Route 66 on $250 a day?

Here’s an interesting news release today from Best Western, the hotel chain:

PHOENIX–Today Best Western International announced that it is partnering with veteran travel journalist Amy Graff to give vacationers a bird’s-eye view into Gen-X travel, via a blog and regular columns hosted on bestwestern.com.

Amy, 34, will serve as the company’s new leisure travel spokesperson and provide content for bestwestern.com’s “Trip Planner” section. She’ll also write a regular blog titled “On the Go with Amy,” where she’ll share firsthand travel experiences and chronicle her trips. Her first excursion will be a business trip to New York City, with her husband and two kids in tow. Her subsequent adventure will be a great American family road trip, where she’ll conquer Route 66 on a razor-thin budget of $250 a day.

It’s the budget for Route 66 that’s interesting. When Emily and I traveled Route 66, we did it on $100 a day or less. Even with the spike in gas prices, I think $250 a day on four people is quite attainable. And I’m certain that other roadies would concur.

Here’s a hint for Graff, which would no doubt disappoint her employer: Don’t stay exclusively at Best Westerns, and go with the less-expensive mom-and-pop motels when they’re available. This does bring up a question: Is Graff getting her hotel rooms gratis from Best Western?

Here’s Graff’s previous writings with VIA, a AAA publication. Graff’s writings aren’t yet on the Best Western site.