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Grex > Travel > #73: Hellllllp! finding hotel room in Washington, DC | |
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| 25 new of 126 responses total. |
keesan
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response 38 of 126:
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May 30 18:40 UTC 2007 |
A small (1-burner) butane camping stove would be easier to transport than a
hotplate and could be used again for camping. How much extra does the 'free'
breakfast cost and does it consist of more than coffee and toast?
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tod
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response 39 of 126:
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May 30 18:42 UTC 2007 |
I'm not sure how well a butane camping stove would be received at the airport
baggage x-ray.
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marcvh
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response 40 of 126:
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May 30 18:45 UTC 2007 |
True enough, though I can't say that I've ever had the urge to drink
coffee in the middle of the night in a hotel room. That must've been
one nasty hangover (and I'd suggest hair of the dog, not coffee, for
that one.)
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edina
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response 41 of 126:
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May 30 18:49 UTC 2007 |
Re 38 Usually, continental breakfasts consist of danishes, fruit,
yogurt, granola bars, cereal, oatmeal and juice and coffee. I've had
some that had waffles and breakfast sandwiches. I think if it costs
an extra $15-$20 it would be worth it, as there are 6 people.
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marcvh
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response 42 of 126:
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May 30 18:54 UTC 2007 |
(slippage)
A backpacking stove (with no fuel, and no smell of fuel) might be OK, but
you run the risk of having it confiscated by a security screener. Then
you would have to find a place that sells fuel at your destination.
Then, any leftover fuel that you don't use is a problem -- you can't take
it on your return flight, but you can't throw it away because it's a
hazardous material, so you're kinda hosed. And, in Vegas anyway, you're
most likely talking about a hotel room on the 23rd floor of a sealed and
climate-controlled building; not a place where I'd use a stove.
I suspect you could do as well just going to a grocery store and getting
a small ice chest and some sandwich fixin's, without the need to resort
to cooking in your room. In Vegas, this also means the added
inconvenience and expense of renting a car.
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richard
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response 43 of 126:
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May 30 18:57 UTC 2007 |
well you could always rent a winnebago for a few days and go stay in a
trailer park in the 'burbs.
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keesan
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response 44 of 126:
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May 30 19:05 UTC 2007 |
Take along three equal-sized stones and find some dead wood and cook on that
outdoors in the park. You can send the smallest kid up a tree to find dead
branches.
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edina
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response 45 of 126:
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May 30 19:14 UTC 2007 |
Sindi, you should run a survivalist camp or something.
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marcvh
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response 46 of 126:
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May 30 19:33 UTC 2007 |
If you're looking for resources for "urban camping" here's a list of them:
http://w.ick.ca/8777
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richard
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response 47 of 126:
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May 30 19:38 UTC 2007 |
re #46 thats a list of homeless shelters and soup kitchens. I know
JEP wants to save money, but isn't having his family stay at a
homeless shelter or eating at a soup kitchen a bit extreme?
This sounds like it could be National Lampoon's DC Vacation, with
Clark Griswald taking his family to D.C. the cheapest way possible.
Of course the Griswalds ain't got nothing on the Perrys :)
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tod
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response 48 of 126:
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May 30 19:50 UTC 2007 |
re #44
LOL
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keesan
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response 49 of 126:
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May 30 19:54 UTC 2007 |
r 44 and 48, we actually spent a month cooking over wood fires once, in the
far west, where Jim did go up trees to get dead branches. We took along a
car and put any extra wood in it for later.
After a month we smelled hickory smoked, and got a camp stove.
There are camp stoves that take expensive little gas canisters, but Jim found
a way to use them with a big canister that he can refill, for bike camping
where we can manage the extra volume and weight. A gas canister would
probably be much cheaper than a free breakfast.
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edina
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response 50 of 126:
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May 30 20:10 UTC 2007 |
Really? You think? Because while a gas canister might be cheaper,
there's always the cost of getting food, taking the time to cook it,
and appeasing 6 different people. A provided breakfast can usually do
that for you, not to mention give you snacks for later. My time and
energy are worth something to me and I'd much rather send kids to get
breakfast than attempting to cook a pot of oatmeal or eggs over a
campstove.
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marcvh
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response 51 of 126:
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May 30 20:28 UTC 2007 |
Maybe, but the typical "continental breakfast" at a two-star hotel can
be pretty easily procured at any 7-11. The breakfast is for businessmen
who don't want to waste time looking around an unfamiliar city for food
before their urgent morning meetings. Are there no kids who just eat
cereal any more?
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tod
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response 52 of 126:
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May 30 20:53 UTC 2007 |
My kids don't eat cereal for breakfast usually. They have meat, cheese,
bread, tomatoes, and olives.
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mcnally
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response 53 of 126:
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May 30 20:58 UTC 2007 |
Brooke's suggestion in #32 sounds like the most practical so far.
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richard
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response 54 of 126:
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May 30 20:59 UTC 2007 |
re #52 olives for breakfast?!?! Now you know the only real place for
an olive is in a martini glass, and you don't drink martinis for
breakfast unless you are in france!
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tod
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response 55 of 126:
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May 30 21:19 UTC 2007 |
Doh! Black olives, richard..
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keesan
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response 56 of 126:
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May 30 21:41 UTC 2007 |
Oatmeal and eggs are among the easiest things to cook. Is there anyone who
actually makes a different breakfast for each family member?
We had no choice at all as kids.
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tod
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response 57 of 126:
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May 30 21:55 UTC 2007 |
Sometimes, the boys might get english muffins with pate' or roe.
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edina
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response 58 of 126:
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May 30 21:57 UTC 2007 |
Re 56 Of course they are easy to cook. But when you're trying to
manage four children and get them up, ready to go and out the door,
letting them be in a position to pick out their own food and appease
themselves, sometimes you can't put a price on that.
I know it's not something you would do, but having breakfast included
in a hotel stay really does work well for a lot of people.
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keesan
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response 59 of 126:
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May 30 22:03 UTC 2007 |
Three of the kids are teenagers and should be able to wake themselves up.
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marcvh
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response 60 of 126:
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May 30 22:11 UTC 2007 |
Cooking anything at all is a challenge in a hotel room where you typically
don't have a proper stove, counter, utensils, sink, refrigerator, and so
on. Eating something like eggs will also be a bit annoying and messy since
you typically won't have chairs or a table for even 2 people, let alone 6.
I'd either stick with something easy, like a granola bar and maybe some
yogurt, or else just go to McDonald's.
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bru
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response 61 of 126:
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Jun 2 00:03 UTC 2007 |
my campstove burns anything(alcohol) and the tank can be emptied prior to
boarding the plane. It would probably have to go in checked baggage though.
when you go to a restaurant for breakfast, make sure you ask for scrapple.
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mcnally
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response 62 of 126:
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Jun 2 00:42 UTC 2007 |
If you do, be certain they have some camp stove fuel on hand to
wash your mouth out.. At least be clear on what it is before you
order it.
From Wikipedia:
> Scrapple is typically made of hog offal, such as the
> head, particularly the heart, liver, and other scraps,
> which are boiled with any bones attached (often the
> entire head), to make a broth. Some people joke that
> it contains "Everything but the squeal!"
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