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SingleDad.com Founder/ Member, RJ Jaramillo shares his fall travel journal with each of his three children. This month, follow RJ and his son Mossimo as they take a “Father & Son” fishing trip in Alaska.  This trip was actually scheduled for last year. My son had achieved straight A’s on his report card and we were planning to celebrate his achievement with a fishing trip to Alaska. Well, things didn’t go as planned. I wound up in the hospital from a horse riding accident and our trip had to be cancelled. Here we are one year later and we are back on schedule for our single dad and son trip of a life time. What makes this trip a little different from others is that we took a creative and cost savings approach. With the economy the way it is right now, we found a great way to save money on airfare, rental car and accommodations. I would like to share these tips with you as well as my “Single Parent Travel Video Blog” that we recorded along the way. I hope you and your family enjoy our experience.
Airfare
The airfare this year was one of the easiest items to secure. I had closed a credit card out last year and I had a 12 month grace period to use up the frequent flyer miles. Many people don’t know this little fact, but most credit card companies have to honor a grace period for you to use the miles. I had accumulated a lot of miles over the use of this card, and it was an ideal opportunity to pay for my flights. I had also discovered another cost savings method by asking a few friends of mine who had travel vouchers. Now, I am not recommending this, but I had a friend who knew a friend who booked a flight and traded the favor for another favor. These travel vouchers allow a person to book a flight in the name of another person. In summary, my total airfare for two adults was $350 roundtrip with the vouchers and frequent flyer exchange. Rental Car and Accommodations
Now there are many ways to see and experience Alaska. There are the beautiful cruise ships, hotels, resorts and fishing lodges. All of these places fit a certain length of stay and budget. SingleDad.com is all about giving great advice to our members on saving money. I am on a budget and I needed to make the best of my resources. My son is at an age where all he wants is the maximum use of fishing time and he really isn’t concerned about where we stay or sleep. It’s my job to keep this trip affordable. The average cost of a rental car is around $100 dollars a day. The average in-season hotel stay is around $180 a night. As you can see with a 5-day trip, this could cost over $1,400 just for rental car and hotel. Not a very practical plan. Solution: The RV
I asked my son about the idea of having a RV waiting for us at the airport and all he said, “Cool Dad, very cool…” The practicality of having your rental car transportation and hotel accommodations all in one was a perfect fit for us and I would highly recommend this to any SingleDad.com members. I contacted ABC RV rentals, (www.ABCmotorhome.com) and made the arrangements to having a fully gassed and stocked RV waiting for us at the Anchorage Airport Terminal. What made the decision even easier was that I was saving a lot of money as well. The average cost per night was $150 with an RV. I was saving over $130 a day with this option. I was greeted by Wayne, the General Manager at ABC Motor home, and he patiently taught me how to operate the RV. I felt comfortable and safe through the entire process of renting through ABC and I highly recommend ABC Motor Home, 1-800-421-7456. Now remember, this is a fishing trip with my son. Not everyone likes RV travel but for the purposes, the RV was ideal. We drove, we parked, we fished, we cooked, we slept in the RV. There is one highway in Anchorage and it goes through town. You either head North to Mt McKinley, or you go South to the ocean by Homer and the Kenai Peninsula. We pointed the RV North and headed in the direction of Wasilla, Alaska; hometown of Sarah Palin. We didn’t get a chance to see Sarah, nor did we get to see Russia for that matter…. But we did have the opportunity to find plenty of clean and available roadside campsites along the highway that would take RVs overnight. We found Willow Creek Resort, (907-495-6343) which is about 20 miles north of Wasilla. They are a full service campsite (water, electric and RV dump) a laundry room and hot showers for their guests. The site was very clean and everybody was friendly, including the bunnies that roam about the campsites. (see video) In addition, Willow Creek Resort offers fully equipped “Float Boats” that you can rent and fish down the creek. I recommend hiring a fishing guide to share their local knowledge on setting your fishing tackle the right way. My son and I spoke with the WCR’s local guide, Jay Sweet, who offers his fishing guide services and will float you and another fisherman down the banks of the Willow (call 907-495-6343 check for seasonal rates). Jay saved us a lot of time and made our father and son fishing trip a lifetime memory. I would like to offer a special thanks to Rick Meredith for making this trip possible. Rick is one of my high school, college, life- long best friends, and a SingleDad Contributor. I was honored to be the best man at his wedding and he continues to make me proud in his service to the Armed Forces for over 20 years. He is a great father and a loving husband to Melissa, his wife of over 15 years. Another special acknowledgement goes to Erik Sjodin, Scott Long, Justin Callies, and their families who treated my son and I like we were part of their own family. This trip taught me a lot about my son and how our relationship is changing as fast as he’s growing. I learned so much in such a short time. I love Alaska and will I bet that we will make this trip again with in the next 5 years. What I can share with every parent who is raising a teenager is to let them know that you care and they count. Give them room to grow and make their choices, but remind them you are always there to offer your support when needed. I am far from being a perfect father to my son, but it’s the knowing that keeps me trying…. Enjoy the video! Make Life Happen…Again! Other SingleDad.com tips on Single Parent Travel: Some of the best ways to get a deal on your next Single Parent Vacation is to apply these simple tips when planning your next trip: - When negotiating any arrangements, ask the simple question: “Do you offer a cash discount?” I saved on average 15%-20% by simply asking if they would offer a cash discount. This came in handy with local vendors and fishing guides.
- Ship your large items. I went on the internet and located a UPS Store in Anchorage. When I called and spoke with the store manager, we made arrangements to have my heavy items such as my fishing waders and ice chests shipped ahead of my flight schedule. Make sure you plan ahead, shipping times and costs will vary, but this is a great way to save money. Keep your packages under 30lbs. for best results.
- Cook in your RV. There is a reason that there is a stove and refrigerator on board, use them for more than making coffee and storing your beer!
Video Links: Alaska Video/Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q270mnCzMHg Alaska, Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FX63Brm5Pg  Richard “RJ” Jaramillo is a father of three fantastic kids. He is also the founder of SingleDad, Inc. With over nine years of experience helping single dads, like himself, get back on their feet, RJ is excited to share what he had learned so that the transition to “Make Life Happen…Again” is easier for other single dads out there.
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