Two's company
Thursday, May 21, 2009
So as you know, Hubs and Wifey are planning a trip to the USA!! Ahem. Let me rephrase that. Wifey is planning a trip to the USA, and Hubs will be tagging along. Ha ha. Actually I LOVE planning trips, whether it be a weekend away (you know, like this weekend!) or a month long coast-to-coast road trip across America. The plans are coming along nicely and we seem to have similar expectations of the trip which is always a good thing!
The one thing I'm finding annoying/frustrating/hilarious is the accommodation. We have considered arriving in LA, driving to Walmart, picking up a tent and some camping supplies, and doing a bit of camping across the states, though the problem with that is that it's going to be quite warm (think: camping in Queensland in the middle of summer) plus we'd have to arrive before dark to set up etc. Then I started looking into hostels. They're all very well and good, except that to book 2 individual people, plus taxes, it ends up costing almost as much as a hotel! Almost...
So we're looking into couchsurfing at the moment (after a tip from a couple of friends of mine) which sounds like a fun option, but might be tricky to coordinate. We shall see.
I've never been so interested (daily) in the US Dollar! I believe the Aussie dollar has been progressively getting stronger which is good news for us. Another funny thing I'm finding is that when you book hotels on line (which I've done for Palm Springs and New Orleans) is that you don't have to pay for it now. You pay when you arrive. But what if the Aussie dollar is weaker then? Too bad...
Aaaaaah the joys of travelling! If anyone has any travelling tips for the States, don't be shy! We need all the help we can get :-)
Yeah, it's interesting hey. The news broadcasters seem to rejoice when the reserve bank lowers interest rates, but bemoan the drop in the dollar that comes with it. Classic situation of wanting to have a cake and eat it.
And it puts one in a dilemma doesn't it. The other way the AU dollar could go up is if the american economy gets worse - but i'm not sure you want to wish for that??
Anyway, the tent idea might be a goer if the heat is ok. Remember, San Francisco is about the same latitude as Melbourne (so should have the same length of summer days) and the further north you go, the longer the daylight - so getting there before dark shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Thanks Dave. I'm actually happy with the strength of the Aussie dollar at the moment (as if that matters really!) it's just the uncertaintly I sometimes struggle with. My Mum used to say my middle name was "what if?" cos I used to say "what if this happens" all the time.
"What if we don't find somewhere to stay?" "What if we run out of money?" blah blah blah. It's the joys and stresses of travelling, and it will be a learning experience!
I see - the joys and stresses! Sometimes they can be the same thing depending on your reaction (and i'm sure Fr.. i mean Hubs will be of much help in this regard). And it's probably something that changes with time. A harrowing experience can later become an enthralling anecdote.
There's an interesting story in May's Journey magazine - about running out of money. And i'm sure i've told my Rome story before.
And finding a place to stay surely won't be a problem. Not with all those vacated houses from the sub-prime loans ;)