My Travels

Having hit my miles for the year, I opted to use up some points on other carriers. Unfortunately, I did a boo boo on booking and ended up booking two one way on Southwest Airlines and American Airlines . I haven't flown on Southwest in a long time and it was a very full flight to Salt Lake City International Airport. I had forgotten to check in online and was at the end of the boarding process. Luckily, my companion flies Southwest more often and I was able to get on plane without being stuck at the back. Since I normally don't fly into Southwest terminal, I had forgotten that there is a Popeye's inside the airport. Mental note for the return flight. Had to wait for check-in time at the Sunrise Lodge . I killed some time with some light shopping at Smith's Food and Drug and munching at Murdock's Cafe & Pizzeria . Checked into a standard room (studio) on the third floor. I don't care much for the top floor as there are only 3 or 4 floors to the buildi...

Went up for an overnight trip for a holiday party to San Francisco. It was a quick flight on United Airlines and checked into the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco . Another first for me in terms of hotel chains, I decided to use points and check out the Ritz. Overall, I thought the hotel was nice but I don't know if it overwhelmed me based on its reputation. The hotel was super busy with a lot of holiday parties and I wasn't able to try the hotel restaurant or lobby lounge. I did try to see about their afternoon tea but it was only offered on Sundays. The room was nice and reminded me of the SLS in Las Vegas. Turn down service is still done here and the location in the city is convenient to all attractions from Chinatown to Union Square. Dining The holiday party was held at Pier 48 and the catering was very good. I don't know if the vendors are preselected from the venue or if the host can choose but they did a good job. After the holiday party, nightcap was at Pacific Co...

Spent the holidays on the Big Island. Went out on United to Kona International Airport . The airport has upgraded their restaurant/bar. The offerings and ambiance is improved from the last time I was in town. If you're looking for a drink and a bite to eat, it is a nice distraction from this tiny airport. Checked into the King's Land HGVC and spent a four days absorbing the locale. Since I've stayed many times, I won't reiterate the details. The unit I stayed in was the two bedroom unit in the "bigger" side of the King's Land buildings. On this particular trip, the Hilton Waikoloa Village was hosting a holiday crafts fair and I found very cute jewelry diffusers. King's Land 2 Bedroom Unit Living Room King's Land Master Bedroom At the end of the trip, I switched to the Mauna Kea Hotel for a couple of nights and checked out Kauna'oa Bay. This is my first foray into the Marriott world with the Autograph Collection. I had debated ...

Took a day trip to San Jose flying on  Surf Air . I had visited the company before but this was my first opportunity to see how private planes operate. The company is a service coordinating flight companies and people who are in need of private flying. Works out if you do a lot of frequent travel and you don’t want to deal with commercial carriers. The regional airports are very easy to navigate and the service is quick. The lounges have complimentary drinks and light snacks. I was originally scheduled to land into San Carlos Airport  but was rerouted to San Jose International Airport. It was interesting being in the regional area of the airport and the facility is very nice. The food was limited to drinks only. Due to the reroute, the company gives passengers Uber service to get back to the San Carlos Airport since the return still originates at San Carlos. The facility at San Carlos is basic but they offer snacks and beer! Meals Bill's Cafe  - explored the Willow G...

Went out to Vegas on United Airlines to enjoy a long weekend and visit some friends. I was doublebooked one night at the Encore and Elara due to an existing work conference trip and the Hilton timeshare minimum three night requirement. I have never stayed at Encore and the junior suite is very nice. The hotel room has a lot of tech amenities - built in ports in the nightstands and desk, lights controlled by tablet, an Amazon Alexa. Although, I'm not sure whose account is connected to Alexa.... For the location and amenities, I like the Elara. Easy to get to other parts of the strip and still stay central. Also, the rooms are nicer than the traditional timeshare styles. Meals DW Kitchen - I was able to convince a friend to pick me up and eat at this restaurant in the suburbs of Vegas. Jamaican influenced, I enjoyed the pesto torte and new mexican pork bowl. The portions can be large so prepare yourself. The fruit tart dessert was good but a little too sweet. The filling...

Got on a United Airlines flight towards Atlanta. At the last minute, I opted to change flights and layed over in George Bush Intercontinental Airport. I was upgraded already on the second leg and became doubtful I would make the cut on the first leg. I saw myself get jumped by two other people and bumped down to number 3 on the list. In the end, I should have waited but a midnight flight and a drink in me made me reckless! Fortunately, the upgrade fee wasn't terrible but it still smarts. The downside of going through Houston also means the airport is a maze and the United Club difficult to find within Terminal B. Since it is a small plane, I was banished to the small plane gates which meant a 20 minute walk to both gate and the very small United Club. Westin Peachtree Plaza King Room Since MARTA is the easiest line to get directly into downtown and the Westin Peachtree Plaza Atlanta sits right in front of a stop, I opted to take mass transit. It was an easy 20 minute r...

I've been to Paris once when I was a very young teenager. I recall the Eiffel tower and the Chinatown area during my visit. My sibling and I were too young to be allowed far from our hotel room while our parents were on business. It wasn't much of an experience outside of discovering delicious ham (to this day, I still remember the ham and have not found the same experience anywhere else), chocolate croissants, and fresh squeezed juice the hotel had that was completely addicting. On this return trip, I went out to visit Normandy for some history and culture and Paris to check out the sights and some shopping. Transportation Flew on United Airlines through Newark to Paris and took trains into Bayeux. Had some slight delays on the outbound flight to Newark but I wasn’t worried given that there was a 12 hour layover. I had anticipated being bored inside the Newark Airport and had booked a day stay at the Hilton Newark Airport hotel. With my delays, I may not have neede...

I'm in Sin City for some R&R and family time. I flew out on United Airlines into McCarran International Airport . On this trip, I opted to stay at HGVC at Flamingo . Similar to HGVC at Trump International, the two bedroom configurations are a lockout style meaning that the one bedroom suite is married to a studio via a shared foyer. I thought it interesting that this year, the redemption rates for the Flamingo location is on par with the other non strip hotel locations and Trump/Elara are on higher rates this year. Last year, Flamingo and Trump were reverse. Overall, for a first time stay, I liked the location as I was constantly in Harrah's or Venetian. There is now a walkway between Flamingo and Linq that connects people from the strip to the High Roller. I found it nice and there is an In n Out and Sprinkles Cupcakes and Ice Cream ! HGVC at Flamingo One Bedroom Living Room My eating expeditions included Fulton Street Food, Guy Fieri's Vegas, Lotus of Siam, Ti...