It’s Monday and I Should Be Dreaming
On Mondays you often see me dreaming of a trip or of something I have heard about. I look forward to participating in the Mondays Are for Dreaming posts hosted by Mara at Mother of All Trips.
But today I am late. Very late. Why? This summer I dreamed up that I would take the boys on a road trip. From northern California we could head north. The longer I dreamed, the further north this potential trip got. Soon it got so long, it would take more days to complete than my husband could take off. Stop dreaming? I had a better idea. He’ll be flying up midway through our trip and joining us for half of the journey.
Now its time for the details of planning this trip. Ahhhh…. now I am starting to wake up. Oh lordy what have I done?
I want to take the boys up to Seattle. I figure we will head up Interstate 5, stopping for a few days at some great places: Redding, Ashland, and Portland. Then from Seattle we will take the coast back down to Fort Bragg and cut inland back home. A month’s worth of accomodations can get quite pricey, particularly during the summer. So I have been searching the net for places to stay. Then, looking at the prices, I began searching the net for how to find a place to stay without breaking the bank. A few great tips I have learned:
Caroline at Kids Go West recently wrote a great article offering several ideas. One included finding a place just outside of a major city. I also consoled with Serena of Grassroutes Travel. An interesting tidbit I learned from her is to find places near the airport, particularly in those cities that offer good public transportation. If, like me, you are looking to Seattle as your destination, be sure to read more of her insights or grab one of her Grassroutes Travels books which cover other popular destinations such as Portland, San Francisco, or Northern California Wine Country (to name a few).
These wonderful friends have pulled me out of my panic. But there is still much work to be done. I open up this forum for all those experienced travelers. I know you have poured over site after site looking for hotel deals and special offers. Help me learn from you. I have many cities to plan for, and many more dreams of trips to come. What methods have worked best for you to keep the cost of these trips to merely an arm and a leg? Pass around those links that you keep in your pocket. What websites do you turn to when your traveling feet get itchy but your pockets are light?
I have gotten to know enough travel writers to say with confidence that we are a group not prone to limit our dreams. I thank you in advance, for your help in making mine becoming our August Adventure.
I used priceline and bid on a hyatt place in rancho Cordova, ca and saved over $30 a night. It’s in a business park and half the price on weekends. I check the star ratings and photos before deciding to bid. We live near Seattle and the hotels around the airport are good. There is a light rail that goes from the airport to downtown that you could take. All of downtown is very walkable. The ferry from Edmonds to Kingston is pricy in summer, but a great experience for getting over to the peninsula. Make sure to get gas in port Angeles or forks. There isn’t much over there. Have you thought about bringing a tent to cut down on a few nights lodging? We did the Oregon coast one year and stayed in Seaside, coos bay and crescent city (ca). The were decent drives with plenty to do with the kids. I look forward to seeing your iteniery. We are driving Seattle to Sacramento and the end of July. Then over to mono lake, Carson city, salt lake city, Boise and home again. We have my husband fly one way too.
Hey there, stopping by. I put these on my site recently and I think they could help you:
http://www.cascadiakids.com/how-to-score-a-four-star-priceline-deal/
This is a post I wrote for someone else’s site:
http://www.thriftynorthwestmom.com/2010/06/11-money-saving-tips-for-the-thrifty-traveler/
I can also recommend specific, less-expensive hotels in Portland and Seattle for you (also in my book).
I would not stay near the Seattle airport, personally. It’s far and you’ll be driving in terrible traffic unless you time everything right. I would try PL for a three- or four-star in downtown.
Hope to see you up here!