Tag: Adventure

stone wall with green ivy, country road, church ruins

Charming Irish Bed & Breakfast in County Kilkenny

by TravelPlanMom, posted in Bed & Breakfasts, Ireland, Travel, Vacation

“Let’s find someplace beautiful to get lost”

When we arrived in Ireland, we spent our first few nights in what would become my favorite Irish B&B, Lawcus Farm Guest House, in the area of Stoneyford, in County Kilkenny.  Why was it your favorite, you ask?  Well, I’ll tell you:  It was a small working farm in the countryside, with quite a few farm animals – pigs, cows, goats, chickens, and a dog or two; it had the nicest, most welcoming, friendliest, most helpful, informative, down-to-earth, delicious-breakfast-cooking hosts; the accommodations were comfortable, quaint, charming, and well-thought-out; the other guests that we met were friendly and fun to get to know; the property was great fun to explore; it was close to a little town with a small pub with really good food; it wasn’t far from Kilkenny; there were some great ruins nearby to explore; and staying there gave us a taste of what it would be like to live in Ireland.

a two story stone building with a slate roof and windows outlined in red brick with green bushes in the front
An outside look at our favorite Irish B&B

We felt so welcomed and cared for while staying at Lawcus Farm Guest House.  As I am sitting here writing this, I am really yearning to go back . . . . . maybe next year . . . . . I can dream, can’t I?  Anyhow, I had learned about this B&B while researching on TripAdvisor, and it had really good ratings, and they had availability for the three of us – the room included a queen bed downstairs and a loft with two twin beds – perfect for my husband, myself, and our college-aged son.

stone lodge with brown wooden door and window on the left and a lantern on a post across the walkway from the door
The door to our room is on the left
a queen sized bed with a plaid quilt and floral bedspread in a room with orange walls, two nightstands and two lamps
The lower floor of our room had a queen sized bed on one side of a divider
a small kitchen with a table and four chairs, a sink, wooden cabinets, a dorm sized refrigerator and a microwave
There was a kitchenette on the other side of the divider, and also a bathroom
a small room with angled ceilings and two twin beds with red bedspreads and floral sheets
Our room’s top floor had two twin beds – perfect for kids or teenagers (or our adult son)
Friendly door of welcome
Part of the charm
Playing around
I agree!

Part of the fun of staying in B&Bs in Ireland is getting to meet fellow travelers from other parts of the world.  Every morning, our hosts, Mark and AnnMarie would fill up our bellies with an amazing breakfast.  In the breakfast room, we met people from Australia, England, and also others from the USA.  Some of our favorite new friends were from Australia and we are now connected with them on Facebook.

a kitchen with windows on the walls and clear glass panels on the roof with a smiling man and a pleasant smiling woman wearing an apron
Mark and AnnMarie were so lovely, warm, and welcoming
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Enjoying the full Irish breakfast!
an open room with tables and two smiling men and two smiling women sitting at one table with dishes and breakfast items on the tables
Our new friends from Australia – beautiful people, inside and out!

Before coming to Ireland, I did a lot of research about things to do and see, but once we landed at this B&B, we opted to change our plans and enjoy a little bit of down-time.  It was fun to walk around the farm and watch the animals and hang out by the peaceful water that flowed by.

two white pigs with big black spots, one laying in a rocky yard and one standing and eating in the yard
The resident pigs
a little black goat with horns standing on rocky ground and looking at the camera
This little goat kept us laughing. He was either climbing on top of the pigs or butting them while they slept.
a young man standing in an overgrown green bank looking at a dog that is scratching the sand at the water's edge of a small river
The farm dog, Bruce, followed us as we explored. He was also pretty amusing

Besides the lodging found in the stone house, Lawcus Farm Guest House also has a tree house nestled among some trees at the back of the property.  I think there were some honeymooners staying there at the time.  It was a little more expensive than the other rooms, but is quiet and private and would be a great place for a couple to stay. Image may contain: tree and outdoorImage may contain: tree and outdoorImage may contain: tree and outdoor

Image may contain: tree and outdoor
Lawcus Farm Guest House tree house

I can’t say enough about how much I liked this place.  But I am not the only one.  When we were there, one of the couples from Australia was on a return trip and they brought a gift for Mark and AnnMarie to show their appreciation for everything.  Also, TripAdvisor just ranked this B&B #2 in all of Ireland, and #18 in all of Europe.  But they are #1 in my book!

two women and one man sitting down on a deck outside while the man looks at a framed picture with one man standing and watching
Our friends from Australia presenting Mark & AnnMarie with a piece of artwork

When we first arrived at Lawcus Farm Guest House, Mark pulled out an artistically hand-drawn map and sat down with my son and I (my hubby wasn’t there yet, as he got a stomach bug right before our flight to Ireland, as mentioned in my last post, How Do I Love Thee, Ireland? Let me Count the Ways) and showed us all the things of interest in the surrounding area.  Now, I can tell you that not all hosts go to this much trouble, and Mark was able to direct us to things that I hadn’t really noticed in my guidebooks, or hadn’t noticed in my online research.  Some of the things he pointed out were a local artisan studio, a mill (historical landmark), and a ruins called Kells Priory.  He also told us where to get a meal locally and some interesting things to visit in the bigger town of Kilkenny.  That first day, my son and I headed over to visit Kells Priory and then into the tiny town of Kells to the local pub for dinner.

Kells Priory was amazing!  Some people may look at it as kinda boring or just a pile of rubble, but my son and I had the best time exploring.  It’s the kind of place where, if you were a child with an imagination, you could have played there for days, inventing stories about knights and kings and all kinds of adventures.  But I will share more about that in my next post.  I have so many pictures to share!

After the priory, we ventured into Kells and visited our first Irish pub.  I didn’t really know what to expect.  We don’t really do pubs here in the states.  I mean, we have bars, but there’s a whole different expectation with bars than with pubs, I came to realize.  When I think of a bar here, it seems to be all about the alcohol.  But a pub in Ireland is more about community.  Sure, they serve beer – Guinness to be exact – but it’s not just about the beer.  Pubs are like community centers where you can get a good meal and connect with your friends.

inside a building with dark walls, a sign that says "Guiness for strength" and shows a man pulling a cart with a large horse riding inside it. a sign that says no bloody swearing
Funny pub signs
Our first fish & chips
Surprisingly good food

In hindsight, I wish that I had taken a few more pictures inside the pub.  I had my first fish & chips meal and had mushy peas for the first time.  I didn’t know quite what to expect with the mushy peas – it didn’t sound that appealing.  But they were surprisingly good!  Overall, we were very pleased with our meal, and it was a great ending to a very long and tiring day.

I have so much more to share about our time in County Kilkenny, so I will have to save that for my next post.  Our introduction to Ireland and the Irish countryside was beautiful and brilliant.  We were just beginning our Irish adventure, and were looking forward to all of the excitement that was to come.

Please come back and visit for my next post about County Kilkenny.  Until next time, happy traveling!

Do you have a favorite Irish B&B?  If so, please comment below!

 

Bryce is Nice!

by TravelPlanMom, posted in Planning, Travel, Utah, Vacation

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” – Anonymous

In a previous post, Beautiful Utah, I mentioned different places in southern Utah that my family and I visited in May of 2017.  Part of our epic journey included a day trip from our rental house near Alton, Utah to Bryce Canyon National Park.

But first, after a much needed morning of rest and relaxation, we stopped for lunch along the way to Bryce at a restaurant called Bryce Canyon Pines.  We, of course, picked this restaurant after reading all the restaurant reviews on TripAdvisor.  There are slim pickin’s around Bryce, and we wanted to pause for a somewhat quick and basic meal that wouldn’t break the bank.  I had also read that Bryce Canyon Pines was supposed to have really good soup and pies!  The food was much as we expected – pretty basic but good, not too expensive, and we split meals so we could all eat pie!  The chocolate pie was my favorite, by the way.

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When we got to the gate of Bryce Canyon National Park, we stopped to pay the entrance fee of $30 for our vehicle.  The entrance fee here is the same as it was for Zion National Park, even though Zion was much bigger and had so much more to see and so many more trails.  Another note on the differences – Zion’s bathrooms were kept up very nicely and there were quite a few of them.  I noticed that the bathrooms in Bryce were not in very good shape.  There were overflowing trash cans and there was toilet paper all over the floor.  I was surprised.

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So back to the trip.  I had seen pictures of the park and its hoodoos, and I had done some research about what trails were best for a relatively short and pleasant hike.  My daughter-in-law also had Bryce Canyon high on her list and we pretty much had the same ideas for which paths to tackle.

There are several hikes to choose from in the park, but since we didn’t want to hike for the entire day and wanted to see as much of the hoodoos and beautiful scenery as possible, we settled on the Navajo Loop/Queen’s Garden combo.  The two trails together are just short of 3 miles and are supposed to take around 2 to 3 hours, depending on how many times you stop to enjoy the view, take pictures, or just stop to catch your breath!

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When we got to the viewing area over the main “canyon” we suddenly didn’t know which way to go.  We had two choices – we could go to the left, to Sunrise Point and head down the Queen’s Garden trail and come up the Wall Street side of the Navajo Loop, or we could do it in reverse and start at Sunset Point to our right.  I remembered that I had previously read that one way was supposed to be a better option, but could not, for the life of me, remember what to do!

As we were pondering and looking at a map, a fellow traveler told us that Wall Street was closed, and it was much prettier to the left, so we should enjoy the view going down.  She said that when they were walking up, all they could think about was catching their breath and they didn’t enjoy looking around as much.  So we took their advice and set off.

And she was right!  The view as we walked down the Queen’s Garden trail was magnificent.  Absolutely stunning.  What strange figures these hoodoos were – unlike anything I had ever seen.  And so many of them!  And so many variations!

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While we are on the subject of hoodoos – let’s talk a little bit about them.  Where does the name hoodoo come from?  Well, I remember from our trip that someone said the word is similar to a Native American word that evolved into hoodoo.  But, going back and searching the internet isn’t turning up that same answer, so . . . . I’m not sure but I’ll stick with my vague memory here.

How are hoodoos formed?  This I remember for sure – they are formed from the freeze/thaw cycle.  Snow melts and gets into the cracks, then the water freezes again which causes it to expand and cracks get bigger and bits of rock fall away.  Eventually bigger parts of the rocks topple over.  In fact, this very thing had happened at Bryce before we got there, and unfortunately was the reason that Wall Street was closed.  Sad face.

So let’s get back to the trail.  As we were descending the Queen’s Garden trail, we were merrily hiking and looking around at the beauty and stopping to take lots of pictures along the way.  The people hiking up, on the other hand, were stopping to catch their breath.  And then they would look at us like, “Yeah, you just wait!”  They looked harried and red-of-face, with their tousled hair and lack of oxygen.  But we were determined.  We will not be dissuaded, we thought, as we marched down, our ankles creaking along the way.

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Speaking of lack of oxygen – at this altitude you must not push yourself too hard or you can get altitude sickness.  Thankfully, we had been experiencing the higher altitude for a few days before tackling Bryce, so none of us got sick.  But we could definitely feel the reduced oxygen as we eventually hiked back up.

When we reached the lower part of the trail, the topography began to change a bit – we started to see some trees along with the hoodoos.

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After a little while hiking through the bottom of the trail, it began to gradually slope upwards.  Then we came to a crossroads.  If we went one way, it led to Wall Street, part of Navajo Loop that would eventually be blocked.  If we went to the right, we would follow the other part of Navajo Loop back up to the same end point.  Since we didn’t want to tack on a dead end meander, we went to the right.

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As we began our steep ascent, I came to understand the harried looks of the hikers we had come across earlier.  Now we were those people.  We were the ones that had to stop and catch our breath (especially me).  This part of the trail consisted of multiple steep switchbacks and an elevation gain of 580 feet.  When I look at the number 580, it doesn’t seem that bad.  But when I experienced 580, it was bad.  Now, I am not the most fit person in the world.  I am probably a pretty average 48 year old, needing to lose some weight, but I walk for exercise regularly.  But not 580 feet upwards in an hour or less, or in a day even.  Phew!

Every few minutes, I had to stop to catch my breath and give my pounding heart a chance to slow down.  Our kids had gone way ahead of us, so it was just us “old fogies” dragging up the trail.  But eventually we made it.

I will say that despite the challenge of the upward part of the trail, it was an experience that was definitely worth the effort.  The sights that are seen in Bryce National Park are unlike anything else that can be viewed anywhere else in the world.  The hoodoos are fascinating and pictures are not the same as the experience.

If you’ve never considered putting Bryce Canyon on your vacation, reconsider!  It’s a sight to see!

Until next time – happy traveling!

 

 

 

4-Wheelin’ in Utah

by TravelPlanMom, posted in Planning, Travel, Travel with groups, Utah, Vacation

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind” – Seneca

When you travel with a lot of guys, you try to plan things that will make guys happy.  I have three sons and no daughters, so shopping or spa days have not been part of our family vacation experience.  And as our kids were growing up, our budget was somewhat slim, so each trip usually came with one “big event” that went along with our free adventures such as swimming in the ocean or hiking.  For example, when we went to Arizona one year, I planned a Pink Jeep tour.  The time we went to Cancun (we had free airfare and free hotel), our big-budget item was swimming with dolphins.

Now that our kids are grown and they are helping to pay for all the fun, we can plan more non-free experiences.  So, this year, when we were in Utah, we decided to do a couple of guided activities.  First, we went canyoneering, which I detailed in my previous post – A Catch in my Throat.  Our other big adventure was 4-wheeling.  This particular activity was of genuine interest to my youngest son, and probably my oldest as well.

Months before our trip, I had done some research through TripAdvisor, and found that  Mild to Wild Rhino Tours had high ratings in the Things to Do category.  So, after reading through several reviews, I decided (with consensus from my family) to book a tour.  Buddy, the owner, recommended we take a morning tour because it would be cooler and more pleasant.

I’d like to mention that a few years ago when our family went on the Pink Jeep tour in Sedona, I was the only family member that couldn’t go, thanks to a nasty bug I had picked up the day before.  So, for this year’s vacation I was bound and determined that I was going to have some fun along with everyone else.  I might have been a little crazy with the hand washing for several weeks leading up to our adventure.  And it worked.  Yay for soap and hand sanitizer!

Back to my story – We had gotten an email with instructions on how to find the office.  But I was surprised to find it in a construction zone and even more surprised that it seemed to be a one man show!  But Buddy, the owner and also our guide for the day, was very friendly and easy to talk to.  He took our money and then gave us bandanas and sunglasses to use and keep.  And we were very thankful for them!  It was undoubtedly a dusty experience.

When we left the office, we followed Buddy in our vehicle to another location near Gooseberry Mesa and the five of us loaded up into two ATVs while Buddy drove his own.  He guided us up a messed-up, washed-out road until we reached a parking area with bathrooms and a sign letting us know we had reached the mesa.

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The ATVs we had seemed to be pretty new and were fun to drive.

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We had some beautiful scenery all around us!

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There had actually been some rain, so the dust wasn’t horrible in most places, but the scarves and sunglasses that Buddy gave us really helped.

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Buddy was a very knowledgeable guide and took us to scenic locations and pointed out all of the land forms and landmarks in the distance.  He also pointed out plants and gave a history of what native Americans had used some of them for in the past.  He told us that the cactus flower called prickly pear developed into a fruit that is used to flavor some locally-made ice cream.  I really wanted to try that but didn’t find it before we left.

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We loved all of the picture opportunities we had!  The sky seemed to go on forever up here!

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Buddy took us over some rocky terrain that made me very nervous!  I felt like we could tip over at any minute!  But after we survived the first one, I relaxed and even enjoyed the ride.  It was a hoot!

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All in all, it was a great day!  The guys got to have their adrenaline rush and everyone had a wonderful time.  Another family memory in the books!

After our tour, Buddy told us we should check out Grafton ghost town, an old Mormon settlement, and told us exactly how to get there.  So we took his advice and headed over.  It was an interesting place to visit, but there wasn’t very much there.  And it was hot! Whew!  May 22nd in the afternoon.  I can’t imagine what July would feel like!  We read the signs, took a few pictures and we went on our way.

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So, if you’re ever visiting this part of Utah, I would definitely recommend Mild to Wild Rhino Tours.  It was entertaining and let us see a part of the countryside we probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise.  4-Wheelin’ is fun!

Until next time – happy traveling!

 

 

A Catch in my Throat

by TravelPlanMom, posted in Travel, Utah, Vacation

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us” – Anonymous

Have you ever done something that scared you half to death?  Or really scared you in the moments right before you took the plunge?  Made you nauseated?  Break out in a sweat? Made you tremble?  That is how I was feeling right before I connected the rope to my harness and walked out over the edge.  The walk, or creep, in my case, was the hardest part about it.

As I sat in at an uncomfortable angle with my feet keeping my posterior in place, I watched and took pictures (very carefully, I might add) as, first, my daughter-in-law very courageously volunteered to go.  Then my son, her husband.  Then my younger son.  Next, my husband said it was my turn.  My turn.  What?!

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The beautiful view while waiting for our first rappel

Our very knowledgeable, positive, and experienced guide, Graham, from Zion Rock & Mountain Guides, and his assistant Ethan had hiked us up a steep path, through a slot canyon, and to our present location.  First Graham explained how this rappelling experience would work, how we had two ropes holding us up, one that we would control with our own hands to let ourselves down (also held, just in case, by Ethan), and one, a safety rope, that he would be holding.  What could possibly go wrong?  Well, what if my feet slip?  The rope may be holding me up, but if my feet slip, I could dangle upside down, maybe?  Or hit my head?  Or smash my face into the rock?

 

She was first to go!

So, as I waited, I kept giving myself a pep talk.  “You can do this.  Be courageous.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  When my turn came, I carefully inched closer to the edge, strapped on the rope, and slowly, very slowly and shakily let myself down.  And I didn’t look down!  Only up – that was a big help!  Our first rappel of the day was the shortest one, the baby one, the one that gets your feet wet.  As I dropped further and further toward the ground beneath me, I felt better and better.  Wow!  It really isn’t that bad!  I can do this!  I am doing this!  Finally I touched down.  We had been given instructions to say, “On the ground!” when we made it down and then, “Off rope!” when the rope was released from our harness.  What a feeling of accomplishment!  I was ready for our next rappel!

 

The young’ns adapted a little easier!
Graham called our dirty hands “badges of honor”

I will say that the younger generation seemed a little more excited and less nervous than I did.  They all did a great job!  Our guide, Graham, had us laughing all day with his expressions, such as:  schwing! and schweet! and super safe!  He also called us party people, told us, “you’re groovy,” and our favorite, “whatever’s clever, man.”  He reminded me of the sea turtle from “Finding Nemo.”  He was a really good guide and always put a positive spin on every situation.  Our dirty hands and scrapes were called badges of honor.

After the first rappel of our half-day canyoneering adventure, we were ready for a second, higher one.  But the second time, I wasn’t scared at all.  After conquering the initial fear, and understanding how it all worked, all of a sudden it was no big deal!  I knew the rope would hold me, I knew I could handle it, I understood the mechanics, so the next ones were exciting.

 

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When all of our rappels were done, and we had done some scrambling over and under rocks through the slot canyon and headed back to the van, it was nice to look around, enjoy the beauty around us, and bask in the feeling of accomplishment.

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Facing and overcoming my fear was a liberating feeling!  I’m so glad that I didn’t let fear keep me from experiencing something challenging and exciting that I have always wanted to try.  And I am so happy that I was able to do it with my family.  What a day!

Until next time, happy traveling!

Why Take a Pricey Tour When You Can Make Your Own Agenda?

by TravelPlanMom, posted in Planning, Travel, Travel with groups, Vacation

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag

On each vacation we take, I like to build out a plan ahead of time that serves as a guideline for our adventures. Creating an agenda can seem like a buzz kill if you like to live spontaneously, but I see it as something that gives us freedom to see and do without getting a last-minute disappointment. Like when something is closed on the day we drove an hour each way to experience or see it. This doesn’t happen if you plan a little ahead of time.

I am a planner. I obsessively plan before we go on vacation. Sometimes I drive myself crazy planning. I buy guidebooks of the area we are visiting. I visit TripAdvisor.com and:

  • I read the top 10 things to do in “insert destination name here”
  • I read the forum pages for the place or places we are visiting
  • I find the top restaurants in the area

I also Google the places I am going and find blogs that give advice about what to see and what to do. I look at Google images. And I like to get input from my family members as to what they would most like to do or see.

After gleaning information from all these sources, and taking notes, and highlighting, and noting the things that are most appealing to me (or what my family would like), I start paring it all down into a workable schedule.

How?

First, I write out all the days we are traveling, from the day we leave the house until the day we return. I include the details for getting there, including flight information, if we are flying, and rental car info, including reservation numbers and expected times of pick-up, etc. If we are driving, I include drive times and expected arrival times.

Second, I include all lodging information, including reservation numbers, addresses of any places we are staying, and phone numbers. And, if we are going to be purchasing food to prepare during the week, I make sure to schedule in time to hit a grocery story on the way to our accommodations.

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Third, I look at all of my travel research and begin writing down activities we want to experience, including the costs, grouping them together geographically for each day and noting the drive times between each thing. This is when it is good to look back at your travel research, or do a quick Google search to double-check the hours and days that an activity or destination is open.

Fourth, after deciding what area we are going to be in on a particular day, I then move on to figuring out our meals. If we are staying in a place that has a kitchen handy, or in a hotel that offers breakfast, the first meal of the day will usually be there. Vacations can be expensive if you eat out all the time, so I am definitely a fan of saving money where we can.

Also, can we pack a lunch for several of the days we are out and about? Even when we stay in hotels, I will usually bring a soft cooler in my luggage and pick up grocery items so that we can make sandwiches and have fruit, snacks, and drinks in our hotel room. Just about every hotel has free ice! A picnic lunch can be a nice, restful part of a trip, especially if a cool, shady park to enjoy it in can be found. Dinner is usually out, although if we are staying in a house with a kitchen, we will try to prepare and eat dinner there a couple of times.

So, where will we eat when we do eat out? This is where TripAdvisor.com comes in handy once again. And Yelp. And for me, this is one of the best parts of any vacation! I love trying new places and great regional specialties. Mexican food in the southwest is a little different from Mexican food in the southeast, and I want to experience it! And I would much rather have a meal at a hole-in-the-wall diner that is highly recommended by other travelers than a $50-a-plate ritzy restaurant that has good, but pricey food. But that’s just me. You may like spending all that money – to each his own! That’s the beauty of planning and doing your own thing.

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After I’ve got it all down on paper – travel arrangements, lodging info, daily activity schedule, meals info, etc, then I usually go back with a critical eye and start slashing some things. Because I generally want to do way more things than we actually have time for. And if we did every single thing that was written down on my very first draft, we would be exhausted and vacation would not be fun, and we would probably want to kill each other at the end of each day because we would all be very grumpy.

When I am finally happy with the final draft that is typed on my computer, I send out copies to my family members for their approval and ask for input. Is it too much? Are we doing stuff you will like?  Once everything is approved by everyone else, I take a picture of each page of the agenda with my phone, so I can easily refer to all the details while we are adventuring.

The Final Word

The most important thing about making all of these plans for a vacation that includes other people is flexibility! You have to be flexible! Things are never going to go exactly as you have planned them. That is just a fact of life. And you can’t treat an agenda like it must be followed. The goal of an agenda is to have a guideline, something that will help you see amazing sights and do a lot of fun things. People get tired. So go with the flow. And please, enjoy the experience!

I hope this has been somewhat helpful and informative for you.  I have more to share, so please stop by again soon!

Until next time – happy traveling!

Where Should I Stay?

by TravelPlanMom, posted in Bed & Breakfasts, Home Rentals, Hotels, Travel, Travel with kids

“You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” – Eugene Fodor

After you’ve decided where to go, the next question to answer is Where do I want to stay? There are now soooo many options for lodging while on vacation.  In order to answer that question, let’s ask a few more:

  • How many people will you be traveling with?  (Notice that I just ended that sentence with a preposition, which is really bothering me)  Anyway, will it be just you and your sweetie?  Traveling with kids?  A group of friends?  Or, like us, will you be adventuring with your adult kids and their spouses?
  • What are the ages of the people you are taking with you?  Will you have all adults?  Traveling with little ones?  Teenagers?

The amount of people joining you is a big part of the equation when deciding where to stay.  If it is just you and your sweetie, a hotel room or an efficiency would definitely be adequate in most situations.  Throw in the fact that you get daily maid service and even free breakfast in a lot of places, and a hotel room looks pretty good.  Also, hotels are usually pretty abundant in most places, especially where there are a lot of tourists around. (There I go again with the preposition at the end – arghh)

If you have several people in your group, and especially if you are footing the bill for most of them, it definitely pays to look for options other than hotel rooms.  Ditto for traveling with little ones.  You and the kiddos would probably be much happier with separate sleeping spaces.  In fact, once my older kids reached teenagerhood (that’s a word, right?), all five of us found it very difficult to share one hotel room due to different sleep schedules, snoring, sleep talking, and the usual annoying teenager habits (and I am sure they would have said, parent habits)!

For our family vacations, we have now rented an entire home, flat, or condo seven different times.  Six of those times I have used VRBO.com, which stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner.  They have been around for a while (founded in 1995), and in America, they have a strong presence and lots of properties to choose from.  They were acquired by HomeAway.com in 2006 and you can find some of the same properties on both sites.  HomeAway also purchased VacationRentals.com, which is another option for finding whole home properties.  On any of these sites, you can search out specific locations with or without specific dates and can review other people’s ratings of the properties.  This is a big help in choosing which property to reserve.  I always look for properties that have 5 star or close to 5 star reviews.  Once you have a reservation with one of these companies, you can download the HomeAway app on your smart phone and have all the needed relevant details of your stay right on your phone.  In fact, I just did that for our last trip and found it to be very helpful.

Another option is AirBnB.com.  This website offers a variety of rental choices, from one bedroom to a whole house.  Some people don’t like the idea of sharing a house with strangers.  Other people love it.  So, this can be an option if there is just one or two of you.  And, as I said before, you can rent a whole apartment or house through this website, also.  We used AirBnB when we traveled to Ireland in 2016.  VRBO and HomeAway just had fewer choices for accommodations in Dublin (and throughout Ireland, really), and I was able to search through several properties and find a two bedroom condo in the perfect location for what we needed.  One thing I really like about AirBnB, is that when you are searching through properties, all of the different amenities, like AC, wireless internet, washer and dryer, free parking, etc., are listed in the same area on each property’s page, so it is easy to quickly find out if a property has all of the amenities that you need.

When you decide to stay at a property that is a whole house or condo, you are able to save a lot of money on lodging.  For example, on our recent trip to Utah, we had five people (we were hoping for seven, but two couldn’t make it), and the house we rented had four bedrooms, three and a half baths, and a huge kitchen and dining area, living room, and a huge basement with another living area, a ping-pong table, and a washer and dryer.  And incredible views!

 

We paid around $275 per night, plus tax.  Compare that to staying in a decent hotel (like a Hampton Inn) in the same general area, at the price of $279 for one room.  You can see the savings can be amazing.  And, although we ate out quite a bit during the week, we were able to cook a few meals, pack a few lunches, prepare almost every breakfast, and keep our food nice and cold in the refrigerator, thereby saving quite a bit more money on our eats!  And the convenience of having our very own washer and dryer – wow!  Have you tried to do your laundry in a hotel?  Enough said.

If you decide to go the whole house or condo route, you should begin planning several months before your trip dates for the best selection.  The early bird gets the worm, as “they” say.  We reserved our May dates for our Utah destination in January, and if I remember right, about 40% of the homes had already been taken for those dates.

The last lodging option we will explore is the Bed and Breakfast.  Now, this is an interesting choice.  If you want to stay in a B&B in America, you are probably going to find yourself paying more for lodging per person than with just about any other choice, other than maybe a five-star hotel or a resort.  B&Bs in America tend to be oriented mostly toward romantic couples.  If you are traveling with kids, you may be able to find a room with an extra twin, but you will probably have to spring for an additional room at a high price.  Don’t get me wrong, I love B&Bs, but they usually aren’t very suitable to bigger groups, especially if one person is paying the bill.

If there are just two of you, and the object is a romantic get-a-way, then by all means, book a B&B!  A lot of them have a very nice, romantic ambiance, with stately bedrooms, quaint living areas, and very good breakfasts.  It definitely pays to do your research before you book.  Last August, my husband and I stayed in one in Savannah, Georgia, and thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  We were passing through from Florida and wanted to explore the city.  My only regret is that we only stayed one night.  It was on the pricey side for us, but it was an amazing experience, right in the heart of downtown Savannah.

 

 

While we are at it, I have to mention Irish B&Bs.  My husband, son, and I traveled to Ireland in 2016, and from all of my research on TripAdvisor and other places, I learned that in Ireland, B&Bs are the way to go.  For some reason, the whole pricing thing is totally different in Ireland.  It is much more economical to visit a B&B there than it is to stay at a hotel.  It is also such a great experience to stay at a Bed & Breakfast while traveling around the Irish countryside.  You get a much more realistic Irish experience.  First of all, you get served amazing breakfasts every morning.  I mean, eggs, sausages, beans, porridge, mushrooms, tomatoes, fruit, coffee, tea, juice, etc (not to mention the black or white pudding, which is a whole different story).  Of course, each place has their own way of doing things, but our breakfasts were amazing every day!  Also, your hosts have great insider tips for where to go and what to see.  So, if you are ever traveling to Ireland, please check out the B&Bs!

In conclusion, picking a place to stay on your adventure depends on your own personal needs and expectations.  There are, thankfully, a lot of options to choose from.  There are many more options I haven’t covered – including national park lodges, tent camping, RVing, etc., but those aren’t really my specialty.  If you are interested in one of those, I am sure you can find a lot of information about those on the web, too.

With a little bit of planning and research, you can have an amazing vacation and find a place that is perfect for you.  I hope that what I have shared helps you on your next adventure.  I have more info to dish out, so I’d love to have you visit again!

Until the next time – Happy traveling!