Are Road Trips Really Cheaper?

If you're hitting the road in order to save money on airfare, you may not actually be coming out ahead. I'm a fan of a good road trip, but I find that if you're only headed to a single destination, gas, food and hotel costs can much outweigh a plane ticket for a family of four. There are ways to save, of course, but unless you're hitting up a few destinations, it may not make much of a dent in your spending. Now, not everyone wants to drive straight through for almost a whole day, which is what I did to save airfare and hotel costs on a solo trip to Vegas one year, and I didn't do it again, as you can see. 

What's been your most memorable road trip so far?

Super Useful Travel Posts

Happy Friday! I bet you guys totally forgot about this series. I almost did, too, but now it's back! I've found some fun stuff for you. I hope you're having a fantastic week, and if you've come across anything fun and travel-related, then please enlighten us with a link back in the comments so we can all enjoy!

Sir Richard Branson wants people to travel cheaper and more often. To help you out, he's developed the Inner Circle plan for Virgin Mobile customers. See how you can get a practically free companion ticket as well as discounts on your own flights with this new program.

Even dogs like Universal Studios. Unfortunately, only service dogs can visit. This service dog got a chance to have a raptor encounter and his reaction is priceless. Is that a new friend? It almost makes me wish that there were pet days at theme parks where you could just walk around enjoying the non-rides with your furry friend.

While that dog seemed to have an awesome time at Universal, this lady didn't have the same luck. As a person born without arms, she was shocked that she wasn't allowed on any of the rides. She may be a pilot and a black belt, but the safety rules on ever ride didn't allow her access. I can certainly understand this, and maybe it would have been fine, but then again, maybe it wouldn't have. She's suing. Do you think she has a legit case?

Ever had a terrible time on vacation with your family? I think we have all had that one trip where we wish we could get away. This teenager, apparently, decided this was the case before she even left home and was so mad about being "forced" to vacation with her family, she declared it an emergency. No matter how bad a trip has been, I've never once been ungrateful that my parents took me anywhere and tried to make the best of it. What would you do if this was your kid?

Do you hate the TSA or just love those handy gray bins you put your shoes and laptop in? This guy decided to see if anyone cared if he walked away with one. It didn't seem to be a priority. Even the pilot didn't seem bothered that he walked through the airport with it. Look how far he got with it.

Speaking of fun things to happen on a plane, some flight attendants are just more fun than others. I've had the pleasure of hanging with one who's jump seat was facing my own seat (could have been awkward, but it really wasn't) and talked about their job a bit. I like it when they have a sense of humor, because you have to when working with the general public. Here are some unique announcements heard on planes. 

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I spend so much time planning my trips, taking photos and then blogging about them that doing anything else to remember them is almost an afterthought. I have a few ways to commemorate my trips - purchasing ornaments, adding airport carpet photos to a fun display, and even adding a new pic of Eric and I to our walls - but it's not usually anything super creative like these ideas from Alexandria Drake's blog.

I've heard of a lot of different dress codes, but some places, I guess, don't want you to express yourself in even a fun way. Disney allows costumes for little ones as well as Disneybounding (meaning you can dress inspired by characters), Universal encourages you to dress as a wizard at the Wizarding World, and so do other places, but Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC thinks dressing in period costume is not okay. Have you ever been kicked out of a place for your "inappropriate" dress?

There's a vast area of dressing between the formal suits of travelers through the 80s and business travelers and those choosing instead to just wear their slept-in pajamas out of the house. Dressing for comfort can also look good and like you tried and not slobbish. In fact, besides these sandals, Jennifer Aniston has it down. I choose sneakers or ballet flats, but then again, I'm a normal person and not a celeb. I wouldn't say no to a great pair of comfortable wedges on the plane though.

For the fourth year in a row, in 2016, Portland International has been named America's Best Airport by Travel + Leisure. I'm proud of our airport and take a load of credit for us getting food trucks in there. If nothing else, it proves that our board listens to suggestions from locals and travelers. Here's why PDX is on top again.

Okay, I'm not the only one who watched Dirty Dancing over and over and over. If it's on the TV at any time, even if it's almost over, I'm going to watch it. It's one of "those movies" for me. Nobody puts Baby in the corner and nobody stops me from watching it when it's on. I even suffered through that made-for-tv version that was horrible. Well, now you can save your hard-earned dollars to visit the resort that Baby and her family did in the 60s. Haven't we all wanted to check into a bungalow at Kellerman's and take dance lessons and play bingo? No? Well, too bad, because you can now and you can do all the activities shown in the movie. It ain't cheap though, so it's definitely a splurge trip in order to have the time of your life.

If Wizard of Oz is more your speed, and you need a suggestion for a Fall vacation destination, check out the amazing mostly-abandoned Wizard of Oz theme park open only once a year now to tourists who are into celebrating the movie and feeling like they're actually in it. Imagine telling all your friends you visited this unknown park and feeling like an insider.

Have you ever gotten to the rental counter and told they didn't have any cars for you? I always have a reservation before I arrive, and often I pay ahead of time, and have always had my reservation honored. More often than not I've gone to pick up a car in the lot and have been told everything in my tier has been rented out and I'd have to choose from the next level up (with no extra charge). How sad for me, right? Unfortunately, most car rental companies will overbook, just as airlines do, so it's not specifically Hertz, which is actually one of my favorite rental companies.

There you have it. My round-up for the month. I promise to try to keep up with this a bit better than I have in the past. I seem to always get caught up in the holidays and let this fall by the wayside, but I can't share everything I want on social media, so you get a whole post here. 

Please link any fun, interesting, angering, or useful travel-related posts you've found in the comments, so we can discuss! Or tell me what you think of any of these. Have a wonderful weekend!

Rocking Your Staycation - Part 3

So, we've gone over some easy ways to make a staycation cool and not make you wish you never tried. Do some planning, take a few days off work, and really relax. A staycation doesn't have to suck, even if you come back home each evening to your own house. Doing a bit of a reset is important in life, so even a staycation instead of a real getaway is necessary to help you out in real life as well.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to make a staycation rock. Here are just some other ways to do it when you're trying to save for a bigger trip later:

Swap Houses

You don't have to take your staycation at home. Look for someone else who wants to swap houses for a few days and make it feel like you're somewhere else. Ideally you'd get to stay in a different part of the city, so it feels completely different from where you live. 

Head to a Local National Park

Pack a tent or rent a cabin for a couple nights and just enjoy nature. Unplug and relax, plus do some hiking and maybe see a few animals. If you aren't into hiking and biking, pack some games and really bond with your family over non-electronic fun. Some national parks are even awesome for foodies.

Hit Up Your City's Museums

If there are museums that you have always wanted to visit, but you don't seem to have the chance, this is the time to do it. Look at things with a critical eye, talk about the artwork among yourselves, find out what you like and what you don't. Maybe get a print of something you agreed on at the gift shop.

Go On a Day Trip

To the beach, to the nearest lake, to the mountains, to a quaint little town you never stop in. We did this a lot when I was a kid and we didn't have a lot of money. We'd get up nice and early, pack some food in a cooler and just drive. We didn't usually have a plan, but you can if you want. This is the best way to find awesome things near you or in your state. We found a ton of cool stuff this way. It makes for some cool family memories. Perhaps you'll come across something wacky and weird, like Albany, Oregon's largest possum statue on the west coast, or the world's largest thermometer in Baker, California.

Sign Up for a Class

Whether it be a cooking class, a pottery class, a photography course, or one of those painting and wine nights. Whatever it is, do it together and have fun doing it, even if it's cheesy. If that's the case, then you'll have something to laugh about later...or to savor while you're eating it if that cheesy thing is fro your cooking class.

Turn Your Backyard Into a Movie Theater

Invite some friends over, or don't, pop some popcorn and pick up a bunch of movie-sized candy boxes from your local dollar store. String up an old white bed sheet, or set up your movie screen in the backyard, throw down a blanket and some pillows, or gather your comfiest lawn chairs together, throw in an awesome movie and make a night of it.

Go Camping In Your Yard

Get out your tent, set it up in the back garden and add all your creature comforts, like blankets, pillows, bean bag chairs. This is your chance to do it up a bit like glamping. Drag your coffee table out, some string lights and a bluetooth speaker, so you can rock out and play games and eat snacks into the night. If you have a fire pit, light it up and make some s'mores and roast some dogs. Yum!

Want more ideas for your staycation? Follow my staycation Pinterest board.

Do you love a good staycation? Tell me how you make yours rock.