Looking for something exciting to do in September?  You just might want to check out the Pendleton Roundup, September 15-18th.

The Pendleton Roundup will be celebrating 100 years.  It all started back in September of 1910, the first year it drew a crowd of 7,000 spectators and became an instant sensation.  Back then it was for all the local farmers and ranchers to come in and celebrate the end of harvest season. It was all about the horse racing and bronco busting fun.  They also invited the Umatilla Tribe to come in and be part of the festivities.

This year, since they will be celebrating the 100 years, the Westward Ho! Parade will be lead by 100 flag bearing riders on horseback and followed by authentic Western transportation including covered wagons, surreys, Mormon carts and buggies.  This will be and always has been the largest non motorized parade in America.

From 7,000 spectators in it's first year, the event this year will draw 52,000 spectators in just 4 days.  That is quite a crowd for a town whose population is just 17,000.

You will see cowboys, cowgirls, wrangles, cowboy hats and chaps all week long. You will see the wild west come alive this week.  It will finally be your chance to wear your cowboy hat and boots and not feel out of place.

While you are there make sure you visit the Rodeo Hall of Fame.  It is located on the rodeo grounds under the south grandstands. It contains all memorabilia from the oldest and largest rodeo in America, the Pendelton Roundup.

I have never been, but have always known about this rodeo.  I am origianlly from Eastern Oregon, so I have been to many rodeos, but never this one. After writing about it I can tell you it has been added to my bucket list of things to do.  I would love to say next year, but the truth is it's hard with kids in high school.  But I will make it happen, I just wish we could go this year, since it is the 100 year celebration.

There are still tickets available, hurry up before they are gone.  Want to know more and learn more check out the Pendleton Round-up blog.  For even more history check out The Portland Round-up Book.

Photo courtesy of Dale DeGabriele

Around here we are always working on some kind of "vacation".  For us getting away for an afternoon or a weekend is just as fun as getting away for a week.  We will take whatever we can get.

We are always looking for vacations that we can do on a budget.  The cheaper they are the more we can do.  Being that I am frugal about my trips you won't be surprised that I am doing a guest post over at Frugal Living NW.  Following her advice is what allows us to save money so we can do trips.

One of the things that we do every year is a roller coaster vacation, thus the name, Vacation Thrills.  I didn't think we would go this year, but right before my back surgery we decided to do one last run.  I know crazy, but I was getting a new disc, so I thought I might as well run the ones I had into the ground. Standing in line is what hurts the most, but we keep ourselves entertained to keep my mind off of it.  Want to know how to plan the perfect roller coaster vacation?

We also like experiencing things right in our backyard.  This year my husband and I celebrated our 20 year anniversary.  Since going away for a week wasn't an option (again that surgery got in the way) we decided to at least get out of town for a couple of days to Hood River.  We had the best time ever.

For us the thrills just won't stop.  So check back as we continue to look for fun vacations, find great places to eat and even become a tourist in our own town.  Like I said we are always up to something.

As much as I love my kids and as much as I dread the day they leave home, I am also counting down the days when we can travel in September.  Just so you know, it's 4 more years.

JetBlue just did their big promotion with the "All You Can Jet".  Or there is the Delta, American and AirTran airfare war going on.

I like the illustration I saw today that says Fall sales are like the cousins you rarely ever see.  They show up out of now where, stick around for just a short time and are gone before you know it.   It's all true and the best part is the deals are usually killer deals.

This year, it's good and bad news.  The deals are there, but prices are higher this year than they were last year. Average round trip domestic airfare this fall is $320 compared to $284 last year.  Average round trip for an international flight this year is $769 and in 2009 it was $643.

One thing that is always a given is the the lowest prices of the year traditionally hit right after Labor Day and  run to mid November.   Some of the beachy bargains this time of year are in Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Even though June through November is hurricane season, many travels are willing to risk a storm in exchange for a great price.  I know I would risk it for a price.  Of course I say that now.

I often show you Groupons as great ideas for getaways or even to watch in cities you might be visiting in the future.  They offer everything from food, to spas to touristy things to do.

This weekend we finally cashed in one of our Groupons and went out on the town for the afternoon.  The best part was, even though we were in our city, it felt kind of like a vacation.  We don't normally do touristy things in our city.  I should say, we never do touristy things, and renting a pedicab in the city, felt like a touristy thing to do.

Thanks to PDX Pedicab we had a great time being biked from distillery to distillery sampling some great vodka, gin and even some sake.

There are so many things you can do for a fraction of the price in your city that you need to take advantage of.  I know my friend in San Diego took her mom on tour with these mini cars you rent.  She said it was a blast. Another time she took her son on a 2 hour Segway tour.

If you haven't already signed up for Groupon you need to.  As I have said before and will say again, also check out the cities of places you plan to visit.

Not going anywhere, that's fine.  Watch for great Staycation ideas in your city.

This was a deal that was offered last year through Jet Blue.  Since it was such a success that have brought it back this year.  If you plan on traveling at all in September this is a deal you might want to check out.

For $499 you can travel any where on Jet Blue (domestic flights only, no Puerto Rico and no international flights) for a whole month.  This price includes all taxes and fees. You can travel on Monday through Thursday and Saturday.

You can upgrade to travel all days for just $699.

You can start booking flights as early as August 23rd.  All flights must be booked at least 3 days in advance, and you can start traveling on September 7th through Oct 6.  This deal will sell through August 20th or until it's been sold out.  Last year it never made it to the date.

Do the the math and see if it's worth your money to purchase.  Will you travel enough times to make it worth it?

Where has summer gone?  As summer starts to come to a close you have to ask yourself, Did you do it all? Did you get it all in?

If not, it's not too late to get in a last minute trip or at least do some day trips.  Let's look at some options.

1.  Camping.  You might find many camp sites full, but there are still quite a few that are first come first serve.  Try and take off a day early and arrive on Thursday if you can instead of Friday.  Although if you can camp in the middle of the week you might find some openings.

2.  Beach House or Motel at the Beach. Again if weekends are booked you can try and do some midweek stuff.  Have little ones?  Wait an extra week and go once all the older kids have started school.

3. Day Hikes. The great thing about where I live is I can get to the coast, mountains, rivers within an hour in any direction and there is hiking at all those locations.  I know we are super fortunate, but take advantage of what you might have.  Pack a lunch, find a trail with a waterfall and enjoy your day vacation.

4.  Beach day.  Ok, so you don't live near the ocean.  Do you live near a lake or river that has some sandy beaches?  Take the day and frolic in the water to cool off from the hot summer days.

5.  Go to a local pool or water park.  For some of us that might be a drive making it a full on day trip.  Others can make a vacation out of it because the location might be so far away.

6.  Hit the Amusement park.  Check out planning the perfect roller coaster vacation. In the past we have done Cedar Point because they started school a few weeks before us.  We would go after the locals start and the parks wouldn't be as crowded.

7.  Go to the local park and play games, sit in the sun and enjoy a picnic.  Better yet, invite others as well and make a party out of it.

8.  Throw a party at your house with cocktails, friends and great food. Taking in the last of the summer nights.

9.  Visit a farmers market and plan on eating at one of the venues.  Nothing says summer like a farmers market.

10.  Take advantage of summer programs your city offers. We have Concerts on the Commons, Third Thursdays or First Thursdays (where they close off streets and have food and goods for sale).

11.  Choose another city to enjoy.  Last summer we did a few days in Seattle and a few days in Vancouver, BC.  It rains often in those cities, so the summer months are great for getting to know them on foot.  Our time in Vancouver was one of our best vacations last year.  Our whole family wants to go back.

12.  Go for a bike ride.  We have a great trail in a neighboring town, that takes you along a river and you end up in a small town.  We found a little place where you could sit down and get ice cream. We then got back on our bikes and rode the path back to our car.

13.  Hit the river.  Grab the canoe, kayak, tube if you have too, one more time and go down the river.

Whatever you choose, just choose it now.  Take in the last of summer and enjoy!!

Don't let summer pass you by just yet, there are still summer days ahead that need some thrill, enjoyment and excitement.

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday

This is a tough one.  We try really hard to have saved enough money that we don't have to skimp while on vacation.  But, I would rather choose to skimp if it meant at least taking a vacation.

• Plan you meals – Have it all worked out.  Know what meals you will buy and what meals you will take and what meals you will make.  Food is a big factor and fast food is cheap, but sometimes just not an option, so have a plan in place.  We usually try and pack snacks, eat light lunch then hit a nice local restaurant for dinner.
• Plan your stay – Some places offer a free night if you stay for 3.  Check and see what deals are being offered and ask if you see nothing.  Stay in a place that is close to what you are doing.  Sometimes the places can be close enough you don't even have to use a car.  Saving on car rentals or just gas.
• Decide on souvenir purchases ahead of time – I have seen a couple of moms that bought cheap Mickey ears or t-shirts before going on their Disney trip and pulled them out of the suitcases when they got there.  Brilliant!!  If you decide to buy on your trip give  your kids a budget.  Here's a great example of how to set a budget.
• Plan a destination that is not touristy – Want to keep from spending money aimlessly the whole time, go to beautiful Montana and take in the sights and enjoy the outdoors.  Hit beaches outside of big cities and just enjoy the sand beneath your feet.  You get the idea.
• Don't feel like you need movement every single minute – If you spend the day out and about, be ok with sitting in the motel resting in the evening.  Don't feel like you need to pay for the whole family to go to a movie.  It's a vacation just relax.
• Go to a Mexico all inclusive resort – I have a hard time spending money at these places because all your needs are met and paid for.  Sometimes we will leave for a meal, but what's the point.
• Don't give up your money – I think cruise ships are the worst, but there are ways to stay frugal while on a cruise.
• Going to Grandmas house on the farm is a vacation – especially if this is the opposite of the life you live in the big city.  Sometimes it just nice to get away for a few days.  I personally love leaving town and heading to the country where I grew up. In a town of 150 people you don't tend to spend a lot.
• Every city offers something free – Do your homework ahead of time and find free things to do.  Sometimes cities aren't all about shopping and eating.  Sometimes just wandering the streets or the gardens they have is more enjoyable and that's really getting to know the city.
• Do your homework – Go into any trip with a plan.  Have your budget and stick to it.

What other ways do you stay frugal while on vacation?

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday

I don't know about you, but I think all kids are going to be on board for this one.

A family suite for only $169 a night. This deal is running October 15-17.  Want all the details?  Head on over to Money4ThisNot4That and get yourself signed up.

I hear spots are limited to and registration has to be done by September 14, 2010.

What are you waiting for?  Get over there and check it out.

Welcome to Our Help Center

We pride ourselves on two things — getting you the best deal for the things you need and providing excellent service.

This is my first dealing with Priceline.com, and I was excited to try them out.  I had tried previous companies in the past, like Hotwire, and been completely happy.  This time I was choosing Priceline because they had a little better price.  When it's about getting the best price, you shop clear to the bottom dollar.

I had used a service (ie Travelzoo.com) that sent me to Priceline.com.  At Travelzoo.com you choose your dates, city, number of people in your party, the whole works.

When I completed my reservation I realized after 2 phone calls that I had booked a room that the Hotel does not even list or advertise.  The reservation office didn't even know they had these rooms because there are so few of them.  Wow, I got suckered in.

I tried to call Priceline.com, but guess what?  There is no way to talk to anyone.  I tried with 2 different numbers.  I finally started emailing them.  They basically said sorry, there is nothing we can do, just call the hotel and they will fix it.  The hotel said you have to deal with Priceline.com we can't help you with this matter.

Wow, now that is great customer service.  You book it, we take your money, end of story.  Had I booked it straight through the hotel I would have gotten it taken care of in an instant.

Here is what you need to know about Priceline.com
1.  Customer service will not help you cancel a reservation.  As a matter of fact they will tell you over and over that it cannot be canceled even though you can see that it can be.  Keep looking and digging.
2.  They do not allow you to select how many people will be staying in a hotel room.  That's right, check it out yourself.  If the hotel includes breakfast there is no way to guarantee you will get the correct number of vouchers.  Let alone getting the right number of beds.
3.  Priceline.com has contracted with other companies like Travelzoo, ebates, kayak and so on, that allow you to choose how many people in your party.  What they don't do is guarantee that request be met.  Although you don't know that at the time of booking.
4.  You will never get to talk to anyone to discuss what happened or how it happened.  I have emailed them several times and each time I get a response from a different person sending out a canned message.
5.  They are only the middle man and they really don't care about customer service.  They don't operate the hotel, or rental cars or any of that.  You book and that's it. There is no customer service that they can offer.  I am not angry about this, just pointing out that you need to take care of yourself, please refer to #1.

Oh wait!  Make that 6 things:

6.  It's NOT cheaper.  That's right, I thought I was saving a ton of money and it turns out cutting out the middle man and going straight to the Hotel would have been cheaper.  I know this is not always the case, but it was this time. Why I didn't call ahead of time, I don't know.  BIG FAIL on my part.

So did they pride themselves in those two things?

Getting me the best deal – NOPE
Providing Excellent Customer Service – The canned emails, although similar and repetitive, were nicely written, but offered no solution only much confusion.

Here are 2 different emails I received from them.   They don't even know how to resolve it, because they are the middle man and they don't offer resolve.

Your confirmed hotel may be able to switch your bed type, based on availability. If you would like a
specific bed type, you may contact the hotel directly.
Any changes will be based on availability and are granted at the hotel'sdiscretion.

Followed by the next email that said this:

Please do not contact the hotel directly, as they cannot make
changes or cancellations to pre-paid reservations under any circumstances; it
must be completed online.

We apologize for any inconvenience; however, we are unable to
change your reservation in our system.

Needless to say we won't be using Priceline ever again.  We will be using Hotwire for sure, especially since I found the little trick to know what Hotel you are booking.

1.  Drink what's Free – They do offer pop/soda cards, but they are expensive and the only way to get your moneys worth is to drink a lot and then it just becomes unhealthy.

2.  Don't eat a the restaurants that charge – There are more than enough "free of charge" restaurants to choose from why would you even consider paying for a meal?  If you do want to pay for a meal do it while in port and try some of the local flavor instead.  That's why you are on vacation right??

This was a bean dip fondue in Honduras

3.  Choose the Free activities – There are plenty of things to do on the boat.  Plenty of shows to see and game shows to watch, don't pay for your entertainment.  Walk past the casino, you can do that anywhere.

4.  Don't feel like you need to have an excursion at every port – Big, big money maker here.  We met up with a couple a few years back and they had booked something at all but one port.  By the time they were at the last one they were happy they could do their own thing and not have another excursion.  They almost felt like they had missed out on a few ports because they were whisked away to an activity instead of enjoying the culture.

A private island I found online before we went. We walked over to the boat ferry. We did not book it ahead of time.

5.  If you do want to do an excursion try and book it through the company instead of the ship.  You can save up to $10-$20 a person just booking it yourself.

6.  Grab your drinks while in port – Ships charge lots of money for alcoholic drinks and they charge a 15% (although it could be higher now) tip right on there, and give you an additional tip line.  Really??  We like to stop at a local place and try one of the local beers or drinks.  Tons cheaper and you get to do something more authentic.

Drinking a local beer in Roatan

7.  If you want drinks on the ship try and bring some of your own.  It's risky, sometimes they go through and sometimes they don't.  But if you can get your own on the boat it will save you tons.

8.  Once off the ship, walk a little ways – If you get a block or 2 away from port the taxis start to get significantly cheaper.  Acapulco was a huge price difference.  We went to see the cliff divers. We paid  $2 and the couple next to us grabbed a taxi right at port and paid $17.

9.  Buy local – You are cruising so you can see different cities in different countries or areas.  Don't buy the silver on the boat, instead walk the city streets and pick up something from the locals.  It will be a fraction of the price.

Some of the Many Shops in Cozumel

10.  Don't tell your kids the card is attached to an account – They make it so easy to spend money on a cruise.  Your room key will also get you drinks.  As a matter of fact our last cruise didn't accept cash or credit cards, room keys only.  Either don't tell your kids or make sure they know they are responsible for anything charged.

There are so many more ways to save, but this is just some of the basics.  For us it becomes a game. You want my money and I try and see how little I give you.  We don't have regrets about things we haven't purchased, instead we love the new things we tried and the adventures we have found, at a fraction of the price.