Originally Posted By Goofyernmost "Kidding aside, for some driving is not an option. It would take 3 days each way from Denver. DLR is a day and a half, which is still a long drive (plus multiday drives require hotels, meals and you burn precious vacation days just driving). Sure you can cook, but then you need a kitchenette, which implies a suite, which are pricier. Plus who wants to cook while on vacation? (I guess you could stock up on frozen dinners)." What's wrong with that. I have driven many times, with the family, from Vermont. Even though it could be done in two days, I prefer to arrive in an out of coma condition, so I usually took three days. It afforded an opportunity for everyone to see parts of the country that are not visible from the air and also allowed us to control expenses. I started doing that 23 years ago and can you believe it, I can still find clean, decent hotel rooms for less than $35.00 per night. Having meals at buffets, Denny's, Mcdonalds, Burger King and the like, makes meals affordable and we still have been able to spend a lot of time in the parks soaking in the Magic instead of having it drain all our resources. Is it as much fun as staying on site? I don't have a clue because I have never done that and I don't intend too. I have done these trips, which included 5 and a half days on the road and 5 days at WDW, Universal, Kennedy Space Center, Cypress Gardens, Sunken Gardens, Silver Springs, Daytona Beach and an occasional overnight and day in Washington. All for less than $2500.00. It can be done. It takes planning and a willingness not to buy everything one sees. Agreed, tickets are no where near as cheap as they were in the 80's but what is? My salary was no where near as high then as it is now either. I just bought one of those 10 day, park hopper, no expiration tickets and it amounts to $40.00 per day, damn cheap entertainment if you ask me and that is even taking into consideration parking fee's. It will take me at least two years or more to use it up but I consider it a good investment, vacation wise!
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I can remember one trip at Walt Disney World in early March sitting in the hottub at POR. The place was filled with people from New Orleans and Texas and they all drove. I felt so guilty for flying from Atlanta ( we are only a 7 hour drive away from Orlando ). I am looking forward to this saturday. My flight leaves Atlanta by 8 am. Arrive in Orlando 45 minutes later. By 10 - 10:30 I should be in the parks.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <True. Right now we are busy halping the Orthodondist pay for his 7 series BMW. < Wait until the college bills comes.....a whole other range of expense - beyond belief.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Kidding aside, for some driving is not an option. It would take 3 days each way from Denver. DLR is a day and a half, which is still a long drive (plus multiday drives require hotels, meals and you burn precious vacation days just driving). < I've driven from Chicago to L.A. twice in the last 10 years .....so not that it's not an option, it just may not be one people are willing to deal with.....
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>What's wrong with that. I have driven many times, with the family, from Vermont. Even though it could be done in two days, I prefer to arrive in an out of coma condition, so I usually took three days.<< Thats a total of 6 days lost traveling. I don't know how many vacation days you get per year, but for many people that's about half of what they get. I currently get 15 days a year, and I would hate to waste 6 of them on the road. I would rather go less often, but fly.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 goofyernmost -- I agree completely....we have seen many wonderful things on our driving trips and now the family prefers to drive if we can......there are a lot of amazing places in America -- from 30,000 feet they all look the same. Sometimes time dictates flying...agreed, but take some time to see this country....and the kids ( and adults) may just learn something along the way.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>Wait until the college bills comes.....a whole other range of expense - beyond belief.<< Fortunately in Colorado the state schools are relatively cheap.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>goofyernmost -- I agree completely....we have seen many wonderful things on our driving trips and now the family prefers to drive if we can<< I would take the train if it went more places and Pullman rooms were always available (and if I had the time). A lot more relaxing than driving. But it can cost more than flying!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Books are $1000 per semester -- ( unreal but true) - and even if state schools are cheap -- room and board is another matter. btw -- state schools here range from $6K to $9K tuition -- what about in Colorado ? now on the other hand - my alma mater is now $43,000 per year -- what a deal huh ?
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^ CU and CSU are about 4K per year tuition. I finished my MBA last year at CSU and never had to spend more than $150 a semester on books. A lot of text books are now published in Asia (India, Singapore, etc.) and there are plenty of people selling them on ebay and Amazon for a fraction of what US versions cost. Used books can be found pretty cheap on Amazon as well, for much less than the college bookstore charges. My finance book cost about $35 (new) vs. $150. I was able to find international versions for just about every class. The funny thing is that these books are all boldly stamped with "Not for sale in the US". Like that's going to stop anyone. I seem to recall that some court ruled that the publishers cannot legally keep these books out of the US.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>College is free in Georgia.<< They used to say that in California. Tuition was $0. Of course, there were tons of "fees".
Originally Posted By vbdad55 The problem is getting the versions you need -- we have been able to get some books -- also some sellers on ebay do not have any express shipment and we waited 8 weeks for one book -- ended up buying another anyway. At many private schools, the texts are written by faculty -- nowhere else to find. also you don;t carry 18 hours pursuing an MBA, unless you were a full time student -- my daughter has 6 full time classes per semester so that she can graduate on time. And I am not meaning to complain, as many know here she is on a full athletic ride -- so I only pay fees, and a nominal R&B charge not covered because we didn;t qualify for assistance......however since she is in education, she needs a car to student teach -- no schools are close enough to walk / public transport to -- and with athletic schedule, many times cafeteria is closed by the time she gets out ( 3 hrs /day practices in season plus travelling) -- so it adds up quickly So Georgia & Georgia tech are free ? No fees ? I remember in California I believe there was like a $2500 residence fee per yer -- if I remember right..... Which is why they kill out of state students on tuition
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^I hear you. There are plenty of extra costs: dorms, meal cards, etc. We are lucky in that we have 3 state universities that are within commuting distance (not count Community Colleges). Plus our kids attended Parrochial school, so we are already kind of used to the cost.
Originally Posted By Labuda <-- feels the need to point out she had a full ride including all fees, room, board, and cash for books that was always a couple hundre more than I ever needed. hehe
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>The problem is getting the versions you need -- we have been able to get some books -- also some sellers on ebay do not have any express shipment and we waited 8 weeks for one book -- ended up buying another anyway.<< True, your mileage may vary. All of my overseas shipments arrived via FedEx or similar within a week. It did help that the B-School would tell us in advance (2 months) which books to buy.
Originally Posted By Kylesmom I once bought a book online, and by the time they told me they no longer had copies it was sold out of the campus book store and I couldn't find it any where in town. That class was a little tough without the book since all the homework came from it.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>I can remember one trip at Walt Disney World in early March sitting in the hottub at POR. The place was filled with people from New Orleans and Texas and they all drove.<< There was a time we used to do that (drive), but factoring in gas, hotels, meals and wear and tear on the car it didn't seem to be worth the savings when $200 RT's are available. Of course its easy to ignore the "invisible" wear and tear costs incurred on a 3000-4000 road trip. Plus, there are few things more anti-climatic than a long, dull multiday drive home after a Disney vacation. Even the relatively short drive from LA to Denver felt eternal.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <<-- feels the need to point out she had a full ride including all fees, room, board, and cash for books that was always a couple hundre more than I ever needed. hehe< only because many people here know and I don;t want someone telling me I am whining about costs when I don;t foot the whole thing
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I may have missed that point - but if it was I get fleeced for more book money than needed -- well that WAS the case I am sure the first year-- but then Dad got wise -- I have the book store call me when she gets to the checkout and reads me off the list and I pay over the phone to them..... It was a good scam for a while -- and I am very generous to her to begin with -- so I ended that one....but she got me good up front. Labuda if you are saying you did that also --- you know your parents eventually knew-- they just took care of business
