1girlwhotravels

My kind of town Chicago

1girlwhotravels Destination ideas March 24, 2016March 24, 2016 2 Comments

This past weekend I had the pleasure of hosting on my old college roommates for a weekend visit. I love having visitors as it is always a good reminder to enjoy all that Chicago has to offer. Every town regardless of how big or small has something unique to offer that is worth a visit. Trust me I grew up in a very small town yet we always managed to entertain our visitors.

So when you are leaving the O’Hare airport you can find several signs that say “Welcome to Chicago. We are glad you are here”. You could feel the midwestern love embracing you to hit the town. While my visitor has been to Chicago before there is also something you might have missed or new exhibit to check out.

We found just the perfect thing for a Saturday afternoon. A classic The Field Museum which had just opened a special exhibit a few weeks ago on China’s First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors. It was spectacular! Although be warned; you might leave the museum anxious to book that flight to China you have been dreaming about.

We had a lovely sunset cocktail at the John Hancock 96th floor lounge with a stunning view of the city and of course dinner with the traditional Chicago deep dish pizza at Gino’s East.

It was a perfect itinerary for our day and all of the places we visited were amazing. Yet all destinations had a common problem. Waiting in long lines! We waited for over 2.5 hours in total on Saturday; regardless of our advance planning to pre-order museum tickets and establish dinner reservations. Chicago disappointed me with it’s inability to accommodate basic tourism obligations. Come on Chicago get yourself together and show the world who you truly are…you are better than that! After all; you are my kind of town Chicago.

Seek your adventure!

How to plan for any trip (Part 2)…final countdown

1girlwhotravels Airlines, Flights, Hotels, How to, In the suitcase March 17, 2016March 7, 2017 1 Comment

So last week we started planning for a trip by sketching out an itinerary. Here are some additional planning steps to consider for your trip and suggested timeline. Let’s start by setting a countdown clock and get excited about your trip!

Two months before the trip:

Check your passport expiration date as most countries require it is valid 6 months from your arrival date. In addition confirm that you have at least 2-3 blank pages for immigration stamps which is required in most countries. Don’t be that guy who gets put on the first flight home because you don’t have a valid passport; this is sadly a true story.
Check state.gov for any travel visa requirements or entry/exit taxes.
Review the CDC website for any potential vaccinations or immunization requirements. If you are uncertain of anything call your local travel clinic.
Review the exchange rate trends for the last 3 months for any foreign currency needs. I utilize xe.com website or download their app. Unless the exchange rate is drastically changing daily or weekly I generally never pre-order foreign currency before my trip. The best exchange rate you will get is to utilize your credit card but first confirm the credit card has no foreign transaction fees. The second best rate is withdrawing cash from a local ATM once you arrive. Unless you are desperate never purchase currency at the airport because they give you a crappy rate and usually charge an additional fee. Don’t even ask me about traveller’s check; we have moved on from the 1970’s folks.

P1010332 — Directions from Cape of Good Hope

One month before the trip:

Review the logistics of your daily sketched out itinerary. Look at a map. Are all of these places you want to visit nearby? Remember to check out the app Tripso.
Is there anything you can book in advance? For example: Pearl Harbor tickets are free to all visitors but there is a limited quantity and generally should be booked 30+ days in advance. I waited too late so I ended up on a tour in order to get transport and admission ticket.
Review your wardrobe for key essentials travel items: walking shoes, swim suit, etc. Go shopping to update essential items if necessary or perhaps treat yourself to something new.

Two weeks before the trip:

Review your selected assigned seat
Review hotel reservations and search to see if prices dropped if necessary make a new reservation/cancel previous. For example just before my trip last November my hotel and car rental combination package dropped over $200; that is a lot of pina coladas!
Do you know how you are getting from the airport to the hotel?
Check the weather forecast before you start pulling out the items pack your suitcase
Identify travel reading material, download movies, etc
Notify your bank and credit card companies that you are traveling especially international travel
Confirm exchange rates on xe.com

Two days before:

Confirm your summary itinerary in the Worldmate app has all your details and print a hard copy of your itinerary with all of your confirmation numbers.
Confirm your seat assignments. I know I am obsessed by this but those without seat assignments on an oversold flight are the first to get bumped off. Besides who wants to sit in the middle seat?
Start trimming down your packing items based on weather forecast. Will you actually wear that dress?
Ensure you have your passport in your carryon bag! Don’t be that guy who puts the passport in checked luggage.

One day before:

Check in online when the 24 hour advance window opens
Put all your items into packing cubes and load the suitcase
Try to get some sleep
For international travel – no caffeine or junk food. This is step 1 in my jet lag remedy we will cover in another post!

Just remember regardless of how much planning you do that we have no control over the weather.

Seek your adventure!

How to plan for any trip (Part 1)

1girlwhotravels Airlines, Cruises, Hotels, How to, In the suitcase March 10, 2016March 7, 2017 3 Comments

4-1

So here I am in the final stages of getting ready for my trip in 5-6 weeks to Romania and Bulgaria. We have already booked our international flights, local flights, all hotels, and several private day tours. Yet somehow I feel like I am missing something?

How do you plan for a big trip?

Checklist

Book your domestic flights minimum 57 days advance and international flights minimum 171 days advance for the best price; here is my detailed process for booking a flight then immediately after I select a seat.
Reserve hotels within 1-2 weeks after flights are booked. Now keep in mind this may not be the place I end up staying at but I do want to ensure I have a place to sleep that meets most of my hotel requirements for this journey.
Confirm my annual travel insurance policy will be active and cover the duration of my trip.

Now for the fun of trying to short list all the amazing places I want to visit on this trip. I love this part of travel planning when you get down to the details of roughed out daily itinerary. There will always be more places to visit than time allows.

So let me be clear about my general approach; I want to get a general idea of major highlights for the trip so that I can appropriately prioritize and arrange necessary transport. I generally assume one morning event and 1 – 2 afternoon events. I will never be militant about the schedule planning down to the minute of at 8:00 breakfast and at 8:35 leave to visit the castle. No way dude we are on vacation after all : ) However I also don’t want to get home and a week later find out that I was 5 miles away from the most amazing historic UNESCO village. UGH!

So the key word here folks is balance a little organized structure and plenty of time to sit in the cafe to watch the world go by.

Get your travel guide book of choice and start reading about where you are going.
Check out the country, state or city local website for major attractions or upcoming events
Look at tour company travel itineraries to get an idea of what might be possible in your timeline.
Get inspired by the UNESCO heritage list. There are some amazing places on their list!
Check out National Geographic or BBC Travel
Get an idea of local tours on viator.com
Ask your friends if they have been there : )

Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria sketched out plans

Hurray you have finished the majority of your trip planning! You have a sketched out travel itinerary and hopefully identified a place to sleep each night. Update your calendar and set a countdown to your travel date with any of the free apps available.

In the next post we will review a detailed planning checklist for weekly count down to the travel date!

Seek your adventure!

“In my mind I’m gone to Carolina”

1girlwhotravels Destination ideas, Trip report March 2, 2016March 7, 2017 2 Comments

This past weekend I had my first visit to South Carolina in the lovely historic city of Charleston. While James Taylor wrote the song “Carolina In My Mind” dreaming of his years growing up in North Carolina this week I find myself singing the tune in my head.

Charleston provides the quintessential historic city in the South. In 1860 Charleston had the 4th busiest port in the country, some of wealthiest people in the US and host to the Democratic Convention. The gorgeous Georgian houses including the largest cluster in the country with Rainbow Row. One of the oldest plantations Magnolia Plantation established in 1676 with single family ownership. In addition Magnolia Plantation is proudly the oldest public gardens in the country.

Admire the scenery of the historic architecture with sweeping live oak trees yet be mindful to:

Appreciate a simpler time with slower pace of life

Enjoy a walk down the old stone cobbled streets.

Taste the delicious southern dishes in many of the gourmet restaurants.

Breathe in the fresh air and listen to the peaceful melody from the morning birds.

Savor the charm of southern hospitality.

Take a moment to stop and smell the magnolias.

Cherish the memories.

For anyone who has been to Charleston this may remind of your visit and may suddenly get the urge to sing the tune along with me. “Can’t you see the sunshine?….”

Seek your adventure!

Airport lounges: How? Where? When?

1girlwhotravels Airports, How to, Lounges February 24, 2016 0 Comment

Dec 2015: ANA Lounge – Narita Airport Tokyo

Here you are at the airport looking for a place to sit and perhaps have a snack. Let’s step away from all the airport hustle and bustle and take some time to relax in a comfy seat.

How do you get lounge access?

You can get lounge access based on your ticket class, frequent flier status, credit cards or you can simply pay for a day pass. Lounge Buddy is an amazing app that I have loaded on my phone to check out my lounge access. It is easy to utilize based on your specific status, credit card and itinerary.

Domestic carriers do not provide any lounge access for first class domestic travel. I fail to understand the logic of this when you take in consideration New York to Honolulu nonstop travel time is 11.5 hours versus New York to Dublin nonstop travel time is a mere 6.5 hours.

Where do I find lounge reviews?

Lounges very diversely in amenities from the basic coffee and cookie with a somewhat comfortable seat; all the way to gourmet dining with plush comfortable lounge chairs. You can get a review similar to trip advisor specific to lounges at loungereview.com to get started. However if you are looking for reviews on a specific lounge I recommend checking out boardingarea.com which has independent travel blogger reviews to many different lounges.

When should I use a one time visit pass?

I save my one time passes to utilize at lounges outside of the US because the benefits are typically much more generous. However for domestic travel; I would utilize them for long layovers or your flight gets delayed. Keep in mind that lounges typically have airline agents available that are usually very accommodating to help with travel issues.

Last year I was waiting for a flight from Chicago to Washington DC yet my flight was continuously getting delayed and I wanted to get on the standby list for an earlier flight. In order to add yourself to a standby list you must speak with an agent in person or on the phone. Given the storms on the east coast causing the delays the phone call wait time was over 1 hour; yet a short walk up to the desk in the lounge and magic. I am on the standby list and actually better yet the agent booked me a seat as the flight was boarding soon. By the way, my original flight was cancelled after 5 hours of delays.

Lounge etiquette

Lastly let’s talk briefly about appropriate lounge etiquette. It saddens me that this is not common sense but alas here we are my friends. The lounge is similar to relaxing in a friends living room. Don’t put your feet on the couch; it does not belong to you. Be considerate of your fellow lounge neighbors; trust me that nobody wants to hear every detail of your day or witness a FaceTime call with your family. Your personal life should be just that; remember you are in a public space. There are usually business office spaces or private rooms for anyone looking to have a long personal chat. In the event that you are traveling with children please ensure your children are not running around the lounge or playing with their iPad at full volume. Be comfortable but be respectful!

What would you pay for an upgrade?

1girlwhotravels Airlines, Airplanes, Flights February 18, 2016 0 Comment

Ahh I remember the days when I had elevated status and if the stars aligned I would get a bump into business class. However with elevated status I would on a recurring basis get the free upgrades to economy plus along with any of my travel companions.

Here is a quick review of what the major domestic carriers provide with each status tier American Elite, Delta Medallion, United Premier. Please if you do have elevated status with any carrier learn about your benefits and don’t forget to utilize your benefits that you worked so hard for! Don’t end up like my friend who recently traveled on a transatlantic flight in economy even though his status allowed him free access to economy plus. He did not know the process to utilize his benefits and found himself squeezed in the standard economy seat for 9 hour flights Chicago to Germany return.

Sadly I currently have no elevated status with any airline carrier. As you may recall from last week’s post “Does loyalty matter anymore?“; I am only loyal to my wallet. But never fear….you can treat yourself to an upgrade or splurge for the whole year with an annual United economy plus subscription.

Here are the primary factors that go into my decision process for consideration when purchasing an upgrade.

How long is the flight?

For any flight under 2.5 hours I would not really consider it unless it was an upgrade to business class or first class at a low price.

What benefits come with the upgrade?

Economy plus generally has early boarding, free checked bags, and sometimes even free cocktails.
Business class generally flights over 2 hours a meal is served, 1st to board, free checked bags, cocktails (even prior to takeoff) and typically special access to movie/entertainment system.

How much is the upgrade?

This is a personal decision for everyone on what you feel comfortable spending. This really comes down to how much you value being comfortable. I typically determine the cost per hour (upgrade price / flight hours) to help me decide. So for example a few weeks ago on our return from Puerto Vallarta to upgrade from economy to first class was $119 for a 4 hour flight which is basically about $30 per hour which included dinner, cocktails and the royal treatment.

I compare that to other hourly rate or luxury services: Chicago downtown parking $18 hour, massage $90 hour, mani/pedi $45, maid service $100 or a round of golf $80.

Hmm which would make me happier….4 hours traveling first class or maid service this month? Well you know who won!

Additional considerations:

Do I have a connecting flight?
Do I need to sleep on this flight? (i.e. red-eye or international)
How much did I spend on the original ticket?

My personal limit is about $40 per hour however the flight duration and benefits included are critical in my decision process. Although somedays I just want to be treated like a princess; on those days even the loyalty to my wallet gets tossed. It is all about me with a glass of champagne!

Seek your adventure!

Does loyalty matter anymore?

1girlwhotravels Airlines February 10, 2016February 11, 2016 3 Comments

So I have only one loyalty when it comes to travel which is simple – my wallet. I have an active frequent mileage account with every major US carrier and many international airlines. I used to have a preferred airline when I travelled for work and lived abroad. My favorite airline was by default the airline my employer had negotiated a discount. However I rarely travel for work these days; so I no longer play favorites. I won’t take a later flight or an extra stop to stay with a preferred carrier. I want the best price, at my ideal time and ideally the best plane with the best seat configuration.

Wow that is complicated. Right? Take for example my last trip to Mexico. I booked a hacker airfare with 2 one way tickets because it had the best price and best times for the dates I wanted. I flew American Airlines via Dallas to Puerto Vallarta; yet I took a non-stop flight home with United Airlines.

The US airline industry has created a new challenge to earn miles based on a calculation of airfare cost, frequent flier status and miles flown. It takes a rocket scientist to determine how many miles you will earn not to mention where you stand on qualifying dollars to get status. Here is an example to help make your head spin.

Don’t get me wrong there are some great perks once you earn status with any of the major airline carriers; upgrades to economy plus, free checked luggage, early boarding, lounge access, no change fee, and etc. In reality so many of these perks you can purchase or are included credit card benefits. So unless you are a road warrior who travels for business on a regular basis the “butt in seat” miles needed to reach the different status levels are simply a pain in the butt.

I am not willing to pay more, add stops, or change my personal schedule to ensure my devotion to any airline carrier. Let us be honest; do you think any airline would return the favor?

My strategy shall remain to keep my loyalty aligned to my wallet.

Seek your adventure!

My essentials for a “flip flop” trip

1girlwhotravels Destination ideas, Trip report February 4, 2016March 7, 2017 3 Comments

This Chicago winter has been very kind to us so far, yet my desire to run for the sun was still there. I just returned from Puerto Vallarta Mexico for my annual “flip flop” trip which is simply defined as anywhere location I can wear flip flops. Ideally I would like to visit a city I have never been to however I am not picky as the goal is to wear flip flops. The one year I skipped my annual “flip flop” trip it was -46F with the windchill factor for several days. Trust me when I say I won’t make that mistake again!

What makes a good “flip flop” trip?

Sunshine – Enjoying some beautiful weather and replenish your Vitamin D by soaking in some sunshine. Of course the weather is something we cannot control; however there are so many websites where you can check the historical temperature of that location to get solid information. I like weatherspark.com because it gives you the weather, humidity, daylight hours, and precipitation.

Al Fresco – I want to have morning coffee on the balcony, breakfast on the patio overlooking the gardens, lunch at the pool and dinner on the beach. The locations are negotiable but I want to be outdoors enjoying the open air.

“Unplugging” – I cherish these few days when I can power off the digital world for 99% of the day! I don’t check personal or work email. I will rarely turn on the TV. There are so many benefits to an unplugged vacation. If you need to stay connected to work while on vacation; please be warned don’t sit next to me or I might accidentally toss your laptop into the pool. Uh Oh! Just enjoy the outdoors and read a good paperback book or magazine. I try to imagine what life would have been like in 1965!

Seek your adventure!

3 unpredictable destinations – Update from Chicago Travel & Adventure show

1girlwhotravels Destination ideas January 27, 2016January 28, 2016 0 Comment

This past weekend I attended the Chicago Travel & Adventure show. I have been to the show several times it remains to have a strong focus on weekend getaways and domestic travel. It is a great event for anyone looking for inspiration on future travel plans yet half the size of the New York Times Travel show in comparison.

My main take aways from the show include:

Oklahoma City: This is an interesting city with an Arts District, Bricktown entertainment & dining, and historic Uptown with eclectic boutiques. I spoke with the representatives from the Oklahoma City booth to discover you could see most of the cities attractions in the downtown area over a weekend without a car. This is going higher on my wish list and as the song goes “Oklahoma is the place to be…”.

French Lick Resort: Did you know there is a National Historical Landmark European hotel resort and spa in Indiana? Wait scratch that….there are actually 2 hotels only 1 mile apart! Visitors were first drawn to this spa for it’s mineral waters starting back in 1855. The list of awards for these hotels, their spas and golf courses is longer than the mile between them. In 2015 it received the Best Historic Resort in USA Today Reader’s Choice Awards. I can hardly wait to check this place out!

Colombia: This country has been listed on several 2016 top destination list from and I can see why. Did you know that within the country of Colombia you have the Amazon, Andes mountains, Pacific Coast and Caribbean Coast? It is home to many UNESCO sites including the walled city of Cartagena which looks absolutely spectacular. I am looking forward to exploring and drinking some of the best coffee in the world.

Seek your adventure!

Prepare for New York!

1girlwhotravels Destination ideas, How to January 20, 2016March 7, 2017 2 Comments

One of my favorite things about New York is that every trip is different because there are so many amazing places to check out. However chances are the cool places to see, visit and eat that are on your wish list are probably on many other visitors or locals as well. This last trip earlier this month was all about the travel show and catching up with friends over a good meal.

So my biggest advice for New York is prepare your “must have” list in advance and make a booking. One of my long time friends this week was looking for advice on a special birthday gift while visiting New York. I personally think spending your birthday traveling is the best idea ever! So if you are looking for gift ideas for me or anyone else who loves travel there are many options including airline gift certificates, hotel gift certificates, or Viator offers day tours in many global locations. “Actually the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures…” Lewis Carroll

Right, so back to preparing for New York. I historically have organized tickets in advance for the following type of events which can be pre-purchased with an electronic ticket. You will need to check the details about who needs to be present if you are going to buy for a gift.

1. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are part of the National Park Service but you need to purchase a ferry ticket for the transport. In the summer time lines can be hours long so definitely book ahead!

2. September 11th Memorial & Museum you can purchase tickets up to 3 months in advance. While they were building the museum I had registered for free tickets to visit the Memorial park which was worth it. Access to the park is now accessible to anyone without a ticket but the museum on weekends can still be a hot ticket.

3. Empire State Building is infamous for having a very long wait. It was not until October of last year that I finally made it to the top of Empire State Building because there was no line dragging around the outside of the building. There are options to purchase advance tickets including a VIP tickets that allows to you go straight to the elevators with no waiting.

4. There are many city bus tours that offer hop-on and hop-off service ticket valid for multiple days and routes. Check out the options in advance and when I booked in advance there was a significant savings. Just google it and you will find many options to choose from.

5. Friday night and Saturday night dinner – New York restaurants are generally very small so seating capacity for one evening is limited. Sure there is always another restaurant you could go to but if you are only in New York for a few days make sure you go where you want to go! I usually start by googling “best New York Indian restaurants” or any cuisine. It will come up with a number of articles and I read the reviews to narrow my choices. Look at the restaurant website and menu. Then search opentable.com or email/call the restaurant directly to see if there are any free tables. My last visit we had an amazing Italian dinner Friday night at Tavola and then Saturday night we had an incredible Indian dinner at Dhaba.

One last tip for today. You don’t have to plan ahead for this one other than perhaps a short wait in line. On my last visit my favorite bagel place has gotten crazy busy with a line almost out the door. I highly recommend a small shop called Best Bagel & Coffee on 35th between 7th and 8th. There are only about 10 seats in the place so you will probably need to take it to go but it is so worth it!

By the way, if you have never heard me say it before “I love New York” just ask my 5 year old niece. She has heard me say it so many times she declared me Queen of New York : )

Seek your adventure!

One Girl Who Travels

Author: 1girlwhotravels

My kind of town Chicago

How to plan for any trip (Part 2)…final countdown

How to plan for any trip (Part 1)

“In my mind I’m gone to Carolina”

Airport lounges: How? Where? When?

What would you pay for an upgrade?

Does loyalty matter anymore?

My essentials for a “flip flop” trip

3 unpredictable destinations – Update from Chicago Travel & Adventure show

Prepare for New York!