As much as I'd like to rush the rest of Winter, I am not planning to rush spring and summer. Still, we are though thinking October in terms of a 30th anniversary get away. Knowing we really want to do a big trip summer of 2018, and with the new cabin being ready for full maximization this summer, we decided we probably will not do Yellow Stone this year after all, and put the money toward 2018. However, it has been four years since DH and went away without kids, a late 25th anniversary trip. Instead of splurging on a major trip, we've decided we are going to do a Door County, Wisconsin trip. I spent some time early Sunday morning looking at options. So far, there seems to be plenty of rooms, so we do not have to book yet, but generally we are looking at a three night, four day get away, less than five hours from home.
I think it is reasonable that we can do the trip for $800, half of what we would have spent going to Yellow Stone (on the cheap) allowing for a few nice meals out, plus combining some thriftiness of booking a hotel with breakfast included, and a fridge to stock some evening drinks. I think we might be the only couple from Minnesota or Wisconsin that hasn't done a Door County trip, so I'm very excited, despite the relatively close proximity to home. The colors and weather should be gorgeous. We need to decide if we should book over the weekend our daughter is off school, and see if it would work for her to stay with our daughter, who lives on route, or book when she is on school so the dog has a friendly face at home. I'm sure my niece would be happy to stay with her.
I love get aways, but don't feel I need to always travel far far away. Our budget can't sustain both type right now anyway, so compromising is necessary. While we don't travel as much as I would like, in the last 10 years we have experienced a lot, including 2008-2010 when DH was unemployed and underemployed.
2007 Western Caribbean Cruise-whole family
2008 Minnesota North Shore, water park stay combined with college tours
2009 Florida with just the girls (DS was on a spring break with his college friends)
2010 Milwaukee (to see kids, and long weekend at zoo and museums)
2011 Wisconsin Dells (spring) and Summer North Shore trip
2012 Black Hills South Dakota
2013 Eastern Caribbean (DH and me for late 25th)
2014 London, UK trip (DH, DD2, and me-DD1 there for school) with day trips to Cardiff and Paris
2015 Washington DC and Virginia (DH, DD2 and me)
2016 Alaska Cruise (whole family)
This
doesn't include work travel, sports and school overnights, college
graduations and weddings away from home, kids mission trips or other on
their own, camps, or cabin weeks and long weekends. We have been
fortunate, and thinking about this list brings me a lot of smiles and
good memories.
Monday, January 23, 2017
10 comments:
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3 cruises and an overseas European trip are 3 cruises and an overseas European trip more than I have ever done! lol
ReplyDeleteI think you have traveled widely.
Here's my list--
2007 No vacations
2008 Maine road trip(with 3 kids)
2009 No vacations
2010 August Maine road trip(with 1 kid, nephew and BIL)
2011 Oct Ocean City MD trip
2012 June Columbus OH trip, Oct. Ocean City MD trip
2013 August IL road trip(to see sister in-law marry), Oct. Ocean City MD trip
2014 April Louisiana road trip, July Midwest road trip, Oct. Ocean City MD trip
2015 May Louisiana road trip, Oct. IL road trip
2016 May Louisiana road trip(+ business trip), August ME road trip
There were also 3 day trips 2013-2016 to the Family Reunion in VA.
I know travel is not a priority for everyone, nor is everyone able to work it out for time and finances. Perhaps we should be saving more, but I think we make the exchange by having a more modest house, and by having two incomes to contribute to our retirement for a few more years, post children. I like to think we're thrifty travelers, scouting the best deals on accommodations and getting there, and try to take advantage of the free and low cost things to do. London and DC for example, once we were there, if I don't count a couple of the day trips we didn't need to add, were quite reasonable as far as attractions with the loads of free museums and monuments, and we ate a lot of street food and used grocery stores to buy picnic/out and about items for meals instead of pricier restaurants. Restaurants are the killer for travel budgets I find.
DeleteAwesome, I always love the planning part of a trip - now you have something firm to look forward to!
ReplyDeleteAnd plan I will, every detail of what is available for activities, various hotels, side trips on route. I'm all in on planning get aways. I'll create a budget, then challenge myself to complete the trip significantly under the budget. this should give me a little brain exercise to get through these next few months of crap weather.
DeleteFabulous Sam I'm with cheapchick on the planning I love it and spend a lot of time dreaming in my head maybe that's why I don't get much blogging done lol. Nine days before we set off and I've got flu but at least hopefully I'll be fit for when we set off. You have done lots of travelling and staying closer to home is equally as much fun which is what we will probably do next year in order to get over this trip.
ReplyDeleteYou have to get better as I want to travel vicariously through you! I think our little fall get away will include time for walks, time for biking (I think there are some bike rental if we don't want to bring along), but I do not know what might be there or on route, so excited to dive in and figure it out.
DeleteSometimes it's lovely to see all those holidays lined up and to remember the highlights. We have had some fantastic walking holidays less than an hour away from home (which I imagine is a on a similar scale to your five hour limit!!). Jx
ReplyDeleteAs much as I think I don't travel enough, seeing the list gives me a nice shake that we've experienced a good portion of our country, and few other parts of the world. I need to remember to build more local things in as well, so I too am thinking about good day trips.
DeleteThis is awesome. We are trying to decide if we can afford a get away this year or not. With having to get a new vehicle and such we are not sure. This has prompted me to go back and look at what adventures we have taken in the past 10 years or so...I think I might blog about it soon! :)
ReplyDeleteWe probably can't afford too much, but enough to feel like a breather from regular life. As I just commented to Jan, that includes a day trip or two this winter and spring. Maybe just a cooler with lunch, beverages, and snacks, and a tank of gas, and head to a new park on the opposite side of the cities.
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