Thursday, June 03, 2004
Vacation packages
What have been your experiences of those vacation deals in which you get a free or substantially discounted trip in exchange for sitting in one of those 90-minute pitches? I've declined on general principle -- I never take something for "nothing." Branson came calling a few months ago (actually, they've been calling since we moved to Kansas City) and I took a three-night hotel stay there for a good price. I doubt I would have gone to such a commercial and developed location on my own initiative. (We might ditch the town for a day and drive into Arkansas to get back to nature, and for me, add state #34.)
I was talking with one of their representatives, and I mentioned my ideal short vacation. Not Branson. Not Universal Studios. Not DisneyWorld. What about a train trip to St Louis? Two, three nights in a city hotel. Tickets to the game (preferably the Blues, but Cubs-Cards would be okay for a summer's day). Catch the zoo, the botanical gardens, maybe the symphony. I know, I know; they probably couldn't make money on things like that. I just hope they don't try to talk me into buying a time-share condo in the Ozarks or something.
Added a night's stay in Tulsa. AAA stars the zoo as a good attraction. Gives us a good excuse to add state #35 to my travel list. Plus my wife didn't want to come back till Friday night.
Until I get to Australia, I'll keep enjoying these four, five-day trips. Anybody else have good vacation plans? Anybody else been to Branson? What can I expect?
