Documenting Travel
I’ll begin this post by saying flat out–I hate writing in a journal. I never do it in ordinary circumstances. I know I should and that all of the reasons I am about to put forth for why you should keep a travel journal can …
Author: Jane
Travel apps for planning: pros and cons of six travel planning apps
Smartphones and technology have changed the way we travel. I will not pretend to be an expert in those ways, but I certainly enjoy many of the conveniences technology offers while I am on the road. Below are a review of six travel apps for …
Delta Vacation Package Deal Shocker
You know how your mom always told you that if something seems too good to be true it probably is? Well, for the most I part subscribe to my momma’s sound adage. However, every now and then the improbable happens. Enter the Delta vacation package deal. But let me back up a little…
Planning a Christmas Vacation
Last year B and I decided we wanted to try spending the Christmas holidays somewhere new. Since B just sent us to Australia, it was more or less my turn to pick our destination. I really want to go to Romania. Like really really. Now, there is a twist in the story line: both B and I have been racking up the Delta SkyMiles and we wanted to use them for this trip. Delta allows you to book flights about 11 months in advance. So around November of last year, I was patiently waiting for my window to book tickets to Bucharest, Romania.
When I first started tracking, a round-trip ticket cost about 60,000 miles. This is a very reasonable amount of miles for an international flight from lil ol’ Boise. However, as the time got closer and closer to the end of January (the earliest window for booking a Christmas-time trip) the prices skyrocketed. They just about doubled, which is way more than we wanted to use for this trip. I was pretty heartbroken, I’ll be honest.
Expanding the Search
I decided to open up the search and see where I could go for around the original amount of SkyMiles. Sadly, I didn’t have much luck getting anywhere in Europe for under 100,000. But then I noticed that flights to Amsterdam, Netherlands, were surprisingly inexpensive and close to our target range. I had to wait for B to get home from Australia, but the night she did, I launched a plan on her: we could fly to Amsterdam and ride the Eurail around the Netherlands and Belgium for Christmas! My good friend, G, spent some time in Bruges, Belgium, and spoke so highly of it that I have wanted to check it out for a while.
Strike while the iron is hot
From Boise, the round-trip ticket was 80,000 miles or 60,000 miles plus $350. Since jet lag got to B before I could convince her to buy another international trip, we put off buying tickets for a day until her cognitive processes returned to normal. Imagine my disappointment when the prices had gone up the very next day. We’ve been burned by this in the past (more than once actually) and usually strike while the iron is hot. But since we did not strike, we had some non-buyer’s remorse for not booking the tickets and went back to the drawing board.
Add the car rental or hotel
About a week later I was doing some research on how to maximize SkyMiles and travel around the holidays. I found an interesting blurb that said sometimes purchasing a car rental and/or hotel with a flight from Delta could save a lot of money. I’ve done this on Expedia and Orbitz before and it usually gives you some savings, but I’ve never saved that dramatically. However, I figured I’d might as well give it a try. And something incredible happened when I did…
Discovering Delta Vacation Package
To begin, I went to Delta’s website and put in our dates from Boise to Amsterdam and found tickets for $1,400 each, or around 120,000 SkyMiles. Not great. But then I went back to the homepage and clicked on the ‘Vacation Packages’ tab and selected a flight plus a rental car. When the price for the trip popped up at $1,450, I thought, well that’s about the same. But when I looked closer, I realized the price was $1,450 total, not per person. I then clicked through to the car rental screen and it looked similar to what I’ve seen on other sites; it showed the type of car and listed how much it would be to select that car.
Really, add the car!
However, I noticed something I’ve never seen before: some of the amounts listed next to the cars were negatives. Confused, I clicked on a mini car and saw our total price for the package go down by $100. By adding a car, we essentially cut our ticket prices in half! Plus, we got a car rental. (Enter mom’s voice.) We suspiciously decided to follow through with the booking process to see when the other shoe was going to drop…but it never did. So, after months of angst and stress, we got our Christmas holiday booked for about $675 each. This is, hand’s down, one of the cheapest deals to Europe I’ve seen out of Boise in at least a decade. We didn’t use our SkyMiles, but at that price, we would have been crazy to.
Tour package clause
The article I read said that by booking a hotel and car with the flight, the fares get bumped into a “tour package” category and that’s why they can be sold at a discounted price. I was curious if our Amsterdam package was just a fluke and tried some other hypothetical vacations. I found a flight + car from Boise to Paris in October for just about the same price as our screaming deal to Amsterdam. I then tried Boise to Berlin in September and the price came in around $1,700. However, when I tried Seattle to Oslo, the price jumped significantly–comparable to a plane ticket without the car. I should also mention that before we booked the Amsterdam package, I checked to see if there was a package for Bucharest. There wasn’t.
It doesn’t always work
It appears that there isn’t a real rhyme or reason for the car + flight deals, but it is DEFINITELY something you should look into if you and a +1 are going to a destination where you will fly in and out of the same airport. B and I talked about getting the flight + hotel in Amsterdam, which we would just leave on days we wanted to spend in other cities. Since we were planning on moving around, though, we opted for the car. One caveat the article I read did mention was that you can’t just not get the car or not check into the hotel. I don’t know what happens if you try to pull a fast one, but I don’t plan on trying it out.
Conclusion
I am still a little dubious about the deal we got. It has since showed up on both of our Delta Apps and my credit card was charged the amount we were quoted. So I suppose this is one of those times when it is good and it is true. Regardless, we will be spending Christmas in Bruges, Belgium, eating waffles and sipping hot chocolate. I can’t wait! If you are searching for tickets and are open to various destinations, take a look at the Delta Vacation Packages options. You could score something amazing, just like we did.
**Update
After a Jane Sees the World reader saw this post, she booked the same package as B and I for $60 less than what we paid. Score! There are deals to be had booking travel this way and if you are planning an adventure soon, this could be an economical option. Let us know if you landed a great deal!
Australia update #4: tips for traveling in a not-so-foreign country
We’re baaack! And going through the usual post-trip activities—fighting jet lag, getting back into a routine, planning the next adventure, etc. It is never easy coming home. But unless you are going sell everything you own and become a nomad, it is a necessary part …
Australia Update #3: Reefsleep
Travel is full of memorable and unique experiences. Many of them you could never recreate even if you tried (and there are some you never want to). That said, I rarely have an experience I would describe as once-in-a-lifetime. It just feels like that should …
Australia Update #2 Funny Aussie Signs
B and I have seen a lot of really good stuff in the last few weeks: koalas, kangaroos, sunsets, sweeping landscapes and cultural icons. We expected all these things. What we didn’t expect was to see so many funny Australian signs! The funny ways Australians narrate all of these things and other information is downright entertaining. Aussies, whether they mean to be or not, are funny suckers. Here are some of the gems we’ve seen along they way.
Funny Australian Signs
Conclusion
Australia has reminded us that there’s no need to be boring when you are presenting useful information. The funny Australian signs shown above (and many more we did not show) are both informative and entertaining. They made us laugh. They also reminded us to watch out for venomous snakes, precipitous cliffs, poisonous jellyfish, etc. An adventure this down under is! Be sure to check out our tips for traveling in a not-so-foreign country.
Australia Update #1: Van Life
Hello from the land down under. We have been here a week and already it has been a wild ride. Just check out our Australia van life photos below! Australia Adventures First up, we visited Sydney. Then we turned our attention to Melbourne. But between …
Preparing for a Trip
Trip Preparation List: This is being posted a day earlier than usual because in a reverse Groundhog’s Day phenomenon, our February 2nd will have disappeared completely in between the time that we leave Los Angeles (Feb 1) and arrive in Sydney (Feb 3). So weird. …
Three days on the Oregon coast: a road trip itinerary and map
I am very excited to share this road trip itinerary for three days on the Oregon coast. I take no credit for its amazingness. It was given to me by a former local and all-around Oregon expert. She really came through and provided the greatest Oregon coast three-day itinerary. You can trust me on this.
Are you wondering what the Oregon coast is like? Well, there is a reason why people say “the Oregon coast” in such a dreamy voice. The Oregon coast is a pretty dreamy place. It is made up of beautify coastal views, lots of green and fun and funky towns. Plus, it is not too hot. That may be my favorite part.
Given that it is not too far from Idaho, many people from my home state like to vacation there. It is an easy destination for part-time travelers like us and can even be turned into a weekend getaway.
Planning for three days on the Oregon Coast
The first thing I like to do when planning a trip is talk to an expert—someone who knows the lay of the land. After all, Oregon has 363 miles of coastline. I was wondering which part of the Oregon Coast is the best for a road trip. I also needed to know what should go on my must-see list.
Lucky for me, I work with someone who knows Oregon and its coast very well (she is a former local). She laid out a very nice itinerary for me filled with suggestions about what to see and, perhaps more importantly, what not to see. I printed it out and followed her suggestions as I moved on down the coastline.
My road trip was north to south, but you can just as easily make your Oregon coast road trip south to north.
What time of the year should I plan my three days on the Oregon Coast?
My visit was in October and it was beautiful. I heard the traffic can be bad in the summer; but in October, I experienced very little traffic and almost perfect weather. I know it rains a lot in Oregon (it must because everything is so green), but it did not rain at all while I was there. I am not sure if I was lucky, or if October is the time to go. Either way, my timing was impeccable.
Three Days on the Oregon Coast Day 1: 137 Miles
Astoria
I started my road trip in Portland since I was there for work. First I took the train to the airport and picked up a rental car. Then I headed north. Up first was Astoria. Most of us are familiar with the town because Goonies was filmed there. It is a cute town and fun to walk around. I made sure to check out the Astoria Tower and climb to the top. The views were great!
Cannon Beach
Per my suggested itinerary, I avoided Seaside. I do not like touristy places anyway and when my friend said it was a “tourist-trap hell-hole,” I knew I could do without. (Sorry to anyone who loves Seaside.) Instead, I stopped at Cannon Beach. My coworker said it was also a tourist trap, but less of a hell-hole. I did not stay long, but I wanted to see Haystack Rock. Luckily, I also had fairly empty beaches and blue skies.
The hardest part about taking a road trip like this is the desire to look out the window. I had to stop often in order to gaze in wonder at the beauty around me. Luckily, there are plenty of places to pull off the road and take a picture. There are also places to get out and hike around. My friend recommended a great little hike just north of Manzanita called Neahkahnie Mountain. I attempted to hike that, but I actually found a different trail. I did not realize it until after I finished my hike, got back in my car and drove past the trail head for Neahkahnie Mountain. Oh well. No idea which trail I hiked, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I imagine all the hiking trails are nice. And the views are fantastic.
Manzanita
After my hike, I rolled into Manzanita, my stop for the night. The town was small, but very cute and there are a lot of little vacation houses for rent. I stayed in a hotel right on the beach. After picking up some dinner from Marzano’s, I settled in to watch the sunset. It did not disappoint.
The next morning, I woke with the sun to look for sand dollars. It was worth the early wake-up call (and I rarely feel that way). Sand dollars were plentiful, but it would have been worth it even if I had not seen any. An almost empty beach coupled with a beautiful sunrise gave me a sense that this is what life on the Oregon coast is all about.
Three Days on the Oregon Coast Day 2: 135 miles
Tillamook
Back on the road, I headed toward Tillamook. My friend said that Tillamook is classic Oregon coast, “a little grimy and a little quirky.” The big draw is the Tillamook Cheese Factory. You can tour it for free and then enjoy some free cheese curds. It is definitely worth a stop. And instead of cheese curds, I went for ice cream….at 10:30 a.m.! I just couldn’t resist. Tillamook is a good-sized town (with a Safeway) so it makes a good place to stock up on provisions other than ice cream.
Cape Meares
Since the road was open, I headed to Cape Meares next. The drive was pretty and I got to check out the lighthouse and octopus tree. This was a great place to walk around, stretch my legs and get some photos.
Oceanside
Just south of Cape Meares is Oceanside. If you are wondering which Oregon Coast town is the best, for me, it is Oceanside. In fact, if ever I move to Oregon, Oceanside will be my new home. The little town is super cute, has easy beach access and neat sea stacks. There is also a tunnel through the headland at the north end of the beach and the views on the other side are stunning! Not to mention that walking through a tunnel is just plain fun. I was hesitant to get back on the road and I considered staying in Oceanside forever. But alas, the call to see more eventually propelled me on down the road.
Pacific City
Gorgeous views to the right were now my new norm. I stopped in Pacific City for lunch at the Pelican Brewing Company. This was another suggestion from my friend since it boasts good food and even better views of the sea stack and surfers. It was also good timing since I was hungry for lunch.
After walking around and getting some sand on my feet, I was rejuvenated and ready to see more. I passed on through Lincoln City and did not bother stopping. Even though my friend had already told me not to stop there, I would have been able to tell it was not the Oregon coast town for me (and again, I apologize if this is your favorite place to visit in Oregon). It was too touristy and even a little tacky. Not at all like the rest of the Oregon coast I was coming to know. So I made tracks and headed south.
Depoe Bay
Up next was Depoe Bay. I stopped, hoping to see the whales, which I did, and walk around, which I didn’t. It was pretty busy for whatever reason, so I decided to forgo walking around got back on the road. The city of Newport was just down the road anyway.
Newport
Newport is a bit of a “big city” for the Oregon Coast. However, main street is adorable with good places to eat and fun shops to poke around in. I tried the chowder at Mo’s and then watched the seals sun themselves near the docks—all things I could never do in Idaho, making it a memorable experience.
Yachats
My last stop of the day was Yachats. This town is a favorite of my friend’s so I opted to stay the night. The town is not big, but it has great restaurants and the beach is loaded with agates. I found the tide pools particularly fun to explore. And after dinner, I enjoyed another great sunset—they appear to be a staple on the Oregon Coast.
Three Days on the Oregon Coast Day 3: 197 miles
The next morning, I awoke knowing it was my last day to explore the Oregon coast. So I started early and got on the road. I was not very far along before I just had to get out and walk along the beach. With no one around, it was a great time to explore and look for agates.
Heceta Head Lighthouse
My first official stop was the Heceta Head Lighthouse. Per the ush, the views and photo ops were great. It was during this stop that I saw some seals floating around in the water, which made me excited for my next official stop: the Sea Lion Caves. My friend described this must-see like this: “the Sea Lion Caves are so, so strange, and weird, and wonderful. It’s a giant, stinky sea cave loaded with sea lions. It is noisy, and kitchy, and kind of weirdly worth it. It’s kind of expensive for a ticket, but one of those ‘must-do’ Oregon coast things.” I was ready! Unfortunately, I was there at the wrong time of year and there were no sea lions in the caves. It was a bit of a disappointment, but I will just have to go back and visit it another time.
Florence
Further south was Florence and its famous dunes. I liked Florence. There was a cute harbor with lots of shops and things to see. But sadly, it signaled the end my journey down the coast. I headed inland at that point, stopping briefly in Eugene before arriving back in Portland.
Overall, my road trip down the coast was a delight. I know there is still a lot more to see in both Oregon and its coast, but I feel like I got to see a good chunk of it on this first voyage. The best part is that I finally understand why people talk about the Oregon coast in such a dreamy voice.
A Conclusion to Three Days on the Oregon Coast
As a couple of part-time travelers, we can highly recommend road tripping in Oregon. Even three days on the Oregon coast is well worth your time to see and explore this beautiful part of the world. Hopefully, the tips above will help you with your own epic road trip itinerary.
Related posts you might like:
- Five things to love about Portland, Oregon
- 10 Ideas for a girls’ weekend getaway
- Unique tips for your next road trip
- Elements of a good road trip
Or if you want to see all of our posts, visit Past Posts.
A Trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine
In our Poland Do’s and Don’ts post, we briefly mentioned visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mines (WSM). Some things deserve to be talked about a little more, so this post will describe the crazy cool time we had exploring 300 meters (imagine three football fields stacked …