Planning for Vacation 05: Pacific Northwest
Posted on September 29, 2005 7 Comments
Living though a summer filled with warm temperatures and endless sunshine has taught me an important lesson: I really like rainy days. I love the smell, the gray clouds, tiny raindrops on my window, the crack of thunder. I love getting lightly drizzled while walking to the train and getting poured on while riding my bike, sopping wet. I love how my windowbox plants look after a deluge, all green and tall, like they’ve been refreshed after a good night’s sleep. I especially love that I get compliments on my hair on rainy days, as in, “Your hair is that straight even after getting wet? My hair looks like a poodle!”
It’s no wonder then, that I’m currently planning a trip to Seattle, Portland and the Oregon coast for October. We’re doing the trip in Budgeting Babe style: One free airline ticket, courtesy of my work travel miles; one free car rental, courtesy of my credit card points; and all our hotel rooms in decent spots with affordable rates (around $100) and private bathrooms. I couldn’t be happier.
I’ll continue to post updates on the trip, but for now, here is a look at our itinerary, pricing, and how we got the rate.
Leg 1: Seattle
Total roundtrip airfare Chicago to Seattle for two: $260
- Used frequent flyer miles to purchase an extra ticket at no cost
- Booked at aa.com
The Moore Hotel: $79.00 for one night on a weekend with an upper floor room overlooking the city
- Found hotel on tripadvisor.com, booked over the phone
Car rental: After taxes, will be about $20 to rent a mid-size for a week from SEA-TAC
- Used credit card points to purchase $200 gift certificate
Leg 2: Cannon Beach, Oregon
Cannon Beach Lodging’s The Courtyard: $272 for three nights
- Found the hotel browsing online for Cannon Beach Specials, followed up with reviews on tripadvisor.com and called the hotel
- Booked “mid-week three-night” special rate for hotel room that includes Jacuzzi, fireplace and patio (for watching the sun set)
Leg 3: Lincoln City, Oregon
Pelican Shores Hotel: $70 for one night
- Found hotel room while browsing online, booked on the phone, where we got cheaper rates than online
- Room is on the beach overlooking the Ocean
Leg 4: Portland, Oregon
The Mark Spencer Hotel: (Can’t remember the price, will edit to incorporate)
- Found hotel on hotels.com
- Got three additional coupons for area entertainment/dining when we booked the hotel
Now I know that some of you will write me back with the following tips, so I’m just going to address them head on:
Rates for EVERYTHING in the area drop the following week… should have gone then (unfortunately, this was the only week I could get off work!)
Plenty of hotels offer lower rates if you stay “European Style” aka. shared bathroom. (I know it, but I’m just not there yet)
We should have stayed at that hotel adjacent to the Doug Fir lounge in Portland. After midnight the rates decrease to $50 (I know but the place was booked solid!)
Also in Portland, there’s this place that used to be a school that is converted into a hotel and it’s pretty cheap and they have chalkboards on the wall (I know, but we couldn’t get a solid review on it – we’ll be sure to check it out and report back!)
Aside from those tips, I’d love to hear from you all with recommendations of things to do, places to see and cheap ways to do it!
One resource that I’ve found extremely helpful when planning this trip is BUDGET TRAVEL magazine. It is simply wonderful. Many of the tips come from real readers, budget travelers, and they are totally feasible. I am going to subscribe to the mag because I liked it so much. Also, the online resources are pretty great. I highly recommend, if you can’t tell.
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7 Responses to “Planning for Vacation 05: Pacific Northwest”
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September 29th, 2005 @ 5:49 pm
Hi Nicole, I live in Seattle and am a frequent reader of your blog.
Here are some tips for your upcoming trip.
1)You must go to the Pike Place Market. There are enough free samples there to fill you up for an afternoon. Almost each food stall will have samples. Last weekend I ate free cheese, bread with yummy gourmet olive oil, dried fruit, tea, smoked salmon and Asian pears (a must try).
2)Go to the public library. It’s free and it’s almost like being at a museum.
3)It’s very hilly. If you don’t want to walk the whole time, take the busses downtown. They are free if you stay within downtown.
4)If you want to see the EMP, but don’t want to pay the $20 to get into the museum, just go to the Liquid Lounge. It’s their bar and there is no cover. So you can see the inside architecture without having to go through the museum.
5)NO sales tax in OR. Shop away.
September 30th, 2005 @ 12:30 am
Great tips! Thanks a million, I really appreciate your input
I CAN’T WAIT TO BE IN SEATTLE!
September 30th, 2005 @ 2:04 am
I live in the northwest as well.
The weather can be unpredictable. Pack with layers in mind. My dh went to a football game last weekend and was sweating like a pig because he brought jeans and a sweatshirt.
We take our vacations on the Oregon Coast nearly every year. Just south of Lincoln City is alot of great beaches and roadside attractions. Check out their Parks and Recreation department online. There are also a lot of light houses along the coast that are free to walk around and many times only by donation for an inside tour.
Have a ton of fun!
September 30th, 2005 @ 5:27 pm
Nicole,
Cannon Beach is awesome. There’s also a nice state park right next to the town itself. I’ve been there twice (I’m from Pittsburgh, PA), and really enjoyed it both times. It’s one of the two places that we’ve seen a bald eagle in the wild. Walking out to Haystack rock is cool too – lots of starfish.
October 3rd, 2005 @ 8:11 am
FYI, I’m not the same Ray as the other spammer on here, but you’re getting quite a few spammer posts in your comments at this point.
Very obnoxious…
-Ray
October 16th, 2005 @ 6:02 am
Hope you have a nice vacation!
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