"The Ultimate Jet Lag Adviser"

We're headed to Hawaii this week so I tried out the British Airways Jet Lag Adviser. It bills itself as "The Ultimate Jet Lag Adviser," but I wasn't super impressed...maybe it works better for longer trips?

Your Priceless Surprise Awaits

I recently spent one of the more boring evenings of my life filling out index cards with Austin. Remember back in the day, before the internet, when you could mail in stuff and see if you had won prizes? Well, those happy days are back. Apparently IHG was running a promotion where you could stay at an IHG hotel, pay with a MasterCard, and then receive a random amount of points as a reward. Alternatively, you could mail in a handwritten (per the rules) index card with your name, address, phone number, email, IHG Club member number, first six digits of a MasterCard you owned, and your date of birth and receive the random amount of points. 

So we sat there furiously filling out cards and I think we got to around 30 each before we got insanely bored. Then we had to mail in our cards (but we could used printed envelopes!) and wait for an email from IHG. I've never been much for gambling, but this was a fun email. I got 30+ links to this little game where you click on stuff and the amount of points you win pops up: 

Kind of like a slot machine! Austin didn't submit as many index cards with his name on them, (slower writer I guess), so he got less links and won a total of 17,500 points. I won (earned?) 37,000 points. To put that into perspective, we can stay the night in Boise on the way to Austin's parents' house for 5000 points, or stay a night at a two bedroom IHG condo near Disneyworld later this year for 35,000 points. Not bad for a boring evening and around 35 dollars in stamps and supplies.

Hyatt Centric Park City Review

To start off, I was confused as we followed the signs to get here. They all said "Hyatt Escala Lodge," and I thought we were staying at the Hyatt Centric. Apparently they are in the middle of rebranding themselves, so they are one and the same. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the new name, just because it makes me think of a sleek, modern hotel in a hopping part of the city. I thought the old lodge name fit better, because the hotel really had a "lodge tucked up in the mountains" feel.

Anyway, we got upgraded to a one bedroom suite, which is always a nice way to start your stay. A bathroom for each of us! Also a gigantic dining room table, living room, and a kitchen nicer than mine. What to do with all that room? Without our kids with us the space kind of felt wasted.

Of course, one of the most important things I check out in a hotel room is the bathtub situation. The bathrooms were beautiful, and the presence of a 6-foot jetted tub meant I had to try it out, although I had to stay up past 1 a.m. to do it. I have no regrets. The sleep situation was helped by our afternoon nap on the very comfy bed. (The fireplace in the bedroom was a nice, cozy touch.)

We got into Park City for the evening by taking the hotel shuttle. It drops you off at the bottom of Main Street, pretty straightforward. I was skeptical of Austin's plan to get us back, but it actually didn't take us much longer than an Uber would have! After our movie, around 11:30, we took a few Sundance shuttles from our theater to get to the 7-11 at the bottom of the hill below our hotel. Then Austin called the hotel and they sent someone down to get us in the Hyatt van. Voila!

Breakfast the next morning was nice, nothing out of the ordinary. Austin likes his omelet bar but nothing made me miss my usual oatmeal. Kind of fun to see the ski lift outside while we ate, it made me wish I was more into skiing!

The only other hotel we've stayed at in Park City before is the Waldorf Astoria. I actually liked the Hyatt Centric better...it wasn't as grand, but it felt warmer and more comfortable in terms of the color scheme and decor. Especially in our room, this hotel perfectly honed in on the luxurious ski lodge theme.

Sundance Newbies

For two Sundance newbies, we couldn't have asked for a better weekend. We drove up to Park City, by which point it was raining/sleeting pretty hard. It didn't let up all night, and was snowing in the morning when we left, but that was okay, it just added to the mountain atmosphere.

We grabbed an early supper at this Mexican place, El Chubasco. There are some really nice places to eat up in Park City, and we love to get sushi normally when we go places together, but we're saving for our big trip to Hawaii next week, so we kept it simple.

After trying out the fajitas and salsa bar, we checked out our hotel...the classic picturesque snowy ski lodge. I'll review it in the next post, but we were impressed. And we have stayed in some nice places, so at the risk of sounding like the hotel snobs we are, we're not easily impressed.

We caught a quick nap in anticipation of a long night...we're not as young as we once were, and can't stay up til all hours like we used to without a little help. Then we took the hotel shuttle into downtown Park City to check out the scene. We wandered up and down Main Street with the crowd. Although fun, it was also dark, wet, and cold, so we popped into a couple places to warm up. A bookshop/chocolate shop for some hot chocolate and treats for later, and an art gallery to check out some amazing nature photos.

Thanks to the impressive volunteers and well-run shuttle system, we easily found the shuttle to our theater and got in line about an hour before the film started. Although incredibly bored waiting around, we were pleasantly surprised to find a giant tent for us to stand in. Austin says next year he's bringing a tripod to sit on.

           
   

                         Giant tent starts filling up with people

We'll make great old people. 

The movie (The Hollars) was, well, moving. I don't expect much from movies, generally speaking...I'm more of a book person. But as the movie explored messy family relationships, it made you examine your own relationships and experiences and see them in the light of what's happening in the movie. We laughed and cried in about equal proportions the entire movie, so I'm not sure how they're going to market it for film goers...(Apparently it just got bought by Sony).

One funny moment from the Q and A with Jim Krasinski after the film...an audience member got called on and went on about how the film touched him and reminded him of when his father was in the hospital dying and...he heard Jim Krasinski liked basketball. Would Jim read his screenplay about a basketball story? Cue a collective groan from the audience.

The volunteers were trying to clear people out of the theater quickly, so we just got a picture and took off for our personal after-party back at the hotel. This included snacks, a nice steam shower for congested Austin and a bath in the jetted tub for me (couldn't resist trying that sucker out). We made it to bed a little after 1 a.m., so about as wild as it gets for us. It was a fun night.  

Mingling with the Stars

This weekend we are off to mingle with the stars! I probably wouldn't recognize most Hollywood stars if I stared at them on a bus for an hour, but the mere thought of being around famous people is exciting. (And intimidating. What to wear? Only the rich and famous can afford the luxury of looking like they don't care.)  

Austin and I are going to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, where thanks to a friend of a friend, we will be attending the premier of "The Hollars" a dramady which I expect will eventually make it to the big screen. I'm excited because John Krasinski directed it and stars in it, and I thought he was great in "The Office." (Who didn't?) Anna Kendrick also stars in it--also a fan--and it just seems fun to be at the same screening as them and soak in the star-studded ambiance. 

We are staying at the Hyatt Centric Park City for 15,000 points. We transferred Chase Ultimate Reward Points which were earned from the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. The room would have cost $718 at the time when we booked the room. Hoping for a fabulous Friday night! 

Trip Idea: Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown

Back in our wilder days...

Back in 2010 we went on an epic trip, which included Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. I particularly remember this trip as being the first couple's vacation Austin talked me into; we went with Austin's colleague from work and his wife. Austin has always been more interested in the concept of making couple friends than I have, but I'm not anti-social, I'm just realistic. Let's face it, couple friends are the elusive Holy Grail of adult life. Getting four people to all like each other enough to want to hang out on a regular basis? Good luck. 

All things considered, this was a very nice couple, and we had some nice dinners and outings together, but relaxing on vacation and being on point socially are not mutually compatible in my mind and probably never will be. 

However, as far as Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown go, I would definitely revisit that experience. I love wandering around historical sites reading little plaques, and although Austin is not big on educational travel, I seem to recall that he enjoyed it as well and found it interesting. So if you're like us and sometimes have a hard time deciding where to go for vacation, check it out. We went in April and the weather was great, but fall is a great time to do a New England trip as well. 

Good Spontaneous, Bad Spontaneous

We all want to be the cool, spontaneous traveler who likes to pop into local dives and try their unique food, or dance in an unexpected monsoon. However, a seasoned traveler knows the difference between good spontaneous and bad spontaneous.

Example 1: Bob and Betty wake up in Kauai, and decide spontaneously that they want to go kayaking. They drive an hour to the Wailua River to spend a day on the water. Unfortunately, they slept in, the 6 permitted self-rental kayaks per kayak place are gone, and they didn't book a guided tour, so they end up wandering around town and eating some dry burgers before driving back to their resort, having wasted the best part of the day. This is Bad Spontaneous.

Example 2: Bob and Betty have booked a self-rental kayak in Kauai, and have decided to leave for their kayaking trip early in the morning, as they have read that the crowds are thinner and the kayaking better then. Before they drive up to the Wailua River, they grab a delicious picnic lunch at a local deli so they won't starve while kayaking. They pick up their reserved kayak, hit the river, and after paddling for a while, decide to spontaneously jump into the river while they're kayaking. This is Good Spontaneous. (Also part of our upcoming itinerary).
 
I enjoy having a framework and being spontaneous within that. Trying to make decisions about what to do and where to go eat while we are stressed and starving never ends well for us, so below I've shown our itinerary. I do have a short list of places that sound good to eat, (I hate wasting money on bad food) but food plans and the next day's schedule usually get finalized the night before.

Proposed Kauai Itinerary:

Thursday:
Get in late, explore resort pools and hot tub.
Friday:
Snorkeling, check out other beaches, beach walks by hotel, nap, relaxing in Hawaii, sushi supper, evening luau at Smith's. (Show only).
Saturday:
Kayaking and lunch on the Wailua River
Resort in afternoon ?
Sunday:
Sunday drive to explore island and hiking--Austin still has to pick one--Honopu Ridge, Nualolo, Waimea Canyon, Blue Hole
Monday:
Snorkeling, hit the beach before plane leaves at 12.

Austin: Kauai for $11.20

A post by Austin today!

"Next month Anona and I are going to Kauai! I’m a little unsure about Kauai, I’ve only been there once before, and wasn’t super impressed. When I was in Kauai, I was by myself, and stayed at a Courtyard by the airport. It didn't exactly compare to a couple’s vacation at the Andaz in Maui. 

                                    Courtyard in Kauai                                        Andaz in Maui

  

Next month when we go, we’ll be staying at the Grand Hyatt Kauai on the (hopefully) sunny south side. 

This is how we are paying for the trip (total for two people):

Flight there: SLC-HNL-LIH (on Delta/Hawaiian) – 48,640 Citi Thank You Points

Rental Car: (4 days) – 12,196 Citi Thank You Points

Lodging: Grand Hyatt Kauai (4 nights) – 50,000 points and two free night certificates
Flight back: LIH-SAN-SLC (on Alaska Air) – 32,500 American Airline Miles (with AA Aviator card we get 10% of our AA miles rebated up to 10,000 in miles rebated a year)  plus $11.20.

We got the Thank You points by each signing up for the Citi Thank You Premier card (50,000 points per person). The card requires $3,000 in spend in the first three months. For spending $3,000, you get 53,000 points, or about $530 in points if used for travel. So by both applying, we ended up with over $1,000 in points. The nice thing about using Thank You points for flights is that it’s a paid ticket, so we’ll both earn miles for the flights, and medallion qualifying miles that go towards maintaining my Delta Platinum status. Status isn’t really all it’s cracked up to be anymore. Unless you are Diamond with Delta, getting upgrades is rather infrequent. But I do enjoy Comfort + seats, and the (normally futile) hope of getting an upgrade.

The Hyatt stay is compliments of one of us signing up for the Chase Hyatt card and getting two free night certificates after spending $1,000 in three months. The card also came with 5,000 bonus points and a $50 statement credit. The remaining 45,000 points came from our stash of Ultimate Reward points (from the Chase Sapphire and Chase Ink cards). I’ve been Diamond with Hyatt for the last few years, but didn’t travel quite enough in 2015 to maintain the status. If you have Hyatt status, it lasts through February of the next year, so we’ll get free breakfast in the club on this trip which should cut down a bit on the food costs.

The flight home is from the amazing 100,000 Citi Executive American Airline offer from 2014. Anona and I were able to get that card three times each, so we’re still sitting on quite a few American Airline miles. I hope to plan an epic trip to the South Pacific before March 22, 2016 when the miles get devalued. We both have an AA Aviator card from Barclay’s that gives us 10,000 miles on our card anniversary each year and rebates us 10% of any miles used each year (up to 10,000 miles per AA account). So the 35,000 mile cost for two people one-way from Hawaii to the mainland gets reduced to 32,500 miles after the rebate.

All in all, our four day vacation will cost us 32,500 AA miles, 50,000 Hyatt points, two Hyatt free night certificates, 60,836 Citi Thank You Points, and $11.20. Of course, activities while on the island and eating out for four days will cost money, but most of the trip is being paid for with credit card sign up bonuses. Cash flight costs when I booked in November were about $600 roundtrip per person and the hotel we’re staying at was about $500 a night. The rental car was about $122. To save us a total of $3,322, we are using points and $11."

Travel Spouse Confession: I hate calling credit card companies

If you are married to a travel hacker, this sort of request will sound familiar: "Hey, I need you to call about your credit card. The annual fee is about to hit."

Not a big deal to make a call, right? It's a small price to pay for all those free trips all over the world. And yet...I whine. I whine and I whine about making these 5 minute calls, and if Austin could impersonate a woman's voice to any convincing degree, he would probably just call for me so he wouldn't have to listen to me whine anymore. I know I should buck up and do my part with good grace, but I confess: I hate calling credit card companies.

Let me try and persuade you though--my hatred is not without basis! A couple of times on calls, I have literally been running around the house with 3 crying children trailing after me, all while trying to remember random personal information. Most of the time though, I simply hate these calls because I don't know what I'm going to be asked, and I hate sounding stupid.

Maybe I should stop telling Austin to fill out my credit card applications for me, as this leads to problems. For example, I know the name of my first pet, but what would Austin have put down as the name of my first pet? And my on-the-spot guess is always wrong.

One time I called to cancel a credit card and couldn't remember the password on the account. My mystery question was: "A favorite vacation place." For some reason, perhaps the accent and fast talking, I thought the question was "A favorite vacation place you went to as a child." Uhhhh...my family didn't really do a "vacation place." Unless you count working on my grandparents' farm in Wyoming in the summers. Which I guessed, by the way. I got several helpful hints from the polite Indian man, who was probably repeatedly smacking his forehead in frustration. "It's a state." "It starts with the letter 'H.'" Me: uuuhhhhhhmmmm. Gentle readers, do you know how many states start with the letter 'H?'" Yeah. One. 

And...that's basically my calling experiences in a nutshell. Hopefully I've persuaded you that I'm not as spoiled and selfish as my confession makes me seem, but no matter how unwarranted you think it may be, I will continue to whine about calling credit card companies.  

Making the Cut

It's a good thing there's no weight limit for carry-on luggage, otherwise I would always be over. My bag is always stuffed with books! Yes, I know about the wonders of modern devices. I do bring my Nook with ebooks on it, but then I always find lots of interesting books from the library that I want to bring, so I end up lugging pounds and pounds of paper around with me.

Writing about carry-on luggage reminds me of our trip to Yosemite in 2012. I brought a duffel bag with some camping gear in it, and was sitting at the gate doing--what else--reading. I was startled when a gate agent came over. "I'll need to take your bag and see if it fits in the sizer," she said.

Maybe she was bored? I had never been asked this before, (or since). I have issues with petty bureaucrats, their love of power, and their penchant for wielding it in inane ways, so I wasn't too thrilled. (Although I do recognize that it was fully within the scope of her job to measure my luggage.) I'm just saying, I wan't happy. I coolly acquiesced, going back to my book. Ha! See, I'm so confident about my luggage fitting that I won't even watch you measure it! (Me internally: Yikes, I hope it fits!) Fortunately, while my duffel bag looks large, it's never stuffed all the way full.

When the agent got back I casually glanced up. "Did it fit?" "Yes, it was fine," she curtly replied. Ha ha! Knew it! Good thing I didn't bring too many books on that trip. Sharing a tiny tent with a whiny husband doesn't lend itself to staying up late reading.

Unlike Yosemite, on this upcoming trip to Kauai I plan on doing lots of reading. This is my initial vacation reads list; I just have to see if my library holds are ready by the time we leave.

The Big Year -by Mark Obmascik

Their Fractured Light  -by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Something by Georgette Heyer (I have most of her books on my nook).

Something by Alexander McCall Smith (I'll see what the library has when the trip's closer).

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry -by Rachel Joyce

Something Terry Pratchett (I'll see what the library has when the trip's closer).

Come, Tell Me How You Live. -Agatha Christie

Midnight Riot -by Ben Aaronovitch

Cinder -by Marissa Meyer

Hopefully that will be enough to get me through the week!

Hazards of the Lifestyle

As anyone who is married to a travel hacker knows, this pastime involves lots of churning of credit cards. In fact, you may start to wonder if cards are breeding in the dusty corners of your office.

(Churning = Getting a card with great benefits or bonuses, using it until you spend enough to meet the requirements to get the benefits, then canceling it before you get hit with fees.) 

Other things that people married to travel hackers know:

-You can expect your spouse to own multiple wallets to hold all their cards, leading to the frequent odd question: "Have you seen my wallets?"

-You will grow used to stashes of credit and gift cards popping up in various nooks and crannies in your house, including but not limited to the underwear drawer.

-Expect frequent requests at very inconvenient times to find "One of your three American Express cards that all look exactly the same," or something along those lines.

-At times you may feel like your spouse has lost their mind--for example, when they tell you they really need to buy hundreds of dollars worth of 1-800-Flowers gift cards.

Generally, you should be fairly organized in order to keep track of what you're doing with all these cards for travel hacking. I was flipping through my journal the other night and found this gem: "Austin lost 4000 dollars worth of gift cards he bought to pay for his government stays in hotels!!" Yikes. We never did find them, but it was the first time I deep-cleaned my house after having baby #3, so there was that. We think the cards may have gotten accidentally recycled, but I guess we'll have to wait until the next life to find out for sure.

Fortunately the Lost Gift Card episode ended well, with Hyatt agreeing to replace them, and valuable lessons learned for the future. It just goes to show the hazards of this lifestyle, though.

Cheating on Maui

It's a new year and a new adventure waiting for us! Next month, we are using our miles and points to visit the island of Kauai in Hawaii. This island hasn't really been on my radar. In order to even write this post I had to google Kauai to make sure I was spelling it right.

My favorite place to go in Hawaii is Maui. (Sorry Kawai..Kuai...Kuaui...Kauai)

I especially like staying at the various posh resorts in Wailea with Austin. The perfectly manicured landscaping and rich, tan, retired people jogging around give this part of Maui a definite air of paradise. Someday we too could be old, sun-wrinkled, and supremely happy...something to aspire to, right?

In Wailea, for one week, we live the good life. We sleep in the plushest of beds, swim (or read books, in my case) at the loveliest of beaches, eat the most gourmet of breakfasts, and view the most stunning sunsets. And usually for free with points! For suppers, we'll drive into town and mingle with the lowly plebeians of the more down-to-earth Kihei, before retreating back to our citadel of poshness. We've got a good thing going, and I'm not quite sure if we should be turning our backs on Maui to give Kauai a try.

Who knows though? Maybe it'll become our new favorite. I'm going to the library today to get some guidebooks and see what awaits us.

Despite my uncertainty, it's a done deal by this point. We'll be in Hawaii over a busy weekend for travel, Valentine's Day, so it was much easier to use our points to book a place on the less-frequented island of Kauai. However, with weather in the teens and everything coated in icy snow, the thought of going to Hawaii, even if it's the question mark island of Kauai, is giving me the strength to get through the winter. Good-bye Maui, we'll come back to you eventually!