Posted by smccarthy on August 17, 2009
Nestled in Southern Colorado just west of the continental divide lies a small, pristine town called Pagosa Springs. This town, about 50 miles north of the central New Mexico border, sits in a valley between Wolf Creek Pass and Durango, 7500 feet above sea level.
I was fortunate enough to vacation there with my family in July and by all measures, I came away impressed by the striking beauty and friendliness of the community. I experienced perfect weather and a picturesque backdrop that came right out of a movie set. From the hot steam billowing from the natural springs to the melting mountain snow making up the water of the San Juan River, there wasn’t enough time in the day to see everything.
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Posted by DBiles on February 2, 2009
DYLAN BILES TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
Published: January 31, 2009
Since the New Year began a few weeks ago there has been a welcome addition to my pay stub. It’s always been there, but it’s been a few months since it had anything more than a zero next to it. I’m talking about my vacation day balance.
I took my last vacation in May — a vacation which I used to move across town, doing myself no favors in the relaxation department — and having weathered the busy holiday shopping season I find my thoughts turning to my next vacation with increasing regularity.
So, with a fresh ledger of vacation days at my disposal, I’ve begun exploring my options for a relaxing getaway sometime in the next few months. The world is my proverbial oyster and I’ve allowed my mind to float away on dreams of European getaways or Caribbean cruises.
Every time I drift off into one of those flights of fancy, however, I glance at my paycheck, then shift my gaze to my pile of monthly bills and my dreams start to dissipate ever so slightly as reality sets in. These are tough economic times and dropping a paycheck on an exotic local isn’t exactly practical.
There are some great vacation ideas and travel tips that I’ve found to help save some cash while still enjoying my time off. Here are a few of the factors and options I’m considering.
First of all (prepare for a “well, duh” moment), the overall cost is a huge factor so, naturally, I’m looking for ways to cut these costs down. One easy way to do this is to go to a hotel or airline’s Web site, find the price that they are listing and then go to a comparison site and compare the price there. I find that Kayak.com and Travelocity.com are great resources at finding significantly lower prices.
Once you’ve found a price that you find agreeable, call the hotel or airline directly, tell them the price that you are being offered and ask them if they can beat it. Sometimes they will and sometimes they won’t but by doing some research online and spending some time you’ll be able to undercut the market effectively.I’ve also found that package deals, while they can be great, are generally not quite as cheap as you’ll find if you spend the time to try to push the airlines and hotels lower and book separately.
Another possibility that I am considering is staying local. For me, half of the benefit of a vacation is just getting away from home and relaxing. How far away from home I am doesn’t really matter as much.
There are some great packages at some of the nicer hotels for in-town getaways. One major hotel has a four-day package that includes room, spa, one round of golf per day and one meal per day for around $150 per night. I am strongly considering going this route since paying a little more for a room is more than made up for by spending no money on travel.
And, of course, there is the old standby: Las Vegas. No city in the country offers deals that are quite as good as Sin City and a few days at the craps table (which is generally as long as my bankroll will hold out) provides enough excitement and entertainment for a memorable vacation.
When planning your next vacation keep these tips in mind. Maybe a gloomy economic climate won’t make you have to give up completely on your fantasy trip.
