Oh dear; I’ve become THAT blogger. The one I didn’t want to be. The one who starts a blog and then never updates it.
Well, I DO have tons of useful updates in store…Life’s been getting in the way a bit, unfortunately. BUT I should be done dealing with that particular piece of life and back on track soon.
In the meantime, if you need a starting point for your vacation dreaming, check out www.hillmanwonders.com.
Howard Hillman’s been…everywhere. And rated it. Wonderful site for getting your creative travel juices flowing!
Sorry for the hiatus…my computer is broken and my hubby hasn’t had time to beat it into submission fix it. So while he works on recovering all the fun stuff I have planned, here’s a little homework:
Make sure you don’t have any unclaimed property! Visit missingmoney.com and search for every state you have lived in and every name you have used. If you are really bored, search for friends and family, too. All told I have located about $4,000 doing this for myself and various family and friends.
If your state doesn’t participate with missingmoney.com, search for some combination of your state name and ’state treasurer’s office,’ or ‘unclaimed property.’ For example, Indiana’s website is IndianaUnclaimed.com and Illinois’s website is cashdash.net
Happy Hunting!
To our veterans, and to their families, who sacrifice, too.
So now that I know how I’m getting there, and have a basic idea of some of the attractions that might interest me, it’s time for…you guessed it….MORE research.
I always check www.tripadvisor.com . No matter the destination/hotel, it’s almost certain someone has reviewed it here- and likely many people. Remember that there are people who will complain about ANYTHING and if most reviews are postive, it’s probably worth a shot. (I really do mean anything. I read one the other day where a woman complained that her waitress appeared to be having a bad hair day. As long as it’s not in your food, why do you care?)
If your trip is a cruise you can probably read dozens of people’s reviews at www.cruisecritic.com . This can be invaluable for choosing how to spend precious time in ports you may never visit again.
Another step I alwasy take is asking the friendly community at www.disboards.com . Although the board was founded to discuss Disney, these days there are conversations on almost every topic. I’ve never failed to get helpful responses and recommendations for any destination.
Although not as active, another helpful forum is located at www.fodors.com . Responses may take longer but the folks here are very knowledgeable and helpful.
Again, probably not a lot new here for internet savvy travelers.
Tomorrow I’ll discuss ways to get the best value for your vacation dollar.
I’m pretty obsessive about travel planning. I think it’s because I went on exactly ONE ‘vacation’ as a kid, and it’s one of the things I remember most fondly about my childhood. Now I want absolutely the BEST experience we can get for the most economical price.
A friend asked me lately how I get started. Unless you’re new to travel planning, you can probably skip the rest of this post. 
1. I’m ALWAYS looking for a new destination. Always reading something, watching something, or interrogating someone who just got back from their vacation.
2. When a place sparks my interest, I figure out how realistic it is for us to get there. We’d love to see Glacier National Park in Northern Montana, but it’s farther than we want to drive, and no major airports nearby mean more cash than we’re willing to cough up for airfare right now. Anywhere Southwest flies is a possibility, thanks to their special fare tool, DING! .
I don’t know exactly what our limit is for driving, but we decided our last trip of 14 hours was over that limit. maps.google.com is a great place to get a dependable drive time estimate.
If we can get there, next I run an internet search for the area convention and visitors bureau. The will probably send you a free packet of information, and should have a comprehensive list of links to local attractions, places to stay, shops, restaurants, etc.
If you’re totally new to this, that will get you started. If not…check back tomorrow for Travel Planning 102. Or, sign up for my RSS feed and let the posts come to you!
My paper shredder and I used to have a daily date. As soon as I got home, I got the mail, and started shredding all those stupid credit card applications. I’m not really sure why I felt so compelled to shred them as they weren’t filled in with any personal info, but it made me feel better. It also took a lot of time on our dinky little shredder.
Then my husband and I simply told the credit bureaus we weren’t interested. We added our names to the opt-out list at www.optoutprescreen.com and presto- less mail, more free time. We’re still free to apply for credit cards if we choose, but THEY have to wait for US to come to THEM.
I spent what seemed like forever finding the perfect location for a quick visit to the North Carolina shore with my sister and her family. I liked the idea of Okracoke and the outer banks very much, but a five hour drive with her twin two year olds was just too much.
Seeking a shorter drive, I started at Wrightsville Beach and worked my way south. I stumbled upon the perfect little beach town: Kure Beach, North Carolina. Kure is small and will stay that way; surrounded by state parks and ocean, there’s nowhere for developers to go.
Carolina Beach, the next town over, has a traditional ‘boardwalk’ with carnival rides and a renowned independent donut store, but we mostly stuck with the kid friendly beach in front of our condo. There was even a sea turtle nest roped off directly in front of our condo! Just a pile of sand but still kinda cool to know it was there.We made simple meals (sandwiches, fruit, a frozen pizza) and had a great time swimming and just hanging out with our family. I am sure that my older niece and nephew will never forget walking the beach at night with flashlights, finding shells and seeing sand crabs run across the sand.
Before we left, we took in the Kure Beach Aquarium. Doable in an hour or two, the striking thing about it was how well-designed the exhibits are. Kids (or kids at heart) can really get an up-close and personal view of the animals. This is also the site of a Civil War battle, and I wish we’d allowed more time to explore. If we go again someday, we’ll rent some board games and make it a more relaxed week.
Wanna go? I can’t speak highly enough of www.palmaircottages.com Our rental condo was clean and comfortable and the folks were oh-so-friendly. This region has an unusual quirk for rental properties, though; although there are pillows and quilts, sheets are NOT included but can be provided for an extra fee. We brought our own from home and it was no big deal, but something consider when planning your trip.Most rental companies will only rent in one week increments, unless it is less than 14 days before your trip and they happen to have a vacancy. Also consider bringing a canopy tent for shade- There are rental places in Carolina Beach that have them as well.
With the nickname of Little Miss Random, I’m sure you are STUNNED that I can get a bit…distracted.
We are a cellphone only household, so if my hubby isn’t home and I misplace mine….I’m in a bit of a pickle.
Wheresmycellphone.com saves me from having to jump online and pray I can find a friend to phone me…and it’s less embarrassing, too.
I just type in my number and it automatically calls me. Provided the phone is turned to ’silent’ I am back in business!
My hubby is suspicious of their claim not to store phone numbers, but I never get any weird or sales calls, so I’m a big fan!
I am a big bargain chaser, and I love Dave Ramsey, but having surgery a couple of weeks ago has given me perspective.
In addition to the BIG blessings that make me rich- God, my husband and family, and a great country, I will never take for granted again what a blessing a typical day is. It’s rich just to be able to take a hot shower and drive myself to work.
Still need some encouragement about that green stuff in (or not in) your wallet? Go here:
www.globalrichlist.com
