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College Move-In Made Easy

Posted on July 25, 2015 by Stay Alfred Vacation Rentals — No Comments ↓

Photo by Matt Runkle via Flickr

Fall is fast approaching, and for many families it’s time to start planning the big college move. Maybe your first child will be starting college, or maybe it’s your third. Whatever your family’s situation, a vacation rental is the perfect choice for reducing stress and making your move-in trip enjoyable.

There is no such thing as an easy move. No matter how much you plan, or how much help you have, establishing your life in a new place is difficult. And things are all the more trying when the move involves a child leaving the nest. You’re probably already being inundated with information from your child’s school—when to arrive, what to bring, a laundry list of things the new student needs to do. But the school probably isn’t offering much advice for how to handle your time off-campus.

Luckily, your trusted Stay Alfred Travel Team is here to help. Not only did I have my own move-in day, but I helped with my older sister’s too. And it was equally chaotic both times. Here are the reasons why I wish we had stayed in a vacation rental.

 

  1. Space – When the whole family tags along to help, hotel rooms can get crowded fast. Tripping over each other and waiting in line to use the bathroom isn’t going to help the stress level one bit. A typical two bedroom, two bath Stay Alfred Vacation Rental offers over 1000 square feet of space. If everybody has enough room to spread out, you won’t be arguing before you even get to the dorms.
  2. Kitchen and Dining Table – You made it through the day! Your child is settled in to their new digs. Wouldn’t it be nice to share one last family meal before you say goodbye for the semester? All of our properties have a fully equipped kitchen, and many are walking distance to local markets, so you can prepare an unforgettable meal.
  3. In-Home Laundry – Let’s face it, when left to their own devices, your child will likely be adopting a more malleable laundry schedule than they had at home. So why not do them a favor and leave them with clean clothes? At least they’ll be one step closer to making a good first-impression on professors and class-mates.

 

Check out our cities and plan your trip now. You’ll be glad you did!

Father’s Day Fun

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Stay Alfred Vacation Rentals — No Comments ↓

Source: Flickr user slgckgc

Father’s Day is coming up quick! Are you looking for something fun to do with the old man that you’ll both enjoy? Does he like beer and baseball? There’s a fairly good chance that he does, so how about taking Dad out for a great beer, followed by America’s favorite pastime: a professional baseball game. Sounds like the perfect Father’s Day plan to us! If you happen to find yourself in one of these three cities this Sunday, you’re in luck: Stay Alfred knows the best places for the ultimate Father’s Day adventure:

Beer

Seattle: Head to Redmond’s Marymoor Park for the Washington Brewers Fest, featuring 105 Washington breweries as well as food vendors and entertainment. $25 gets you a souvenir glass taster and 10 tasting tokens, each good for a 3oz sample.

Denver: Breckenridge Brewery, one of the standard-bearers of Denver’s beer culture, is having the Grand Opening of their brand-new brewery in Littleton, 12 miles south of downtown on Father’s Day weekend. Make a reservation on their website and for $3 you can enjoy a guided tour of the 12-acre facility that includes a generous sampling of Beck Brews.

Philadelphia: Dad’s love to get stuff for free, and Philly is offering plenty of opportunities to do just that. Get a free 14oz ribeye steak at Bistro St. Tropez when you buy another entree; enjoy a free mojito at Cuba Libre with an entree purchase; Brauhaus Schmitz is offering dads their first beer for free with a reservation; at The Fat Ham, every father gets a free Wurzburger pilsner with their meal and a shot of Bulleit Rye Whiskey afterward.

Baseball

Seattle: The Mariners take on the Houston Astros at Safeco Field. As part of the Father’s Day celebrations, the first 10,000 dads through the gates get a free Mike Zunino BBQ apron.

Denver: The Rockies battle the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field. The first 10,000 fans get a free Father’s Day baseball cap.

Philadelphia: The Phillies face off against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. Both teams will be wearing retro 1960s-era uniforms and all guys over the age of 15 get a free red Phillies cap sporting the 1960s “P” logo.

 

Are you planning a trip? Click Here to view all of our great downtown vacation rentals

5 Reasons Stay Alfred is Perfect for Valentine’s Day

Posted on January 22, 2015 by admin — No Comments ↓

539400562_1f6f12ef00_oValentine’s Day is right around the corner. Now’s the time to start thinking about what you are doing to show that special someone just how much they mean to you. Sure, you could buy roses or make homemade coupons for “1 Free Backrub”, but getting away for the weekend as a couple is as romantic as it gets. If you want to make the most of your time together, skip the typical hotel experience. Here are five reasons why picking a Stay Alfred vacation rental can be the key to the perfect Valentine’s Day getaway:

  1. Privacy: If there’s one day of the year when you want your privacy, it’s probably Valentine’s Day. In a vacation rental, you have plenty of space to be secluded with your significant other without feeling like you’re being crammed into a tiny hotel room. Plus, if you can’t escape the kids, at least you’ll have separate bedrooms and bathrooms.

  2. Amenities: One of the best reasons to choose a vacation rental is all the extras you won’t find in a hotel room. Want to whip up a special candlelight dinner just for two? That’s what the full kitchen is for. How about sitting on your private balcony, sipping champagne as the sun sets over the city? Done.

  3. Location: We wouldn’t blame you if you want to spend the whole weekend staying in, but there’s always plenty of excitement right outside your door. Canoodle in a fancy restaurant, catch an after-dinner show, or get tipsy at a swanky nightclub without a worry because your great vacation rental is within easy walking distance.

  4. Atmosphere: Is there a bigger mood killer than spending time and energy planning something special, only to be totally disappointed by the result? Say goodbye to underwhelming surrounds, our rentals really are as great as they look in the pictures. Modern furnishings, amazing views, and spectacular locations all add up to an experience you’ll never forget!

  5. Value: When you take into account location, space, and amenities, vacation rentals are usually the most cost-effective way to spend any trip. That means you’ll have some extra cheddar to splurge on that high-end meal or fancy bottle of champagne.

Still planning your Valentine’s Day getaway? Click here to check out all of our great vacation rentals

Family Fun at Mardi Gras?

Posted on December 4, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

Photo by Elaine Warner, Slice Magazine

Despite what you may have heard, Mardi Gras is not just a giant street party filled with bare-chested women and crowds of drunken men leering at them. In fact, many New Orleans residents will take exception to the way that the event has often been portrayed in the media. Mardi Gras is actually a great family festival (as long as you avoid certain areas).

The main focus of the celebrations is the parades, which begin two weeks before Fat Tuesday. Each parade is put on by a Krewe which spends all year and thousands of dollars building and decorating their elaborate floats. The most famous Krewes like Zulu, Bacchus, Endymion, and Rex have their parades on the weekend just before Fat Tuesday, but the times and routes vary so be sure to check a parade schedule to find the best ones.

One of the most popular places to watch the parades is around St. Charles St. and Napoleon Ave. Many local families have been coming here for years and they show up early for a full day of picnicking and barbeques. If you want to avoid huge crowds, head to the suburban area of Metairie where to parades tend to be more kid-centric. The Mystic Krewe of Barkus puts on a dog parade that is a must-see for children and adults alike.

No matter where you go, be sure to bring something to keep all the “throws” you’re bound to collect (those cloth grocery bags work great). Each Krewe has their own unique trinkets they throw out, everything from toys and stuffed animals to elaborate medallions and painted coconuts, and of course beads. One thing to remember about the medallions: they are highly prized and experienced parade goers tend to stomp on them to claim ownership, so watch your fingers!

Another tip: most restaurants and hotels along parade routes only allow their bathrooms to be used by patrons. Be sure to scout out public restrooms before you need them, although many restaurants also sell all-day tickets that include food and use of their facilities.

The only place you might want to avoid if you’re with children is the French Quarter, where the spring-break adult party crowd tends to congregate. But no big parades actually go through that area anyway due to vehicle size restrictions. So don your masks, eat some King Cake, and find a good spot to watch all the amazing festivities. Your kids will never forget it!

Looking for somewhere to stay during Mardi Gras? Click here to see all of our New Orleans vacation rentals.

Celebrate Halloween Like a Local in 6 Stay Alfred Cities

Posted on October 31, 2014 by admin — No Comments ↓

Halloween with Stay Alfred

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s that time of year again: Jack-o-lanterns, fake spiderwebs, plastic bats hanging from the trees (along with the occasional roll of toilet paper). We’re all familiar with the trappings of Halloween but if you happen to be from out of town, it can be confusing when you want to party like a local. Luckily, we have the inside scoop when it comes to best celebrations and events, no matter which city you’re going to be in on All Hallow’s Eve!

New Orleans
There is no city that celebrates Halloween as enthusiastically as New Orleans. With its famous cemeteries, voodoo rituals, and long history of ghosts and spirits, the city practically oozes scary. It should be no surprise that its residents embrace New Orleans’ intrinsic spookiness and party with a gusto usually reserved for their other favorite holiday: Mardi Gras. Crowds will flock to Bourbon and Frenchmen for street parties and parades, so don your best costume and join in the festivities. Cate Root from The Times-Picayune has a great breakdown of all the major happenings.

Nashville
Nashville loves to party no matter what the occasion and Halloween is no exception. Any club you hit is almost guaranteed to be having a costume party or themed event of some kind. To see the cream of the crop, head to Play Nashville for their Freak Show contest with $5000 in prizes. Next door, Tribe Nashville is having a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock that’s sure to be a scream. Looking for some real excitement? You will definitely want to try the Demons on Demonbreun Hill, a combination pub crawl and zombie paintball shoot.

Boston
Costume contests, pub crawls, haunted mansions, and graveyard tours are just a few of the exciting Halloween events you can find in Boston. Before you head out for the night’s festivities be sure to stop at Dorothy’s Boutique in Back Bay, the biggest adult costume shop in Boston, to pick up some cool accessories. If you happen to have a bike (and more importantly a costume you can ride in), the Halloween Bike Ride draws hundreds of participants for a casual 10-12 mile ride through the city, starting at Copley Square.

Denver
Besides the typically nightclub craziness, Denver also has a lot of great family-friendly Halloween attractions. The Denver Zoo puts on their annual Boo at the Zoo event with over 25 trick-or-treat stations and other kid-centric activities, all free with normal zoo admission. The Haunted Field of Screams in Thornton is Colorado’s largest Halloween attraction with over 35 acres of “haunted” cornfields. For more grown up activities, ColoWeen at the City Hall Event Center is the most anticipated costume party of the year.

Seattle
Halloween in Seattle usually means one thing: putting on your sexiest costume and dancing until the break of dawn. FreakNight is the main event with big-name DJs, but if you don’t feel like spending a couple hundred dollars for the 2-day pass, there are plenty of other dance parties where you’ll have just as much fun like Pulse at the EMP Museum. Dancing not your thing? Try the Crawl-O-Ween pub crawl and see some of downtown’s hottest bars. Or if you’re feeling extra adventurous, Citizen Zero is a zombie-themed urban hide and seek game on a massive scale.

Portland
Nothing cool ever happens in Portland. You might as well just stay inside and hand out candy to the trick-or treaters. Ok just kidding, you can find the usual mix of costume contests, dance parties, pub crawls, and zombie-themed everything. Jamie Hale of the Oregonian has already put together his procrastinator’s guide to Halloween in Portland, so we’ll just skip reinventing the wheel on this one.