Vacation Planning: Destination Hobo Hotel?
Well it’s well past time for us to plan out our vacation..but truthfully we’ve been putting it off. See we usually use our income tax for vacations and just didn’t get much back this year. Soooo we are going to have to be very creative with our vacation planning this Summer!
As we were discussing this with our kids my 13 year old daughter piped up and said “Well I hope we don’t go to that Hobo Hotel again..I’m not EVER staying there again!” Yep, you read that right..LOL.
My husband plays in a prison band (no he’s not one of the prisoners LOL) Well his band was invited to be the main “gig” over on the Peninsula off the Washington coast for a fun Outdoor Festival over a long holiday weekend..so we decided to make this a mini little vacation. Well housing was offered to all of the guys and their families.
The offer: Each family could stay at an empty vacation home while in town for the 3 day weekend. All we had to do was bring our own sheets or just use the ones in the home and wash them before we left.
Ok..call me a vacation snob..but I didn’t want to sleep in some empty old vacation home that probably had the heat off most of the winter and I didn’t want to wash someone else’s sheets either. So our family declined the offer and proceeded to look for a nearby hotel…needless to say..nothing was nearby..except this one little place.
Well it looked good online..it sounded good online..the price was right! So reservations were made.
We arrived just as dusk was setting in..So the office was closed but, there was a sign on the door: “Your room is #111 and it is unlocked. If you need anything please call 111-1111.” OK.. Hmmm never had this experience before. So we went to the room of this little motel.
It wasn’t bad..really. However, after a quick trip to the restroom, my 13 year old came out of the bathroom with a look of horror on her face and said “who picked out this old Hobo Hotel?” My knees hit the wall in front of me when I sit on the toilet.” Well maybe it wasn’t perfect..but hey it was cheap.
The next morning we headed up the highway to meet the other families for breakfast. I’m thinking “I wonder what kind of ol places they had to stay in?” As I was rubbing my sore back from the most uncomfortable beds I think I have slept in in a long time.
Well guess what? You know those old vacation homes…they were not old..they were not cold..they were not anything my mind had imagined. As a matter of fact they were beautiful beach front mansions. Can you believe that?? Oh boy was my family mad at me!
Ok, aside from that ONE mistake… this is how I’m going to move forward in my Vacation Planning:
- First and Foremost..plan a budget for the vacation..what is the max we can spend on this vacation I use an awesome budgeting site called Mvelopes it’s awesome and it’s FREE 🙂
- Plan the destination.
- How are we getting there? Trains, Planes or Automobiles.
- Get a hotel, bed and breakfast, vacation home. I am not a camper these day. Camping..housework in the dirt..just my opinion.
- Plan what activities we will do while there.
- Plan out our meals and snacks
- Plan how much $$ we will let the kids have for extras..souvenirs and such.
So wish me luck and pray that we don’t end up in another Hobo Hotel 
How do you decide where you are going to vacation? How do you prepare to go on vacation?
That is such a funny story!! No more Hobo Hotels! I bet you were seriously bummed when you found out where everyone else was staying. Lesson learned!
Melanie
LOL..isn’t that silly Melanie..boy oh boy what a disappointment..I don’t think my family will ever let me live that one down 🙂 LOL Definately lesson learned! Thanks for stopping by and Blessings to you!
I couldn’t help but laugh, Hobo Hotels! We’ve had a similar experience Shari, only that my husband picked the “Hobo Hotel” and not me. They make them look so good on the internet, hmnnn…
I am going to ask him for us to start planing and do more savings, vacations can be expensive. Very informative post, and puts a grin on the face too, “Hobo Hotels”-added to my dictionary!
Isn’t that too funny Ugochi 😀 I couldn’t believe it when my daughter piped up with this..and she was sooo serious too..oh brother..lesson learned 😉 Thanks for stopping by and blessings!
What a horrible place! Your lucky it did not have bedbugs.
Oh I have stayed in a motel like that. We were in the middle of nowhere and so tired we each refused to drive! But hey, if nothing else, it is something to talk about because it will continue to come up in conversations! lol!
The term Hobo Hotel is so funny. Great family memories! 🙂 When we travel, we do several of the items on your list. Packing our own snacks and meals is the #1 way we save money when traveling. We do this for day trips, also.
Oh my goodness- you are living in my world from a few years back! I had to laugh.I know you won’t end up in another Hobo!
Fun, fun story. Nice ideas for planning. You never know what you’re going to get when it comes to places you don’t know much about.
Hahaha – that’s funny, especially since your daughter called it a “Hobo Hotel”. 🙂
Thanks for linking up to Romance on a Dime!! Hope to see you next Tuesday!
Thank you Betsy..I just realized that I forgot to put your link in my post..sorry about that..I will do that next time..I was in too much of a hurry 🙁 Thanks for stopping by and blessings to you!
Oh my, I’m sorry you had that experience, but I have to laugh at “Hobo Hotel.” That’s hilarious!
I know..my daughter is a crack up..she will never let me live that one down LOL Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!
What an awful place! So were you guys the only guests they expected? That’s so creepy that they just left a note for you. I think I would have gone for the other place anyway, though. Can’t beat free and all you have to do is bring sheets?!
LOL 🙂 Hi Conni! There were a few other people staying there too..but we never saw them..thankfully we only had to spend a couple nights and didn’t have to be there much..only for sleeping. And for sure what a lesson! FREE..what was I thinking! LOL never again 😉
Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!
Her knees hit the wall on the toilet? LOL. Small bathroom! Hope you have a great vacation this year!
That is so funny! How were you to know, right? You thought you were doing a good thing for your family. Ha! Loved your story. Thanks for linking up with us over at #findingthefunny last week!
Thanks Kelley! So glad you liked my silly story! Thank YOU for letting ME link up to finding the funny..you rock! Blessings 🙂
What a great name for that style of hotel! It sounds like a real memory maker.
LOL Oh it was a memory all right..LOL Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!