Hotel Must-Haves

I hate spending money on hotel stays. Let's just say that I've been known to convince JD to sleep in the car rather than fork out $100s for one night's stay. I've just always had this feeling that I'd rather save my money for some 'feature' or 'event' than spend it sleeping, you know? Hotel Shmotel. They are just highly overrated.


Come on, sleeping in the 4-Runner isn't that bad. It's no Egyptian Cotton but if you don't mind the wheel wells harpooning your hips all night, it's not that bad. Really. Plus, just think of all the museums to been seen with an aching back and kinked neck.



Let's just say that I'm so totally over sleeping in the car, not to mention the fact that our car is just too small for the four of us. So now I have become a teeny bit obsessive about this whole hotel business so that I can feel like it's worth my money in the end. Plus, 89 bucks-a-night is a small price to pay for ... a mattress.



First, don't be fooled by the idea of a continental breakfast. For the four of us to eat breakfast 'out', it probably costs an easy $20 (assuming we go somewhere 'fast', of course). We stayed at Pelican Shores in Lincoln City and they had a wonderful continental. Plus, we had an ocean-side table - now THAT's some real savings ;) I can't remember the last restaurant I could spread a towel out under Gage's chair without stares and gawks from the people next to us...
Secondly, they had a washer and drier. I had to pay to use it, but they supplied the soap - a HUGE bonus when you have a kid who drags RK (road kill) through sand....dirt...puddles...and then suffers through sneezes, nose wipes, and the occasional spill of a milkshake. Clean 'friends' - ahhhh, music to my ... eyes.



Also, if I'm going to spend the money to stay at a hotel then I guess I can fork out a lil extra for this special feature, which was (and still is) undoubtedly the highlight of the trip if you were to ask any participant under 4 (okay, okay- or anyone over 29): So I am slowly (but surely) coming to my senses about this whole hotel business. So long as they serve a continental breakfast, have a heated pool and a laundry room, I guess I won't sleep in my car in the parking lot anymore.