Road Trip Money Saving Tips I've Found...

They will want to do this every day. Probably not a good way to save money...

Wow. There is A LOT of information out there on money saving travel tactics. Too much for me to possibly read every article, but I have tried to keep notes on the various tips that I think apply to MY road trip. 

After a bit of research, I've pulled together a list of the everything that I think will help me not spend a million dollars this summer. And of course I thought that I'd share all of it with YOU! You're welcome.

1. Use an app to find the cheapest gas prices.

From what I can see, GasBuddy is the best known app, but it's crowdsourced. People post the prices they pay at the pump and GasBuddy lists the gas stations in your area so you find the one with the lowest price. Seems like a lot of work (I mean I'd to type numbers and all...) and how do I know all of the stations in my area are included (what about the one that's invisible to everyone but me)? The incentive for sharing prices after pumping is a weekly drawing for a $100 gas card. You get points every time you post a price, and once you hit a certain number you're eligible for the drawing. To me, it sounds like one of those frequent customer cards that get lost at the bottom of my purse after being stamped a few times. But with Gas Buddy, there is no guarantee that you'll get a free 12 oz. fro yo after 10 purchases. The only reason why I even mention GasBuddy is that it's the most popular app and I thought I'd explain why I don't plan to use it.

Really, all of the apps I found through extensive (five minutes of) research seem to require some level of work on the user end. ALL BUT Gas Guru. This app draws its gas price information from the Oil Price Information Service and then provides directions to the cheapest stations. Simple, accurate and includes the invisible gas stations. I am willing to give up my one in 5,000 chance of winning a $100 gas card for this one.

2. Join AAA. 

I am mainly doing this for roadside assistance, but as far as savings go, AAA does offer travel discounts on hotels, restaurants and attractions.

3. Check out local deal sites (Groupon, Living Social, Yelp, Travel Zoo, etc.) upon (or before) arrival.

Looking up the local deals for a destination could get you discounts on some activities you planned to do AND introduce you to other attractions that didn't come up in your original research. This would also be helpful in saving some money on restaurant meals (which are inevitable as I don't think my kids can handle five weeks of packed peanut butter sandwiches and granola bars). I'm checking those sites now (about a month before travel) and will do a last minute check right before we arrive at each destination. If you are traveling to the DC area, we have a GREAT family deals site: Certifikid.com (they cover a few other cities, but DC is the HQ and offers tons of deals). I'm checking each city to see if they have something similar.

4. Plan packed meal menus in advance and then shop as necessary at grocery stores. 

Some of our hotels have mini refrigerators or even small kitchens. Depending on the appliances at our disposal, I plan to do as much packed lunch and in-room eating as possible. We'll also keep a cooler in the car for driving days. No need to buy ice since it's free at the hotel! As much as I love eating out, this this road trip is not supposed to be a culinary tour of the U.S. So I will suck it up and eat the homemade sandwiches and carrot sticks.

5. Research special discounts for attractions that may not be listed on their websites. 

Sometimes you can buy discount tickets or vouchers in advance. Last year, my mother in law bought our tickets to the San Diego Legoland with discount vouchers from Carl Jr. It as something like one free child's ticket with each adult admission. This was a huge savings. Not that I'm planning to go to theme parks on this trip...except for Legoland of course, because the kids know it is there. Note to self: remind grandma that she has to grab another meal at Carl Jr....

6. Look up free apps for museum self guided tours.

My kids probably can't handle an hour of listening to a guided tour - or even standing still for more than a minute. So I'm trying to avoid those. Instead I'll rely on maps and brochures AND self guided tour apps if available.

7. Check to see if museums and other attractions have free admission days.

I'm totally doing this as I research each stop! And the free day is always a day we won't be in town. Obviously. BUT it doesn't hurt to check.

Note on the subject of museum admission: Many museums offer reciprocity for admission to affiliated museums. So it might be worth it to purchase a membership to one if that cost will be less than several different tickets. That said - this requires a level of research that makes my brain hurt, so I won't investigating reciprocity any further.

8. Back to gas...

I see a lot of tips for how to save money on gas WHILE you're driving, so I figured I'd better list them here before I forget and don't do them:

- Pack light. I'll have to add an -er to "light" since we are going to be living out of our car for five weeks. But it's a good reminder that I don't need to pack ALL of our stuff. I'll try to be very strategic about what constitutes a "necessity."
- Pay attention to speed limit signs. Driving the speed limit is better for gas mileage (so I've read) AND I won't get an expensive speeding ticket.  
- Have directions on hand (for me that means GPS). Getting lost adds miles.
- Comparison shop gas prices. See #1 above.

9. Create a trip budget and track spending. 

Ever look at your credit card statement and think "NO WAY did I spend that much last month!" and then you actually scan though the line items and...yeah. I will be keeping receipts and tallying totals of what I spend each day because math does not happen in my head. If it's not on paper, I will assume I "didn't spent that much." It's not enough for me to try eat as cheaply as possible - I have to maintain budget for food each day. And yes - just thinking about it is painful for me. I am also setting up a general budget in advance where all expenses will be addressed. This is currently in process since I'm still researching some destinations, So I may have to go back and make some cuts in activities and attractions if it looks like we'll be spending too much. Not my favorite part of planning this trip...but necessary.

Much like my budget at the moment...this list is in process. If I come up with any other good ideas for ways I can save money, I will add them here! In the meantime, feel free to comment of message me with your own tips. And if you say anything about GasBuddy I will unfriend you on Facebook. OH YES. I will.

Santa Fe: Speed Round Edition

image via SantaFe.org

When I started planning our big road trip, one of the first destinations I added to my list was Santa Fe. I've never been before and have always wanted to visit. Everyone raves about the amazing restaurants and art galleries, and of course the phenomenal scenery – perfect for lazy picnic lunches or sipping wine at sunset… And now I’m actually going! And doing none of that stuff since I’ll be there with my kids.

There is no way I can expect them to spend a day strolling through galleries. And I think it’s safe to assume that by sunset, I’ll want nothing more than to get them settled in for the night so I can relax with my feet up.

So my research for this stop has been a bit challenging. The goal was to find activities that we can all enjoy AND at least give me a taste of what might have been a million years ago when I could travel the world with one small carry on. I’M KIDDING! Like I ever went anywhere with just one small carry on.

Then there's the other limitation of time. I could only allow for 1.5 days of sightseeing. So speed round it is!

Since we should arrive mid-day, I thought that afternoon would be ideal for checking out the downtown area. There are plenty of walking tour suggestions online, and from those, I cobbled together our own abbreviated itinerary. 

Attention spans won't be optimal after hours in the car, so any walking tour I plan will have to involve more “walking” than “touring.” We'll probably only have time for one museum. And sorry kids - but it’s going to be ladies choice, because there is NO WAY I’m going to miss the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

Cottonwood Tree in Spring via the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum website

I think I can get everyone to focus for a solid 30 minutes (or at least sit quietly with electronic devices while I enjoy the art). Luckily for them, I don’t feel the need to read every single plaque and exhibit description when I visit museums. We’ll stick with the art (and maybe some photography). Hours are 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. so we won’t have to rush for any reason other than whiny children. Fingers crossed. Tickets are $12, and while this is unclear on the website, I’ve read that kids can enter for free. I’ll have to call ahead to verify that. Also – you can download an app for self-guided tours. 

When I think they’ve reached their limit, we’ll move on to the walking. Our next stop will be the Santa Fe Plaza. From there, we can see the Palace of the Governors. When it was built in 1610, this was the seat of government in northern New Spain (yes, I'm quoting from reference material - my brain doesn't retain information like "1610" or "northern New Spain"). In 1909 it became New Mexico's first museum and is now part of the New Mexico History Museum campus. Under its "portal" (front porch), there is a daily market hosted by the Native American Artisans Program.

image via SantaFe.org

The artists featured come from all 19 pueblos (Apache and Navajo tribes are also represented) and are required to meet standards of authenticity in their work (i.e. no Made in China tourist trap crap). Prices are set and bargaining is discouraged, which is fantastic for me because I find haggling about as fun as weeding our yard. This would be a good opportunity to see authentic Southwest style arts and crafts and possibly pick up a souvenir or two. 

image via SantaFe.org

If we do decide to drop by the museum, it’s $9 for adults and free for kids (open 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and free 5:00-8:00 p.m. on Fridays).  Across the plaza, there are lots of shops and restaurants - where you would probably find me all afternoon if I didn’t have this handy dandy plan. Depending on when we last ate something, we may grab a quick meal from one of the food trucks or street vendors offering on-the-go options.

From there, we'll walk down to Canyon Road which boasts the city's highest concentration of art galleries (and on the way, we'll wave hello to another popular tourist site: Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis). Not that I think we'll spend much time IN the galleries on Canyon Road...but we could possibly duck into a couple, AND the neighborhood features some outdoor collections from various artists.  

image via SantaFe.org

When we reach the end of Canyon Road, we may be getting tired. I KNOW. Like there is a chance in hell that I won't have three miserable human beings on my hands by now... Luckily, the Santa Fe Pickup Shuttle has a free service that could take us back to the Cathedral. Not all the way back to the Plaza - but it would offer a little break from walking. 

BONUS DAY 1 RESEARCH MATERIAL: If I'm wrong and we are still full of energy, we could swing by the "oldest church in the US", San Miguel Chapel and the "oldest house" (which rests on part of the foundation of an ancient Indian pueblo dating from around the year 1200). Those quotation marks denote that the label, "oldest" is just "claimed." But I believe it 100% because cynicism isn't nearly as much fun as seeing the OLDEST CHURCH and the OLDEST HOUSE in the United States. 

We could also make a quick stop at Loretto Chapel, home of the miracle staircase. 

image via Wikipedia

The story is that in 1878 when the church was built, they needed stairs to access the choir loft but realized that there wasn't enough room for "regular" diagonal stairs. Carpenters that were consulted said the only solution was a ladder. But the nuns were all, "nope," and made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the final day of prayer, a mystery man with a toolbox appeared and started constructing a spiral staircase that makes two complete 360-degree turns and has no center support. Architects everywhere are still scratching their heads over how this is possible. But the mystery doesn't end there. The carpenter who built the staircase disappeared before anyone could thank or pay him. Will my kids be interested in this story after an afternoon of walking? Yeah - there's no way I'm seeing that staircase.

On the following full day in Santa Fe, we're going to be just as busy. Top priority is to visit one of the famous Southwest Pueblos. While my first choice would be Taos, that would involve hours of driving. Also - we would require at least a day to really experience it. AND I want to take the kids to El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a living history museum in Santa Fe.

Back to pueblos...that will be our morning activity. We'll drive 40 minutes north to see the Puye Cliffs in Santa Clara. 

image via Puye Cliff Dwellings

We have to do a guided tour since information on the website seems to primarily reference tour details. I'll look into that, but if we do have to enter with a guide, this will be a splurge for us. Both the Cliff Side and Mesa Top tours are $20 for adults and $18 for kids. For $15 more per person, we could do a tour of both. I'm hoping we can just walk around on our own with a brochure. Hours are 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

After that, we'll jump back in the car to drive to El Rancho de las Golondrinas.

image via El Rancho de las Golondrinas

I don't want to waste time in restaurants, so lunch will be packed and waiting for us to eat in the car. This final destination definitely offers a self guided option, so we'll just have to pay the entrance fee of $6 for adults (no charge kids under 12). Hours are 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Quick history on the "rancho": Its name means The Ranch of the Swallows and original buildings date from the 1700s. The museum was established in 1972 (the year I was born - twinsies!) As a living museum, the ranch's mission is to "inspire learning and preserve the legacy of the land through encounters with the traditions and culture of New Mexico's Hispano past."

As I'm reading this over, I'm definitely thinking that it all sounds rather ambitious... But when it comes to unrealistic expectations for travel with children, "Hubris" is my middle name!

Next up: San Diego as a non-tourist.

Most of my research came from the websites listed under each image.

First Stop: Memphis!

The first stop on our summer road trip will be Memphis, where my brother and his wife (and his wife's family) live. One of the reasons why I even considered doing something like driving across the country with three kids is that I got a preview of what it would be like when we drove to Memphis for their wedding a couple of years ago.

It was just the kids and me (Chris would be flying in so he didn't have to miss work). We put in two long days of driving and had a quick stop over in Knoxville one night. Then we spent two nights in Memphis before making the same drive back to VA. It was a mini road trip! The only difference was our destination: wedding. There really wasn't any time to check out the city. The only "sightseeing" we did was a couple of hours at the zoo to kill some time.

This image pretty much sums up my experience of that weekend:

Holding a fistful of Oliver's shirt and smiling through gritted teeth...yup - pretty much.

Here is that shot again with some people we will see on our road trip (and a few bonus family members who won't mind having their faces on my blog):

Also - the flowers were amazing!

BOOM.

Wedding images (minus smiley faces) via Corrado Caretto.

On THIS visit, we have three days of time to kill. And I think I'm pretty much done with research. I don't have an exact itinerary since we'll try to plan our days around seeing family when they are available, but here is what's on my list:

We will arrive in the late afternoon, so after checking in at our hotel, I thought we could stretch our legs at the Memphis Botanic Garden. The entry fee is pretty low ($8 for adults and $5 for kids) and parking is free. The "activities" on site include an area for kids called My Big Backyard. We'll drop by - but it looks like it may be geared toward a slightly younger set than my nine and 11 year olds. Though I'm sure my sensory seeking oldest will be more than happy to climb into the sandbox with the toddlers. The map shows plenty of gardens to stroll...Butterfly Garden...Wildflower Woodland...Japanese Garden (pictured below)...so I think we can count on a nice walking tour. (Note to self: when I pulled up the website to check some details, I noticed that they will close early this Friday for an event...better make sure there isn't an event before driving over there!) I also just realized that the hours are 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. so we may want to stop there first before the hotel.

Eleanor and I agreed that if we can walk over this bridge we will call the excursion a win. 

(image via Gogobot.com since the Botanic Garden website said photos are "coming soon")

One of our three days will be spent in the downtown area. We'll start with watching the Peabody Ducks arrive in the lobby. The kids should get a kick out of that, and The Peabody Hotel is in walking distance from Mud Island River Park. After the ducks, we'll head over to Mud Island's pedestrian walkway or "Skybridge". Looks like it should take about 25 minutes (including the walkway) but we could also cut some time off of that by catching a "vintage" trolley.

image via MATA Transit

All trolley lines have been closed for restoration, but - fingers crossed - the Main Street line should be running by the time we are there. Either way, my kids are used to being forced marched through DC when we metro in, so they should be fine to walk.

Mud Island features the Riverwalk which is an exact scale model of the Lower Mississippi (M-ISS-ISS-IPP-I - no need for spell check here!) River from its confluence with the Ohio River in Cairo, IL to the Gulf of Mexico (that is cut and pasted directly from the Mud Island website AND the very first time I have ever used the word "confluence"). The Riverwalk is free of charge. (Hours are 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.)

image via Mud Island River Park

There's also a museum, amphitheater (which apparently, I have be spelling wrong for YEARS) and pedal boats, but we won't be doing any of that. I don't think the museum fees are worth it when I know everyone will just want to be outside on the Riverwalk. The website references a $10/$7 package for adults/children that includes museum and grounds admission, a round trip monorail ride (see below) and an optional guided Riverwalk tour. There is a small part of me that feels like I SHOULD spend the money just in case...but that part always ends up saying, "well that was a waste." No concerts - so no reason to see the amphitheater (seriously - there's no "l" in amphitheater?). And as for pedal boats ($5 per person for 30 minutes)...that would involve splitting up so that two of my kids are alone in a pedal boat and...no. A monorail ride to the island is $4 round trip. I was thinking that we don't need to spend money on that either (you will WALK and you will LIKE it), but then again, we may be walking a lot. And it could be fun. So I'll see how we're feeling when we arrive at the Skybridge. (Another note to self: I keep seeing pictures of people IN the Riverwalk. So it might be a good idea to pack a towel in our lunch bag.)

After Mud Island, I'll treat the kids to a milkshake at the original A. Schwab soda fountain.

image via A. Schwab

Apparently, all of the best tourists go there.

If the trolley is running, we'll end the day with a ride around town. If not, there may be more walking ("left, left - left right left"). We will also probably swing by the Beale Street Elvis statue for a photo op with The King.

Speaking of The King. We will not be visiting Graceland. As I've mentioned before, I'm working with a tight budget and the interest level of my three children won't match the ticket price. That will have to be an attraction for another trip to Memphis.

On one of the other three days, my kids would REALLY like to go back to the Memphis Zoo. We didn't see half of the exhibits there last time, so I agreed. And we will be seeing EVERYTHING since tickets ($15 for adults/$10 for kids) + parking ($5) will make it a $50 itinerary stop. I don't think I need to describe the zoo...it's a zoo.

On another day, our big excursion will be to the Pink Palace Museum.

image via Memphis Museums

The Pink Palace started as a mansion built by Piggly Wiggly founder, Clarence Saunders in 1922. Sadly, he lost all of his money in 1923 and never got to move in. The Mansion was donated (by the company that acquired the property) to the City of Memphis for use as a museum. Then the city spent $150,000 to complete construction of the building and grounds - a sum that would now cover a large kitchen renovation. But enough about the building's history - I'm just hoping that what we see there will hold our insect-like attention spans for at least a couple of hours. There is a dinosaur exhibit opening July 1, Collecting the Missing Pieces (a collection of artifacts related to slavery, abolition, segregation and inequality), a life-size Piggly Wiggly replica... Prediction: if you ask my kids what they saw at the Pink Palace, 95% of what they answer will involve viewing a Shrunken Head. We could also visit the Sharpe Planetarium which is in the same location. Once we know what day we'll be there, I'll check the schedule to see if it's doable. Hours are 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 12:00-5:00 on Sunday. Exhibits-only tickets are $12.75 for adults and $7.25 for kids ($17.75/$11.25 if we include the Planetarium).

At some point, I will have to take everyone to Jerry's Sno Cones. Because they've seen pictures. Also - I really want one.

Image via Jerry's Sno Cones

Clearly, there is A LOT more to do in Memphis, but I'm working with limited time, limited attention spans and family members with whom I want to spend as much time as possible. So that's what I have planned.

Next post: Santa Fe...


Most of the information I included in this came from articles I added to my Memphis Pinterest board. I also looked up websites on the Memphis CVB site (if you like apps - they have one you can download for attractions, restaurants, deals, etc.)

Re-Entry is Hard...Overwriting is Inevitable.

OH HI!

I feel like it's my turn to pin the tail on the donkey. I've been in line for almost two months and I'm dizzy and have no idea what direction to take.

Of course, I'm talking about where to start after almost two months away from this site! At least I'm not blindfolded.

Let's begin with what I've been doing all this time. Basically, working and devoting all of my free time to the DC Listen to Your Mother Show. Yes - I know that was on May 2nd and it's now June 3rd! But there was a lot of wrap up work to do. And then I just kept putting it off. Like my son on the Spectrum, I'm "not good at transitions." Maybe he just gets that one from me...

I DID book most of our hotel stays (hooray for points!) Now I just have to figure out our Mount Rushmore stay. Apparently, the girlfriend of a family member has a house (or her family has a house) in that area, and we might be able to use it. I have visions of arriving to find "the family" already there and completely unaware that some woman and her THREE children are expecting to stay the night. Okay, so I doubt the people involved would let that happen...but worst case scenarios and all...

So aside from a few loose ends, the big ticket logistics have been pretty much handled. Now I'm getting back to researching our stops and coming up with some draft itineraries. I think I've mentioned before that we HAVE to enter each destination with a plan. If not, we will spend our entire stay in restaurants and touristy shopping areas. Food and Shopping: they are my "death and taxes." And I'm trying to stick to a tight budget.

I'll start posting regularly about that next week. For now, I thought I'd throw in some things I meant to write about this Spring but never did.

We never travel for Spring Break. Every year, I have to put together some staycation plans for the kids and me so we don't end up on our various devices all day. (Because I am just as bad as them. When Oliver wants me out of the way, he tells me that I should go "play on my computer." Ooops!)

Finding things to do in DC is not hard - and since we live in the suburbs, it really does feel like a day trip to go check out a museum or wander around Georgetown. These are things I used to do when I was bored as a kid/teenager. I could walk to culture back then, and that's one thing I super duper miss about city living. Not gonna lie though - getting there is a pain in the ass. The DC metro line is now in my area of Northern VA, but we still have to make the five minute drive and pay to park. THEN we have to go through the complicated and time consuming process of  purchasing multiple fare cards for the 20 minute ride to downtown DC. By the time we find seats on the train, I'm exhausted and ready to go home. But the kids love the metro, so I just carve a few more martyrdom notches in my motherhood cross and get on with it. I also usually ask a friend and her kids to come with us. Solidarity!

Too many words. Here are some pictures...

[WARNING: I am visiting from the future - i.e. about a million words and images later - to say that this is NOT going to be a few pictures of "What I Did Over Spring Break". Be prepared for an onslaught of information. I would delete some, but I'm too deep in it now. Just thought I'd let you know.]

We took a boat ride!

We saw cherry blossoms!

And monuments!

Finally, we forced marched exhausted and dehydrated children over a mile back to the the metro stop because THAT is the price they must pay for fun. Also, they got to absorb city culture like this:

Another day I took my kids plus our neighbors' five and seven year olds to see James and the Giant Peach at Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo Park. If you've never been there, it's very pretty - cool original architecture with several attractions. And plenty of space for kids to run around:

We've been to Adventure Theatre several times. James and the Giant Peach was probably my favorite production - no pictures though since the theater didn't allow photography. Also, my phone died by the time we got to our seats.

Well that covers two days. I can't remember the other things we did that week... Probably played on electronic devices. Mom of the Year!

But our big finale of Spring Break is always Easter. For the first time ever, we didn't stay home for the big day (which in my heathen household is celebrated with chocolate bunnies and brunch). We visited Chris' Uncle Steve, who recently moved to Philadelphia. He's leasing space on an estate that includes a studio/apartment in a barn, where he paints. The walls are covered with his artwork and the deceptively "rustic" looking space features very comfortable living accommodations.

George, in particular was very interested in the set up. We were looking at the paintings, and I told him that I thought these two were my favorites.

He said, "OH! Because they're framed in GOLD." I started to reply, "well no - but now that you mention it...the frames do kind of confine them in a way that directs your focus to..." And he was already standing next to another painting, saying, "yeah - THIS baby needs a gold frame."

So George has pretty much figured out the art world. Internationally too! He picked up Steve's palette and informed me, "French people use these."

But enough about art (and enough pictures of George and his AWFUL bangs - that was one bad haircut...) This is supposed to be a blog about travel stuff. The reason why I even mention the trip is that we got to spend a fun afternoon in Philadelphia!

After seeing how long the lines were for the Liberty Bell and other big attractions, Uncle Steve did the thing that no parent in my lifetime (including Chris and me) has ever done. HE SUGGESTED paying for a horse and carriage ride to take in the sights. Can I tell you how much I wanted to do this when I was a kid? Then I became an adult and realized that my parents would have thought it was too expensive (and probably embarrassing). But Steve is FUN and a grandfather - so clearly he would think this was a good idea. The kids wholeheartedly agreed.

Oh really carriage driver? That was "a good one"?
Maybe take more than ONE next time because my eyes are closed!

Vindication.

Who are those dorks in the...oh yeah - that's us.

Thanks horse!

Before heading back, Chris said we HAD to get a cheesesteak and it HAD to be from Jim's. But OH NO! There was a line around the corner. Here is a picture of Chris who haz a major sad.

That black SUV is in front of all of the people who were willing to wait in line. We are not those people, so we wandered down South Street a bit to find other options.

We didn't go here either. But I was playing "photographer" that day
and while snapping away, thought it made for a good "Philadelphia" shot. Snap snap!

Now Chris is happy! Where did we end up? No recollection - that was months ago!

I was also planning to write a post about an attempted day of cross country skiing that ended in ice and tears... But I think we can now consider ourselves caught up on (almost) all of the travel and touristy stuff of note. 

Tune in next week for more about THE TRIP. Spoiler alert: all posts will be five billion times longer than I intend them to be...so you add THAT to "Death and Taxes".