Let's Talk Travel, Trip Planning

Family Trips within Driving Distance

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Family Trips with 5-8 hour drive 

LET’S TALK TRAVEL 

Dear Clare: Do you know any good places (within 5-8 hours driving distance) that would be good for a family trip with children? I would prefer something that is not a normal “tourist” attraction. ~ Leah

Dear Leah: I’ll give you three options in opposite directions, that way you can choose what suits your interests. 

Visit New Braunfels & San Antonio Texas

If history, caves and watersports sound appealing, look west at New Braunfels. Skip the waterpark and go straight to the river for tubing or kayaking. Look at Texas State Tubes in San Marcos for a less crowded experience. The Natural Bridge Caverns are a popular attraction, but they’re worth it in my opinion and they offer aerial rope courses, zip-lining and a maze. If this sounds too pricy or crowded, look at the Cave Without a Name in nearby Boerne. If old ruins are your thing, hop over to San Antonio for a day. Walk or bike the Missions Trail which is 16 miles roundtrip and about 2.5 miles between each stop. If you can squeeze it in, stop at Hot Wells of Bexar County, a free walk through an abandoned resort hotel. Find lodging at Airbnb or Vrbo or stay at Holiday Lodge on Canyon Lake.
mission concepcion san antonio texas
Mission Concepcion, San Antonio. Photo by LeVan Smith III on Unsplash

If you want to incorporate hiking into your family trips, see my posts about Winter Hiking in Texas and Texas Hiking Weekend Getaway

Speaking of hiking, visit Arkansas

If hiking and the beautiful gardens are calling, look north to Arkansas. You can stay put in one area, like Hot Springs, or hit the hotspots with a road trip. If I had 6 days, this is what I would do. Start in Hot Springs to visit Hot Springs National Park and stretch your legs by hiking the trails directly behind the park. Make sure to go inside Fordyce Bathhouse. End the day at Garvan Woodland Gardens, which has something fun for all ages whether it be beautiful nature walks, a giant tree house or fairy houses. Stay at Gold-Inn Hot Springs or rent an Airbnb. We did this as a multi-generational trip and you can read about it at What I Learned on a Family Trip.
Garvan Gardens
Head north toward Dardanelle and take your pick of hiking at Petit Jean, Mt. Nebo or Mt. Magazine State Parks. Petit Jean and Magazine have affordable lodges (including yurts). Extend more nights here or keep on going to Bentonville. Stretch your legs at the free Devil’s Den State Park along the way. In Bentonville, visit Crystal Bridges Museum of Art, an architectural masterpiece with 4 miles of trails through 120 acres of forest. Not into art? Skip Bentonville and stay at Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca so you can hike or canoe the Buffalo River (my personal favorite). It’s an 8.5-hour drive home from Ponca, so consider reversing this trip if you prefer the long drive at the beginning.
Buffalo River, photo courtesy nps.gov

Visit Florida’s Emerald Coast

If this all sounds too hot or exhausting for family trips, look east to Florida’s Emerald Coast which stretches from Pensacola to Panama City. Look at quieter beaches at one of these state parks: Gulf Islands National Seashore, Grayton Beach, Henderson, Deer Lake or Topsail Hill Preserve. If you want real dunes, go with Deer Lake or Topsail Hill. If you want to truly escape, drive to Shell Island. This hidden gem near Panama City is a local favorite for those who can do without restroom facilities. For non-beach activities, look at Man in the Sea Museum or Air Force Armament Museum. You may also like trail riding with Western Pleasure Riding Stable, a great way to see wild Florida with some safe distance from snakes and gators. Your challenge with this trip is finding affordable lodging. Expect to pay around $250/night, unless you get lucky and find a campsite available at one of the state parks. This trip is best planned far in advance so you have more lodging options.
Photo by NATHAN MULLET on Unsplash

For quick family trips, visit Mississippi Coast

If looking for a quick beach getaway, look at the Mississippi coast. The water isn’t as pretty but the beaches at Pass Christian, Long Beach and Gulfport are pretty and have great boardwalks for biking or rollerblading. You can rent kayaks to add some adventure or visit the Mississippi Aquarium. Long Beach is my favorite beach and Ocean Springs has the best food scene, including the famous Tatonut (where people wait an hour in line for a donut). You can read more about this getaway at Why We Love the Mississippi Coast.
gulfport mississippi beach sunset
Mississippi coast sunset
Good luck and bon voyage!
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Let's Talk Travel, Trip Planning

Airbnb vs Hotel, how do you choose?

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Pelican Inn muir beach airbnb vs hotel

How do you choose between Airbnb vs hotel?

LET’S TALK TRAVEL

Dear Clare: What are your thoughts on house rentals like Airbnb vs. hotel? Which option is usually cheaper? How do you find good houses that are clean and in safe neighborhoods? ~ Denice

Dear Denice: I get asked this question a lot and my answer is always “it depends.”

Reasons to stay in a hotel instead of Airbnb

Hotels are best if you’re only staying a night or two. They’re also nice when visiting unfamiliar countries, where you want help with transportation and dining suggestions. My go-to site for hotels is Booking.com. I love their search features, reviews and easy cancellation policies. They include small inns and bed and breakfasts, which offer helpful assistance without the mass tourism feel. When I book travel overseas, I often use Booking because I can reserve several locations a year in advance and cancel the extra reservations once I’ve finalized my plans.
haus hepi obertraun austria
View from our balcony
Preferred site is Booking.com and you can read about some of our favorite stays at Haus Hepi in Austria or the Pelican Inn in California.

Reasons to stay in an Airbnb instead of hotel

If you want to feel like a local or crave privacy, skip hotels and look for houses or private rooms within a house. This type of lodging is also preferred if you want household amenities, such as full kitchen, laundry, and outdoor living. My favorite site is Airbnb, so I’ll focus on that one, but you can always check listings on VRBO (sometimes they’re cheaper). Just like hotels, there is a huge range of rentals available through Airbnb. Prices range anywhere from $30 for a private room in someone’s house to $3000+ private estates. You’ll find cabins, apartments, tree houses, house boats, farm stays and more. I once stayed in a converted boat hut in Faroe Islands. It had a composting toilet and tiny kitchen, but its location directly on the ocean with private hot tub made it one of our most memorable experiences.
lamba boathouse faroe islands
View from hot tub
Preferred sites are Airbnb or VRBO and you can read about our stay in a Faroe Islands boat hut.

Is Airbnb cheaper?

As with all things travel, cost will be determined by how much luxury you want and whether or not your location is in high demand. You will get more bang for your buck with an Airbnb if you stay longer. Nightly rates are often cheaper than hotels, but Airbnb adds cleaning fees and those add up quickly. We typically spend most of our trip at an Airbnb but may stay a night in a hotel close to the airport. You should also factor in cost savings of staying in a house with a kitchen — not eating out for every meal saves a lot of money! With most trips, I look at Booking and Airbnb to see if anything strikes my fancy. You can’t go wrong with either choice. 

Are Airbnbs safe and clean?

I’m glad you asked about the cleanliness and safety. I often hear people say they prefer hotels because they’re more trustworthy. I couldn’t disagree more. My worst experiences with lodging were hotels. Like anything else, the quality of your stay depends on the management of that site and whether or not it meets your expectations. Once you narrow down your search to a few options, read the reviews. They are full of details including extras like “they have bicycles and canoes” or “the owner greeted us and invited us for coffee.” If you’re still in doubt, especially about the neighborhood safety, use Google Maps. Airbnb doesn’t give an exact address until you reserve, but it does show enough detail for you to find the block on Google Maps. Click on Street View to see real photos of what’s nearby.
Have a question about travel or want destination suggestions? Go to my Contact page and submit your question.
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