Fishing4Deals

aka the "Priceline Queen"

Silent Clowns Film Series: Free at Lincoln Center; Discount Tickets in DC

Charlie Chaplin's Silent Films at the Alden Theater
Charlie Chaplin’s Silent Films at
The Alden Theater, McLean, VA

The Silent Clowns Film Series, is New York City’s free showcase for classic silent film comedy.

The series presents monthly showings of the silent movies of Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Lloyd, and many others, with live musical accompaniment by renowned silent film accompanist Ben Model.

Every program features a spoken introduction and Q&A by film historians Bruce Lawton and Steve Massa.  The programs are presented on weekend afternoons, and are geared to classic film fans and families.

The Silent Clowns Film Series is held in the Bruno Walter Auditorium, located in the NY Library for the Performing Arts, at the back of Lincoln Center.

The next show is Saturday, April 12 at 2:30pm, and it features several Charlie Chaplin Films produced by the Mutual Film Corporation.  The show features these iconic Chaplin’s films:  The Count (1916), The Pawnshop (1916), The Immigrant (1917), and The Adventurer (1917).

Silent Clown Film Series Comes to Washington, DC

April 16, 2014 marks Charlie Chaplin’s 125th birthday.

Charlie Chaplin, aka The Little Tramp, is the most iconic and influential comedy star of the silent film era.  He starred in classic films including The Kid, The Gold Rush, City Lights and Modern Times.  

To celebrate Chaplin’s birthday, the Alden Theatre, outside Washington DC, is hosting a screening of Chaplin’s best movies, with commentary by film historian Bruce Lawton and live music by accompanist Ben Model.

Continue reading —>

A Little Bit of Scandinavia at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)

Stressless Chairs at Raleigh-Durham Airport
Stressless Chairs at Raleigh-Durham Airport

Forget the Sky Club.

At Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) you can relax in a lounge area filled with leather Stressless chairs and Scandinavian rugs.

The lounge is furnished by a local contemporary  furniture store — the Ambiente Collection.

You’ll find it just beyond the security area in Terminal 2, to the left of the down escalators.

There is seating for eight or so, and the chairs are more comfortable than anything else you will find at the airport.

If you have some time to kill, you might want to wander down to Gate D-8, where you will find 2nd Edition Book Sellers.

RDU 2nd Edition Book Shop
2nd Edition Book Shop at RDU

The shop claims to be the only used bookstore in a U.S. airport.

You’ll find a well-curated collection of almost-new popular titles, as well as many interesting, offbeat selections.

The book store also features rare and collectible editions.

Washington’s Airports: Pretty in Pink

MWAA Cherry Blossom FestivalWashington DC’s airports are getting in the spirit of the National Cherry Blossom Festival with pink lighting to greet visitors flying in for the event.  This year, peak bloom is forecast for April 8-12, 2014.

Check out some spectacular photographs of Dulles International Airport (IAD) decked out in pink by photographer J. David Buerk.

At both Reagan (DCA) and Dulles airports, food and retail concessioners will feature specials such as pink cocktails. donuts and apparel, through April 13, 2014.

The most interesting offering looks to be the Pink Hana Roll with salmon and avocado at Matsutake Sushi, at Gate A18.  You can find a complete list of specials at IAD shops and restaurants here.

Save 20% on iTunes Gift Codes

20% Discount on iTunes Cards at PayPal
20% Discount on iTunes Codes at PayPal

If you have a PayPal account you may be eligible for a special 2-day offer:  20% off an iTunes code, redeemable for yourself, or sent as  a gift.  Try this link to pull up the offer.

The 20% off offer is only applicable to one iTunes Code valued at $25, $50 or $100.  Please note that this is an e-code only; this offer is not for a physical gift card.

The offer is only available from March 20, 2014 (6 am PST) to March 21, 2014 (7:00 pm PST).   Hat tip to SlickDeals

Gift Card Purchases to Meet Minimum Spend on Rewards Credit Cards

Sometimes gift card purchases are helpful if you are trying to meet the minimum spend requirement on a new credit card to qualify for the rewards bonus.  Essentially, you can front load your purchases of essentials like groceries, or in this case iTunes credits, for use on future purchases.

For instance, the Barclaycard Arrival™ World MasterCard® offers new applicants $200 toward your next travel redemption, after you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days after opening the account.  A few gift card purchases for items that you know you will need in the near future can help you meet the minimum spend requirement.

Caution:  In no circumstances should you open a credit card for the rewards if it will cause you to spend more than you would otherwise.  Furthermore, if you do not pay off your bills in full and on time every month, you will be socked with high interest fees that far outweigh the value of any rewards.  

$3 per Day Parking at BWI

Save 40% on Parking at BWI with Econopark Express
Save 40% on Parking at BWI at
Econopark Express

I live just six miles from Dulles International Airport (IAD) but often find myself flying out of  Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI).

Because BWI is a hub for Southwest Airlines, there is more competition and you can often find cheaper airfares.

The last time we flew out of BWI, we found cheaper long-term parking with a  an “offsite” vendor.  In reality though, the parking was no further away from the airport than the “onsite” parking.

Park for $3.20 a day at BWI

There’s a terrific deal available from Groupon for 40 percent off parking at BWI with Econopark Express.  

The deal offers long-term parking for $4 a day, but there is a coupon today (3/19/2014)  for 20 percent off, bringing the rate down to an amazing $3.20 a day.  Use coupon code LOCAL20 at checkout.

There are 3 options available:

Continue reading —>

Get It Now: Free Dublin Book from Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet's Dublin GuideLonely Planet is offering free copies of its Dublin travel guide for Kindle or iOS in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

This is a an electronic version of the complete 256 page book, published in October 2013.

The regular price of the digital version of Lonely Planet Dublin is $22.99.   

Lonely Planet Dublin, is a comprehensive travel guide, for those planning to both explore the top sights and take the road less travelled.

Here’s the description from the publisher:

Inside Lonely Planet’s Dublin Travel Guide:

  • Full-colour maps and images throughout
  • Highlights and itineraries show you the simplest way to tailor your trip to your own personal needs and interests
  • Insider tips save you time and money, and help you get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
  • Essential info at your fingertips – including hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, and prices
  • Honest reviews for all budgets – including eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, and hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
  • Cultural insights give you a richer and more rewarding travel experience – including history, literature, music and architecture.
  • Useful features – including Walking Tours, Day Trips and For Free
  • Coverage of Grafton Street, Temple Bar, Merrion Square, the Northside, Kilmainhaim and the Liberties, and more

    Continue reading —>

Half Price Tickets to the National Building Museum

National Building Museum Great Hall
The Great Hall
National Building Museum

My favorite museum gift shop in all of Washington, DC is the bookstore and gift shop at the National Building Museum.

The shop features books on architecture, design and city planning, but you can also find a large selection of fun and funky stationary items, jewelry, accessories, kitchenware, and more.  The selection of children’s toys is especially terrific!

When my daughter was an active toddler, the National Building Museum was one of my favorite places to visit on a rainy day.  There are lots of stairs to climb, and long corridors to explore, and even an indoor fountain.

These days, there is an ongoing Play, Work, Build exhibit for kids aged 2 to 6 years old.

Half Price Tickets to the National Building Museum

You don’t have to pay admission to visit the museum gift shop, cafe, or the colossal Great Hall, but if you want to see the exhibits, you must buy a ticket.

National Building Museum
National Building Museum
The Pension Building

Admission is normally $8 per adult, $5 for youth, students and seniors, or $3 per person if you only want to visit the kids’ Building Zone.

TravelZoo is offering half priced tickets to visit the exhibitions at National Building Museum.

Continue reading —>

Join Blue Wings to Support Social Change Agents

ANA's Blue Wing/Wings for ChangemakersAll Nippon Airlines (ANA) has launched the Blue Wings/Wings for Changemakers  program to support and expand the reach of social entrepreneurship.  

Blue Wings is a partnership with Ashoka, a nonprofit network that takes an open source approach to tackling pressing social problems.

ANA is sponsoring the work 5 Ashoka fellows by supporting their transportation on ANA routes.

If you register with Blue Wings, you can vote for your favorite change maker, and ANA will donate 50 cents to their cause.  If you book travel on ANA through the Blue Wings website, 1 percent of your fare will be donated to the change maker you have selected.

Blue Wings offers a social networking platform to follow the progress of these five social change projects.

Find out how you can support social change through the Blue Wings program!

Japan Dreaming: Pretty Good Number One

Pretty Good Number OneFishing 4 Deals focuses on budget, domestic travel.  But anyone can dream, right?

Lately, I have been dreaming about traveling to Japan.

There are a number of things that intrigue me about Japan:

  • the natural beauty
  • J-pop culture
  • traditional arts like pottery and paper making
  • the trains
  • manufacturing industries
  • hot springs
  • old Japan
  • fashion
  • the gardens and temples
  • and, of course, the food

To indulge my fantasy, I picked up a copy of Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo, by Seattle-based food writer Matthew Amster-Burton.

The book is about an American couple and their adorable eight year old daughter Iris, who rent an apartment in Tokyo for one month.

 Tokyo is the opposite of the DMV.  It is the least annoying place I have ever been to.  –Matthew Amster-Burton

Amster-Burton used Kickstarter to crowd source the publication of the book in ebook form.

Here’s what one reviewer said about  Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo, published in February 2014:

The layers of the city, its extraordinary food pleasures, its quirkinesses, emerge as the author and his family spend an intense month living in Tokyo and exploring widely . . . Warning:  this book will make you hungry.  You’ll yearn, as I do, to catch the next plane to Tokyo, so you can get eating.  —Naomi Duguid, writer and traveler
Japan by RailAmazon has the kindle version of the book on sale for $3.99.I am not going to Japan any time soon, but in the meantime, I enjoy reading travel books.

I’ve picked up a copy of Japan by Rail, which offers incredibly detailed advice, down to how to find your platform, where to stash your bags, and where to exit the train station.

I am planning my miles and points accrual strategy with this trip in mind, focusing on collecting United miles and Ultimate Rewards points for the airfare, and Barclaycard Arrival points for the Japan Rail Passes.

The goal is to stay at hotels as close to the train stations as possible.  Japan Rail has a network of hotels throughout the country adjacent to rail stations.  These hotels offers discounts to rail pass holders.  The JR hotels would be super convenient but are mostly lux properties on the expensive side.

Continue reading —>

My Go To Women’s Travel Vest — $10 off @ Duluth Trading

Travel Vest from Duluth TradingI needed a lightweight travel vest with lots of pockets to hold my iPhone, tickets, passport, etc.

After surveying the options, I chose this utility vest from Duluth Trading.

It’s marketed as a gardening vest but I think it makes a great travel vest.

It would also work for bike riding, dog training, horseback riding, hiking, etc.

It’s not perfect, but it serves the purpose.

What I like:

Women's Travel Vest
Women’s Travel Vest from Duluth Trading
  • plenty of pockets, 12 to be exact:  2 zipped pockets on the inside (lower); inside slip pocket with velcro fastener for a cell phone; 2 zipped chest pockets on the outside; 2 deep front pockets with snaps, and a few smaller pockets
  • the large lower pockets are elasticized to keep items secure
  • you can unzip the vest from the top and the bottom
  • there is a bit of shape to the vest

What I don’t like:

Continue reading —>