Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Neverending Story - One family's adventure around the world

http://www.soultravelers3.com/

Every once in a while, something will trigger my wanderlust.  A few years ago, I watched "Under the Tuscan Sun" with my girlfriends, and we decided we were going to move to Italy and live happily ever after.  (I'm in California, because life happened and two out of three of us got married.)  I travel to Germany and Austria often, to ski, and when I board the plane to leave, tears stream down my windburned cheeks.  (I usually declare I am going to brush up on my German and that I'll be back within the year, but it usually takes two.) I've been looking at jobs at the UN lately, and dreaming of getting a phone call asking when I'm available to come work in Geneva.  (I would say, "I'll take it!" no matter what the job was, and promptly faint.)  This last UN-inspired episode coincides with Christiane Amanpour's new show on CNN, and I dream of being her assistant and carrying her bags, like a journalist's caddy.

In the midst of this UN & Amanpour wanderlust attack, I found Soultravelers3 through links other travelers have posted on Twitter.  I wondered what it would take to finally make the leap into a lifestyle of travel.  I thought it was a quaint idea at first, but nothing that would compare to a Tuscan villa or Austrian chateau.  But the more I delve into their story, the more adamant I become about living a life like this.

My hat goes off to you, DaVinci, Jeanne D'Arc, and Mozart!  Keep us posted, you have more followers than you imagine.  You're an inspiration.

Best wishes on your journeys, Soultravelers3.

Follow them here: http://www.soultravelers3.com/

Thursday, October 22, 2009

You know you're a TCK when...

This is a twist on the "You know your'e from (insert location here) when..."

This totally applies to me (and my sister)!

- “Where are you from?” has more than one reasonable answer.
- You’ve said that you’re from foreign country X, and your audience has asked you which US state X is in.
- You flew before you could walk.
- You speak two languages, but can’t spell in either.
- You feel odd being in the ethnic majority.
- You have three passports.
- You have a passport but no driver’s license.
- You go into culture shock upon returning to your “home” country.- Your life story uses the phrase “Then we moved to…” three (or four, or five…) times.
- You wince when people mispronounce foreign words.
- You don’t know whether to write the date as day/month/year, month/day/year, or some variation thereof.
- The best word for something is the word you learned first, regardless of the language.
- You get confused because US money isn’t colour-coded.
- You think VISA is a document that’s stamped in your passport, not a plastic card you carry in your wallet.
- You own personal appliances with 3 types of plugs, know the difference between 110 and 220 volts, 50 and 60 cycle current, and realize that a trasnsformer isn’t always enough to make your appliances work.
- You fried a number of appliances during the learning process.
- You think the Pledge of Allegiance might possibly begin with “Four-score and seven years ago….”- Half of your phone calls are unintelligible to those around you.
- You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball.
- You consider a city 500 miles away “very close.”
- You get homesick reading National Geographic.
- You cruise the Internet looking for fonts that can support foreign alphabets.
- You think in the metric system and Celsius.
- You may have learned to think in feet and miles as well, after a few years of living (and driving) in the US. (But not Fahrenheit. You will *never* learn to think in Fahrenheit).
- You haggle with the checkout clerk for a lower price.
- Your minor is a foreign language you already speak.- When asked a question in a certain language, you’ve absentmindedly respond in a different one.
- You miss the subtitles when you see the latest movie.
- You’ve gotten out of school because of monsoons, bomb threats, and/or popular demonstrations.
- You speak with authority on the subject of airline travel.
- You have frequent flyer accounts on multiple airlines.
- You constantly want to use said frequent flyer accounts to travel to new places.
- You know how to pack.
- You have the urge to move to a new country every couple of years.
- The thought of sending your (hypothetical) kids to public school scares you, while the thought of letting them fly alone doesn’t at all.
- You think that high school reunions are all but impossible.
- You have friends from 29 different countries.
- You sort your friends by continent.
- You have a time zone map next to your telephone.
- You realize what a small world it is, after all.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Back issues of Budget Travel, Travel+Leisure, and National Geographic Traveler

I just listed back issues of travel magazines on eBay. These magazines have so much information in them! They are where I get most of my travel ideas.


If you are going on a trip to Paris, for instance, you can pick up a couple of magazines like the National Geographic Traveler March 2008 issue (Pure Paris) and the Budget Travel April 2009 issue (Eat Your Heart Out in Paris). They'll give you tons of ideas!


My eBay username is roaming.gnomette (of course).  Click here to go straight to the magazines.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Restaurant Deals @ Central Coast Finest

I found another website that offers discounted gift certificates for restaurants. The restaurants are all local, either in Lompoc or Santa Maria. They have a much bigger selection of local restaurants than Restaurant.com does.

Only a certain number of certificates are available. When you view a restaurant, you can see how many certificates are left.

The Saletti's certificates don't go on sale until September 25, but you can bet I'm going to add that to my calendar! I love Friday nights there, listening to live music, sipping martinis at the bar.

Alfie's Fish & Chips and Texas Cattle Company are there too. I'm hungry just thinking about this.

Here's the link: http://ksni.centralcoastfinest.com/

Friday, September 18, 2009

Übercheap Weekend Getaway to San Francisco

The fabulous deal I got on next weeks trip happened like this. I went to United's e-fare website, where they post weekend deals every Tuesday morning. I found Santa Barbara (SBA) to San Francisco (SFO) for $74, round-trip. We'll leave Saturday around noon, and come back Monday around noon. The total price came to a little over $100 for each ticket, after taxes. Still, that's $100 for a round-trip ticket!

The hotel came through Priceline. Just like on TV, I bid a ridiculously low price for a 4-star hotel in San Francisco. The first bid was $50, which was declined. But Priceline said I could raise my bid by $14 and bid again. So I did, and it was accepted. So Saturday and Sunday night, we'll stay at the Hyatt Regency, for $64 each night. $155 after taxes.

And the rental car. I went back to United and used their offer for Hertz. A midsize car was $55 for two days, taxes and everything included. Plus we get a ton of United miles.

And then I went to Restaurant.com, typed in a zip code for San Francisco, and bought a few gift certificates for restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf.

The only thing I don't have are the Broncos/Raiders football tickets for Sunday!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Beam me up!


On Monday, I acted like a tourist in L.A. I drove down Rodeo drive, cruised around Beverly Hills, and then drove over to the take a few pictures of the Hollywood sign. But the highlight of all this was this picture. That's Nichelle Nichols handprint! And my hands fit perfectly inside. I knew she was my hero. Uhura is the fictional version of what I do. I work in Space Command, and my on-crew job was basically to repeat the computer alarms and say, "Yes, Captain."

Monday, September 7, 2009

In Lompoc? Check out this Texas Cattle Company deal.

I just found this deal for Texas Cattle Co. in Lompoc, California. It's a little reminder to you to always, always, always do a simple Google search before you go out to eat. Here's what I found.

A Google search for Texas Cattle Company Lompoc found this:

http://www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp?rid=317830&mcn=00013518

See how it says "$25 gift certificate for $10"? You read that right.

So proceeded to checkout with that, but then there was a box to enter a coupon code for Restaurant.com. So I searched for that and got this:

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/restaurant.com

Scroll down. I used the Allstate coupon, "ALL".

So in the end, I got a $25 gift certificate for (ahem) $5.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

I wonder how many people wait for "something" in the Premier Check-In line?

Leaving Bismarck, we stood in the line marked "Premier/First Class" to check-in for our flight. The regular line only had about 5 people in it, but I like to use my Premier perks whenever I can.

Except it meant nothing to the ladies at the check-in counter. They processed everyone else first. Even people that got in the Economy line AFTER us.

After she finished processing everyone else and I was invited to step forward, I asked if there was any difference between the regular line and Premier line. She said (wait for it), "I didn't know if you  were waiting for something else." Apparently, a lot of people like to stand in the Premier line at the United Check-In counter at 5am in Bismarck, while they wait for "something else." And then she informed me that she was "new." Holy smokes. I think she might be under-qualified for the job.

Comfortable at the Comfort Inn - Bismarck, ND

Hey, free drink coupons, nice!

In the lounge, they also have a free appetizer mini-buffet for happy hour, and half-off drinks. Happy hour is a happy three hours, running from 3:30 to 6:30. We saved our free drink coupons for later, since a round of drinks for four people only cost $7.75. They don't mess around in Bismarck.

There is an indoor pool in the center of the hotel, and the rooms surround the pool, with sliding glass doors on the pool side of the room. The room did have a faint chlorine smell when we walked in. But all the standard amenities where there, even little makeup-remover towelettes.

The beds were comfy.

Free breakfast, with scrambled eggs, sausage, waffles, cereal, bagels, donuts, etc.

There are more than enough restaurants within walking distance. Try the Country House deli across the street, pass on the Hong Kong Buffet. Actually, go to the Hong Kong Buffet, because it was $41 for 4 people, and they had crab legs.

And if you want to go out, try Borrowed Buck's Roadhouse. It was cheap, clean, and fun. Not like the dive I was expecting when my brother suggested we go there.

Comfort Inn
1030 E. Interstate Ave.
Bismarck, ND, US, 58503-0547
Phone: (701) 223-1911

Room Rate: $76/night (Military/Government Rate)

Award Ticket Fees Dropped by United Airlines

Somewhere in route, I was checking tweets on my Blackberry, and noticed a fabulous one from United Airlines. United is dropping all close-in award ticket fees! Yay! Previously, if you booked an award ticket, the closer you were to the travel date, the more it cost. Not free, folks. It could be up to $100! And now, it's free. I could come see you tomorrow, for free. Free is my favorite price.

United Airlines
United Airlines Mileage Plus
United Airlines Twitter : @UnitedAirlines

A Tour of the Western United States

To use our award tickets, the only routing we could get was from Los Angeles (LAX) to Las Vegas (LAS) to Denver (DEN) to Bismarck (BIS). We left at 6am, and arrived in Bismarck around 3pm. Anyway, it was free, so I don't really have any complaints.

Shopping at LAS is far better than the shopping at LAX. Man, I could spend a day and a pretty penny in that airport.

A Bumpy Start - Radisson LAX

We decided to stay at the Radisson-LAX on Wednesday night, since our (free award ticket) flight left at 6am on Thursday. The stay was OK at best.

The hotel is in the middle of remodeling... I think. Only two of the four elevators worked, so we actually had to stand in line to get on one of them. The decor in the room was mismatched. I'm not sure what they were going for, but some of it was contemporary (white linens, geometric designs on the drapes). And some of it was...polynesian?

The parking was $13 a day, and was about a block away. Not "across the street" as I was told on the phone when I called to confirm the reservation.

The business center was closed! No computers. One of the reasons I stay at the Radisson is for the business center.

It certainly isn't for the Sleep Number beds, which I could completely do without. Who wants to sleep on a glorified air mattress? Not I. And there was no refrigerator in the room, making it the first Radisson I've ever been in that did not have that amenity. And my husband noted the lack of a Gideon Bible! :)

They didn't even bother to put a trash liner in the trash cans. The bag was hanging over the side, as if to say, "You do it."

And no free drink coupons, bummer. The poor bartender, Cesar, could have used a hand. It was only Wednesday evening, but he was dealing with a full bar rail, a full lounge, and all of the room service calls. Add to that the customer frustrations with the service, and I'm very impressed Cesar kept his cool. He was always polite and respectful. And he made a nice French Martini!

I did get a ton of points for this stay though. Check out the breakdown below.

Radisson LAX
6225 W Century Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 670-9000

Room Rate: $99/night (Military/Government Rate)
Radisson Goldpoints Plus Points: 4480
Online Booking Bonus: 500
Express Yourself Point Bonus: 1000
1000 Points Per Night at 1000 Hotels Bonus: 1000
Stay Earning 20 Points Per US Dollar: 1980

Sunday, July 19, 2009

La Super-Rica Taqueria, Santa Barbara

On the advice of 1000 Places to See Before You Die, in the Drive-Up-Highway-101 part, there's a little taco shack called La Super-Rica Taqueria. Apparently, it was also endorsed by Julia Child. Since we were at the beach anyway, we had to check it out.

The line was long, which meant it must be good. It was, but I'm not sure I would stand in line again. We waited for a half an hour. And when they say most menu items are $4-$10, keep in mind you'll be ordering more than one. A menu item consists of one or two tiny tacos, and you'll definitely want more.

We did get a decent lunch, and were able to highlight another place in our book!

http://twitpic.com/a69h9 <- A link to a picture of the food we ordered.

From Frommers.com:
Cuisine Mexican
Hours Daily 11am-9pm
Address 622 N. Milpas St
Phone 805/963-4940
Prices Most menu items $4-$10
Credit Cards Not Accepted

Manhattan Beach for AVP Open

Today, we're heading down to the 2009 AVP Crocs Slam Bud Light Manhattan Beach Open. First, I'd like to note that the addition of sponsors into the title of the event makes it cumbersome.

The drive should take a couple of hours. I've never been to anything like this, so I'll keep you posted. Cross your fingers that I don't get hit by a volleyball, and end up on TV. We did get courtside tickets :\

http://www.avp.com/Schedules-and-Tickets/Tournaments/2009-Crocs-Tour/AVP-Crocs-Tour-Manhattan-Beach-Open.aspx

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Two Tickets to Paradise

My brother's wedding is in fabulous Bismarck, North Dakota at the end of the month. It's super expensive to fly there. Although I hoard flight miles like they might save my life someday, I ended up using them.

There were no flights available from Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, or San Luis Obispo (I live in a saintly area). I got two roundtrip tickets out of LAX. That lovely Premier status means we get the bigger Economy Plus seats for free. We'll drive down the night before, stay at the Radisson (thus getting more miles), and fly out early the next morning.

I never fly out of LAX - the price savings isn't worth the time, the stress, or the the gas it takes to get there, not to mention parking fees. (Did I mention parking at Santa Maria airport (SMX) is free? Just a little FYI.)

The cost for two tickets was 50,000 miles, plus a $20 processing charge. The Radisson rate was $99, and they have parking for $13 a day. And we rented a car through Hertz for $180. And we are staying at the Prairie Knights Casino on the Standing Rock reservation for $50 a night.

James has never been to the Rez, so he'll be in for a real treat. Parts of it are like a 3rd world country, except they speak English, and I'm related to just about everybody. And the powwow is that weekend, too.

Total price for a 3 day vacay in paradise, about $400.

Current miles: 77,500.

United Mileage Plus and Radisson Goldpoints Plus

From June 4-13, 2009, I stayed at the Radisson Inn & Suites in Colorado Springs. At check-in, I requested that my stay be credited to my United Mileage Plus account, like a good girl. The standard United offer for Radisson is 500 miles per stay, no matter how long that stay is. Better than nothing.

But wait! The gentlemen at the front counter recommended I join their Gold Points Plus program. I'm hesitant to join anything membership program that could distract me from becoming the queen of United flight miles, but I listened anyway. He said I'd earn way more than the 500 miles per stay if I collected the points on the Gold Plus card, and then converted them later. So I joined, and he gave me (another) plastic card.

The points I earned were stacked:

I got 17,040 points by earning 20 points per dollar spent.
I got 5,000 points for their 5000 Points 5th Night bonus.
I got 9,000 points for their 1000 Points Per Night promotion.

I earned 31,040 Gold Points on my stay.

I logged into the Gold Points Plus website to transfer my miles. 2000 points gets you 250 United miles. So I traded 30,000 points for 3750 United miles. Not too shabby for no work at all.

Current United Miles: 118,428