Preview Tours of LAX’s Upgraded Tom Bradley Terminal

Tickets are going fast for the June 22 open house and tour at the newly renovated Los Angeles International Airport terminal.  Register now to explore, discover and enjoy special exhibits, entertainment and a chance to win a raffle prize.

LAX International Terminal Open House June 22, 2013
LAX International Terminal
Open House June 22, 2013

The renovation of the airport terminal, named for former Mayor Tom Bradley, has been in the works for four years and is said to be the largest public works project in the history of the City of Los Angeles.  Tickets and parking are free, but preregistration is required.  Visitors will see art and aviation displays, the architecture of the wave-like terminal and meet the dogs in the airport’s new Pets Unstressing Passengers program.

Do you like preview tours of new public works projects?

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Win a 2014 Mustang Convertible and Hit the Road!

I’m not big on travel sweepstakes … but with summer vacation coming up, this one was too good to pass up!  Enter the Ultimate Road Trip Sweepstakes sponsored by Hilton HHonors, Alamo, Enterprise, and National Car Rental by July 31, 2013 for a chance to win the ultimate road trip!

2014 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible
2014 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible

One Grand Prize winner receives:

  • 2014 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible
  • Certificate for five nights at any hotel or resort in the Hilton HHonors portfolio
  • $500 Hilton HHonors Gift Card

Five First Prize winners receive:

  • Certificate for two nights at any hotel or resort in the Hilton HHonors portfolio
  • $200 car rental gift coupon
  • $100 Hilton HHonors Gift Card

Are you tempted to take a chance?

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The Real Deal: Moore’s Inn in Saxtons River, Vermont

My family took a grand tour through New England this Spring, visiting schools in five states. One place we visited was the small village of Saxtons River in Southeastern Vermont.  Saxtons River is a quintessential Vermont village, complete with a covered bridge, a general store, and a white steepled church.

Moore's Inn Saxtons River, VT
Moore’s Inn Saxtons River, VT
Photo by Susan Lampe-Wilson

At one time, thanks to the water power provided by the Saxtons River, the village had a thriving woolen mill, saw mill, grist mill, tannery, distillery, clock manufacturer, and hotel.  The mills are closed now. Today, the major employer is Vermont Academy, an independent secondary school founded in 1876.

The historic village is remarkably intact, looking much as it did 100 years ago.  In fact, the entire village is designated an historic site  and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  

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Holding My Breath on SPG Points Transfer to Delta

Have you ever experienced points and miles angst?

I almost hit the panic button recently when trying to book a flight home for our daughter.

The Scenario

Delta Airlines runs a nonstop route to Reagan National Airport (DCA) which is optimal for our travel needs.  I am trying to spend down our modest stash of Delta Skymiles because our travel priorities will be changing come September.

I have 11,000 Skymiles in my account.

The preferred roundtrip flight was available for 40,000 miles.

I have some Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Starpoints available, which can be transferred to Delta Skymiles.  For each 20,000 Starpoints you transfer to Delta, SPG gives you a 5,000 point bonus.   25,000 additional Skymiles, still wasn’t enough to book the trip.  I’d need to move 24,000 Starpoints over to Delta to cash in.  (11K Skymiles + 20K Starpoints + 5K bonus points + 4K Starpoints = 40k points needed for a ticket).

This left me with 13,000 Starwood points — enough for 1-night stay at a mid-range hotel.  As a mentioned in an earlier post,   I am considering whether to retain or to close my Amex Starwood credit card.

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Revealed: 14 Hidden Charges on Priceline Rooms… and How to Avoid Them

There is a guest post by Fishing4Deals on HotelDealsRevealed.com:   14 Hidden Charges on Priceline Rooms.  The upshot is — do your homework before bidding so you can avoid these charges.  Furthermore, you almost always get a better deal on Priceline because the same extra fees are assessed on rack rate rooms.

Know before you go!

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A Sneak Peek into the AMEX Retention Department

I opened a boatload of travel rewards credit cards in 2012 — and now it’s time to pay the piper.  For many rewards cards, the annual fee is waived the first year, but the fee is due in full on the one year anniversary.American Express Credit Cards

I read about retention bonuses, and wanted to give it a try.  If you call the number on the back of your card to say that you are considering canceling  — because you are concerned about the annual fee coming due –the bank may offer you a variety of incentives to keep you as a customer.  If you tell them you want to cancel the card because you no longer need it — they will probably just cancel it without offering any retention incentive.

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Rafting Utah’s Green River

We are just back from a camping and rafting trip to Green River, Utah.  The scenery was spectacular.

New vistas and interesting rock formations greeted us at each bend in the river.

This formation is named for the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, but we thought it looked more like Bart Simpson!

Nefertiti Beach in Green River, Utah Photo by Joel Shprentz
Nefertiti Beach in Green River, Utah
Photo by Joel Shprentz

There are a number of well-preserved petroglyphs in the area near Nefertiti beach and sometimes you can spot bighorn sheep.

Further down river is Swasey’s Beach — an expanse of fine white sand shaded by cottonwood trees.  It’s a beautiful spot for a family picnic.  Just remember to bring pails so the kids can build sand castles.

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What is Peter Cottontail Doing at Midway Airport?

Here comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin’ down the bunny trail …

Frontier Airlines Airbus 330 Photo by Joel Shprentz
Frontier Airlines Airbus 330
Photo by Joel Shprentz

With only had 30 minutes to change planes in Chicago last week, we were in a bit of a rush.  I looked out the gate window for a glimpse of my plane and couldn’t believe my eyes.

It wasn’t Peter Cottontail, but Stu the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit, the mascot for Frontier Airlines’ Airbus 330.

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