The first time I went to Spain, I included Madrid as part of my plans because the guidebooks said it was a must, not because I wanted to go there. I did a fair amount of reading on the city and came up with exactly one thing I wanted to see there (Palacio Real de […]
I tend to fall victim to the mindset that travel has to be far away to “count”, forgetting that sometimes there are wonderful attractions right in my own backyard. However, when life got in the way of my existing travel plans for last weekend, a “near-cation” became an incredible back-up plan. For this particular experience,
Add the Williamsburg Grand Illumination to Your Bucket List Read More »
I’m a little embarassed to admit that I’m turning into a food-snob. I love to cook and know my way around a kitchen, so when I go out to eat, I won’t settle for mediocre food. Even better is when you eat well and you earn rewards! While rewards in general are something that make
I had a crazy idea this summer when I found $59 round-trip flights to Florida. It was probably stupid — I only had from 10am-6am in Pensacola…yes, that’s less than 24 hours. But it was easy to talk myself into an impulsive purchase and mini-getaway. I had ambitious plans that involved water sports on the
I always imagined that my first trip to the Grand Canyon would be my only trip there. Of course, I had assumed this trip would take advantage of the Grand Canyon to the fullest, exploring the North Rim, South Rim, inner canyon (via a rim-to-rim hike), and Havasu Falls over the course of more than a
I’ve definitely been known in the past to over-plan, making sure we hit all the best places and eat at all the best restaurants on a relatively tight schedule. It doesn’t work. Inevitably, you get stuck in traffic, you end up exhausted because you woke up early too many days in a row, and you
While I’d love to travel for free every time using my miles and points, every once in a while I have to earn miles on my travels rather than burning them. When the opportunity came up to head to Arizona for a weekend getaway, I knew paying cash for everything was in my future. Thank goodness it’s still
A Perfect Getaway to Arizona: Traveling on a Budget Read More »
Am I the only one who spends hours and hours researching or planning a vacation and totally forgets about getting organized? Woops! This pre-vacation checklist is the only reason my life doesn’t fall apart. With a little thought ahead of time, you can take care of all your loose ends and be prepared. What to Do
Most of the frequent flyer world thinks lounges are one of the greatest things since sliced bread. I love the concept of free wi-fi, snacks, beverages, and a quiet place to spread out and relax or get work done, but honestly I don’t use them very frequently. For starters, I’m a leisure traveler without a ton
Using Memberships to Secure Cheap (or FREE!) Lounge Access Read More »
Sometimes the experience a non-chain hotel offers outweighs my desire to earn points toward future free travel. Obviously, the best of both worlds is when you can pick the perfect hotel and earn/redeem points for that stay, and there have definitely been times when I can make that happen. Even if you’re deadset on booking
Earning Points on Non-Chain Hotels with Stash Rewards Read More »
