Background: We may be putting an addition on the homestead during the summer. It will most likely be a situation where we cannot live in the place while its going on. So we obviously need to find a place to hang for a month or so.
Parameters for choice: Can’t be too expensive, i.e cabin, inexpensive lake house for rent. The travel costs can’t be astronmical either i.e. no hawaii.
Long winded way to ask: Where can a family of four (both kids under 3) spend a relatively inexpensive month away from the house- yet still provides suitable Tri-training?
Your backyard? Why not enjoy a month of “camping” in the yard. It’s not like it gets that hot up there. I assume you’d have access to bathrooms and kitchen at your house. Tell your family that’s the best option, pocket the savings, and buy yourself some new gear.
Door County, Wisconsin? You FIBs seem to love it up there in the summer. Seriously, rent a house or cottage. Plenty of lakes for swimming and side roads for biking/running.
(P.S., I use the term “FIB” as affectionately as possible … )
I agree with the camping choice. If not in your backyard, another place close by. It’s always good to simplify your life but be careful, you may end up like me, and start downsizing everything once you realize how much better things are when you have a lot less.
If you have a camper or RV that would prob. be better or maybe you could rent or better yet borrow one. We are getting ready to build on some land and are seriously thinking about this, it’s our teenage girls that are voicing their strong opinions not to.
The addition would entail redoing the bath and kitchen- i.e. no water. So the back yard is out
Your backyard? Why not enjoy a month of “camping” in the yard. It’s not like it gets that hot up there. I assume you’d have access to bathrooms and kitchen at your house. Tell your family that’s the best option, pocket the savings, and buy yourself some new gear.
I’ll suggest St. Joseph Michigan. Close to home, has miles of beaches, plenty of rentals, a children’s museum, and of course lots of area to train. Time it right and you can wrap up the month of training and relaxing by racing Steelhead 70.3 on August 4th. Here are some links. The second one lists rentals.
Western states national park tour. Yellowstone/Tetons to Crater Lake to Ranier to Olympic to Cascades to Glacier.
Or, find a vacation rental around a park and spend the entire time there. www.vrbo.com is a good place to start but there are several sites that have rentals, a quick google search and you’ll have a bunch to choose from.
I don’t know the answer to your question, but if I spent a month camping in the backyard of my home with 2 kids under 3, I’d become homicidal. I recommend a real structure and my guess is that your wife will back me on this one.
I’ve been living that situation for the past 3 months…We’re at the in-laws…
Now, if you are talking about a month looking for somewhere in the winter and you are willing to travel…Why not New Mexico or Arizona? Both are lower cost and have good weather in the winter.
If you want to ski, why not grab a smaller ski town (Bogus Basin/Boise comes to mind).
I would ask around now to find out if any one might need a house sitter in your area next summer.
Lots of people travel but don,t like to leave home unattended so put the word out now. If you know any teachers I would start there.
One advantage is that your family routine could stay fairly normal and cost outlay minimal.
Also you would be close by to check up on your reno and minimize any issues right away.
Harbor Country, MI (New Buffalo, Union Pier, Lakeside, Harbert, Three Oaks). Three oaks is probably the least expensive of the group. It’s about 1 1/2 hours from Chicago and there’s nice riding and great beaches. Plus you’d only be minutes away from Benton Harbor, home of the Steelhead and Firecracker triathlons.
Here are a bunch of bike routes that start in Three Oaks—although you can pick them up in almost any of the towns.
I’m sure my wife agrees with you on this one- not to mention the laughingstock I would be in the neighborhood. “Poor guy’s too poor to actually live INSIDE his house…I wonder where they went wrong?”
Sorry…I didn’t read the summer part…In the summer:
Mt. Hood, Oregon (cheap cabins are available)
Boise, Idaho (great tri-scene)
Bend, OR (you could probably find something reasonable)
Weed, California (or anywhere near Mount Shasta)…There’s actually a great camping area with cabins/showers in Mount Shasta…It even has a private beach for the lake. Trail running, epic cycling, and lake swimming every day…
is a contractor on board for your only needing a month then? I’m doing a remodel right now, and this stuff takes a helluvalot longer than I would have thought a year ago. Just don’t want you to spend alot of time planning for one month away and find out you need 4.
Best summer I ever had was living on a houseboat for three months with just my two kids and myself when they were young (12 and 7). It was in the Thousand Islands area where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario. The boat was 34 ft long with a washroom, kitchen and a BBQ on the bow. It was a bit of a beater that a friend rented to me for $400. per month, but we cruised from island to island and had a blast. Personally, I would have no trouble living on a boat 24/7.
Another option is to rent a cottage on a lake somewhere. I’ve done that also, but just go to an area that is relatively free from black flies, mosquitos, etc.
Take the quote and multiply the time by 3 and the cost by2?
something like that. I’m hoping that the water will be workable after a month and we’ll be able to live in the the house by then- but, we’ll be flexible, since we don’t have to actually work until sept.
Seriously, rent a house or cottage. Plenty of lakes for swimming and side roads for biking/running.