(Take a look at my newest look on The Modified Doctor Podcast the place we focus on discovering the fitting job as a doctor on the primary attempt which can prevent $175,000 and a number of complications.)
For the previous few winters we now have taken an RV journey to hotter climate in January through March. This 12 months we determined to go away our RV house and use timeshare trades. I strung collectively three back-to-back timeshares in Southern Texas: San Antonio, Austin, and Galveston.
The associated fee for commerce charges, RCI membership and upkeep charges got here to only beneath $1,200, or about $400 per week. One other instance dispelling the misperception that timeshares are costly. Staying at a Motel Six would have price extra.
Our largest miscalculation in regards to the journey was the temperature. We packed for Phoenix, Arizona, our standard vacation spot, however it felt like being in Anchorage, Alaska. Regardless of the colder than anticipated climate we had enjoyable. Right here is my recap of the journey.
San Antonio, Texas
We flew from Medford, Oregon to San Antonio, Texas. I made the error of reserving the early morning flight which meant the taxi picked us up at 3:15 AM. I have to cease reserving these foolish tremendous early flights that price me an evening of sleep. I’m retired and might fly anytime I would like, so why did I choose that point? As a result of it was cheaper! Previous habits are arduous to interrupt.
We arrived in San Antonio and picked up our rental automobile on the airport and plan to return it to the Houston airport after we fly house. Our timeshare was Membership Wyndham Riverside Suites, proper on the River Stroll loop.
Our room was not on the river aspect of the constructing, so we didn’t have a spectacular view, however we relaxed on their rooftop deck that missed the Riverwalk. We had a front room/kitchen combo with a toilet and a bed room. There was no health club or pool on website so we had entry to their sister property a few quarter mile away that had these facilities, however we didn’t use them.
We beloved strolling alongside the gorgeous Riverwalk each day. Our location was half a mile from the live performance venue, the Tower of the Americas, the grocery retailer and lots of sightseeing spots. We truly by no means took the automobile out of the parking storage and in hindsight, we may have saved per week of automobile rental and parking charges.
We made our personal breakfast every morning in our kitchen. Then we’d eat out someplace shut by each afternoon. One night we ate simply after sundown on the Chart Home, which is a revolving restaurant on high of the Tower of the Americas about 700 ft excessive. It was a lovely setting to see the lights of San Antonio. We additionally dined at Landry’s Seafood Home, twice on the Iron Cactus Mexican Restaurant, Paesanos Italian, and at La Margarita Mexican Restaurant. All these meals have been unbelievable.
Someday I received up early to have breakfast with a buddy from the San Antonio space. We ate at The Guenther Home which is a lovely historic house and museum. The environment was good, however the meals was not.
Whereas in San Antonio we noticed the Tower of the Americas, The Alamo, San Fernando Cathedral, the Spanish Governor’s Palace, the Historic Market Sq., La Villita Historic Village, a Pink Martini live performance, we took the hop on hop off bus tour, the river stroll boat tour, and we spent many hours strolling the river stroll.
The temperature was not the 70 levels and sunny we anticipated, however we loved our time in San Antonio none the much less. Once I walked 1.2 miles to breakfast the temperature was 37 levels, burr.
Austin, Texas
We selected to go to Austin on a buddy’s advice for an enormous metropolis expertise within the stay music capital of Texas. We drove 80 miles to WorldMark Austin, positioned downtown close to the capital constructing with a typical huge metropolis parking storage which was $30 an evening with out and in privileges.
The timeshare was about 20 tales tall with our unit on the 8th flooring. We had a kitchen, front room, toilet and bed room. This unit additionally had a washer and dryer, permitting us to do our laundry with out leaving our unit. Planning on doing laundry in the course of a protracted journey cuts down on the quantity of bags wanted. Our mixed baggage consisted of 1 checked bag, two carry-on baggage and our lap high computer systems as a private merchandise. There was a rooftop pool that was closed for building, however it was too chilly to make use of anyway. In addition they had a pleasant health club out there.
We spent our first day in close by Georgetown assembly up with some associates. We had brunch on the Monument Café (which was nice and very talked-about), and dinner at El Monumento Mexican restaurant (additionally nice) after a stroll within the Blue Gap Park. The city sq. was voted the very best city sq. in Texas, however I used to be not as impressed because the Texans who voted.
On Sunday we had a pleasant brunch at Walton’s, which I’m instructed is owned by Sandra Bullock. After a visit to the grocery retailer, we returned to our room to attend our house church’s on-line service. We spent the remainder of the day enjoyable and watching motion pictures.
Monday was the beginning of a chilly spell, with temperatures round 32 levels and a wind-chill issue of 23 levels. We spent the day within the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library. I really like visiting presidential libraries and we now have been to a number of. We then had dinner at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. I’m allergic to shrimp and nearly each merchandise on the menu contained shrimp, however I used to be capable of finding an excellent selection with out shrimp.
This present day turned out to be our closing journey in Austin. That night time an ice storm hit Texas shutting down the town. The temperature dropped beneath freezing for 67 hours in Austin whereas it continued to rain, so the city become a large icicle. We had a lovely view out our eighth-floor window with ice hanging from the powerlines and all of the bushes have been frosted with ice.
This storm shut down all the pieces. Colleges and companies have been closed, and the authorities have been asking everybody to remain house and never be out on the icy streets. For the following three days we didn’t even depart our room. Fortunately, we had gone grocery buying and our kitchen was stocked with meals. We have been additionally fortunate to not be one of many 140,000 individuals in Austin who misplaced energy, principally attributable to bushes falling on powerlines.
By the point the roads have been thawed it was Friday and time for us to maneuver to our closing city. We had a number of different issues deliberate to do in Austin, all of which received canceled by the storm.
Galveston, Texas
We left Austin for a four-hour drive to Galveston. Alongside the way in which we listened to an audio e-book from our library. After we have been near our vacation spot we stopped for lunch at a Japanese restaurant, went grocery buying, and stuffed the fuel tank. We wanted to get our provides earlier than reaching our seaside entrance timeshare which was half-hour away from any companies. This week was for enjoyable on the seaside.
We checked into the Peregrine Townhomes Timeshare at San Luis Go. This was a townhome on stilts with parking on the primary degree, the lounge, kitchen, eating room, and toilet on the second degree and two bedrooms and one other bathtub on the third degree. Every degree had a deck on either side, so we had 4 decks overlooking the ocean.
The power had a pool and a laundry room. We may stroll proper out onto the seaside which stretched so far as we may see in each instructions. Lastly, we received the climate we have been looking for with blue skies and temperatures within the 60s and 70s.
The following day we drove into Galveston and walked by way of the historic Strand district, which has a number of stunning buildings constructed earlier than the civil warfare. Throughout our stroll we stopped for ice cream and located a Christmas tree decoration to characterize the journey in one of many many outlets we visited. We purchase an decoration on each journey and reminisce about our travels after we beautify our tree yearly.
We then met some associates for dinner at Gaido’s seafood restaurant which is over 100 years previous. The meals was fabulous and the corporate even higher.
Sunday we spent watching our house church service, strolling the seaside, watching motion pictures and studying books.
Monday we went again into Galveston and toured the Ocean Star Offshore Oil Drilling Rig and museum. Very fascinating and extremely beneficial. Afterward we ate subsequent door at Katie’s Seafood Home. Their seafood nachos are fabulous. The following few days have been spent enjoyable on the timeshare studying, writing and strolling on the seaside.
Certainly one of our seaside walks was particularly fascinating. We came across the Blue Water Grill and thought it is likely to be good to drop in for a snack and use the restroom. After a terrific meal of fish tacos and a margarita, the invoice got here. That’s after I realized I didn’t have my pockets on this seaside stroll. Carolyn didn’t have any cash along with her both.
We defined our predicament to the waitress who instructed us we weren’t the primary to do that. She allow us to go and requested us to name her and pay over the telephone after we received again to the timeshare. She didn’t even ask for our names. It was embarrassing to stay out a scene from a sit com the place after consuming a pleasant dinner you understand you don’t have any cash to pay the invoice. Glad we didn’t have to clean dishes.
Our closing day was spent packing, driving two hours to Houston, and catching our aircraft house. This time we had a day flight, so we received a standard night time’s sleep earlier than going house.
One factor we did nearly each day through the journey was train to the DVDs for P90X, my favourite exercise routine. We introduced bands for the resistance coaching. We additionally attended church companies on-line each Sunday, wrote blogs, learn books, and listened to audio books after we walked and drove.
All in all, it was one other completely satisfied timeshare journey for us completely satisfied timeshare homeowners. Examine why I really feel timeshares are probably the greatest and most cheap methods to journey in my e-book A Information to Loving Your Timeshare. You’ll simply perceive why I’m one of many hundreds of thousands of completely satisfied timeshare homeowners touring all around the world. Hoping to satisfy you all on my travels sometime.
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