Snapshots of a Road Trip

We're currently on a road trip, going from Portland to Reno to Las Vegas and back. Considering we didn't feel comfortable on a plane just yet, this seemed like the best way to still take a vacation and also still feel safe, since we could control who we would be around and remove ourselves from situations that felt too close to others. I love a good road trip, and we haven't been on one together for quite a long time, that was further than the next state over. 

As you probably know by now, we are timeshare owners, and we use it whenever possible on trips. Luckily, we were able to get rooms in both Reno and Vegas and only had to figure out where we would eat and what else we wanted to do. If you've been following me for some time, then you have seen that we go to Vegas at least once a year. Often, I go twice, and one year I went three times before the end of July, and that is on top of our other regular big trip of the year. We have family here, but the city changes so often that it's hardly ever the same trip twice.

All the bags on the left are just empty reusable grocery bags that I probably could have left at home.

I'll be recapping my trip and telling you all about the new things we did (including the Museum of Dream Space, OmegaMart, Reno's Riverwalk District, and awesome food), but right now I wanted to share some photos of the road tripping part, which will also be followed up with some tips when I return. Mask mandates are in effect in both Oregon and Nevada (though you won't see that many in between the bigger cities), so we felt pretty good about getting out and doing some stuff among people. 

I'm a sucker for a cool rest area, because I love seeing historical markers (like the one below) or just fun maps, like this one. If there are brochures, vending machines, good bathrooms, or little shops, that's even better. It's also just nice to look at stuff while you're stretching your legs.

Road trips are a great excuse to try local restaurants, cafes and coffee shops! The coffee wasn't the best, but the food made up for it.

I also like rest areas that seem too creepy to stop at alone, because I guess I'm weird. 

That one had clean restrooms and a lot of parking, plus this crazy place across the street where a guy was basically selling cold drinks, ice, and random other stuff like a mini thrift store. It's unfortunate I didn't need an old coffee maker or vintage shot glasses.

I'll never not stop at a cool looking cemetery. This one had people who were buried over 100 years ago, some from the 50s and even newly deceased people in a grassy part. You could see how some familes were buried together, some people didn't even have headstones, just little metal signs stuck in the ground, and how many children had died between 1918 and 1955.

I wished I had a little trinket to put on this guy's plot as well. His family seemed to really care a lot and he had fresh fake flowers and other military things brought fairly recently. We righted some other people's flowers that had fallen over, and I put this jar back on the ledge, because there's no reason that the dead can't have nice plots. Also, I just felt like if I was coming to visit people I didn't know, I should do something nice for them besides admire their headstones.

Every time I drive this route, I stop for gas at Eddie's World. It has a giant candy store with clean bathrooms, plus it's also the last gas for quite a while. Check out some of their aisles:

 

Anyhow, that's my road trip so far. You can see more of my trip while I'm on it if you follow me on Instagram, but I'll definitely be bringing more of it to you, including tips for having a successful and budget-friendly trip. I hope you're all staying safe and healthy.

Where are your favorite places to stop on a road trip or to go on a road trip?

Save Money for Travel with Rakuten

Did you know that you can basically get paid to travel and shop [for your travel gear and clothing] for things you buy everyday? You can and Rakuten will pay you for it. I never buy or book anything without first checking Rakuten. So, what IS Rakuten? It's a fantastic - and free! - site that offers you cash back for purchasing from online merchants. If you plan to make a purchase anyway, you might as well get something for being a loyal (or even a new) customer. 

Here's how it works: Sign up is quick and easy, then you're ready to shop! When you have a hankering to buy something, say, at Sephora, go to Rakuten, sign in, click on Sephora and it takes you straight to the main website. You must go through Rakuten, so they can track your purchase. At checkout, make sure you use the same email address you used to sign up on Rakuten and within a few days, your purchase will show up in your account. You can track your cash back total to see how much you saved and then every quarter, Rakuten sends you a Big Fat Check (if you choose that method) or a Big Fat Payment via Paypal. Normally, you get $5 for signing up, but right now get $30 once you make your first qualifying purchase! Who else does that? If there are coupon codes available or special sales, Rakuten will show them to you, helping you save even MORE!

I like to use my cash back as a travel savings supplement. Each time I make a purchase, I rack up cash and then it gets deposited right to my Paypal account. I use that money to purchase travel stuffs, like Groupons, clothing, tours, and more! If I can get more cash back with it, even better! Of course, you can use it for whatever you want. 

Heart your favorite stores for easy access to them on the site.

Stores you can shop at: Rakuten has, literally, hundreds of online merchants you can choose from, including a long list of travel merchants. Just a sampling of those include: TravelSmith, Holiday Inn, Avis, Alaska Airlines, Camping World, Orbitz, Air France, Delta Airlines, HomeAway and even SkyMall! Keep your eyes out for the Daily Double. Each day one awesome merchant offers double cash back on your purchases for the day. 

And now, you can easily get cash back through Rakuten by downloading the Chrome extension on your computer. When you go to a website that accepts Rakuten, the app will add a banner to the top of your screen letting you know, then you can can click on the banner and it will automatically put you through your Rakuten account and straight back to the site. That's it. One click and you're on your way to getting money back. I always like to check out the Rakuten site anyway, because they include any active coupon codes, so you can save even more. 

If you spend a lot of time on your phone, download Rakuten there, too. It's a bit of extra work, since you have to open the app and then find the store you want to shop at from there, but it's always worth it. It's easy to get around, see your account, find your favorites, and see all the places you can get cashback on one screen.

Haven't signed up for Rakuten yet? Do it now.

Lake Life Mugs from Well Told Design

Being at home for so much of my down time now has given us an appreciation for things we use constantly, like really good dishware, furniture, and electronics. We have replaced some of the things we see and use that we don't love, and some of those things have been drinking vessels. Upgrading is never a bad thing if it makes your life better.

Well Told Design products are great for reminding you of some of your favorite trips. We have pint glasses with the London map on them, because it's a place we love and have great memories from our trips there. Well Told has a new line of lakes coffee and tea mugs, expanding your options of moments you can hold in your hand.

Having previously brought you some of their great products, Well Told reached out to me to allow me to show off this new Lake Life line. I love coffee. I love coffee mugs. And I love travel and travel gifts, so of course, I said yes. Look at this gorgeous, high-quality mug! It's massive, and I adore it.

It went really well with my giant plate of pastries, making it all look normal-sized until you see it in my regular-size hands. LOL! The thing is, we have other large mugs, this one is just taller, heavier, and thicker than any other mug we own, making it a great focal point that gets people asking about it.

We often show off our food or drinking vessels in our weekly Sunday Zoom brunches, along with other things we like and want other people to know about, and I know this mug is going to make several appearances. What makes this mug so special, besides what a great mug it is, is the map on it. We have been to Lake Tahoe in the past, where we had some good times and celebrated my parents' wedding anniversary by joining them lakeside for a vow renewal.

On one side is a topographical map of Lake Tahoe and on the other is the name of the lake and the map coordinates. I love that the white background makes the other colors stand out and the handle is sturdy and easy to hold onto, even if you have bigger hands. I notice that you don't burn your knuckles on your hot coffee like you might with other coffee mugs, because they are both thinner and have closer, smaller handles.

The holidays will be quickly approaching, so if you have a tea, coffee, or cocoa fan on your list that also likes to get outdoors, these make excellent gifts. Stuff them with their favorite beverage or fun and useful hiking/travel accessories. Pair them with another set of Well Told Design glasses or insulated travel mugs. If you know someone in college or off to start their life in a new home, help them get their kitchen started with some quality, and lovely mugs that they'll love using. They're microwave and dishwasher safe, so they're easy to care for and will look vibrant for many years to come.

If they don't enjoy hiking, camping, or lake activities, that's okay, because these 15oz mugs also come in historical patterns (like The Constitution), U.S. city maps, and college town maps. Buy matching ones or mix and match to fit everyone's personality.

Other details:

Where can I buy it? On Well Told Design website 

How much is it? $21.95 each

More info: 20 different lake maps to choose from. Detailed lake map ceramic mug fired to high temperatures and is microwave and dishwasher safe. Designed and decorated in the U.S. 15oz capacity. Diameter: 3 1/3", height: 4 1/2", weight: 1 lbs.

If you like what Well Told Design is doing, follow them on social media:

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What lake has special significance for you?

Disclaimer: I was provided a Well Told Design coffee mug for the purposes of this review. All opinions are 100% my own.