It isn’t always easy to cruise as a solo traveler. At times, it is actually more expensive for one person than for two people to sail. Cruise lines want to fit as many people on the ship as possible knowing that more passengers potentially means more revenue. So a solo … Read more
I stayed at the Grand Hyatt DFW a year ago. Since then, the hotel rooms have gone under a major renovation bringing it up to modern standards. The Grand Hyatt DFW is a Category 5 property, which means (at least for now) it will cost between 17,000 and 23,000 points. … Read more
I was able to book an award flight from SEA-HNL-KOA in First Class for 40k Atmos points with the SEA-HNL portion on the 787. The flight ended up being on the first of the aircraft with the new global Alaska livery inspired by Aurora Borealis. The plane was less than … Read more
The Chase Sapphire Lounge in San Diego opened in late 2024. I had my first chance to visit in early 2026 and was impressed with the size of the space. The Chase Sapphire Lounge at San Diego International Airport is located in Terminal 2 near Gate 47. Currently it is … Read more
I booked a New Years cruise on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam out of San Diego. I had a casino offer for a free Guaranteed Verandah (balcony) Stateroom on the sailing. I added Club Orange to my reservation and was able to get a confirmed Verandah Spa Stateroom on Deck … Read more
Reviews of hotels, flights, lounges, and even roller coasters ended up as the most popular posts I wrote this year. Below are the top 10 most viewed posts written in 2025. 10. Chase Sapphire Reserve Unboxing – One of the most talked about credit card updates of 2025 was the … Read more
For the first time since 2020, I flew zero international flights in 2025. My international visits were all by cruise ship this year. I spent my summer traveling domestically with my Frontier GoWild! Pass that took me to new states within the USA. In 2026 I already have international travel … Read more
The Andaz San Diego opened in 2010 in a building that first opened as a hotel in 1914. With 159 rooms, it is a nice size property. I booked two nights in December 2025. I booked through Prive (Hyatt’s travel agent program) that includes breakfast and a $100 resort credit … Read more
The newest Chase Sapphire Lounge opened earlier this month in Las Vegas. The lounge is located near gate C23 in Terminal 1. The easiest way to get to it is to go through the A & B security check point. Take a left after security and then a right down … Read more
The MGM Grand Las Vegas, at one time the largest hotel in the world, recently updated all of their guest rooms. I visited a year ago and reviewed the pre-renovation room at that time. I went back to see the changes. I booked a two night stay using my Chase … Read more
Last Thanksgiving I visited the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix. The Royal Palms is part of the Hyatt Unbound Collection and is also part of The Edit Chase Sapphire Reserve program. You can read my full review of the property here. I went back again this year for … Read more
This is not a paid post, it is just my experience. However, if you want to sign up and use my link to do so, I will receive a small referral payment. I have most recently been using Google Fi as my cell phone service provider as it provides free … Read more
My friend and I recently booked roundtrip First Class tickets from Seattle to Honolulu through Alaska Airlines for $599. The flight over was on a Hawaiian Airlines A330 aircraft while the return flight was on a standard Alaska Airlines 737 MAX. Recently Alaska purchased Hawaiian but the two are still … Read more
The Capital One Lounge at the D Gates in Las Vegas opened in February, 2025. It is in the most central location of any lounge at LAS — just above the escalators as you get off the tram. As you are going up the escalators, you can see the lounge … Read more
This summer, between July 21 and August 8, I used my Frontier GoWild! Annual Pass to take ten flights at a total cost of $157.18 in taxes/fees, after an initial $299 pass purchase, to criss cross the country. With only one exception, I was always either able to get an … Read more