tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21774013796942445212024-03-20T00:59:07.080-07:00Kim's Travel PostsTravel blog with information re: planning and specific details for trips our family has taken.Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160724566385774288noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2177401379694244521.post-21477437073164155532014-06-20T17:01:00.001-07:002014-06-20T17:01:23.764-07:00October 2013 - Pacific Northwest<div class="MsoNormal">
Seattle- Port Angeles - Cape
Flattery - Columbia River Gorge - the Oregon Coast</div>
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October 2013</div>
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Some trips come together because
we have a list of “places to see” – Others come together because an opportunity
comes along & we say, “why not”.
This was a combination of both.
We had wanted to travel to the Pacific Northwest & we received an
alert from <a href="http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/">www.airfarewatchdog.com</a>
with a fare from Boston to Seattle that didn’t involve a red-eye, was sold as a
direct flight & fit within our timeframe.
Additionally – it was at a good rate.
So – we made a decision – we would be off to Seattle in
October. </div>
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This trip was not without
issues. To start with – we were flying
via United (not one of our normal carriers).
On United – each bag costs $25.
Our direct flight was changed a few weeks before to a change of planes in
Chicago on the way out & a routing through Houston [with a plane change] on
the way back. On United – you pay for
everything. On the way out – we didn’t
even have the option of paying to watch a movie. The plane had no in-flight
entertainment. On the way back we had 40
minutes to change planes & we arrived late to Houston. We raced through the airport to reach our
gate only to be told that we had to check both carry-on bags since there was no
room in the overhead bins. On this
flight there were individual monitors, but it would cost $7.99 per person to
watch anything on DirectTV. No
thanks. They do provide beverages, but a
small bag of chips cost $2.99 & sandwiches were $8.99. I doubt that we’ll fly United again unless
there’s a deal that’s too good to pass on.
The space between seats is very tight & you can pay an additional
fee to sit in the exit rows.</div>
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Because we had a very early
flight from Boston we opted for the Park, Sleep Fly option. It cost $180 to stay for the night, take a
shuttle to the airport & leave our car there for the week. There are several different hotels that offer
this service & we’ve used it when we had a flight that was early. We had dinner with Tim & Jessie on Monday
night. It was one of the best meals of
our vacation. Tim grilled the steaks on
a cast iron grill pan & served them sliced over arugula & roasted sweet
potatoes, red peppers & onions. Tim
& David both had their dinners with balsamic vinegar. Jessie & I had ours plain &
everything was delicious.</div>
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Once we arrived in Seattle we
picked up our rental car from Dollar.
David had done research re: the various car rental options & we had
seen several instances where people chose cheaper rental companies & then
found charges add to their credit card after the fact for damage that they
believed hadn’t happened. We decided to
go with a known company that participated in the on-site airport rental
arrangement. </div>
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We picked up our Toyota Corolla
(which we decided was too small after a few hours, but you don’t know until you
try it). We always bring our GPS with
us, but also pick up maps from AAA. We
knew that the shortest way was via ferry to Port Angeles, but we had plenty of
time & opted for the southern route from the Airport. It was a rainy day & we had each other
for company so off we went.</div>
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Re: hotels on this trip <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span> I had purchased
vouchers for hotels. I receive emails regularly with discounted
rates & I thought I’d take a chance.
The deal was 2 nights for $99.
The dates we wanted to travel were available & I sent the requested
dates & requested hotels. The travel
agency books it & confirms. These
were budget hotels (Comfort Inn & Ramada), but that was fine for our
purposes. I booked 2 nights in Port
Angeles at the beginning of our trip & 2 nights near the Seattle Airport
for the end. They weren’t anything special,
but they were clean & easy to find.
4 nights for under $200 is a deal.
At the first hotel our stay included breakfast in the mornings.</div>
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Note – we didn’t do one thing
that we always do when we travel & we realized it was a mistake. We didn’t stop at a local grocery/department
store to pick up water/snacks right at the beginning. Since our schedule was very flexible (we had
only booked hotels & had no other confirmed plans) we just kept going. We found ourselves hungry & in locations
where there was no place to stop on various days. Eventually we did go to the grocery store
& picked up Snapple iced tea, dried fruit & nuts & pretzels, but we
should have thought of it sooner.</div>
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Tuesday was a travel day & we
arrived in Port Angeles in the afternoon.
On the way I’d read in our AAA Tour Guide of a restaurant in Sequim, WA
that they recommended. In looking at the
map it seemed like a reasonable place to stop. We had an early dinner at the
Hi-Way 101 Diner. David had the pot
roast & potatoes. I had a pulled
pork sandwich. The waitress brought us
Fry Sauce & I asked her what was in it, since that was a new condiment for
me. She said it was Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ
Sauce, mayonnaise & something else that the chef wouldn’t tell her. It was ok, but I think I’ll stick to our red
pepper mayo as our unique condiment (red pepper relish mixed with mayo – YUM).</div>
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We woke on Wednesday morning to
clouds & light rain. We took a look
at the map & decided to head due west.
Our goal was Cape Flattery – the most northwestern point in the
U.S. We took Route 101 out of Port
Angeles. It was very scenic & we
both fell in love with the large trees, water views & mild climate. We had to stop a couple of times for David to
participate in conference calls for work but we weren’t on a deadline so took
our time. We drove out to the parking
lot & followed the trail to Cape Flattery.
It was a beautiful place & we were both so glad that we had chosen that
adventure for our day on the Olympic Peninsula.</div>
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On the way back we stopped for a late lunch at
the Breakwater Restaurant. The food was
ok, but the owner was delightful & told us about the logging industry,
reduction in population, Native American issues and we talked a little sports,
too since she is a Mariners fan. We were
full of good intentions & wanted to take a 2<sup>nd</sup> hike, but were
unable since the falls we wanted to see were within a National Forest & the
government shut-down meant the road was closed, too. We decided to take the scenic loop back to
Port Angeles & had dinner at the Café Garden. The food at this tiny restaurant was very
good. I had the Stir-Fried seasonal
vegetables over rice which included their homemade teriyaki sauce. David had Spicy Seafood Rigatoni. It wasn’t as spicy as he likes, but it was
good. We shared a crème brulee for
dessert.</div>
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In the morning we knew we had a
long drive since we were headed to Stevenson, WA to the Columbia River Gorge
area. We got up, took some muffins from
the hotel & headed on our way. It
was a beautiful ride & we stopped to enjoy Multnomah Falls. </div>
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We still hadn’t stopped for snacks & we
were getting hungry so we pulled over at a Dairy Queen for their $5 lunch
special. [1/4 pound burger, fries, drink
& small sundae] We continued on to
Stevenson & noticed the train tracks right next to the highway. When I booked our stay at the Columbia Gorge
Riverside Lodge they made it very clear that this establishment is right next
to the train tracks. They weren’t
kidding, but I love trains & I’d read all of the comments from previous
guests to I felt prepared (& they do leave earplugs in each unit). We stayed in the Northwest Passage unit (#4)
since I wanted to have a view of the Columbia River, be far enough from the
trains that we wouldn’t be jostled out of bed & not have anyone above
us. This unit was perfect except for 1
thing – the bed is a full size bed & we were a bit crowded [spoiled from
sleeping on a king size bed]. We used
the fan in the room just to have background noise to cover up the train &
it worked fine. The unit was very
comfortable & we would go back again without any question. After settling
in we went for a walk along the river & then went into town to look around.
For dinner we went to the El Rio Restaurant (within walking distance of the
Lodge). This small restaurant had
delicious food. I chose the beef burrito
with ranchero sauce on the side & pinto beans. David had chicken fajitas which came with all
of the condiments you could want (guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, black
olives). Our waitress recommended
keeping the salsa at the table to add to our dinner items. It was a good recommendation. I ordered sangria (which the waitress said
would come in a small fishbowl) & it was equal to the sangria I’d enjoyed
in Barcelona. </div>
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On Friday we knew that our next
hotel was only about 30 minutes from Stevenson, but we wanted to explore more
of the area. David had said he wanted to
see Mt Saint Helens & we saw a back route in one o f the travel brochures
left in the lodge. After a few missed
roads we found the route up into the mountains & came to the McClelland [?]
Lookout. It was a perfect day with clear
blue skies & Mt Saint Helens was breathtaking. On the way there we had an unexpected treat
when I saw a large owl perched on the guardrail. We turned around & it was just flying
away, but didn’t go deep into the forest so David was able to get a great
photograph. It was a moment of awe. Such beauty & there we were. </div>
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As we were driving all over the
back roads of Washington we realized that we needed gas. We were also getting hungry. We found a gas station to get gas that said
it was also a deli, but we were there in the off-season so no fresh sandwiches
to be had. We decided to head out of the
mountains & find our way to Historic Route 30 & on to Hood River,
OR. As we came around the corner we saw
a store that spoke to both of us, “Mark’s Snack & Tackle”. We were right on the edge of the Columbia
River & the sign said that they had sandwiches. It appeared to be a win/win. David asked some fishing questions & we
both ordered the special (pulled pork sandwiches). Unfortunately – it wasn’t the best lunch we
had, but we did like sitting next to the Columbia River. We continued along Historic Route 30 &
stopped at a couple of waterfalls (well worth the hikes) as well as the Vista
House. It’s a trip that I would
recommend to anyone.</div>
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Our stay was booked at the Hood River
Hotel. This historic hotel was right on
the main street [Oak Street] of Hood River.
It’s a small town with a vibrant street presence & they were
celebrating their last First Friday of the year. We didn’t stay out late enough to see what it
was about & I’d done my research & booked an internal room since the
rooms in the front could be noisy. We
walked up & down & decided to have Italian food for dinner at Romuls. It was a good choice. David had Saltimbocca with lamb & I had a
delicious cream of mushroom soup with a grilled pear salad. Everything was well prepared.</div>
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For breakfast we had received a
$10 breakfast voucher from the hotel to have breakfast in their adjoining
restaurant. I had the French toast
(which came with honey butter) & David ordered Eggs Benedict. The coffee & food were very good.</div>
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Saturday was going to be a long
day since we were headed to the Oregon Coast.
We had heard that the Oregon Coast was more beautiful than the
Washington & we wanted to see for ourselves. We had loved the Olympic Peninsula. How would Oregon compare? Since neither of us had been to the Oregon
Coast I’d looked for a place to stay up & down the coast. I ran into an interesting problem. They wanted multi-night bookings & we
only had 1 night to stay. Since I wanted
to stay on the water [it was the ocean in the off-season – I thought that was a
reasonable idea] we ended up in Rockaway.
There’s not much to say about this town other than it is on the Coast,
but our demands weren’t many. We drove
up the Oregon Coast on Route 101 all the way to Astoria (where the movie
Goonies was filmed) & stopped at Cannon Beach to take pictures of
Haystack. It really is a sight to
see. We settled into our unit, walked on
the beach for a bit & decided to get something to eat. We went to the Whale Spout Restaurant for
dinner. I’d read about it on <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/">www.tripadvisor.com</a> & expected good
food. We weren’t disappointed. I had a burger with grilled pineapple,
lettuce, tomato, local cheddar cheese, red onion & teriyaki mayo. David had fish & chips. We both enjoyed our meals & stopped for
ice cream at a shop nearby. We went back
to our oceanfront unit & went for a walk on the beach in anticipation of
the sunset. What a beautiful beach &
you can walk for miles. There were a few
families walking & plenty of people with dogs. It was a good way to end a good day.</div>
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Sunday we had the trip back to
Seattle to make. I had purchased a <a href="http://www.groupon.com/">www.groupon.com</a> from Jamba Juice & we
made a stop in Puyallup for Razmatazz smoothies. It was a delicious treat along the way. When we left Rockaway Beach we wanted to take
in as much coast as possible so we set our GPS for Aberdeen, WA in order to
keep driving up the Coast. We came
across & picked up I-5 to head towards Seattle. Here’s where I was very, very lucky& I
want to make note of this in case I’m in Seattle again. I had used the 2<sup>nd</sup> 2 nights for
$99 for our final 2 nights in Seattle & we wanted to be near the airport
since we had a 6 a.m. flight. I didn’t
plan it, but I booked a hotel on International Drive & it was PERFECT for
dropping off our car at the airport. We
were 5 minutes from the drop-off location.
We were pretty tired from driving all day & decided to have dinner
at the hotel restaurant. They advertised
it as Pan-Asian & I wanted to have Pad Thai while I was on the West
coast. David had the Thai Chicken Curry. Because we were there before 5 we also
enjoyed $3.95 appetizers (pot stickers & egg rolls). The food was good. It wasn’t great or exceptional, but it was
fine for our purposes. </div>
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On Monday we had planned to go to
Seattle & take some time at Pike’s Place Market. We had stopped there briefly when we were in
Seattle in July, but we wanted to take our time. We found a parking space on 1<sup>st</sup>
& Seneca & walked up to the Market.
We had coffee at one of the Italian shops (delicious) & then
meandered around. We went down the
street & into World Market which was a fun shop & I’d like to find one
closer to Massachusetts. I had a <a href="http://www.livingsocial.com/">www.livingsocial.com</a> certificate for a
tavern in Seattle & we wanted to use it for lunch. We went to the Eastlake Grill & I had
tomato basil soup & a Caesar salad.
David had one of their signature burgers – Bamb [beef & lamb] but he
said it was dry & the roll didn’t have much flavor. Since the certificate was $15 for $30 worth
of food & we went at lunch we really made the most of this deal. We went back to our hotel & I had started
out the day with a headache & it was getting much worse. I tried aspirin & ibuprofen & nothing
was making it better. I started to think
maybe I was dehydrated. David wanted ice
cream from Outback & I had several gift cards so off we went. Once there – I decided to have the potato
soup & pecan salad [minus the blue cheese].
David had filet mignon.
Everything was good & we shared their famous sundae (ice cream
rolled in toasted coconut with hot fudge/whipped cream) for dessert.</div>
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Tuesday morning was a very early
wake-up (4 a.m. for a 6 a.m. flight). We
did have time to pick up 2 muffins before boarding our flight & purchased
sandwiches on the flight from Houston to Boston. </div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160724566385774288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2177401379694244521.post-43019108590666202612014-06-15T16:21:00.000-07:002014-06-15T16:21:08.772-07:00Planes, Trains & Automobiles --- February Vacation 2014This trip was almost as much fun to plan as it was to take. Katie wanted to check off a few more states & her older siblings had all traveled by train between Chicago, IL & Springfield, MA before she was born. I don't ever need much nudging to organize a train trip so we started to talk about what we could do. David wasn't excited about going both ways via train so we looked at flying 1 way & taking the train one way. We each traveled with 1 carry-on as we knew that space on the train would be limited.<br />
Here are the details to maximize the number of states visited (CT, IL, WI, IN, MI, OH, PA, NY, MA). <br />
<b><u>Feb 15</u></b> - flight from Hartford, CT to Midway Airport on Southwest Airlines [used free flights that we'd earned]<br />
Picked up a rental car from Hertz [AAA discount was the best deal we could find]<br />
Started driving to Wisconsin<br />
Visited the AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, WI [highly recommend]<br />
<img alt="EAA AirVenture Museum" height="320" src="http://www.bing.com/th?id=A79P56HMpmMrhoQ480x360&w=150&h=150&c=1&rs=1&qlt=80&pcl=f9f9f9&pid=Local" width="320" /><br />
Stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites [good choice since it included breakfast]<br />
Best surprise of Wisconsin -<br />
Leon's Frozen Custard in Milwaukee --- DELICIOUS!<br />
<b><u>Feb 16</u></b><br />
Breakfast at the hotel & headed for Michigan<br />
Drove through Indiana & over to St Joseph, MI<br />
Will leave off lunch location as it was just ok<br />
Arrived in Chicago to check into the Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront<br />
<img alt="Welcome to Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront at the Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront in Chicago, IL" height="173" src="http://www.wyndham.com/common/images/branded/WY/images/46897_b1.jpg" width="320" /><br />
This beautiful hotel couldn't have been more lovely (especially from the 21st floor)<br />
David headed off to drop off the car & we settled in for an incoming snow storm<br />
<b><u>Feb 17</u></b><br />
What an exciting day in Chicago. We experienced Thunder Snow & headed out for lunch at Lou Malnati's for Deep Dish Pizza. We'd answered a survey for Wyndham & had been given a gift card that we used for this meal. It was so much fun walking around Chicago with the snow flying. For anyone that lives in Chicago layers are definitely the way to go.<br />
<b><u>Feb 18</u></b><br />
It was still pretty snowy, but we were ready for an adventure. We stopped the Corner Bakery Cafe for breakfast [so good] & started walking to the Chicago History Museum (not to be confused with the Field Museum).<br />
I had purchased tickets for this Museum using Groupon & it was a very interesting place with exhibits focused on the City of Chicago. There was a photography exhibit of photos taken during the 60s & 70s by Vivian Maier. It was very insightful. https://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagohistory/sets/72157631424543584/show/<br />
We had another Groupon for O'Brien's Restaurant which was within walking distance of the History Museum so we enjoyed an excellent lunch before heading back to our beautiful hotel.<br />
<b><u>Feb 19</u></b><br />
We didn't have firm plans for this day so we took the bus to the Navy Pier. We were disappointed as there really wasn't much there, but would imagine it's a great place to go when the weather is nice. We decided to walk back from the Navy Pier & found ourselves at Millennium Park [home to The Bean]. It was a sunny day (but chilly). People were out enjoying lunch, taking reflective photos & adjusting their scarves. <br />
We walked back to our hotel & thought about dinner. We had picked up some dining magazines & found an ad for Carson's BBQ on North Wells Street.<br />
<img alt="Carson's Wells Location" height="295" src="https://www.ribs.com/images/wells.jpg" width="320" /><br />
It was a historic restaurant & didn't disappoint. David & Katie wore bibs to eat their ribs. I enjoyed the most delicious cole slaw I've ever eaten along with pulled pork. It was a filling meal & a great way to experience the food in Chicago.<br />
<b><u>Feb 20</u></b><br />
We knew that this was going to be a very LONG day. Our train wasn't scheduled to leave until 9:30 at night & we had to check out of our hotel earlier in the day. We decided to check out & store our luggage at the hotel. We went to the Field Museum for the entire day. It was one of the highlights of our trip. The special exhibit was from the Columbian Exposition from 1893. I loved seeing all of the artifacts & interesting stories that went along with this exhibit.<br />
<img height="203" src="http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608049747326665846&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0" width="320" /><br />
After exploring ever nook & cranny of the Field Museum (& staying until closing) we headed back towards our hotel. We had made a change to our AAA Amtrak Reservation when we found that it wasn't that much more to book a Pullman Sleeper for the overnight trip from Chicago to Cleveland. I'll save that story for a little later.<br />
We enjoyed a hearty Italian meal at Bella Bacino. Our hotel had 20% coupons for this restaurant. It's ALWAYS a good idea to check with the hotel regarding recommendations or discounts.<br />
After dinner we retrieved our luggage & headed to Union Station via taxi.<br />
<img height="320" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/d3/f7/ff/d3f7ff96e93acd3d8b102b15ccdc8c16.jpg" width="320" /><br />
We checked in & because we were taking a sleeper we were sent to the Waiting Area for Pullman Passengers. I'm sure that in the past this was probably a very swanky place to wait for the train. At this time it's a little rundown, but there are chairs & tables, things to drink & you are directed to your coach when it arrives (which for us was at the very front of the train so involved a hike [another reason to take a carry on]). We had booked a B sleeper unit. This was a very TINY space. We entered & the beds were up. There were 3 seats facing a sink. The bathroom/shower [yep - it's all in one itsy bitsy space] could be accessed by folding up one of the seats. We were arriving late so our steward told us that she'd set up our bedding. There were plates of grapes/cheese & crackers & bottles of water in our cabin. We were offered wine, but were too tired to partake. David opted for the top bunk (which folded down from the wall) & Katie & I shared the bottom bunk (seats folded flat). We settled in for the night & the attendant promised to wake us up prior to arrival in Cleveland. It was certainly an adventure!<br />
<b><u>Feb 21</u></b><br />
We arrived in Cleveland & spent a few minutes stretching after we exited the train. We took a local taxi (with a very exuberant local taxi driver) to the airport car rental area to pick up our rental car. Once we had our rental car we stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast (using a gift card that we had). We planned to go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH as it opened at 9 a.m.<br />
<img height="304" src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608001063879051720&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0" width="320" /><br />
Upon arrival we saw the front of the Hall of Fame swarming with SWAT officers (including K-9s). We wondered what we were seeing, but found out that it was only a photo shoot. Phew! The Football Hall of Fame is more than you'd expect & we spent several hours there. Even seeing the busts of the inductees along with the Super Bowl rings is something you don't want to miss. Note - there is a discount if you buy the tickets for the Football Hall of Fame & Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a combined ticket. <br />
We checked into our hotel (which I won't mention by name since we moved out after 1 night). We took Katie to Outback Steakhouse & the food was delicious.<br />
<b><u>Feb 22</u></b><br />
Day 2 in Ohio & we were headed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We didn't really know what to expect.<br />
<img height="202" src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608044065081986299&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0" width="320" /><br />
I would say that anyone that enjoys music or history should make a trip to the Hall of Fame. It wasn't that interesting to Katie, but David & I thought that the artifacts were amazing & they move people through the museum very well. We sat & watched videos of American Bandstand & reminisced. <br />
We moved to the Crowne Plaza Hotel & wanted to pick up some food for the long trip tomorrow. On our way to the grocery store we saw a Big Boy Restaurant. Katie had never been (or heard of) a Big Boy Restaurant so we took her to a part of our childhoods. The food was mediocre, but it was fun to see the chubby guy with plaid overalls.<br />
<img height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Bob%27s_big_boy_statue_burbank_2013.jpg" width="240" /><br />
Dropped off the car & worked on getting some sleep before a long day tomorrow.<br />
<b><u>Feb 23</u></b><br />
5:30 a.m. departure from Cleveland, OH on Amtrak 448 to Springfield, MA. It was the Lake Shore Limited & we settled in for a long day. It was a wonderful trip & I think anyone would benefit from seeing the US in this way.<br />
<br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160724566385774288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2177401379694244521.post-15633903013976024062013-07-26T12:35:00.001-07:002013-07-26T12:35:46.555-07:00Sugar n Spice Cookies - for friendsWe're getting together with friends (Mary & Mike) tonight to share our recent travel stories. They were in Scotland & we were .... you know where we were.<br />
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We love to get together to eat & laugh & eat some more. Today I made Sugar 'n Spice Cookies from a recipe book that belonged to Mike's Mom. The title of the book is <u>Betty Crocker's Cooky Book</u> copyright 1963. It's a spiral bound cookbook & here's a photo of the cookies followed by the recipe ~<br />
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They smelled amazing while they were cooking & David declared his sample "good ones".<br />
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<u>Sugar 'n Spice Cookies</u></div>
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3/4 c. shortening</div>
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1 c. granulated sugar</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1/4 c. molasses</div>
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2 c. flour</div>
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2 t. baking soda</div>
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1/4 t. salt</div>
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1 t. cinnamon</div>
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3/4 t. ground cloves</div>
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3/4 t. ginger</div>
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confectioner's sugar</div>
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Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix in shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses thoroughly. Measure flour into bowl. Add dry ingredients (except xxxx sugar) to flour & stir. Stir into shortening mixture. Form in 1" balls [I used small scoop] and place 2" apart on greased baking sheet. Bake 10 - 12 minutes. Roll in confectioner's sugar while still warm. Makes 4 dozen 2" cookies.</div>
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When we get together to share stories we like to eat appetizer-type food [& prefer to go out on the boat, but tonight looks like it might get rained-out]. To go with the cookies we'll have tortellini pasta salad, cheese & crackers, cornbread with sausage, salsa/cream cheese roll-ups, fresh fruit & cookies. I've made a double-batch of the Barefoot Contessa's Iced Tea & we'll have coffee with dessert. </div>
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What do you have when you get together with friends?</div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160724566385774288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2177401379694244521.post-85489632810412986832013-07-18T13:55:00.001-07:002013-07-19T05:14:30.764-07:00Summer 2013 Travel Review - 5 West/Northwest StatesThis trip involved 2 cross country flights (coming & going) and over 4100 miles of driving after arriving in California. I will not include the names of any hotels/restaurants that I wouldn't recommend. If the name is here - we found it to be fine for our purposes. Of note - we brought our AAA maps & I highlighted the route as we went along. It will make it easier to pass along details if asked.<br />
<ul>
<li>July 3, 2013</li>
</ul>
<br />
Leave car at Pre-Flight Parking in Chelsea, MA. Printed out 15% discount coupon online & they have a loyalty program.<br />
7:42 p.m. - Fly from Boston to Oakland, CA on JetBlue (direct flight & 1 bag allowance per person). Flight was delayed due to plane coming from Tampa through thunderstorms. The first of the daily Five Crowns game was held in at the gate seating area.<br />
Car rental from Thrifty (best price via AAA)<br />
Stay at Holiday Inn hotel in Oakland (via Hotels.com). We had a little trouble finding this hotel since there are 2 right near the airport, but the location was perfect after a long flight & the staff was very welcoming at 1:00 a.m.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>July 4, 2013</li>
</ul>
Breakfast at IHOP<br />
Stop for groceries, etc before beginning the long drive.<br />
Drive north on Route 101 to see the Avenue of the Giants & Redwood State Park. A tiring day due to flying last night, but full of beautiful sights & we avoided the heat wave that was being experienced. The Redwoods were just as impressive as we expected.<br />
Arrive at hotel in Crescent City, CA<br />
Dinner at a local restaurant that I wouldn't recommend (David's fried chicken arrived frozen on the inside)<br />
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<ul>
<li>July 5, 2013</li>
</ul>
Breakfast at hotel<br />
After talking to people at Logan International Airport & looking at the map we decided to extend our day by a detour to Crater Lake National Park. It's the only National Park in Oregon & was worth every extra mile that we drove. Not to be missed!<br />
Lunch at Dairy Queen ($5 lunch special was one of the best deals of the trip)<br />
Arrive at Super 8 hotel in Kelso, WA (via Hotels.com)<br />
Swimming in the hotel pool.<br />
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<ul>
<li>July 6, 2013</li>
</ul>
Breakfast at hotel. The Puyallup Little League team was in town for a tournament. A fun group of young boys.<br />
Drive to Seattle up I-5<br />
First stop - Pike's Place Market. We found on-street parking & enjoyed the Market. We picked up 1/2 flat of raspberries, blueberries & marion berries for the ride.<br />
We stopped at a gelato shop near Pikes Place Market for salted caramel, chocolate coconut & raspberry gelatos. YUM!<br />
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We drove through the City to the Space Needle & found on-street parking. The wait to go up in the Space Needle was a couple of hours. We decided to pass on the long wait & add to our afternoon itinerary. <br />
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We stopped in Enumclaw, MI for additional information re: Mt. Rainier. The gentleman in the Visitor Center was both helpful & entertaining. He recommended that we take the gondola ride to get a view of Mt. Rainier. Off we went & it was a very calm ride up (in an enclosed gondola car) & some photos of a partially hidden mountain due to the clouds.<br />
We stopped for an early dinner/late lunch at The Wood Shed restaurant in Naches, WA. We had pizza (very good) along with a reuben (delicious).<br />
We spent the night at the Days Inn in Ellensburg, WA (via Hotels.com)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>July 7, 2013 </li>
</ul>
We headed out with plans to stop at Willow Springs Station Restaurant in Cheney, WA as I had a certificate from Restaurant.com. Our breakfast was very good & we were full for the day. We picked up I-90 to continue across Washington State headed for Montana.<br />
We cut across Idaho & soon after crossing the Montana border stopped to get David's fishing license. While he was filling up the car with gas we went to the store nearby for 3 huckleberry shakes. Huckleberries look like blueberries & they were in season in Montana. You see Huck signs everywhere.<br />
We continued along I-90 for Columbia Falls, MT. After checking in at the Meadow Lake Resort (highly recommend a stay here. It was part of our RCI timeshare pool) we began exploring the area.<br />
Dinner was at the Nite Owl Restaurant on Route 2 in Columbia Falls. We selected it based on the number of cars parked out front. We had a delicious dinner & found out later that the 2nd restaurant at that location (The Back Door) has very good BBQ.<br />
I loved this greenhouse advertisement along Route 2 in Columbia Falls.<br />
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<ul>
<li>July 8, 2013</li>
</ul>
After breakfast in our condo we drove the 15 minutes to the Glacier National Park entrance. We paid the $25 fee for a 7 day pass & began the drive on the Going to the Sun Road. We stopped for an easy walk at Walk of the Cedars to have our first "inside" experience in the park.<br />
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After lots of photo stops we made it to the end & had lunch at the Park Café. It had been recommended on many sites & was worth the accolades. We took side roads back to the condo & cooked dinner on the grill. After a swim in the pool we were ready for sleep.<br />
Here's St. Mary's Lake -<br />
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<ul>
<li>July 9, 2013</li>
</ul>
We had breakfast in & then we were off to explore another part of the Park. We had received recommendations from the concierge at the Resort to try & have pastries at the Polebridge Mercantile on the way to Bowman Lake.<br />
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We enjoyed blueberry bear claws & sticky buns. They were fabulous & we even had a hula hoop lesson while sitting at the picnic tables outside. Bowman Lake had a mirror-like surface with a few people swimming, dozing next to it & hiking along the trails. On our way back we saw a magnificent golden eagle. Here's a sunrise photo looking over Lake McDonald.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>July 10, 2013</li>
</ul>
We planned for an all day river rafting trip down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. We'd looked at options & chose Glacier Guides for our guide service. Our guide (Elena) was excellent & there were 9 of us in the large raft. We had a leisure float in the morning (learning some basic skills) & a delicious lunch on a river bank. During the afternoon we were ready for the Class II & Class III rapids. We bounced through Jaws, Bonecrusher & Could Be Trouble with laughter all around as our front men (both retirees from Michigan) found themselves trying to paddle air several times as they were soaked. It was the hottest day of our trip & perfect for being splashed by the river.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>July 11, 2013</li>
</ul>
I love train stations & wanted to see the Whitefish, MT depot as our son had stopped their when he took the Empire Builder from Portland to Chicago (completing his train travel across the country. [He'd been on the Lake Shore Limited from Springfield, MA to Chicago as a boy]). The station at Whitefish didn't disappoint. It is a beautiful tudor-style station (still in use). Most stations out west are rustic style, so this was a treat. They have a small museum with a volunteer (Charlie) full of interesting information.<br />
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Frozen yogurt at the Red Caboose in Whitefish was a yummy treat (sold by weight).</div>
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We had a mediocre lunch (won't name the sandwich shop) & took a little break in the afternoon.</div>
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For dinner we headed to Polson, MT for dinner at The Nook (which I'd found on Restaurant.com). This was a little tricky to find as the restaurant is inside of the Best Western. It's a beautiful location on the edge of Flathead Lake. They had live entertainment so we had a concert & dinner.</div>
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July 12, 2013</div>
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We were ready for another day in this lovely location, but were still looking for a fishing spot. We took a look at the Glacier National map & headed out. We had planned to drive to Canada, but saw Bear Creek on the way & decided to stop. 4 sweet cutthroat trout were caught. They are beautiful fish & it made bringing the fishing poles worth giving up 1 piece of luggage. We decided to stop at The Park Cafe' again since we didn't have room for pie the first time. It was just the right choice.</div>
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We headed back along the Going to the Sun Road</div>
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& stopped for a lengthy hike & we were rewarded with beautiful vista views after internal waterfalls. </div>
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It was tiring, but definitely worth it.</div>
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July 13, 2013</div>
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We checked out of our condo a day early in order to head back to Oakland. We had a long day of driving through Montana & down to Idaho on our way to Pocatello. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Ameri-Tel Inn in Pocatello (via Hotels.com). The front desk woman was helpful & gave us 10% discount cards for the Texas Roadhouse. Off we went for an early dinner & then another game of Five Crowns before bed.</div>
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July 14, 2013</div>
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We enjoyed our best hotel breakfast of the trip at the Ameri-Tel Inn & we were on our way to Nevada. We'd added 2 additional stops to this drive. We wanted to stop at Craters of the Moon Park. This volcanic landscape was such a contrast to the lush green of Glacier National. After this park we continued along with plans to stop in Twins Falls, NV to see the "Niagara of the West". We had a little trouble finding it, but then found a reference to Shoshone Falls & we were on our way. The Falls were a little low on water, but the park is quite nice with good illustrated information kiosks. It was a welcome stop during a long day of driving.</div>
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We arrived in Elko, NV. This stop was chosen due to its location to the highway in order to continue on to California. There's not much to recommend Elko, but we did have a delicious Basque-style dinner at the Toki Ana restaurant. The desk clerk had recommended 2 other restaurants but they were closed due to it being Sunday. Our dinner was family-style & included: chicken/rice soup, salad with ana dressing [salad consisted of lettuce with dressing], our entrée (pork & lamb chops) along with ana potatoes (similar to scalloped potatoes), rice, spaghetti and frozen green beans. We didn't have room for dessert.</div>
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July 15, 2013</div>
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We had a long day ahead of us & started out early from Nevada. We couldn't find a breakfast stop & ended up at McDonald's. We try to eat at local restaurants, but there weren't any along the way. We were on our way to Placerville, CA (formerly known as Hangtown).</div>
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We added another side trip to Lake Tahoe since we had the time & hadn't been there. It's just as beautiful as we expected. There were tons of houses for sale. </div>
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As we entered Placerville we were hungry & decided to stop for soup & salad at the Buttercup Pantry restaurant. It was just what we needed after a long day in the car. We checked into the Historic Cary House Hotel (via Hotels.com). The desk clerk (Josh) was helpful & after a little hiccup re: the room we'd booked we upgraded to 2-room accomodations. The hotel is historic & lots of interesting people had stayed there (Mark Twain, Ulysses Grant, etc) The town of Placerville closes early & most shops close at 5 p.m. or aren't open on Mondays. We wandered up Main Street & stopped in at the Painted Owl. If I lived in this town I would be buying their items or taking their classes. We were still full from our late lunch so opted to have ice cream (dinssert) at Mel's Diner. We ate at the counter & enjoyed every bite.</div>
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July 16, 2013</div>
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We had breakfast at the hotel (it was the most disappointing hotel breakfast we'd had). We were on our way to San Francisco for the day. We wanted to have enough time to wander around Fisherman's Wharf. The weather (unexpectedly) was very nice. We had lunch at Lou's Fish House. We followed the 49 Mile driving tour & went over the Golden Gate Bridge. After returning I navigated our way to Lombard Street so that we could say that we'd driven down the crookedest street. It was a little scary (no desire to recreate the Streets of San Francisco show), but we were glad that we'd done it. We had enjoyed a delicious meal in Little Italy when we were last in San Francisco, but I didn't bring the name of the restaurant with me. We turned a corner onto Columbus Street & found Piazza Pellegrini. It was an authentic Italian meal & we could almost close our eyes and be back in Rome. </div>
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At 11:59 p.m. we boarded our JetBlue flight back to Boston.</div>
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What a trip ~ </div>
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It was worth every minute of driving and even the red-eye back to the East Coast.</div>
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<br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160724566385774288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2177401379694244521.post-3732849848346866732013-07-17T11:03:00.000-07:002013-07-26T05:58:24.212-07:00Basics of Travel - our wayWe travel more than most people & it seemed like a good idea to start keeping a record in one place. I thought that the best place to start is with how we start planning for a trip, what sites we use, what elements we include with every trip & anything else I can think of.<br />
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Up to 1 year before we travel we start planning. Here are some of the steps we take ~><br />
<ol>
<li><strong><em>Determine where we want to go</em></strong> (either because we've found a good price on a flight, need to use timeshare points, want to check off another destination on our list, or because we're attending a meeting). </li>
<li><strong><em>Determine dates of travel</em></strong> (using as broad of a time period as possible & keep in mind what time off I'll have accrued at work)</li>
<li><strong><em>Set up flight alerts</em></strong> using <a href="http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/">http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/</a> and using multiple departure cities (typically Hartford, Boston & Providence). We also expand for multiple arrival cities (since we don't mind driving). Having a range of dates and airports is helpful. Note that SouthWest Airlines has to be checked separately. We've found that the best fares are usually 42 - 90 days before the date of departure & Tuesdays/Wednesdays are our preferred travel days (both in terms of cost & returning with a few days before having to return to work). Additionally, we really don't want to pay for luggage so that does factor into what airline we use. </li>
<li><strong><em>Begin building itinerary</em></strong>. I actually create a table in Word that I put the dates of our vacation & then start filling in the details as soon as I have them [including any confirmation numbers that I receive, complete addresses, local telephone numbers]. This itinerary sits in the very front of either a binder with page protector sleeves or a large envelope [depending on trip]. It stays in my bag throughout our entire trip. I sometimes add notes if we take a detour or do something different.</li>
<li><strong><em>Check rates for rental cars</em></strong>. Recently we've been utilizing <a href="http://www.pioneervalley.aaa.com/pv/home/index.php">http://www.pioneervalley.aaa.com/pv/home/index.php</a> as we're AAA members & their rental car rates have been the best. We have a credit card that covers the insurance for rental cars so we always pass on the extra insurance.</li>
<li><strong><em>Determine route</em></strong>. This is a little complicated as we often have 2 laptops working at the same time. We use <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/">http://www.mapquest.com/</a> & move the route according to what we want to see/where we want to go. We do print out the route & we bring our GPS, but I also ALWAYS bring AAA maps and/or an atlas if we're out of the country. If (for any reason) the GPS doesn't have a signal (or the phone doesn't have a signal), or we want to expand our trip (since we often get an early start) I bring physical maps. I bring highlighters & have been charting our trips the past couple of times. It's fun to look back. If I'm looking for ideas on what to see I've used <a href="http://www.fodors.com/community/">http://www.fodors.com/community/</a>.</li>
<li>Work on <strong><em>where we're going to stay</em></strong>. I like to know that there's a bed waiting for me every night. We are part of a timeshare group that allows us to stay in resorts that are part of the participating network. Sometimes there isn't availability or a resort where we want to go. We've used <a href="http://www.hotels.com/">http://www.hotels.com/</a> since after 10 days we earn a free stay. Additionally, I've found deals via social media (Groupon.com, Livingsocial.com, etc). I always check the online reviews of hotels and restaurants via <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/">http://www.tripadvisor.com/</a> & it's a good idea to call the hotel directly to see if they'll match the rate or if there are specific questions re: the room. Always read the fine print. Our grown children have used <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/">https://www.airbnb.com/</a> in both the U.S. and in Europe with great success, but we haven't tried it yet.</li>
<li>Once we have an idea of where we're going & where we're staying I look into <strong><em>what we're going to eat</em></strong>. I have utilized <a href="http://www.restaurant.com/?sitetype=mainsite">http://www.restaurant.com/?sitetype=mainsite</a>. You can often find coupon codes for Restaurant.com. Again - I check <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/">http://www.tripadvisor.com/</a> as well as one of my favorite sites <a href="http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurants/">http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurants/</a>. Roadfood.com is a great place to get advice on "where to eat". If we're staying in a timeshare condo we always make a stop as soon as we arrive in town at the local grocery store (we try to support local stores vs large chains). We get a member card at the courtesy booth in order to get the sale prices. In order to save on our food costs we usually eat 1 meal out & 1 meal in (either breakfast included in our hotel or cooked if we're staying somewhere with cooking facilities). We'll have a late lunch & then either have dessert in or something light later in the day. Our family likes to graze so we usually have the following in our car (stopping at a grocery store when we pick up our rental car is an early stop): bottled water [we bring a collapsible 6-pack style cooler that folds flat], packets of CountryTime lemonade [I can't drink anything with artificial sweeteners), mixed nuts, peanut butter & crackers, tortilla chips & salsa [our "go to" condiment], dried fruit [we picked up dried apples from a local vendor on this trip] & any fresh fruit from local farm stands. </li>
<li>Determine <strong><em>where we're going to leave our car</em></strong>. We have used Park n Fly options when we've taken an early a.m. flight from Boston. This has been a good solution for us as we're in the city ahead of time & the rate to leave our car at the hotel & take the hotel shuttle to Logan is cost effective. If breakfast is included - even better. If we are taking a later flight we have been leaving our car at Pre-Flight. <a href="https://www.preflightairportparking.com/reservation/bos/boston-logan-international/airport-parking/7">https://www.preflightairportparking.com/reservation/bos/boston-logan-international/airport-parking/7</a>. They have a frequent flier program that earns 1 free day of car parking [on a future stay] for every 4 days. Additionally - they have a 15% off discount coupon online. When we go out of Bradley we use Z Airport Parking. <a href="http://www.zairportparking.com/">http://www.zairportparking.com/</a>. Their rates are very good & they have our car started & waiting for us when we return. We haven't travelled out of TF Green Airport in a while, but I think we've just looked online for a good price.</li>
<li>Here are some <strong><em>additional things</em></strong> that I wanted to include. </li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>Take the time to find the best credit card for your use. We have a card that doesn't charge a fee for foreign transactions (important when we're out of the U.S.). Additionally, this card earns points which can be used for gift cards (which we've used for gas cards & restaurants) or cash back (which we use to pay for some of the travel costs). </li>
<li>Note that Cracker Barrel restaurants have a program where you can pick up an audio book at one restaurant & return at another. The fee wasn't much (less than $5) & can make a long trip very interesting. Alternately - borrow some from the library or download onto a reader/iPad.</li>
<li>It's fun to prepare a travel playlist. Either burn onto a CD or create for the iPod & bring the adapter for the car. </li>
<li>Travel books - my favorites are the DK Eyewitness series, but there are some other good ones. Make photocopies of applicable pages if you don't want to bring the entire book.</li>
<li>I save up magazines that I subscribe to for a few weeks before we travel. They're a treat when I don't have time to sit & read quietly.</li>
<li>Coordinate clothing around 3 colors (this trip was teal, white & khaki). We do check the weather for where we're going & if it's more than 1 week I do laundry. My goal is to travel with 1 carry-on per person & 1 piece of checked luggage. I don't want more than I can carry if I have to go up stairs. We always pack a complete change of clothes in our carry-on in case the luggage goes somewhere else. Try to not over-pack. You want room for purchases.</li>
<li>Bring a deck of cards & a card game. Our favorite card game (right now) is Five Crowns. It's a good way to pass the time at the airport.</li>
<li>Carry the travel documents (including the itinerary) in a large Ziploc bag. </li>
<li>Check with the hotel at check-in re: any discounts they have for local attractions/restaurants.</li>
<li>Pick up business cards from places as you go along. It's easy to forget the names of good restaurants/vendors & you might want to go back (or recommend them to a friend). </li>
<li>I've seen the idea of sending yourself postcards as you travel. It seems like a good idea, but we haven't done it yet. We recently saw someone in Glacier National Park stamping her postcards with the date/location stamp that can be found in the Visitor Centers. </li>
<li>Bring your own shopping bag (folded up in your luggage). I can almost guarantee that you'll use it.</li>
<li>Bring an empty water bottle and/or a travel mug for coffee. </li>
<li>From one of my closest friends (Mary C) - Start each day by asking each other, "what is the one thing that you'd like to see/do today". If everyone has a chance to weigh in on what's going to happen there's less chance of disappointment. This simple idea has changed the way we travel.</li>
<li>Look at purchasing an Entertainment book if you're going to be staying in 1 area for a length of time. <a href="http://www.entertainment.com/discount/local_editions.shtml">http://www.entertainment.com/discount/local_editions.shtml</a></li>
</ul>
I'll add to this as I think of things, but this is a good start. I'd love to hear comments/suggestions.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Add 7/26/13: I bring along space saver bags that you can squeeze the air out of (not the kind that require a vacuum) to bring back dirty clothes (or even clean clothes) so that I have room for more purchases. It's amazing how much room you can save.</li>
<li>Sign up for TravelZoo for weekly deals. We've traveled using their specials to Europe & you can find some great savings, but you have to act quickly.</li>
</ul>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160724566385774288noreply@blogger.com0