The Forbidden City of China, a Thought…

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China was a bit of a challenge for me.  It is a serious country filled with very serious people.  I’m standing in front of the Forbidden City surrounded by citizens who looked less than thrilled that we were there.  To say I didn’t blend in would be a huge understatement.  No one said anything or was rude in any way, but I could feel the tension.  Across the street is Tiananmen Square.  Ultimately, we entered the Forbidden City and it was as beautiful and you would imagine.  Video cameras are noticeably everywhere (look over my left shoulder) and uniformed security officers were never out of sight, be it here or the side streets, you were never alone.  I was a stranger in a strange land…and someday, I hope to return to learn more about this amazing country and it’s people as I feel as if I have just scratched the surface.

Travelinggump.com/china

A Few Snarky Thoughts About Flight Attendants and Passengers

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The Flight Attendant asked for our attention.  As usual, most ignored her but she was patient and asked again, this time using a sarcastic tone.  It was a small commuter jet and she stood at the front, hands on her hips, smiling deviously.  With everybody looking on, she announced that today was her last day and this, her last flight.  She pulled out the demo-seatbelt, held it up and then tossed it back in the cabinet.  The yellow life jacket, oxygen mask and safety card soon followed the path of the seatbelt as she stood there grinning from ear to ear.

She then said what I imagine every Flight Attendant wishes they could say; that if you are too stupid to not know how to use a seatbelt, you’ve got bigger problems than a seatbelt demonstration can fix.  The whole plane was giggling.  She then told us that we will not be flying over water so forget about the life vest, that if the oxygen mask falls, to do our best but realistically, we’re probably screwed anyway and to forget about the safety card, it’s a dull read.  At this point, the laughter was so loud, I was surprised that the Pilot didn’t pop his head out of the cockpit.  She then smiled and told us to relax and enjoy the flight.  She was my new hero.  I’ll bet she felt wonderful getting that off her chest, I know I would.

This happened a couple of years ago and I think of her every time I hear the spiel.  It resonated with me.  Think of the amount of steps you have to endure just to actually get on a plane, from navigating the schedules, buying the ticket, getting to the airport and then making sure you comply with all of the TSA requirements and procedures and then, if you’re lucky, getting physically on the plane, only to have someone then demand your full attention, while they explain the proper use of a seatbelt as if you just crawled out from under a rock.

Clearly, I’ve spent too much time on airplanes this year as I’m getting kinda bitchy.  Indulge me though for just one more gripe.

Earlier this year, we flew to Vietnam, Cambodia and China.  When the plane landed, the passengers grabbed their luggage and beat a path off the plane as if someone had yelled fire.  It was glorious.  This happened in all three countries and it was impressive.  For some bizarre reason, we (people who live in America), are at our leisure when we travel.  We land, the door opens and people just take their time.  Ironically, it’s not the senior citizens.  They usually have the courtesy to wait in their seats, allowing everyone else to exit.  It’s everybody else. They chit-chat with fellow passengers and linger in the aisle as they casually pull their carry-on luggage from the overhead storage, while everybody else behind them waits and waits.

Today, I flew domestically and all of the above happened.  It was completely maddening!  So to all the inconsiderate (fill in the blank) passengers, who I desperately want to beat, grab your (fill in the blank) and get the (fill in the blank) off the damn plane!  I keep hoping for the Flight Attendant who announces “today is my last day and this is my last flight” as she is jabbing these people in the backside with a cattle prod.  Oh, dare to dream…

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Mission: Napa. How Hard Can It Be?

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The Master Plan:  Go to Napa, California and tour a few wineries. We’ll go in September and meet our oldest daughter, Lindsay and her husband, Ben. This will be great! Sounds simple enough, right?

I use Delta Miles and get two tickets. I Reserve two rooms at the Hampton Inn in Napa using Hilton Points. SilverCar?, yes please. Done, a well oiled machine at work here… Total out of pocket, maybe $220.00 (most of which was Silvercar as I’m sort of a princess when it comes to Audi). And that was that…inexpensive and efficient.

Then…our second oldest daughter, Nicole  found out that she and her husband, Andy could join us. This was fantastic news! We never seem to get enough time with our kids, especially our two oldest daughters. I match our Delta tickets using a Delta companion fare and we are set. We’ll fly to Napa together. We’re excited, they’re excited. And that was that…

Then… Lilly makes an interesting observation;  The Grandkids. See, if something goes wrong in our daughters’ world, we’ve got to be there for the kids. Now we’re all on the same flight.  This is a problem. We bite the bullet, trash our two Delta tickets and book United Airlines with United Miles…and some cash. Problem solved, all is well and right again. And that was…

Then…wait, we need another room. Hello Hilton, what do you mean full!? That’s fine.  We want our kids close anyway. Goodbye Hilton, Hello Airbnb. Everybody chips in and we’re back on track. And that’s…

Then…our oldest Points out that there is six of us now and the Audi seats five. Crap! Goodbye Audi, hello Enterprise and a… Minivan.  And that…Oh, Gawd, a minivan. Ugh

Finally! The day arrives. We are outta here!  Lindsay is already on her way. We fly out on United and Nicole flies out on Delta a few hours later. We should all get to San Francisco at about the same time. An excellent Master Plan executed with catlike precision… We land in Chicago and settle in for a delicious breakfast. It’s right about here that the wheels came off the wagon…

It started with a text. Nicole’s Delta flight was delayed 30 ish minutes due to a “fluid” leak. This is still ok as it works with the Atlanta connecting flight. I booked the flights for her using my account, so I start getting delay notifications on my phone. Ding, ding…now it’s an hour delay then an hour and a half, ding ding ding! Ok Delta, we only have two hours to work with here.

The news is really getting grim, it’s a fuel leak, delay, delay, delay and now we’ve passed the connecting flight time. Alternate fights to Atlanta…none. Crap! Nicole has brow beaten everyone she can and we are far away in Chicago. Delta keeps texting flight delay times.  My phone is blowing up. They are now sending another plane with a departure of 6:30pm and an arrival in Atlanta at 9:30pm (ish).

Delta feels they can get them to San Francisco sometime Saturday, maybe. Screw Delta, Hello United! United has a flight that would work well. Two one-way tickets to San Francisco please. $675.00 each or 12,500 miles plus $81.00. I used Miles which I transferred from my Chase Sapphire account. Then I called United and verified that it all worked, thumbs up…Done. And that’s that…

Then…as we are boarding our plane, Nicole calls and they won’t issue boarding passes at the gate. Are you $&#%* Kidding me! I’m on the phone with United, Nicole is also on with United, Lilly is on her phone with Andy. At one point, I was on two phones. It’s chaos.  The line is moving and United wants me to “certify” my account before they’ll issue Nicole’s boarding passes. Their flight on United is getting ready to close the gate and they can’t board.

Now we’re on our plane and they’ve closed our doors, the United representative, who keeps putting me on hold, comes back and casually says “what’s your least favorite vegetable?”. I bark the answer and he puts me back on hold. I’m losing my #%!* and about to have a stroke. He then comes back and says “you’re certified, have a nice flight”. That’s it? That’s it…bye. Ooooo k! I get a text from Nicole; they are on the plane, finally. I slump down in my seat, exhausted. I’m starting to giggle as I say to myself, “I hope our car rental goes smoothly, I mean, what else could possibly go wrong?”

 

And Lassie Gets A Window Seat…

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We just boarded our flight from Chicago to San Francisco.  Clank, clank, clank.  I lean out into the aisle and see a large sheep dog trotting towards me, his name tag making a metallic sound with each step.  The 737 is a 3-row-3 and the dog and his owner, who looks like an older hippie, stop at the seats in front of me.  The window seat was empty and the other two filled with bewildered passengers.  “We’re in the window seat” the dog owner says, “Both of you?” asked the passenger in the middle. “Yep, and this is his first flight too, he will be sitting on my lap”  Everybody gets up and they squeeze in.  The dog is soon asleep and seems quite content.  His owner, however, has the look of a man who’s just realized that he’s got a very large, very hairy 50 lb dog on his lap for the next four + hours and no room to move.  I wonder if he is rethinking his plan…

 

 

 

Dear Denver, You’re Supposed To Be IN The Mountains?!

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I’m dreaming of Denver.  Ritz-Carlton owed me two free nights.  I Scan the Ritz website and Denver has one!  Awesome, I’ve never been to Denver, Colorado and I find myself humming Rocky Mountain High by, wait for it…John Denver.  I have this mental picture of tall mountain peaks, ski lodges, pine trees and cool mountain air….Ahhh, this will be great!  I should probably rent a four-wheel drive, It could snow early this year in the city and with all those hills…

I used American Express MR points to book two round trip tickets (they are still giving me 1/2 the points back) and National Car Rental, where we have Executive status that will allow us to choose any vehicle from the lot (which will be handy as I’m feeling like a Jeep or a Land Rover).

Now, I’ve been all over the World and have somehow avoided Denver and for that matter, most of Colorado.  I’m certain that my ignorance is based on the idea that I am a KC Chief’s fan and the Denver Bronco’s are our sworn enemy.  It must have been a loyalty thing or something.

After a rough mile high landing, we navigate our way outside as it’s time for a looksy.  Ok, there are no mountains, none.  It’s relatively flat and “prairie” like, I mean, I can count the number of trees with one hand and it’s 88 degrees… I looked way WAY off to the west and I see mountains, but not near Denver.  I’m stunned! Denver is IN the mountains, right?.  That damn plane screwed up and landed us in Kansas!  Nope, sign says Denver.

At National, we choose a Dodge Charger.  I don’t see the need for a 4×4 now.  We then drive south, flat flat flatter…it’s a large metropolitan City with traffic issues and one way streets.  It’s clean and the residents seem nice but it’s absolutely nothing like I imagined.

I know this article may seem strange.  I am absolutely amazed at how ignorant I was regarding the City of Denver.  All my life, I had this picture.  Never bothered with research or even to look at a brochure.  Just assumed…

We ultimately drove an hour and a half to the Rocky Mountains and did the pine tree, tall mountain peaks and cool mountain-air thing.  It was beautiful.  I was only off by about 60 miles.

And that was that, so back to Denver we went and did the “Big City” thing.  So much for my silly dream.

 

 

Travel Safety and the 1st Rule of Bears

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Lately I’ve seen a rash of travel blogs talking about Travel and Safety.  I suggest that those two words should never be used in the same sentence.  Saying “have a safe trip” is reminding us to not walk in front of buses and don’t try and pet a mountain lion.  The no-brainer things (common sense).  It should be “have a great time and don’t forget your Plan”.  “Safety” is what we do every day, it’s the basics.

A “plan” is: I want to travel to so and so and what do I do if… This is where you do your homework.  Your travel options can be unlimited if you have a good solid plan.  “Safety” gets you to the airport, a plan is what brings you home.

Making a plan is about managing risk.  This is how we can go anywhere, have a great experience and not be consumed by worry.  You could go to Darfur, Sudan and get out alive if your plan is solid.  Though It might need to include the 101st Airborne and a military tank.  The plan should be equal to the risks of the desired destination.

FunFact:  The “safest place” for most people is their home.  Not!  They hide there and tell ME to be safe.  Yet, more people die each year in their home than do people who travel.  Why? Accidents.  People get careless at home.  So much for safety and common sense.

A Traveler travels with a heightened sense of awareness, a level much higher than just safety.  They’re prepared for problems, the unexpected.  They have a plan.

I always have a plan.  Today we are going to hike in the Rocky Mountains near Denver.   My plan includes the what if’s and means bringing a map, water, sunscreen and a plan in case Mother Nature decides to get ugly.  I later found that I did forgot one thing though…

We’re on the shuttle heading to the trailhead.  I notice a couple who have large cans of bear repellent attached to their packs.  Crap, I forgot about the bears!

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What should we do?  Cancel our hike?  Running into a Bear can be a big problem, right?.  No Way!  We’re staying flexible.

I scan the shuttle and notice it’s a large group.  There is an obnoxious boy who is pitching a fit and talking back to his parents, a few seasoned hikers and large group of senior citizens, all wearing sensible shoes, who really should re-think this expedition.  I then remembered the 1st Rule of Bears and I like my odds.  After some thought, I adjusted the plan and we’re off to the wilderness with no worries.

The First Rule of Bears:

  1.  If pursued by a bear you need only remember to run faster than the slowest member of the group.
  2.  If you are alone, haul-ass towards the group and see #1.

So remember, any destination is possible with a good solid plan… and a sense of humor.  My luck, I’ll probably get plowed over by a bus, while lost in thought, planning the details of our next trip.

Happy Travels

 

At Least Buy me Dinner First…

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Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, Really!? I’m amazed that you 1. Get away with charging drivers while having terrible roads, 2. Get away with your ridiculous toll system and 3. Screw so many drivers and they keep coming back for more.

My gripe: Missouri border to Yukon, Oklahoma;~200 miles.  Three Turnpikes and four Tollbooths.  $4.50, $4.50, $1.30 and $1.90 and we still have a lot of Oklahoma to go.

Seriously?… Ironically, the turnpikes are probably the worst roads you’ll experience from Missouri to the California coast.

By the way, the last two tolls were within about 15 miles of east other, on the same turnpike and both were supposed to be $1.30 each.  Why $1.90?

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Here’s how it works; exact change only, toss coins in basket, an evil gremlin inside decides if you are worthy and if so, a green light signals that you may pass.  It took $1.90 to get a green light (the four axel price).  We are in a small car and I now hate gremlins even more.

If you’re driving through Oklahoma, make sure you bring a bucket of money, cause you will definitely need it.  Also, most booths are unstaffed and require “exact change only”.

Happy Travels

 

That Points WOW Moment! And it’s a Big WOW!

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It’s Wednesday and we’re siting on the couch.  Bored.  Lilly says “the Santa Fe (New Mexico) Indian Market is this weekend”.  Now, this is our only open weekend for the next month and maybe we should stay home and do housy stuff, right?…No way! Roadtrip!

The issues: 1.  The Santa Fe Indian Market is a big deal and getting a Hotel room two days before it starts could be an expensive problem.  2.  Santa Fe is a 12 hour drive.  3.  We need a Hotel on the way there, one when we actually get there and one on the way back, (my ass isn’t driving 12 hours in a row if I don’t have too).  I know, a three night trip like this is a bit impulsive but it’s SANTA FE!  Live a little…

The Solution:  The first place to reserve a Hotel is Santa Fe.  I mean, this is all just academic if we can’t find a room there.  I check the usual suspects and Hilton is the only one and they want $783.00 for the night.  Yeah, No, not paying that; let’s check points, 50,000, sounds like a lot right, not really.  Hilton points are worth the least (.006) of any Hotel chain that I watch.   In addition, they are easy to get.  The American Express Hilton Surpass card usually comes with around 80,000 points if you sign up and follow the rules.  50,000 points is worth around $300.00 (50,000 x .006).  I like this, but what about taxes?  Look below, I printed it as if I was going to pay for the room with cash. $901.96 or 50,000 points ($~300 in value and taxes are included).  I used points (Duh) and booked the room.  Also, because I keep an eye out for Hilton promo’s etc, there is no way that I spent $300.00 to acquire those points, most likely a third of that.

For one of the other nights, Marriott was the clear choice.  Marriott points are worth ~ .009 each, making 10,000 Marriott points worth about $90.00.  So, I booked the room using points instead of paying the $149.15.  Again, watch for Marriott Promo’s.  The Chase Marriott credit card also is usually available with 80,000 points if you follow their terms.  I don’t have $90.00 invested in that 10,000, most likely about $25-30.

The third night, I’m paying for the room ($130.00) to complete an IHG (Holiday Inn) promo.

This will be a 1700 mile, 4 day roadtrip.  How about a rental car?  Silvercar isn’t available (ugh) so I’m forced to wade into rental car hell.  After the usual headaches, Hertz emerged from the abyss with a full-size vehicle at $69.00 for 4 days.  I had some old Hertz points lying around and got the price down to $36.00.  Booked with Chase Sapphire Reserve for the Primary Collision Insurance.  So that’s that and we’re on the road again!

Happy Travels

 

Mattress Run? Um. Ok…

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Are you serious?  It’s like a 5k run thing, right?  That is the usual response I get when I’m planning a Mattress Run.

So what is it?  I’ll dumb it down from the beginning.  This is partial example of the current IHG Acceleration Promotion:

I’m interested in the 5,600, the 20,400 and the 1,500 Stay once in August.  By staying at 2 Holiday Inn Hotels in the month of August, I should be eligible to earn 27,500 points + the normal points you earn for a paid room stay+the points you earn for using your IHG credit card.  Total possible; around 32,000 points.  (I had an earlier stay to help complete the “fill 3 out 4 categories, earn 20,400 points” which gave me even more points).

Next look around for inexpensive Holiday Inn Hotels. I found two nearby and booked the cheapest nights at each (different nights).  Total out of pocket $190.00.  Check in, go to the room, stay or don’t stay.  Earn 32,000 ish points.  A “Mattress Run” usually does not involve staying.  Anyways…

IHG points have a value ~.007 cents each.  31,000 x .007=$217.00.  You paid $190.00 (.00612 each).  Not bad…

Now what…let’s put that 32,000 points to work.  Let’s say the Napa Valley, California area in October.  You’re feeling like wine and Fall colors.  How about this:

King Deluxe room, 2 nights (15,000 points per night) or you can pay cash at $384.56. Remember you paid $190.00 with the Mattress Run, that’s half price.

There are excellent Hotel Promotions offered frequently.   This is one way of maximizing value and making friends and family feel like you’ve lost your mind.

Curiosity Killed The Travel Blog Writer (you were expecting the cat?)

By Travelinggump

One of the greatest gifts of travel is that it forces you to interact with the world.  I’m a lousy “interactor” but I love to watch people.  I like “interesting”.  I can sit in an airport for hours just watching people as they go about their lives.  It redefines what is “normal”, although I’m beginning to believe that “normal” doesn’t even exist anymore.

My problem is that there is not enough time to talk to everyone that peaks my interest;  I’m curious about everything and I want to write it all down.  Also, I assume that others are just as curious as I am. Wrong!  Unfortunately, I also haven’t figured out a way to approach people and ask, what can sometimes be difficult questions, without bothering or offending the person(s).

The truth is that the people that I’m interested in don’t have to explain their choices or decisions to me or anyone else.  But I wish they would.  I would like to truly understand and learn as I’m certain some of their answers would be fascinating and very enlightening.  I would love to spend at least 5 minutes, with each of the three listed below, and just listen…

  1.  Berlin Airport: Two Hari Krishna devotees, each wearing orangish  canvas brown colored “robes” and each sitting perfectly still, staring straight ahead. Each had a large urn sitting on the ground next to their right foot.  Each urn was wrapped in the same material as the garment they were wearing.  They did not flinch, nothing, for 45 minutes.  I wanted to know the “why” and suddenly they were gone…
  2. However you may feel about this person, there is most likely, a very fascinating life story here…img_9322.png
  3. Chicago Airport:  A Muslim family sitting together.  Four women, two fully covered including their faces, except for the eyes and the other two fully covered, except that their faces were exposed.  They appeared to be about the same age.  The men were in shorts and T-shirts.  I am curious about the “why” and I  don’t want to read it from a book.  I wish I knew someone who is a Muslim that I could ask.  I wish I could have asked them…

Three different stories, three different sets of lives.  What they appear to all have in common though, is that they are each very passionate in guiding the direction of the life they’ve chosen to live.   We should all strive to learn the “why” and then maybe, we too would understand.