nocturnal tick - I’m sorry to hear about your dog, but it seems like you’re making the most humane decision. {{{hugs}}} I hope you have a good time on your vacation.
StG
Think you’ll be able to make it to Florida’s capital and see a few Dopers? 
This was one reason I didn’t come straight out and announce it, and to tell you the truth I do feel is isolated me from my family somewhat. The fact is with or without me my family are going on this holiday and that hurts a little that I could have no say in the matter. But at the same time I understand that I don’t have that say anymore. Moving to university was my first step to independence and that indepenence has it’s price. This may be my home but I don’t live here anymore.
According to my parents, this is only a holiday and there are no plans to stay. When they return they’ll rent a house somewhere and that’ll be that. My brother is at the stage of moving to a new school next year anyway (Infants to Juniors). I still have my doubts about this though. It’s often the case in my family that you have to read between the lines and you often get a few surprises along the way.
Thankyou. It may be that this decision will be sooner rather than later. Mum’s told me last night that one reason for me coming down this weekend was to say goodbye to her before they put her down this weekend. The kinda off-hand way she said it makes me wonder if she’s telling the truth or not. In any case I’m home now and I’m going now to give my dog a bath. 
My family’s arrival in Florida will be while I am sadly doing my exams. Depending on how long they stay will depend on me saying yes or no. I’ll try my hardest though.
Meh, just email us your exams…we’ll knock them out for ya. 
Final grade donsn’t matter, right? 
I’m still at home (unfortunately). It’s been the least welcome visit to say the least.
Turns out my dog isn’t going to be put down after all, and it was just a joke. Ha ha ha… :mad: Apparently Europe may also be on the cards, but not for me. I just cannot be bothered with having to keep changing my plans to match theirs and being made to feel guilty when I ask for details of what’s going on. So I’m doing my own trip even though I’ll have £500 less because my mum is selling my car for me (because technically it’s her car). :grumble: :mad:
I’m calm now.
I’m coming to New York for definite, I may start out in Florida if the parents are still there so I can see them at least once. I want to go cross country and end in San Fran if I can. That’s means bus travel and cheap hotels so if you have any nice recommendations please, please, please help me. I would like to meet as many dopers as I can and will try my best to get to you (as long as a bus goes there)
I figure my budget exc. flights will be no more than $1000 if I can help it. famous last words
Actually it doesn’t but don’t get me started on that. :grumble:
p.s. Do any car-owning Dopers fancy a road trip? (Stupid not-over-21 age)
Look into hostels as well as hotels. Hostelling International is a good place to start. They’re generally cheaper than any hotel.
Have a great trip!
Thanks a lot wevets. I did mean hotels as in hostels, motels, homes of spinsters who just want to be loved…ok maybe not the last one.
Excellent.
Here’s one I’d specifically recommend; I’ve never stayed there, but I know some of the folks who work there and it’s practically next door. A very nice place.
Here’s another in an incredible place a little south of San Francisco.
There’s three more hostels in San Francisco proper, but the two above should be more than worth it.
If you’re not averse to staying with Dopers Nocturne and I could put you up. We’ve done it before for people from the boards.
Now that would be a lot of concentrated nocturn-ness.
I want to meet dopers but I wouldn’t want to be a burden on anyone. Thanks for the offer though. I’ll think about it.
You wouldn’t be a burden. We like having guests. Of course would have to like cats (or at least tolerate them). But it’s up to you entirely, I just wanted to throw the option out.
Hopefully I won’t get in trouble for restarting this thread. I’m just trying to keep the boards tidy.
Time to get serious now. I’ll definitely be starting from somewhere in Florida. Parents want me to spend at least one week with them so I’ll be arriving in their last week there which is mid-June time. I’ll have four weeks on a tourist visa and my plan is to travel from Florida to New York City to San Fransisco with a stop somewhere in the middle (maybe Austin). I’ll have between $1400 and $2100 to spend. (That’s enough, right?)
I will most likely be using Hostels International thanks to the kind help from wevets unless some dopers want to put me up. If you want meet up please send me an e-mail (check my profile). I will be trying to spend one week in each location so it’ll be Florida about 13-19 June, New York about 20-25 June, Somewhere in the middle about 26 June - 1 July and San Fransisco 2-7 July (Just in time for July 4 celebrations!)
And can someone explain why flights are cheaper than bus and train or am I just reading the wrong websites? 
No clue about that but where in Florida do you plan to roost?
nocturnal_tick{{Daniel}} If you make it to Seattle you have a bed for a night or two, as long as we haven’t moved to California by the time you get here.
I’m sure our move will be well posted in advance, so no worries.
M
Websites: For bus you should probably be looking at www.greyhound.com. For train you would look at www.amtrak.com.
I’ve never priced it out but flights could well be cheaper, especially if you were looking at a route that a lot of people take (like, say, New York City to San Francisco). More customers would generally mean more competition and lower prices. Amtrak in particular has a reputation for not being particularly cheap.
Flying very well could be cheaper. It is about 3000 miles coast-to-coast. That generally costs about $200 - $400 dollars to fly and is about a 6 hour flight. By bus, it is well over 50 hours of driving time and includes a massive number of stops. A bus will run you about $280 round trip so end up being roughly the same as airfare. Unless you can work out a way to actually see stuff while taking a bus on the longest ride of your life, I would go by air.
The 'rents are staying in Orlando. But I may be staying at one of these places:
http://www.hiusa.org/hostels/florida/florida1.cfm
Do you want to meet up? I can’t cross the pond without seeing my harmy!!!
If you’re driving up the I-75 corridor, when you get around Chattanooga, TN, you should take a small side trip and stop off at Russell Cave National Monument. I can give you guys a tour of a cave where people have lived pretty much continuously for the past 10,000 or so years.
They don’t live there now, of course. But it’s a cool place.
I second this–it’s pretty awesome. I need to get up there again soon.
Well I won’t be able to do that since I’ll be flying around whereas my parents are driving. I’ll give them the tip though. My parents keep changing their plans which is why I’m flying solo (no pun intended). I just have to try and decide whether I try to meet them when it’s convenient for them or whether I make my excuses and travel at the best time for me. Oh the joys of family loyalties! :rolleyes: