Ramblings

If you’ve had great experiences renting vacation homes—and especially if you’ve been swept into the welcoming (usually figurative) embrace of a particularly passionate owner—a funny thing might start happening. You might start imagining yourself doing the vacation rental thing yourself. And why not, ask Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner?

If you own or are thinking of buying a vacation rental property, the Glossbrenners will show you how to pay your mortgage and make money by renting it yourself. Their 300-page book/CD “seminar-in-a-box”— called How To Make Your Vacation Property Work For You! The Quick & Easy Guide to Advertising, Renting, Managing, and Making Money from your Second Home”— is based on what the couple learned from a decade renting a two-story Williamsburg-style cottage on their property in Bucks County, PA. Today their second home is routinely fully booked as much as six months in advance.

The book is engaging (the Glossbrenners are successful authors with over 60 books to their credit)  and full of practical wisdom, step-by-step instructions and clear examples that will guide you in maximizing the Internet to promote and rent your dream vacation or retirement home (finding the right listing sites, boosting your search engine ranking etc.)  

HERE'S WHAT I ESPECIALLY LOVE:  Guidelines for writing a property description! “Write from the Heart!” These smart-cookie marketers advocate infusing rental descriptions with “personality.” (Because, aren’t we all tired of the hype?)  They talk about “painting a picture” for rental prospects… going into detail about what you (the owner) personally love about the property such as distinctive architectural details or an interesting history … weaving in off-the-beaten-path secret places you’ve discovered. That’s music to a prospective vacation renter’s ears. AND they devote a whole section to “Enhancing Your Listing With Great Photos”. Hallelujah!

The Glossbrenners also include a CD containing a collection of personally-selected Windows programs to help you manage and market your vacation rental property—in what is becoming a highly competitive market niche—in your spare time.

Check out the 30-day Money-Back Guarantee. But also check out the Glossbrenners’ promise: “Regardless of your rental rate, and regardless of season, if you get just one extra booking as a result of what we have to teach you, this vacation rental owner’s training package will have paid for itself many times over. And it will continue to do so year after year from now on.”

Psssst:  You save $40 buying it direct from the Glossbrenners (instead of on Amazon). Check with your accountant: you may be able to write the whole thing off as a business expense.  

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm embarrassed. And deeply disappointed. Embarrassed because, when I finally read Frances Mayes' "A Year in World" after recommending it, it was nothing like what I expected. I'm disappointed because I was misled by Mayes' own comments in a newspaper review.

Here's what I said in my second post on this blog:

"She (Mayes, author of the wildly successful "Under the Tuscan Sun") and her husband choose to rent, of course, so they can really immerse themselves in the local culture... 

Mayes and her husband tried to stay in each country for at least a month. Renting made the difference, “because the minute you’re in your own place, you start relating to your surrounding in an entirely different way then if you‘re in a hotel,” said in a Sacramento Bee article last month."

Here's what actually happened. Nearly every time Mayes arrived at a rental, she was disappointed. Many times she didn't even bother to unpack, hightailing it to a nearby hotel no matter the lost rental fee. One time, she admitted to renting without viewing photographs. (Her fault.)

But there were other times when, she says, she was misled by owners or agents who had never viewed the place firsthand! "Who rents a vacation home on a highway?" she laments, after stepping into an otherwise grand country home in the Cotswolds. "Mental note," she writes, bound for a nearby hotel. "Agent must have physically visited property."

Amen to that, Ms. Mayes. It's just too bad that you (the Oprah of travel) may have indelibly imprinted your own bad experiences on impressionable travelers following in your footsteps. The key message here is do you homework! Firsthand, objective experience is absolutely crucial.

Exactly why I started my series of e-guidebooks called Renting Paradise. Blatant self-promotion aside, prospective renters need a resource for independent, unbiased, firsthand commentary.  Believe me, owners -- unless they have something to hide -- are all for it.

Slow Travel has an excellent TripAdvisor-like message board specifically focused on European vacation rentals. But there are precious few unbiased resources for prospective renters in the U.S., because renting vacation homes is just catching on here in America. Where they exist, use them! Where they don't, don't take anything for granted.

My advice:

1. Look for lots of photos

2. Read descriptions very carefully

3. Ask LOTS of questions before you reserve.          

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Every trip has its own character and specific set of requirements that influence your Internet search. Local and regional vacation rental web sites level the field.

My goal in Renting Paradise is to spotlight the "gems" among all the tens of thousands of vacation homes available online. But because vacation homes come in all shapes and sizes, some simply aren't going to work for my semi-annual get-togethers with my parents, brother, husband and (now three!) dogs.

Just recently, I was searching for a pet-friendly home on the beach. I fell in love with a beautifully restored cottage. So much so, that I tried to ignore the reality of fitting five adults and three dogs into 1,100 square feet with one bathroom!

Luckily for us all, I was overruled. So I went back to the drawing board. HomeAway seemed my best bet, because it consolidates the most (dozens!) of homes into a single click. It was easy to search for the right number of bathrooms and sort out only pet-friendly homes. (I'd tried some of the pet-friendly accommodations sites and was disappointed by the lack of offerings.)

However, despite the buffet-style selection of vacation homes I was offered on HomeAway, it took me hours to come to a decision. Admittedly, I am picky, but it bugs me that I'm not jumping-up-and-down excited about what I finally reserved. It's not on the beach. (Very close, but no sand.) And perhaps this is troubling only to me, but it lacks character. Sort of a rather non-descript shell. (Which doing what I do, almost feels like it's against my religion.)

Here's the kick: as soon as I'd posted my deposit, I stumbled across a site serving only that particular region with -- you guessed it -- some genuine gems. It made me remember that many of my very best "finds" over the years have come from regional or local sites. I booked my very first rental in Lake Tahoe on a Coldwell Banker site featuring properties for sale and rent. After much wheel-spinning while planning a family get-together in Sedona, we finally happened upon Red Rock Realty. Spot on! I know I've talked at length before about my love for Russian River Getaways in Sonoma County, CA.

My point: don't make my mistake by checking out only HomeAway. Google regional and local websites by typing in the name of the city or town and state you're traveling to and "vacation rentals". If nothing else, you'll gain access to a ton of information about activities, restaurants, shopping, etc. that really enriches your trip planning! 

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 02:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

No surprise to me that San Francisco was nominated by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine as one of the best cities in the U.S. This blog has been something of an altar to my own favorite city since its launch. But the world is a big place ... and I just returned from another nominated city I now love: Buenos Aires. 

Hence the hiatus in blog entries. But I cannot get my head back into covering San Francisco and Northern Caifornia with Buenos Aires on my mind. As usual, Concierge offers a great online guide covering many of same sights and activities my husband and I loved. What a beautiful, life-loving, creative place. I would move there if it wasn't such a long trip.

Highlights:

-Digging into (but not finishing) a 20-ounce ribeye steak served with 14 hot and cold "sides" at La Cabrera in Palermo

- Watching tango in the streets at the San Telmo Antiques Fair. We saw some sexy performances. But I also loved the 80-year-old women tapping out remembered dance steps to the music and the pair of eight-year-olds carefully negotiating their way around Plaza Dorrego.  (My only regret: we didn't take a tango lesson ourselves.)

-Having coffee "on stage" at the mammoth El Ateneo bookstore, ensconced in beauitfully renovated theater.  

-Wandering the narrow paths in the Recoleta Cemetery

-Disovering I love the Argentinian painter Xul Solar at the MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires/Colección Costantini)

-Discovering I really like morcilla (black pudding) at a traditional Argentinian asado (outdoor barbecue) 

-Trying a sip of mate from a traditional gourd. Almost everyone you see carries a gourd filled with yerba mate tea leaves and a thermos of hot water to replenish what they drink and share.  

In the words of our Scottish-born-Argentine cab driver who ferried us between Buenos Aires and the Pampas, "It's delicious!" 

All of it.

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

"Why not take people right to the farm?" asked Santa Cruz, CA chef Jim Denevan. And, lo, “Outstanding in the Field” was born.

For each event, up to 100 dinner guests—wine glasses in hand—begin the evening with a guided tour of the farm where the food for their meal was grown. Then they’re seated at a very long outdoor table and served family-style (or farm-style) with wines paired to each course.

During the meal, the local farmers and food artisans who provided ingredients for the menu talk a bit about their respective crafts. Five-course dinners begin around 4 p.m. and last until sunset—although guests often linger over candlelight.

Six seasons and 51 dinners later, Outstanding in the Field has expanded beyond California to encompass farmlands across North America. While 2006 events in Northern California (including Petaluma in Sonoma County and Point Reyes in Marin County, areas covered by Renting Paradise e-guidebooks) are over, there are plenty events scheduled throughout the country in the months to come. Take a look.

What better way to get the "lay of the land" when you travel?

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 08:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since crossing two biggies off my personal short list of “Places to See Before I Die,” I’m on mission. When better than a long holiday weekend to add, change and re-shuffle priorities on my travel wish list?

I also got jazzed after reading “Life’s To Do List” (plenty of inspiration in these 99 options!) on The Travel Channel web site. 

One of the biggies I recently crossed off: “Visit Machu Picchu” (a 25-year veteran of my short list). This one makes so many published “Before I Die” lists, it seems sadly cliché. But when I finally took in the postcard view with my own two eyes last February, it was anything but. And everything I hoped it would be.

Last summer I also crossed off San Miguel de Allende, Mexico—a charming Spanish colonial town, about as far removed from the madness of Cancun and Baja as you can get. I loved it so deeply that I briefly considered moving there.

What I love about crossing things off my list is I end up savoring all the surprises I collected along the way. Some are serendipities. Some places I didn’t expect to love so much. Some even eclipse the main event. Machu Picchu was the focal point of my trip to Peru. But the Sacred Valley town of Ollantaytambo captured my heart.

San Francisco/Northern California has an honorary lifetime spot on my Top 5 for the many layers of experience both these places continue to dish up. I know I’ll never tire of discovering something new. Some of my best finds are tucked into the “Ten Cool Things to Do in…” sections of the e-guidebooks in my Renting Paradise series. Some places I didn’t discover until I’d lived in the City for years.    

So, back to those two big holes on my Travel Top 5. What next? Well, Buenos Aires is next up (a two-week trip this October pushed it to an automatic #1). Tango lessons? Sure! Beyond that, I absolutely love that I can’t anticipate what will click with me.

And after a tag-along “tour” of Mount Rushmore on the new reality TV show “Treasure Hunters,”
I’ve added that to the list, too. Perhaps, I’ll cross it off during the year I plan to rent a Winnebago and travel around the country (now at #4). Numbers 2 and 3? A (small-scale) cruise to Alaska and a trek to Mexico’s “nursery lagoons,” where I want to lay my hand on the head of a newborn California gray whale.  

What’s great about wish-listing is the fun of anticipation. It’s permission to live dreams you might unconsciously just write-off because they’re not feasible today. Remember, 25 years passed from the day I promised myself I’d see Machu Picchu and the day I actually did. Believe me, it was perfect timing.

No rules. Just lots of dreaming, magazine-skimming, reading and listening to friends talk about their adventures. Of course "1,000 Things to Do Before You Die" by Patricia Schultz is the obvious choice, and makes a lovely "bible".

Wish-list away!

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The Sonoma Diet is like no other.” Or, is it just one more shameless promotion aim below our already straining belts? On closer look, I was surprised to find it combines the South Beach Diet (sensible, balanced nutrition) and with the French Women Don’t Get Fat sensual love affair with fresh, wholesome food.

Who in their right mind would quibble with that? And nowhere could this approach make more sense than in Sonoma County.

Aside from its world-famous wines, Sonoma County produces a bounty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, olive oil, homemade cheeses, artisan breads—all key ingredients celebrated by the Sonoma Diet. The diet is built on savoring a variety of fresh, wholesome, and delicious foods—and, yes, wine in moderation.

So when you’re finished with the Russian River Wine Road, hit the Farm Trails. Just follow the Farm Trails Map & Guide and explore Sonoma County’s farms, cheese factories, bakeries and breweries as locals have been doing for 30 years. You can experience life on the farm with sheep, llamas, honey bees and butterflies. Or get your hands dirty and pick your own berries, apples, or pumpkins in season. Just add fresh flowers and you’ve got a picnic. Or the makings of dinner back at your vacation rental.   

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 01:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The overwhelming array of travel web sites and guidebooks can mean more (not less!) homework when you’re planning a trip. You can simplify your research--and more or less guarantee better results--by looking for “unbiased” recommendations and reviews.

“Unbiased” simply Means the recommender has no axe to grind. No money is changing hands between hotel or restaurant and person recommending it. The recommendation—the review—is based on unvarnished personal experience.  Here are three of the best ways I know to tap into that quality content.    

1. Fellow travelers. They can be relatives, friends, neighbors, colleagues. The key is that they know a little something about your preferences. My husband and I once stayed in a thatched-roof hut at a beachfront resort near Tulum on Mexico’s Mayan Riviera. The first morning we awoke to an iguana poised on the wall above our bed. I’d recommend this place without reservation—except to those folks who I happen to know thrive on Five-Star (hermetically-sealed) luxury. It might be the end of the friendship.   

2. Reader-written columns and web sites.  Travelers love to talk about their trips. If they’ve had a good experience, they love to share the wealth. If not, the result can be scathing. Before every trip I take I check TripAdvisor. (There are other similar sites. This just happens to be my personal favorite.)  Here, quantity often counts as much as quality: the more resoundingly enthusiastic reviews, the better. When I find 10 glowing stories and one “worst night of my life,” I figure majority rules. The key is read closely. The honesty is often there, but disguised in someone else’ preferences or communication style. Point is: I’ve never been disappointed--and more often than not turned on to places that would never have appeared on my radar screen if I stuck to the big portals like Expedia. (Slow Travel is an especially good resource for people who want to rent a villa or apartment in Europe.)

Larger metropolitan area newspapers may have a column like “Follow the Reader” in the San Francisco Chronicle. Every week travelers wait for the latest reader-inspired recommendations.   

3. Authors who specialize in unbiased reviews.  Well-known personalities like Rick Steves and Karen Brown have developed near cult followings for their guidebooks detailing the best accommodations, restaurants, sights and itineraries in the U.S., Mexico and Europe. What I love about these experts—and try to emulate in my own Renting Paradise e-guidebook series reviewing vacation rentals in northern California—is the fact that they have visited every place they tout. You may not know them, but their personal idiosyncrasies and “attitude” shine through. Their consistency makes them almost friends.

Websites can have the same quality, though they are few and far between. I first encountered the U.K. site i-escape.com  while planning a trip to southern Spain. I was so impressed  I begged them to let me write reviewer. They did! The majority of reviews covering much of the world excluding the U.S. are five pages long with 15-20 photos.   

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By now “Under the Tuscan Sun” is a cliché. But have you read Frances Mayes’ latest book?

It’s called “A Year in the World: Journeys of A Passionate Traveller”—her memoir of her experiences living in rented apartments and villas in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and Scotland. She and her husband choose to rent, of course, so they can really immerse themselves in the local culture. Even better that completing “A Year…” actually took five.

Mayes and her husband tried to stay in each country for at least a month. Renting made the difference, “because the minute you’re in your own place, you start relating to your surrounding in an entirely different way then if you‘re in a hotel,” said in a Sacramento Bee article last month. (Downer: You have to register to read the entire article.)

I heartily agree with Mayes: “Having your place is a very big opening into a culture.” Which can easily translate to the "culture" of places like a specific San Francisco neighborhood or a cottage in the Sonoma wine country.     

Posted by Joyce Hadley Copeland at 07:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)