As I get ready to head out to California, instead of booking a hotel and having to deal with the potential for ridiculous COVID protocols, we booked an AirBNB. My wife and daughter have been traveling this way for years — it's less expensive for the most part, you get more amenities, and it's way more private.

After going through several hosts who rejected me because of the RV, I found a great house near my son's school and not too far from the beach. I think they had the wrong impression of my truck — it's not a 40-foot bus, just a small expanded van essentially that is just over 20 feet long.

OK, that said, the key for me on this trip is the ability to do laundry. As you know, my mother-in-law moved in with us after Jodi's dad passed away last year. We're in the process of building out a new space for her and that has resulted in us losing the laundry room for the next month and a half. Thankfully we have great friends, Amy and Jacqueline at the top of the list, who have stepped up to help.

The big problem is yoga ... everyday, towels and outfits. So, my plan is to take a lot of extra laundry — including sheets — in the RV and do the rest of the wash in California. Really speaks to the convenience of renting a house instead of staying in a hotel.

Laundry aside, our travel plans have dramatically changed since the lockdown nonsense. Air travel is a mess and I understand many hotels given fear and lack of staffing are not cleaning the rooms every day. Why stay in a hotel if you're not getting hotel service?

So for me — anywhere in the U.S. — I will be driving and staying in a rental home. How about you? Are you with me or are you striving to get back to the old normal of flights and hotels? Let me know through the free NJ 101.5 app — subscribe to the Bill Spadea Channel and hit me up on the chat feature!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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