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here is what we are planning....you might like it too.
El Paso to San Diego. Desert Southwest.
of course, not a direct route, since we
will see the Grand Canyon and other
sites in "kind of" a semi-circle trip.
95% of your journey will be on a train going through the snow. It will be dark much of the time. It rains about every 3rd day in San Fran in the dead of winter, with mostly cloudy days and temps in the 50s and a chilly ocean breeze to back it up. Are you sure this is such a great idea that time of year?
There are a lot of alternatives in February that I would find more appealing. Like San Diego, Phoenix or Florida.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IonRedline08
Flights to Europe are insanely cheap right now. What about a quick trip to Spain?
International and multiple time zones is a lot of trouble for less than a week.
But...
Portugal would be another good option. Close and cheap.
We had a great time in Douro valley, and on eastern Portugal frontier. (Walled cities).
If grand canyon... Winter is quite restrictive, with much stuff closed. (And cold) . GC is so huge that I prefer a scenic charter flight from LV. I drive Utah parks from LV, but that takes 4+ days. Not warm till late March.
I'm currently planning a vacation for sometime between January and early March. I'm looking at taking an Amtrak (with roomette) from Chicago to San Francisco, spending three nights there, and then flying back home. I've take a couple of train rides with sleeper cars before and I enjoyed the experience but I've always wanted to try the California Zephyr.
In looking for affordable hotels in San Francisco (lol), I came across The Grant Plaza which seems to have reasonable rates. I don't need anything fancy, just safe and close to public transportation. The reviews seem okay but I was wondering if any of you had any experience with that hotel. Also wondering if my budget seems reasonable.
Also, I'm wondering if you have any other ideas of destinations I might want to go to instead. I'm having a hard time deciding. I'm not much of a beach person (I considered a cruise, but all the cruises within that budget were for the Bahamas and Caribbean, though I would love to try a transatlantic cruise someday).
Appreciate your thoughts.
Do you have any kind of rewards points built up (with credit cards, travel booking companies, or anything else you can think of) that could offset the lodging costs in SFO? This will be the biggest single expense for those three nights.
Thanks for all the responses!
I figured traveling early in the year would offset the costs of tourist season, but yes, I agree the shorter daylight hours would limit the viewing experience on the train.
I can extend the duration to two weeks or longer, but that would probably not be practical if I wanted to keep that budget, no?
I could do the train thing another time and just fly to SF I guess. Not sure.
There's nothing wrong with visiting Vancouver in the winter. Given it's latitude, it's winters are mild. Winter will also be when hotels are fairly cheap and you can still explore the outdoors or just walk around the city.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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There are also film festivals in Vancouver that are interesting, but flowers / blooms of spring and summer are not to miss. (If possible to schedule that time).
Winter in USA is a great time to head to southern hemisphere. (Long days, warmer temps.)
Also, I'm wondering if you have any other ideas of destinations I might want to go to instead. I'm having a hard time deciding. I'm not much of a beach person (I considered a cruise, but all the cruises within that budget were for the Bahamas and Caribbean, though I would love to try a transatlantic cruise someday).
I second the cruise decision. I took a solo cruise in 2014, and had a really great time: 4 days of drinking and partying, with a few cool discoveries thrown in. It was out of LA, on... I forgot which ship; I know it was a Carnival ship, and its name ended in "-tion". The food was good, and most of it was included. The shows were very entertaining. The service was great. The women on the ship were friendly, and I had no difficulty finding one to dance with.
You're about as far from LA as I am, so a flight there shouldn't set you back more than $300 + baggage fees. The weather will be sunny and mild, and lower humidity than the Caribbean or the Bahamas. Just be prepared for the temperature dropping at night.
We loved the Zephyr. We'd recommend the City Suites in Chicago and the Royal Pacific in SF for lodging. You need a car to see Hearst Castle, may not be worth it. You'll have a great time!
Big Bend National Park. Take binoculars for stars and wildlife. You can cross into Mexico too.
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