cost of weekend get aways

So maybe I am just getting old, or maybe with kids and jobs it has been so long that the cost has just snuck up on me. But my wife and I have started looking at once a month going somewhere in GA, TN, SC, or NC and just spending Friday and Saturday in a nice area.

just a simple weekend get away.

Asheville

Ellijay

Helen

Uncio State Park

Pisgah Inn

Blue Ridge

Fontanna Dam

GatlinBerg

etc. etc. etc.

But in general most room rates are 175.00 - 250.00 per night. Just seems way to much for just two people wanting to spend a weekend away. I am not a vacation shopper, I am sure there are cheap alternatives I do not know about, but if I just go to kayak or expedia etc. and put in those type of towns the room cost is almost always 400.00 - 500.00 for the two night stay. By time you drive there, eat two nice dinners, and even just walk around, you have 800.00 - 1,000.00 invested in a weekend.

YIKES

Is it just that I need to become a hobby travel agent :-) to find reasonable weekend events to attend.

If Anyone does monthly or bi-monthly weekend get away and can give me some tips it would be greatly appreciated.

Just as a start, we were going to try Uncicoi State Park. so far best I can find is around 500.00 for the two night of 10/5 and 10/6

Have you looked at Airbnb? I have often found houses for the price of a “decent” room (like what you're looking at - my standards abd budget are lower and I frequent motel 6 and the like), and if you're willing to rent a room instead of a whole house you can cut that price in third some times.

For instance, google motels on Long Island - say, near Huntington. Our friends there rent out a two bedroom cottage in their backyard there - goes for $120 a night and you've got a kitchen, private off street parking and a nice backyard to sit in if you like.

A basic motel room there will be somewhere between more than that and a LOT more...

You are not alone in sensing Motel prices went up a LOT in the past couple years! I have seen a bit of compromise in the past few months on that. But that could just be good luck and shopping at the right time.

Let's just say that where I stay when travelling alone on the bike is quite different from where I stay when the Wife and I are traveling. Her standards are different from mine........

If you can book 2-3 months ahead it makes a lot of difference. If you stay in Motels quite a bit, getting on that parent companies bonus program can net some substantial savings too.

agreed about my needs when traveling vs. OUR needs when traveling with wife :-)

A friend of mine that I ride track with uses AirBnB almost exclusively. He is showing me the ropes :-)

Are you saying that Cathie won't stay in the bike trailer even after all the work you put into it.

Actually it is getting pretty nice, but still a NO :-) now this winter I am looking at selling the enclosed trailer and getting true toy hauler/RV. Then it might be different.

We've bought an all aluminum small trailer that is an airconditioned enclosed area with windows and dorrs.

Camping is a lot easier and more comfortable.

Le$$ than rooms.

We have points reward cards that give free rooms when traveling if we want that.

Yes that is my future as well. right now I have a 24' enclosed trailer for my track bike. A little to rough for my wife, but we do not need big and fancy either. This winter I am looking at used 2010 - 2012 26-28' toy haulers. something were the bikes can be separate from the living area. but still pulled by my 2500 Dodge ram diesel.

what I have been most surprised by, is the cost to rent class C RV's. Even at a 175.00 per night motel room cost, a Class C rental is TWICE that. I was thinking/hoping it would be the same if not maybe slightly cheaper than a motel room. I know lots of people rent one to "check it out" and determine if they want to buy one. But for using as an alternative to moteling, does not seem to add up.

RV's, be it C, Diesel pushers, or pull campers, don't save any money over hotels. The cost to park them in an RV park has gone up like Hotels for the most part.

What you gain with the motorhomes is independence. Want your dog and cat with you? No problem. Want all your clothes to stay in one place. Want to fart in your own bathroom? Good to go......

.....RV's, be it C, Diesel pushers, or pull campers......

 

Want to fart in your own bathroom? Good to go......

I think Randy is going to join many of us and will be FARTing in Dillard next week. Umm, I guess that qualifies as a Pusher?

RV's, be it C, Diesel pushers, or pull campers, don't save any money over hotels. The cost to park them in an RV park has gone up like Hotels for the most part.

 

What you gain with the motorhomes is independence. Want your dog and cat with you? No problem. Want all your clothes to stay in one place. Want to fart in your own bathroom? Good to go......

All I wanted to do was FART in GA!

Bud - we'll send a collective breeze your way! You'll be missed my friend.

Every year I plan to Fart in Georgia. Something always gets in the way.....

Does Sharting count.......

While it is true the KOA costs have gone up, and many independent RV sites close to major towns or events have as well, think the UN this year, what is still reasonable are the "off the grid" RV parks. As I plan on having a toy hauler and carrying my street bike and my 450 dual sport, staying a few miles from the main area is reasonable for me.

A couple of items make the RV route more cost effective. First and foremost (good/bad) you eat your meals in the RV. This is so MUCH cheaper than dinning out. Next at this time I find most RV daily rates are around 25.00 per night cheaper than the motel. So if you have say a 6 night stay 8 times a year that can add up. And more and more parks are including cable with the hook up costs. Also many RV parks discount their Monday - Thursday rate a lot more than motels do.

But as noted if you take into consideration the up front costs of the RV, storage costs when not using the RV, and depreciation of the RV. Most times you break even at best.

But if I can break even and in return I get a nice RV that I can call home away from home, and have my own food, linen's, towels, etc then I find that convenience to be worth the RV effort.

And in general for the places I want to go, I find currently (it may change) more RV parking options than motel options.

Finally with AirBNB and other new options, the ability to rent the RV for specific events is attractive. If done according to IRS rules you can depreciate the cost of the RV on your taxes, and with that you can actually have a lower cost of ownership.

If you take the initial cost of the RV, upkeep, nightly rates, LP cost, generator fuel cost in some cases you are part way there. But then there is that truck you needed to buy to pull it. Wear and tear on it along with low fuel mileage while pullling it. It is work towing, not what I call relaxing.

One problem I am seeing in the past few years is that MANY of the RV places I have stayed at and see along the way are becoming nothing but Trailer Parks. Meaning full time residents. Much of that in certain areas are workers on pipeline jobs or construction. Seems that is MUCH more common than it was many years ago. But some of it is simply residents that stay there because it is cheaper than an apartment. Some of these I won't even consider staying in now.

I don't give up much in the way of conveniences with the RV I have. I enjoy going places and staying at interesting places. But cheaper it is not. Even with the smaller bumper pull rigs, which can be comfortable, the overall cost for occasional use is higher than staying in motels or BnB's.

Some things are just worth it anyway!