The Vacation Thread

[mister d]

anyone want to host the six month pup? having a heck of a time getting that taken care off.

Not sure its an option, but we brought ours (9.5 months) and it worked out shockingly well despite our initial reservations(pun!).

[The Sybian]

in 8 days i'll be at the beach for 6 nights. then back to reality.

anyone want to host the six month pup? having a heck of a time getting that taken care off.

I would, my wife wouldn't. We just finished dog sitting our neighbors two dogs. Kids visited 4/5 times a day.

Actually, crowd sourcing question here. So my kids are 12 and 15, and loved having the opportunity to take care of the dogs. Neighbors were initially going to drive to Florida with the dogs, but my wife said my kids were looking forward to taking care of the dogs, so they decided to leave them. The dogs are Yorkiepoos, with a combined weight probably in single digits.

So, 4 weeks. They asked the kids to walk the dogs and feed twice a day, and if they could, go over an extra time to play and if optional pre-bedtime visit. What is a reasonable amount to pay for this service?

[mister d]

My kids got $10 per day to do a twice daily feeding/water for two outdoor-ish cats plus watering plants for the neighbors. I assume dogs would be a lot more especially considering what boarding or a pro would cost?

[Steve of phpBB]

My kids got $10 per day to do a twice daily feeding/water for two outdoor-ish cats plus watering plants for the neighbors. I assume dogs would be a lot more especially considering what boarding or a pro would cost?

We generally pay $15 per day to have people come feed/water our cats, but we tend to hire college-age or older kids. That's basically one visit per day.

We generally kennel our dog if we don't bring him with, since then he can spend the day playing with other dogs instead of hanging around the house alone. But I would imagine that dog-sitting would cost 2-3 times what cat-sitting does.

[rass]

in 8 days i'll be at the beach for 6 nights. then back to reality.

anyone want to host the six month pup? having a heck of a time getting that taken care off.

Prior to the mutt getting really old we had nothing but good things to say about the Pet Smart Hotel in East Hanover. Shockingly high retention rate such that not only did the employees recognize him each time we came in, but I recognized them.

Was at least $30 per night, though. And for a holiday weekend you would probably need a reservation (at least pre-Covid).

[EnochRoot]

We scrapped the Buffalo trip and instead are headed to Asheville, NC for 10 days. We're bringing our dog with us.

el flaco - contact your vet. Get his/her opinion on what the best overnight facility is for your pup. You'll have a leg up right there on getting his records sent over to the facility. Good luck!

[DaveInSeattle]

Our Park City trip this weekend got scrapped, due to Covid concerns. Heading to Glacier, in the North Cascades instead.

[wlu_lax6]

We scrapped the Buffalo trip and instead are headed to Asheville, NC for 10 days. We're bringing our dog with us.

el flaco - contact your vet. Get his/her opinion on what the best overnight facility is for your pup. You'll have a leg up right there on getting his records sent over to the facility. Good luck!

Enoch
* Burial was my favorite brewery
* Retrocade in West Asheville was fun and good value (we did this instead of the Pinball Museum in downtown).
* Biscuit Head was fantastic
* Sliding Rock was worth it
* John Rock was a great hike and the view payoff was worth the effort
* Very strong dog park a short walk from the River Arts District
* The Hub is a great bike/outdoor store and bar in Brevard
* Brevard Brewing is a bit moe's tavern but well crafted beers
* Wicked Weed had some good stuff
* Sunshine Sammies for gourmet icecream sandwhiches
* The Asheville Tourists (High A astros affiliate) looked like a good time. We wandered that area doing some geocaching..pickup soccer at the stadium their seemed very popular.

[mister d]

I read about biscuit head and was so intrigued I got the cookbook but haven’t used it yet. Anything specific you liked there?

[govmentchedda]

I've got a fuckton of AVL recs. Will post in the next few days.

[EnochRoot]

We scrapped the Buffalo trip and instead are headed to Asheville, NC for 10 days. We're bringing our dog with us.

el flaco - contact your vet. Get his/her opinion on what the best overnight facility is for your pup. You'll have a leg up right there on getting his records sent over to the facility. Good luck!

Enoch
* Burial was my favorite brewery
* Retrocade in West Asheville was fun and good value (we did this instead of the Pinball Museum in downtown).
* Biscuit Head was fantastic
* Sliding Rock was worth it
* John Rock was a great hike and the view payoff was worth the effort
* Very strong dog park a short walk from the River Arts District
* The Hub is a great bike/outdoor store and bar in Brevard
* Brevard Brewing is a bit moe's tavern but well crafted beers
* Wicked Weed had some good stuff
* Sunshine Sammies for gourmet icecream sandwhiches
* The Asheville Tourists (High A astros affiliate) looked like a good time. We wandered that area doing some geocaching..pickup soccer at the stadium their seemed very popular.

Thank you for the tips!

edit: That retro arcade (retrocade) is something I would want to spend several hours in on one of the days of our trip, if not for the pandemic. The last time I was in a place like that was at Jenkinson’s Pier / Pavilion on the Jershey Shore. I went to school with Jenkinson’s granddaughter (she was the GM for one of the places there). I’m 99% the family had sold off a bunch of places by then, though.

[Nonlinear FC]

I can't speak for the Asheville joint, but the tour of the New Belgium location in Ft. Collins is top-notch.

[govmentchedda]

The Asheville location is in a nice spot overlooking the French Broad river. I'm not a huge fan of their beers though, and their large outdoor area could use more trees/shade.

[Nonlinear FC]

The Asheville location is in a nice spot overlooking the French Broad river. I'm not a huge fan of their beers though, and their large outdoor area could use more trees/shade.

Yeah, it's funny, I went through a phase where I drank a LOT of Fat Tire... Kind of ran its course and I'm not a big fan of the rest of their assortment. I just thought the tour was interesting and at least in Ft. Collins, they give you a pretty decent amount of booze during the tour.

[The Sybian]

My kids got $10 per day to do a twice daily feeding/water for two outdoor-ish cats plus watering plants for the neighbors. I assume dogs would be a lot more especially considering what boarding or a pro would cost?

We generally pay $15 per day to have people come feed/water our cats, but we tend to hire college-age or older kids. That's basically one visit per day.

We generally kennel our dog if we don't bring him with, since then he can spend the day playing with other dogs instead of hanging around the house alone. But I would imagine that dog-sitting would cost 2-3 times what cat-sitting does.

Thanks for the input. I just felt really uncomfortable when they dropped off an envelope with $500 to my 12 yo, along with two bottles of wine for my wife and 2 six packs of beer for me. I know that's less than they would have paid for a professional sitter/walker, which they used to use, or a kennel, and my kids would have been thrilled to do it for free. Last time, my daughter offered to pay them to play with the dogs for a week. Maybe it's just me, but I'm also uncomfortable with how much my daughter gets paid for teaching "soccer lessons" to 3 yo around the corner, and being a mothers helper for another family when they go to the pool. She asked for $5/hr and both said they couldn't pay less than $20.

[The Sybian]

* Burial was my favorite brewery

A friend moved to Raleigh this summer and keeps texting me how amazing Burial is and that he is sending me a bunch of stuff.

[mister d]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm also uncomfortable with how much my daughter gets paid for teaching "soccer lessons" to 3 yo around the corner, and being a mothers helper for another family when they go to the pool. She asked for $5/hr and both said they couldn't pay less than $20.

Ha, we're on the other side of this. We had a 9th grader give 4-5 swimming instructions to our 6 year old and we ended up giving $20 per because anything lower felt kinda like we were taking advantage knowing what a real lesson would cost. Its a very weird dynamic on both parent sides.

[Steve of phpBB]

Give the kid half and the rest to the food bank?

[The Sybian]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm also uncomfortable with how much my daughter gets paid for teaching "soccer lessons" to 3 yo around the corner, and being a mothers helper for another family when they go to the pool. She asked for $5/hr and both said they couldn't pay less than $20.

Ha, we're on the other side of this. We had a 9th grader give 4-5 swimming instructions to our 6 year old and we ended up giving $20 per because anything lower felt kinda like we were taking advantage knowing what a real lesson would cost. Its a very weird dynamic on both parent sides.

Completely forgot about the time 6 or 7 years ago we paid my son's friend's older brother to give him baseball lessons since he refused to take my advice. I think we paid him $20 and the parents were fighting us on this. I think it's perspective, the brother seemed older to me, so it seemed fair. My daughter seems a lot younger to me than to a mother with a 3 yo and and a baby. I also know my daughter loves playing with little kids and doesn't care about the money, and she'd be proud to walk out with $5.

[The Sybian]

Give the kid half and the rest to the food bank?

At least it was split between 2 kids, and they want to donate to the dog rescue I volunteer at.

[Nonlinear FC]

The perspective really should be "what would it cost for them to hire an adult or board the animal" and then cut that by 50-75 percent given the specific circumstance. Such as: Are the animals easy to deal with, how often do they need to be let out, do they need to be walked, how far away is the house, etc etc.

My daughter is in college and she made a little over a $1000 this summer house- and dog-sitting. We thought a few folks might've overpaid, but one place wanted her to pretty much move in for 10 days, so... That's a long time to board a dog, and this one is a Labradoodle that is very high strung. Some dogs that go to a not-so-great boarding joint come back FUCKEDUP. So... It's worth it for dog owners who have anxiety on that front.

And, like you seem to be doing, if the money seems a bit much for a younger kid, find something to do with it that makes it feel more reasonable/responsible. I love the idea of donating to a shelter!

[Giff]

I just had the owners of the place I'm staying at this weekend asking if I had any preferences on beverages or snacks. They're on their way to a five-star review no doubt!

[sancarlos]

Give the kid half and the rest to the food bank?

At least it was split between 2 kids, and they want to donate to the dog rescue I volunteer at.

That is pretty cool of you to volunteer at a dog rescue. I don’t think I could do that, because I would want to take every pooch home.

[govmentchedda]

The perspective really should be "what would it cost for them to hire an adult or board the animal" and then cut that by 50-75 percent given the specific circumstance. Such as: Are the animals easy to deal with, how often do they need to be let out, do they need to be walked, how far away is the house, etc etc.

My daughter is in college and she made a little over a $1000 this summer house- and dog-sitting. We thought a few folks might've overpaid, but one place wanted her to pretty much move in for 10 days, so... That's a long time to board a dog, and this one is a Labradoodle that is very high strung. Some dogs that go to a not-so-great boarding joint come back FUCKEDUP. So... It's worth it for dog owners who have anxiety on that front.

And, like you seem to be doing, if the money seems a bit much for a younger kid, find something to do with it that makes it feel more reasonable/responsible. I love the idea of donating to a shelter!

All Labradoodles seem to be high strung. They're pretty low on my "who's a good boy?" breed list.

[Nonlinear FC]

We have a chocolate labradoodle and she's one of the best dogs I've ever had (between mom and dad and our own this is the 6th dog I've been around on a daily basis.)

With that said, she is a lot more poodle than lab... And I REALLY wanted a lab. So, the next dog is definitely going that route.

(As an example, she is one of the few dogs I know that absolutely will not go in the water. I'm a beach/lake/river kind of person... I want a water dog.)

But, wouldn't trade out Tobi for another dog. She's the sweetest, smartest dog in the world. Couldn't ask for a better dog around the kids. And she'll play fetch until she's almost passed out... I've had a number of dogs that wouldn't get the concept, and that was a bummer.

[The Sybian]

Give the kid half and the rest to the food bank?

At least it was split between 2 kids, and they want to donate to the dog rescue I volunteer at.

That is pretty cool of you to volunteer at a dog rescue. I don’t think I could do that, because I would want to take every pooch home.

If I brought a dog home my wife would kill me. That keeps the urge to bring one home in check. Every once in a while there'll be a dog that I instantly connect with and I get tempted. Another shitty thing about COVID, I don't feel comfortable with 10-15 people and 30 dogs in a small basement where we do the bathing and grooming when we bring a truckload up from the South. I went once after I was fully vaccinated, haven't been able to get back, and now I don't feel comfortable again.

[elflaco2]

THANKS ALL!

mrs is on her way to pick up the pup from his 3hr interview at the kennel (camp bow wow) - we checked it out this morning.. seemed like a good set up. recommended by a local friend. Vet's office was not so great at recommending.. they used to board but covid. all changed due to covid.
if they accept him... think its $53/night. lots of exercise all day. big space at night.
if not.. another local recommended a servcie they use that comes 3x a day to hang w him. can't imagine he'll like that. alone at night.
last option is not a good option.

[Brontoburglar]

I third/fourth/fifth the burial recommendation. their light lager is the best light beer I've had -- and their other stuff is really, really good. took home a six pack of the surf wax ipa.

[govmentchedda]

I had a long write up about AVL beer food and outdoor activities get eaten by phpBB just now. Remind me to do that again, but to save it in Google docs first.

[BSF21]

Give the kid half and the rest to the food bank?

At least it was split between 2 kids, and they want to donate to the dog rescue I volunteer at.

That is pretty cool of you to volunteer at a dog rescue. I don’t think I could do that, because I would want to take every pooch home.

My wife volunteers every Sunday at our local shelter. It's hard on her but rewarding.

[BSF21]

THANKS ALL!

mrs is on her way to pick up the pup from his 3hr interview at the kennel (camp bow wow) - we checked it out this morning.. seemed like a good set up. recommended by a local friend. Vet's office was not so great at recommending.. they used to board but covid. all changed due to covid.
if they accept him... think its $53/night. lots of exercise all day. big space at night.
if not.. another local recommended a servcie they use that comes 3x a day to hang w him. can't imagine he'll like that. alone at night.
last option is not a good option.

They're all independent but I went to high school with the girl that runs the Camp Bow Wow just north of us and she/their facility is great.

[The Sybian]

Give the kid half and the rest to the food bank?

At least it was split between 2 kids, and they want to donate to the dog rescue I volunteer at.

That is pretty cool of you to volunteer at a dog rescue. I don’t think I could do that, because I would want to take every pooch home.

My wife volunteers every Sunday at our local shelter. It's hard on her but rewarding.

It's chaos, a lot of people quit after the first day, but once you figure it out it's easy. The woman who runs it yells a lot, but she is actually really nice once you get past the yelling. Some of the dogs from bad situation are heart breaking, but most are well adjusted. Since it's mostly women of retirement age, I have to lift all the big dogs into the bath and hold down the big dogs that are afraid of groomers, but the women can usually handle them. My job, especially in the winter, is to take the dogs out to shit and get their energy out. I mostly play with dogs that have energy or pet dogs starved for attention. It's awesome. When I left the first day, I was emotionally drained and on the verge of tears thinking about where all the dogs came from (many pulled from high kill shelters) and knowing they were all going to loving homes. A few times in, I mentioned a dog to a volunteer and was surprised she didn't remember the dog. She said the dogs are a blur after a while. I didn't believe her, but now, I take pictures of the cute ones for my daughter, and a week later I don't remember them at all. It was amazing to see a dog I remembered weeks later with their families.

[A_B]

Amelia Island first week of August. Been there a few times, stay right on the beach, and only pay celaning fee because a buddy's dad won't let us pay him to use the condo. May have our youngest with us, may not.

Then Charleston in October. Wife has a work trip so we added a day before and after. I'll be disconnected, just doing school work and exploring Charleston a bit. No kids for this one.

Looking forward to both.

Next week! anyone got anything I need to check out? I'll have most of MOn-Tues available for wandering.

[govmentchedda]

Amelia Island first week of August. Been there a few times, stay right on the beach, and only pay celaning fee because a buddy's dad won't let us pay him to use the condo. May have our youngest with us, may not.

Then Charleston in October. Wife has a work trip so we added a day before and after. I'll be disconnected, just doing school work and exploring Charleston a bit. No kids for this one.

Looking forward to both.

Next week! anyone got anything I need to check out? I'll have most of MOn-Tues available for wandering.

Isn't Husk in Charleston?

[A_B]

Amelia Island first week of August. Been there a few times, stay right on the beach, and only pay celaning fee because a buddy's dad won't let us pay him to use the condo. May have our youngest with us, may not.

Then Charleston in October. Wife has a work trip so we added a day before and after. I'll be disconnected, just doing school work and exploring Charleston a bit. No kids for this one.

Looking forward to both.

Next week! anyone got anything I need to check out? I'll have most of MOn-Tues available for wandering.

Isn't Husk in Charleston?

I looked there and they are booked up for dinner all week, unfortunately.

[govmentchedda]

Amelia Island first week of August. Been there a few times, stay right on the beach, and only pay celaning fee because a buddy's dad won't let us pay him to use the condo. May have our youngest with us, may not.

Then Charleston in October. Wife has a work trip so we added a day before and after. I'll be disconnected, just doing school work and exploring Charleston a bit. No kids for this one.

Looking forward to both.

Next week! anyone got anything I need to check out? I'll have most of MOn-Tues available for wandering.

Isn't Husk in Charleston?

I looked there and they are booked up for dinner all week, unfortunately.

Might be worth a late lunch time pop in.

[A_B]

Amelia Island first week of August. Been there a few times, stay right on the beach, and only pay celaning fee because a buddy's dad won't let us pay him to use the condo. May have our youngest with us, may not.

Then Charleston in October. Wife has a work trip so we added a day before and after. I'll be disconnected, just doing school work and exploring Charleston a bit. No kids for this one.

Looking forward to both.

Next week! anyone got anything I need to check out? I'll have most of MOn-Tues available for wandering.

Isn't Husk in Charleston?

I looked there and they are booked up for dinner all week, unfortunately.

Might be worth a late lunch time pop in.

Looks like they don't open until 5. Wife is done early wednesday but we have hotel thru thursday so maybe we will try to get there when they open. Made a reservations at SNOB for Tuesday.

[serrano]

There’s a place called Poogans (sp?) Porch just down the street from Husk that was very good with low-country cuisine and nowhere near as crowded.

We did Husk too but dare I say, each dish was a little off-balance in terms of the saltiness. We were a little surprised but it had to be an off night for them.

[A_B]

Friend that lives close to Charleston recommended Melfis so we are gonna stop in there Monday. But still figuring out Wednesday night. Hotel looks to have a nice restaurant bar so that’s probably Sunday after the drive in.

[Staubach]

I lived in Asheville from 2009 - 2019, so if you need some advice or recommendations feel free to reach out to me. I moved across the border (about 30 miles from my previous house)to Tennessee to avoid the state income tax in North Carolina. I know more about the hiking and biking in the area then fine dining, except for sushi.

For my vacation this year, we went to Zion National Park and Arches National Park. The areas out west are surreal to me and I can understand why many people think of these areas as spiritual. At Zion, we did the Narrows and Angels Landing hikes. For those that may be going there, Angels Landing is a lottery hike due to the dangers of a large number of people trying to hold the chains while attempting the hike. Many sites have it listed as one of the most dangerous hikes in the world. Youtube has great videos of the hike.

For the Narrows, plan on spending a day there (we only spent an afternoon) so you can hike deep into the canyon away from all of the influencers.

Arches is more for the older or don't want to hike a long ways crowd. Hardest hike that we did was to the Delicate Arch itself. After a fairly strenuous hike uphills, there was a line to stand underneath it and take pictures. Another spot with many influencers trying to take the perfect picture. We enjoyed the less touristy hikes that took us away from the crowds and into some solitude.

We were there the week the lesbian couple was shot and killed at a remote camping site near Arches, so we didn't go too crazy with remote hikes.

Youtube the hikes there if you want to see hoe strenuous they are. Most are drive up, walk a 1/2 mile on flat terrain, and see the arch.