Less than 2 weeks to go!


I leave in 12 days! Yikes! Planning an eight week trip took more time and energy than I even imagined and, although I was hoping to be somewhat flexible with some of the travel, I ended up booking all the places I'll be staying, ferries I need to take, tours, and so much more because I'm traveling during the busiest time of year. I laugh when people tell me I should just play it by ear and see where I end up. It took me hours and hours to find a place to stay near Mt. Rushmore that didn't cost over $250 per night. There is no "playing it by ear" when visiting national parks in the summer.

Also, knowing where I'll be staying and having an itinerary is somewhat comforting since I'm travelling alone. I think that will bring comfort to my daughters too. That said, once I'm in certain places, I'll be doing things that aren't so planned. As I make my way across the country, there are places here and there where I'm only spending one night but in most areas I'll be there for longer - 3 nights in New Orleans, 2 nights in Austin, 6 nights in Utah, 5 nights in Portland, OR, 4 nights in Vancouver...you get the picture.

I keep learning more and more about the areas I will be visiting and getting suggestions for places to eat, music venues, baseball parks, booze tours and must do's. Feel free to send me a message about places you think I shouldn't miss. I'm game for pretty much anything.

One question I get asked is how much this is going to cost. Well, I have budgeted a few thousand dollars knowing that gas alone will be about $1300. I'm fortunate in that I work a second job with Hilton so I'm staying at some Hilton hotels here and there paying about $40 a night. So for about 24 nights of my trip, I'll be spending less than $1000. Crazy huh?!

When I'm staying for longer stretches of time, like Portland (the other one), I booked an Airbnb so I could have my own kitchen and sometimes an outdoor area. I have found some amazing little places to stay where I can take public transportation for a few days and take a break from driving.

So, 8 more days with students and one more teacher day and I hit the road. Just a few more last minute details to take care of and I'm off!

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