Entertainment

Glow Worm Cave at Natural Bridge

Glow Worm Cave at Natural Bridge Natural Bridge is located in Springbrook National Park, a rainforest near the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.  I visited Natural Bridge in November 2018.  Entry to the park is free.  Natural Bridge is about an hours drive from Surfers Paradise. The drive up into … Read more

Tokyo DisneySea In A Day

Tokyo DisneySea In A Day I just got back to my hotel after putting in a full day at Tokyo DisneySea. I put in almost 12 hours and walked 18 miles (I tracked it). Phew.  I am a big Disney Parks fan, though I’ve never done one solo.  Still, it … Read more

Neon Museum North Gallery

Neon Museum North Gallery

Neon Museum North Gallery This past Saturday the Neon Museum offered free admission to its North Gallery in celebration of Nevada Day.  The Neon Museum North Gallery is the smaller “Neon Boneyard”.  It is typically used for weddings and other private events.  None of the signs are restored.  There is no … Read more

Daily Getaways 2016 Valuation

Daily Getaways 2016 Valuation

Daily Getaways 2016 Valuation

The US Travel Association is once again running its Daily Getaways promotion.  Beginning April 4 there will be a different offer for a limited time each day.  As was the case last year, there is no added discount for using an Amex card as there has been in previous years.  You can find discounts on rental cars, hotels, and theme parks.  In this post I calculate the Daily Getaways 2016 valuation for the hotel offers.

Likely the most popular offers will be for the hotel stays that, for the most part, come in the form of loyalty points.  Below I have created a grid that shows the cost per point for each of the hotel point offers.

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Amex Hawks Island Experience

Hawks Island

I recently wrote about the Amex Hawks Island in this post.  Today I was able to experience it myself.  The Amex Hawks Island is (as of now) a one off experience; only today (October 18) before the Seahawks vs Carolina home game at Century Link Field. Anyone with an American Express … Read more

American Express Hawks Island

American Express Hawks Island

Update: Read about my experience at the American Express Hawks Island. If Amex Centurion Lounge and Centurion Studio weren’t cool enough places to grab a snack and drink, now you can enjoy a floating Amex Island!  The American Express Hawks Island is coming to the Seattle waterfront on October 18 before … Read more

For the Record BAZ Las Vegas

There is a new star of the Las Vegas Strip and his name is Baz.  Technically Baz Luhrmann, the Australian director of Strictly Ballroom (1992), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Australia (2008), and The Great Gatsby (2013).  A new production at Mandalay Bay is For the Record BAZ Las Vegas which opened … Read more

Think twice before swimming with dolphins

Dolphin

Swimming with dolphins is portrayed as a family friendly activity.  Dolphins are social and smart animals.  Hell, they are the only animals besides humans that have sex for fun!  What’s not to like?

While observing dolphins in their natural habitat at sea from the beach or even a boat is a non-invasive way to learn about these creatures, swimming with them is not.  Particularly problematic are resorts or amusement parks that keep dolphins in captivity and allow guests to pay to swim with them.

If you have seen Blackfish, you probably already know where this is going.

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Daily Getaways Valuation

Screen Shot 2015-03-17 at 4.37.51 PMThe US Travel Association is once again running its Daily Getaways promotion.  Beginning March 23 there will be a different offer for a limited time each day.  An interesting change this: there is NO added discount for using an Amex card.  You can find discounts on rental cars, hotels, and theme parks.  Only the first three weeks’ offers have been posted as of this post.

Likely the most popular offers will be for the hotel stays that, for the most part, come in the form of loyalty points.  Below I have created a grid that shows the cost per point for each of the hotel point offers.

Read more

HBO for $12

HBO is the best content provider out there, although Netflix is gaining on it with original content like House of Cards, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Orange is the New Black.  HBO has the best original content; past series like The Wire, The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, and new series like Game of Thrones, Veep, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and True Detective.  Until today you had to have a cable subscription (read: sell your soul to the evil empire) in order to get HBO.  But today that changed.

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Spa Etiquette: Come on people!

One of my favorite things to do while traveling solo is to spend a day at the spa.  Las Vegas has some of the best spas in the world; steam rooms scented with eucalyptus, reclaimed wood saunas, deluge showers, hot and cold plunge pools all in beautiful and lavish (if not over the top) surroundings.  I would suggest either the Encore Spa or Aria Spa + Salon for spa newbies.

If you are getting a treatment (massage, body wrap, etc), entrance into the spa is included.  I suggest spending at least a couple of hours before and/or after your treatment enjoying the amenities.  If you don’t want to pamper yourself (read: splurge) on a treatment, some spas offer day passes for a nominal fee to use the facilities.

One thing I think everyone should know before going to the spa:  it is best experienced naked.  Large spas are divided by gender.  Yet, time and time again, there are always a few guests wearing bathing suits.  I consulted with a female friend of mine and she said the same thing happens on the female side.

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Cirque du Soleil – Single Entertainment

Not all the Cirque characters are this creepy (or annoying)
Not all the Cirque characters are this creepy (or annoying)

One of my favorite places to travel is Vegas.  I have a great time going with friends, but going alone is a great option if you have the right mindset.  There are a lot of single travelers in Vegas for conferences and work, so you will not feel out of place going solo. In my circle of friends and co-workers, I have become known as the Vegas expert and the go-to for advice on hotels, restaurants and entertainment.

In upcoming posts I will focus on activities in Vegas for the solo traveler, but I wanted to start with one of my favorite forms of entertainment:  Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas.  I will rank them from least to most favorite.

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