Cheap January jaunt

If you have read closely, I bragged that our trip to Puerto Rico represented C's 13th and 14th flights. I have blogged about 2 trips to Maine, 2 trips to Florida and one trip to NC... which means one trip is missing. And that was our January North Carolina trip.

I usually go to Cary, NC two or three times a year... why you ask? Well, my grandpa, who is 98 years old, lives there with my two aunts, one cousin and one uncle (they don't all live together!). Oh and a cute dog named Tallulah. So with grandpa getting up there in years, I like to visit as often as possible. And I just love North Carolina. There is a part of me that yearns to be a southern belle. And I've been down there so much over the last 24 years (since they all ditched NYC for the South), that it feels like home.

So this past January, right after the New Year, I decided to go to NC with C. Just C. Not my hubby or dad... this was the first round trip I had done with just the baby. I was most nervous about how I was going to maneuver through the airport in NY, onto the plane, through the Raleigh airport, and to the car rental place with the baby and all our gear. The BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Active helped a ton, as I was able to carry C, strap the car seat base to the suitcase, and put the Graco Pack n' Play on the snap and go and use the stroller like a cart! (I did check the suitcase and pack and play for free on Jet Blue. They allow you one free checked bag and I checked in outside in JFK, reminded the guy that the PNP is a baby item... slipped him $10 and there was no charge.

For this trip, I rented a car for something like $10 a day through Hotwire or Priceline (I don't remember which...) because I was arriving during the day and no one could pick me up. I also knew I would be shuttling between family member's houses and wanted to have the freedom to come and go as I pleased. I also only paid $97 for my round trip airfare because Jet Blue was having one of their insane sample sales and I was able to get each way for $39 plus tax. If you are flexible with your travel dates (if you can travel mid-week) you can get very cheap fares.

a Gloria Jean's break after mall-walking at the Cary Towne Center, in his NC State jersey

Looking back, this trip was a little fuzzy. But I do remember two things...

1.  I traveled to NC the first weekend in January, when the entire east coast was under a DEEP FREEZE. I remember it was about 17 degrees each morning when we woke up. So unfortunately, my aunt and I could not do our usual long walks... but we did "mall walk" one day at the Cary Town Center.

2. Even though my aunt has two spare rooms, so I did not have to share with C, his sleeping took a serious NOSE DIVE on this trip. I remember many night feedings, him in bed with me, and us sleeping on a chair one morning in some convoluted position. Hence my memory of this trip being a big blank.

But I have not been back to NC since the beginning of January, and I am due to return. My dad and I hope to visit early this summer... when I know it will be warm, and I can hope that C sleeps well.