Hostels – Girl Scout Travel Pathway

I like to encourage Girl Scout troops to try staying in a hostel because

they’re inexpensive
you can cook meals in the kitchen and save more money
each girl has her own bed
you can often fit the whole troop in one room
they’ve probably never stayed in a hostel before so it’s a new experience!
there are lots of nice places to hang out in the hostel, watch movies, play pool and games, get on the computer and read in the evening if you don’t want to be out in the city after dark.

I thought I’d share some photos of some of the hostels I’ve stayed in so that you’d have an idea of what to expect.

Boston

: 2 blocks away from the hostel

: The outside of the hostel

: the main lobby

: another lounge

: Snack bar and cafe

: Kitchen available for meals

: One dining room

: laundry room

: A computer room

: The “Movie” room

: The pool table

: a TV and lounge room

: One of my roommates

: My bedroom

: my bed

: Bathroom right outside my room

New York

: The outside

: The Entrance

: Little deli in the hostel!

: Free continental breakfast and a yummy choice of eggs, pancakes and crepes for only $4.99

: Pool table

: outdoor courtyard

: Hall of rooms

: My room, slept 4

: 2 big kitchens where you can cook

: More breakfast room

: Computers to use

: Theater with free movies

: One Lounge

: Another Lounge

: Eating Area

: Breakfast room

San Francisco / Fisherman’s Wharf

: Fort Mason Sign at the top

: Walking in the front driveway

: The front of the hostel

: Outside of the hostel

: Welcome signs at the check in desk

: Beautiful Fort Mason

: Sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge from the dining room

: The pretty livingroom area

: The livingroom area

: Looking up at the dining room

: One of the 2 kitchens

: dining room

: Our bunk beds

: One of the big dorm rooms

: Free breakfast

: The breakfast cafe

: Computer lounge

: It’s a block from Fisherman’s Wharf

: The Fort Mason Sign

San Francisco/Downtown – Union Square

San Francisco/Marin Headlands

We had a great time at the Marin Headlands Hostel. They have two buildings. The main one (the one we stayed in) had the kitchen, dining hall, a rec room (with ping pong, pool table, Foosball), a small yoga room (for about 6-7 people), a laundry room; upstairs there were about 8 rooms with different configurations. The room we had was a private room with four bunk beds. The others were dorm-type rooms with 6 and 8 beds, and one room with 22 beds! and one shared bathroom in the hall. The other building had more private rooms – some with double beds…and a shared bathroom.

The kitchen was great – big, with industrial stove, oven, big island table for preparation; the cabinets were nicely marked with pictures of what was inside – easy to maneuver. Cooking supplies for just about anything. Complimentary oatmeal and pancakes (make your own), coffee and tea. They had a big dining room with big beautiful wood tables.

They supplied linens and towels (and of course, had a cozy comforter and pillow – they get fog quite often). You make your own bed and strip it in the morning, and wash your own dishes.

The beach is a short 0.8 mile hike away. We did a little yoga on the beach in the morning. We saw two coyotes (although I only caught one in the picture by the time I got my camera out) and a beautiful big eucalyptus on the way. There was also a nice lagoon with many different birds. The hostel is in a rather remote area (e.g., no restaurants, markets, etc. within walking distance, but the golden gate bridge and Sausalito are only about 10-15 min drive away through a cool 1/2 mile tunnel in one direction!) There is a bus that goes between Marin Headlands Hostel and Crissy Field.