Travel cheap. Save money. Have fun.
How would you like to combine your interest in aviation with your favorite sport — whether it be horseback riding, bicycling, or roller blading?
Are you fascinated with art, history, architecture and photography?
Look no further than the public programs at airports here and abroad!
I have a guest post this week on unusual airport tours at FrugalTravelGuy.
I invite you to check it out!
If you been at the miles and points game for a while, you may already have picked up many of the big bonus credit card offers.
If that’s the case, you may be interested in an oft overlooked airline rewards credit card that pays five times points for all air travel.
This is a better rate by far than other rewards credit cards — which pay two to three points for air travel spend.
Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PFCU) offers the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® Card to its members.
PFCU does not run an affiliate program for bloggers, which may be why you haven’t read about this card elsewhere.
There is a prepublication offer from travel publisher Lonely Planet for a free download of a chapter from its forthcoming 2013 guide book to Japan.
The chapter covers the northern third of Japan’s main island of Honshū. This region of Tōhoku experienced the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, and the meltdown of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
The chapter covers not just the typical tourist attractions — it also offers information on how to volunteer in the recovery effort.
Lonely Planet writer Rebecca Milner visited the region to research updates to the Japan guidebook.
She reports that area of the coast hit by the tsunami is still in rubble, but that the inland areas that were affected only by the earthquake have largely recovered. Of course there is still a 20-km exclusion zone around the nuclear power plant.
Milner reports:
I am pleased to announce the winner of the contest for two Southwest Airlines drink coupons:
Congratulations Sean!
His entry was:
I knew I was in Vegas when . . . after a night of drinking we couldn’t figure out what that bright light was and then someone explained to us it was the sunrise. — True Story.
The winner was selected by the Random Number Generator.
Thanks to all the participants!
Sean, please email your snail mail address to admin@Fishing4Deals.com so I can send you the coupons.
This mini-series explores stellar properties available through Priceline’s opaque bidding process.
Part 1: The Carolina Inn – Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Part 2: Little America – Salt Lake City, Utah
Part 3: Tarrytown House Estate & Conference Center, Tarrytown, New York
My husband grew up in Irvington-on-Hudson, one of those cute little river towns about 20 miles north of New York City. His family lived in a development of mid-century modern homes just up the hill from Washington Irving’s Sunnyside home.
Irvington and its neighbor Tarrytown make a good base for exploring the Hudson River valley. Scenic views, historical reenactments, art, and hiking opportunities abound, with attractions that will appeal to children and adults. Tarrytown is easily accessible by car and by train, making this a great region for a weekend getaway.
Sometimes when we visited family in Irvington, we would get a Priceline room, most often ending up in the 2.5 star Hampton Inn in Elmsford, NY.
Once in 2008, we bid $50 on Priceline and were upgraded to the 3 star Tarrytown House Estate and Conference Center.
This property is a 26-acre full service resort with several historic mansions and cottages, beautifully landscaped grounds, a magnificent view of the Tappan Zee bridge. There are numerous recreational opportunities on site. Several low-rise buildings discreetly sited on the property constitute the conference center.
There is a temporary offer from Chase Bank for gift cards that can make a great present for recent graduates, or a gift for other occasions.
For those looking to meet the minimum spend requirement on a newly opened rewards credit card, these gift cards may offer some advantages, not the least of which is that they are 100% fee free.
The gift cards are can be fully personalized.
You can choose:
There is no fee for purchasing the gift cards and postage is free.
Are you flying Southwest Airlines anytime soon?
I’d like to buy you a drink!
Please add your comments below for a chance to win two Southwest Airlines drink coupons!
The coupons are good for beer, wine, spirits, or VitaminWater!
To enter the contest, just comment below with your response:
I knew we were in Vegas when . . .
we stepped off the plane and the slot machines were right there.
I knew we were in Vegas when . . .
we landed at 6 p.m. and it was 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
I knew we were in Vegas when . . .
we looked out the hotel window and saw a showgirl.
I knew we were in Vegas when . . .
Do you find that Staples is overpriced for many office supplies and technology products? I do. I can generally do better shopping online at Amazon or NewEgg. Target is great for school supplies.
If you keep an eye out for weekly specials, however, you can find some good deals at Staples.
There is a compelling reason to stalk Staples sales. If you have one of the Chase Ink business credit cards, purchases at Staples and other office supply stores earn 5 times points.
I have a home office for my consulting business. When I need to stock up on supplies for my business, like reams of copy paper, Staples is my go to store. That is because they frequently run promotions that allow you to get a ream of paper, or sometimes a case, for “free after rebate.”
These purchases are not really free, because the rebate comes in the form of store credit which must be spent at Staples within a two to three month period. If you are in the market for printer paper though, it’s fair to say that you are getting these supplies at half price.
Need a game to keep your kid occupied on your next long trip?
A dozen top-rated IOS apps have gone free today — in anticipation of the Apple App Store’s fifth anniversary on Wednesday.
These dozen apps have a combined value of $70+.
Hat tip to TUAW.
A good find for travelers is the Day One app — a popular journaling application.
Of special interest to little travelers is the Barefoot World Atlas:
a magical interactive 3D globe that invites children to explore the regions and countries of the world, discovering hundreds of fascinating features and immersing themselves in the rich wonders of our planet.
The other apps include:
For travelers looking to volunteer on their travels, Lonely Planet is offering a free download of its book: Volunteer: A Traveller’s Guide to Making a Difference Around the World.
The book is a comprehensive resource to those looking to volunteer abroad.
It includes chapters on:
It also provides a directory of organizations around the world that accept volunteers.
This guide is not a pamphlet — but the full 272 page book that sells for $14 on Amazon.