On the road again … ding ding ding ding …
Well not quite yet. I didn’t travel far today. I’m in my go to undisclosed location. Uber Jack knows how to find me.
I didn’t expect to spend as much time as I have this past week on travel planning, but autumn adventures await. Other than Estes Park, Colorado – where you should join me at Ragamuffin Camp – I’ll keep the destinations undisclosed for now.
(Go here to register for camp and go here to book a room. You’re also welcome to stay offsite. Yes, I am Julie, your cruise director.)
Lesson learned: the more people traveling together the more diverse the opinions on what we should do and how we should do it. “Lesson learned” sounds negative. It’s not meant to be. Perhaps a better way to state it is … when you care about everyone being happy with the trip, you take the time to make sure that happens.
I’ve been seeing posts and articles and emails about travel lately, so I’m taking that as my sign to just do it. Research hotel versus Airbnb prices, amenities, and locations. Research driving versus flying. See who’s got time and budget for what. Narrow down the sightseeing choices to what’s important to everyone and what fits into the allotted time.
Group travel is good. Solo travel is good. Just travel.
Having been a road warrior at times, I have a few rules of travel.
The first rule, handed down from my grandfather is this. Take half as many clothes and twice as much money.
Take half as many clothes and twice as much money. ~ Grandpa Grashel #travel Share on XTwice as much money. Things happen. Opportunities arise. Have enough flexibility in your budget to deal with emergencies and delays and to take advantage of fun things you didn’t expect.
Travel within your budget. It is perfectly acceptable to travel less often, closer to home, to less expensive destinations, and during the off-season. I’m a fan of Hotwire for hotel and rental car booking. Sometimes you find you’re aiming for too pricey a destination or time period. It’s okay to step back and formulate Plan B, C, D, E, etc.
You also don’t want to be burdened with lugging around more luggage than necessary. Pants and shorts can be reworn multiple times. Plan on buying a souvenir t-shirt or two and wearing them on your trip. For longer excursions, do laundry after a few days.
Especially when business or business casual attire are required, consider color coordinating your wardrobe with your footwear. Fewer shoes make for more room in the suitcase. A project manager used to make fun of me for my based-on-black fashion choices.
- Black is trés chic.
- He wasn’t flying to work every other week.
- Men’s business casual and women’s business casual are two very different animals.
The second rule, which is Jenn’s First Rule of Flying, is avoid O’Hare. My bad experiences far outweigh the good there. Also the zip code is 60666. It is the devil’s airport.
Other rules, in no particular order … and somewhat stream of consciousness style …
Be kind and courteous to transportation and hospitality workers. They can help you navigate any travel snafus, advise on dining and entertainment options, and give you an idea of how safe and secure the area is.
If you are a newbie traveler or flyer, it’s okay to ask what you think may be a dumb question. You don’t know what you don’t know. The vast majority of airline and hotel employees are happy to help. It’s their job.
I travel with shake supplies for breakfast. If vacationing solo, I’ve been known to eat out for lunch and have leftovers or order in for dinner if I get the vibe that being out after dark might not be a great idea. If it’s safe, I’m happy to grab a table for one.
Dining out alone is a glorious thing. I’ve had my share of looks from hosts and hostesses who seem to think a woman dining alone is a thing to be pitied. They need to get over themselves. I used to travel so much that even when home I’d stop at Shoney’s for dinner on my five minute commute. And I wouldn’t order whatever the buffet offering was. I was tired and I needed someone to wait on me.
When traveling on business, fit in fun if you can. I’ve seen Carlsbad Caverns, the Grand Canyon, several beaches and amusement parks in California, and the North Sea that way. It used to be that airfare was so substantially less if staying over a Saturday night that my employer was happy to pay for a couple extra days of hotel, car, and meals. That’s not so much the case anymore, so you may need to negotiate picking up the tab for those so you can go play for the weekend.
As a girl from Ohio, if there is a beach within a couple hours of your destination, figure out how to get there. Rent a car. Take a taxi or Uber. I used to travel with a business partner who would ask hotel staff about the best barbecue place in town. We’d check our bags with the bellman on our last day, go have a delicious lunch, and then return to the hotel to catch a ride to the airport. Schedule your flights to allow for such fun.
Now. Go figure out your next adventure.