A month or so ago I decided I would take a vacation once we got caregivers hired and settled. That's happened, so this morning I really started looking and pricing 3 to 6 day getaways.
Here were/are my parameters:
- Someplace with nice views close by where I can relax and read. View of rocky beach or creek or trees or sandy beach or something like that. View of mountain from down in a valley doesn't qualify. View of garden does not qualify.
- Does not require passport to get to/return from. Canada okay if it's driving distance. (Passport might arrive any day, but don't want to count on it.)
- Good food. Not overly seafood heavy.
- A few casual things to do nearby like hiking or canoeing. Perhaps a local museum or something like that. Anything labeled extreme or adventure does not qualify.
- Far enough away and different enough so that it feels like I am getting away. Also, within a half-day of travel.
- Decently comfortable rooms. Prefer to have balcony.
- Doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Expensive is fine, but outrageous is not.
Whistler and Tofino were at the top of my list. But finding accommodations has turned out to be a pain in the ass. Tofino because it is very high season and last minute. Whistler because everything reasonably priced seems to be a ski crash pad. Twin beds at best.
After searching fruitlessly for 5 or 6 hours there and in other locations and starting to just feel panicky (not really over the vacation, but it's all adding up), I decided to call a travel agent and let them guide me. Only the only real travel agency I could find in Bellingham dumped me into voice mail. So I gave up for the day.
I'll try again tomorrow and see what happens. It doesn't help that I have two events in the next month that seem to fall in the middle of whatever last minute deals I found on the web.
Bleah.
I probably will be heading to Seattle tomorrow. I doubt I'll have much free time, but I may pop in to 80s night. I'm not sure what I'm going to do Wednesday. Maybe head straight into a vacation. Maybe come back up here.