So we definitely learned some great things as we planned & traveled. This was our first big vacation and we still wanted to do it financially smart. The only rough patches we hit were the hour wait at the border to get back into the US, and our flight delay back to SFO due to weather; thanks, fog city! But other than that, everything went smoothly! Here are some things that helped our trip be such a big success. I should probably preface this by saying our current style of vacating because of where we are in life is more like "backpacking" than "luxury".
1)
Know the laws. I had to do lots of research and asking around because we were doing an international trip. Everyone I talked to told me Ezra needed a passport, but we were only a week out from our trip. (I booked way later than I normally do.) And we all know how loooong the passport process takes. Plus it's at least $60. I didn't really want to pay that amount for an infant. So I went onto the government travel website and found out that we only needed a birth certificate since we were driving into Canada. I drove to CC Records, paid my $20, and walked out with one. (I know! Really bad that he's been on the outside for 6 months & I'm finally getting one!)
2)
Pack light. So how did we do it? Only check one bag for a family of three? Well, W & I are chronic over-packers & the oh-so-variable weather both made it a
real challenge. But I channeled my minimalism by reading
this post off my friend's site. Then we basically both packed two of everything (shorts, ts, pants, shoes, etc.), but had a good supply of undies. And we rolled all our clothes. W pre-weighed the luggage just to ensure we were safe. It also must have helped that we packed a few days in advance, so there was less mindless tossing in of extra clothes. Plus, I packed only just a few of Ezra's supplies then hit a local Target in Seattle for more diapers & wipes. On the way back there was extra room for them because he had eaten through his baby food supply. And we used a pack-n-play that the Arnolds graciously lent us.
3)
All about where you stay. It was truly such a treat visiting with people we love during our vacation. We did that last summer too when we went to
Indiana &
Chicago . The combo really seems to work out great, perhaps its becoming a family tradition. There's just enough time to connect & enjoy each other and we make sure not to out-stay our welcome. "Gotta leave 'em wanting more!" as my mother says. Well, that and she also says, "Like fish, company starts to stink after 3 days." Anyway, with Ezra now, it's really handy to have all the needed resources right where we stay. In Whistler, we stayed at a condo that had a full kitchen and laundry service right in our place. It helped
so much. So having laundry ability + our light packing = perfect amount of clothes. And we really don't like eating out or take-out a lot. This is in part why I love B&Bs so much. A delicious home-cooked breakfast served to you and you don't have to go anywhere...and typically at the same price as a 3-4 star hotel. It also helps to be centrally located. Walking is our favorite form of transportation and it's very cheap.
4)
Food. It can really eat up your money while on holiday. So we like to cut corners a bit. If it's a short trip, we'll pack an ice chest full of snacks, hard-boiled eggs & sandwiches. If we do a B&B also, we only have to worry about dinners. For this trip, we loved the access to a kitchen so we cooked breakfast each morning. On every trip we do one pizza meal. We buy the biggest one & then stretch it out for a few more meals. I
love pizza for bfast (W thinks I'm crazy!) so I enjoy this tradition. Left-overs make yummy meals!
5)
With a babe, bedtime is essential. Since we were out & about all day, we committed to keeping Ezra's bedtime the same. It made the whole traveling process so much easier. And since we had full access to food, entertainment, etc. at home, we didn't mind one bit. It also made our vacation that much more relaxing. I usually like to book us with lots of activities so the evenings are great wind-downs.
6)
Splurge. If not, it may hurt the experience. For Chicago, it was the river tour of the city. This trip was the Peak to Peak ride. I use trip advisor and tour books to get recommended must-do lists then select one or two things that could enhance the trip because usually we'd be just as content to walk around ourselves. This makes sure we do at least one "tourist" thing while we're there & get a "big picture" experience.
So that covers some of the things we use to help us have a great vacation experience without spending too much. We also take advantage of weekdays for flying & staying in hotels. It's definitely harder to cover more ground & activities now than when it was just the two of us. But just like anything else, you adapt & change.
Oh, and we'll probably never fly United again, if we can help it. I'm sure it's fabulous for business and couple travel, but not so with families. They don't do family pre-boarding. They were very unclear about how to check carseat/stroller at the gate, so much so that three of us families were standing there very confused & frustrated. And it costs $25 to check a bag. Not my cup of tea.
What are some of your tips & tricks for travel? Care to share?
