Share your secrets...

You don't know E.G.'s family. Actually, I love 'em to death -- his grandma is who I want to be when I grow up. And they're quite laid-back and fun to be with. But yeah, a gal has limits.

. . . however, once you get your best rate and a confirmation number, do not show up with a handful AARP, AAA cards, and the like. You've probably already gotten the best deal available.

Confirmation number. Another little nugget. Thanks.

OK another question -- what time interval in advance would be best? It will be in less than a month -- should we get things nailed down asap, or wait until ____, or...?

sozobe, high season starts in that area at the beginning of June and there's a lot of traffic down 1-29. If you have something in mind, book it, get a confirmation #, as Roger says, and if something better comes along you can cancel, making sure you get a cancellation #.

Where will your little one sleep? With you or do you need a cot?

Boy, I sure did detest staying in hotels/motels when my kids were small! We always tried to find ones that had a microwave, a fridge and a coin laundry.

We will be sleeping and sleeping only in the hotel, probably -- all of the meals will be at GG's (great grandma, pronounced Gigi) house. So not too worried about that. We stayed in a hotel when we went to Minneapolis recently and that was a big hit with the sozlet. She loved all of the amenities. She's a little Eloise given half a chance.

Good point about high season. Since it seems as though the hotel industry is hurting, in general, though, would it work better if they aren't getting the business they hope for and are more desperate? Or is that leaving too much to chance?

I wouldn't count on it, but I don't know anything in particular about the industry. Just thinking that a lot of people might be choosing to go to closer, less exotic locations (such as, I s'pose, Iowa) in the present economic and political climate.

We could always make reservations now and then look around later, too, right? Or are you pretty much stuck once you have a confirmation number?

A perk of E.G.'s occupation is that he is often traveling to give talks, and we tag along occasionally. The Universities involved pick up the tab, so we haven't had to do any comparison shopping for hotels in... um... I'm not entirely sure we EVER have.

yeah, i'm one of those people who have to arrange this stuff for people like you. check with the hotel about their cancellation policy -- most require 24 hours notice, but some need 48. you can even try the same place as two different people, if need be, if you've got cards available that show different names (does e.g. have one whose billing address is the university?).

Just saw your post, patiodog -- good point. X number of people rather than 2X may decide to go on vacations this year, because of the bad economy et al, but those that do go are probably more likely to stay stateside for the same reasons.

Ouch!

Good advice, tho.

't'saright. it seems very expensive, espeically in a time of budget cuts and layoffs, but most of the money we shell out for people comes from a fund that wouldn't exist for any other reason -- companies like Merck dole it out for PR purposes.

sozobe ~ something else you might want to look into are 'Mom and Pop' type motels ~ privately owned.....not a franchise. Whatever city you are traveling to should have a chamber of commerce that you can contact for local-owned business'. We have a dozen or more here in Cocoa Beach and all of them wave their no vacancy sign constantly.

Roger is right ~ book now! And make sure you take note of the cancellation policy. (I'll PM you about a little secret there.....)

Oh goody!

You guys are the best.

Even guilt-inducing doggies.

Sioux City is on our route south. I can tell you from experience, having overnighted on the way through, that the hotels/motels in Sioux City, Sioux Falls, that part of I-29 are busy in the summer. In a lot of the chains, the cancellation is as late as 4:00 or 6:00 p.m. on the date of arrival.

Our kids loved motels too. It was Mom and Dad who found it was too much togetherness.

So, we're staying at GG's house. With whoknowshowmany other people. We just couldn't afford to fly and stay in a hotel, and the thought of driving for at least 8 hours each way with an extremely confinement-averse toddler was even more hair-rendingly horrible than the thought of her sleep patterns being shot to sh!t because of people tromping around the house at all hours.

It'll be a blast! (<---- steely, vaseline-on-teeth, beam-me-up-Scotty grin...)