The key to getting the best deal is to book online, select the AAA rate, request a double queen room and ask for a ground floor unit. Nobody has quibbled about the AAA rate and we’ve never been asked for a card. NRMA membership card has the AAA reciprocal logo on it and that’s what I was banking on using if asked. Why double queen? The rate is usually the same as for a single queen and you end up with a more spacious room.
Today we had a looooong boring drive from Caldwell to Bend – lots of sagebrush and arid countryside with only a Maccas stop about halfway to break it up. Helen drove for about an hour which gave me a good break. As we are now on Pacific Time we gained an hour so now are only seven hours different to Wollongong and back in the same time-zone as Tony.
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| Snow-capped mountains near Bend |
Bend is a large town with over 80 000 people and quite attractive. We wandered through a riverside park which was very cool and pleasant. We also got a free carwash courtesy of the local Hertz agent as we had accumulated lots and lots of insects driving through the farming areas between Idaho Falls and Bend.
A number of snow-capped mountains could be clearly seen as we approached Bend. In fact the snow coverage is more extensive that we saw in the Tetons.
