You Can Climb Every Mountain, But You Gotta Get Down Somehow

Greetings and salutations. My name’s Rosie the Traveler, and I’m the third to make up our blog’s trio of travel-loving friends. Since I was a little tyke, I’ve been infected by the travel bug---and bad. I’ve always wanted to cross every bridge, leave no stone unturned, and climb every mountaintop.

So this weekend, I headed out of the unseasonably warm city (I live in San Francisco) to ski by Lake Tahoe, and even though the entire adventure was sunshine-filled and conditions just about as perfect as can be, my tough-gal image took a bit of a dent---but we’ll get to that part in a few.

When I arrived, the mountain, for the most part, was just sitting there all by its lonely. Sure, there were people schussing around here and there, but there were no crowds at the equipment rental counter, no lines at the lifts, and plenty of room at the top of the peak for me to stumble and fall and go all topsy turvy. Why, why, why, I wondered, would the mountain be this lonesome, when some of the greatest ski deals are available (and you can bet I took advantage of them)!

Here’s the thing: I’ve never skied before. Not a lick! So maybe it was the thin air, or the fact that Squaw’s beginner slopes are located at the very top of the mountain, but I got to the summit and thought: You gotta be kidding me! I’m not skiing down that thing!

Yep, it was a case of biting off a little more than I can chew, something I’ve been known to do before. (Go ahead and laugh---I can now.) It took a lot of hemming and hawing, but with prodding by my very patient instructor, I did actually make it down, although I pretty much went about as slow as a gal can go the entire way.

What’s funny, though, is that now that I’m back in the city---well, I keep picturing myself on that mountaintop, and, once more, that travel itch starts wanting to be scratched...

Finding a Travel Deal? It's All in a Day's Work For Me!

Well hello there, travel fans! Let me introduce myself: I'm Carmen Sanfrancisco.

What's that, you say? My name sounds a little familiar? Not to worry, I get that all the time---but you're actually thinking of my long-lost step cousin, Carmen Sandiego. She's way more famous than me. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Yep, you know the one.

(Incidentally, I have no idea where she is right now, come to think of it. She hasn't emailed me in years! Last I heard she was in Hawaii.)

Just like my world-famous cuz, though, I went into the family business; that's right, I'm a detective. Well, alright, that's not entirely true, but I do pride myself on my superb spying skills and my ability to seek out something at the top of every traveler's wish list: a steal. You might notice that my coat and hat in my picture are green, for instance. Know why that is? Because of all the green I like to save!

I just hate paying full-price for something, you see. I'm the gal who stalks an airfare for three weeks before clicking "purchase" because I can't stand the thought that I could have got it for cheaper. I join every hotel rewards program and car rental club I can. I travel a lot, you see, and those benjamins add up: if I can save money on every trip, I'm a very happy camper indeed. (Sometimes quite literally in fact---I've never met a tent I didn't like.)

Join me, won't you, as I post about my best ways to travel on a budget. My crowning glory? A hotel for three bucks a night in Laos. If you can beat that bargain, I'll consider taking you on as my apprentice.