When is an experience worth full retail? Here’s how I decide
The whole point of my blog is “getting the best for less”, but occasionally even The Deal Mommy is willing to pay full price. Today I spent $57 to get myself and the Deal Kids into the Star Wars Identities exhibition at the Montreal Science Center. We had free admission, the $57 was over and above admission. I spent it gladly and would recommend it to anyone visiting Montreal, Star Wars geek (guilty!) or no.
In New York I spent $291 on dinner (no drinks) for the Deal Family at The View Restaurant, in the Marriott Marquis Times Square. At 48 stories high, the entire restaurant spins around once an hour enabling you to get a view of the city that is literally impossible any other way. I spent a fair amount of time fretting about it beforehand, but once we got there and I saw how mesmerized the Deal Kids were by the place (Deal Dad and I were too, but had been there before) I let go and was glad to have spent every penny.
Here is a list of questions I ask myself before committing to a full price item:
- Can this experience be achieved in any other way? Are the tradeoffs worth the savings?:Here in Montreal, this Star Wars exhibition is having its world premiere and many of these objects have never been on display before.In NYC there was a cheaper option (that would have cost $150), eating in the lounge at the buffet. However, it would have involved standing in line with the kids and missing the guarantee of a window seat, which was the whole point. There are other restaurants above Times Square, but none of them spin! An example where the tradeoff WAS worth the savings: taking the Staten Island Ferry for free to see the Statue of Liberty versus paying $36 to take the Liberty Island ferry (where you get to walk around Liberty Island and visit the Ellis Island museum). I loved Ellis Island when I visited, but didn’t see it for the kids first trip.
- Is this memory so unique that it can’t be achieved at home?: An example of this is the Disney World Character meal. No where else can you get the level of joy you get from personalized attention from your best cartoon friends. Pluto attempting to steal Deal Daughter’s roll during our character meal at Garden Grill at Epcot comes up regularly a year after our visit. An example (to me, I know others disagree) of an experience that DOESN’T meet this criteria is Great Wolf Lodge. Water-slides are great, but available at the local pool. Instead of spending $300+ a night, I’d rather get a $100 or less deal on a condo and fly to warm weather!
- Am I saving in other ways to cover this expense? : In both this trip and New York, our hotels were free thanks to Loyalty Points so that put some extra in the trip budget.
- Is this experience the best single “Wow” experience compared to other ones? :
Here in Montreal, Deal Kid’s jaw dropped when he heard about the exhibition, and even Deal Girl thoroughly enjoyed herself…and I had the most fun of all!
In the case of our New York Weekend, my other thought for a blowout item was a Broadway show. The absolute best deal I could find on a show our family would enjoy was $300 for 4 tickets to Mary Poppins. I thought about what the Deal Kids would remember most about the trip and decided spinning over Times Square trumped flying Nanny…but it was close!
I hope this list helps you as it helped me over the years in deciding what to spend our hard earned money on and what to skip. What fun is saving if you can’t spend every once in a while? Please share your choices for experiences “worth full retail”.
Travel is NOT Free: The Bonnie Rule
The first class seat on Lufthansa. The Park Hyatt Vendome. The amazing experiences you’ve had with your own family that would have not been remotely possible without miles or points. Ah, what a wonderful world we live in to be able to game the system and travel for free…according to the media anytime it covers miles and points at a mile high level.
Whenever you see a report about traveling for free, I want you to invoke the Bonnie rule. Let me explain. When I first started blogging I fell into the “points are free” trap until I had a reader, Bonnie, ask me point blank what I could have gotten had I used a cash back card instead. I realized she had a point.
From that day to today I value my miles and points (with exceptions such as IHG or Club Carlson) at a penny each: the value Chase, AMEX, or Citi would give me towards paying my bill or a Wal-Mart gift card. A 50,000 Ultimate Rewards sign up bonus? Worth $500. That “free night” with renewal? The cost of your renewal fee. Note I’m not even beginning to get into the time commitment, which is another animal altogether.
For instance: in my recent post about redeeming miles for 4 tickets to Asia I reported both the out of pocket cost of $469 AND the value of the miles + cash of $5,344. It’s simply dishonest to report it otherwise as I could have used those miles, collected on the right cards, to pay my mortgage.
No wonder so few people actually collect miles and points: the media is lying to them! People know when they’re being played, and it’s a fallacy that travel is free. I wish a more balanced picture were presented. How about something like “by strategic planning, careful budgeting, and leveraging promotions you can travel for less than half of what it would normally cost”?
Nah…who wants to read about that?
Amending The Bonnie Rule: Travel is Even More Not “Free” Than It Used To Be
I’m FINALLY starting to put together plans for this summer’s Camp Mom 2017 and have the first set of internal flights booked. I got 4 $533 tickets from Santiago to Iguazu Falls for 12.5K Skymiles and $30 each. I’m pretty happy with a Skymiles value of 4 cents/mile. (Side note: Joe is right: Delta partner award space is out there waiting to be booked!).
That’s Great: What’s this about a Bonnie Rule?
You guys know I keep it real around here and track how much my adventures cost to share with you at the end. The Bonnie Rule, named after a reader who questioned my math, stipulates that I not only track out of pocket expenses but lost opportunity costs. It’s a really valuable tool to remind me that travel is NOT free.
Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams
Of the myths surrounding travel hacking I’ve always considered “travel is free” the most dangerous. Vendoming is fun to mock (and engage in from time to time). But I think most people spot pretentious behavior (at least in others) fairly easily and know when to say when.
However selling credit cards while also selling “travel is free” is like selling a bag of tools to a customer who doesn’t understand basic construction. It’s just like ACME selling TNT to Wile E Coyote. You just stand by and wait: eventually he’s gonna blow himself up.
Amending the Bonnie Rule
In the original version of the Bonnie Rule I valued the missed opportunity cost of most points at a penny each. I did so because it was what Chase or AMEX would give you if you used them to pay your bill.
However, with Cash Back Being the New Black a penny isn’t a fair value anymore. Cards like the Citi Double Cash, Barclay’s Arrival, US Bank’s Flexperks and others give you a minimum of two cents per dollar in cash equalivent for everyday spend. Therefore the missed opportunity cost has doubled.
A real life example
Let’s return to the tickets I got last night: the cash cost was $533 and the miles cost was 12.5K and $30.
Travel is FREE math: “My $533 tickets were only $30 or 94% off!”
Old Bonnie Rule math: “My $533 tickets were only $155 or 71% off.
New Bonnie Rule math: “My $533 tickets were only $280 or 47% off.
Bonnie Rule math is a lot less sexy, but a lot more real.
And you won’t blow yourself up doing it.
The Tourism Life Cycle: Why it Matters (and Finding Your Sweet Spot)
I just saw a conversation on Twitter that reminded me of an important concept I haven’t seen discussed lately: the Tourism Life Cycle. Knowing the tourism life cycle and understanding where I thrive has helped me countless times in planning where to go and how to get there.
Put briefly: The Tourism Life Cycle is a handy tool in understanding how developed a destination is in relation to its neighbors. It defines 4 stages:
- Exploration: Few tourists, rudimentary infrastructure, pristine environment. Think straw huts, local transport, very low cost.
- Involvement and (basic) Development: Independent hotels and B&B’s start to thrive and backpackers may begin to discover the destination. As the destination evolves from stage 2 an airport/train station may be built with tourists in mind. The destination may develop chatter as “the next big thing”.
- Development into Consolidation: The chain hotels arrive. Regular media coverage. Beginning to see issues such as crime, pollution, zoning and development become more discussed as the area grows in popularity.
- Stagnation and Decline: Pollution, crime, and rampant development have taken their toll. Package tours are the main source of tourism as the independent travelers have mostly moved on.
If a destination in late stage 3 or 4 works to rehab, you can hope they come out the other side to rejuvenate, but to be honest few do. I was fortunate enough to take a class on Tourism online while living in Bangkok and did my final project visiting 4 levels of Thai beach resorts. This was in 2000, but at the time I saw:
- Level 1: Ko Samet. Stayed in a hut for $6/night. Electricity was through a generator and only operated the fridges during the day and the lights at night. Now I hear from friends Samet is more a solid 2.
- Level 2: Ko Samui: Independent hotels besides one luxury chain way up on the hill. Small town atmosphere, occasional traffic lights. Now Samui seems a solid 3.
- Level 3: Phuket: Chain hotels everywhere. Some package tourists. McDonalds. Still lovely beaches, though, just more crowded. (I think Phuket is still a 3, partly because much of it was destroyed in the Tsunami of 2004.)
- Level 4: Pattaya: Known for sex tourism. Polluted beaches. Generally “skeevy” feel if you leave the major hotels. (I think Pattaya is still a 4).
Finding your sweet spot:
Figuring out where you best enjoy traveling will help you when picking a destination. Most miles and points enthusiasts self select out of Level 1 and much of Level 2, and that’s too bad. While living without aircon in Thailand isn’t an experience I’d repeat, I’ve never seen a beach like Samet and my week there is still a highlight.
My personal sweet spot is around 2.5: enough infrastructure for medical facilities and decent roads, but not so much that I forget I’ve left the states. Antigua, Guatemala is a good example of what I’d consider a 2.5. No real chain hotels, but it’s a study abroad destination so there’s top notch medical and it’s well protected by the local authorities. There’s also a McDonalds, but the entire town is a UNESCO world heritage site so development is severely limited.
However with the kids I notice myself booking more and more “3” trips, just because it’s easier! (Not many are going to admit they want stage 4, but some self select there without realizing by sticking to package deals and not doing their research).
5 Travel Luxuries I Won’t Give Up
My friend Maria wrote a fun post about luxuries she won’t give up being a Mom. It got me thinking about what travel luxuries I won’t give up:
5 travel luxuries I won’t give up
- Diet Coke with Ice: Even when beer or wine is 1/2 as much and the size of the can is laughable, I won’t give up my fix. But it won’t do to get the can: I have to get at least one ice cube as well. Even if I have to pay for it.
- Swimming Pools, indoors if need be: Especially with kids. I don’t need it solo, but if the kids are in tow I’ll pay a hefty premium to get a hotel where they can work out their energy.
- A Comfortable Arrival: Once I get to my hotel I’m the queen of public transit, but with rare exceptions (Heathrow Express comes to mind) I’ll arrange for a shuttle or get a cab from the airport. Even from a train I’ll take a taxi from the station to my hotel. If I’ve got luggage, I’m getting help.
- A Rental Car I enjoy driving: I’m hardly a gearhead, but I don’t rent economy cars. Ever. Even in Europe I’ll go up a category or 2. In Italy I paid an extra 5 Euro a day for the Fiat 500 with custom leather and turbo. Worth. Every. Cent. Even better, mid-size or full-size is often cheaper than economy because you can apply a coupon.
- Quality Tours: Whether it’s Breakfast at the Vatican or Tea on the Titanic I’ll happily pay up. I’ll fly coach to get there and eat most meals from the grocery store, but I won’t skimp on tours once I get to my destination. The cheapest tour is cheapest for a reason!
Think You Only Pick “Safe” Destinations? Think Again.
Ive had safety on the brain lately. Maybe it’s because I’m taking the kids to Asia for the 1st time, but I’m seeing more and more mention of “safe destinations”. Saverocity’s own Joe Cortez recently wrote a piece about cities to avoid solo.
I disagree with the premise. With common sense and good prep most places in my experience can be visited with a reasonable degree of safety. Of course I’m not vacationing in Kabul or Sanaa this summer, but after more than 20 years living and traveling around the world, I’ve seen my share of places that officially qualify as “unsafe”.
Listen, I get it. Traveling outside of your own comfort zone can be scary. Adding kids to the mix only makes it more so. I just want you to consider a couple of facts before you automatically cross a destination off your list:
- This winter an outbreak of measles started at…Disneyland.
- I got trapped in demonstrations recently in…New York City.
Does that mean you should avoid Disneyland and New York City?
A few years ago my own Washington DC was the “murder capital”. Sure, there are still certain neighborhoods I don’t venture into solo at 2AM, but should I be venturing anywhere alone at 2AM?
We took the kids to Guatemala for two weeks when they were 4 and 7. While it was jarring at first to see guards with Uzis at the 7-11, I never once felt unsafe. Well, maybe when our driver hit 90MPH, but I never felt threatened by the people.
The first place Joe mentioned in the piece above as “unsafe for solo travel” is Mexico City. I escaped last winter for a solo weekend in Mexico City and not once felt my neck hairs prickle.
You know where I DID feel threatened? Rome. My radar went up on the 1st day and didn’t come down. I’ll save the details for another post, but last summer in Rome I was harassed more as a single female than I have been ANYWHERE. Did Rome make the hit list? No.
True Deal Mommy Confession: I’m Still Prone to a Pre-Trip Meltdown
You would think I’d have grown out of it by now- after filling three passports, after living and even giving birth abroad, after dragging my kids around the globe- but no. Every single trip about a week before takeoff I start to seize up as I watch the to-do list grow.
Then around day T-minus-5 I start getting easily distracted: Friends marathon? Facebook friend send me a life on Candy Crush? I’m there!
Day 4-Panic starts to set in. OhMyGodHowAmIGoingToGetItAllDone? This is usually accompanied by each kid requesting something totally random needing to be done by tomorrow, as happened today with Deal Kid needing dress clothes (and knowing a week ago) and Deal Girl deciding she wanted presents for her PE teacher.
Day 3: Frantic productivity- I’m a swirling dervish of laundry, online bill paying, errands. Get outta my way!
Day 2: Meltdown day! You can set a clock by it! This is exactly the time Deal Dad realizes we’re leaving and starts to ask questions about our itinerary, which has been planned for a year. One question and I’m off to the races.
Departure Day: Somehow we manage to get out the door-with me always wondering how it got together at the absolute last minute and promising myself it will never be that stressful again.
Word of the Day: Incremental
For today’s to-do I installed this plastic door rack in my pantry. Our pantry is a black hole and because of this we end up with WAY more things like microwave popcorn and oatmeal than we need, as you can see. Deal Girl outgrew her toy rack so I stuck it up on the pantry door- an incremental change that took five minutes but will pay off in us not buying cases of unnecessary popcorn and oatmeal.
What does a plastic door rack have to do with miles and points? Plenty. Incremental changes like adding a door rack add up to time and money saved. Incremental changes in your life can add up to miles and money you can use for travel.
Today’s to-do for you: Make just one incremental change. Need an idea? Automate a single monthly bill onto a convertible credit card. Cell phone, auto insurance, electric, any will do. The five minutes you take to add a $200/month bill will add up to 2,400 points a year. Extra credit if you get category bonuses: for instance a Chase Ink (business) card will get you 5x on your cell phone, cable, and internet bills.
Are all your bills automated? How about making sure your purchases go through portals to earn extra points? Cash Back Monitor is a great tool to have in your bookmarks. It tracks each site daily to make sure you’re earning the absolute best rate on each purchase.
Now am I going to tell you that small changes are going to get you 900,000 points today? No. But every point counts. With diligence and- say it with me- incremental changes you’ll get where you want to go.
Second City Travel: Going Beyond the Postcard
I was thrilled to see a feature on Marseille in a recent Washington Post Travel section. I have a love/hate relationship with WaPo Travel but they got this one right. I just got back from Marseille and it’s my latest second city travel recommendation.
What is Second City Travel?
Simply put, second city travel involves a destination that doesn’t spring to mind when a country is mentioned. In the USA, a first city might be New York and a second city might be Chicago. The first city has the postcards, the songs, the crowds. Most tourists skip the second city altogether. However if you take the time to explore the second cities of the world I promise you’ll be rewarded.
Consistent across second city travel are a number of traits: terrific regional food, a more laid back pace and most of all great value. I find splurge worthy hotels and restaurants in second cities usually run about what I’d pay for your average 3.5 star in the marquis destination.
Here’s a shortlist of my favorite second cities. I’d love to hear about yours in the comments.
Belfast
Deal Kid was born in Rotunda Hospital in Dublin so my status as a Dubliner can not be questioned. However, taken as a whole, Belfast has more to offer tourists to Ireland than first city Dublin. We went directly back to Dublin from Belfast and our first thought was “wow, it’s SO crowded!” Belfast just didn’t feel rushed or harried at all, no matter where or when we went.
The highlight of our Belfast trip was Tea on the Titanic. The entire Titanic Belfast museum, built on the actual construction site, is striking, but I’m focusing on the Tea held every Sunday. The Tea, which especially for kids is a good value, is held in a historically accurate re-creation of the grand staircase of the Titanic. Add in the fact that the Amazing Race filmed in that exact spot and you have a winner!
Much of Belfast has almost no age to it (courtesy of Hitler– did you know that? Me neither!), but a visit to the Ulster Museum shows that Belfast has been ground zero for conflict for pretty much all of its history. A Black Cab tour is highly recommended if you have time, but one quick drive around and you’ll find yourself deep in the neighborhoods with the wall murals and razor-wire fences- they’re all still there, living memorials to how little it takes for people to kill each other. Like your history with a little more age to it? Take the train or a car to nearby Derry- lots of castles and such there.
I’ve seen just about every shore in Ireland and I don’t think any compares to the Antrim coast drive north from Belfast to Giant’s Causeway. I related in detail the hassles of car rentals in the republic of Ireland compared to the UK (Belfast). Maybe it’s just me, but I also felt the UK side was safer; in fact the week of driving in Western Ireland was about the most unsafe I’ve EVER felt driving, and I’ve driven in some unsavory places!
Naples
Of course the first city that comes to mind when you say “Italy” is Rome. I’ve shared my underwhelming views on Rome although to be fair they may be marred by my frightening taxi ride there. Naples probably isn’t a second city- it might not be in the top five places you think of visiting in Italy!
Naples seems to be a city people either love or love to hate. I get it. It’s exhausting. Literally. I needed a nap by my 3rd day. Naples assaults your senses unlike any other city in Europe; in fact the best way I can describe it is to imagine a 3rd World Capital City dropped on top of Rome. Naples isn’t Italian so much as an outpost of Italy.
Naples has been a border town for its entire existence and proudly displays remains ranging from Egypt to Macedonia to Greece to (currently) North Africa. Even the construction debris is art. Its cathedral contains art from the 4th to the 17th centuries.
Most pass by Naples on the way to Pompeii, which is a real shame. The national archaeology museum contains many of the treasures found in the ancient city. My visit to Pompeii would have felt hollow without the context of the museum exhibits.
Marseille
Similar to Naples, Marseille has that “border town” feel- in a good way. So while I enjoy Parisian shopping as much as the next girl, when it comes to France, it’s Marseille that stole my heart.
The city reminds me of Paris – if you dropped it on top of Miami. Marseille has a North African culture mixed into the French the way Miami has Cuban mixed into the American. While France has definitely had issues with integration, Marseille felt more like a happy jumble than segregated communities.
We visited Marseille in the middle of August – prime tourist season. However, the tourists we saw were mostly French families coming down to the sea for the weekend as opposed to throngs in buses. Most of Marseille’s tourist sights are within reach of the Vieux (Old) Port. While Vieux Port was lively, we never felt like sardines.
Notre Dame de la Garde Cathedral watches over the city and is a marvel to explore. Fortunately there’s a tourist “petit tren” that takes you up and down the steep hill to the cathedral. If you have a chance to attend a service there, as we did, I highly recommend it even if you aren’t Catholic. Even kids appreciate the reverence of Notre Dame de la Garde- and they’ll especially appreciate the model boats and planes hanging from the ceiling as symbols of Notre Dame “keeping watch” over voyagers.
Marseille was a “City of European Culture” in 2013 and many museums got a major facelift. Our favorite both inside and out was the Mucem ( Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations) and the attached Fort St. Jean.
The Mucem building is a marvel in itself. The entire building is covered in coral-like latticework. The fort has amazing views and a picnic area begging for a family lunch. Fort St. Jean’s cafe seating includes…wait for it…lounge chairs. If you didn’t bring snacks, the Mucem cafe serves fresh off the boat oysters.
Being a port, Marseille offers many options to get out onto the water. An easy option is a cruise to Chateau D’if, site of “The Count of Monte Cristo.” If you have more time you can visit the Calenques (cliffs) which makes for a lovely half day. There’s a two hour and a three hour option- we did the two hour and it was enough. Three might have been overkill.
I lucked into an especially great hotel deal thanks to Sheradill at the Residence de Vieux Port. The hotel had the absolute best location on the port and I’d recommend it even if it weren’t 90% off. The Radisson is another possible option, but wouldn’t be my top choice as it’s at the opposite end of the harbor.
We also spent a night at the Intercontinental Mon Dieu and the experience was absolute five star. At 40,000 IHG points or 180 Euro a night in high season including breakfast we definitely thought we got our money’s worth. The hotel is a couple of blocks back from the harbor but the views from the breakfast terrace are gorgeous. The Mon Dieu dates from the 18th century and feels luxe from the moment you arrive. I’d stay here again just for the indoor pool- a work of art in itself.
And of course Provence is right down the road…
Osaka
Tokyo was a cacophony- in a good way- but four days there was enough. Osaka, while not quiet, felt so much more manageable. It was so easy to get around compared to being constantly lost in Tokyo. Besides having its own Osaka Castle to explore Osaka makes a terrific base to explore Kyoto and Nara- I know some prefer overnighting in Kyoto but I don’t see why you would need to.
The main reason we loved Osaka is that is was so kid-friendly. The Osaka Kids Plaza is every kids museum, indoor play zone, and computer studio rolled into one. There’s even a TV studio! Osaka also has a LegoLand, Aquarium, big wheel, and Universal Studios- but to be honest Osaka Kids Plaza was more than enough for us.
And of course Osaka is where we had our travel playdate with the kids of Kids Travel Japan. Spending time with local kids was an absolute highlight of our trip.
The Hyatt in Osaka deserves special mention in the value category- at a category 2 it’s an absolute steal. If you’re a diamond and use a suite upgrade you’ll end up with over 1,000 sq. feet and full breakfast in addition to a happy hour for 4,000 points and $55.
The Travel Planner’s Single Biggest Mistake
Part of my role at Traveling Mom involves helping folks with all things Disney. A reader recently asked “how much does it cost to go to Disney World?” which is basically the same as asking “how much does a house cost?”. It’s a question that’s simply impossible to answer without more information, which most people don’t have when asked. The question reminded me of the single biggest mistake a travel planner makes: forgetting to look in the mirror. If you don’t know who you are, you can’t possibly plan the best possible trip for you.
Who are you?
I hope you know yourself and your family by now. You know the obvious: how old are your kids? Do they have any special needs? Allergies? Sensory issues?
Where most people fail is taking it to the next level. If you take time to think about it:
- You know if you prefer foreign cultures or crave the familiar.
- You know if you’re high energy or nap-craving.
- You know if you’re foodies or pizza and hot dog lovers.
- You know if you prize proximity over space.
- You know if you can tolerate lines and for how long.
- You know if your kids will focus long enough for a museum or need to burn off energy.
- You know if you prefer blazing your own trail or if you prefer keepin’ it simple.
- You know if you break out in a sweat at 70 degrees or need a coat at 65.
- and on and on and on…
Armed with this knowledge you’d think most people would then pick vacations that make sense for them, right?
Wrong.
In the last year I’ve met folks who told me:
- they didn’t like a cruise because the rooms were small
- they didn’t like an International destination because no one spoke English
- they didn’t like Disney World over 4th of July because it was too hot and crowded
- they didn’t like the all-inclusive because the food was just average
- they didn’t like driving in Europe because you could only get a stick shift
- they didn’t like XX Museum because the kids wanted to leave after five minutes
- and on and on and on
I’m not picking on Ugly American stereotypes here- or at least I’m not trying to. My point is that all of these problems are avoidable with a little-self knowledge and planning.
If you look in the mirror…
- Maybe the 2 and 4 year olds aren’t ready for the Louvre. It’s ok. The Mona Lisa isn’t going anywhere. Try outdoor historical sites- one of my favorite memories is of Deal Kid, aged 2, using the steps at the Roman Ruins of Baelo Claudia as a Jungle Gym.
- If you know you don’t like small hotel rooms, a cruise is definitely not for you. Try a condo and you’ll get plenty of room to spread out.
- Plenty of Caribbean Islands, European Countries, and even Asian destinations are more English speaking friendly than others. If you are not comfortable with your language skills, know that about yourself and stick to those. Nothing wrong with knowing that about yourself- just own it in advance and your trip will be a lot less stressful.
- If you know you hate crowds and heat check out Disney World in late January instead. It’s much less crowded and you might even need a sweatshirt.
- If you’re a foodie you need to know that all-inclusives are not known for great food. You can find consistently good food at some, but Michelin star? No. They may just not be for you.
- If you can’t drive stick, you can find automatics at some locations in Europe if you’re prepared to pay double (or more). You can also stick to cities and use the excellent train networks to your advantage. Bonus: you don’t have to designate a driver.
True Deal Mommy Confession
I’ve failed to look in the mirror as a travel planner from time to time. A last minute weekend in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, springs to mind. I had a bit of an upset tummy but shrugged it off. Deal Dude (this was before he was Deal Dad) and I took off on a waterfall hike and it was a complete disaster. We didn’t get 100 yards before I thought I was going to pass out and 200 yards before I was crying and limping back to the car.
If I had taken a really good look in the mirror maybe I would have realized I was pregnant.
