Making a Vacation From Mystery Shopping

Mom and I are headed to Gatlinburg

I don't have a close relationship with my Mom.  I moved out when I was 15 and over the years ours has been an on-again, off-again relationship.  So when I had the opportunity to sign up for a timeshare mystery shop in the Smoky Mountains, I jumped on it.

Quality time with Mom doesn't have to mean extravagant spending.  It's about our time together; not how much we consume on trinkets and themed restaurants.  Fortunately, I've been able to assemble a number of mystery shops to mitigate the cost of our trip while adding a little entertainment.

• The timeshare is a simple shop:  I have to attend and record a two hour sales meeting.  Our stay is for four nights, and the rest of the time there belongs to me.  There is no property or customer service component of the evaluation.
• I've been assigned three entertainment shops:  a miniature golf outing, 4D theater showing and museum.
• Some but not all of the gas will be provided from shops and audits.
• At least one of our meals will be provided by a shop at a themed restaurant in Gatlinburg.

Our trip looks to be a relaxing getaway.  I am not spending entire days working, but instead chose to carefully select a few jobs to add to the fun.  I leave for Birmingham on Thursday but spend the night in Georgia shopping a mid-range hotel, which includes dinner and breakfast the next morning.  We check into the resort this weekend.