Originally Posted by
iahphx
Huh? There's certainly something to be said for camping, but I know few people who do it as an alternative to staying in a hotel. And there's much to recommend a vacation rental, but cost isn't the primary consideration (space to spread out would be). I also see no evidence that consumers are suddenly flocking to "no frills" downmarket hotels to save money. To the contrary, it seems that a more affluent America is becoming even fussier with their hotel selections.
I think the overlap between FT and whatever camping-enthusiast forums there are (and I know they're out there) is fairly small. People who go camping, generally go camping because they like camping, not because they want to save money on a hotel. I have done that once, when I was in college. My girlfriend (now wife
) and I camped outside DC and managed to see a lot of sights by taking either public transportation or a car into the city--worked pretty well, but I wouldn't do it now. I also wouldn't stay with friends unless the point of the trip was specifically to visit those friends, or, again, if I were about 20 years younger.
Originally Posted by
RustyC
When I saw the title I thought it was referring to that guy who used to be on Letterman and was on Third Rock or something like that. I had been saying that about THAT Chris Elliott for years.
At least the comic actor Chris Elliott would be more entertaining than the travel writer Christopher Elliott, if I had to pick someone to go camping with or at whose house I might stay on vacation.
