Have you ever used TripAdvisor? Check it out when you visit somewhere new. They have reviews of restaurants, hotels, and now vacation properties by travelers like you and me. I regularly write reviews of restaurants mainly to thank the good ones and occasionally to let fellow travelers know that the one with the “buzz” is a bust.
TripAdvisor Insighters asked me to do a survey about vacation properties. We have had very good luck with renting vacation homes, but we might not be their target demographic. See, we moved here for 3-6 months and have been living with another family’s furniture, artwork and silverware for … 21 months! Yes, we packed up everything we owned and put it in storage 1,500 miles away, took a few clothes, our laptops, food processor, PSIII and the dog and we’re here!
Our only shaky experience was an assignment for my husband for six weeks in Orem, UT. I couldn’t bear the thought of going out to eat three times a day and the company he was working for paid for me to go (and the dog). I saved them a ton of money by cooking at home but they made our lives miserable and there was no corporate housing so the nicest apartment complex in town cobbled together something with horrible rental furniture. It didn’t help that one of the largest companies in the world wouldn’t pay the rent, and my only computer access to pay bills and contact friends and family was the business office.
Since then we’re more expert in sussing out the best properties that meet our needs and save the company money. When we were in London it was $500/night for a hotel and probably $160 for what we paid, plus I made breakfast every day, lunch for me, and dinner 3-4 nights a week. In Scotland we had our favorite flat just off the main square. I had three groceries and walked to the drycleaner a couple of times a week to get my husband’s shirts done.
Out here in ski country, we have a lovely 2.5 bedroom, 3 bathroom home on a nature preserve. We take good care of it, and the owners enjoy having it occupied without advertising for tenants, interviewing them and renting for a ski weekend or week at a time.
Perhaps it’s because I’m a cook that I want some semblance of a kitchen. Restaurant meals are heavy, not to mention expensive. If we’re not going to spend a week somewhere, I’ll choose one of the newer Holiday Inn Express or other hotels that have replaced the mini-bar with a real (small) frig. I like having orange juice in the frig and perhaps cereal and milk and fruit before hitting the road or sightseeing. I especially appreciate hotel rooms with a small safe, where we can place our laptops, passports and other valuables before leaving for the day. Oh, yes, our ski home does have a safe in the guest bedroom, which we have yet to use.
Hope you enjoy our tales of travel and wonder. I think Jim’s car just pulled up in the snow and slush. We’re going out for dinner tonight. Cheers! Dee
Cooking with Dee 
I hope you got a glimpse of the lunar eclipse last night; I stumbled out at 3 AM to get the full benefit! Wanted to take some pic for Z but my camera wasn’t up to the task…
According to varied sources, this was the first time for full lunar eclipse to coincide w/the Winter Solstice in 372 – 476 yrs!
What lunar eclipse? I read about it and knew what time to look for it but we haven’t seen sky or stars for days, and most days we can’t even see the holiday lights across the preserve about 1/2 mile away because of the snow! Sorry we missed it. Guess I won’t be alive for the next one. Dee
I have spent a couple of hours on the phone and online with tripadvisor asking for permission, as a top contributor, to post relative posts on cities and countries. Finally getting them on the phone I was told to email tech support. I’ve quit being a contributor and this is an attempt to smear me by looking up all my posts that deal with tripadvisor. This Top Contributor says Adios, Sayonara, Adieu, Ciao, Goodbye and Hasta la Vista, Baby!