What's your favorite cheap/geeky vacation?
Photo by Sharat GanapatiBlogging Away Debt talked about the cheap vacation she and her husband plan on. (I'd never even considered beach camping, which is kind of sad, given that I've been to New Jersey a lot. The Jersey shore used to be infamous for people staying under the boardwalk, hence the song.)
She urged people to talk about their favorite in-state location to get away cheaply. And it got me thinking...
Well, not about Washington. I'm a tad embarrassed to say that I've seen very little of the state. It's kind of understandable, I suppose, since I've only had regular access to a car in the last 5 of my 13 years here. The point is, I mainly have secondhand knowledge of cool places in this state.
I've heard wonderful things about Ocean Shores. I was never terribly interested in going there, mind you. And Tim can't really enjoy the whole beach since salt water + open skin = very unhappy Tim. Still, I had a friend who loved to go there.
I've also heard tell that we have a friggin' rain forest in this state. That kind of interests me, but not enough to gather up the energy to go. It makes me kind of sad that I'm this apathetic about the state. Maybe it isn't such a bad idea to move...
I will say that I've been to Snoqualmie Falls, mainly thanks to an enthusiastic friend who asked me to tag along. It was very pretty, very awe-inspiring. And it is a relatively easy day trip for most people. We admired the sheer enormity of the water rushing down. We didn't do any of the trails because none of us felt up to it, but the basic sight of the waterfall was well-worth the trip. And we went to the cafe from Twin Peaks. On their menu it even says it's the home of "damn fine cherry pie." I chose apple and it was quite tasty, too.
At any rate, all this vacation talk made me remember what a great time Tim and I had on our honeymoon. I'm not sure I've actually discussed how we spent ours. We went down to Florida and went to a bunch of entertainment parks.
I think I'll actually make a separate post about our honeymoon, since we took in a lot of rides and such. But, suffice to say, it was great. Nothing like some roller coasters to really relieve the stress of a wedding!
In that vein, I wrote on Blogging Away Debt's page that my ideal in-state trip would be to Spokane, Washington. But really that's because just over the border in Idaho there's apparently a very fun amusement/water park. I'm a sucker for water parks especially. The hotels in Spokane are very cheap, so it makes up for a slightly longer drive to the park than staying right nearby.
I told Tim that one day we have to go to West Edmonton Mall in Canada. It houses the world's largest indoor amusement park and a five-acre water park. (!!!) Is it sad that that is one of my dream vacations?
Don't get me wrong, I want to take Tim to DC sometime, where there is a ton to see and do -- a lot of it for free. The zoo, the memorials, etc. Plus there's the spy museum and a bunch of other interesting spots.
And Tim definitely needs to go to New York at some point. He's never been. But that's going to be a pricey getaway, given hotel costs there. As for entertainment, there's plenty to see just walking around, plus you can save money with last-minute rush tickets. Still, the price of hotels (to get anything without a shared bath, you're looking at $100+ a night, probably closer to $150) is going to kill any budget.
So, when it comes to domestic, affordable travel, my sites are set a little low, I suppose. But there is something triumphant about having a great time and spending little to no money.
Do any of you have geeky and/or frugal travel ideas?
She urged people to talk about their favorite in-state location to get away cheaply. And it got me thinking...
Well, not about Washington. I'm a tad embarrassed to say that I've seen very little of the state. It's kind of understandable, I suppose, since I've only had regular access to a car in the last 5 of my 13 years here. The point is, I mainly have secondhand knowledge of cool places in this state.
I've heard wonderful things about Ocean Shores. I was never terribly interested in going there, mind you. And Tim can't really enjoy the whole beach since salt water + open skin = very unhappy Tim. Still, I had a friend who loved to go there.
I've also heard tell that we have a friggin' rain forest in this state. That kind of interests me, but not enough to gather up the energy to go. It makes me kind of sad that I'm this apathetic about the state. Maybe it isn't such a bad idea to move...
I will say that I've been to Snoqualmie Falls, mainly thanks to an enthusiastic friend who asked me to tag along. It was very pretty, very awe-inspiring. And it is a relatively easy day trip for most people. We admired the sheer enormity of the water rushing down. We didn't do any of the trails because none of us felt up to it, but the basic sight of the waterfall was well-worth the trip. And we went to the cafe from Twin Peaks. On their menu it even says it's the home of "damn fine cherry pie." I chose apple and it was quite tasty, too.
At any rate, all this vacation talk made me remember what a great time Tim and I had on our honeymoon. I'm not sure I've actually discussed how we spent ours. We went down to Florida and went to a bunch of entertainment parks.
I think I'll actually make a separate post about our honeymoon, since we took in a lot of rides and such. But, suffice to say, it was great. Nothing like some roller coasters to really relieve the stress of a wedding!
In that vein, I wrote on Blogging Away Debt's page that my ideal in-state trip would be to Spokane, Washington. But really that's because just over the border in Idaho there's apparently a very fun amusement/water park. I'm a sucker for water parks especially. The hotels in Spokane are very cheap, so it makes up for a slightly longer drive to the park than staying right nearby.
I told Tim that one day we have to go to West Edmonton Mall in Canada. It houses the world's largest indoor amusement park and a five-acre water park. (!!!) Is it sad that that is one of my dream vacations?
Don't get me wrong, I want to take Tim to DC sometime, where there is a ton to see and do -- a lot of it for free. The zoo, the memorials, etc. Plus there's the spy museum and a bunch of other interesting spots.
And Tim definitely needs to go to New York at some point. He's never been. But that's going to be a pricey getaway, given hotel costs there. As for entertainment, there's plenty to see just walking around, plus you can save money with last-minute rush tickets. Still, the price of hotels (to get anything without a shared bath, you're looking at $100+ a night, probably closer to $150) is going to kill any budget.
So, when it comes to domestic, affordable travel, my sites are set a little low, I suppose. But there is something triumphant about having a great time and spending little to no money.
Do any of you have geeky and/or frugal travel ideas?
posted by Abigail at
1:34 PM
8 Comments:
Oh yes ma'am I have geeky vacations! San Diego Comic Con! I used to scrape up the CC rewards for gas cards which you can't get anymore, I don't think, and stay with a friend's parents. That took care of travel and lodgings. Then I'd volunteer for 4 hours a day, preferably in the am, so that I could get free admission for the rest of the day. I only bought some food, packed lunches mainly, and a few gifts for people. I could spend a good 4-5 days that way, spending very little, and having a total blast. But you know, it's Mecca and all that. :)
July 12, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Oh, and of course it only happens once a year, so that is a limiting factor. But I could usually manage to make it to one other con a year with the same basic principles.
July 12, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Revanche,
There's an annual comic con here every May.Just sayin'...
Also, my uncle does a lot of these comic cons. I don't know if he'll be at San Diego. I think he mainly sticks closer to the East Coast (other than Seattle, where he has family to stay with) but when you're there do see if he's around. His website is www.gwfisher.com.
He also did some AMAZING work for Yellowman. They got some tattoo artists to give the okay, so he did at least a couple of the shirts. They look like full-body tattoos. Alas, they're also prohbitively expensive or I'd get some for Tim. ($225, gulp!) But drool-worthy nonetheless.
July 12, 2009 at 2:20 PM
DC is totally awesome. My husband (boyfriend at the time) and I took a vacation up to DC for a weekend, besides the metro shutting down (which it rarely does) it was an easy and phenomenal trip. The spy museum ROCKS!
It's a great and easy trip for us since we only live 2 hours south of there.
Maybe we should do that for Labor Day weekend?
My favorite trip is camping out in the middle of no where. That is by far the BEST vacation EVER!
July 12, 2009 at 5:31 PM
SF/Fantasy Cons wherever. The cost of airfare can be significant (although you can usually book far enough ahead to get some decent discounts) but you share a room with 3-5 other people (yes, often folks you've only met "online") and can usually eat for cheap. I go to a local grocery store and buy stuff, other folks tend to do fast food or Denny's or order in pizza.
Just don't go crazy at the auction or in the dealers' room!
For really cheap vacations I usually go to visit friends in Seattle (!) or go to the Okanagan. Even when we had to stay in a motel it was pretty cheap and you can get one with a kitchenette so you don't have to go out to eat.
And I meant to ask you about your Okanogan (yeah, 2 different spellings folks). Since this area is the northern tip of the Sonoma desert and gets very hot and dry (with about 300 days of sun per year) might it work for Tim and his skin? It would be cheaper to move there than to Arizona and you'd be closer to your family.
July 12, 2009 at 7:04 PM
bloginreview,
I'm jealous that you live so close to DC! I think that's the main feature of the East Coast that blows my mind: A couple of hours' drive and you're in a completely different state. I can do that with Portland, OR but otherwise...
Shevy,
Sadly, I've never heard of Okanagan. Tim's heard of it but never really been there. Still, I'm going to go do some comparisons between the area and Arizona for relative humidity. That's what really bothers Tim's skin. So if nothing else, it might be a far cheaper way to test how desert conditions affect his skin. I'll keep you posted!
July 12, 2009 at 7:55 PM
Abby the Okanagan/Okanogan is an arid region in the interior of both BC and Washington that is, as I said the northern tip of the Sonoma desert.
Temperatures are regularly in the 90s during the summer, with very little humidity. Natural vegetation tends towards sagebrush and pine trees. Most of the towns on the US side seem to be pretty small, so I don't know what the job situation is like. However, housing is probably fairly cheap. And, as you say, it's probably pretty inexpensive to go there for a trial of 2 or 3 weeks.
July 13, 2009 at 3:41 PM
Interesting!
Everyone loves going to a vacation. It is a good activity or bonding with family and friends. It is very to check on the things you need to bring. Start with the most useful like clothes, toiletries and stuff you need. Select a vacation bag that is comfortable for your belongings and also comfortable for you to bring.
July 13, 2009 at 11:32 PM
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