I want to start traveling (better late then never) - what do I need to know?

The first thing you do is buy this book.:

Europe Through the Back Door

It will answer most of your questions. You don't have to buy it from this website. You can get It at any book store or even at Amazon.

Once you gone through that, and start planning your trip, come back to this forum and ask us questions. The whole process may seem daunting, but it's really not once you get to hang of it.

One thing...a $100/day is not going to get too far these days.

You are exactly the audience for the Europe through the Back Door book Rick Steves has written. Get it at your library if you don't want to buy.

There is also a wealth of information here on the site.
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips

You are in the right place. Peruse this website and you will know what to do.
Then buy a guide (also in this site) for the country/region you plan to visit first.

Really just google. Or a guide book--it will cover all of the basics. Most of the publishers have websites that have the same info.
I have only needed a visa once, so it's not something that comes up all the time. You have a grasp of the questions to ask, so you are halfway there already! Dive right in!
$100 per day is a tight budget if that includes accommodations--the easiest places to travel are often the more expensive, but folks here can help you come up with a happy medium.
If you could go anywhere next month, where would it be?

I did post this in the "Beyond Europe" forum. :) I will check out the book for sure nonetheless. Thanks all.

I totally agree with the advice to read Europe through the Back Door. It is a treasure-house of useful information. I would add, though, that you find the most recent edition. A lot has changed since Rick and Gene started traveling in 1975, or even in the last 10 or 15 years.

After you've at least skimmed the book, give some thought to where you’d like to go, then come back here with your questions. That’s what the Forum is for!

First apply for a passport.

Secondly, where are you interested in traveling to?

Ask yourself what is important for you too experience? Seeing the pyramids? Watching the Eiffel Tower light up? Shopping in Harrods? Viewing the Matterhorn? Etc., etc., etc.

Third research online and by visiting your local library.

RS Travel books are excellent resources.

Airfare will be your biggest cost.

Public transportation options are available throughout Europe.

From my POV having the ability to travel and explore is a privilege. Take time to research.

looking for pretty simple itineraries rather than trying to pull off 30 churches in 6 countries in 13 days.

That's a very good start. First, decide where you think you might like to go. Then get several guide books for that area and research, research, research. The Rick Steves guide books have a great deal of information that is general in nature as well as specific to particular locations. There are also several other good guide books depending on where you want to go. Google, while it can be helpful, may very well inundate you with too much information and overwhelm you.

Without knowing anything about you and your interest, it's very difficult to point you in the right direction. With additional information, the people on the forum will be glad to help.

From your post, it appears you plan to travel independently. And that's great, but you might consider taking a RS tour (or even another company tour) though, just to get your feet wet and learn a bit about traveling independently.

spend a lot of time reading through the many posts on the Rick Steves' Travel Group on Facebook. People there ask all sorts of questions about the many various aspects of international travel.

No, domestic travel is not as simple as it used to be. Knowing when to get to the airport before a flight, knowing what you can take through security, knowing what you can carry on the plane, being able to figure out all the different levels of tickets on various airlines (and which ones charge for checked bags, assigned seating, and even printing of your boarding pass), and so on.

I think $100 a day will get you in a hostel or a cheap hotel with shared bathroom. Europe is very expensive!

I did post this in the "Beyond Europe" forum. :) I will check out the
book for sure nonetheless.

Whether you want to visit somewhere in Europe or elsewhere, you need to start with the basics, some of which you mentioned in your first post. Europe Through the Back Door is a beginners guide to travelling outside your own borders, and will cover many of the topics that are applicable just about anywhere. If travelling to other areas of the world besides Europe, then you can check out guidebooks that cover those particular countries. However you will want to become familiar with websites from official agencies as well, such as the US State Department's International Travel site. TripAdvisor has country and city forums that can also provide information specific to that area.

And I have to agree with the other posters who warned that $100/day is likely to be very, very tight. Possible if it doesn't include transportation and accommodation, but you would need to be very cautious in your spending and do a lot of advance research into the cost of things where you are travelling to.

Where do you want to go? Stay in the US or ??? If staying in the US, what do you want to see? Will you travel by yourself or with someone? If we know these we can make better suggestions.

If you want to go to Europe, a Rick Steves tour is a good starting point. The tours can help you learn how to travel overseas. But you will need to triple or quadruple your budget to include airfare, tour cost and some of the meals.

As you mention, you posted this in the ‘Beyond Europe’ section. Not sure if you have travelled outside of the US. If not, an ‘easy’ first step might be to come visit your neighbour to the North. Vancouver etc may be too similar to where you live but Quebec City and Montreal would give you a ‘European’ flavour: different language some of the time, different currency, passport required, flight booking needed, navigating in a different country etc without being too different from your own country. Plus with the exchange rate these days, Canada is a bit of a bargain for you.

Gate 1 tours are relatively inexpensive for what you get. That might be a good starting place for European travel. Language is not much of a problem for English-speakers in most of the large cities. However, it was not as easy in Spain.

Camp out on this forum. You will learn so much, many people are very willing to help you, and there are some locals on this forum as well.

Some countries have amazing train and also bus(cheaper) transportation, which most areas of the US don't have.

Most of us on this forum wouldn't even know where to find a travel agent, although I did use a local agency in Greece and in Turkey.

It is often easiest to start out with an extended time at one location ( minimal transportation/lodging challenges). Travel to one location, establish a base and explore with day trips from there.

Another idea is to begin with a tour or cruise that does a lot of the logistics for you. Cruiseplum.com is the place to shop cruise bargains for solo travelers. If you click on the “best” deals category, there are currently many cruises coming in around $100 day which includes, food, lodging, transportation (not airfare) and onboard entertainment. Example: on October 30th you could sail from London (Southampton) to Rome on a 10 day cruise in an ocean view cabin for $848 or $85 a day. There are some great airfare sales to London right now.

Gate 1, which was previously mentioned has lower cost tours and frequent sales. Last weekend they had a sale waiving single supplements that saved me $700.

100.00 is not tight its really impossible. Transportation, sleeping, food, drink, snacks, entry fees, etc. Don’t just get the books watch YouTube and Ricks tapes. Put a list of countries and cities you want to visit and research and video watch. This is one of many sites some better some not so much.

Be aware that if you rent a car in the US, it may be a Tesla and you will have to figure out where you can charge it.

Please don't be discouraged by our comments; Knowledge is power! It is reassuring to have an advance plan for possible contingencies.

You might want to look at forum posts for Beyond Europe since some have useful information about specific US destinations.

Another US idea to stay on your budget. You can do a camping road trip along the Oregon coast. Not too far to drive so gas price stays low(er), if you tent camp, your main costs will be park fees and food. Lots of areas to hike and relax on the beach.

You haven’t told us your age and physical ability. All that plays into what you mean by “travel, better late than never”. Don’t be offended or discouraged when we say you budget is too tight. There are deals out there if you watch the news and forum and your scheduling can be flexible Frontier Airlines had a one day sale last week where airfare was cut on some routes by 99%. Rate Phoenix to Portland was $39.

How about a cruise?

From Seattle you can easily (very easily) book a cruise to Alaska.

But there are other U S ports. Fly to another port and cruise from there. You can even do a transatlantic

Research cruise lines. Get a Personal Cruise Consultant or a Travel Agent. And there you go.

You will have your cabin, food, entertainment and people. You'll meet people and you share information. You can book excursions through your cruise line

I sail Norwegian because they have studio cabins for one person and they offer cruises for the budget traveler.

There are some really excellent responses. Lots to research. Thanks for your time, everyone. I have already booked a couple of weeks in New Orleans in November. Should be just about the easiest trip I can take, so a good way to warm up.

Robin, many people on the forum have experienced New Orleans. Feel free to ask quiestions if you have them. Sure you'll get some good advice.

New Orleans is wonderful.

Lots of great food and great music. You can take streetcars all over the city.

What made you choose New Orleans for two weeks.

FYI, there is a cruise port centrally located in N. O. which can take you on a short cruise to the Caribbean Very easy to cruise to the Caribbean from N.O. if you decide you want to get more adventurous but you will need a passport.

I am going to New Orleans primarily to see music, although I would like to meet some locals as well. Excellent tip on the cruise, I will look into it.

Suggest taking a guided tour for your first trip.
Advantages are that all the planning is done by the tour company and you will pretty much know the cost by adding up the tour cost, airfare cost, plus a few meals and souvenirs.

Check more than one company.

Gate 1 Travel is great and prices are very reasonable
Also consider OAT and Odyssey. Check at least five and compare for best value.

Check the internet for need of visas.

Buy travel insurance that included medical evacuation and coverage. I use American Express.

$100 per day is going to be hard to do, just your airfare to Europe will wipe that out.

You could consider visiting Canada, Mexico or South America for cheaper.

Robin, after your trip, comeback and let us know about your trip and how you stayed within your budget. Lots of us travel on budgets. Mine averages $250 to $350/day for 25 days, inclusive of airfare, RS tour and independent solo travel (hotel, transportation, food, entertainment/sightseeing).

I am going to New Orleans primarily to see music

That being the case, check out Preservation Hall. No food or drinks, and you have to get in line early. You might even have to sit on the floor, but, as the name implies, the purpose is the keep the original style of music alive. And it's great. During the day you are apt to come across several street bands busking. One is Tuba Skinny and you might be able to google them to see where they are busking -- usually on Royal St. The also play at several of the local clubs -- the Spotted Cat comes to mind as does DBA. Hope this helps.

Since this was posted in the Beyond Europe section and you want fairly simple travel planning from a US perspective (and don't have much travel experience outside the US), here are some suggestions:

1. You can try flying to Canada. For something that's less familiar than English-speaking Canada, try Montreal or Quebec City. I agree with the person who said it's easiest to just stay in one location and explore the city. Montreal has lots to explore as does Quebec City. Yes, and do get a passport for start.

2. If you want something even more adventurous, you can try flying to the UK. While English-speaking, because it doesn't have the same kind of North American sensibilities as does English-speaking Canada, it will be both familiar and unfamiliar, and will offer you abroad experiences. Typically, London would be a first place to visit and there are tons to do there.

3. Could also try Ireland (Republic of Ireland, not necessarily Northern Ireland but that's ok too). Again, English-speaking so some familiarity, but doesn't have North American sensibilities.

Those are my suggestions: French-speaking Canada, UK, or Republic of Ireland. Both are fairly accessible from the North American continent. Depending on where you live, you may even have direct flights to some of those places.

I recognize that UK and Ireland are both in the Europe, but they are quite accessible given your circumstances, otherwise I would recommend Iceland. It's accessible ad English isn't a problem but it can be expensive. (Heh, Iceland is also considered part of Europe but geographically, it's really part of the N American continent.)

Good luck!

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-help/visit-our-travel-center I see that you're in Seattle. You may consider going in person to Rick's Travel Center. They are not travel agents, and this link states their consulting services are temporarily suspended due to staffing shortage, but you can look at all their resources. More local travelers/forum members, would a visit be helpful for this newbie traveler? Or is there a local travel club the OP could meet up with?

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show watch the 3 part Travel Skills videos.

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks explore the Travel Talks videos.

UK and Ireland are both expensive.

You can travel on this budget if you are willing to stay in hostels instead of hotels, or even budget B&B. Hostels are not just for the very young traveller any more, all ages use them. You can even get private rooms instead of a dorm room. The other thing that will be your friend is a train/bus pass. You have to plan more up front travelling this way as train/bus passes generally give a certain number of travel days within a certain time frame. For instance, for my three weeks in Ireland I bought a pass that gave me 8 days of travel. I could use as many buses and trains on a travel day as I wanted. So, I planned several stops for longer, four night stays. I rarely ate in restaurants, instead I packed picnic utensils and a lunch bag and shopped in grocery stores for sandwich supplies and bulk items like fruit and muffins. A couple of hostels actually provided a light breakfast of a muffin, juice, and an apple. I don’t know if any still do this. Hostels are a great place to meet other travellers, and every place I went I always found someone who wanted to go to the same place I was and decided to tag along. I pretty much always do one country at a time, for two or three weeks. It makes it simpler, and gives you time to get to know the country a bit.

The Lonely Planet guide books are more for budget travellers, and their web site also has a forum where you can ask questions, and get great responses from experienced travellers.

The Lonely Planet guide books are more for budget travellers, and their web site also has a forum where you can ask questions, and get great responses from experienced travellers.

I don't think the Lonely Planet guides are at all for budget travelers - they mention a few budget lodgings, but that's as far as they go. The LP's Thorn Tree forum shut down in 2021.

I admit I haven’t looked at the Thorn Tree since my planning for a trip to Greece came to an end with the pandemic. I found it to be a place where backpackers ‘hung out’, and I got a lot of good budget advice there. Perhaps look at the hosteling international site to see if this type of travel would work for you https://hihostels.com/

OP a cruise is nothing like traveling to another country on your own, even if the cruise is in another country. However, it is more or less a no brainer.

Since you have a trip to New Orleans planned, and have already just discovered how helpful this forum can be, I suggest (if you have not already done so) that you put "New Orleans" in the forum search bar. Be sure and select for past two years. There have been quite a few posts (including my own) in the past few months that you may find helpful.

Hi Robin, I spent less than $100 a day in Poland and Slovakia. It can be done if you choose countries with good exchange rates. I used Airbnbs and bought food at grocery stores and cooked my own meals.

I prefer not to stay at hostels. I'm an older woman travelling alone and don't feel comfortable in that kind of situation. I want privacy and my own bathroom.

However, I was already an experienced traveller before tackling solo trips to Europe. I had travelled extensively through the US on my own for many years (flight + car trips) and had done 2 trips to Europe with groups (one was a work trip, the other was a tour). I didn't like being with 40+ people on the tour. Group tours are very expensive and some charge single supplements of $1000 or more. They also have itineraries that include many places I'm not interested in. I prefer to wander around a city by myself, shopping, looking at architecture, getting coffee in cafes, etc. I don't like to be cooped up on buses with big groups of people and then shuttled around like cattle through tourist attractions that I have no interest in.

It's a matter of doing research online and looking for budget destinations and budget accommodations. My suggestion is to pick one city that you can use as a base and take some day tours.

That is how I am hoping to do it Daisy. Note to all: I am still monitoring this thread, and I appreciate the input.

"possibly plan myself into a disaster." First of all, do you really think that can happen if your travel plans are for North America or Europe? I see that sort of thing as impossible.

If you already applied for a passport, good. Decide where you want to go, what type of traveling you want to undertake, domestic or international, group/tour , with friends/relatives or solo, where you are basically alone, alone going from place to place, alone in getting lost, alone in keeping yourself mentally and emotionally together, etc.

Plan, read up on traveling as a beginner. Aside from suggestions above, Rough Guide puts out a guide for beginners, and you need to study these ins and outs. Work on some foreign language skills, plug away at that, even if what you end up acquiring are mere snippets.

I see traveling in Europe now as tremendously easy, tourist-friendly, etc relative to 40-50 years ago. I mean easy.

Robin, what you are planning is definitely doable. I am 68, have been traveling by myself for almost 30 years and consider myself a budget traveler. That said, my budget has definitely gone up over the years. However, I still hunt vigorously for hotels and B&Bs that are low cost but comfortable. It can be done. You just have to spend time looking.

And as others have pointed out, your budget will be forced to change depending on the country you visit. Places like the UK and Scandinavia are very expensive. Places in Eastern Europe are much cheaper. I'm planning a 5 week trip to England next year, and spending more per night than I usually do, but still have managed to find places that are inexpensive and under. It just takes research and due diligence.

Also keep in mind that cities are generally much more expensive than smaller towns, especially the less touristed ones. So you could easily stay in a small town and plan on using inexpensive public transport to get to sights and places you want to visit.

With regards to cultural barriers, you might want to start off easy and head to a place like the Netherlands, where just about everyone speaks English and the cultural "barriers" are very low. You could stay in one of the smaller towns outside Amsterdam and use public transportation, which is excellent in the Netherlands. Start off with a short trip - 2 weeks or less - and keep your itinerary simple, as you said.

And regarding all the minor stuff - visas, power banks, etc.; focus on the big stuff first, like choosing a destination, figuring out your itinerary and then moving on to a packing list and so on. The only country in Europe that I know of that requires a visa, by the way, is Turkey, so you probably won't need to worry about that.

Once you are ready for the 'small stuff,' head back here and you will find a barrage of members who will help you plan your packing, sort out chargers and adaptors, and help you with cell phone usage while traveling. We all LOVE to travel and more than that, we love encouraging and helping others to do the same thing. So please do not hesitate to come back here with as many questions as you like as you do your initial research. 😊

Still working on it, and still watching this thread. Thanks again.

Costs: Wife and I have kept very complete records for our multiple trips. Generally, we spend, as a couple, about $125/day. But single people would spend a bit more.

We never use travel planners, agents, whatever. We do it ourselves.

Some note that airfare is a big cost. We agree. That's why in our last 2 trips, we have spent $2.50 on airfare. For 2 round-trip tickets on 2 trips. $2.50. How? Credit-card miles - we use the Chase Sapphire card, and get credit-card miles. Our airfare is from these miles.

May I suggest a trip to Poland? Most people in the cities speak English, and it is a real travel bargain. Target Krakow with day trips for about a week. My apartment was about $60, and the museums are all so inexpensive. There is so much history, and you have the Zakopane Mountains, a two-hour trip from Krakow. I've traveled Europe extensively, and Poland is my favorite place. Been there five times and only speak five "nice" words in Polish. You can do it!

If you want to visit an amazing European style city without crossing the Atlantic consider taking a trip to Quebec City. Cost for round trip flight from the West Coast to Montreal is around 500.00.

I have to admit that Poland was not on my radar. Now it is. Thanks. And as far as Quebec City goes, I am going to try to drive across Canada in the spring, and if I do it I will certainly include QC and Montreal.

I am a man. I don't necessarily believe in the myth that men have a lower risk than women of getting assaulted, mugged, or having any other mishap while traveling. I have traveled Solo to England, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Mexico City and the mountainous areas in South-central Mexico, Montreal Canada, Windsor Canada and nearby; in the USA Southern California and South-west Florida. I have stayed in both hostels and low-end but decent enough typical hotels. Like for example I have stayed in places like Red Roof Inn and other motels that did the job ok. The biggest problem I have faced in hostels is trouble sleeping from snoring. I rented a car in California, and in Florida. I didn't rent a car in any of the other places I went.

Also I am weird about food and travel - my originally reason for eating what I could buy from grocery stores that requires minimal preparation, was because I was afraid restaurant food is unhealthy because it is all made with oil, salt, and/or sugar, and the money I might have saved from avoiding restaurant food was a coincidence. But I am not a foodie and I don't require everything I ear to be intensively flavored, as long as I don't eat anything blatantly nauseating, like for example in Mexico I saw bugs offered for sale as human food.

As for language barriers, you may see discussions on Rick Steve's or other sites about whether English is spoken in a certain place, and whether you can ask if it is ok to talk English. This is just my own judgment and practice, others may say I am wrong: I teach myself words and phrases in the local language, making sure to look up the phonology and get the pronunciation exactly right. Then at my destination, I may say a few phrases to sound smart, otherwise I plan to keep my mouth shut most of the time; I don't ask whether I can talk English and I try to not talk English, because doing so would feel like an embarrassment to civilization, or I don't want to risk having somebody think I think English is the only language that exists or that everybody in the world should talk English with my pronunciation.

15 nights in Mexico cost me more than: 8 nights in Los Angeles, more than 8 nights in Florida. But the rental car was over 1/4 of my expenses. Ask if you want more details or send me a private message.

Much good and accurate observations here.

Domestically, I second the suggestion of visiting Quebec City, all the more so if you're interested in the French historical presence in North America. (I am ). The city is my # 1 favourite in North America, of course I would only go there again in the summer.

Poland is well recommended too. As for language, it's not a big deal.

You'll meet Europeans whose level of English is only a smattering to those utterly fluent, one of the 2, 3, or 4 or more (after 4 I lose count) foreign languages they command. That's only in oral communication, it doesn't mean you can read or understand the announcements and signs, if no English is provided. In the cities dealing with people in the service industry, you'll have no problems communicating.

In France I rely on my limited French , even after boning up on it prior to the trip, until it gives out, then English or what the interlocutor is comfortable with. In Austria and Germany I use only German everywhere, no matter with whom.

As I pointed out above, no need to concern yourself "with planning yourself into a disaster." Not possible. Better to plan than the alternative.

UK and Ireland are both expensive.

OP is from Seattle. Now THAT'S an expensive place to be! I just got back from a trip to Europe (Malta and Turkey) and most things there were a heckuvalot cheaper than at home. It's all relative.

For sure, some countries and cities are more expensive than others, but as Rick Steves has pointed out for decades, even in the more expensive places, one can travel without spending a fortune if you work at it and make smart choices (that said, it's certainly much easier to travel economically in some places, and much harder in others - I'm looking at you, Scandinavia!).

I always wince when I see someone primarily base their travel dreams on the price of a dinner or a hotel room. Sure, cost is one factor that shouldn't be ignored, but if you have dreams of going to [anyplace], don't abandon those dreams and go to Uzbekistan instead just because it's cheap (no shade intended towards Uzbekistan, it's high on my list, and not because it's cheap). Lots of "less expensive" places may come with extra challenges (non-trivial language issues, for example). The classic "first trip to Europe" countries of western Europe remain affordable if you play your cards right, so don't automatically shy away from them completely in search of savings.

Unless I missed it, OP has not specified if this travel will be solo, or part of a couple/with friends, etc. You'll probably spend more when traveling solo (there's even an industry euphemism for this: the "single supplement"). Experienced solo travelers can manage better (there are plenty of them here), but someone starting out will have an easier time and a less expensive time if going with a companion.

Take your time, watch the Rick videos (especially note the "travel skills" special episodes), get the book, take all the time you need to plan your trip. While some folks would rather have a root canal, many of us greatly enjoy the trip planning process (really!), and I'm convinced that every hour of research or trip planning pays me big dividends with the quality of your trip experience. Enjoy the process.

I am still following this thread, and still seeing great stuff. Thanks all. I have definitely been scared off of Europe by the seeming costliness, but I may tackle it sometime next year. For now, I have a warm-up to New Orleans, then 3 months in Thailand, starting in January, then we shall see. I am aware that I can ruin my trip by trying to be too cheap, and I will try to be on guard against that. But I would not be interested in most "luxury things" even if there were inexpensive. Just not my style.

In your three months in Thailand you’ll learn a lot about international travel! Enjoy it all. Europe will seem much easier after your experiences in Asia which I love to visit too.

I got the impression that OP hasn’t done much (or any) international travel. And now they’re going to be in Thailand for 3 months?! Wow! :) Ok, that’s quite something :) Enjoy your trip! If you’re willing to share, curious to know how/where you’ll be spending your 3 months in Thailand.

I will spend a week or so roaming around Bangkok (still need to figure that out), then 10 weeks in Phuket at a place called Titan Fitness Camp. A pretty easy itinerary. :)

Ah, yes. Sounds like a well structured itinerary, the fitness part that is :) Enjoy your adventure!

What do people do about mail? I have a PO Box, and it's not going to hold 3 months' worth. I asked them, but they did not really have a suggestion...

Have a neighbor and or friend pick up your mail for you. Also, have your CC companies email your bills and learn to use Apple Pay to pay your bills online.

BTW I’m curious if you’ve bought and read Through the Back Door yet?

Lastly, seriously doubt anyone on the Forum is fabulously rich.

then 3 months in Thailand, starting in January, then we shall see...

Read carefully and understand the visa rules for Thailand: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/thai-visas-americans/

I have already booked a couple of weeks in New Orleans in November...

You mention a $100 a day budget for travel. What is your budget for NOLA? Hotels there are very expensive...where are you staying with that kind of a budget?

kimmiekalfayan,
Welcome to the forum. Many of your suggestions can be found in Rick's books (e.g. Europe Through the Back Door), but good to have them mentioned again.
By the way, my husband and I celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary at The Perch restaurant (top floor, just below the rooftop bar, balcony seating available there) and it was wonderful. We moved up to the bar afterward for after dinner drinks and loved the ambiance there. The food and service were great and the view was too. This was at the end of an L.A. day. We began with a reserved (free) tour of the Disney Concert Hall, a visit to Los Angeles Contemporary Art Museum, a cocktail at a bar (I forget the name) on Grand Ave., a ride both up and down on Angel's Flight, and a visit to The Last Bookstore. It was a fun day of local sightseeing, one of several which we have done over the years. (Google Angel's Flight and The Last Bookstore and Disney Concert Hall...all interesting.)
I am glad you enjoyed The Perch and am happy that you enjoyed your L.A. visit. There are tons of ways to spend time in the L.A. area. We take one-day vacations often. Our next one will involve a visit to Pio Pico House (early settler in L.A. area), the Guang Shan Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple (gardens, meditation opportunities, beautiful temple), and the San Gabriel Mission. Perhaps lunch at the temple ($10.00 vegetarian) or one of the many good Mexican eateries in the mission neighborhood. All three are not long drives from each other. These mini vacations are lots of fun, often free or very inexpensive, and help me await our next big trip more patiently.