Friday, August 10, 2012

San Francisco:part two

As we all know traveling with children can be fun and exhausting at the same time.  My husband and I have made it a point to show the boys as much as possible before they are out on their own.  They are confident travelers and appreciate a new experience when offered to them.
The last few year that we have vacationed we stepped away from the hotel model and have rented through VRBO.  Renting a home offers us the space that we all need at the end of a long day exploring.
 Last year, when we traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming we were lucky enough to find a beautiful home overlooking the town of Jackson.
 This year, we immersed the boys into city living by renting a two level apartment right in the middle of San Francisco.  Again, the space and the privacy of their own room helped to eliminate the nastiness that can occur at the end of a long day.
 I'm always a bit nervous to send off the check or charge my credit card to someone I don't know.  But VRBO has a good advice page on being safe with the people you rent from. It's a good thing to always try to speak to the owners on the phone first to make sure they are legitimate. 
 Unfortunately, we ended up in a hotel for the last two nights of our trip because of scheduling.  And, as always, even with having connecting rooms, the hotel demons were out and the sharing of a room did not go as nicely as our stay in the apartment.  What is it, with kids and hotels?
So, if you are planning a trip soon, check out this alternative to hotel stays.  I think you might be pleasantly surprised!


5 comments:

Holli said...

Wonderful, Jane!

MadMad said...

Wow - that's a gorgeous home! Do you have to exchange yours at some point with people? That part would give me pause, I suppose. And I guess I'm weird, too, in that I LOVE hotels. Love the doormen, love the anonymity of it, love someone else bringing me towels, love not having to clean a thing!

fjord girl said...

Oh this is just too wonderful Jane- I hope you have a wonderful time in SF- and awesome are you and hubby for showing your kids the world!

Denise | Chez Danisse said...

Ha! You were in my fine city while I was just about an hour north. Looks like you had fun. Excellent!

Rachel said...

I was going to ask in the last comment how the dynamic between boys went on this trip! Sounds like you are learning how to ease the tension on these trips! Whenever we go to the Oregon coast, we always rent a small place with VRBO and so far have always had the best of luck! I just never thought you could do that in a city as well!

well, hello there...

 I thought I might start writing again.  Not sure what I will want to talk about.  The guys have their own lives and are making...