Take A Non-Traditional Approach To Lodging For Your Next Vacation

Trying to find a place to stay when you travel can be stressful. We found this out recently on our vacation to Washington DC. Not only did we have just a week to find lodging, but we also had a strict budget to follow.

So while I was taking the traditional route searching for hotel rooms, Rick was searching for rooms through Airbnb a website that brings travelers and private parties that have rooms, apartments, condos, or houses for rent. I had never heard of Airbnb before, but had heard of Homeaway and Couchsurfing.

While my hotel search was bringing up expensive rooms with an added parking fee of anywhere between $20 and $40 a day! Yikes! Rick came up with a few choices, an apartment right downtown, a room with private bath in the Georgetown area, and a room in a huge house in the suburb of New Carrollton. After contacting the apartment owner through email to no response, and the Georgetown listing disappearing. We took a close look at the bio of the New Carrollton house. Turned out they are a married couple whose children were all out of the house. So they had this huge house and all these bedrooms. She lived in London in the past and he is from Jamaica. They seemed well traveled so they could relate to the needs of the weary traveler.

We were able to read reviews from previous renters and see pictures. Our house had plenty of pictures, but no reviews. This was a little scary but we took a leap of faith and booked 2 rooms at $65 a piece. Plus the fee Airbnb tacked on. One room for Rick and I and one for Megan. We did not have a private bath, which ended up being absolutely no problem. Soon after booking our rooms online our host Ann Marie called to ask us questions. I found her incredibly friendly so I was put at ease. She had said this was a new thing for them and they had just listed their rooms.

When we arrived at their house the next weekend we found their house to be warm and comfortable. Our hosts were wonderful and very helpful. We work up every morning to a big breakfast to start out our day.

In the end it was a great experience! We drove to the metro stop, which was only a couple of miles away from the house, every morning. Parked and took the train into DC to see all the sights. We pretty much were gone all day and would come back later at night. The neighborhood was very quiet and safe.

Would we do it again? Absolutely! I would highly recommend this alternative to staying at the huge hotels which can be impersonal, very noisy, and uncomfortable. Just be sure to read the reviews and have a few places in mind in case one doesn't reply to your inquiry. So next time you are planning a vacation check out this alternative to the big box hotel chains! As I write this I am on Airbnb checking out places to stay in Paris!! Just to put on my wish list.......for now anyway






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Road Trip-Washington DC Part 2....Georgetown

Call me crazy, but I think my favorite part of the trip was walking the back streets of Georgetown. We arrived on Sunday immediately dropped our baggage at the BNB we were staying at in New Carrollton (after we met our most gracious hosts for the week Ann Marie and her husband Glen) and set out.

First we had to figure out the metro. This was gonna be interesting since I was the only one who new anything about riding public transportation. I did have an app on my android phone, which contained a map of the metro so this helped. The only experience I had was riding the Metra into Chicago and using the bus system there a couple times a year and briefly riding the subway in Paris last year.

We ended up figuring out the ticket machines found at every stop and purchase 3 reloadable paper cards to use in our entry and exit at every destination. Believe me I was thankful for our tour leader in Paris, Mike, because the lesson he gave us subway rookies at that time proved invaluable to me this time!

After purchasing our tickets that we used all week to get around, I had my trusty Streetwise laminated Washington DC map and away we went. Now this was a virgin experience for Rick and Megan. They were a little anxious about it and were depending on me to know what I was doing! Boy did I fool them! I knew two basic things-the last stop in the direction we were going and the stop we needed to get off at. I was not going to let them see that I was less than sure of myself.

Anyway we made it to the Foggy Bottom stop even after we needed to transfer to another train to get there. Success! We exited the stop and realized we could walk to Georgetown from there instead of taking the convenient DC Circulator bus. Our first stop in Georgetown was for lunch at the French bistro La Madeleine. Of course I would choose this place over say......Subway! Here I had a classic Croque Monsieur and split it with Rick.

I had just two things that I really wanted to do in Georgetown, go to the famous Georgetown Cupcakes and satisfy my sweet tooth, and see the townhouse JFK and Jackie lived in during the time he was a senator. My Frommers guidebook also suggested to walk the quaint back streets off Wisconsin Avenue for views of the beautiful townhouses and gardens. This had to have been my most favorite thing about the trip other than seeing the Inaugural Gowns of the First Ladies at the American History Museum.



I have to say I am a sucker for a colorful front door and Georgetown was LOADED with them. The beautiful gardens in front of these homes were magnificent and lush unlike the drought stricken gardens of home.












By this time we had had enough of walking in the sweltering heat so I had to find Georgetown Cupcake next. When we approached the street it was on from the back we notice a tell-tale line up of people waiting for something. Yes, this had to be it. I was told to expect a line out the door.



Rick and Megan thought I finally was hit with heat stroke and said I was crazy, but this was on my list of must do's and I took my place in line. I have never shied away from a long line be it in Chicago for Garretts popcorn or waiting in line for tickets to get in somewhere. Lines do not scare me! They took off and left me standing in line by myself. I knew the closer I got to the door they'd be back, because curiosity would get the better of them. Sure enough after snagging a menu from someone (they pass out menus at the door so you can decide what you want before) and waiting for about 20 minutes my fellow travelers took my side with me! Might I add that even if you decide what you want before you get in the store, be prepared to change your mind when you actually enter and see all those cupcakes on display. I decided on Lava Fudge BTW! We ate our cupcakes which were very yummy!

After that I knew Rick and Megan had had enough and even though I could have wondered around for longer it was time to head back to our home away from home for the week.

We strolled up Wisconsin Avenue looking in the shop windows when I came upon a shoe shop. Something very interesting caught my eye!! These have to be one of the most unusual pair of shoes I have ever seen for real and not in pictures. I wanted to walk right into that shop and touch them- they were so cool. Maybe only for actually keeping on your feet a few seconds but imagine the statement I'd make wearing these puppies!!





Would you wear these??

Enough of shoes already! We made our way up the avenue and since no one wanted to walk anymore, we caught up with the Circulator to catch our metro stop at Foggy Bottom and back to our College Park stop where we parked the van everyday to catch the metro for a new adventure! That was it for day one of our DC trip. Even though my family didn't think much of Georgetown, I sure did!

Still more to come........