March 2018 – Our Moving Feast

March 30, 2018March 30, 2018

Santorini- A Beautiful Corner of the World: Part II

Before retiring from the military, we moved our family 17 times in 27 years, and a common question we hear from folks is, “Where did you like living the most?” For me, answering that question has always been difficult. I can’t say I disliked living anywhere we were stationed, but I liked our many different homes for many different reasons. Sometimes it was actually the physical house we lived in that was a joy, and sometimes it was the experience of the location itself, or the people around us. Some of our homes were located near exciting things to see and do (New York); while others were more remote, but were places filled with people who we dearly loved and who became life-long friends (Kentucky). Some places we lived were visually stunning (Colorado), and others didn’t visually offer us quite so much (Texas). Some places even expanded our family’s horizons and exposed us to other cultures (Germany). But each place we lived has offered us precious takeaways, be it from the location, our experiences there, our personal connections made, or in some combination.

I feel the same way about our travels. Sometimes the absolute and stunning beauty of a place leaves its mark on you; or sometimes the memory of experiences you shared there resonates most; and often times it is the personal connections made along the way that are your most precious takeaways. It is hard for me to say exactly what place we’ve traveled to in the world is my favorite, but for Todd and me, Santorini is one of those places that comes pretty close. The beauty of Santorini can certainly take your breath away, but I think what makes it one of our favorite destinations is the memories from a particular, crisp spring day we spent exploring the island.

Our favorite day in Santorini was a slow and easygoing Sunday that has since turned into one of those perfect travel memories. Like any travel partners, Todd and I can get snippy with each other after days and weeks of being in close quarters. It’s only natural. Sometimes we might spend a few hours doing our own thing, and, often times, a shared bottle of wine over lunch can nip our irritation with each other in the bud, and give the rest of the afternoon’s activities a rosier glow. (On the whole, moderate day drinking seems to make us more affable travelers!) But sometimes, the general mood of the day just seems to click – shared jokes are funnier; sights and sounds resonate more meaningfully; smells and tastes are more palatable; and each interaction and experience is just right. That’s the kind of day this certain Sunday was.

I wish I could qualify exactly what it was that made that particular day and Santorini such a special memory for us. But our time there has an intangible component to it that will always be with us when we think of it. What I can share with you are those quantifiable things we’ve learned during our visits to Santorini:

Located in the Aegean Sea, Santorini (or Thíra) is actually a small group of islands in the southernmost part of the Cyclades, and includes Thíra, Thirassiá, Asproníssi, Palea and Nea Kaméni. The Santorini islands were formed from very intense volcanic activity beginning hundreds of thousands of years ago, and are still classified as an active volcano today. A unique feature of the volcano is that its crater – or caldera – is in the sea. Its last “big” eruption was some 3600 years ago and destroyed the prehistoric civilization that flourished in the local area, and the most recent volcanic activity on the island was recorded in 1950.

For our tips getting to and from Santorini please see our blog post “Santorini Part I”: link

When to Visit Santorini:

Our first visit to Santorini was during March. The weather was cool, but pleasant enough. What we enjoyed most about this visit was the relative emptiness of the island. Last minute and affordable lodging was easily arranged for our stay, and across the island restaurants were open with no need for advance reservations. Certainly low season found some businesses closed, and others were in the midst of renovations in preparation for the summer crowds. But it really didn’t hamper our shopping and dining options so much that it impacted our good time. We enjoyed seeing the island and the locals living and working at a relaxed pace.

We have never visited Santorini during the high season of the summer months (June/July/August), and I’m not sure I would want to. We have visited in May, and it was a delightful trip. We enjoyed warmer weather, but the crowds were not yet overwhelming. We found beaches along with only a handful of other patrons, and restaurant tables were still relatively easy to come by. While I booked our lodging about 30 days in advance, inventory was plentiful.

Getting Around the Island:

On our first trip on the island, we rented a four-wheeler to explore. With map in hand we took advantage of the lack of traffic and crowds to spend hours exploring what seemed like every inch of the island. ATVs are very popular on the island. You see rows of them parked at hostels and hotels. We went directly to the rental store in Fira to arrange for ours, but our hotel also offered arrangement services for ATV rentals. Interesting to note, however, is that on Santorini we were told you can only rent a scooter if you have a valid motorcycle licence. We had just come from Crete where we had rented a scooter to do our exploring, so we were quite surprised by the law.

Renting the four-wheeler was easy and economical, and is a fun way to get around the island.

Santorini has frequent public buses (KTEL) that run in all major areas of the island. The main bus terminal is located in Fira, and all bus routes begin or end in Fira. In other words, you can’t cross from one end of the island to the other without going to Fira first and transferring buses there. The system runs with fairly good frequency, but you will find yourself sitting and waiting a good deal if you plan to utilize the buses. It is the most inexpensive mode of transportation on the island, and tickets for the buses are purchased once you are on board. I thoroughly enjoyed the people watching opportunities that waiting for the bus afforded us, but after about a day and half we broke down and rented a car from the airport for the balance of our trip. Our group’s lodging was separated between two different towns on the island, and the bus system made that too hard to manage.

Where to Stay in Santorini:

On our first trip to Santorini- off season – we stayed in Fira. I had done some research, and the advice offered was to stay in Fira, the capital and the largest city on the island, if visiting during the low season. It was spot- on advice. Most shops and restaurants are open year round in Fira, and that is certainly not the case in the other towns and villages on the island. On the other hand, Fira can become very crowded during the high season, so that is something to consider if you are traveling during the summer months. Shops, restaurants and night life abound in Fira, so the crowds flock there day and night.

For our stay in Fira we booked Nonis Apartments: link . It was a pleasant place to stay – clean, comfortable, and very walk-able to all there is to see and do in Fira. We booked at an excellent rate, so our room did not have a caldera view, but there were public areas on the property with seating that afforded us stunning views of the volcano. Most importantly, since it was off-season, we had easy access to the main taxi stand and numerous options for ATV rentals within easy walking distance when we needed transportation around the island.

On another stay in Santorini, Todd and I had our twenty-something daughter and niece along. So they could enjoy the night life that Todd and I had no interest in during our trip, I booked them into Fira Backpackers Place: link. They both reviewed the place well: it was modest, but clean and comfortable. They enjoyed meeting the other travelers in their dorm, and managed to have a very good time in Fira during the hours after Todd and I were long, fast asleep.

Depending what your interests are there are several towns and villages with many lodging options at all price points. On our first trip to Santorini while we were exploring, we came upon the village of Emporio which is known for its medieval Kasteli. It is a charming village with a maze of streets and alleyways that twist and turn through the traditional and historic part of the village. When we first discovered it I remember thinking that if we ever came back to Santorini, I’d want to stay there. So when we found ourselves returning to Santorini the following year, I searched high and low for a reasonably priced room. I found several options with all the traditional charm I was looking for on Airbnb. Emporio is centrally located on the island, so you won’t find many sweeping sea views, but it’s a quaint and very quiet place to escape some of the more bustling areas on the island.

Entrance to our Airbnb place- so charming and built into the castle walls.

Church bell in the traditional area of the village.

Comfortable cafe along the alleyway to our Airbnb- Lovely place for a drink or dessert.

The most famous village in Santorini is no doubt Oia (pronounced Ia). Situated on a cliff with stunning views, it oozes traditional charm. Compared to Fira, it is a very quiet and peaceful place to relax and enjoy all the village has to offer, including many shops, cafes, and taverns. Sunset viewing from points in Oia is an island industry in and of itself, and it is not to be missed!

If a town full of black sand beaches is more your style, Perissa may be where you might consider staying. It offers lodging for all budgets and many restaurants, beach bars, and beach-y shops to choose from. Enjoying the deep blue water from a lounge chair at Perissa Beach is a wonderful way to pass an afternoon.

Some of our Favorite Things to Do in Santorini:

Visiting the Akrotiri Lighthouse was one of my favorite adventures in Santorini. It is best reached by car or ATV, and once there you are rewarded with stunning views. Oia may be known for sunset gazing, but my favorite sunset on the island is from this lighthouse. There are some nearby hikes available, but I prefer a blanket, a perch on the rocks, and a bottle of wine to enjoy while the sun slowly dips into the Aegean Sea.

You can almost hear the sun sizzle when it hits the water.

You will find ample tours on Santorini leaving from the old port in Fira and heading to the volcano on the island of Nea Kameni. We enjoyed walking down the 600 steps from Fira to the old port, but you can also ride down on the cable car. The volcano tours take anywhere from a couple of hours to 1/2 a day or more depending on optional activities. Some tours include a visit to the hot springs on Palea Kameni, or an extended sail around the caldera. Sunset tours are also available. Once you arrive at the volcano, you have about 90 minutes to visit the active crater. The hike to the crater follows along a path and takes about 25-30 minutes. It is an uphill climb, not for the faint of heart, but doable with benches for resting if needed along the way.

Our daughter at the cater after her hike.

Once you arrive back at the old port, getting yourself back up to Fira can be accomplished by 2 methods…or 3, I suppose, if you choose to climb the 600 stairs yourself (Yikes!). The quickest way to the top is the cable car. It’s an inexpensive ticket and the ride up takes only a few minutes. The other option, and more traditional method, is riding up the steps on a donkey. While the locals have been using donkeys to get up the steps for decades, it has become a controversial choice with overtures of animal cruelty concerns. Riding the donkeys can seem like a romantic notion and it is a unique experience. But do a little research on the pros and cons beforehand, and you can make the decision that is right for you.

Beaches…what more do I have to say? Santorini may not be the most famous Greek Island for beach going, but it is still a lovely way to pass the day while there. Some beaches are more upscale than others, with bar service provided at your lounge chair; some are more remote and require a bit of a hike to get to; while still others are nude. Depending on which beach you choose you may find red, white, or black sand , or black or red volcanic pebbles. No matter which beach you choose, you will always find views of that deep, blue sea.

But sometimes you want a little more luxury included in your beach view.

When I think back on our favorite day in Santorini, that slow and easygoing Sunday in March, perhaps what was most remarkable about our experience was the feeling that we had the freedom to travel and access whatever nook or cranny of the island we wanted to explore. We felt an intimate connection to the island, and perhaps for that one day – in some way- it was our own island to explore as we wished, with our own personalized memories to create.

I have a feeling Todd and I have not seen the last of Santorini in our travels. The stunning views, our shared memories, and the promise of new experiences will continue to pull us back there. We have many places still to see in the world, but I know we will be drawn back there again…hopefully sooner rather than later.

March 19, 2018March 20, 2018

Pie Town, New Mexico….My Personal Mecca

I love obscure holidays on the calendar. Each week brings a wealth of unique and special days that mostly go by unnoticed by the majority of us. Just a few weeks ago, while I was struggling with what to have for dinner, the collective of the internet alerted me to the time-honored observance of “National Pancake Day.” Perfect! Dinner menu decided! July 6th will once again find me celebrating “National Fried Chicken Day,” but somehow I will have more trouble rallying my enthusiasm for “National Spinach Day” later this month (March 26th).

Last week marked a couple particularly special days worth celebrating in our household. First was “National Napping Day” which is observed annually on the day following the switch to daylight savings time. Rest Assured (pun intended) even without any advance planning, Todd and I tore that celebration up! However, March 14th or “Pi Day” holds a very special place for us. As a couple, we don’t always manage any special acknowledgement of “Valentines Day,” but Todd knows better than to allow “Pi Day” to pass without making it a date. FYI- we don’t celebrate by figuring the circumference of any circles.

I love good pie. Sometimes I think my love of pie still defines me as a good mid-western girl at heart, even though I haven’t lived there for years. Sometimes I think my love of pie merely defines me as my mother’s daughter. Either way, to me, good pie is almost a food group in and of itself.

Good pie is a quest for me. Accordingly, when we find ourselves traveling through the Southwest, we always find the route that takes us through Pie Town, New Mexico. We’ve managed the trip 3 times in the last 3 years. I once told the story of our Pie Town adventures to my sister-in-law and she asked me what it was near. I remember thinking…nothing…of course…it’s near nothing. You just plan to go through there on purpose. Sure, we are on the way somewhere else each time we have stopped in, but the trip is ALWAYS designed to take us through Pie Town. It is a destination for us. Pie Town might just be my personal mecca.

Pie Town, located along U.S Highway 60 in Catron County, is an unincorporated community of less than 200 souls located in the high desert of New Mexico. It’s named for a bakery that was opened by Clyde Norman in the early 1920s and specialized in dried-apple pies. It’s long been a popular stop for Continental Divide Trail hikers and road-trippers alike. Each year the second Saturday of September sees thousands descend on this corner of the New Mexico as Pie Town plays host to a very popular Pie Festival complete with pie-eating and pie-baking competitions.

I first saw a story about Pie Town on CBS News Sunday Morning in the fall of 2015 and immediately decided I would have to see it (and taste it!) for myself. An opportunity arose just a few months later when our son needed someone to drive one of his cars when he relocated to California from Alabama. I told him I’d be happy to drive a car provided he map a route for us through Pie Town. It turned into a wonderful drive through a part of the country where I had not previously spent much time.

Our route West had us leaving the interstate behind in Central Texas. Our drive across the arid land in West Texas was long, flat, and quite beautiful in its own way. I loved the small towns U.S. Highway 380 wound us through with their local diners, Dairy Queens, and donut shops.

What I think I enjoyed most about this particular trip was that I was truly just along for the ride-except I was driving. I had done no research about our route, so with each bend in the road I was continually surprised about not only the scenery, but also the places we passed. Shortly after crossing into New Mexico, U.S. Highway 380 passes through Roswell. I was delighted at the possibility of a brief stop to see the kitschy attractions. Unfortunately, time was not on our side, and it was not to be- at least not on this trip. I made a promise to myself that Todd and I would make this trip again with site-seeing stops along the way, and we continued to push through to California with our planned stop in Pie Town. I did manage to lobby my son for a 1/2 day detour to the Grand Canyon, and Todd and I drove the route again about a year later on our way to visit our son in his California home making all the stops along the way.

Pie Town is an extremely hospitable place. Plan your trip carefully, however. A couple of the cafes are not open year round, and they keep very short serving hours when they are open. I recommend you do your research on the cafes’ websites and/or Facebook pages to make sure your stop is not in vain. You are going to drive out-of-the-way to get there, so make sure it counts! At the time my son and I visited there were only two pie cafes in operation, Pie-O-Neer Pie Shop and Daily Pie Cafe, and we had to press to arrive before closing time at 4 pm. But the Pie-O-Neer was open when we arrived, and did not disappoint.

The Pie-O-Neer was featured in a documentary, Pie Lady of Pie Town, in 2014, as well as, in the CBS story I saw in 2015. The Daily Pie Cafe was also featured on CBS, but I have never been lucky enough for the shop to be open during any of our trips. The Pie-O-Neer does a very brisk business, but is only open 3 days a week, and is closed during the winter. It traditionally opens for business on “Pi Day” each year. The service is warm and inviting; the pies are delicious and well worth the effort of the long drive. However, you should think about calling ahead to place your slice on hold if you are looking for a specific flavor.

Apple-Cranberry Crumb and Cheer-y Cherry! They were sooo good that we ordered a chaser piece of Apple Ala Mode to share….Try the New Mexico Apple Pie, as well! The sweetness of the apples and the heat of green chiles…Yum!

On my second trip to Pie Town with Todd, we were running late and knew the shops would be closed by the time we arrived. It was the price to pay for a wonderful day of sight-seeing along the route. We were extremely disappointed, but we thought we’d at least stop and take some pictures. Once we arrived in town, we noticed a new pie shop, The Gatherin’ Place, had opened for business. It was almost closing time, but we pulled in and got some pie! The owner could not have been more gracious and her pies were delectable. A five member band traveling through on tour stopped in just as we did. So there the owner found herself, just before closing time, with a cafe full of customers! She offered up the last of the day’s pies to all of us, and even offered to stay open late to bake more for us if we had the time to wait. The Gatherin’ Place is open year round from 7:30 am – 6:00 pm each day.

On our third trip through Pie Town, Todd and I had our daughter in tow. We were driving from Texas to Utah for the holidays, and decided to detour through Pie Town en-route. We ordered ahead at The Gatherin’ Place and picked up whole pies for our Christmas dinner. Naturally, while there we had breakfast and pie…why waste a visit! Delicious! A particularly nice feature of The Gatherin’ Place are large communal tables that facilitate pleasant conversation with other patrons- locals and travelers, alike. It makes the experience as sweet as the pies.

If travel is about the journey, pursuing good pie along the way is making the trek even sweeter for us. We’ll keep searching for it everywhere the road takes us, and we’ll be making it “Pi Day” every chance we get….because making it “National Spinach Day” just doesn’t translate.

March 11, 2018March 30, 2018

Santorini- A Beautiful Corner of the World: Part I

It’s no big secret that Santorini is a beautiful corner of the world. It first came to my attention in the 1982 movie Summer Lovers. Except for the fact that it is perhaps the best piece of scenic marketing ever produced for the Greek Islands, you are not missing much if you haven’t seen the movie. The story is fairly thin – basically American boy and girl summer on Santorini following their graduation from college. Once there, boy is attracted to an exotic French woman and begins an affair. The affair does not break up the young couple, but rather they eventually have the French girl move in with them. They spend the balance of the summer as a threesome. It amounts to a little more than ninety minutes of gratuitous nudity and sex spread across the beautiful backdrop that is Santorini.

Watching the movie so very many years ago, I remember my breath being taken away by the landscapes and sweeping vistas of the islands. Even as a teenager, I found the island views so striking it was hard to concentrate on all the beautiful naked bodies also competing to fill the screen. Of course, back in the 80s, superfluous nudity in movies targeted at my teenage demographic was nothing if not the norm. We had an endless buffet of skin and sex in just about every teen comedy that came through the theaters and later landed in our local movie rental stores. Remember Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Porky’s along with Porky’s II and Porky’s Revenge? Risky Business? Blue Lagoon? The list of examples of these movies is endless, although it is certainly not a movie trend we see anymore. I suppose those teen sex-romps went out of fashion when somewhere along the line it became all important to achieve a PG-13 rating to maximize profits. These movies portrayed a world where “boys will be boys”; an endless supply of female nudity; lots and lots of casual sex without consequences; and the girls were often not presented in the most favorable terms. Even in Summer Lovers, both of the women become the man’s lovers, but no relationship between them was depicted. I suppose the 80’s was not quite ready for such images on the mainstream screen.

All these many years later, I don’t even remember how Summer Lovers ends or if the characters came to any resolution. Because even as a teenager, and with the naked bodies filling the screen, I couldn’t miss what was the real star of the movie for me: Santorini. It took me another almost 35 years to visit, but it was certainly worth the wait. It turns out- just as I’d suspected as a teenager and regardless of what the movie’s plot would have you think- engaging in a threesome while visiting is really not needed to enjoy Santorini.

A spring morning enjoying the beauty of Santorini

Located in the Aegean Sea, Santorini (or Thíra) is actually a small group of islands in the southernmost part of the Cyclades, and includes Thíra, Thirassiá, Asproníssi, Palea and Nea Kaméni. The Santorini islands were formed from very intense volcanic activity beginning hundreds of thousands of years ago, and are still classified as an active volcano today. A unique feature of the volcano is that its crater- or caldera- is in the sea. Its last “big” eruption was some 3600 years ago and destroyed the prehistoric civilization that flourished in the local area, and the most recent volcanic activity on the island was recorded in 1950.

Getting to and from Santorini

Arrival by Air: On our first trip, Todd and I found ourselves unexpectedly traveling in Greece without a solid itinerary or much prep work. See: Europe Without Reservations.

After spending several wonderful days on Crete we decided to move on to Santorini. This first trip to Greece was in March and certainly “off-season.” However, that afforded us the opportunity-even last minute-to take advantage of inexpensive fares on the low-price regional airlines that service Europe. Had we been traveling during the busy season, we perhaps could have booked passage on a ferry taking us directly to Santorini from Crete. But the low-season ferry schedule did not permit this. Our only real choice was to fly through Athens. We were able to book the tickets a couple of days before we flew for about 50 euro each on Aegean Airlines. Depending on the times of the year, and when you book your tickets, you can find much lower available fares.

Tips and notes:

The airport at Santorini is small and crowded during scheduled arrivals and departures. The airport internet is easily overwhelmed and of little use. I was glad that I had taken the time to write down the necessary contact information for our lodging before leaving the Athens airport. We were arriving after 10 pm, and without a useful internet connection at the Santorini airport, we would have been lost upon arrival without my notes. Instead, we were easily able to connect with our hotel driver once we arrived.
Depending on where you are staying many hotels arrange transportation to and from the airport for an additional charge. Beyond that, your options are to use the public bus service or shuttles/taxi services offered by transportation companies on the island. Via the bus, you can travel to all towns and villages on the island. It is the cheapest way to travel, but you can also spend a good deal of time waiting. Bus tickets are issued inside the bus during the trip.
Car rental services are available in the airport arrival area.

Arrival by Ferry: During our second trip to Greece we were traveling in May. While still not the “high season” travelers encounter in July or August, many more folks were certainly coming and going between Athens and Santorini. Once again, we made a last-minute booking originating in Athens, but decided to take a ferry from the Athens port in Piraeus. The idea of a ferry ride seemed like a romantic notion at the time, and in the end it was an overall positive experience. But at the same time, I wouldn’t necessarily do it again:

Tips and notes:

There are many companies to choose from, but we opted for Blue Star Ferries. The ferry from Athens for Santorini leaves at 0730 necessitating arrival at the Blue Star ferry terminal around 0630. It made for an early morning. We traveled from our hostel in Plaka (old town Athens) via the Athens metro which was easy enough to navigate. The metro trip took the better part of an hour. The walk from the metro stop in Piraeus to the terminal for our ferry was easily a couple of miles according to our pedometers. With our backpacks in tow we hiked it, not understanding what we were getting ourselves into. It didn’t look that far on the map! I would take a cab the next time to ensure an on time arrival at the ferry.
The particular spring day we traveled to Santorini via ferry was a very chilly morning. We had booked economy passage on the ferry and it was a VERY cold and damp ride. The main section of the economy ticket seating areas of the ferry was also the designated smoking section. I wouldn’t make that mistake again. However, as I explored the other areas of the ferry, I don’t believe any were much better off. Sure the seating provided was more plush and there was less draft, but it was very crowded anywhere you went on the ferry. I did get a peek at the “business/first class” sections of the ferry which looked like the place to be. However, unless I was traveling with a car that necessitated a ferry trip-for the ticket price-I would much rather fly instead.
Once the day warmed up a bit, Todd and I spent a good deal of time enjoying the sea views the ferry ride afforded us from outside deck chairs. The trip took most of the day, and the ferry made several stops on other islands on its way from Athens to Santorini. We passed the time reading books and playing cards. The lunch available from the on-board restaurant was tasty enough.

Views from the deck at an island ferry stop on the way to Santorini. This ferry trip made me want to go island hopping around Greece one day.

On arrival at the port in Santorini, we were met with a wall of people, cars, and buses in every direction. While planning for the trip, we had carefully studied which city bus we needed to get ourselves on for the ride to the main bus terminal in Fira and found it easily enough. We rode to the bus terminal where our daughter and niece, who were traveling with us, were able to walk to their hostel. Todd and I took another bus to the village of Emporió where our Airbnb was located.

Daughter and niece at the bus terminal in Fira…on the way to their hostel.

This particular trip to Santorini with our daughter and niece was a leg of a larger journey designed to teach them how to travel throughout Europe as frugal twenty-somethings. I’m glad to have experienced traveling by ferry around the islands with them. But in the future, I think I’d rather stick to flights in and out of Santorini. Although someday I might try the more expensive high-speed ferry options….It was a beautiful day at sea.

Departure: We have departed by air both times we’ve traveled to Santorini. In both instances we took flights in the evening arriving in Athens late.

Tips and notes:

On our first trip we happened to be staying in Fira and easily arranged for airport transportation at the taxi stand in the town’s main square. It was slightly cheaper than what our hotel could arrange for us. However, it is easy to call a taxi for pick up from other areas of the island. Fares depend on pick-up and drop-off locations.
As mentioned, the Santorini airport is small and crowded during times of arrivals and departures. It’s very important to arrive with plenty of time to get through security and to your gate. Once you arrive in the small gate area, seats can be at a premium. It’s not uncommon to have to stand or stake out a place on the floor to sit and wait for your flight to be called. There is an outdoor deck area for waiting as well, where we enjoyed card games. Options for snacks and drinks in the airport beyond security are minimal.
On both our return trips from Santorini, we were routed through Athens. Once in Athens, before we were able to board a plane for the next leg of our journey, we had to again be screened through airport security. European airlines are much stricter about carry-on luggage size than you find in American airports. Also, be mindful of the liquids in carry-on luggage. Todd has had his “travel size” contact solution taken away from him more times than he cares to be reminded of when passing through Athens.
When shopping for low regional fares on airlines such as Aegean or Ryan Air, the lowest fares are, of course, for early morning and late evening departures/arrivals. Athens is a very convenient airport for late arrivals. In one instance, we were able to take the metro into Athens arriving at our hostel in time for a lovely midnight dinner in the neighborhood. The last train leaves the airport at roughly 2330. The buses run 24 hours, however. On another occasion we were able to take a bus from the airport arriving at our hostel and our much needed beds at 0300.

Santorini continued: Part II…. LINK

March 2, 2018June 16, 2018

Economy Accommodations- What We’ve Learned

Dan is a liar who is also unfaithful. At least those are the words Todd and I heard being screamed at him in the middle of the night from our room which happened to be right next door to Dan’s. We had arrived at this particular Motel 6 in eastern Texas just before 10 pm after a long day of driving. After being briefly distracted by social media on our phones, Todd and I almost immediately went to sleep in preparation for an early morning departure.

I’m not exactly sure when the argument started next door, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say it was probably not long after “closing time” at some nearby establishment. I was immediately jarred awake when Dan’s wife? girlfriend? started screaming at him, but I didn’t move. I could tell Todd was also awake although neither of us moved or spoke about our neighbors until the next morning. I just listened – intently and on guard – in case the argument spiraled into a domestic violence situation that would require intervention from authorities. Every word of her displeasure in Dan was easy to hear, but he was speaking in a low and muffled voice. Eventually the argument died down and the television was turned on in their room. As I slowly drifted back to sleep, my thoughts were occasionally punctuated by her yelling at Dan to “shut up.” Mostly I was lying there thinking about how I wished I was staying in a higher-end hotel room – one with real glasses by the sink. Not that I would ever trust a real glass to have been cleaned properly enough to drink from. No way! But I could have used that glass to put my ear up to the wall to hear better. What had Dan been saying to her?

A couple of years ago Todd and I started making a conscious effort to stay at economy motels for brief stops on the road. Our logic being why should we spend more than twice the money when we are doing nothing more than sleeping, waking up, showering, and getting back on the road again? Certainly if we are homesteading out of the same place for a few days during a trip, we will spend the extra money to increase our creature comforts. In fact when we are going to be spending multiple nights in the same location, I usually skip over hotels entirely and move onto Airbnb to rent an entire apartment or house for our use instead. When we traveled with small kids things like pools and other amenities were important to us. But now that it’s just us arriving at bedtime and setting an alarm to get back on the road early, why spend $100-$150 for a Holiday Inn Express or a Hampton Inn when we can spend $50-$75 and have all our needs met for those 8 or so hours at a Motel 6 or an Econo Lodge? That being said, it is important to note that not all economy motels are created equal. You need to do your homework before check-in.

What I like most about economy motels is that they are often locally owned and operated small businesses. A few years ago, after watching the documentary Meet the Patels – which I highly recommend – I was introduced to the notion of “Patel motels.” After watching the movie, I began noticing that many of the motels we were spending the night in were, in fact, owned by members of the Patel community. A little research taught me that almost 50% of all motels in the United States are owned by Indian Americans. Most of them are from Gujarat in central and southern India, and about 70% of them share the surname, “Patel.”

For more information about the phenomenon of “Patel motels” read “Life Behind the Lobby: Indian American Motel Owners and the American Dream.” Link

Every couple has their division of labor, and it is my job to check in and out of motels when we travel. I’m always delighted when I discover we are staying in a “Patel motel,” and Todd and I always do a little high-five when I come back to the car and tell him. What I love most about these motels is the family aspect to the operation. Whether it be a “mom and pop” style motel, or a low, or even mid-level franchised economy motel if you look closely, it’s easy to recognize the signs of family life all around. More often than not, the family running the daily motel operation, whether they be the owners or extended family members who manage the property, also live in the motel. When a desk clerk appears from behind a closed-door, you can often get a glimpse of family life going on behind the walls: a TV on, dishes clanking, a baby fussing, kids laughing and playing. Sometimes you will glimpse teenagers who walk down a hallway and disappear behind a door that clearly leads to back of the house areas of the motel. I love when I know a family is living life just beyond the lobby walls. It makes the motel feel more special and homey.

These motels that dot the landscape off every exit are a uniquely American fixture along our roadways, and it’s very important to both do your homework and manage your expectations before checking into an economy motel, whether it be a “Patel motel” or not:

Read each motel’s reviews carefully! Todd and I do not typically pre-plan our road trip stops. We drive until we get tired or until we reach our destination. As we decide we are done driving for the day, I get on my phone and start searching. I largely rely on reviews from Booking.com. It is a closed reviewing system and only solicits its reviews from customers who have booked a motel through the website. I know everyone who is commenting has actually been a customer. I zero in on the cheapest motel with the highest rating, and I try to avoid staying at motels that do not at least score a “7.5” on Booking.com’s rating system. As I read the reviews, I carefully search for comments such as “clean,” “comfortable beds/pillow”, “friendly staff,” etc. It’s also important to take the negative reviews with a grain of salt. People are far more likely to take the time to leave a review when they are disgruntled than when they are pleased with their stay. Read the bad reviews to see if they are legitimate concerns. A review that says the room was dirty carries more weight than one from a customer who is unhappy because noise from the air conditioner unit (or room next door?) kept them awake.

Don’t expect 5-star amenities. The towels are likely to be terrible. Be grateful for the shampoo and conditioner and the couple bars of soap. There will not usually be lotion or any other toiletry items offered. There will be no sign telling you to come down to the front desk if you forgot your toothbrush to get a complimentary one. No hairdryer will be provided. Expect and insist that your bathtub be clean, but don’t expect the bathtub to be new and blemish free by any means.

A morning continental breakfast buffet is not likely, but sometimes you will get a scaled down version. Motel breakfasts do not generally appeal to me anyway. At a minimum, coffee is usually offered in the lobby each morning.

Inspect your room. This is a rule of thumb regardless of where you stay. Bed bugs are just as likely to be in an expensive hotel as they are to be in economy motels. I look at the sheets and mattress for signs of any critters. I wouldn’t lie down on a bedspread whether I’m in a Motel 6 or a JW Marriott.

I will note that I appreciate the direction Motel 6 has taken in recent years. It’s very uncommon to stay at a Motel 6 that hasn’t been refurbished these days. What they have done across their motels is take out the soft furnishing in favor of hard surfaces. Carpeting has been replaced with laminate. Upholstered furniture has been replaced with wood, and bedding is comfortable without being overly plush. I assume these design choices have been made to keep the likelihood of bedbug infestations to a minimum.

If you do your homework and manage your expectations, economy motels can provide very pleasant stays while you are on the road. Sure the walls can be thin sometimes, but I would argue that in most mid-level motels, and often in some higher-end hotels, you will hear more from your neighbors than you would prefer from time to time.

The morning after Dan and his lady friend interrupted our sleep, Todd and I rose early and quietly prepared to get back on the road. We laughed about the argument we’d been witness to and I wondered about Dan. The night before, I’d taken it on faith that Dan was in fact a lying cheater. I’d assumed his low murmured side of the conversation had been an attempt to manipulate and gaslight her. But in the morning light I considered that maybe she was just that kind of crazy drunk who needed to be calmly talked down from the ledge from time to time. Maybe Dan’s transgressions were just imagined?

Todd left to load and warm up the car, and I walked through the room one last time to make sure we had our belongings. I came to the door and noticed that Todd had pulled the car across the parking lot to make sure the idling did not disturb those still sleeping. As I glanced around, Dan’s room was quiet and peaceful. As I imagined them sleeping off their evening, I turned and slammed the door as hard as I could. You see….Todd’s a much nicer person than I am.