My Travels

Went out on United Airlines to New York's capital. I haven't been in upstate NY in almost a decade and I was looking forward to visiting despite winter seasons and it was a two day work conference. After laying over at O'Hare International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport , I arrived into Newark too late to catch my connecting flight. Luckily, there was another flight to Albany and I changed my flight on the United app. I think they would have held the plane for me since I landed when the flight was supposed to leave. After being on the planes all day with limited food options, I opted to grab a quick dinner at the airport and take the later flight. Vanguard Kitchen is in one of the United terminals and the restaurant even allows you to use Mileageplus points to pay for dinner. You also order from the iPads stuck on the table. It is definitely a new concept in dining to incorporate full service and self service at the same time. The food is typical of air...

On a last minute whim, I drove up to San Jose for the Pac-12 Championship game. It was a quick one night trip and a very early drive along the 5 Interstate highway. Near Gilroy, made a pit stop at one of the local fruit stands and purchased local honey and spiced pistachios. I also saw a Sonic Drive-In and had lunch. Checked into the Four Points Sheraton San Jose Airport . It is a recently converted Radisson. With the year winding down, my SPG upgrade certificates are in need of use and I was confirmed to a suite a few days earlier. The suite was spacious and the room had two bathroom sinks. Makes it nice to use the shower and let others be able to brush their teeth. Parking is free which is a nice amenity in this city. Four Points San Jose Airport Suite Living Room Four Points San Jose Airport Suite King Bedroom Met some family at the Ten Ren  in Cupertino. For such the high number of foreign folks, I am surprised to see that the ethnic restaura...

Flew out on United Airlines to Honolulu. On this trip, I'm combining timeshare and regular hotel stays on this trip. Checked into the Moana Surfrider . I've seen the property over the years and have always wanted to stay. With the timeshare mix, I splurged and stayed on this Waikiki resort. I found the hotel charming and, not surprisingly, the hotel rooms a bit small. On the first night, I was checked into a regular standard room. I had a confirmed upgraded room earlier in the week but a last minute change in hotel rates lost the confirmation. Next time, I will opt to contact the hotel to change the rate rather than lose the confirmed upgrade. The front desk was nice enough to mention trying the next day to see if the room can be changed. Since it was late, grabbed light dinner at Buho Cocina Y Cantina down the street. Ordered an assortment of appetizers of fries, nachos, guacamole, and flautas. I enjoyed my ginger lilikoi margarita. Not a common combination but it was very ...

Normally, when I fly to New York I am usually in Manhattan. On this trip, my work conference was in Brooklyn and I stayed for almost a week. It was a nice change of pace and I found out that I was on the last scheduled flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport  as United left the airport for Newark. The United P.S. flights moved over to Newark as well. I was able to snag myself a business class seat on the way to JFK but not the return. I was not anticipating being in Brooklyn as early as I was so I was in a separate hotel the first night at the Hilton Garden Inn Queens/JFK Airport . I can't tell how new this hotel is but it felt recent and the accommodations were nice. The only thing I don't like about staying near JFK is that it is a pain to navigate the Airtrain to the rental car facility to then be picked up by the hotel shuttle. It's also the same path if you decide to take the subways from Manhattan to the airport area. Hilton Garden Inn Queens/JFK Airpo...

A friend was having a wedding in DC and a quick weekend trip to the Capital was in order. On this trip, layer over on United Airlines at O'hare International Airport . Luckily this layover was uneventful and was able to spend some time in the United Club Lounge. I also stopped at a McDonalds to enjoy a pumpkin cream pie and McGriddle. I'm happy to see it open at 4:30 am and have something to eat besides yogurt in the Club Lounge. I like yogurt but it isn't something I wanted this morning despite the surly  McDonald cashier customer service. Arrived into Dulles International Airport on time and freshened up in the United Club Lounge. I wasn't sure how early I could check into at the hotel. Upon arrival at the W Washinton DC , the hotel let us check in early and have a late check out. It was nice since I was able to confirm a suite upgrade. The front desk gave me a warning that the rooftop bar was right above and they had DJ music until 2 am. I had re...

Earlier in the year, I heard of crazy fares to Vietnam on United Airlines and was able to book a flight for $550. Incredibly cheap, I decided that I would go for a long weekend given that I wasn't sure of my availability to take a long trip so far in advance. I did a layover in Hong Kong International Airport . I had a few hours to kill and did some souvenir shopping and freshened up at the United Club Lounge before heading to Ton Son Nhat Airport . I don't know if it was the lateness of the day but I got zonked again with the taxi driver. I need to pay attention to the 000s. Instead of 160000 VN Dong, I made it 1600000. The cab driver just took the money and ran. Why would he return it if I'm not paying attention? Luckily, it was a $60 USD mistake. I checked into the Le Meridien Saigon and the hotel staff was nice enough to accommodate my rate even though I was a day early. Technically I arrived same day but it was 1 am instead of 1 pm. :) Made my d...

I haven't been to Sin City in awhile and went out to meet family and friends for the weekend. Flew on United Airlines and checked into the SLS Las Vegas . Unfortunately, I arrived too early and was not able to check in. Perked up at The Perq with a boozy affogato and sugar brioche pastry. It was really good despite the expensive price. Afterwards, went to Hash House A Go Go for a large pancake and fried chicken. For me, I think the novelty of supersized pancakes have left me. Outside of the incredible large portions, I don't know if I would want to come back again. Spent some time at the Venetian Hotel pool before dinner at the Grand Luxe Cafe . I have only noticed that many iconic hotels in Las Vegas are affiliating themselves with large hotel chains. I did not realize that the Venetian is part of the Intercontinental Hotel group. After dinner, headed back to SLS and attempted to check in. Success! The room was spacious and very chic white with a Las Vegas twist...

On this trip, went out to visit friends in the Nashville adjacent area. I flew into  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta  airport on United Airlines and drove up to Cookeville, an hour east of Nashville. On the way to Cookeville, went through Chattanooga and stopped at Aretha Frankenstein for breakfast. I haven't been to Chattanooga since attending a wedding in the previous decade. Since then, things like the Food Network show has made the restaurant popular and was featured in Rachel Ray's $40 trip show. The food was as delicious as last time and I took biscuits and pancake mix to go. It isn't a big place and I don't recommend large groups coming here to eat. I enjoyed my Super Dave scramble with biscuit and side of pancake. The pancake is not the typical pancake and you'll have to try it to see what I mean. I also discovered a new drink, fauxmosas. They serve cider beer with orange juice and I found the combination very good. I am definitely t...

Went down to Panama on United Airlines . On this trip, I thought it would be interesting to see the Panama Canal. I did a short layover at Intercontinental Airport Houston. Since it was a slightly past midnight landing and 8 hours to kill, opted to spend what little of the night at the Sheraton North Houston at George Bush Intercontinental . Surprisingly, many of the airport hotels do not do overnight shuttle service and this Sheraton was one of the few that did. It was painfully slow at 2 am but it does work. Just make sure you start calling the hotel once you past baggage claim. Went back to the airport and landed into Panama in the afternoon. On the first night, checked into the Waldorf Astoria Panama.  I really enjoyed the hotel even if for one night in an upgraded suite with ocean views. The suite was more like a very comfortable apartment with a full service kitchen. I'm also impressed it came with a washer/dryer in the hallway closet. Handy for those food stains on your ...

Flew out to Denver International Airport on United Airlines for a work conference. I had forgotten how far outside the city the airport is located and I decided to rent a car instead of taking a taxi. Unfortunately, thunder storms and flash flooding was the weather outlook in my two days in Denver. When I landed, I picked up my car from Thrifty and chose a Mazda 2. I liked the size but I didn't like that the car lighter wasn't working which made using my GPS difficult. I don't turn off my GPS because it will turn itself off when not charging. Checked into the Sheraton Denver Downtown and was given a club room. The hotel is very big and it had two separate buildings. The club rooms were located in the Tower Building which is connected through the conference/meeting room area. The room was nice and pleasant. I did notice some water issues with the a/c unit but it seemed to dry itself out by the next day.  The next day, I went out during lunch and avoided the cold...

After arriving from Hanoi, this is my first time landing into  Tan Sot Nhat airport  in the domestic terminal. It is a very different experience from the international terminal. You have to fight for the taxis with the locals. I purchased a taxi voucher which was slightly more expensive than regular fare but it does get you some priority to getting an actual taxi. You just have to flag the taxi guy down and they will make sure you get on. Checked into the Le Meridien Saigon and it has a very bright but modern decor. The staff was very gracious. You can tell they wanted everything to go well during their soft opening period. I think the official grand opening is the following month. I was upgraded to a grand suite facing the industrial river. Although not immediately appealing, it was cool to see Vietnamese naval boats docked from the room. I was left a welcoming tray of fresh fruit and a personal walk through of the room and amenities.  The next day, I enjoyed t...