For all those travelers out there, this post is dedicated to you!
Kiel and I LOVE to travel. We take, at minimum, at least two trips a year. I am sure that our ability to travel will be changing a bit once the little one shows up; however, I am somewhat determined to not put traveling to a complete holt.
Since Kiel and I travel so often, (and we aren't made of money) we have had to figure out a way to vacation on a budget... and the way to do that, is to rent a home. Not only are home rentals extremely more affordable than hotels, but they give you the ability to pretend you're a local for a week. The only, and I mean only, downfall of renting a home on vacation, is that you often need to rent a vehicle for the week, as well. For us, renting a car, is all part of the experience and allows us to explore the destination at our own leisure. On our first day of vacation, we often cruise to a local supermarket and pick up a few staples; such as coffee, creamer, fruits, and breakfast pastries. Purchasing these few items will allow us to get through mornings and early afternoons on a budget. We like to save our vacation spending for things like dinners out and adventurous excursions.
We have rented homes in a numerous locations, both US and abroad. From the Finger Lakes in NY, to the shores of the Hawaii Islands, to the heart of the French Riviera... we have honestly rented all over!
We stayed in a condo rental on the coast of France for our honeymoon. We found a lovely rental on homeaway.com, that was just breathtaking. The pictures honestly don't do it justice. Below are some of our photos of the rental. We had sweeping views of the Mediterranean, and were located just outside the city of Nice. It couldn't have been a more romantic destination.
Photos of our stay in a hawaiian bungalow on the north shore of Oahu, HI. This rental was absolutely perfect for us. We spent each night in a luxurious california king bed. We road our bikes to breakfast and the beach each morning. And we spent our evenings on the lanai, sipping home-made pina coladas while listening to the waves crash on sunset beach. It was picture perfect.
And now for our most recently rented property.. our coastal cottage on Anna Maria Island, Florida.
We honestly cannot wait to fly south in April. Bring on the sunshine!
