Archive for December, 2008
Visualize yourself (input destination here)
One of the great benefits of living in San Diego is that it’s so easy to visit other places. This winter break, consider expanding your world by traveling to one of these convenient locations.
If you’re on a budget — The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a great road trip if you’re not able to spend too much money. It’s an eight hour drive that requires no more than $65 of gas one-way, and that’s if you’re driving a truck that gets only 15 miles to the gallon. Camping in the Mather Campground is only $15 a night for a tent site or if you’re just sleeping in your car, or $37 a night for dorm-style accommodations at The Phantom Ranch lodge inside the park. You can spend the days hiking one of the many trails around the park, and nights around bonfires or in the local Grand Canyon Village. A free shuttle can take you around this area, and it only costs $12 per person on foot or $25 per car for a seven-day admission ticket around the gorgeous national park. Make sure to visit the Toroweap Overlook, a gorgeous sheer 3,000 foot drop from the rim of the canyon to the Colorado River. Tours and restaurants are an extra cost, of course, and you should be already familiar with camping equipment, especially in the winter. Still, considering that a week-long trip costs as little as $260 for gas, a camp site, and entrance to the park, this trip is a bargain.
If you want to stay in San Diego — Julian
Julian is a great destination for a quick weekend getaway, to just relax and enjoy the scenery. The town is quaint and country-style. The drive is only about an hour, so you could just make a day of it, but the local bed and breakfasts are inexpensive enough to make a romantic weekend with a significant other as well. Prices range from about $95-$175 per night for a suite for two, and most include breakfast in the morning. You can even rent a whole house for eight people for $250 a night. Either way, make sure to get a slice of world-famous apple pie. You can also visit the abundance of shops, which include candy stores, wine tasting, a shop devoted entirely to beads, a cider mill, and various other antique and gift stores. During the day you can hike on some of the local trails or rent a boat on Lake Cuyamaca, and on clear nights you can visit the observatory to stargaze. Winter time also means sleigh rides and the possibility of snow! This is a good way to get away from it all without breaking your budget.
If you want to drive somewhere a little farther away — Big Bear
This trip could get pricey, but it’s worth it. Big Bear is about three hours away — a must-see, especially for snow sports. Bear Mountain Resorts offers lift tickets between $43 and $66 for a whole day, depending on your age and whether or not it’s a holiday or peak weekend. Day-long ski and snowboard rentals are $30 for equipment and boots. Group lessons for skiing and snowboarding are available in the morning and afternoon, range in skill-level from beginner to advanced and in price from $40 to $85. The cost includes a 2-hour lesson and day-long lift ticket, and often include a discount on equipment rental as well. Both tickets and equipment rentals can be cheaper if you purchase only a half-day, or if you start in the morning and return your equipment early.
Activities are not limited to snowboarding and skiing though. Big Bear also has a collection of local shops and art galleries, a lake for boating, even snow inner-tubing. For an inexpensive scenic tour, you can just drive yourself around the lake.
Lodging around Big Bear can get expensive, because the area’s popularity creates a high demand. If you’re willing to go cheap, motels rooms run as little as $130 a night and suites in the nicer hotels and cabin complexes are usually around $200, but make sure to reserve to ensure what you want is available. You can also get a bed and breakfast that’s a little nicer, more private and more comfortable for $150-250 a night, but it requires a little more searching. If your in a big group, you can also rent a larger cabin and split the cost out into about $200 a night per person.
Even after all the costs add up, the trip to Big Bear in the mountains and the snow is worth the expense.
If you want to leave the country — Auckland, New Zealand
If you want to get away from the USA, skip the typical Europe trip and head to New Zealand instead. New Zealand is a gorgeous island country located near Australia, but it has a unique culture all it’s own. The land is beautiful, covered in hills and greenery. It’s only a 12-hour flight from Los Angeles, so you can get there overnight. Auckland is the largest urban area, where you can enjoy the Polynesian culture and Pacific Rim cuisine. The seasons are reversed, so it’s summer there right now, and the perfect time to visit. Part of the city is “marine,” surrounded by more than 50 tiny islands you can visit. As part of the “Ring of Fire,” Auckland is dotted with volcanic cones.
If you go for a week in early January, prices for this trip are lowest. One round-trip plane ticket is as low as $1,800 and economy lodging is as low as $145 a night, though most comfortable single rooms are around $300 a night. Don’t forget you’ll need a passport, and to convert your currency. At the moment one U.S. dollar is about $1.85 in New Zealand.
Read the original feature online here.
