Blaster Repaired
So the final cost of Blaster’s repairs was about $315 which was less than we expected although not by much but that’s not even the best part. The best part is they made it so the heat shield would stop making the noise that started this whole adventure – for free!
So I’d say Blaster is at 99% and good to go for the trip. Emboldened by this recent development I booked our hotel in Vallejo for the trip. We’ll be staying at the Motel 6 Six Flags East for 2 nights – TripAdvisor has no serious complaints to worry about and it’s actually ranked the 9th best hotel in the city so I’d call that a win.
Now if only San Francisco could be so easy (not to mention cheap!). We’re paying $91 USD for two nights before tax – even under the worst tax scenario that would be $103 USD (or $119 CDN at today’s rate) total. So that works out to $60 Canadian per night after taxes within walking distance of Six Flags with no serious complaints on Trip Advisor? I’ll take it!
It feels good to shake off the shackles of the uncertain fate of my vehicle; I’ve felt like I’ve been on pause the last week and half with a sword of Damocles hanging over my head. Now I can go back to looking forward to and planning for my vacation 86 days hence.
I also built the Attraction file for Six Flags including pictures of rides I want to do and a couple pictures from 2002 just for fun. I’ve identified 9 rides I want to hit. Of course with all the pictures the file is 3.5 MB which is huge for a Word document but you know my saying, “Superior information makes for a superior experience”. Even if you don’t hit every place you research or have information on you’ll be able to make better, more well-informed choices. Roadtrips are not about planning every moment, spontaneity is the rule not the exception – it has to be when border waits and traffic are incalculable factors.
I also discovered Six Flags has a Thomas Town themed area…with two Thomas-themed rides. So, um, if we got our pictures taken with Thomas would my kid think we’re gods or the biggest jerks ever? I felt a little bad when I discovered that but I DO plan on taking the family to Disneyland in 2012 so it’s not like he’ll suffer long and besides he’ll be better able to appreciate (and remember) such things later. Although his recent adventure in Playland made it pretty apparent that he’s ready to enjoy rides, on his own no less. But will he be ready for a transatlantic flight in September 2010? Flight and expense would be the only reasons not to consider bringing him; pretty much everything I want to do in London should be kid-friendly/accessible. Taking my kid to London at age 3, that would be quite the coup but I’m not married to the idea if it becomes a logistical nightmare.
But one vacation at a time.
There is still so much to be done. Booking hotels in San Francisco, Eugene, and Salem, buying tickets for Six Flags, making CDs for the trip…unquestionably San Francisco accommodations is going to be the biggest hurdle; everything else will be fun by comparison. Trip Advisor reviews would seem to indicate the biggest possibility for pitfalls, and by that I mean expensive mistakes, lay here. But having a car in good condition does make certain things available that might not otherwise be options – like staying in South San Francisco by the airport where your dollar goes a lot further and when it comes to parking, no dollars are required. If we stay outside the city we’ll probably want to BART our way in, which seems at first blush to be a rather complicated system. If we stay in the city we have more of the city at our fingertips with less travel time so we could do more with our time possibly. Outside the city we could enjoy luxury – or rather what I more commonly think of luxury (I don’t give a crap about the artwork in a hotel room) – in our accommodations. If the BART isn’t too inconvenient I’m currently leaning towards out of city accommodations but if that doesn’t pan out there is a property right a Fisherman’s Wharf I’ve been thinking about. Frankly part of me wishes someone else could just decide and figure this part out. Oh well, as problems go this is a decent one to have.
