters, so… same difference?</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
31/34
<p>There’s nothing like a nice vacation to the Virgin Islands. Just look at that breathtaking view! The one drawback is that the hats don’t have tops. Oh, and Morgan’s husband gave Josh a beating when he thought the two of them were sleeping together. But that sounds more like a <em>Josh </em>problem than a St. Croix problem.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
32/34
<p>Fun fact: Italy’s picturesque Portofino is a gorgeous vacation spot that lies on the Gulf of Genoa. Maybe that’s why Stephanie looks so confused here. “Wait, Sally, are you saying we <em>aren’t</em> in Wisconsin?” </p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
33/34
<p><em>Young & Restless</em> did actually go to Hawaii for Danny and Christine’s lavish 1990 wedding. And they didn’t even have to sacrifice anyone to a volcano to make it happen! Oh, and the trip also featured Danny in a Speedo. Ah, the good old days!</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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