Live where you want and you never have to go on a "vacation"?

[Packratona!]

You know the saying, "Find a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life again". I got to thinking about how to select and design your environment so you never feel the "need" to go on a distant "vacation trip" again, whether you are "working" or not. I put the word "working" in quotes because the word means different things to different people.

A huge aspect of this for me, is to live in a place where inexpensive "getaways" are actually quite close by; anywhere from an hour away to a short or long walk or short drive away. Some thoughts for me: live in place where I can design a nature retreat in my backyard. What got me thinking about it, is visiting a friends backyard garden in the middle of a small town. He had a fancy chicken coop, compost bins, raised gardens, square foot garden, garden beds, berry bushes, a pond and waterfall he constructed, and lots of nice shaded seating, all on less than 1/8 acre. We sat out and drank mint iced tea from mint he grows. A wonderful retreat! But then if you don't enjoy the work that comes with that, it wouldn't suit.

I actually live a short walk from a gardening center that has a private large garden in the back, complete with seating in the shade by flowing water, and animals to look at. I take a friend once in a while and we just stroll around and sit and relax. A huge variety of plants. No charge.

When the kids were little, we camped out in our back yard (though our back yard where we lived before was 23 acres). They loved it!
Now I live within 20 minutes to an hour or so, from beaches where we can snorkle. A whole new world underwater.

However, I do miss the northern forests, the mountains, the vistas with no buildings or people in sight. And then again, I miss the environments in completely opposite sides of the planet sometimes. Which is why I probably will always take traveling vacations as well as mini vacations in my back yard...

I know the trend nowadays in home design, is towards outdoor spaces with huge decking, fire pits, lots of seating, grilling setups. So people can relax outdoors and never leave their home. Another trend I see, is decorating your house like a spa or fancy hotel room.

Any thoughts? What makes your home, not just your house, but your location, one that makes you not feel such a need to "get away"? By "get away", I mean traveling several hours or more.

[razz]

I bought my little house of 1300 sq ft on one floor with the idea that I could walk to services, small garden area with the large conifers of the neighbours providing shade in the afternoon, a lot shape that gives me privacy but space to plant small Carolinian trees that thrive.
Siting outside in the cool of the morning I watch my birds and meditate and do my prayers; in the evening with internet radio on my iPhone playing quiet classical music, I surf the internet or read.
A small simple water garden made with stacked pots is under construction as well.
I am so content with being home as I have never felt before. I can walk the dog in so many directions and visit with friends and friendly strangers along the way. Most know my dog's name now.

i do attend the theatre in Stratford, Niagara-on-the-Lake or Mirvish in Toronto within 2 hours and have the HDMetopera, HD Bolshoi Ballet etc within an hour. Lake Erie is 10 minutes away. Southern Ontario has the most diverse garden production of fruits and vegetables which I enjoy.

I do plan one annual trip away beyond visits to family and friends though. California, Cape Cod and Arizona are in my sights at present .

You are right about choosing to enjoy where you live.

[Kestra]

Yes, I think it's a great idea. I'm about to move back to my childhood city that I didn't enjoy much at the time (difficult childhood/youth - mostly bad memories), but there are many places within the city and within a few hours drive to explore. I want to enjoy it a lot more this time. It helps that now I'll have money, friends, time, and a good partner- all things I didn't have when I lived there before.

[Packratona!]

I bought my little house of 1300 sq ft on one floor with the idea that I could walk to services, small garden area with the large conifers of the neighbours providing shade in the afternoon, a lot shape that gives me privacy but space to plant small Carolinian trees that thrive.
Siting outside in the cool of the morning I watch my birds and meditate and do my prayers; in the evening with internet radio on my iPhone playing quiet classical music, I surf the internet or read.
A small simple water garden made with stacked pots is under construction as well.
I am so content with being home as I have never felt before. I can walk the dog in so many directions and visit with friends and friendly strangers along the way. Most know my dog's name now.

i do attend the theatre in Stratford, Niagara-on-the-Lake or Mirvish in Toronto within 2 hours and have the HDMetopera, HD Bolshoi Ballet etc within an hour. Lake Erie is 10 minutes away. Southern Ontario has the most diverse garden production of fruits and vegetables which I enjoy.

I do plan one annual trip away beyond visits to family and friends though. California, Cape Cod and Arizona are in my sights at present .

You are right about choosing to enjoy where you live.

That's a beautiful area for a good life. Of course the snow is not for everyone.

[catherine]

I know the trend nowadays in home design, is towards outdoor spaces with huge decking, fire pits, lots of seating, grilling setups. So people can relax outdoors and never leave their home. Another trend I see, is decorating your house like a spa or fancy hotel room.


I don't see that trend in my neighborhood, unfortunately--that is, the outdoors thing. We are in the process of trying to sell my BIL's house next door and our listing agent tells us to pull up the tiger lilies, and cut back the greenery and cut down the trees because buyers want NO maintenance. I tried to tell her that tiger lilies require no maintenance, because they're perennials, stupid, but she doesn't get it.

I love this topic because I consider it so often. I feel totally that I belong in at least 3 places, maybe 4:

My own home. I've lived here for 30 years. And just recently, we've started building community with our co-op farmers who are amazing. They have potlucks every other week, and now we go to see our friends there who are of all ages. It's interesting to me that one enterprise could change my mind about moving.
Vermont. Oh, my, I LOVE Vermont--plus 3 of my kids are there. I just feel I belong there. I go there, and it's home--even though the "real" Vermonters would disagree.
Ocean Grove, NJ: I love that town because it's so simple and retro, and it's on the beach, and you can walk to anything at all, and the people are so nice and friendly and they sit out on their porches and say hello, and it's a dry town, but they have a "swinging" town just north across a foot bridge (Asbury Park). I also feel I "belong" there.
My own hometown on the CT shoreline. I still have lots of family there, and from an ancestry perspective ALL my relatives going back hundreds of years are from there. I often miss New England and wish I were back "home."


DH still talks North Carolina because it's cheaper, friendly and nice, but it would take a long time for me to feel a sense of place there, I think.

To make a long story short: I'm confused about where I *should* live.

[Packratona!]

Yes, I think it's a great idea. I'm about to move back to my childhood city that I didn't enjoy much at the time (difficult childhood/youth - mostly bad memories), but there are many places within the city and within a few hours drive to explore. I want to enjoy it a lot more this time. It helps that now I'll have money, friends, time, and a good partner- all things I didn't have when I lived there before.

I think a lot of people fantasize about "going back home" where they grew up.

[Packratona!]

I don't see that trend in my neighborhood, unfortunately--that is, the outdoors thing. We are in the process of trying to sell my BIL's house next door and our listing agent tells us to pull up the tiger lilies, and cut back the greenery and cut down the trees because buyers want NO maintenance. I tried to tell her that tiger lilies require no maintenance, because they're perennials, stupid, but she doesn't get it.

I love this topic because I consider it so often. I feel totally that I belong in at least 3 places, maybe 4:

My own home. I've lived here for 30 years. And just recently, we've started building community with our co-op farmers who are amazing. They have potlucks every other week, and now we go to see our friends there who are of all ages. It's interesting to me that one enterprise could change my mind about moving.
Vermont. Oh, my, I LOVE Vermont--plus 3 of my kids are there. I just feel I belong there. I go there, and it's home--even though the "real" Vermonters would disagree.
Ocean Grove, NJ: I love that town because it's so simple and retro, and it's on the beach, and you can walk to anything at all, and the people are so nice and friendly and they sit out on their porches and say hello, and it's a dry town, but they have a "swinging" town just north across a foot bridge (Asbury Park). I also feel I "belong" there.
My own hometown on the CT shoreline. I still have lots of family there, and from an ancestry perspective ALL my relatives going back hundreds of years are from there. I often miss New England and wish I were back "home."


DH still talks North Carolina because it's cheaper, friendly and nice, but it would take a long time for me to feel a sense of place there, I think.

To make a long story short: I'm confused about where I *should* live.

Wow, great post! I know the feeling! There definitely is some richness that develops in long term relationships, that you get from sticking around a community for a longer period of time and establishing ties. Once you leave, you are always thinking about the people, place, and experiences you left behind. I think sometimes about past generations where a significant number of people never even left their county, let alone their state or country. I have some relatives that were like that. Gone now.

[bae]

http://mikereidphotography.com/Anacortes%20and%20San%20Juan%20Islands/San%20Juan%20Islands%20Aerial.jpg

[iris lilies]

I think a lot of people fantasize about "going back home" where they grew up.
The only thng I miss about "home" is the wonderful rich black Iowa soil. That could grow some serious lilies for me.

Otherwise, I found my "home" in urban St. Louis. So, I will put up with the clay soil to have everythng else I like.

and I agree with the OP that close by getaways are good in that for me, they are vacations for the mind. I have to make myself go see somethng different, new, and intetesting and that always helps my mental health. But it doesnt have to be far away.

[rosarugosa]

I really love living in New England and I'm grateful to live so close to the woods and the beach. There are lots of good places nearby for a beautiful nature walk or a museum visit or a historical walking tour.

[razz]

Bae, your corner of the world is so extraordinarily beautiful which would fulfil my dreams of water activities ad infinitum but requires too much maintenance for me at this point in my life; plus it is out of my price range. ;)

[ToomuchStuff]

I think a lot of people fantasize about "going back home" where they grew up.

There is a big problem with that IMHE. So much of what people fantasize about, involves people. People retire, die, move on, close businesses, etc. I grew up in the area I live now. There are reasons I always wanted to get away, and there are reasons I always though I would end up in the house I am in. The area has certainly diminished, and now people are currently buying, thinking they are getting the houses cheap, and over improving for the area. (can't get what they are asking, not realistic) All while I see lots of places that bring back both my memories, and memories told to me by people who lived here before (including the neighbor that lived in three centuries).
However, the city basically sees the area as in parts, historic, in part, crime ridden, and in part, worthless, as they push for investments/tiff projects, etc, further east.

[Gardnr]

Any thoughts? What makes your home, not just your house, but your location, one that makes you not feel such a need to "get away"? By "get away", I mean traveling several hours or more.

We bought our 1850sq home in early 1991. It's perfect for us. We've done work over time. No grass. Food and perennials with some annuals thrown in every year. Front rock patio w/2 chairs for sitting. Large back patio with our grill, table/chairs for outside dining and relaxing. I have my quilt studio all set up (murphy bed for the occasional guest). Hubby has his wood shop. So we both have our happy hobby place. We spent the $ for a gas line/gas stove 2y ago. LOVE it. Great for canning and simmering. So much better than electric.

We're on the outskirts of a moderately sized city. Enough arts for us. Lots of trails for walking, hiking, biking.

i love a staycation. I LOVE to cook but don't enjoy it after long exhausting workdays). When I'm off work, I cook up a storm. A weekend is lovely too.

We have a small cabin up north in the mountains. 2h 20m door to door. A WORLD apart. We vacation there every winter and any long weekend we can arrange wtih work. This is where we downhill ski. Although many think it's an extremely expensive sport, we do not. Equipment lasts a long time and we do not require current state of the art. My snowsuit is nearly 25y old and serves me well and I don't care that others no longer wear the 1 piec. I'm warm and dry. My skis and boots are approaching 10 and work just fine.

We have everything we need for a long life of joy and contentment as long as we are healthy for our age. (single leve homes that have been improved for old age as my parents were older so we fixed things for their ease when fixing was needed).

[ToomuchStuff]

I thought of something else that I wonder how much it plays a part. When Spartana was an active member, we once discussed the idea that some people spent more time traveling then others, so that bug was caught. I myself have been very limited on travel, so "vacations" have been a thing that the last time I had one, I either wasn't yet, or had just become a teenager.

[SteveinMN]

I think it's important to like where you live and that where you live (location, type of housing, etc.) rewards your values. But I like to see different things/lifestyles/geographies way too much to be happy just settling down in one spot. OTOH it makes perfect sense to me to skimp on how grand the house might be, etc., to have the money to go see those far-flung places.

[JaneV2.0]

I never seem to get over how much beauty surrounds me here. I'm sure my SO (from somewhere else) gets tired of hearing me burble on about it every time we go for a drive. I'm not much of a traveler, so I'm content to stay put.

[Teacher Terry]

I have lived in many places and where I live now is my favorite. However, I am like Steve and enjoy traveling and experiencing new cultures, etc.

[Gardenarian]

I love where I live and am not going on vacation this year (though I will be exploring within 100 miles or so.) I will probably get the travel bug again, but if I need to stay home, it is not a bad thing.
I moved to Oregon from San Francisco, and just having 4 seasons feels almost the same as traveling. I forgot how lovely the changes in nature can be. And because it is both a university and tourist town, the population changes along with the seasons.
I really like my house; it is easy to care for, has tons of natural light, it's quiet, and it has beautiful views. I'm still working on arranging everything just so, and enjoy the puttering about. I think the house can make almost as big a difference as the town - if you live in a house that's too small or too big or just run down or dark - I think you'd want to get away. My house is also in a great location for biking or walking to all the great things on offer in town.

My previous home - I loved it because I had wonderful neighbors and a history there, but there was nothing about the place itself that was special. I needed to get away several times a year; the congestion and noise and busy-ness of the place drove me nuts.

[Packratona!]

Beautiful! Where is this?

[Packratona!]

I love where I live and am not going on vacation this year (though I will be exploring within 100 miles or so.) I will probably get the travel bug again, but if I need to stay home, it is not a bad thing.
I moved to Oregon from San Francisco, and just having 4 seasons feels almost the same as traveling. I forgot how lovely the changes in nature can be. And because it is both a university and tourist town, the population changes along with the seasons.
I really like my house; it is easy to care for, has tons of natural light, it's quiet, and it has beautiful views. I'm still working on arranging everything just so, and enjoy the puttering about. I think the house can make almost as big a difference as the town - if you live in a house that's too small or too big or just run down or dark - I think you'd want to get away. My house is also in a great location for biking or walking to all the great things on offer in town.
My previous home - I loved it because I had wonderful neighbors and a history there, but there was nothing about the place itself that was special. I needed to get away several times a year; the congestion and noise and busy-ness of the place drove me nuts.

Your comment about the 4 seasons is great!!! Loved it, so true! Very good point about the house too, making almost as much difference as the town. At least for some people this is true. I spoke to someone recently who is very drawn to Oregon and is thinking about moving there.

[Packratona!]

I thought of something else that I wonder how much it plays a part. When Spartana was an active member, we once discussed the idea that some people spent more time traveling then others, so that bug was caught. I myself have been very limited on travel, so "vacations" have been a thing that the last time I had one, I either wasn't yet, or had just become a teenager.

I also think that your travel desires can conceivably change when you get older. To me, I liked the idea of traveling while young and unattached. I find it much more cumbersome to travel with others. It also helps to be younger and more fit! I have seen some people really cut down on the travel as they get older, and others who do the opposite, traveling a lot after they retire and have the time and resources to do it.

[Packratona!]

The only thng I miss about "home" is the wonderful rich black Iowa soil. That could grow some serious lilies for me.

Otherwise, I found my "home" in urban St. Louis. So, I will put up with the clay soil to have everythng else I like.

and I agree with the OP that close by getaways are good in that for me, they are vacations for the mind. I have to make myself go see somethng different, new, and intetesting and that always helps my mental health. But it doesnt have to be far away.

Interesting point about missing the soil from a place. Also like your comment about going and seeing something different as being good for mental health. Meeting new people is part of that for me. Like you said, doesn't have to be far away; for me it is just going next door or taking a walk close by.

[Packratona!]

Any thoughts? What makes your home, not just your house, but your location, one that makes you not feel such a need to "get away"? By "get away", I mean traveling several hours or more.

We bought our 1850sq home in early 1991. It's perfect for us. We've done work over time. No grass. Food and perennials with some annuals thrown in every year. Front rock patio w/2 chairs for sitting. Large back patio with our grill, table/chairs for outside dining and relaxing. I have my quilt studio all set up (murphy bed for the occasional guest). Hubby has his wood shop. So we both have our happy hobby place. We spent the $ for a gas line/gas stove 2y ago. LOVE it. Great for canning and simmering. So much better than electric.

We're on the outskirts of a moderately sized city. Enough arts for us. Lots of trails for walking, hiking, biking.

i love a staycation. I LOVE to cook but don't enjoy it after long exhausting workdays). When I'm off work, I cook up a storm. A weekend is lovely too.

We have a small cabin up north in the mountains. 2h 20m door to door. A WORLD apart. We vacation there every winter and any long weekend we can arrange wtih work. This is where we downhill ski. Although many think it's an extremely expensive sport, we do not. Equipment lasts a long time and we do not require current state of the art. My snowsuit is nearly 25y old and serves me well and I don't care that others no longer wear the 1 piec. I'm warm and dry. My skis and boots are approaching 10 and work just fine.

We have everything we need for a long life of joy and contentment as long as we are healthy for our age. (single leve homes that have been improved for old age as my parents were older so we fixed things for their ease when fixing was needed).


We have thought about purchasing a second home, but all the experts say it is a bad idea. I know of one now, an older small home on 7 acres, set way back from the road, that we could fix up gradually. Cost? $30,000. It is about 5 hours north of us, taxes are like $500 a year.

[Packratona!]

I never seem to get over how much beauty surrounds me here. I'm sure my SO (from somewhere else) gets tired of hearing me burble on about it every time we go for a drive. I'm not much of a traveler, so I'm content to stay put.

Your post is a direct answer to my original question! If you never get over the beauty, that counts for a lot, at least for some people, and makes them content with their situation. Others might be ok with having their home base in an ugly place but they can travel all the time which is what they want.

[KayLR]

Like Gardenarian and JaneV2, I feel very fortunate to live in the Pac NW. From my home-- which we rarely leave for more than 4-5 days at a time-- we can drive to the beach, the mountains, high desert, woods or forests within minutes to a few hours. We can bicycle to local trails most months of the year.

I have flower and veggie gardens, a nearby trail meandering through wetlands and woods to walk all year round. We have a local outdoor farmers market we enjoy every Saturday March through October. I guess that's all the culture we require! ;-)

I always tell people who ask if I'm going on a summer vacation, "Why would I? This is the best place to be in summer!" I think all that summer vacation stuff comes from having kids out of school. If I get tired of the relentless rain by February I'll go visit my DD in Texas, but otherwise I'm content to be home.

[Teacher Terry]

We also live in a mild 4 seasons and a beautiful part of the country close to most things. I love to visit SF but can't imagine living there. I also love the house we are in. We totally redid it before moving in 4 years ago and this summer finished the back yard.

[Packratona!]

We also live in a mild 4 seasons and a beautiful part of the country close to most things. I love to visit SF but can't imagine living there. I also love the house we are in. We totally redid it before moving in 4 years ago and this summer finished the back yard.

Mild 4 seasons sounds nice, A lot of people like that. Yes, a lot of people would never consider living where we do. But, to each his own! And I am a country girl!

[Teacher Terry]

I hate heat and so summer is my least favorite season. But I have friends that retired to florida because they love the heat year round. If we were all the same it would be boring:))

[Packratona!]

Like Gardenarian and JaneV2, I feel very fortunate to live in the Pac NW. From my home-- which we rarely leave for more than 4-5 days at a time-- we can drive to the beach, the mountains, high desert, woods or forests within minutes to a few hours. We can bicycle to local trails most months of the year.

I have flower and veggie gardens, a nearby trail meandering through wetlands and woods to walk all year round. We have a local outdoor farmers market we enjoy every Saturday March through October. I guess that's all the culture we require! ;-)

I always tell people who ask if I'm going on a summer vacation, "Why would I? This is the best place to be in summer!" I think all that summer vacation stuff comes from having kids out of school. If I get tired of the relentless rain by February I'll go visit my DD in Texas, but otherwise I'm content to be home.

Good post KayLR, exactly what I am talking about! One thing I have noticed, is that some people seem to think that persons who love their surroundings and their home so much that they prefer to stay there most of the time and travel long distances seldom, are somehow to be pitied or looked down upon. But if you live in the closest thing to your own paradise, why would you feel a great desire to leave it, most of the time? If you are satisfied with your life in your location, it feels SO good to be home after a trip, as nice as trips are! But then, I just got home and am already thinking about the next cross-country trip, so see family who live in another great location that is different from ours.

[Teacher Terry]

I have a few friends that just don't like to travel. I don't pity people that don't want to travel.

[pinkytoe]

Maybe it's just me, but traveling these days is often more hassle and expense that it's worth. Crowds, lines, fees, rudeness ...That is one of the reasons we are moving west - so that we are closer to mountains, rivers, and even other states yet to discover. Living in Texas all this time, we miss out on summer year after year and that makes no sense to me. I can't grow much of anything past May. Too hot to do much of anything unless it's near water or inside for a minimum of 4-5 months. I so look forward to finding our little spot and venturing out when and if we feel like it.

[JaneV2.0]

That's the way I feel. I'd enjoy visiting distant places if it weren't for the travel part of traveling. (Or travail, more to the point.) Dammit--I was born too early for teleportation!

[nswef]

I'm with you Jane. My dream is to be able to wiggle my nose and BE THERE! My "driver' AKA husband still enjoys road trips so we can get many places that we want to go...but a plane, a true nuisance and the place needs to be worth the hassle.

[Mary B.]

Wow! And you can almost see my house from there!:)

http://mikereidphotography.com/Anacortes%20and%20San%20Juan%20Islands/San%20Juan%20Islands%20Aerial.jpg

[catherine]

I'm with you Jane. My dream is to be able to wiggle my nose and BE THERE! My "driver' AKA husband still enjoys road trips so we can get many places that we want to go...but a plane, a true nuisance and the place needs to be worth the hassle.

I disagree! I love the journey. I love road trips, I love plane trips, I love train rides, bus rides, you name it. Sometimes I get off the plane from a business trip and instead of making a right out of the parking lot at Newark and feel like taking a left and driving upstate just to relax. I wonder why?

I also love the destination.. as much as I hated losing my childhood's family cottage, when I fantasize about being able to buy it again, I really wouldn't want to, because then I lose the freedom of trying new destinations.

[ctg492]

Everywhere ( except 2) I have lived was perfect at that given moment in time. The 2 places there was too much other stuff going on my life to enjoy my space in life. We have tried returning to past places and it for us is never possible. Where we are at today is not perfect, but after 29 moves we became older and wiser and realized maybe that it is what we make of it. We returned last weekend to drive by a fond memory of our cottage up North after a few years gone. Oh it was sad and unkept, memories were best left in their place. We realized we never wanted to return there.

I Love my Lower Michigan, I love the 4 seasons, Not usually too hot, snow is not that bad, spring brings greens, summer brings sun, fall brings the smell of fall which I love so. Wizard Of Oz has always been my fav movie for many reasons. There's No Place Like Home, is probably why.

[Selah]

We live in Las Vegas and absolutely love it. It's a huge city made up of lots of little neighborhoods, so you don't really have to venture out of your little territory if you don't want to. But if you do, there are loads of places to explore and things to do. There are also lots of day trips available. For us, it's the best place for "staycations" in the world, since the casinos are always sending us comps to stay at world-class resorts for little to no money. I still like short getaways, and to get out in the desert and the small towns, though.

[rosarugosa]

Everywhere ( except 2) I have lived was perfect at that given moment in time. The 2 places there was too much other stuff going on my life to enjoy my space in life. We have tried returning to past places and it for us is never possible. Where we are at today is not perfect, but after 29 moves we became older and wiser and realized maybe that it is what we make of it. We returned last weekend to drive by a fond memory of our cottage up North after a few years gone. Oh it was sad and unkept, memories were best left in their place. We realized we never wanted to return there.

I Love my Lower Michigan, I love the 4 seasons, Not usually too hot, snow is not that bad, spring brings greens, summer brings sun, fall brings the smell of fall which I love so. Wizard Of Oz has always been my fav movie for many reasons. There's No Place Like Home, is probably why.

That's an interesting perspective to me, since I live 1.5 miles away from the house I grew up in with the boy who lived the next street over. So we never really went very far from home and have lived in our house now for 31 years! I love New England and it sounds like it shares many of the attributes of Lower Michigan :)

[ctg492]

Wow that is a great story rosarugosa!

[iris lilies]

I'm with you Jane. My dream is to be able to wiggle my nose and BE THERE! My "driver' AKA husband still enjoys road trips so we can get many places that we want to go...but a plane, a true nuisance and the place needs to be worth the hassle.
I am with you two! I would LOVE beng transported immediately to a new place, holding a small bag and backpack.Once my feet hit the pavement in a foreign city, I would be happy.

I cannot understsnd how some people seem to focus on the "getting there." One thng I liked about DH when I met him was all the traveling he had done. Yet, when his family sat around and talked about some of the vacations, they seemed to focus on the driving. There was one particular story I heard over and over about driving through Georgia on the way to Florida. There was never discussion on what they did when they arrived in Florida, it was the Georgia part that consumed their interest.

[nswef]

I do enjoy the drives...especially when I am not driving. We have a pleasant time,most of the time. I don't like cities and traveling in cities is stressful for me. Maybe the drive through Georgia was better than the events in Florida.

[ctg492]

I just revisited this post and reread my post on I love my Lower MI. I am faced with the luxury of a weekend BnB in KY today. I made the reservations three months ago. Sounded so fun to me at the time....that was SO three months ago now! 6 hours in the car each way, a bed that I will not sleep in. It is hard to see the fun now:(

[Tybee]

And we love our northern MI. Every weekend we drive out and do something fun, surrounded by incredible natural beauty. Last weekend we picked up apples from the abandoned roadside trees and are eating pie for the last few days.

Best of all, the vacationers have gone home, for the most part.

[SiouzQ.]

Oh heck, you guys, are making me just a wee bit homesick for Michigan! Though yesterday there was finally a crisp fall note in the air here in NM. I have heard that a drive through the Santa Fe National Forest is a great antidote to that though, so I should be able to see fall colors not too far from here.

[Tybee]

I know, Michigan is a beautiful state, and so is New Mexico, which I have heard is also gorgeous in the fall, as you approach pepper roasting season, right? (My brother lives there, so I've heard such wonderful things about it.)

[catherine]

Oh heck, you guys, are making me just a wee bit homesick for Michigan! Though yesterday there was finally a crisp fall note in the air here in NM. I have heard that a drive through the Santa Fe National Forest is a great antidote to that though, so I should be able to see fall colors not too far from here.

I was thinking about you just the other day, SiouzQ, because I was rereading Beyond Civilization by Daniel Quinn (author of the Ishmael books), and he was talking about his "tribe" experiences in Madrid! He and his wife lived there for a couple of years. Here's some of what he had to say about the culture:

[From the chapter on Standards of living]

"Anthropologist Marshall Sahlins has written: 'The world's more primitive people have few possessions, but they are not poor. Poverty is not a certain small amount of goods, nor is it just a relation between means and ends; above all it is a relation between people. Poverty is a social status. As such it is the invention of civilization.'

"My wife, Rennie, and I learned this great truth for ourselves during the 1980s, in the seven years we spend in Madrid, a mountain village in central New Mexico. Eking out a living on a small inheritance, I was at work on the book that would someday become Ishmael. During this time we were poor by ordinary standards but just ordinary by Madrid standards. In Madrid at this time everyone was poor--and so no one was poor. The average Madrid household income was probably around three thousand dollars--vastly blow the national poverty level--but there were no poor people in Madrid. No one gloried in being poor or in living 'simply.' All gloried in their independence, in their ingenuity, in their acquisition of needed skills, and above all in doing what they wanted to do.

"Visitors to Madrid (doubtless like visitors to circus back lots) probably had the impression that it was a sort of 'depressed area.' In fact, I've never lived in an area that was less depressed!"

Thought you might enjoy that, SiouzQ!

[iris lilies]

I was thinking about you just the other day, SiouzQ, because I was rereading Beyond Civilization by Daniel Quinn (author of the Ishmael books), and he was talking about his "tribe" experiences in Madrid! He and his wife lived there for a couple of years. Here's some of what he had to say about the culture:

[From the chapter on Standards of living]

"Anthropologist Marshall Sahlins has written: 'The world's more primitive people have few possessions, but they are not poor. Poverty is not a certain small amount of goods, nor is it just a relation between means and ends; above all it is a relation between people. Poverty is a social status. As such it is the invention of civilization.'

"My wife, Rennie, and I learned this great truth for ourselves during the 1980s, in the seven years we spend in Madrid, a mountain village in central New Mexico. Eking out a living on a small inheritance, I was at work on the book that would someday become Ishmael. During this time we were poor by ordinary standards but just ordinary by Madrid standards. In Madrid at this time everyone was poor--and so no one was poor. The average Madrid household income was probably around three thousand dollars--vastly blow the national poverty level--but there were no poor people in Madrid. No one gloried in being poor or in living 'simply.' All gloried in their independence, in their ingenuity, in their acquisition of needed skills, and above all in doing what they wanted to do.

"Visitors to Madrid (doubtless like visitors to circus back lots) probably had the impression that it was a sort of 'depressed area.' In fact, I've never lived in an area that was less depressed!"

Thought you might enjoy that, SiouzQ!
To put another persoective on this lack of poverty in that part of the world, it was always Northern New Mexico that produced cases of the bubonic plague for the United States.
I lived in NM in the '80s.

[early morning]

I would like to live somewhere really beautiful, but those places seem either way too expensive or without many jobs. Sometimes both! So we live somewhere that is not ugly, where the cost of living is fairly low, and with one low-ish paid job with good benefits (gov't) and one SDI, we can pay the bills and take short vacations, and sometimes save up for larger ones. I would love to go to Scotland/British Isles, I was in London for several days, but I want to see the countryside, and the places in Scotland our ancestors left to come here. I have German ancestors also - loads of them, well documented, but somehow Germany does not call to me in the same way. When we visit somewhere lovely, I always think "I want to live HERE" - but I have never actually contemplated moving for better scenery. Honestly, I don't think that would keep me from wanting to visit other places in any way. I like traveling (although it's intimidating!) and when we drive, at least, I do think the trip is part of the fun. We prefer the byways to the highways, when possible, especially when staying within a few days drive. But I like to drive, so I'm sure that makes a big difference! I like to fly, too, but am always afraid we're going to miss the plane, miss a connection, etc. We never have, but I find that stressful. So while I'd like to live somewhere stunning - and some of you live in places I would just LOVE to visit - I honestly don't think it would squelch the travel bug totally!

[ctg492]

;)
And we love our northern MI. Every weekend we drive out and do something fun, surrounded by incredible natural beauty. Last weekend we picked up apples from the abandoned roadside trees and are eating pie for the last few days.

Best of all, the vacationers have gone home, for the most part.

Yep we were the Trolls from under the Bridge for 17 ish years. Then we became year rounders Up There for a short time. I know what you mean by the vacationers have all gone home. When we look back at those years now we think of something a "local" said to us towards the end. You only come up north to work. Meaning cut grass, do house maintaining, shop, open and close. Gosh he was right!

Son lived in TC for a year he called the vacationers Fudgies

[ctg492]

I just revisited this post and reread my post on I love my Lower MI. I am faced with the luxury of a weekend BnB in KY today. I made the reservations three months ago. Sounded so fun to me at the time....that was SO three months ago now! 6 hours in the car each way, a bed that I will not sleep in. It is hard to see the fun now:(

SO we went. I had never been to BnB. Lovely farm home. I loved the Alpacas and goats. It was so strange for us to realize we were in the home with other rooms of strangers, the door to home was unlocked. These are things we would never do in our own home, let strangers in and not lock. Then the fact that it was a home and to get up when no sleep and go to living room seemed strange and did not want to wake anyone else. A lovely berry bunkle was waiting when we got home from dinner. I took one to be polite, but I don't think many did. Then breakfast a yummy breakfast, but I don't eat at 6:30am so I again felt rude. Even though it was bought and paid for and the owner said don't worry it all goes to the chickens and others on farm.

I asked if she had any problems in the years open. No she said as it is not the kind of place that brings problem people.

Over all would I do a BnB again? Not to sure, pricey for sure. Heard everything at night. Glad we went but so glad to be home!

[Tammy]

Bed and breakfast have never appealed to me. I was in one in my lifetime.

It feels like staying in a strangers home, being watched and judged, forced to be friendly with a stranger, no sense of privacy, and I can't wait to leave.

[JaneV2.0]

Bed and breakfast have never appealed to me. I was in one in my lifetime.

It feels like staying in a strangers home, being watched and judged, forced to be friendly with a stranger, no sense of privacy, and I can't wait to leave.

That would be my take on it--the B and B experience must have been designed by and for flaming extroverts. My SO would probably love to stay in one; he'd have to stay alone.

[sweetana3]

I find them fascinating and love seeing inside the houses. We have even planned routes to stop and several while traveling somewhere. Also stayed in one in London. Husband does not like the lack of personality of hotels. He likes to meet the owners or managers. Even stayed in a big Victorian one having a Victorian Christmas weekend. Way too much great food, ornaments to make, music and a play in the living room.

[JaneV2.0]

I find them fascinating and love seeing inside the houses. We have even planned routes to stop and several while traveling somewhere. Also stayed in one in London. Husband does not like the lack of personality of hotels. He likes to meet the owners or managers. Even stayed in a big Victorian one having a Victorian Christmas weekend. Way too much great food, ornaments to make, music and a play in the living room.

I dream of retiring to a hotel; I'll supply the personality.

[Teacher Terry]

B and B is my idea of hell.

[nswef]

B and B...Twice. I am just NOT comfortable. I don't even like to stay in my sister's house- would prefer a hotel or time share or VRBO. I like space and alone-ness. I don't like to vacation with anyone except my husband, either.

[Tybee]

B and B...Twice. I am just NOT comfortable. I don't even like to stay in my sister's house- would prefer a hotel or time share or VRBO. I like space and alone-ness. I don't like to vacation with anyone except my husband, either.

I've had great B and B experiences, best when on my own. When with my husband, small inns are my preference. But we are usually traveling with dogs, so it's whatever takes dogs, and best takes on a whole new meaning--where can I walk them easily, can I be on the first floor, etc.

[catherine]

I love B&B's / DH hates them. And he also agrees with nswef--he'll do anything to avoid staying overnight at a friend or relative's home. When we get invited, I usually have to say "Oh, I have a lot of frequent-stayer hotel points, so we'll just use them and not put you out." My SIL is the only person I get a negative vibe from when we do that. She's so friendly, I don't think she gets it and is mildly insulted.

[iris lilies]

I dream of retiring to a hotel; I'll supply the personality.
This is hilarious, good one!

[iris lilies]

I used to stay in B and B establishments in my many trips to the U.K. That is a land of small and very small innkeepers. I stayed in them because hotels are damned expensive and I didnt have a lot of money.

But when B and B's opened up here in the U.S. they had a different intent. They were fancy. They were always more expensive than the ones in the U.K. I rolled my eyes at the "everything must be bigger and better in the States" idea.
Our friends run B and B's and their houses are big, old, elaborate, and their breakfasts are big and elaborate.

I like B and B's in the U.S. for the architecture. i will stay in one if the house is way cool and its location is good.I dont care about breakfast, and I do not want to be friendly with hosts or other guests. But I prefer the anonymity of hotels.

Now, Air B n B offers a different product from traditional B and B Inns.Rooms can be bare bones, simple, and inexpensive. Back in the days when I was frugal, these accommodations would have been my choice, probably. Presumably the digs would be more interesting than cheap motels..

But now that I am old and rich, I have no interest in lining up an Air B n B place when I go to Europe.. I want an old hotel with cool architecture (I am always about the architcture! ) in a central location. But I have no interest in coordinating arrival times with hosts, in trying to find someone's house in a foreign country, and lining up entry procedures/keys, etc. I do not mind sharing a bathroom, however.

All in all, in Europe, a small high end hotel is the best choice for me.

[razz]

I tried the B&B path years ago when on a week-long solo trip and found it very interesting. Some of the other guests at breakfast and I shared some really valuable insights that I needed to hear at the time about an issue that I was working on. It ended up having some significant impact a few years later.
Some B&B's were stark and some were over the top lush in amenities. Most in Canada are pricey as IL mentions. Niagara-on-the-Lake has some beautiful buildings as B&B's. One day I will try one again there when I attend the Shaw Festival.

[Tammy]

I hate B&Bs. It feels like I owe the host my friendship. Or free therapy. I don't want to talk to strangers in a forced environment when I'm on vacation. Vacation is all about what I want. It's not about making pleasant small talk with strangers.

[rosarugosa]

What Tammy said. I like the anonymity of hotels, and if money is no object, cool little boutique hotels. In reality, the Holiday Inn works just fine!

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Several years ago I was very "taken" with the B&B idea. DH and I stayed in severeal different ones over a few short travels, as well as a few times with my 3 women friends when we would have a getaway. For the most part they were all good experiences, always different. But as I have gotten older, I prefer the anonymity of hotels as rosarugos said. I like just closing the door and shutting out the world and having peace and quiet.

[catherine]

Well, as I mentioned in another thread, I'm going to CT--in just a few hours. I'm staying at an airBNB farm (http://www.sticksandstonesfarm.com):

1827.

I can't wait!

[Tybee]

Well, as I mentioned in another thread, I'm going to CT--in just a few hours. I'm staying at an airBNB farm (http://www.sticksandstonesfarm.com):

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1827&stc=1.

I can't wait!
Gee that looks fun! I love the pond. Take some bug repellant and enjoy the idyllic setting.

[catherine]

Gee that looks fun! I love the pond. Take some bug repellant and enjoy the idyllic setting.

Yeah, I read that about the bug repellant. I don't have any--I'll have to pick some up on the way.

[Packratona!]

What Tammy said. I like the anonymity of hotels, and if money is no object, cool little boutique hotels. In reality, the Holiday Inn works just fine!

Never again. Ran into a horrible bedbug infestation last time at Holiday Inn. Cost me $3,000 as one made it back to our home. Hospital and doctor bills, cost of home heat treatment, bed bug dog to confirm all clear, plus other useless things that I purchased to try to address issue myself before calling in the pros. We are scared to death to stay at any hotels and avoid at all costs now. The emotional and physical trauma and added gray hairs, not to mention the cost, did that to us.

[Ultralight]

Never again. Ran into a horrible bedbug infestation last time at Holiday Inn. Cost me $3,000 as one made it back to our home. Hospital and doctor bills, cost of home heat treatment, bed bug dog to confirm all clear, plus other useless things that I purchased to try to address issue myself before calling in the pros. We are scared to death to stay at any hotels and avoid at all costs now. The emotional and physical trauma and added gray hairs, not to mention the cost, did that to us.

Oh... that is horrible. Just totally horrible. Sorry this happened.

Bed bugs are a huge worry for me when traveling.

So far I have been lucky. But who knows when my luck will run out...?

I do have a protocol for preventing infestation -- if I know I have been exposed. As I travel with just one bag, I would take a taxi to a place with a public restroom. Then I would have my sister meet me there with three huge extra-thick garbage bags and a change of clothes. I would simply put my backpack and my clothing in a trash bag then I would duct tape it shut. I would then put that bag into another of the bags and tape that shut. Then I would do that a third time. Then I would put on the change of clothes and go home.

Maybe I could take the bags of my stuff to an exterminator and have them heat it up to 140 degrees.

But who knows if this would even be the best method.

I suppose if my apartment got infested I could leave everything and start over.
My minimalism might make that more feasible an option than for other folks.

[frugal-one]

Read that using lavender essential oil deters bedbugs. I always put 3 drops in the bed before retiring. Lavender is also relaxing and aids in sleep. Am an avid traveler and have avoided bedbugs thus far!

[catherine]

Read that using lavender essential oil deters bedbugs. I always put 3 drops in the bed before retiring. Lavender is also relaxing and aids in sleep. Am an avid traveler and have avoided bedbugs thus far!

Me, too.

[Yppej]

Thank you for posting about this. I am going on a trip next year and checked the motel on Bed Bug Registry and also picked up some other tips.

[SteveinMN]

We've relied on a couple of on-line sources: Bed Bug Registry (http://bedbugregistry.com/) and Bed Bug Reports (http://www.bedbugreports.com/). Obviously, bed bugs can appear in an instant and it's possible a place can be listed by someone who was lucky enough to miss a room with bedbugs. But we inspect anyway and have never had an issue with a place not listed on either registry.

ETA sorry if this duplicates info up-thread.