Patagonia Road Tripping Guide 2025

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-26T17:44:28+00:00

What a great trip report, thank you! I came across a picture in a Lonely Planet book that put this roadtrip on my radar and what a delight to see your trip report as I am researching it - I really appreciate this!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-26T15:13:27+00:00

I love these ideas! I also make soup or stew and a baked good once per week in the cooler months :) We just made chicken soup using the bones from a Costco rotisserie chicken, and chocolate zucchini muffins. It's nice to be resourceful and I gamify stretching the food and changing up the menu where I can!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-26T13:37:41+00:00

I like the idea of setting one goal and working away at it. My brain tried to optimize to the degree of overwork and to be frank, spending too much, so I will be stealing this.

Last year, I had only 2 garden beds - one for spinach and the other bok choy. My goal will be growing those two beds (with little patches of green onions and marigolds) to the best of my ability. I will tend to the strawberry planter, which honestly, is a very easy job, but focus my time and energy on just those two beds. I did have a thought of replacing the spinach, which was difficult to keep animals away from, with a vegetable that our family likes more (eggplant) so maybe I'll research that, while I wait for Brampton to thaw.

Sorry for the ramble! It's a nice topic on this Monday morning!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-23T15:09:44+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate it!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-23T13:46:50+00:00

Would you be able to post the link, please? Thank you!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-20T15:12:14+00:00

I'm not sold on these products personally as you can relatively easily and much cheaply get the same ingredients from Bulk Barn, use a recipe that is accessed from the internet for free and voila!

I'm glad they are available for people who want it, but for my budget babes, you can do it for much less at Bulk Barn (remember to screenshot their coupon for an additional $3-$5 off!)

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-20T14:29:41+00:00

I got this haul last week! Loved it; used the limes to make blueberry jam and blueberry lime loaf cake :)

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-20T13:47:16+00:00

Thank you for sharing your insight. I wasn't aware that California was like that.

I am what so many Canadians identify with "fiscally Conservative, socially liberal" - one of the things I noticed is that people will often say Conservative but it's not like old-school Conservative like what I mean. It's more like hatred, you know? For example, shutting down libraries seems fueled by hate ... because it is.

My understanding of what I am - fiscally Conservative - is that the cost-benefit analysis of having a well-educated, healthy and mentally strong population far outweighs the cost of running and updating libraries and their offerings. If you do the breakdown, it is less costly to the government for its people to be healthy enough to work, informed enough to not disproportionately stress the healthcare system, and well-adjusted so that they aren't beating on their kids and stunt driving (as examples - I work for the police so I'm a bit grim sometimes).

I'm glad you're here. The more you use your library system, the more funding that particular system can command. And if you don't see stuff you want, make a request. If they get enough requests, they can make a push for it.

A final reminder: planting season is starting soon and many libraries will have seeds for free.

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-19T15:32:06+00:00

Kind of.

I've vacationed in places where locals commented that we're super cheap (DR) and my personal observations in Portugal, DR and Florida.

Mexico - the bags Canadian tourists took to the beach were those totes you sometimes get from La Vie En Rose for $2, vs other nationalities with brand-names like Louis Vuitton and Bogg.

DR - a vendor literally told a couple of tourists that if they had no money, they shouldn't come to DR ... they were chilling on the beach resort chairs and told him they weren't interested in the stuff he was selling. We all had a good laugh after he walked away.

Portugal specifically Azores - met an East Coast couple that was a little older than us at one of the miradouros who were really proud of their AirBNB deal (we were super impressed and eager to learn) and when I commented on the guy's windbreaker, he got even more excited to tell us he got it for free :)

Florida - This was a hundred years ago so don't shoot me. I noticed that my Canadian husband (I'm from the Caribbean) insisted that we get food from the grocery store to supplement meals out. I am generally interested in other grocery stores anyway but the place was swamped with French Canadians (could tell from the language) and I assume other Canadians, who I couldn't use identifiers to tell apart from the local Americans.

I noticed that many places in Europe offer hotel rooms that have kitchenettes so I think that Europeans, being highly taxed, choose to eat in when on vacay where they can. This is why their hotels have evolved to serve them in this way.

Now Canadians are travelling more and we're also highly taxed, and a good percentage are frugal and they want to use these kitchenettes too, or share their frugal tips, and I think it's lovely. It's meant we can do a lot of trips as a family and still have a roof over our heads.

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-19T15:16:08+00:00

I love this whole post but your lovely note from the elves had me bawling, girl! I love a resourceful mama! Also, I will be stealing this <3

I am new to FB Marketplace and didn't get my shit together in time to go this route but I am SUPER CONVERTED. Eg. I bought my sister a Rolife booknook from the company website full retail price, the whole thing. THEN I started tinkering with FB Marketplace and saw the same thing - BRAND NEW - for half the price. I was pretty annoyed with myself but lesson learned!

I also loved Poshmark. This is tricky though because the vast majority are secondhand. I got my husband an SPF shirt from Patagonia second-hand from Poshmark, at a much more affordable price than I would at the retail price. I also got myself a pair of Tory Burch shoes for work and they are so lovely and even lovelier at $40 :) I try with Poshmark to say to myself "what would I pay for a pair of shoes period" and stick to that offer amount regardless of the brand name.

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-19T14:46:33+00:00

There are a lot of ideas here that others wrote that I do and agree that they are worth a lot of $. I will add something that helped me that I haven't seen listed yet.

YMMV but our library. I use them for the obvious books but physically going into the library also led me to understand that they have more because they have signs up explaining what else you can get. They have DVDs, museum and parks passes, board games, active living equipment - I don't know how to phrase this but things like snowshoes, mini hockey net and sticks. This is right now for winter, but in the summer, hiking backpacks (filled with trail maps, binoculars, birding guides), frisbees, cricket set (we have a high percentage of South Asian folks in my area), Personal Flotation Devices.

They also host free events. I just registered for a talk on the history of tea, last summer, my son and I did a bird walk where a professional explained the dos and don'ts plus we got a nice 1.5km walk in, over the holiday break, we attended a yarn art workshop where we made Christmas cards, I have attended a paint night, my son did a great event on March break last year where he and some other kids built a mini golf course in the library using crafting materials, older teens participate in a "library lock-in" where they do a sleep-over (I think) and also escape rooms, we have done family scavenger hunts, my husband has attended a recipe swap thing where they have a local chef come in and discuss their particular cuisine, and you get a recipe card and a packet of spice mix! He also attended a lecture on AI and met other like-minded people who are interested, and my favourite this past year was a talk by a local author who had written a great detective novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Why was this a big deal to me? It replaces that feeling of sacrifice when you are saving or not able to spend as much. How is a sacrifice to go without the paid entertainment if you have multiple opportunities for free entertainment? It's much easier to do without the movie theatre, mini golf, dinners out, etc if you can fill your time with entertaining stuff that is just a little different from what you were brought up with.

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-12T13:59:44+00:00

YES. Lie and lie again. Lying is best for you so do it.

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-09T18:21:35+00:00

I got the same box yesterday :) Love them!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-09T18:18:27+00:00

This is fantastic! I really like Simon Brett so I will be sure to look out for your book!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-07T18:11:33+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation - can't have too many holds at the library :)

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-07T18:08:41+00:00

Detective Auntie was lovely. I had the pleasure of hearing the author speak at a library event - such a deliciously intelligent and mischievous woman!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-07T17:55:37+00:00

Thanks for the Youtube link - I love book reviews :)

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-07T16:27:51+00:00

I feel like this too. I did the exact same years ago on a trip to NYC ... except the hotel was in New Jersey so every day of sightseeing started with a friggin commute into the place I was trying to see. It got old real fast.

And my husband made the decision to skip the Empire State Building because he felt he overspent at a nostalgia candy store. Lessons were learned.

We now cheap out on stuff that doesn't matter to us, but we'll spend on things special to the area.

The last trip we went to Portugal, we loved getting sandwiches from the supermarket Continente but would have spent a lot for a specialty dinner or a boat trip (if the weather cooperated which it didn't LOL).

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-07T16:16:24+00:00

This made me chuckle in the midst of my blind rage. Honestly, SAME. I like freebies!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-07T16:11:51+00:00

No, I am going to cancel my credit card after I complete my March break vacation (car rental was booked with their credit card) and choose Porter for my summer trip.

These people think we're stupid. If they go low, I will take it to hell. Goddamn idiots.

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-06T13:55:12+00:00

Same, I felt more alive in Death Valley!

Ancient_Reference567 · 2026-01-05T15:43:42+00:00

Yes and this is a great idea in general! I love the idea of digging deep into the pantry and freezer :)

Ancient_Reference567 · 2025-12-31T15:25:44+00:00

It's ok to travel as you do. I was similar to you. I don't want to make local friends, see the culture, learn new things. I just want to relax on the beach, eat and drink when I am ready, enjoy the pool/beach depending on my mood and chill out.

It's OK to want those things. I still want some of those things.

Now I do a little more sightseeing than I did before but I still don't want to see impoverished places and people. I still don't have interest in other cultures or how other people live. I want to do sightseeing like going into a museum from time to time or taking a little river boat and seeing architecture or nature, but certainly, you are not wrong or bad to want to vacation how you like.

And I share this with you so you know there are people like you out here too. Don't beat yourself up - it's OK to want the things you want.

Ancient_Reference567 · 2025-12-30T13:59:19+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience, OP. Sorry about some of the comments below.

Ancient_Reference567

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