Are you planning a week-long road trip or need a temporary ride while your car is in the shop? Renting a car for a week can be expensive, but fear not! With some savvy hunting and a few tricks, you can snag an amazing weekly car rental deal that won’t break the bank. In this article, we’ll share some relatable tips and advice on how to score the budget car rental in Denver, so you can hit the road without emptying your wallet.

Start Early and Book Online

The early bird catches the worm; the same goes for car rental deals. Don’t wait until the last minute to book your rental car; start early to secure the best prices. Online booking platforms are your best friend for hunting for deals.

Websites like Expedia, Kayak, or Priceline offer price comparisons among various rental companies, giving you a better chance of finding the most affordable option. Booking online also allows you to take advantage of exclusive discounts and promotions.

Be Flexible with Dates and Locations

Flexibility is the key to unlocking hidden car rental treasures. If your travel dates are flexible, try shifting them a day or two to see if the rates improve. Moreover, consider different pick-up and drop-off locations, as rental prices can vary significantly depending on the branch’s location.

Sometimes, picking up your car from an airport location might be pricier than getting it from a downtown branch.

Sign up for Loyalty Programs

Car rental companies like Budget car rental in Denver often offer loyalty programs with many perks. Signing up for these programs is usually free and can give you access to member-only discounts, faster reservation processing, and even vehicle upgrades.

Some credit card companies also offer rental car perks, so check if your credit card offers any benefits.

Compare Different Car Types

Balancing your needs with your budget is essential when choosing a rental car. While opting for a luxury SUV may be tempting, it might not be the most economical choice. Smaller, fuel-efficient cars often come with lower rental rates and better gas mileage, saving you money on both the rental and fuel costs.

Utilize Discount Codes and Coupons

Never underestimate the power of a discount code or coupon. A quick Google search can lead you to websites offering exclusive promo codes for car rentals. You can find these deals on coupon sites, travel forums, or the rental company’s website.

Remember to check the terms and conditions before using any codes to ensure they’re valid for your desired dates and locations.

Consider Independent Car Rental Companies

While well-known car rental chains dominate the market, independent car rental companies can offer great value for money. These local businesses often have competitive prices and personalized customer service. Don’t be afraid to explore lesser-known options, but do read reviews and check their credibility before making a reservation.

Avoid Extra Fees and Insurance Duplication

Keep an eye out for hidden fees that can inflate your rental cost. For instance, rental companies may charge additional fees for GPS navigation, satellite radio, or toll transponders. Consider using your smartphone for navigation and entertainment to save on these extras.

Regarding insurance, your personal auto insurance or credit card may already cover rental cars, so there’s no need to purchase duplicate coverage from the rental company. Verify this information with your insurance provider or credit card company before you pick up the rental car.

Hunting for a weekly car rental deal doesn’t have to be a daunting task. You can score the best deal on wheels by starting early, being flexible, signing up for loyalty programs, comparing different car types, utilizing discount codes, considering independent companies, and avoiding unnecessary fees.

Take Control of Your Road Trip Budget Today and Put These Car Rental Hunting Tips into Action!

Don’t settle for overpriced rentals when you can drive away with fantastic deals that give you extra cash for your adventures. Start by booking your car rental in Denver early, comparing prices online, and signing up for loyalty programs to unlock exclusive perks.

Remember, being flexible with your travel dates and locations can open up a world of cost-saving possibilities. Explore various car types and use discount codes and coupons to slash expenses further. Consider independent car rental companies for personalized service and competitive rates.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your car rental hunt today and embark on an unforgettable journey without financial stress. Happy hunting and safe travels!

The post Hunting for a Weekly Car Rental Deal: Your Guide to Saving Big on Wheels appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Cabin Fever

I think we are in week 5 of the Covid lockdown. People are processing things they would normally have no time to consider. People are getting into each other’s nerves. If you are beginning to have conversations with inanimate objects, you know what I mean.

I just recently got into a conversation about the inhumane condition that this government demands of its citizens. A friend’s Dad is in a locked down retirement facility but she wants to be physically present with her Dad to comfort him. She is even willing to get infected and die in the process. She is thinking of crashing the doors to get him. However, from the medical logistical point of view, If she gets sick, she will be stealing resources (man power, medications, ventilators, etc.) from innocent others.

I can understand that the government is still grappling with uncertainties. What is the nature of the “beast?” Does it spread through animals? Does it live longer on metal surfaces? Is it airborne? Do we have enough resources to win this war? If it really is that deadly and that contagious, should someone dictate what is good for you and the rest of society? Should we be forced to isolate? Should doctors and nurses care for the foolhardy victims? My daughter is a nurse who is going through very real trials due to the pandemic. Is it fair for us to squeeze even more out of her to care for people who choose to be sick?

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Mike of New York for sharing this joke.

Video: Sophie Sings Fly Me to the Moon

Thanks to Debbie of Moreno Valley, CA for sending this adorable 5 year old’s rendition of Sinatra’s classic tune.

Video: Dog Hugs

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. for these heart warming clips of the love between dog and master.

Video: Grocery Shopping

Thanks to Naomi of N. Hollywood and Terry of Santa Monica, CA for this video. A great way to shop!

Video: Visita Iglesia

Thanks to Leo of Toronto for sharing his personal video of churches during his travels. Even the background music is from his own choir, the Madrigals of the University of the Philippines. I should have shared this last week but it’s better late than never.

Rodney’s Puns

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C.  who sent this collection of puns. Sounds like this is original.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Naomi of N. Hollywood, CA who sent this image:

Thanks to Cheryl of Arcadia, CA for this picture:

The post Self-Isolation appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Throughout our travels the past several years we’ve often tended to wander towards off-the-beaten path nature destinations, shying away from crowded locations as much as we can. But there’s something beguiling about the busy and chaotic setting that is Hanoi, Vietnam and its celebrated Old Quarter. Crossing a street with hundreds of scooters, bicycles, cyclos and cars headed off in different directions all at once can be overwhelming and even terrifying to the average tourist but it was strangely inviting to us.

We’ve been to Vietnam numerous times in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s and Leo had visited Hanoi and its Old Quarter – the city’s historic urban core and its former commercial and residential center – twice before so the helter-skelter traffic isn’t something new. But a lot has changed since then as tourists descended in droves on a more commercially vibrant Hanoi. Despite this the Old Quarter manages to retain its charm, with shops, restaurants and cafes sheltering in French colonial buildings. On our most recent tour we got to immerse ourselves in the Old Quarter’s history and culture much more than in past visits.

Just walking distance from our hotel on Hang Bon Street, Hoan Kiem Lake is the center of city life and a place where locals gather to rest, eat, play or simply stroll around. We spent a good deal of our time walking around the perimeter of the lake, savoring the scenery and enjoying a respite from the crowded streets.

Sitting on an island in the northern section of the lake is Ngoc Son, an 18^th century Buddhist temple dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, a brilliant military strategist responsible for repulsing two Mongol invasions in the 13th century. The main attraction in Hoan Kiem, the temple is accessible via an elegant red bridge. An interesting resident of the temple is an embalmed huge soft-shell tortoise, believed to be the last of the reptiles that used to populate the lake. This particular tortoise died in 2016.

Located just off Hoan Kiem Lake’s northeastern corner is the acclaimed Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. Originating from the 11^th century, water puppets were a form of rural entertainment in which villagers used rods under the water in rice paddies to manipulate puppets, giving them the impression of moving across the water. At Thang Long a water pool is used as a stage with puppeteers concealed behind a screen. Accompanying music is provided by live bands playing traditional Vietnamese instruments on both sides of the pool.

The Old Quarter is best explored on foot – something that could be exasperating to the first-time visitor as the sidewalks have either become parking lots for motorbikes or al fresco dining settings for food stalls. When we got tired from all the walking, however, we would just check in at any of the numerous cafes and restaurants scattered all over this part of Hanoi.

A stroll along any of the streets at the Old Quarter is like a virtual food tour – or a shopping expedition (more on that below). Vietnamese cuisine is one of our favorites and we welcome any visit to Vietnam if only to dine on local fare. As the former capital of French Indochina and because of its proximity to China, Hanoi’s cuisine (and northern Vietnam’s as well) is significantly influenced by French and Chinese cooking.

We’re also raving fans of Vietnamese coffee. In the past we craved their iced coffee (cafe sua da) made using a strong brew poured over a tall glass of ice and with plenty of condensed milk. Nowadays we go for variants using little or no sweetening but on this tour we tried out the egg coffee and coconut latte which our tour guide in Ha Long Bay recommended. A particularly interesting café located along the northern shores of Hoan Kiem Lake, The Note Coffee offers both coffee variants. The café is named for colorful post-it notes that patrons stamp on the café’s walls and table tops. We weren’t able to sample the notorious and expensive but exquisite civet coffee, however.

Besides the colonial buildings, another remnant of French colonial rule in the Old Quarter is St. Joseph’s Cathedral, actually one of the first buildings constructed by the French colonial government in Vietnam. The Neo-Gothic style cathedral is one of the more recognizable landmarks in the city and was an easy walk from our hotel.

A little bit farther away and east of the southern end of Hoan Kiem Lake is a more notorious reminder of French colonial rule – the Hoa Loa Prison Museum. The museum is a surviving section of a 19^th century prison that the French built to detain Vietnamese revolutionary firebrands up to the 1950s. The Vietnam War brought a different dynamic to Hoa Loa when the North Vietnamese used it to incarcerate downed American pilots, including the late Sen. John McCain. (This prison is the famous Hanoi Hilton of the Vietnam War.)

Centuries ago, streets and alleyways thriving with hawker stalls at the Old Quarter have been named for specific trades. Some shops and stalls plying these trades are still there. However, Hanoi has become more of a tourist shopping mecca in recent years, selling practically everything under the sun. At the labyrinth of shops and stalls souvenirs may be found side by side with local products and export overruns at bargain prices. Some of the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake are closed off to traffic during Friday evenings and weekends which allowed us to do more shopping and sample more local street food. (In Vietnam street food can be as good as or even better than food in restaurants.)

Many writers will tell you that a visit to the Old Quarter is a must for any first-time visitor to Hanoi. We would say it’s a must for any first-time visitor to Vietnam.

The post Serenity Amidst the Chaos: At Hanoi’s Old Quarter appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The Gift

Time stood stilI at the top tier of the church risers last Saturday. Maybe it was the light glistening on the musical instruments. Or maybe it was the exuberance of the conductor. Whatever it was, I realized all this buzz was in preparation of the birth of one individual. For the uninformed, it must be a strange sight to watch grown ups behaving like kids waiting for their Christmas presents. This day of Jesus’ birth was planned way ahead in eternity past. Philosophers kinda knew it was coming but only God knew the details of His master plan. Who woulda thunk the backdrop of this central moment in global history would be a decrepit manger (translation: a stinky, shanty unfit for humans)? In a rare display of outright joy, God shared His excitement to the angels who burst into angelic music never before heard by human ears. The angels passed it on to lowly shepherds who went and visited the newborn babe. Mary and Joseph were prophesied that their child would be King. They must have seriously doubted the predictions when they looked at their pitiful surroundings. The visit of the shepherds and their story about the angelic orchestra must have given them the encouragement they needed.

I remember my excitement when my kids were born. I wanted to give my kids the best medical attention, the best everything … in contrast our all powerful God chose to give us the gift of His son wrapped in humble rags. No cigars, no champagne, no victory parade … just curious shepherd visitors.

(Isidro is a jobless drifter who had to hitch for his rides. For weeks I had been looking for an affordable bike to surprise him. The day before our practice, I bought Isidro a brand new bicycle. I was beaming with pride and excitement because Isidro had no clue what I had saved for him at the back of my car. Imagine my heartbreak when he said he didn’t want it.  He said it was too small, too impractical … I was crushed. Isidro’s pride prevented my joy.)

When the child Jesus grew up, few realized HE was God’s gift. They treated Him with disdain. They mocked Him … they killed Him. They rejected God’s gift. Mine was just a bicycle. God’s was His most precious and only begotten son. Think about that for a while.

Time stood still in the choir because I realized that Christmas joy comes from an exchange. It’s in the giving and the receiving. Without that completed transaction, there is no joy. And when we remember the reason for the season and accept THE GIFT, there is joy overflowing. Love and joy come to you — and to you God’s blessings too.

Merry Christmas!

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given”   — Isaiah 9:6

TGIF people!

Joke of the Week

Christmas Parking

Shared by Tom of Pasadena, CA

Videos of the Week

Jeanne Robertson: Left Brain Christmas Gifts
Sent by Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Shopping cheap and shopping practical.

WATCH VIDEO

Jingle Bells in Bowls
Sent by Charlie of New Jersey

This Asian uses bowls like a xylophone. He’s a pretty happy camper.

WATCH VIDEO

The Chinese Recorded Jesus’ Birth, Death and Resurrection
Sent Art of Sierra Madre, CA

WARNING: RELIGIOUS/POLITICAL video: Skip if this bothers you

The film quality is poor but this is a compelling historical evidence attesting to the validity of the life of Jesus. These are not religious but historical documents. There really was this man who performed all of these amazing miracles.

WATCH VIDEO

Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

Heavy Thought of the Week

Sent by Naomi of North Hollywood, CA

Parting Shot

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA who shared this photo

Hey, do me a favor. Get your copy of the brand new Traveling Boy Joke Book. It’s pocket size and is perfect for a stocking stuffer. It’s about $10 only, unique and … ideal for your office mate or business friend.

The post Christmas Parking appeared first on Traveling Archive.