Do you take mini-trips?

One thing that has made mini trips very affordable for us is being able to stay in Airbnbs wherever we go. It's not just less cost for the accommodations, it also means savings on food. We always choose places that have some kind of kitchen, even if it's more of a kitchenette. We don't need much...a pot and a frypan, a stove top, a couple plates, bowls and flatware, and of course the usual coffeepot and microwave. We make simple meals and save a bucketful on eating out!


There is no way that my wife would cook if we would take a trip, mini or maxi. We spent a week at one of the long stay hotels, I think it was Homewood Suites and she told me that was the first, last and only time that we would stay in one of those types of hotels. I thought it was pretty neat. I wanted to go out and buy some food and make it in the room, but she wasn’t having any of that. I did get away with making a pot of coffee. (My wife is a bit of a prude.)
 

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There is no way that my wife would cook if we would take a trip, mini or maxi. We spent a week at one of the long stay hotels, I think it was Homewood Suites and she told me that was the first, last and only time that we would stay in one of those types of hotels. I thought it was pretty neat. I wanted to go out and buy some food and make it in the room, but she wasn’t having any of that. I did get away with making a pot of coffee. (My wife is a bit of a prude.)

I agree with your wife. It isn't much of a vacation for a woman if she still has to cook and wash dishes! YUCK!
 
I agree with your wife. It isn't much of a vacation for a woman if she still has to cook and wash dishes! YUCK!

Everyone's different. I have no problem making simple meals and cleaning up after. It's just the two of us so the cleanup is minimal.

I think it depends on what's most important to each person for their particular circumstance. First of all, we wouldn't be able to take anywhere near as many trips if we stayed at full service hotels, we just couldn't afford it. Secondly, we so much prefer the unique and different surroundings every time we stay at an airbnb, compared to the sameness of hotel rooms and lack of character. Even luxurious surroundings don't hold the appeal for us that being out in nature, by the water, in quaint or different environments does. Again, just different strokes for different folks, y'know?
 

I love mini trips to cities within driving distance since I live very rural. I lived in Memphis for eight years, and it's a couple of hours drive now. It's so familiar it hardly counts though I do love it and visit often. A walk along Tom Lee park on a pretty evening followed by a meal and some music on Beale is a great break from the usual routine. St Louis is a wonderful place to spend a few days--amazing museum and botanical gardens. New Orleans is a fun for a few days too, but not!!! in the summer!
 
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I spent so many years traveling with my husband, as he had to see it all, (in my profile) that I am very content to sit back now and live thru my son and daughters travels.
I'm invited to join in often, but I tell them I prefer to stay put and go to their homes to be a pet sitter while they are gone. I find more joy in that these days.
 
Oh, yes! All the time. Sometimes just daytrips (although we've taken so many we've run out of new choices) and sometimes two or three day trips. Heck, just getting out of Texas takes at least a full day.
 
I enjoy short trips, a day trip to an old mining town or someplace interesting. In Az it takes all day to go someplace, see a bit and drive home. We did a lot of this when I was a kid. We also spent the 3 months summer vacation going from Az to Yellowstone and back, mostly wandering around. Had a great time. I think we got back about a week before school started.

All of my siblings live at least 2.5 hours from me - so a long day trip or an overnight is what we usually manage. Vacations, when I was working, were always 3 weeks, so we would go far away and see all we could. A couple of years ago, right after I retired, we went to Spain for 3 months. Had an incredibly wonderful time.

Now I would want to spend a week, at least, in one place and really look around. I no longer "hurry" well.
 
What is a Airbnb

Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes or rooms or other accommodations with people who are looking for accommodations in that locale. It currently covers more than 81,000 cities and 191 countries worldwide.

You can find listings on Airbnb for pretty much any kind of stay, everything from a 21,000 square foot mansion to a yurt, from a fully equipped (dishes, linens etc) and fully furnished home to a tree house or tiny house or tent. Some of the most unique accommodations I've ever seen are listed on Airbnb.

We use the site routinely to find fun places to stay and experiences to have. We've stayed in a camper on a lake, that 21,000 square foot mansion, a basement apartment, a large log home in the mountains by a stream, a guest house complete with private hot tup and patio with fire pit, all of which looks like you're in Tuscany Italy...in fact we're going back there this New Year for a couple days.
 


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