GABRIELLA BIEDINGER - HER LIFE Magazine

herlife | travelChoose your Destination WiselyHow toGet Awayon a SmallTucson-based travel industry insider Kimberly Schmitz suggestspaying attention to the time of year you want to get away. “Travel to yourfavorite destination off-season,” she said. “Resorts like the Westin LaPaloma in Tucson often offer amazing deals to attract off-season visitors.Additionally, there are shorter waits for things like room service, restaurantseating and cabs. The beautiful thing is that the scenery and cultural experiencesare still there no matter the season.”Kimberly also suggested following visitors’ bureaus and resorts in yourdestination cities on Facebook and Twitter. “There are often amazing dealson rooms and attractions posted there,” she said.Budgetby beth blairPaying attention to our budget is an important part of householdmanagement. However, just because funds are limiteddoesn’t mean you have to skip your much-needed anddesired getaways. The magic key is creative planning.Eat Smartly“When you arrive in a city, stop at a local grocery and pick upwater, snacks and even quick breakfast foods,” said Kimberly. “Mostresorts will have refrigerators to store perishables.”Another cash-saving trick is to avoid “trendy” restaurants, saidGail Leicht, creator of SkinnyGuide.com. “A better choice is to findthe places that are ‘tried and true’ and that are unique to a particularcity, someplace that the locals love and frequent. For example, in SanFrancisco, locals love to grab lunch at Swan Oyster Depot, a neighborhoodseafood joint. It’s not fancy and it’s not trendy, but it’s good food.And it’s a great way to get to ‘know’ San Francisco and eat where thelocals eat. And the best part? Grabbing a handful of fresh-from-the-bayoysters is a relatively cheap lunch compared to sitting down at one ofthe more touristy establishments.”Barbara Weibel of holeinthedonut.com spends her life traveling ona small budget and considers herself to be a frugal traveler. “Whether Iam staying in a hostel, a guesthouse or an apartment rental, rather thaneating out at pricey restaurants, I try to prepare my own food as muchas possible. My staples are fresh fruit and yogurt for breakfast, plusfresh baked bread, avocado, tomato, cheese, lettuce, pesto and pastaand/or rice, which provides for two or three days of dinners. While I dosome shopping in grocery stores, I find that real bargains are more likelyto be found at the fresh markets, especially night markets, which offerspecialties such as marinated olives or sun-dried tomatoes to preparepasta or rice in a multitude of ways.”Barbara continued, “I’m just finishing up three months in France andSpain, which was a challenge budget-wise. However, I’ve discovered waysto eat cheaply but well by frequenting the bakeries (boulangeries in Franceand panaderias in Spain). Both have cheap eats in the form of quiche orpies that resemble deep-dish pizza. Two slices, each around $2, more thanfill me up, and there are endless varieties from which to choose such aseggplant, broccoli and onion, leek, olive, etc.”Airfare AdviceGail Leicht also suggested checking out “alternate” airports for betterfares. “For example, most people think O’Hare when flying to Chicago. Inactuality, Midway is the better choice. It’s closer to downtown, and becauseit caters to smaller airlines, there are better fares to be found.”58 HERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM