My Travel Optimizer

A view from the Lettuce Lake Park observation tower in Tampa, Florida

We had some time on Monday to visit Lettuce Lake Park here in Tampa. Its a beautiful park by the Hillsborough River. There is an elevated wooden boardwalk that meanders through the park and leads eventually to an observation tower. I’m stuck in an office most of the week so I can’t get outside enough. The weather here has been great. Bright, sunny days with temperatures in the low 60’s.

Lettuce Lake Park boardwalk

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Costa Rica is perfect for a cheap travel destination

I know that the economy is putting a squeeze on many folks’ wallets. I also know that if we ever needed a vacation, this is the time. I’m feeling kind of beat. Work is always demanding and the news and the length and emotion of the presidential campaigns have just added to a general feeling of weariness. I need a to get away.

A trip to Europe is not in the cards at the moment but I’m lucky to live in Florida where Costa Rica is only a three hour flight away. I’m additionally lucky that the dollar is still strong down there. I can stay in quality digs for less than a hundred dollars a day and eat well for five dollars. The beer is cheap and nature is free.

You can spend money in Costa Rica if you want but you can also have a great time and not break the bank if you know where to go and where to look. Check out my archives for tips on saving money and getting the most out of Costa Rica.

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Tags: cheap travel in Costa Rica

This is a good website for finding hotels in Costa Rica. It passes the acid test with me because it includes most of the budget accommodations that I frequent in Manuel Antonio. You can find Cuptico here. I’ve linked to the Manuel Antonio page but you can click on “Home” and choose other areas.

I’ve been around a lot. When I was younger I lived in South America and Africa. We lived well due to the exchange rate and company perks. I had a chance to stay in some fancy-schmancy digs like the Norfolk in Kenya and a Sheraton cruise ship on the Nile.

Despite all that I’m still a big fan of budget hotels. When I travel I’m very active and there is no reason for me to spend big dollars on a high end resort that I will only use to sleep and bathe. With your eyes closed, the Waldorf Astoria and Motel 6 look the same. My concerns are safety, cleanliness, comfort and safety. That’s not a typo. I typed safety twice on purpose. Safety is always a priority with me no matter where I am at. When you are in Costa Rica and driving a rental car make sure there is a guard or at least a locked gate to protect your car at night. Its better to have a room facing an inner courtyard or the Hotel office. Naturally if you are deep in the rain forest at an eco-lodge you can relax a bit more. Even so, a little bit of caution never hurts.

I’ve yet to have a bad experience at one of the budget lodgings I’ve used. Ironically the one theft I suffered was at pricey lodge in Tortuguero. It was a large family-outing type thing. The older folks like amenities and included meals. They spend more time around the pool than most of the young people. Our room was all the way on the end and some thieves broke in and stole some clothes and CD walkmen and stuff (this a while ago). The passports were in the safe and we our money and credit card on us so it wasn’t a huge deal. Actually I felt bad for the thieves. It must suck to be so poor that you find a used pair of jeans worth stealing.

Like I said, it was no big deal. It didn’t ruin the vacation. The Lodge moved us to a room near the office. The guard for the hotel was an amusing fellow. After the robbery was discovered (this was in the evening) he showed up and fired several shots into the jungle with his revolver. It was his tactful way of saying “Don’t come around here no more.” Lest you think gunfire is the norm you should know that Costa Rica is not as full of handguns as the United States but security personnel are allowed to carry them.

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I’d like to talk about the website Tripadvisor.com. This is one of my favorite travel sites and I use it all the time. Its a very active site with many helpful reviews and forums. Once you register you’ll have access to the forums and there is a lot of good info (and a lot of good people) in here. One of the best parts of Tripadvisor is the hotel reviews. There are a lot of hotel review sites out there but its amazing how inclusive Tripadvisor is. I’ve found reviews for small hotels and cabinas that I have not found anywhere else. If you like to travel this is a very useful and informative site.

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A shot of the meadow at Boyette Scrub

Traveling is not my only passion. I also love mountain biking. I try to do it as much as possible when I am at home and when I am on trips. I also realize that while Florida is home to me it is also a vacation destination for many people in this country and around the world. I figure I can post some Florida info and stay on topic.

Yesterday was Veterans Day so my wife and I went out mountain biking. We hit the trails at Boyette Scrub You can get a map of the trails here. Just click on Balm Boyette Scrub preserve.

November in Florida is a great time to ride. The weather could not have been better yesterday.

Balm Boyette Scrub Trail

Lake at Boyette Scrub

We finished the day by biking on the balustrade that borders Tampa bay.

Evening on the balustrade bordering Tampa Bay.

There are more pictures in my Flickr account.

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