This was a tough one. Please remember that I have lost my travel expense benefits and everything is now out of pocket. I am a no-frills kinda traveler anyway, but this new situation forces me to go pro.
Contributing to the challenge are the time constraints. I have what they call a small widow of opportunity. This is not a vacation as much as I could use one.
The united confederacy of rental car companies are in full-on price gouge mode. It is peak season so that means supply and demand issues. As in they are demanding our limited supplies of cash. I usually rent a car if I am traveling on the West Coast between Canada and as far South as the Bay Area. It is a pain in the arse for a couple of reasons, the most obvious being driving time, and this coupled with summer road construction and a rash of wild fires between Seattle and Medford forced me to consider alternatives.
Bus is too long and not applicable to my schedule.
Train is even worse.
I don't have the time to ride my bike and the Honda would rip my lower back to shreds by Portland. Maybe even Centralia.
Flying was out of the equation because even my go-to airlines were following the RACs lead, asking a $400 ding for the RT. Geeze, this is Medford not Madrid fellas.
I was set to drive the Ranger, bite the bullet and camp. Eight hours down, film, sleep in the truck bed, rise early, film again and drive the return eight.
But then something clicked. Twenty hours of drive time is a lot. True, I could finish the listen of David James Duncan's marvelous The River Why on audio CD, but (clicking sound increases in volume) with the road closures and fires, not to mention the health of my back, what is my time worth? I am capturing the video as media for our brand (you DO remember Real Course Video) so this could be a profitable excursion. So get real cheap-skate. (Clicking now at Geiger-counter intensity).
I go back to work. I book an 0700 flight (tight one from the Island) using 30,000 of my Alaska Air frequent flyer miles for $11.50.
Medford apparently hasn't received the memo on price gouging so I get a car for $25/day.
Airbnb has this cute as heck room in a Christina's cabin for $50.
Toss in a tank of gas and a couple of French Slams at Denny's (substitute the meat for hash browns) and I am gold for $226.50.
Air - 11.50 (plus 30K miles)
RAC - $65
Room - $50
Gas - $50
Food - $50
The frugal videographer strikes again.
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