Getting Started...

Happy 4th of July!!

Every year, my family goes on a pretty big road trip.  In general, people tend to look upon this undertaking with skepticism and wonder.  I have two kids who are 5 and 10, why on Earth would I want to be in a car for days!?!?  How can we afford such a trip?  Then when I start to post photos from our family adventures, I get lots of feedback about how my friends would love to take on such an undertaking but have no idea where to start.  From that, this blog was born.  We aren't special.  We're not wealthy.  Anyone can do what we do.  And I am more than happy to share stories from the road.

One thing I usually do, which I have not done this year (due to a total lack of planning), is check out the Roadside America website.  I am a huge fan of vintage Americana.  I think the idea of the seeing the largest ball of yarn is funny and great.  Did you know you could see the largest pig hair ball in Oregon?  Who would want to see that?  I don't know, but why not?  Yeah, it sounds gross, but it's still funny.  These sorts of landmarks were pretty big attractions when families used to take to the roads to see sights and travel across the country.  I like seeing old architecture, which is considered "retro" now...there is a term for my favorite kind of architecture, it's called "Googie."   It's nice to be reminded of a time when people were creative with their businesses in order to attract more customers.  Fancy colored lights and buildings, interesting, hand-painted signs, crazy-themed hotels and restaurants...these are things you don't see much of now.  Everything today is homogenized and sterile, independent businesses have given way to franchises and big corporations.  Think of the end of the film "Cars" (I know it sounds silly, but bear with me), the main statement is that people have lost sight of the history of travelling in the US.  People want to travel faster.  Highways have taken away all of the individuality of the smaller towns that used to be roadside points of interest.  Flying has eliminated the need for any of this too.  The real tragedy is that there is so much to see and learn in these small towns.

My husband is the head of finances when it comes to planning these trips.  He is very frugal and I am the impulse spender, so it makes sense to have it this way.  One way he maximizes our money is to redeem the reward points from our credit cards for gas cards.  This year, we shouldn't have to pay much money out-of-pocket for gas.  That takes a big weight off.

We have been staying at Choice Hotels for a couple of years now.   They always have some sort of incentive program, like stay two nights and get a night free or you can earn points for free hotel stays or restaurant gift cards.  On top of that we get a discount on the rates because we are AAA members.  No, we don't stay at resorts or fancy places, but our goal is to see and do as much as possible, not waste our vacation in a hotel.  And while the places we stay are inexpensive, they are always clean and are great places to rest our heads for a night.

Speaking of discounts, AAA is a great resource (the link is for AAA South, but you get the idea).  Credit cards are also great resources for discounts.  I know one of them gets you free admission to national parks and a wide variety of museums, just go to the company's website and look into it.  BUT always be sure to check the rates between all of these discount options.  Sometimes you may get a better rate with one than the other and sometimes, an online rate may be a better deal than ANY discount option!  You just have to be willing to do the research.  And don't always take what travel and discount websites claim as gospel.  I have found on many occasions I have gotten better rates via the direct site to the business rather than on any other site that allegedly offers the lowest prices.

I know there is much more to cover, this is only the tip of the iceberg.  But I am currently on our 2012 road trip, so I am going to bid you "adieu" for now, but will most definitely write more soon!  And if you have any travel questions or concerns, feel free to post a comment and I'll be happy to address it to the best of my knowledge.  Thanks!