Disadvantages of staying with family on vacation

Most people have a family. Most people love their family. Staying with family on vacation can be a big saving. However, as we all know, family always comes with some strings attached and you need weigh very carefully if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of staying with family on vacation.

Accommodations

Let’s face it unless your family runs a bed and breakfast the accommodations may not be quite up to what you would get at a hotel. Chances are you are not going to have your own private bathroom, you may or may not have TV in your room and the bed size may not be what you are used to. You may even have to sleep on a pull out sofa in the den and this can result in a total lack of privacy. 

If you are a light sleeper this may cause issues. If you are a germaphobe, you may want to bring along a small spray can of Lysol so that you can sanitize the shared bathroom before you shower. Remember, you are a guest and this isn’t a hotel so you may have to sacrifice some privacy to be able to have a vacation.

Things we have come across, too soft mattress, double beds, woolen blankets (I'm allergic ) and water that has a sulfur smell.

Dining

Again, when you are a guest of family they are likely going to provide some meals. You have to let them know in advance if you are not a breakfast eater or if you have foods that you are allergic to. Going with the flow is the best way to make these kinds of vacations work for everyone involved.

You can always bring along some of the foods you enjoy and offer to cook a meal for everyone. If you are very fussy, this might not be the kind of vacation that will work for you.

We have found that some families just don't feed us enough and we have taken to going for a ride in the evening and getting pizza or a burger. We never have told the family that we are doing this, we just say we are going for a ride to enjoy the scenery.

Scheduling

Keep in mind that you need to adjust your vacation to the schedule of the family you are staying with. If they are early birds while you are staying with them you will need to go to bed at a similar time. You can always read in your room or use your electronic devices quietly of course. It may be difficult to get on their schedule but it really is the polite thing to do.

Our family rarely had a TV in our room and even when we could watch TV, we were in a foreign country and my husband did not understand the language. Books are a lifesaver.

Entertainment

It is always a good idea to discuss your plans with the family. If you plan to be out all day visiting friends in the area or hiking, let your hosts know in advance. Your family may have already made some plans to entertain you and you need to be gracious and try to mesh what you want with what they have planned.

It is your vacation after all and if you would rather sleep in than go hiking with your cousins, you need to make this clear from the beginning. However, if you want to be invited back, it might be wise to go along with some at least of their plans.

Staying with family on vacation can be a wonderful experience or it can be a nightmare. The last thing you want to do is cause major disagreements in your family. Make sure that you respect your host or hostess home and be sure to thank them with a meal out or a nice gift. Sending a thank you note is also a good way to be invited back again in the future.

We have stayed with a variety of family members over the years and have always been welcomed back. There is no better way to bond with family than spending time together and be sure to let them know that they are welcome at your home as well. The disadvantages don't need to keep you from having a wonderful and affordable vacation.

Texas: Blanton Art Museum Austin

Plans for a museum at the University of Texas at Austin began in 1927 when Archer M. Huntington made a donation of some land to fund an art museum. It took 11 years for a College of Fine Arts to be founded. In 1963 a small museum was opened, and noted author James Michener and his wife Mari donated a collection of 20th-century American art that substantially improved the collection. So much so, that they had to move to a larger building in 1972.

In April 2006 the new Blanton Museum of Art opened. Designed by Kallman, McKinnell, and Wood, the New Mari and James A. Michener Gallery houses the museum's permanent collection on the second floor. The building is constructed of Texas limestone, granite, and South American Epp wood with a Spanish tile roof. In 2008 a new building housing a cafe, store, and auditorium opened and made the Blanton the largest university art museum in the country.

The Jack S. Blanton Museum is also the home of the Suida-Manning Collection of European Art. This collection brought this museum to a whole new level. They now have the eighth largest collection of Italian old masters outside of Europe. Their collection of 17th-century French paintings is only surpassed by the Metropolitan Museum. The collection is comprised of 250 paintings, 400 drawings, and 20 sculptures.

It is made up of German, French, and Italian art from the 14th through 18th centuries. They went on display in 1999 and are an amazing collection. Many of the items are by lesser-known artists whose work is seldom seen outside of Italy, but one painting has been identified as being by Parmigianino and is only the third one in this country.

If you like Western American Art, and of course this is the West, the C.R. Smith Collection of Art of the American West offers an amazing glance at the west as it used to be with cowboys, wranglers and Indians.

As you get off the elevator you will fall in love with the beautiful museum. Some wonderful and unexpected English portraits are the first thing you see. The whole feeling is light and airy with high ceilings and amazing arches and angles.

Rooms of the fantastic European collection are followed by rooms of amazing prints. Mixed in there is a few antiquities. On to the modern works and one where you actually can walk into it. This museum is a winner and a must-see for anyone going to Austin. A gift shop is located in the new Edgar A. Smith Building which is a much-expanded version of the previous small one in the Michener Building.

Parking is available at the Brazos Garage and at several other lots in the area. The problem can be that this is a very busy area and they are often filled. Be persistent and don't take no for an answer and eventually you will find a spot and it is so worth it. The Blanton Museum of Art is a very important museum and one that you shouldn't miss if you are in Austin.

Massachusetts: Events that are calling you to Boston this Spring

Spring in Boston is filled with the scent of flowers, the grass on The Common is turning green and love is in the air. Love of baseball that is. One of the sure signs that spring is here is when fans start heading to Fenway Park to see their favorites the Boston Red Sox.

The end of March sees the team returning to their home field and their loyal fans. While the park is open for tours all year, it is much more pleasant to tour in the sunny spring weather.

Another harbinger of spring in Beantown is the Flower and Garden Show. This is a tradition that has been going on for 138 years and ushers in the spring season to this area.


Generations of Bostonians have participated in this rite of spring. The show includes demonstrations, lectures, the introduction of new products, arrangements and gardens. There are competitions and events to entertain every member of the family. For five days the Seaport World Trade Center bursts into colorful life, out with winter and in with spring.

The Boston Early Music Festival has been going on every two years since 1980. It is recognized as one of the premier early music festivals in the world. For a full week, Boston is filled with the sounds of opera, soloists and a variety of performances.

In response to the people who really can’t skip a year, there are yearly performances offered. The Baroque Opera is among the most popular of their many performances.

The Boston Beer Summit takes place at the Park Plaza Castle in downtown Boston. This is an opportunity to taste some wonderful local beers. What happens is for a set price you get a glass and you can taste as many of the brews as you want for over three hours. There is music and if you can’t find the beer of your dreams, well maybe it doesn’t exist. The breweries change so see the website for the listing for this spring's event.

For three days in April, the Boston College Art Festival provides a link between the students at Boston College and the residents of Boston. Over 1000 students participate in the festival and offer music, theater, dance, poetry, painting and a whole lot more. You can try your hands at the arts such as pottery making or you can just enjoy the performances. There will be events to entertain children and adults.

The first Saturday in June, the banks of the Charles come to life with music, dance, and entertainment in a variety of forms at the Cambridge River Festival. Jazz, Latin music, and art will be offered in abundance. Food, fun and lots of entertainment for the entire family are what attracts 200,000 people to this event annually.

Boston has a lot going on at any time of the year and spring is no exception. The weather is fine and the city is ready and waiting to welcome visitors and locals alike to all these Spring events and festivals in Boston.

My personal photo of Boston all rights reserved.


Sources:


Fenway Tours


Boston College Arts Council Festival


Boston Beer Summit


Early Music Festival


Flower and Garden Show

Hotel review: Hampton Inn HIckory, NC

If you have an idea in your head about what an average Hampton Inn Hotel looks like, you are in for a surprise from the moment you walk into the Hampton Inn Hickory, NC. The gorgeous lime green chairs are the first indication that something very different and wonderful is going on here.

It isn't just the chairs, the carpets are unique and there is a lot of wood laminate flooring. It has a much higher-end feel than any Hampton Inn I have ever stayed at. We had two rooms, both were identical in design

Among the amenities at the hotel is a guest laundry. It is free of charge but you need to bring your own soap and dryer sheets. They sell them in the small store near the desk but I must warn you, they are twice as expensive as they were at the Marriott Residence Inn. In all fairness, it is $2 instead of $1 but every little bit counts.

The breakfast is served every morning. It is an extensive buffet that includes fresh fruit, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, make your own waffles, juice and coffee, pastries, bread to toast and some hot entrees. Sausage gravy and biscuits was a fixture every morning along with sausage and scrambled eggs.

It certainly was enough to get you going and keep you going through the day. In the afternoon cookies were available along with coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

The rooms were quite lovely. We were on the fourth floor and we discovered that not all rooms were created equal. Our room 418 was larger than our friend's room 420. We counted the ceramic tiles in the entrance and ours had more, interesting.



The bed was very comfortable and had plenty of pillows. We had our own hear adjustment in the room so we set just the temperature that we prefer. There is an easy chair to relax in with an ottoman, a second straighter upholstered chair and a desk with chair. WiFi was free, fast and easy to access. Even the lamps in the room were stylish. The décor was certainly top notch.

The bathroom was smallish but well appointed with a granite vanity and all the amenities you expect including a hairdryer. They offer accessible rooms as well.

The hotel is located adjacent to the highway and the convention center. It is off a very busy street. There is a Carrabba's Italian Grill right next door and several other chain restaurants on the same strip so you really don't need to go far to enjoy dinner.

The hotel has a fitness center and an indoor pool but no hot tub. The water in the pool, however, was at a temperature that would make a swim very enjoyable.

We liked the Hampton Inn Hickory very much and would not hesitate to come here again ourselves or to recommend it to anyone going to Hickory. It is a very short drive away from the Hickory Furniture Mart if like many others you are coming to Hickory to shop for furniture.