tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post8818838133436721291..comments2024-03-18T20:48:54.829-04:00Comments on Reflections Around the Campfire: A Brief Snowbird Adventure - Lessons From the RoadUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-11071252128021267292023-03-23T07:03:11.601-04:002023-03-23T07:03:11.601-04:00Hmm, now you have me thinking, Mike. We purchased...Hmm, now you have me thinking, Mike. We purchased our first travel trailer in 2006, and I don't recall any hotel stays between that time and the fall of 2019 when we drove to Virginia Beach to celebrate our anniversary. I'll have to ask Alan if he remembers any. While hotels are definitely not my first choice, I do admit that it was a treat to get away to sunshine and warmer temps during the winter. The fact that someone else preps breakfast at no additional cost is a bonus. But then there are all the other restaurant meals that impact our budget and our waistlines. Yikes! Yes, we definitely missed our trailer!MARYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06717399651012721086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-3703602728806005232023-03-22T23:53:11.314-04:002023-03-22T23:53:11.314-04:00Traveling by car...staying in hotels...cowabunga! ...Traveling by car...staying in hotels...cowabunga! I'm not sure we would know how to do that. It just occurred to me that we have not spent a single night in any place other than Phannie for seven years, not counting a Hawaiian cruise a few years ago. I still recall the separation anxiety; excuse me while I find the Xanax.Mike Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03053039844141113175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-73315519861613403502023-03-21T10:07:22.405-04:002023-03-21T10:07:22.405-04:00While your eventual move to North Carolina won'...While your eventual move to North Carolina won't quite put us within spitting distance of each other, our relative positions will be much more conducive to get-togethers than if you were still living in Florida. Yay!!!<br /><br />Alan has a t-shirt that says, "That's what I do. I fix stuff and I know things." Mr. Fix It's eyes widened in dismay when I told him about your electrical outlet. I'm pretty sure that means you'd better say something to the landlord. ;)<br /><br />Our one and only experience with an AirBnB was an extremely positive one. Kyra had enrolled in the American Barber Institute in New York City, and we needed to find her a place to live for about 6 months. No one is going to rent an apartment in NYC with a 6 month lease, so we turned to AirBnB. We found a sweet little apartment north of the city in Yonkers. It was in a quiet neighborhood near the train station. Kyle, the landlord, was SUPER, but I decided I wasn't a big fan of the whole AirBnB process and the costs associated with it. I like the speed and ease with which I can book (and cancel and re-book) hotels on the various brands' websites. If you ever need a place in Nashville, take a look at the MainStay Suites in Brentwood. It's in a business park - very quiet at night and fairly close to Amerigo's (a favorite restaurant), but not far from Nashville proper. We loved it! Not as much as we loved the Presidential Suite, but we'd still go back in a heartbeat. And probably will!MARYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06717399651012721086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-50637124346360305812023-03-21T08:33:13.622-04:002023-03-21T08:33:13.622-04:00Mary, we had SO much fun with you and Alan! That c...Mary, we had SO much fun with you and Alan! That couple of hours went by far too quickly. We're looking forward to more time with you two, hopefully sooner rather than later. Let's make a plan! <br /><br />I was laughing throughout this post...as you know, I am in complete agreement with your assessment that RV travel is the best form of travel. It really spoiled us. I miss having our "home" with us wherever we go, I miss our clean and organized trailer, I miss the convenience of our kitchen and bathroom (it's a pain to figure out lunch stops now!). After a couple of our recent Airbnb experiences I started thinking a hotel might be better, but from your report it sounds like that's just much of a crapshoot as Airbnbs are! I wish Alan was here to fix the electrical socket in the bathroom in our current Airbnb that is being held together by the nightlight that's plugged into it. It's hard to describe, but definitely not up to code. 😳<br />Laurelhttps://ravenandchickadee.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-68684915236083382212023-03-21T07:06:05.318-04:002023-03-21T07:06:05.318-04:00Joe, we took our first month-long cross-country tr...Joe, we took our first month-long cross-country trip with the kids when Ryan was 13 and Kyra was 8. A blip in our schedule pushed our return home out a day. We asked the kids if they were okay with another day on the road, and let them know that we'd push on through if they were homesick. I've never forgotten Ryan's response: "Why would I be homesick? This IS home." He really nailed it. Imagine that - words of wisdom from a 13 year old. We had tons of fun with Laurel and Eric! They had selected a perfect place to meet up, and I think we were probably there for a couple of hours. Perhaps there's a rendezvous with all six of us in our future?MARYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06717399651012721086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-38332863352937666242023-03-20T21:57:34.587-04:002023-03-20T21:57:34.587-04:00Mary, The last time we traveled without our traile...Mary, The last time we traveled without our trailer, I promised it would be a long, LONG, time before I would do it again. Those who do not know the RV lifestyle probably wouldn't understand, but there simply is no better way to travel by car. I've heard from Laurel and she was so glad to visit with you and Alan. All things considered, it looks like your trip was a good one and I enjoyed reading about it. Have a great week and please stay in touch. JoeEasin' Alonghttp://www.easingalong.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-65843805098624938862023-03-20T20:31:25.659-04:002023-03-20T20:31:25.659-04:00Busy on the trip, yes. And just as busy when we g...Busy on the trip, yes. And just as busy when we got back. The northeast was hit with another snow storm the day before we returned home. Kyra plowed enough to get herself out to work and us back home, but then Alan spent several days pushing the snow back on the property to make additional room for the 12+ inches we got two days after we got home. We were ready to turn around and head back south. The timing for meeting up with Laurel and Eric was absolutely perfect - we happened to be passing through Gainesville shortly before they were moving over to Cedar Key. As the saying goes, a good time was had by all! MARYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06717399651012721086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-59817532612801884532023-03-20T17:55:24.915-04:002023-03-20T17:55:24.915-04:00Wow, you've been busy! I'm so happy that y...Wow, you've been busy! I'm so happy that you were able to connect with Laurel and Eric. I just read her post and it looks like good times were had. I'm sorry about your negative hotel experience. The staff (and, probably, it starts with the manager) can make or break a stay. I'd love to visit Savannah again sometime so I'll keep your experience in mind (that's about the level we like to stay in too). Janis @ RetirementallyChallengedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13337674760088612530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-11780100469655086222023-03-20T06:20:56.818-04:002023-03-20T06:20:56.818-04:00Yes, excellent observations, Bob! In reference to...Yes, excellent observations, Bob! In reference to the hotel debacle, that MainStay Suites is currently rated just 2.6 out of 5 stars on the Choice Hotels website. I never book any hotel with less than a 4 or 5 star rating unless it's the only property available - which is very rare. So, something is up there, too, but I have no clue as to what it might be. The only thing I can think of is that the property's recent transition from a Clarion hotel didn't go well.<br /><br />Alan missed the $10 National Parks senior lifetime pass by just a short period of time. Even at the higher rate of $80, it's a gift. We just used his pass on this recent trip, since we visited Assateague Island National Seashore. We often take advantage of the 50% discount on camping fees at federal campgrounds it allows us, too. We've enjoyed many gorgeous campsites for well under $20 a night. As you said, the pass (as well as our National Parks) is a gift that keeps on giving.<br /><br />Let's keep that car wash info between you and me for now; otherwise, we might find ourselves meeting at one instead of at a nice restaurant!MARYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06717399651012721086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5556831972810821789.post-22213626292611838462023-03-19T23:50:09.663-04:002023-03-19T23:50:09.663-04:00A few thoughts that you will probably agree with: ...A few thoughts that you will probably agree with: posting while on the road was always a crap shoot for us. In too many campgrounds, WiFi seemed to be an afterthought. If close enough to the main building, the signal was decent because the people who ran the place needed a solid connection. Find yourself in spot 73 over the hill, good luck.<br /><br />Hotel standards are so dependent on the local franchise owner. Like you, we assumed a Comfort Inn is a Comfort Inn. Not true. While the national chain has random inspections, they must not be very frequent; We had a "Savannah" followed by a "Chincoteague," then another "Savannah." After comparing reviews and doing a little digging, I determined that a single-owner's hotel is likely to be much nicer than a franchisee who has a bunch of them.<br /><br />Our National Parks are our greatest national treasure, bar none. With a Senior Pass bought back when they were $10, this is the gift that keeps on giving. Too many people utilize the dozen most popular parks but never explore the hundreds of parks, monuments, and wildlands that never disappoint.<br /><br />Welcome home (and there are some good car washes near us when we see you in the fall!)Bob Lowryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16843991725692979189noreply@blogger.com