Planning our 2014 summer trip

[glc]

If you are a member of any hotel awards programs, their app may help. I use Wyndham and book directly through the app.

[DonnaR57]

Oh, thank you! We are both Wyndham and Choice, though this trip I think we're going to concentrate on Wyndham. (Choice is Buy 2 stays, get a $50 gift card, and we're booked 3 nights at a Choice in Gettysburg. So one more stay in a Choice hotel will give us that card....)


Donna

[DonnaR57]

Next question:

What's the best way to get from eastbound I-10, down to NASA on I-45? We are probably coming in on a Thursday afternoon, maybe just before evening rush if we possibly can!

TX-6 looks like it will overshoot where we want to go on I-45 (exit 24 is where our hotel reservations are). TX-8 is the "Beltway 8" and has tolls or EZ-Tag, the latter which we do not have (and do not want). Thinking about going either I-610 around southeast to I-45, or just take I-10 into I-45. However, the latter appears to go through downtown Houston. So it's either the Beltway 8 or I-610. Suggestions?


Donna

[Pmount]

Any others that I absolutely should have for travel? - See more at: http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum....lfEjedIk.dpuf

I have the apps for the grocery stores for which I carry the cards. They have a locator button to find what is near-by, as well as current coupons.
-Pat

[DonnaR57]

Wow, Pat -- something I'd never thought of. Most of the time, I shop commissaries around here, or Stater Bros (a regional chain). I guess I should check my other cards, to see if they are still active. (I tried to use my Fry's Foods card a few months ago in Phoenix, and it wouldn't show, so I should probably fix that.) Great idea....

UPDATE: Found Albertsons, Safeway and Fry's Foods. I think we'll go over to Ralph's and update my card there, too. It didn't work last time I tried, either!


Donna

[Midwest Michael]

UPDATE: Found Albertsons, Safeway and Fry's Foods. I think we'll go over to Ralph's and update my card there, too. It didn't work last time I tried, either!

Your Fry's card should actually work at Ralphs! They are both a part of Kroger. Really, your Fry's card should work at any Kroger chain (there are about a dozen different ones). I've got a City Market card from Colorado, that I've used at Krogers in Indiana and elsewhere in the country.

(Choice is Buy 2 stays, get a $50 gift card, and we're booked 3 nights at a Choice in Gettysburg. So one more stay in a Choice hotel will give us that card....)

The choice "two stays" promotions is one of my favorites. You really get the best deal if you are only staying 1 night at a time. Also, you don't have to use your bonus to get a $50 gift card. Technically, you get 8,000 points that you can use to "buy" a gift card, however, 8,000 points is also enough to get you a free night at quite a few different hotels.

[glc]

I have no personal experience with Houston traffic, but I think you should stay as far away from downtown as you can. If you take the toll road, you will have 3 booths to deal with, $1.75 each cash.

[DonnaR57]

Pat: In theory, the grocery cards are supposed to work that way. We were somewhere in the East, in a Kroger-owned store supposedly, and I tried three things: my Fry's card, my Ralph's card, and my phone number. None worked. At the time, we came to the conclusion that my cards hadn't been used in so long that I was out of the system. Well, finally getting to a Ralph's yesterday proved that theory wrong. My card worked just fine, though the gal did say "this is an old school card!" I now wonder if that store was in the Kroger system. (We had a new checker.)

With the Choice Buy 2 get a free $50 card -- if you stay at an EconoLodge (as we are), you must stay 2 nights and it counts as 1 stay. If you stay at a Quality Inn, or the more upscale Choice, it only needs to be 1 night. If I have a choice between a $50 gift card and a free night someplace, I think I'd go for the free night.

GLC -- thanks, that's exactly the type of information I was seeking. I don't want to deal with stopping 3x in about 30 miles if I can help it, and downtown doesn't sound like much fun. It sounds like the 610 is better all round.


Donna

[DonnaR57]

On the issue of Houston, traffic and routing, I also checked with two people I "know" from online who actually live in the Houston area. One told me that going I-10 direct to I-45 at that hour of the day is only "nice" if you want to see the Houston skyline. Since we will see that early on a weekend morning on the way out of Houston, he suggested the 610 belt loop. He thought the Belt TX-8 would be a bit much to deal with, though it would cut about 10 miles off the trip, it would add $5 in tolls. The other person told me to take I-10 to I-45, because of The Galleria along I-610 adding some traffic.

Hubby and I think we'll go with I-610 anyway. I wouldn't mind seeing the layout of The Galleria, as much as one will see from the freeway. (I am NOT a shopper.)

We are getting closer to departure date. We always leave a clean house, and that's done. Now there's just stuff all over the place, ready to pack. Mostly, we are just excited!


Donna