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 »
Obviously I’m a big fan of travel, but to be more specific, most of my favorite travels have been in natural settings. I tend to favor national parks over big cities and incredible vistas over shopping malls. In order to keep these wonderful destinations beautiful for future visitors, I try to include green travel efforts
I am a planner when it comes to traveling. I read travel guides. I read blogs. I read forums. I bet that even before I set ground in a new destination, I know more about that place than someone who’s been there before. In other words, I knew quite a bit about St. Maarten before
Paradise Found: Cruise on the Carnival Victory (St. Maarten) Read More »
Unlike our day in Barbados, the weather was wonderfully pleasant in St. Lucia, getting us off to a great start. I had been looking forward to seeing St. Lucia probably the most out of any of the islands on our itinerary, so I was thrilled that things seemed to be going my way. The problem
Paradise Found: A Cruise on the Carnival Victory (Part 4: St. Lucia) Read More »
Barbados, Barbados, Barbados. I don’t actually know what to say about this port, except that even after visiting this island, I’m not sure what to make of it. Barbados is an island with money – there are some celebrity homes, some ritzy resorts, and in general, a higher standard of life compared to some of
One of the reasons cruising makes a great family vacation is because it’s easy and safe for individuals to split up and do their own thing, yet still reunite in the evenings for dinner and conversation. Because of this, my sister had no hesitation in booking a scuba dive for the day in St. Thomas,
Paradise Found: A Cruise on the Carnival Victory (St. Thomas / St. John) Read More »
Puerto Rico had always fascinated me in theory: this island that is so unique and independent despite its U.S. ties. Actually being in Puerto Rico made this fascination even more thrilling. I had about an hour to kill before the rest of my family (my traveling companions for the week) would arrive at SJU, so
Paradise Found: A Cruise on the Carnival Victory (Part 1: Puerto Rico!) Read More »
There’s one part of travel that absolutely sucks even if you’re flying for free. Heck, this part sucks even if you’re a platinum elite flyer. What am I referring to? Yup, it’s the infamous early morning flight. With an alarm set for 3:45am, our weekend got off to an early start, but if there is
Three Days in Atlanta: A Little Kitsch and a Whole Lotta Fun Read More »
After five days of fun in the sun, I’ve made it home. Along the way, I broke all of my normal travel habits (plenty of time for shopping! chain restaurants that make things easy! “wasting” time watching TV in the room!) and you know what? It was fabulous! Florida was fantastic. We did quite a
