Happy New Year!

The Colosseum

Last year my wife and I spent the holidays in Italy.
(I mentioned here why we are at home in NY this year)

For New Years Eve we hung out by the Colosseum in Rome. It was probably one of the best New Years celebrations that I have ever been to. While I don't usually like fireworks, it was pretty amazing seeing the fireworks over the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine.

Crowded Subway Station

The area around the Colosseum was packed. There were vendors selling food and drinks, so we were able to get some beers and prices actually weren't too bad.

We had a great time and got lots of amazing pictures. It is a New Years that we will never forget.

Arch of Constantine

I want to wish everyone a happy & healthy New Year! I hope 2012 bring us all lots of great mileage earning opportunities and lots of travel.

Win A Trip To Miami from Time Out NY

Time Out NY is giving away a trip to

Miami to attend the South Beach Wine & Food Festival

(This contest was listed under New York Offers & Experiences but it does not state that the prize is only valid for residents of NY)

• Win a vacation for two and weekend passes to the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival taking place on February 23-26, 2012.
• Flights and three nights accomodations included
• Tickets to the weekends top foodie events including the Fontainbleu Miami Beach Presents Wine Spectactor's Best of the Best
• Food Network & Cooking Channel present The Best Thing I Ever Ate Late Nite Bites & Sweets

Sign up for Offers & Experiences to Enter to win at Time Out NY Win a Trip to Miami

Airline Mergers & Bankruptcies Interactive Map

USA Today has a very interesting map detailing airline mergers and bankruptcies. It shows how the airline industry has been transformed over the past 33 years.
In the 1970s there were 10 major airlines and it shows that by 2012 there would be only 5. Check it out:

Some Key Dates:

• 1979 Allegheny Airlines becomes US Air
• 1982 Eastern acquire Braniff's South American routes. Braniff shuts down
• 1989 Southwest's annual revenue exceeds $1 billion making it a "major" airline according to the federal government
• 1990 American buys Eastern Air Lines' Latin routes
• 1991 Eastern shuts down. Delta buys Pan Am (shuttle & Atlantic routes). Pan Am shuts down
• 1992 United buys Pan Am's Latin & Caribbean routes
• 2001 American buys TWA, TWA name disappears from flight listings in 2001.
• 2009 Delta buys Northwest, the new airline is named Delta
• 2010 United buys Continental. The Continental name will disappear in 2012
• 2011 American files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to help restructure debts & costs. AA says there will be no disruptions for its fliers.

I wonder what will be with the airline industry for 2012. Maybe we will see more consolidation? Could an AA merger with US Airways be in the plans? Only time will tell.

To see the interactive map, go to USA Today

Priority Club- 1,000 Point Video- Currently Out of Codes

I am currently out of codes for the Priority Club Video. I should be getting some more soon but still have not heard back from my source.

When I get more codes in, I will make a post to the blog.

Japan: 10,000 Free Flights For Foreigners- Not Approved

I post this with great disappointment... When it was announced that Japan would try to help the economy and jump start it's tourism industry by possibly offering 10,000 free flights to foreigners, I got pretty excited. I started thinking where I would want to go and what itinerary I would propose on my application...

I read a short while ago that this program was not approved as part of  the government draft budget of 2012.

I haven't made it out of the airport in Japan but do plan to visit someday. A free flight would've been great motivation to go!
While looking into trip ideas for spring break this past year, we had narrowed our options to Japan and Chile. Both were available for really great deals using miles. After going back and forth with our options, my wife and I decided to go with Chile. We booked our flights to Chile on March 10 and I woke up to news of the devastating earthquake that had just hit Japan. It looked like our choice would've been made for us by mother nature had we not decided the day before!

Here is the press release from the Japan Tourism Agency:

Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial- Gloucester, MA

Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial

While on a trip around New England, my wife and I spent a night in Gloucester, Massachusetts. We knew of Gloucester from the movie "The Perfect Storm" and ended up staying in a dumpy yet interesting motel where the movie was filmed. (that's a story for another time)

Gloucester is America's oldest seaport, has an active harbor and is home to Gorton's (they sell seafood- mainly known for fishsticks and the famous fisherman in the yellow coat).

SPG: Stay One Night & The Next Is 40% Off

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) is running a

Better Tomorrows promotion

Stay One Night & The Next is 40% Off

Begin your year with  Better Tomorrows. For every night you pay the regular rate, you receive 40% off the following night. Save on stays through March 31 2012 at participating hotels and resorts in the US, Canada & Caribbean.

To book your stay, go to SPG Better Tomorrows

**Fine Print:Discount of up to 40% off is applied to every second night and is based on the best available non-restricted rate now through December 31, 2012.
Better Tomorrows rates are prepaid and non-refundable. All hotel deals and offers are subject to availability. See individual hotel listings for day of arrival restrictions and minimum lengths of stay.

Odd Museums: Museums Dedicated to Ramen Noodles

I've been to Tokyo's Narita Airport two times on the way to other places in Asia but have never had the opportunity to leave and go explore Japan. I am sure that I will get there at some point!

I love bizarre and off-beat museums. I just read about a few of museums in Japan dedicated to an odd topic: Ramen 

The museums are:

• Cup Noodles Museum - an interactive museum designed to stir the creativity and curiosity within every child and provide a rich educational experience. Learn about Momofuku Ando- founder  of Nissin Food Products  & inventor of Chicken Ramen- the world's first instant ramen. You can also gather the knowledge that inspires invention & discovery and find the creativity within you by seeing, touching, playing, eating and having fun. Address:2-3-4 Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama 231-0001 Japan  Telephone: General information: 045-345-0918 / Chicken Ramen Factory reservations: 045-345-0825 (Reception
• Shin Yokohama Raumen Museum - established in 1994-first ramen museum in the world, The museum is designed to conjure images of Tokyo in the 1950s, when Ramen became wide spread. You will not only learn the history of ramen, but also experience the lifestyle of the day. They have eight ramen vendors inside the museum representing different areas from Sapporo to Fukuoka. Can't eat that much? Don' worry. All the vendors are happy to serve a small portion so you can try as many as possible. Address:2-14-21 Shinyokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-City, 222-0033, Japan
  Tel:(81-45)471-0503
• Instant Ramen Museum  - opened in 1999 by Nissin, commemorating the place as the birthplace of Cup Noodle. Visitors can make their own cup noodle or try making "Chicken Noodle" (reservation is needed) just like the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama. Address: 8 25, Masumi-Cho, Ikeda-Chi, Osaka 563-0041 Tel:-072-752-3484

 Hopefully I will get to Japan in the near future and get to learn about and eat some Ramen!

***Some of this info is from the Japan Official Tourism site.

Ridiculous News: Man Tries to Take 247 Animals on Plane

A Czech man was caught trying to board a flight with 247 live animals in his luggage. Included were poisonous snakes and endangered reptiles. The man, Karel Abelovsky was in Argentina trying to board a flight to Madrid. He was caught by baggage x-ray technicians and staff at the Iberia Airlines counter when they noticed "organic substances moving inside".

Some of the animals are extremely rare and protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Abelovsky has been charged with attempted smuggling & faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

For more details, check out the article at Yahoo.com

Win a Week's Cooking Vacation in Tuscany

Regina Vinegar is running a sweepstakes & you can win a week's cooking vacation in Tuscany!

There is one Grand Prize and five First Prizes being given out.
Entry closes on 3/31/12 at 11:59PM and is open to legal residents to
the 50 United States and DC.

• Grand Prize- 7 day, 6 night cooking vacation to a historic villa in Southern Tuscany for 2 (ARV $10,000). The prize includes walking tours, winery visits/ tasting, olive mill visit & tasting and 4 hands on cooking lessons. Roundtrip airfare is included from a major airport near winners home to Pisa, Italy. Accomodation for 7 days, 6 nights with meals, guided tours and all ground transportation
• (5) First Prizes- stainless steel professional grade cooking set (ARV $434)

To enter the sweepstakes, go to Regina Vinegar . Good Luck!

Behind The Scenes: Your Bag's Journey on Delta & Track My Bags App.

Have you ever wondered what happens to your luggage once it hits the conveyor belt after checking in for your flight??? I always thought it was pretty impressive that more bags did not get lost every day.

Personally I've had luggage issues a few times. Three times my luggage did not get to me until much later in the day after arriving from a flight. One time my luggage did not make it home with me. We had to head home from the airport in freezing weather without a winter jacket. But it got returned the following day!

Delta made a really interesting video to show what happens to luggage when it goes behind the rubber flaps:

They took one bag and  added six cameras to it and showed the journey it took from check-in in Atlanta to getting loaded onto the plane to getting picked up in NY.

Check out the video here:

Delta has also added a Track My Bags feature to the Fly Delta App! Pretty cool if you ask me.
Check it out here:

Win A Trip For Two- Montana National Park Vacation- Enter by 12/31/11

Backpacker Magazine is running a "Montana Nature In Our Own Backyard Sweepstakes"
Enter and win a trip to the home of the West's best hiking destinations.

Winner gets to choose a 4 day/ 3 night trip in either the Winter or Summer to

Glacier National Park or Yellowstone National Park

Prize includes:

• Rountrip airfare for 2
• 3 nights hotel
• $500 credit towards two trip experiences per person (sightseeing, outdoor activity, cultural or learning)
• Park Passes
• Use of rental vehicle

Trip must be completed by 9/30/12 & be booked 60 days prior to departure

Approximate Retail Value- $1750
Entry open to legal residents of 50 US states, 18 years or older

Enter by 12/31/11 at Backpacker Magazine Montana Sweepstakes

Happy Holidays 2011

Blurry iPhone Pic

Last year we flew business class to Italy on Christmas Day with British Airways. The airport was quieter than expected. Our flight didn't leave until late at night so we had a nice time in the BA Terrace Lounge at JFK airport in Terminal 7. The snacks were decent but we were allowed into the dining area which worked out well.
We sat upstairs in business class which was not too busy. Everyone was in a great mood and some of the flight attendants were wearing santa hats.
My wife & I and some other passengers were taking pictures and a couple of flight attendants offered to let us wear their santa hats. The hats definitely added some fun to our pre-flight photo-op.

pre-Santa hat pic

This year we are home for the holidays! My wife and I are expecting our first child in a few weeks! I look forward to having another travel companion very soon!!!

I hope that everyone has a happy holidays and there are lots of great mileage earning opportunities, trips & flights planned for 2012!

Spirit Airlines- $35 or $50 Off Roundtrip Flights

Spirit is running a Holiday Savings Coupon Sale

There are two options to save on RT Flights:

Save $50 off your next QUALIFYING roundtrip flight with code 50OFF (no caps, no spaces)

• Flight must be booked by 11:59PM on 12/27/11
• Good for flights from 1/10/12 through 2/14/12

**Coupon usage excludes travel into or out of the following markets:
Armenia, Colombia; Bogota, Colombia; Medellín, Colombia; Cartagena, Colombia

or

Save $35 off your next QUALIFYING roundtrip flight with code 35OFF (no caps, no spaces)

• Flight must be booked by 11:59PM on 12/27/11
• Good for flights from 2/15/12 through 3/14/12

**Coupon usage excludes travel into or out of the following markets:
Armenia, Colombia; Bogota, Colombia; Medellín, Colombia; Cartagena, Colombia

Book a Flight at Spirit.com

Joss & Main: Planes, Trains & Automobiles- Wall Art for the World Traveler Sale

Joss & Main is a sample sale site for furniture & home decor. One of their sales currently has Vintage- Planes, Trains & Automobiles Posters for sale.
They are reasonably priced and come ready to hang.
The posters are are priced at $28.95 (reg.price $59.99) or $36.95 (reg.price$79.99).
They have about 30 different posters to choose from.

Wall Art for the World Traveler

The Planes, Trains, and Automobiles collection of vintage travel posters from Pop Culture Graphics brings a bon-vivant getaway theme to focus. Illustrated with charm and flair, these gorgeous throwback pieces will have you dreaming of a flight to Paris on the Pan Am Clipper or taking the Pennsylvania Railroad to the New York World’s Fair. Perfect for your kitchen, rec room, or home office, these striking framed posters add nostalgia and verve to any space.

If you decide to Join Joss and Main, please use my referral link so I earn a small credit for a future purchase.

UPDATE: Priority Club- Earn 1,000 Points for 90-Second Video- Codes Still Working

I wrote about the Priority Club- Earn 1,000 Points for 90-Second Video offer a few days ago.

I was worried that these codes would stop working but as of yesterday, they are still working just fine. I have some codes left with more on the way!
(IHG had sent me a message through Twitter saying how these codes were for hotel guests and my codes had been deactivated)

After watching the video, I received an 80,000 points bonus offer to sign up for the
Chase Priority Club Visa Card. I signed up for the card last year so I didn't take them up on the offer again as I figure I won't receive the bonus a second time. I used a code for my wife and planned to sign her up for the card but she only received a 60,000 point offer...
This definitely surprised me. Had Chase decided to lower the offer so quickly???

I had a feeling the answer was no so I used another code with my account number (no I did not get another 1,000 point bonus) and after the video ended, what do you know- I had the 80,000 point credit card sign up offer again.

I am guessing the offers differ due to the fact that I am Priority Club Platinum, my wife is not. I took a gamble and signed her up for my 80,000 point offer. Hopefully they give her the full amount and not the 60,000 points!

An Amazing Encounter: Touched By A Wild Mountain Gorilla

On my second trip to Africa, one of the highlights was getting to visit the mountain gorillas in Bwindi National Park in Uganda.

I read about an amazing video a few days back. A tourist was taking pictures/ videos of the gorillas and they came over to him and started petting and grooming him! What an amazing encounter! The video is a must watch and one of the most amazing vids I've ever seen on YouTube. Check for the link at the end of my post.

As I watched the video,. the man mentioned which gorilla famiy he had the interaction with. Immediately I realized it was the same one that my wife and I got to track- the Rusheguras!

What a strange coincidence...

This post is not about my experience in Uganda (I plan to do one in the near future-stay tuned!)

Here is a photo of us standing infront of the meeting point before starting our gorilla trek:

Check out the amazing video: Touched By A Mountain Gorilla

Design Your Own Dreamliner

How would you like to design your own Boeing Dreamliner?

Designing the Dreamliner is a lot of fun and can be addicting!
The site gives you a 360 degree view of the plane which is really neat.
You can choose different colors, use paintbrushes, add various Boeing graphics & add text to customize your Dreamliner. You can also change the background for the page.

When you are done designing your Dreamliner, you can add your creation to the gallery. All submissions are subject to approval & require a minimum 24 hours to post.

If you want to try designing your own plane, go to Design Your Own Dreamliner

***Thanks to member Switch2 on Milepoint for posting the link***

Back to Titanic- Tour Ireland Sweepstakes

Titanic Museum Attractions is running a Back to Titanic

"100th Year 'Tour Ireland' Sweepstakes"

Prize: 6 Trips for 2 to Ireland

• Prize is an 11 day trip for 2 to Northern Ireland which includes coach air transportation, 10 nights hotel in various cities, ground transportation throughout trip, breakfast daily, all hotel taxes and fees, welcome party, farewell toast & various other tours and events.
• Approximate prize value is $5958.
• Entry for the contest ends on 2/1/12.
• The trip must be taken between 4/8/12-4/18/12
• Contest is open to legal resident of 50 US States, DC & Canada (excluding Quebec)

To enter the contest, go to:  http://www.titanicattraction.com/ireland/enter.php

Earn 10 Marriott Reward Points Per Dollar Spent For Purchasing Gift Cards Until January 8

Marriott is running a nice bonus offer for purchasing gift cards online.

• You can earn 10 Marriott Reward Points per dollar spent online.

Go to Marriott Gifts to get this offer.

Here are the terms for the offer:

Gifts For Them, Points For You Terms and Conditions

Offer valid on purchases of GiftCards made online at gifts.marriott.com now through January 8, 2012. Offer not valid on Marriott GIftCards purchased via Marriott properties, 3^rd parties or 1 800 813 GIFT and cannot be combined with any other offer/promotion. Marriott Rewards members earn 10 points per dollar for each GiftCard purchase made online at gifts.marriott.com and by entering their valid Marriott Rewards number. A maximum of 25,000 Marriott Rewards points* may be earned per member. Points will be posted to your Marriott Rewards account within six weeks after the promotion ends on January 8, 2012. Shipping and handling fees apply. $1 shipping option available to U.S. addresses only. For Marriott Rewards Terms and Conditions, visit marriottrewards.com. For Marriott Gift Cards Terms and Conditions, visit gifts.marriott.com. 

Priority Club- Earn 1,000 Points For 90-Second Video

 


Priority Club is giving out vouchers to guests when checking-in to earn 1,000 points for watching a 90 second video. Ed B. is a night auditor at a Holiday Inn  in New Mexico and was kind enough to give me a bunch of codes to give out to readers of my blog!



After watching the video, I received a 80,000 mile bonus offer to sign up for the Chase Priority Club Visa card. This is the best offer I've seen for this card. Last year I signed up for a 60,000 mile offer.

If you would like a code, either e-mail me at michaelwtravels@gmail.com or leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

UPDATE- Since I received the 80,000 mile credit card sign up offer it looks to have been changed to a 60,000 offer.

Shake Shack Grand Opening-Brooklyn

Burgers are one of my favorite foods and when I heard that Shake Shack was coming to Brooklyn, I was really psyched.

It just so happened that the grand opening was going to be on my birthday (12/20) so I figured I would go for lunch! 
I e-mailed the restaurant and found out that Shake Shack would be opening around 11AM and some VIPs would be present for a ceremony. I arrived at 10:45 expecting a huge line but was pleasanly surprised to see only 2 people ahead of me.

Waiting in line

US Airways: Last Chance for 100% Bonus When Buying Miles

US Airways is running a promo that gets you a 100% bonus when you buy miles.  The miles are not cheap but this promo makes it a decent deal. If you need to top off your account for an award, this might be the time to buy some miles.

The minimum amount  you can buy is 1,000 which costs $35 but you will also get an additional 1,000 miles as a bonus. The maximum bonus is 40,000 miles so you will get that bonus regardless of buying 40,000 or 50,000 miles which is the most you can buy.


40,000 miles cost $1400 which doesn't sound like such a bad deal when you add the 40,000 miles bonus. Each mile will cost you around $.017 each.


This offer expires 12/31/11.


To buy miles, go to US Airways Buy Miles

Kim Jong Il- Leader of North Korea Dead at 69

I was shocked to read a short while ago that the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Il has died. He was 69 years old and supposedly had some medical issues like diabetes and heart disease.
He took over power from his father 17 years ago and in September 2010 announced his third son Kim Jong-Un as his successor.

Here is a link to the story from the AP:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, 69, has died

I Finally Won in the Marriott Facebook Sweepstakes!

I posted a few days ago about the Marriott Facebook Sweepstakes. After entering each day without any luck, I finally won an instant prize of 1,000 points!

I was beginning to think this sweepstakes was a waste of time but didn't stop entering and now am 1,000 Marriott Reward Points richer!

Old Boots Sculpture- Cartagena, Colombia

Before going to visit the Fort of San Felipe in Cartagena, I was checking out the souvenirs being sold outside. After making small talk in my very limited Spanish with some of the locals, one guy told my wife and I to go around the corner to see the "zapatos". We weren't looking to buy shoes but figured it was worth the five minute walk to see what the guy was talking about.
After walking to the back of the fort, this is what we saw:

Continental/ United- New Way to Use Miles: MileagePlus Merchandise Awards

I received an e-mail earlier today from Continental regarding the new Merchandise Awards redemption option.

Here is the message:
Hello Michael,
Create lasting memories with miles.
Did you know that you can redeem your reward miles for exciting merchandise? Visit the all new Merchandise Awards® and reward yourself or someone you care about.

It is definitely great to have more options when it comes to redeeming miles but from the browsing I did on Merchandise Awards, it seems like all of the items are WAY over-priced. The prices also vary per user. At the top of the page it says- You may be eligible for a lower mileage price. Please be sure to log in to see if you qualify. I logged in and did qualify for the lower mileage price but they were still not a good deal.

To show an example of pricing on Mileage Awards, I will use the iPad 2.
I can buy a 16gb iPad 2 from Apple for $499. From Merchandise Awards a 16gb iPad 2 is 107,800 award miles. When I log in, I qualify for the lower mileage price which is 75,100 award miles.

From my estimates, the Merchandise Awards site is charging at least double the price for an iPad 2 if you qualify for the better price. I can't see myself using this as an option for spending my miles. Will you???

Check out the award options at:
MileagePlus Merchandise Awards

Star Alliance- Ethiopian Airlines Joins & New CEO

Ethiopian Airlines has joined the Star Alliance. A ceremony was held yesterday at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. Ethiopian is the third airline based in Africa to become a member.
The Star Alliance members serving Africa now offer 750+ flights per day to over 110 destinations in 48 countries on the continent.
The added coverage in Africa is very nice as I have quite a bit of mileage in my Continental/ United account. I've been to Africa two different times so far and would love to go again.

Also: 
The Star Alliance has appointed a new CEO- Mark Schwab. He comes from United where he was Senior VP for alliances. In this role he served as a member of the Star Alliance's Management Board.

Priority Club- Send Flowers and Earn Points Over the Holidays

Priority Club has some very generous points earning offers with 1800Flowers, Teleflora and FTD over the holiday season.

All seem to be a bit more lucrative than the US Airways Teleflora offer I posted about yesterday.

Here are the offers:
-1800Flowers: Earn 30 points per $1 spent
Offer Available At- 1-800-Flowers.com

-Teleflora: Earn 1,500 points with every order
Offer Available At- Teleflora.com

-FTD: Earn 30 points per $1 spent
Offer Available At- FTD.com

All offers expire 12/31/11. If you plan to send flowers, make sure to earn lots of Priority Club Points with this promotion!

Presidential $1 Coins- US Mint Stopping Automatic Production

One of My Orders

The $1 coin free shipping deal has been over for quite some time and now it seems that the government will stop automatic production of them. Stopping production should save the government $50 million a year supposedly.

V.P. Joe Biden said "They make hundreds of millions of these coins every year. Forty percent of them end up being returned to the Federal Reserve because nobody wants them,". He also said that the coins will only be produced in the future based on collectors demand & a premium will be charged "so it doesn't cost us a dime"

For those of you unfamiliar with the US Mint $1 coin free shipping program, here is a short explanation. To help get $1 coins into circulation, the mint offered free shipping on orders. In the beginning you could order an unlimited amount of coins but due to people abusing the program it was lowered to $1000 per order.

Some of you might wonder why anyone would order $1 coins, free shipping or not... Well the answer is simple- airline miles or credit card points. By charging $1 coins with free shipping, you could earn free miles by bring the rolled coins right back to the bank after receiving them. Another reason would be to hit the needed spend to earn credit card bonuses. Some cards might give you 50,000 miles as a sign up bonus, but you have to spend $5,000 in 3 months to get it. By ordering coins, once again you could hit your spend without actually spending money out of your pocket.

Paying the tab

The mint did not create this $1 coin program to have people order the coins to bring back to the bank but that was what many people did. They hoped the coins would be spent and then put into circulation. I only placed 4 orders from the mint. I did a couple for $500 and a couple for $1000.

I tried to spend the coins when possible but did bring a few rolls to the bank at times. I think the most I ever brought back to the bank at one time was 4 rolls ($100). At times the tellers would give an odd look and even ask where I got the coins from.

Spending the coins could be a pain. Lots of times, cashiers would not have a clue what the coins were or if they were real money. Some shops would refuse to take payment by $1 coin. When gas stations started charging a cash & credit price, I started paying for gas with $1 coins to get the cash price. Most stations did not mind getting one or two rolls of coins but some did not accept them as payment.

Street vendors and food trucks were usually happy to take $1 coins since they were always short on small bills. I also used them to leave tips at cash only restaurants.
One time I paid for lunch which was $22.86 with a roll of coins plus a couple extra since credit cards were not accepted. The bartender that I gave payment to shook his head and laughed!

US Airways Dividend Miles: Teleflora- Earn 25 Miles For Every $1 You Spend

I received an e-mail from US Airways about a great way to earn miles with Teleflora.

For every $1 you spend you will earn

 25 US Air Dividend Miles

This is a very generous offer and is good until 12/31/11.

Here is some info from the e-mail I received:

Make last-minute gift giving easy with Teleflora! Choose from hundreds of floral arrangements and gifts including Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Carolers bouquet and the newest additions in The Collection by Faith Hill.
With every Teleflora purchase, you’ll get:
Same day delivery for all arrangements
A hand-arranged and hand-delivered bouquet by your local Teleflora florist
Experience the Teleflora difference today and earn 25 miles for every $1 you spend.

To take advantage of this offer click here for Teleflora

Marriott Rewards-1,000,000 Points Facebook Sweepstakes

Marriott Rewards is running a sweepstakes through Facebook and there are lots of Marriott Reward Points being given away.

The prizes are:
- One Grand Prize of 1,000,000 Points ($12,500 value)
- Five First Prizes of 100,000 Points ($1250 value)
- Fifty Second Prizes of 10,000 Points ($125 value)
- 3,720 Instant Win Prizes of 1,000 Points ($12.50 value)

To enter the contest you need to 
1-Have a Marriott Rewards Account (or sign up for one)
2-Like Marriott Rewards on Facebook
3-Go to the Sweepstakes Tab on the left side of the page and sign up!

There are up to five instant winners of 1,000 points each hour, each day and you can enter every day for a chance to instantly win 1,000 Marriott Points.

Double your chances to win by also Liking Marriott International on Facebook. Entering is the same process as above.

The contest ends on 12/31/11 and on or around 1/4/12 all of the big prizes will be given out.

Free $10 Restaurant.com eGift Cards

Restaurant.com is running it's annual Feed It Forward promotion. The program was started in 2008.
If you e-mail me at michaelwtravels or leave a comment with your e-mail address, I can send you a promo code good for a FREE $10 eGift Card.
The offer ends in two weeks so don't wait!

Jumping At The Equator- Kenya

Side 1

While traveling overland through Kenya, many days would consist of long hours on the tour truck with not much to see along the way. We would stop a couple of times to use the bathroom and for a lunch stop.

This day we had a bonus stop. We got to stop at the Equator for a photo-op! There was a small shop selling junky souvenirs but nobody was around to do the water demonstration.

(We'd get to see that later on during the trip while stopping at the Equator in Uganda) 

However, there was a very nice double sided sign worthy of taking some pictures.

Group Photo

I love to jump for pictures (for why I jump, click here) while traveling and immediately thought that this was the perfect place for a jump. I had to get pictures jumping on each side of the sign.

Side 2

My wife and I

I also had to get a picture at the Equator with my wife and then asked if anyone else from the group wanted to join me for a jump. A few people thought about it but in the end I only had one person willing to give it a shot. 


This 15-20 minute stop ended up being a lot of fun and probably the highlight of the day.

Largest Anti-Government Protest in Post-Soviet Russia

Police showed restraint in the largest anti-government protest post-Soviet Russia has ever seen. Thousands of people took part in the protest against election fraud and a demand for an end to the rule of Victor Putin. 

The protests took place all over Russia. It is estimated that the crowd was between 40,000-100,000 in Moscow, about 7,000 in St.Petersburg and a few hundred to a thousand in around 60 other cities. The police showed restraint and only about 100 arrests were reported.

I wonder what changes will come from these people's efforts and if it might have any effect on travel to Russia in the near future...
I read about this online. You can read the full story at Russia's stunning protests ends with a hint of change

That's Different: Train Car McDonalds- Fall River, MA

While traveling around the world I always like to check out McDonalds to see what interesting items will be on the menu that we don't have at home.

While reading about things to do on a trip around New England, I came across a McDonalds that has a train car attached to it. I wasn't interested in eating there but I had to check out this location. We planned the stop as a bathroom break.

The train car is usually used as a dining room and had some diner style booths inside but it was closed for renovations. The main part of the restaurant also had a train theme with various things hanging on the wall.

This was definitely one of the most interesting and bizarre McDonalds locations that I have ever seen!

If you want to check out this McDonalds, it is located at
44 William S. Canning Blvd, Fall River, MA

American Sentenced To Prison For Thai Royal Insult

Prior to heading to Thailand, I remember reading how you could not speak poorly of the king or royal family. If you are caught saying unfavorable things, you could end up in jail!

While in Thailand, I told lots of locals how I loved the king and even bought one of those rubber bracelets (like LiveStrong) to show my support for the king! (not that I know a thing about him)This article is pretty crazy. It explains what this man did to speak poorly of the king. He translated a banned biography of the king and posted it online while living in Colorado. 

Can you imagine getting sent to prison for breaking this rule while not even in Thailand???

Here is a link to the article from Yahoo: Man Sentenced To Prison For Royal Insult

Win Two Tickets Anywhere in US, Two Night Hotel Stay & iPad

Win the Ultimate Getaway from OpenSky

Join OpenSky for a chance to win:

• - 2 Tickets Anywhere in the Continental U.S.
• - 2 Night Hotel Stay
• - 1 iPad

(prize is valued at $2500)

When I signed up, I automatically had a $10 OpenSky credit in my account. So for signing up you should at least get that.

Sign up at Win the Ultimate Getaway from OpenSky

Megabus- 200,000 Free Seats

I've used Megabus a few times and the service was very good and inexpensive.
I paid around $12.00 roundtrip for my wife and I to go from NY-DC and a drop more for us to go from NY-Baltimore just to mention a couple of times we've used them.

Megabus is giving away 200,000 free seats from January 4- March 1, 2012. They travel to over 70 US cities & Toronto. Their buses offer free wifi and power outlets so you can use your travel time surfing the web. When I used the wifi it was spotty at times but that was a couple of years ago. Maybe they have improved the service since.

To book free tickets, use code GOFREE at the Megabus site.

Delta Sky Club on Groupon- Offer Ends Today- 12/6/11

Groupon has a nice offer expiring at the end of the day to buy Delta Sky Club passes at a reduced price. You can buy either a one visit pass or five visit punch card.

Here are the Prices:
One Visit Pass- $25 ($50 value)
Five Visit Punch Card- $89 ($250 value) 

Delta has over 50 Sky Lounges worldwide. Check locations at:  http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/airport_information/delta_sky_club/sky_club_locations/index.jsp

Info from Groupon:
In a Nutshell

• Over 50 locations worldwide supply hungry travelers with complimentary snacks & cocktails as they browse websites on free WiFi

The Fine Print

• Expires Apr 30, 2012
• Limit 3 per person, may buy multiple as gifts. Must be 21 or older or be accompanied by guardian. Valid only when traveling same-day on any airline. Guest passes not included

If you are not already a Groupon member you can join at my referral link:
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu482761
After signing up, then click on All Deals at the top of the page & you will find it listed there.

If you are already a Groupon member, go to

http://www.groupon.com/deals/delta-sky-club-new-york-1?c=all&p=28

Sierra Designs- A Year of Adventures Sweepstake- One entry for two prizes left

Sierra Designs is giving away a shot to win 2 trips. (originally they were giving away 3 trips)
You only have to sign up one time to be entered into all of the contests.

The two trips being given away are to Everest and Alaska.

Each trip will be given away at a different date throughout the year. Ecuador has already been given away but you still have a shot at Everest which is being given away on December 17 2011 and Alaska which will be given away on April 17 2012.

To enter the contest, go to http://www.sierradesigns.com/ayearofadventure.aspx

Really Annoying Street Performers- Vienna, Austria

While in Vienna, each morning we took the train a couple of stops on the U-Bahn to Stephansplatz. The Stephansplatz is a square in the center of Vienna which is closest to many of the tourist attractions. There were a couple of things that we were greeted by each time we arrived-
Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral) and Street Performers.

Stephansdom

The cathdral was nice to see but the street performers could be really annoying. Some were really loud and noisey and others (mimes) would just stand around in the middle of the square. The Stephansplatz is a very busy area and we constantly havd to alter our path to walk avoid these street performers.

Noisey Performer



Mimes

One day we had to stop to watch the loud, annoying guy. I really didn't get the point of his act. He made a screeching sound with a noisemaker of some sort. I guess some people thought it was funny and decided to give him a donation. I personally would've gave him money to stop!

Here is the video: 

Let me know what you think of this fine performance.