Weekend Blitz

Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead – Hyatt Category 5 3300 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30305 Award Redemption: 12,000 pts Normal rate: Varies b/t $206-$329, average around $296 Hyatt Gold Passport points return: 1.72 – 2.67 cents/points = average return

The hotel has a rather grand entrance (quite fitting, no?), with a pull-through valet area situated pretty far back on the lot, getting you away from busy Peachtree Road. The valet will charge $32/night to park it for you; alternatively, you can leave the car with them for 15-30 mins and then park it yourself in Hyatt garage for $20/night. To access the garage, you’ll have to cross the [...]

201 E Main St, Charlottesville, VA Latin American $$$ – Entrees $19-27

We were in Charlottesville not so long ago and really loved exploring the area. The city, like Charleston, has plenty of historical sites and also a fun, “hip” scene, too. We spent a lot of time window shopping along the Downtown Mall, and decided there was no better place to have dinner than there.

Zocalo is located right on the main pedestrian street with a huge outdoor patio. Fall is the perfect time for the patio so we waited a few minutes for a table then sat right down for some people watching.

One look at the menu, and Jeffrey and I [...]

3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montreal, QC $-$$ – Appx 15 CAD for 2 people. Sandwiches/Subs, Eastern European, Delicatessen

Without fail, everything we read pointed us to Schwartz’s Deli, as the must-try restaurant in Montreal. Sure enough, when we walked up to the deli, the line was wrapped along the outside of the building, but moved surprisingly fast – we were seated in less than 10 minutes. So, don’t let that long line fool you into giving up.

We got lucky and were seated at the only two-seater table, in the very back of the restaurant. Every other table in the small restaurant sat eight people, and different sized parties were suddenly eating [...]

8787 N. Scottsdale Rd – Ste 228, Scottsdale, AZ $ – Lunch $8-12 French cafe fare/Crepes

Situated in an upscale shopping center, Chez Vous immediately starts off on the right foot with plenty of outdoor seating–really giving it that  Parisian cafe feel.

On the menu, you’ll find about a dozen different crepes–their specialty–and a good selection of traditional French sandwiches, salads and quiches.

Not a big fan of crepes, I jumped on the [highlight color=”grey/color”]NORMANDIE SALAD ($10.25)[/highlight]. The salad is described as having “baguette medallions covered with warm chèvre, atop mixed [...]

48 Elizabeth Street $10 admission fee Open daily until 5pm, last tour departs at 4:15pm.

Jeffrey lived less than a block away from the Aiken Rhett House last year. For a whole year. A whole year! Everytime we’d walk past it, we’d talk about going inside. This gigantic mansion on such a tiny lot (better known as an Urban Plantation) always captivated us — but I guess not so much that we toured it during the whole year he lived down the block.

Finally, a few Sundays ago, we bit the bullet and headed over. You enter in the side of the house, not the front. Once you open the door, you immediately see an exquisite marble double staircase. A [...]

2210 Middle St, Sullivans Island, SC $$ – Burgers, Tacos, Pub Food – $8-11 for entrees

If we’re driving to Sullivan’s for lunch or dinner, Jeffrey and I always vote for Taco Mamacita. But, wanting to try something new, we recently opted for Poe’s Tavern, just across the street. I’d never been, but I’d always heard such great things.

Named in honor of one of Sullivan’s Island’s famous residents, Edgar Allen Poe, Poe’s is a beachy restaurant just steps from the sand – a great place to meet up with friends after work or to fuel up after a long beach day.