2024 Travel Plans?

I generally have to fly coach for work, but flights more than 8 hours can be flown in business. I caught an economy-plus seat to Japan for less than the typical coach fare, which was a no-brainer. I did catch a free upgrade to Delta One once on my way to Shanghai--that was awfully nice, but I still can't bring myself to pay for it even with the University's money.

I always fly peasant class. 6'2 but economy aisle seats do the trick. Don't have any flights longer than 10 hours on our current planned destinations but that list is somewhat flexible. Still take long car trips.

I fly in whatever feels right at the time I book, which often reflects poor judgement. I'm even worse about hotels. You don't wanna know what my hotel in DC cost this weekend. But I'll labor over the cost of a burrito.

Yeah, I always found it so disjointed that after I signed for my house (in probably the worst market in the country), I went to McDonalds and ordered from the dollar menu. One of those irrationalities that I can’t wrap my head around.

I think it makes perfect sense that things like that happen. A house is your biggest purchase of your life but also goes under the heading “necessity”. It’s an investment. It’s security for your kids, your family. So on. Fast food is not.
At the same time I can still hear my dad say things like “Why spend time and money at McDonalds when you can go home and fry an egg?”

That makes sense to me in terms of economics. House is an investment. Food isn't. And understanding that you have kids approaching high cost years in the relative near term, it makes more sense.

***RCMAC beat me to it. Interesting that I read an article recently that eating out has become something of a luxury. That concept is a big change from when I was a kid. And we still don't eat out very often.

The disjunction comes from the fact that I probably could have spent a few extra hours negotiating $5k or so on the price of the house (which is basically negotiating pennies) and eaten whatever the hell I want at McDonalds for the rest of my life (health and grossness aside).

I spend hours learning the hacks of Disney, but I’m pretty sure if I spent that time to learn investing or real estate, I could afford VIP tours when I go instead. Obviously I enjoy one and not the other, but it’s still weird.

I can totally relate to all of that. But I have the weird separation in reality around "discretionary" expenses that isn't logical at all. As I mentioned, we were in DC this weekend. We stayed at a fairly premium hotel with arguably the best possible location, and paid dearly for it. But I just about freaked out when the three of us bought a meal at Shake Shack across the street and it cost $60. The night before, we met up with a friend and racked up a $200+ bar tab, without blinking an eye. But I hesitated at the cost of the Spy museum ($140 for three of us, but totally worth it), because I compared it to the free Smithsonian museums and even the White House tour (easily my favorite thing of the trip).

Bringing it back, premium queueing at amusement parks sits somewhere in between. It often feels more like a necessary evil. And that's from someone who has done the Disney VIP thing. Twice. It's interesting how we value and rationalize things.

LostKause:

Mom wants to visit a cousin in Atlanta, so maybe I'll get to SFoGA this year. Not planned yet.

A visit to ArieForce One is a worthwhile side quest. It's a hitter if you like RMCs.

I hear Knoebel's is near there, too.

King's Island in May (Ace Spring Con) and Knoebels in the fall. There will also be a trip to CP sometime this summer.

-Tina

I went to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Colonial Williamsburg a few weeks ago. If you've never been to Colonial Williamsburg, it's worth a visit. I've been there three times in my life, and it is one of my favorite attractions ever. It's like the most immersive theme park of all time, minus the rides.

BGW was fun, but extremely expensive once in the park. Everyone raves about Trappers Smokehouse, but $32 for cold fries and chicken on the bone (with a drink)? And Festhaus wasn't any better. The cold pizza was tasteless, and not worth the $28 (with a drink). And anytime you want a bottle of Poweraid, you'll shell out $9. At least the park was slow, and each train went out only half full.

Mom was having a bad week, so I took her to Nashville this weekend. We saw The Grand Ole Opry and went sightseeing in Gonch's neighborhood. Parking in downtown Nashville was about $50, and you were forced to pay by phone, which irritated me a lot. But food was reasonably priced everywhere, and pretty good. This trip was worth the money because it was very fun. (...and if you pull the string on my back, one of my sayings is, "I don't even LIKE country music.")

And next week, I'm taking Mom to North Myrtle Beach to meet up with my cousin and her husband. Swamp Fox Roller coaster, here I come! It was closed last time I was in Myrtle Beach, 34 years ago. I plan on taking it easy when at the beach. I might stop at Carowinds on the drive down.

I usually can't afford stuff like this so close together, but I've been getting bonuses from work lately, and the beach condo is already paid for. I really don't know where I will travel to after the beach, but I'm sure my Cedar Fair pass is going to get some use. Maybe CP later this summer for TT2? I've been wanting to spend a whole day at a water park lately, so maybe Kings Island's water park?

I do know I need to slow down.

Wife and I are actually heading to Colonial Williamsburg next weekend (the 10th through the 12th) for our 20th anniversary. I haven't been since I was a kid. I remember liking it but will probably appreciate it more since I actually enjoy learning about American history now.

LostKause:

And next week, I'm taking Mom to North Myrtle Beach to meet up with my cousin and her husband. Swamp Fox Roller coaster, here I come!

Don't forget about the Hamster Wheel coaster and the Myrtle Turtle if you're chasing credits. Edit: Looks like yet another Spinning coaster at a Go-Kart place a few miles NE. The Hamster Wheel was actually pretty fun though it did give some Arrow-style head banging around the corners.

I do a lot of fake things (theme parks, movies, etc) and Colonial Williamsburg blew me away because it’s real. The history of how it was “discovered” and brought back to life is fascinating, and it’s a continuous work in progress. Reverend William Goodman got the idea for restoration in 1907 and in ‘24 approached John D Rockefeller for sponsorship. John D spent several years secretly buying up properties through the Reverend so the residents were unaware and wouldn’t raise prices. (Did Walt Disney take a page out of that book?) It’s also still a real town with residents who are bound to follow strict rules if they live there. (Proper window coverings, no tv visible to the street, no trash cans, and yards and gardens that are compliant to the period)
I just love it there- a visit tops Busch Gardens for me and I wish I was closer. Access to the huge historic district is free and you can stroll all day. There’s an annual ticket to the interiors that’s good for a year and frequent visitors can see the place through all of the seasons.
There. The more you know….

I just like to people watch from Precarious Beer Project’s patio.

Vater:

for our 20th anniversary.

My wife and I did our 30th there last October. We both really enjoy that place. Especially when we are not hauling kids around!

Williamsburg is one of my favorite places to visit because of CW. In addition to touring the buildings, their historical reinactors are amazing, the colonial VIPs (Wasgingtons, Jefferson, Madison, Henry, Marquis) are incredibly passionate knowledgable and can put on a hell of a good stump speech, but it stretches beyond them, the craftsman who use colonial techniques are equally amazing and mesmerizing.

It’s also one hell of a deal to buy the BGW/CW/WUSA 7 day hopper that includes parking. Although I have a Allied Parks Pass because I visit other parks (and this also buy a CW annual pass as for 7 days that’s the cheapest option) I’m taking my parents this year who will have the hopper pass.

During my week there my days usually consist of opening Water Country and spending the majority of my time in the Hubba Hubba Highway vegging out before drying off, going back to the hotel to shower, hitting CW for their afternoon talks and then heading to BGW in time to see the last Celtic Fyre and do a coaster loop at twilight.