It's been a busy time over the holidays and as usual, we've
been on the road!
Quebec City has just been posted, complete with a brand new
video.
We've also got upcoming video reviews for Indianapolis and Rochester.
Stay Tuned!!
Sometimes it seems like a holiday will never come. We've all had that feeling
that Friday can't come soon enough.
Well, one of the easiest ways to overcome the work-week blues is to make
the most of your weekends. Thriftynomad.com believes that 2 days can be more
than enough time to relax, get away and come back feeling refreshed and excited.
Lots of people think that the summer is the only time to travel, but it
sure doesn't have to be. Between ski season, the changing leaves, or spring
in bloom, there's always a reason to get out and travel. Besides, if you aren't
investing great amounts of time or money to travel, then you don't have any
of the added pressure that big vacations can bring. Instead, you can truly
be free to wander and see whatever happens to be in front of you.
One of the first things you have to do in order to maximize your weekend
is make sure to get an early start.
A good weekend distance might include 4-6 hours of one-way driving. This
can greatly cut into your time away if planned improperly, but if you plan
to take off either Friday after work, or first thing Saturday morning, you
can be at your destination in plenty of time to spend a full weekend.
One real cost saving idea is the idea of getting up super-early on a Saturday
morning. This allows you to still maximize a weekend, while only spending
one night at a hotel. This is where the planning comes in…
Let's say you've got a 6 hour drive ahead of you, to get the most of your
days, it'd be best to be there by 9 or 10 in the morning. That'd mean getting
up at 3 or 4 in the morning. I know, I know… it sounds a little crazy,
and the first time I did it, I wasn't sure I believed in it either, but if
you go to bed early the night before, you can wake up surprisingly refreshed
and with the thrill of the road to motivate you.
Another benefit to this is the quiet roads and traffic-free ride you'll
enjoy. This can be a big deciding factor when weighing Saturday morning against
fighting Friday afternoon traffic.
So… armed with cups of coffee and maybe a roadside breakfast, you can
have a great day at a seemingly far-off destination (just think about how
many cities are within a 6 hour drive from where you are!!!) and you won't
have encountered most of the costs that make travel prohibitive.
So, at this point, either you can decide that your cost savings have allowed
you to enjoy a night at a nice hotel, or you can decide to budget even further
and try a more adventurous option like camping, or even a backpacker's hostel.
If you have an open mind and a spirit for adventure, your costs can be surprisingly
low.
Either way, you can wake up with a full second day still ahead of you. If
your trip is 6 hours, that means you can stay for the entire day, enjoy a
nice dinner and still be home sometime around midnight. If you're closer to
home, then you've got even more time!!
The last big thing circles back to good planning again. As you can see,
you'll have plenty of time, and hopefully plenty of money to travel. But,
you won't have a lot of time to decide what you're going to see.
Depending on your personality type, you can either decide to plan every
event in advance and pack everything possible into your trip, or you can decide
that seeing everything isn't the most important.
With small trips like these, you can always come back. Sometimes it might
be more important to see a couple of things really well… or just spend
the time wandering and finding whatever happens to cross your path.
Like I said, these are personal choices and either way can work out just
fine.
The important idea, is that you do get out and see something. You'll feel
better for it!!
