I want to send an older family member on vacation but am limited due to my budget. This member wants to go to California but I dont know about Cali much, nor do I know anyone there that well.
What would you do and how would you go about sending a family member somewhere, on a budget? This person wants to go alone. I dont know if thats safe, etc. All ideas welcome. Thanks.
send them to pakistan
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*Originally posted by insolent mods': *
send them to pakistan
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yup this way all you need to do is buy one way ticket..it will be in ur budget
gal! talk about revenues, forget expenses!.. blindfold that person and ask another relative to drive him a few miles(an hours drive) away from where he lives… and then .. tadaaa… babajee california aagya !.. and make him work at a local gas station… this way you will be generating revenue !
p.s1 if you feel guilty, ask baba jee to keep the money he earned at gas station, this way your feeling of guilt will be nullified by the fact that you did something that benefitted him.
p.s2 think outside the box ! 
Try some last minute holiday offers / packages .. they are mostly cheaper than normal holidays I've heard!
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*Originally posted by Sheraz CT: *
yup this way all you need to do is buy one way ticket..it will be in ur budget
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This person doesnt want to leave the country(i.e. USA).
i've been to cali several times.
buy tix on orbitz or travelocity for starters. u can check there for hotel deals as well. i suggest san fran for a the scenery and daily attractions. los angeles is scarey by yerself...and smoggy all the time.
check for deals from certain airports to closeby destinations around san fran, like oakland airport (which is about 25 minutes from the city). San Fran has an excellent metro system called bart. i bet u can look online and check out a bus map.
lemme know if this info helps..otherwise i'll be blabbing on for nothing.
also- albequerque, n. mex. is quiant. he/she can stay downtown and take the free shuttle to old town albeq. they have lots of cute lil shops and mexican resturaunts..fairly cheap eats too. lemme know if u wanna know more.
two words: Hitch Hiking :biggthumb
keep checking travel sites..you can find some great deals sometimes. Sometimes people who wanna travel in a limited budget..its better for them to travel by bus/train..from what i have read on travel tourism..its cheaper to stay in bread and breakfast or backpackers hostels. The bread and breakfast accomodations ranges between $30-$50 per night and backpackers accomodations are mostly between $16-$24 per night.
:-)
Didnt I ask you not to scratch off your shaven head! 
Hmm, what about toronto. wink
in Cali the person will probably find some good places to enjoy the vacation like San Francisco. hmm.. but it's also depend on the person too, I think you should have some talk and find out the real interest. :-)
Munni, does this person know what he/she wants to do on said vacation? Do YOU know what their interests are? Do THEY know what their interests are. It's easy to say "Chalo Cali dekhna hai", there is so much to do in Cali for people with so many different lifestyles, tastes, and levels of sophistication.
For instance, I wouldn't want to send my non english speaking Dadi to cali on her own, she either wouldn't last a day or come back with tattoos and gang insignia.
When I go to cali I like to hit the theme parks, Knotsberry, six flags, hit the movie studios and watch live tapings. I hate the beaches in cali, too crowded. Northern cali has a lot of hiking and camping, some excellent trails all the way from northern cali through Oregon and Washington, and into British Columbia. THAT is my idea of an AWESOME vacation, ride my hog on highway 1 from the tip of the olympic peninsula at Neah Bay in Washington to San fran, camping along the way. I can almost smell the fresh, salty, ocean air, the sound of the gulls, the smell of fresh damn earth, the small towns on the way. I dont' know when this post became about me, but DAMN that sounds like something i need to do.
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*Originally posted by aahmed: *
I dont' know when this post became about me, but DAMN that sounds like something i need to do.
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Hilarious. grin
About the person:
A woman. Fairly independent. Enjoys the outdoors, but nothing physically demanding. Not into films. Enjoys cultural and religious events. Museums, seaside, etc. Is very friendly, gets along with everyone. Is fine being by herself, and can probably handle herself quite well.
Anymore ideas? Thanks to all that have contributed so far. Keep them coming! I'm thinking of sending her in summer, June time, insha'Allah.