I know there’s a recession and all, but a tent in the living room? That sounds like something Gov. Arnold would do… The Wall Street Journal reports on how balooning travel costs are forcing people to find innovative ways of taking a ‘vacation in the mind’, as in faking it.

Clem Bason and his wife, Francoise Barton, set up a tent in their living room (the yard was too small) so that their three-year-old and one-year-old sons wouldn’t miss out on the adventure of travel. They cooked s’mores over a candle and ate hot dogs prepared in the kitchen. Camp stories were read in the tent. And Mr. Bason took a lamp from his older son’s room and placed it in the living room to create the effect of moonlight on a summer’s night. - Postcards From the Hedge:  Faking a Vacation at Home, Mary Pilon, Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2008; Page D1.

There’s also one incident in the article about a guy who re-decorated his apartment as hotel, word spread around about it, and now he has ‘young couples’ too broke to travel asking to stay there. He charge $50 to $60 for two nights, and is now offering room service and maid service, along with wakeup calls. Never underestimate the power of American innovation and enterprise…

Moving on, CNN has an article which attempts to prove that the travel industry discriminates against singles. Article says that singles are often singled out for punitive fees and surcharges, ranging from extra taxes and port charges to “supplements” that far exceed what two people sharing a cabin or room would have to pay. The article goes on to list 4 specific ways single travelers get hit with, and what you can do fight these extras.

Big Sur update: AP report - Highway 1 reopened on Sunday July 13th. Residents return. Hotels, eateries back in business. MarketWatch says most of the major Big Sur hotels are predicting occupancy rates above 90% as early as July 25th, and has a list of restaurants and local attractions which are already open. 

Ventana Inn & Spa update says that the Cielo restaurant will re-open on July 19th and that “the Ventana buildings were not harmed by the wildfire but landscaping and wilderness areas suffered damage in the firefighting efforts.”

Posted on July 16th, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News