Once I make a decision about something, I start right away setting up arrangements and making all the necessary plans. Then, I always end up checking it a few days before the event. And I always find something that needs to be changed.
I was double checking on my car reservations and found another rental company that had cheaper rates for a small(er) SUV. I changed my reservations and was all set. But, something told me to contact them ...just to make sure everything was in order. Well, it wasn't. Apparently this particular company limits their rentals to CA, AZ and NV. Not going to work for us! Of course, by this time, the other car companies are booked when it comes to your basic SUV.
I checked with another company I had rented from and was told they might have a large SUV available. First, I don't want a huge gas guzzler since I'm not comfortable driving them. Second, the price jumped about $200.00!
Alls well that ends well, however. I found out that they rent PT Cruisers as mid-size cars. A tad smaller than I wanted but it will work...and...it's $100 less!
With the car rental issue resolved I began to focus on our hotel reservations. Our favorite, Place D'Armes has been sold out of their rooms with windows. Yes, some of their rooms are windowless and that's just a bit too claustrophobic for this Cali girl! I ended up with reservations at another hotel in the French Quarter that is dog-friendly.
Playing around with the searches for hotel prices I noticed that some had dropped significantly. As I started to add up the parking fees for each hotel I realized that the lower cost did not matter if I was paying $10 more to park. So I researched a little more and ended up with a 30% discount and free parking at Hotel Provencial. Now, they are not dog-friendly, but since our "Skullie" is a service dog, that's okay.
What's even better about switching to the Provencial is it has a history of hauntings. It used to be a Civil War hospital and there have been sightings and sounds recorded there. I'll probably get the crap scared out of me if I do run across something, but the idea sure is fun!
Yesterday was all about mapping out the trip. Using the ancient tools - paper maps and highlighters - and modern tools -my gps on my phone - I figured out mileage for each possible stop and how long it might take us. Question of the day: who the hell decided Texas should be that big and what the hell were they thinking?!
Now it's done to laundry, packing for me and the dog, clean the house (can't have the pet sitters see a messy home!), and gathering the books on the areas we are traveling through - especially the ones on haunts!
