Planning a Picnic

Planning a picnic on the beach -- just one of five ways you'll eat better in a vacation rental.

The expense -- and hassle -- of eating out at every meal quickly adds up. Here are five ways you'll save money and eat better when you rent a vacation home.

1. Become a locavore.

No need to develop a taste for tofu or give up chocolate. A locavore eats only foods grown within a 100-mile radius of home. Which shouldn't be too much of a hardship when you're staying in a beach town.

Buy the fresh catch right off the fishing boat in Bodega Bay. Shuck your own oysters in Point Reyes. Shop the local farmer's markets. There's one scheduled somewhere in the Santa Barbara area every day of the week. From Shell Beach, it's 10 minutes to award-winning wineries in the Edna Valley wineries. Buy a bottle for dinner.

2. Try a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant or bakery the rest of the tourists drive by.

They're rarely fancy. Some, like Wild Flour Bread near Bodega Bay, are open only four days a week.

A tuned-in owner or local rental management company can clue you in on the places the locals love.

Check out Owners Favorites at the end of each review on Beach Vacation Rental Scout.

That's the best way to find out, for example, that residents of The Sea Ranch love to hang out here with their dog pals at Two Fish Baking Company, where the sandwiches are so good you should call ahead to reserve yours.

3. Make meals a group effort.

Get Betsy to work on her famous guacamole while Gary is firing up the grill the fish that's been soaking up Kathy's secret marinade all afternoon. Throw something new into the mix.

Whether you're planning a picnic or a fancy gourmet meal, everything tastes better when everybody pitches in.

4. Schedule a cooking class or, better yet, splurge on an in-home chef.

Some local vacation rental management companies will help you schedule these services.

5. Bring your own.

I'm particular about my coffee -- and must have my homemade steel-cut oatmeal (with blueberries and walnuts) to start the day.

When you stay in a vacation rental home (with a fully equipped kitchen, not a minibar), your favorites can travel with you.

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