Weekend Blitz

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our honeymoon in the Maldives!!!

I just received this in the mail from AMEX:

Get an additional 4x the points per dollar spent at all MGM Resort in Las Vegas between Nov 25, 2013 and Feb 27, 2014. Offer valid at the following resorts: Bellagio, Aria Resort & Casino, Vdara, Mandarin Oriental, The Mirage, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Signature at MGM Grand, Monte Carlo Hotel, Excalibur, New York New York, Circus Circus.

I took my first train trip on Amtrak’s Acela a few weeks ago from Washington, DC Union Station (WAS) to New York Penn Station (NYP). Because I had a First class ticket (Acela only has either Business Class & First Class), I was able to check out the ClubAcela lounge in Washington while I was waiting for my train.

You’ll need to present some credentials to make it past the doors to the luxury that lies beyond. Here are the ways to get into the Lounge:

Just a few short days until our honeymoon! Here’s a brief overview of where we’re headed and how we’re getting there:

Our 24,606 mile trip will take us to 10 countries (including connections) over 16 days:

Part 1 -New York

We’ll fly from Charleston-JFK to New York-JFK  on Delta…

…and spend 1 night in the city to get our fill of the Christmas spirit.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Part 2 – Bali, Indonesia

Our award ticket starts in New York as we fly out of New York-LGA and, appx 33 hours later, land in Denpasar, [...]

Both Starwood and Hyatt promise “guaranteed room availability” for their top tier elites. I was forced to put this to the test on a recent business trip to Charlotte where I already had a few nights booked but needed to add an extra night on the front end of the stay. As a result of the conference and a Monday Night Football game downtown (thanks for nothing, Carolina Panthers), ALL Starwood and Hyatt properties in ALL of the Charlotte area (yes, including those 20+ miles from Downtown) were sold out.

The official policy at Starwood is “guaranteed room availability when your room is booked by 3 p.m., 72+ hours prior to arrival” with the [...]

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 [...]