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Author Message
25 new of 126 responses total.
marcvh
response 34 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 17:57 UTC 2007

So, instead of going to see La Reve, do you just put on tights and prance
around in the bathtub?
tod
response 35 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 18:03 UTC 2007

The idea is that we save money on lodging in order to have more to spend on
entertainment.  Vegas isn't exactly the place that wants you to hole up in
your room when you get hungry.
marcvh
response 36 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 18:10 UTC 2007

Sure they do!  They'll be happy to bring you a $16 cheeseburger from room
service, or you can enjoy a $5 Snickers from the mini-bar.  But if you
stay downtown, lodging and food is pretty darned affordable.
tod
response 37 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 18:31 UTC 2007

If you don't mind the 10 mile walk through the casino to get an ice cold coke,
sure.  Sometimes, you just want to get up in the middle of the night and have
a coffee or a sandwich without having to trek through Gomorrah.  Most of the
downtown hotels in Vegas do not even have coffeemakers.
keesan
response 38 of 126: Mark Unseen   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?
tod
response 39 of 126: Mark Unseen   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.
marcvh
response 40 of 126: Mark Unseen   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.)
edina
response 41 of 126: Mark Unseen   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.
marcvh
response 42 of 126: Mark Unseen   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.
richard
response 43 of 126: Mark Unseen   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.  
keesan
response 44 of 126: Mark Unseen   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.  
edina
response 45 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 19:14 UTC 2007

Sindi, you should run a survivalist camp or something.
marcvh
response 46 of 126: Mark Unseen   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
richard
response 47 of 126: Mark Unseen   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 :)
tod
response 48 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 19:50 UTC 2007

re #44
LOL
keesan
response 49 of 126: Mark Unseen   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.
edina
response 50 of 126: Mark Unseen   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.
marcvh
response 51 of 126: Mark Unseen   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?
tod
response 52 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 20:53 UTC 2007

My kids don't eat cereal for breakfast usually.  They have meat, cheese,
bread, tomatoes, and olives.
mcnally
response 53 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 20:58 UTC 2007

 Brooke's suggestion in #32 sounds like the most practical so far.
richard
response 54 of 126: Mark Unseen   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!
tod
response 55 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 21:19 UTC 2007

Doh!  Black olives, richard..
keesan
response 56 of 126: Mark Unseen   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.
tod
response 57 of 126: Mark Unseen   May 30 21:55 UTC 2007

Sometimes, the boys might get english muffins with pate' or roe.
edina
response 58 of 126: Mark Unseen   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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