I live, write, and garden in the PNW with my husband of 28 years, disabled daughter, adult son, and my 84-year-old mother. We have paid off $250,000.00 worth of debt (if you include the interest) in the last fifteen years and as of 6/12/2020 are 100% DEBT FREE!!!!DH and I have been trying to plan a vacation for this summer to Victoria, but I don't think it is going to happen. The round trip ferry costs $150, and a four night stay in a hotel with a kitchen and 3 beds that also has a pool is $820. So that is $970 before we even do anything on the Island. We would have brought any food over the border that was allowed and purchased what else was needed at the grocery that is between the ferry port and the hotel. But just keeping it to 4 touristy things we want to do and one meal out per day, that's at least another $500. Okay, that is Canadian money but the exchange is a lot stronger than it used to be, only about 10% difference now.
In the past, we would have just put it on the credit card and worried about it later, or robbed whatever little savings we might have had and put the rest still on the credit card. But we won't do that now.
Fortunately, there is a compromise. We can still go to the Island, just not during the summer. My parents have a travel club (not a timeshare) membership and one of the places they have condos is in Victoria. Well, if we wait until November, the kids will have 3 days off from school plus the weekend, and DH's schedule works out that he will be home then. It won't matter that it is Thanksgiving up in Canada, so nothing will be closed that might be closed here in the states.
So that will be free lodging and we will still bring as much food over the border as we can. So then we will only need to come up with the ferry fee and the money to do the four things we want to do and then a few meals out. That we can handle.
And my mother will also reserve the condo again for us next summer so we can truly have a "summer" vacation during the right season.
Late Summer Vacation
July 24th, 2006 at 03:36 am
July 24th, 2006 at 03:48 am 1153712917
Downside - must pay in advance and you only find out the hotel afterwards (you select a grade of hotel in a certain area).
We just booked 4 nights next week for $64 each in downtown williamsburg VA. Significantly cheaper than we'd have got by booking ourselves. We aren't anyplace fancy but that's okay with us!
July 24th, 2006 at 05:07 am 1153717620
Hope you know that you'll need passports even for Canada come 2007. So much for a free trade zone.
July 24th, 2006 at 12:27 pm 1153744044
July 24th, 2006 at 03:09 pm 1153753785
July 25th, 2006 at 01:02 am 1153789373
No, we won't be passing through Seattle, we live 12 miles from the Canadian border. And yeah, we know the rules will change at year end. They've been different each time we've gone up over the last couple years, so we always call. We keep abreast of that stuff because we like to go to the Greater Vancouver Zoo, which despite its name is not in Vancouver, a lot as it is so close. A lot closer than Woodland Park Zoo and you can see the animals a lot better, also. DH is applying for his passport this August, I'll do mine the next month, and then the kids after that. Then we can spread out the cost but be sure of getting them in time for next year's planned trips.
Free trade? LOL. Yeah. I still chafe at showing my driver's license, let alone birth certificate, when we used to just be able to waltz across on our word that we were American citizens. But, we've had a couple bomb scares and one real bomb at the border over the last few years, so I know its a trade off. At least nothing blew up. And that's really what its all about.
January 4th, 2007 at 04:45 am 1167885957