Our homeless tour inspired a student documentary from a first time visitor to San Francisco’s perspective. Check it out!
Monthly Archives: March 2012
On Forbes: The New Way to Travel Cheap
We’re stoked to be covered by Forbes as part of a new way to travel on the cheap!
According to a recent report, fifty-three percent of consumers plan to travel more in 2012 than 2011—an 18 percentage point increase from 2011— despite a lack of confidence in the economy. Additionally, two-thirds of travel-bound consumers plan to increase their travel budgets. However you don’t have to spend more to make your vacation worthwhile; this year, it’s all about alternative destinations and cool search tools to save more money.
These tips for scoring travel deals will get you from office cubicle to beachside cabana without waiting on that tax return. Get ready to choose-your-own-adventure at choose-your-own-budget prices!
1) Weekend Trip: Create a trip around a cool experience. If relaxing poolside isn’t your idea of a vacation, what about a one-of-a-kind experience led by a local? New site Vayable offers unique activities you can easily build a vacation or staycation around. Created and hosted by people from all over the world, you can explore experiences in categories like Food & Wine, Social Good, and Going Up & Down Things. Here’s a glimpse of your future brag-worthy moments: make a lovo with local Fijians, take a tour of an eco-farm in Costa Rica, take a nightlife tour of Berlin’s decadent underground, or venture into your own backyard and ride a Tesla Roadster in San Francisco or take a tour of New York with a celebrity. Beats Googling “fun stuff to do in ____.”
Cool deal: Most experiences are around the $30-$60 range and as low as $3. More pricey excursions are are in the hundreds of dollars, like $500 for a daylong white water rafting trip in Uganda.
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Back to the Future with Airbnb, Vayable, Getaround
We had a blast in Austin with all of you at our party co-hosted with Airbnb and Getaround! We were able to meet many of you and would like to thank everyone who came out despite the rain to meet us! If we didn’t get a chance to meet you, please always feel free to contact us at community@vayable.com to say hi or to ask for a t-shirt :).
We had special guest appearances by DJ Kidhack, the Getaround Tesla, and a Delorean! Thanks so much for celebrating the future of travel with us, where we share our resources and expertise. Back to the Future was an ode to old school travel because that was the way things were done in the past before a time of chain hotels and rental car agencies. Enjoy the pictures!
Also, a special thanks to our sponsors that helped to make the party a smashing success: TaskRabbit, Moonshine Whiskey, Pecan Street Rum, Famous Vodka, PretzelCrisps, and Tracks!
Enjoy SXSW and Keep Austin Weird
by Melissa Brightwell, Vayable Intern
“Keep Austin Weird” is a slogan that can be seen on T-shirts, bumper stickers, and hats displayed by proud locals around the city. The slogan, originally used to promote small, local businesses, encompasses the vibrant and eclectic culture of the live music capital.
At first glance, Austin may seem as normal as the next city: big buildings, traffic, construction. But look a little closer out your window as you’re arriving and you may notice some subtle oddities: a man riding his unicycle in the traffic, a street sign that says “Caution Zombies Ahead!”, or maybe you’re lucky enough to be in town during a city festival or race in which case you may see hordes of people running around in all sorts of crazy outfits (or lack thereof)!
To experience a full day of “weirdness” in Austin, start off in South Congress browsing some of the funky thrift stores, unique food trailers, coffee shops, and colorful artwork that give this part of the city a quirky and fun vibe. While in this area, be sure to stop by the Cathedral of Junk! This “cathedral” was started by a local Austinite in his backyard over 20 years ago and is made completely of recycled garbage (toys, appliances, pipes, etc.).
Cool off at the Alamo Drafthouse with a beer and a show. This is by far our favorite place to go for movies, and on “Weird Wednesday” they show bizarre cult classics. They also always have various sing-a-longs, quote-a-longs, and other performances in addition to the current movies in theater.
Be sure to hit up Lady Bird Lake and Barton Springs afterward to go for a run, swim, or kayaking trip on the lake. If you time this activity around sunset, you may get to witness hundreds of bats emerging from their home under the Congress bridge. If there happens to be a full moon that night, head to Barton Springs after watching the bats and be prepared to howl and dance with the circle of drummers paying homage to the moon.
Grab a few drinks to end the night right at one of the “weird” local bars around the city. If it is a Sunday, stop by Ginny’s Little Longhorn for Chicken Shit Bingo (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like; if the Chicken shits on your number, you win!). If you feel like celebrating Christmas, hit up Lala’s Little Nugget, where you can celebrate Christmas everyday of the year. To experience a lot of different bars, spend some time around the infamous 6th street, where the street closes on weekends for people to roam freely from bar to bar.
So it has come to it - come rain, come shine. SXSW starts tomorrow, and we’re throwing an epic party with Airbnb and Getaround. So remember to let loose, have fun, and keep it weird!
