Anyone got any travel planned?

[simple girl]

We are traveling for about a month over Christmas: business + pleasure + medical. We were able to find a live-in housesitter for free on housecarers.com for our kitty, so that freed us up to do a more extended trip.

It also inspired us to see if we could do a housesit for someone else while we are on the road - we've always thought when we retire how fun it would be to incorporate that into our lifestyle. Well, we just arranged to housesit for a nice couple in Brooklyn over Christmas for 10 days. Looking forward to spending some time with two little doggies (we haven't been able to have dogs with our cats) and also being able to hop a train into Manhattan and explore the city more.

 

[RonBoyd]

onism - n. the awareness of how little of the world you’ll experience

onism - n. the frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at a time, which is like standing in front of the departures screen at an airport, flickering over with strange place names like other people's passwords, each representing one more thing you'll never get to see before you die-and all because, as the arrow on the map helpfully points out, you are here.

Or, instead of the above Link... go straight to the YouTube video:

 

[travelover]

I'm traveling to the Wet Coast for Christmas and decided to re-price my rental car. The price has come down $90 from my summer booking. Easy money!

 

[Lsbcal]

I'm traveling to the Wet Coast for Christmas and decided to re-price my rental car. The price has come down $90 from my summer booking. Easy money!

You'll need a boat not a car.

 

[Meadbh]

I am currently in the Puerto Vallarta area enjoying the sunshine and sea breezes and looking forward to Christmas Eve dinner on the beach.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

I am currently in the Puerto Vallarta area enjoying the sunshine and sea breezes and looking forward to Christmas Eve dinner on the beach.

Very nice, Meadbh!

 

[Nemo2]

I am currently in the Puerto Vallarta area enjoying the sunshine and sea breezes and looking forward to Christmas Eve dinner on the beach.

Merry Christmas to you...still think it's a pity we didn't get to see you in Budapest.

 

[simple girl]

We are traveling for about a month over Christmas: business + pleasure + medical. We were able to find a live-in housesitter for free on housecarers.com for our kitty, so that freed us up to do a more extended trip.

It also inspired us to see if we could do a housesit for someone else while we are on the road - we've always thought when we retire how fun it would be to incorporate that into our lifestyle. Well, we just arranged to housesit for a nice couple in Brooklyn over Christmas for 10 days. Looking forward to spending some time with two little doggies (we haven't been able to have dogs with our cats) and also being able to hop a train into Manhattan and explore the city more.

I was asked to post an update on how our experience with this went. Well, we aren't finished yet, but are about half-way through our housesitting in Brooklyn. Far enough into it to say we LOVE this experience!!!

We met with the owners the night before they left and did an "orientation" dog walk, etc. They had all the info about their place and the dogs written up for us. Gave us the key and off they went to stay with family (their one bedroom apartment wasn't big enough for them to stay with us) before flying out the next morning.

We have been sending them pics of the dogs every few days via email. The little schnauser pulls alot when walking and we had to do a bit a training to get him to be under better control (he also barks alot at other dogs), but he is little so is easy to manage. They are just AWESOME, loving dogs! So enjoying them.

We also went into Manhattan via train to enjoy Rockefeller Center for Christmas. We are loving this very walkable neighborhood in Brooklyn - very safe and great restaurants and shopping. Beautiful brownstone homes. I did research the area and google earth it before agreeing to the housesit.

Our petsitter with our cat is doing great and also sends us regular pics. We had her come a day early and say in our guest bedroom. She was so cool to meet and talk to. She has been doing this full-time - going from housesit to housesit throughout the US and also has done a few international sits. She does have a travel trailer in Canada on a lake where she goes home every summer. She will continue to sit for us a few weeks after our housesit while we travel a bit longer for medical and work assignments.

We definitely see ourselves doing this much more when DH is eventually able to semi-retire. Can't wait!

 

[Bamaman]

February 9th-12th it's New York New York Hotel in Las Vegas. We're flying into Honolulu and staying a week in a B&B at Kailua on Oahu. Then we're flying into San Francisco for 5 days before flying home.

I booked all flights individually on Southwest, Allegiant and Hawaiian AIrlines--budget carriers. I beat the "major" air carriers round trip prices just to Honolulu by $100 each, and we're getting to layover in two great cities/regions.

 

[brett]

Just spent four days over Christmas in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The daytime temperature ranged from -22 to -30C. Looking forward to flying to Bangkok and the warm beaches of Thailand on Tuesday.

 

[aja8888]

Just spent four days over Christmas in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The daytime temperature ranged from -22 to -30C. Looking forward to flying to Bangkok and the warm beaches of Thailand on Tuesday.

I was there a few short years ago and got stuck for a few days. The airport wasn't much to talk about either.

 

[Cassie]

The first picture is my room with a view from the terrace at the Cosmopolitan, the last two are from Wynn Las Vegas. Took birthday trip early in the month.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Good report on the pet sitting, simple girl!

Glad it worked out so well.
We had great luck with folks from those sites in our past travels, but now are fortunate to have a friend living with us full time who took care of everything while we were gone five weeks this summer.

I would love to travel and do pet sitting when we settle down more, I'm so glad you enjoyed your stint with it!


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[seraphim]

Decided to bum around Ocala NF for a few weeks. Left Ohio this morning, and we're parked at Red Top Mountain SP tonight. We'll go through Atlanta tomorrow morning - something we'd normally avoid but figure there won't be a rush hour traffic jam on New Year's Day. We'll see....


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[Bamaman]

You'll be good to come straight through downtown Atlanta on I-75 tomorrow. You'll see that Atlanta's not that large. It's the 50 or more cities around Atlanta that make it so sprawling out.

The Ocala area is very beautiful with all the thoroughbred horse farms in the area.

 

[Chuckanut]

I've decided to take my oldest child to Europe with me. Why wait? The kid is still childless and not getting any younger.

 

[Bamaman]

I've decided to take my oldest child to Europe with me. Why wait? The kid is still childless and not getting any younger.

Go for it on the European trip with your children. My sister and niece backpacked all over Europe, and they still talk of the trip. We took our daughter at 12 years old to Amsterdam, Munich and Vienna, and she just loved Anne Frank's house.

We usually travel there every other year. We had a great trip to Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Prague in April. 2014.

Experiences on great trips provide the best memories--no matter where the trips are to.

 

[simple girl]

We took our daughter at 12 years old to Amsterdam, Munich and Vienna, and she just loved Anne Frank's house.

+1 Loved Amsterdam. Anne Frank's house was very moving. We listened to a book about her diary right before going, and it was really something to see it all come alive before our eyes.

 

[Meadbh]

Apart from a trip to Vancouver Island I have nothing scheduled for 2015 -yet! But this video popped up in my YouTube feed and I must say it looks intriguing.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UskQ9YcoKxY

 

[Bestwifeever]

I've decided to take my oldest child to Europe with me. Why wait? The kid is still childless and not getting any younger.

DH went with DD and DS in their early 20s while boohoo I had to work, and he has great stories (including listening to them outside their small hotel late at night trying to get in after it was locked down for the night). The first few days DH traveled with only DD and it was really special as she had been living on her own for two years in a distant city and they re-bonded.

 

[rodi]

Just booked a cheap ticket (fare sale) to Bellingham for February to visit my BFF and her husband. It's been 2 or 3 years since I've been up there to visit... haven't seen her since we met in Santa Barbara last year.

Started really nailing down dates/apartments/etc for our big Europe trip over the summer - plan is to go for 8.5 weeks (almost the entire summer break for my kids). Also started looking at the housecarers.com in case our planned dog-sitter(s) don't work out. (One is dependent on their very ancient cat no longer being in the picture, the other is dependent on sibling guilt - talking my sister into taking the dog.... )

 

[simple girl]

Just booked a cheap ticket (fare sale) to Bellingham for February to visit my BFF and her husband. It's been 2 or 3 years since I've been up there to visit... haven't seen her since we met in Santa Barbara last year.

Started really nailing down dates/apartments/etc for our big Europe trip over the summer - plan is to go for 8.5 weeks (almost the entire summer break for my kids). Also started looking at the housecarers.com in case our planned dog-sitter(s) don't work out. (One is dependent on their very ancient cat no longer being in the picture, the other is dependent on sibling guilt - talking my sister into taking the dog.... )

If you end up needing someone, I can highly recommend our sitter (if she is available) and can put you in touch.

 

[chris2008]

We just found a great deal to make use of our accumulated miles in May.
So we will be travelling out of Germany to the area between Seattle and SF /Sierra for 3,5 weeks.
Oh, how sweet it is to be ER!

 

[EastWest Gal]

A pretty time to visit the Bay Area. The hills will still be green...we hope. Seattle...well I hope you like rain. Went there in May 2013 for niece's graduation. Never saw Mt. Rainier at all.


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[GreenER]

DW and I and a couple of friends are going on a bike and barge trip to Holland at the end of September. Three days in Amsterdam to finish it off.

This is on our bucket list. Would love to hear how it went for you.