2016 & 2017 Destinations...an overdue blog post

I've been thinking a lot about updating this blog, especially since that Florida post isn't exactly finished, but I just learned I started it and never finished it, and why pick up where I left off over a year ago when I can just start over.  I link this site on my Twitter and other social media and what a bummer it is to be taken, as the reader to an out dated blog!!!

Coming soon....sooner rather than later.

My 2016 Travels - Florida & Trip #6 to LA (including a Los Angeles Top Ten Must See)

My 2017 Travels - Cancun, Florida,  Montreal, & LA (yes, it's been an exciting year)

What's in Store in 2018....

I'd also like to start a public Instagram page with photos, so that is coming soon as well.

2016 - The Year of New Travel

FLORIDA!!!!
When my friends bailed on our Aruba idea, I was determined to still have my beach vacation this year...something I've been needing for the longest time.  I settled for Florida.  I've been to Daytona and Key West, but never seen the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida, nor the Palm Beach area.

The last week of April, I flew into West Palm Beach - which, by far is the nicest airport I've been in to date.  I spent the first night in Palm Beach Garden at a friend's house.  We spent the day in the Jupiter area, and I must say...I was SO impressed with this area, so very high end!!! It really puts areas that I've seen in LA to shame, that being...the high end areas.  I'm having serious thoughts about relocating to this area one day.

We had quite the "Sunday Funday" in this area of Jupiter right on the water...bars with live music, and boat tours which are $10 that last a half hour.
After spending some time over here, we had dinner at Tiger Woods' Restaurant followed by drinks at a few bars in the Palm Beach Gardens area.  Visit my YELP page for more details on these locations.
The next day we had our "Fabulous Beach Day" at The Palm Beach Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa  Seriously....check out that water temperature!

A Year Has Passed...So Have Three Vacations!

I cannot believe it's been over a year since I posted a blog of any kind on here...I've traveled! Three times, in fact.
I came across this interesting link today that I thought would be helpful to my fellow travelers, so check it out! 15 Airport Tech Hacks Every Traveler Should Know

I spent too much time at LAX in October trying to find an outlet not being used, only to find a pretty cool charging station by verizon...I forgot to charge my kindle to watch a movie on the plane so I was able to charge both there, and engaged in some interesting conversation with fellow travelers in need of charging their equipment too!

So 2015 was a year of traveling for me, and one of my New Years Resolutions is to travel to places I haven't been (for 2016).  Right now I have a tentative trip planned to ARUBA in April, and hopefully San Francisco in Fall, to visit Alcatraz.

As for this year, I spent my birthday in April in Los Angeles, I went to Las Vegas in June for a wedding, and back to BOTH places in October and checked an LA/Vegas Road Trip off my bucket list!  For better reviews of the places I'm about to mention, be sure to check out the good, the bad, and the ugly on my Yelp reviews.

April 2015 - Trip to Los Angeles

Another thing I REALLY wanted to do was hike to the Hollywood Sign.  I've been way more active these days so I thought this would be fun!  It was...not sure if my friend who isn't active agreed.  I believe since this hike, they did close off this area for tourists, though I could be wrong since I don't live there.  I suggest googling the Hollyridge Trail - this will give  you all the details you need for this hike from parking to where to turn, etc.  Enjoy the view from up there!

When visiting LA, a personal struggle is finding a hotel that is reasonable in price, doesn't charge a fortune for parking, and is in a safe area.  This particular trip we stayed in Calabasas at a boutique hotel called The Anza.  I found a great deal through booking.com  I did enjoy staying here, though it was a bit of a hike back and forth to Hollywood, it was very convenient for our travels to Malibu & Santa Barbara.  Also, the entire area north of LA is very nice - Westlake Village, etc.  I'm still a little sad that I had NO sightings of famous people while I was there (both times this year, in fact.)  Again, check out my Yelp page for reviews of restaurants and more from this trip.

June 2015 - Trip to Las Vegas

This was trip #9 to Las Vegas for me...and seriously, I was vegas'd out by the time that trip was over.  Traveling there in June comes with HOT weather, but I'm not at all complaining about it.  I embrace hot weather...that's why every hotel has a pool there!  I realized not much has changed or been added since my trip in 2014, so there isn't much to highlight about this trip.  I will say I spent a great deal of money eating at some pretty good restaurants on this trip.  All reviews are posted on my yelp page.  I don't think I'll be back here till 2017 or 2018...it will be that much more exciting if I wait. 

October 2015 - Trip to Los Angeles/Las Vegas

While I was in LA in April, I was talking to my friend who lives out there and he suggested flying to LA and driving to Vegas because it's cheaper...rather than the other way around.  For some odd reason I always thought about the trip to Vegas, and a stop to LA and that doesn't make much sense.  As for this trip, I did a lot of googling about the road trip from LA to Vegas...learned of a highlight along the way, and that is stopping in Baker, CA to see the World's Largest Thermometer.  I'm easily amused, so we stopped here both ways!

Again, the struggle of finding a hotel...thankfully my friend who I was traveling with works for a hotel chain and took care of this part.  We both traveled on airline miles, and the miles took care of the rental car too so it was a very reasonable trip for the both of us.  This time we stayed in Manhattan Beach - I HIGHLY suggest staying here while visiting LA, as it's super close to LAX and really nice!  Even make a vacation out of visiting the beach cities south of LA - I think my next trip out there will consist of a lot more of this!  So many nice stores, restaurants and well...the BEACH!!!  Most of the country was having a heat wave the weekend we visited so it was in the high 90s, maybe 100 degrees while on this trip.  Again, no complaints.

Make note that the entire state of California goes to Vegas for the weekend, and this was very clear considering the traffic coming back to CA on Sunday as we headed there.  We drove out to Vegas on Sunday, to return on Monday.  We really had no itinerary on this trip, so we just winged most of it.  While in Vegas we stayed at Excalibur and covered a LOT of ground while we were there because we had a car.  Again, being my 10th trip to Vegas and second for the year...I was absolutely Vegas'd out...though I do love to show people around there who haven't been there ten times like me!

I'd have to say the trip back and forth goes by very fast...you may be traveling through the desert, but it's still very scenic.  When we got back to LA, we stayed at a hotel by the airport. I never thought about doing this, it's actually a good idea... decent hotel, and well the location is very convenient for when you're leaving to go back home.

Readers of this blog - feel free to post comments here at any time if you have questions about places I've been.  This was my 9th and 10th trip to Las Vegas, and 4th trip to LA so I'm at level: expert now when it comes to both!

Another helpful website

Track price drops on air and hotel at Yapta

Tourist Scams - US & Abroad

Another interesting read I found on Mashable - one of my favorite sites!
Common Tourist Scams

More Travel Tips

I came across this read this morning 10 Travel Tips That You Must Know For Having A Good Flight

More Travel Tips!

I'm a big fan of the website Mashable  
Here are Tourist Scams To Watch Out For This Summer


Here are more tips I stumbled upon I thought I'd share:
Travel Tips for Having A Good Flight

More Las Vegas

A year went by and I never did update about my 2013 trip to Las Vegas.  I'll summarize, but will tell you more about this year's trip that I just went on last week.

Flashback to April 2013...
The weather in Chicago was terrible, in fact I came home after the trip to my suburb of Lisle practically under water - it was on the news and everything. Lucky for me I live on the higher point of town and didn't flood or anything but I always like to get out of town in the spring to avoid this stuff for a short time.  Only this time the weather was in the mid-80s and dropped to low 60s when we paid a visit.  
What to do in Las Vegas when it's not pool weather???
Well, the pools open in March in LV.  I saw the change in weather before we left so I did some fast thinking....
Rent A Car!!!
People think it's silly to rent a car there but really, there are SO many sights to see off the strip, you'd be surprised.  Even if you rent a car for a day like we did, you really get your money's worth, plus it saves on cab fare.  I will admit driving Las Vegas Blvd is a big of a headache, but if you come from a city, you'll be right at home, though that is something you don't really want on a vacation.

We were staying at the Venetian and like other hotels, they had a car rental agency on site which happened to be Avis.  You can get car rental discounts all over the place, the best I found was a promo code from my employer so I used that.  I want to say our compact car was about $60 for 24 hours and it was just perfect...and so was the car.  A VW Beetle.  I was pretty psyched to drive it!  It was pretty fun compared to my SUV back home.

If you're looking to do something during the day off the beaten path there is Red Rock Resort, Casino, & Spa, Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam, Mt. Charleston, and Valley of Fire just to name a few.  I've visited the 9 mile scenic drive at Red Rock Canyon, visited Hoover Dam & Mt Charleston in 1999 while visiting the first time, and Valley of Fire this particular trip.  While driving into Valley of Fire there is a nice little Indian Reservation casino which also has a gift shop selling alcohol, snacks, fireworks, tobacco...you name it!

 Valley of Fire was a great scenic drive.  It was worth every penny to rent a car and drive out here and check it out.

The drive itself is very scenic too, though it's not an actual path like Red Rock Canyon that you follow

As you could see, it wasn't ideal Las Vegas weather...but we made the most of it.  

And again, we saved on cab rides as we had breakfast at Peppermill 
After our drive to Valley of Fire we drove to the Hard Rock Casino, and later on drove out to Freemont Street before returning our car for the night back at the hotel.  I wrote up reviews of all the great places I visited that trip on yelp and created a yelp list so check it out at: My Las Vegas Yelp List 

 May 2014

 Although we really enjoyed our visit at the Venetian, we decided to upgrade our suite and booked the 2 bedroom Hospitality Suite at The Mirage this time.  I will admit, it was pretty fab...

 
Another suggestion I have about Las Vegas is to get on email lists for hotels that you are looking to stay at, if you are booking air and hotel separate...sometimes it costs about the same as booking a package.  If you are booking separate (I get an air fare voucher every year) you will get email promos from hotels pretty often.  The Mirage has the AAA discount as well.  We booked at a 20% off rate along with $25 room service credit so we got our morning coffee sent up to us!  I've mentioned other suggestions about traveling here in previous posts so if you're a new reader, be sure to check those out too. 

I also reviewed all of the places I stayed at this time as well on Yelp so be sure to check those out too for suggestions.  There is a really great off the strip Italian Restaurant that I suggest there called Battista's Hole in the Wall

And as I've mentioned before - I always find something new to do here with each visit because this place just doesn't get old.  The new hot spot just opened this year called The Linq which is located next to the Flamingo. This is home to the new tourist attraction The High Roller

You get the idea! :)

I also checked out Sigfriend & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat because I've been hooked on playing Las Vegas Slots on Facebook and on my phone - where you can earn FREE stuff in Vegas like buffet passes, drinks, hotel discounts and more!  I've used these the past two visits so it's worth it to play that particular game every now and then.

I need to start counting down the days till next year's trip for sure...because I miss it already!
 

Vacation Car Rental Tips

I have to say...I, never pre-pay for gas, bought the extra insurance a few times only to learn it's just a waste of money.  And sadly, passed up all of the gas stations on a road leading into McCarran Airport in Las Vegas and forced to pay them for the gas we didn't put in there...lesson learned, fill up in advance!  Here are more good tips I just discovered online:

10-things-not-to-do-when-renting-a-car

More helpful traveling tips

When Flying.... http://www.thedailymuse.com/travel/prepare-for-take-off-the-facts-you-need-to-fly-smart/

Memphis, an unforgettable roadtrip

It's been too long since I posted anything on this page, and it's due to the fact I haven't really been anywhere.  I went to Las Vegas in April and I still need to blog about that trip, as I've mentioned before every trip to Vegas is different.

I rounded up the spare change I've been saving, got some friends together and we drove down to Memphis from October  20th-22nd (Sunday-Tuesday).  3 Days & 2 nights - the perfect amount of time to escape reality for a bit. 

The cruise down 57 through Illinois is typical flat land, Illinois, at least till you get around the Carbondale area, then it gets pretty but then pretty boring again through Missouri and Arkansas.  I will say there are plenty of rest stops along the way so the 8+ hours in the car didn't seem that bad.  Also, there are LOTS of wineries in Southern Illinois so that made for a stop as well....on the way back.

For more detailed reviews of the places I mention, be sure to visit my yelp page at http://janinek77.yelp.com

I've never been to a waffle house and having visited Tennessee before I just wanted to go to one.  A co-worker told me it's not a big deal but I had to see for myself.  This route does not pass a Waffle House, until you're basically crossing over from Arkansas to Tennessee in a town called West Memphis, Arkansas but of course we stopped there.  After our Waffle House stop we made our way to our hotel which was pretty much off the first exit into Memphis, and the state of Tennessee.  We stayed at the Comfort Inn in downtown Memphis.  

Our first night we hit up Beale Street right away - grabbed a pre-dinner drink at Coyote Ugly.  Apparently "happy hour" last HOURS so we grabbed a $3 happy hour margarita and then headed over to Gus' Fried Chicken which was AMAZING!  Move over KFC & Popeyes because Chicago needs one of these!  For a Sunday night I'd say Beale Street had an older crowd - nothing wild & crazy and that was fine. Oh, if you're looking for something wild and crazy...Silky O'Sullivans has "The Diver" - a drink made up of wine, beer, and shots, perhaps the kitchen sink too, I'm not sure but look this up, it's for real!

The next morning after having a pretty decent breakfast in our hotel we headed out to Graceland which was a hop, skip, & a jump from downtown Memphis. Before Graceland we went to The Peabody to see the ducks.  http://www.peabodymemphis.com/peabody-ducks/ that is their story.  If you plan this into your agenda and want a good spot because it goes fast, meaning those duck come running in...get there early for this experience. We spent pretty much the entire day there doing the Platinum tour.  Yeah, I like Elvis and all but I think my parents would dig this place a lot more than I did.  There is something for every Elvis lover in your life in the many gift shops on the property too.  After Graceland we were famished and hit up Automatic Slim's for appetizers and killer $5 martinis.  After resting up at our hotel we hit up Beale Street for drinks and dinner one last time.  We had to try BBQ for dinner as this area is well known for BBQ and http://www.hogsfly.com/TheRestaurant.php was recommended to me by a few people here and down there but they were closed during our visit (closed Sundays & Mondays) so we opted for "The Pig on Beale".  We were not disappointed.  After dinner we grabbed a drink, did our souvenir shopping and made our way back to the hotel.  Again, not exactly happening on a Monday night but we still had our fun.

The next day we were thinking of going to the Memphis Zoo but decided to just head back and make a few stops on the way.  On the way home we visited Carbondale, and hit up a winery, being Star View Vineyards.  Lucky for us it was free tasting day (and every week day) so we pretty much tried everything they had to offer.  We picked one of the bunch and it happened to be a good one!  I didn't realize there is an entire wine trail down in Southern Illinois - might have to make a separate trip out of that spot.

I was told all sorts of things about Memphis before visiting - good & bad.  I'm from Chicago so if you look up the crime statistics, we're way up there so you just need to use common sense when visiting whether it's here or any city, or anywhere in which you're a tourist.  The one thing while visiting Beale Street that got annoying was the people asking for money.  Here in Chicago I'm used to it...I keep walking but it seems the tourists stick out down there like a sore thumb and they're hit up, a LOT.  Of course it all starts out as casual conversation leading into asking for money, a donation, something or other and well...handle it as you'd like.  That was the only downfall to the trip, that got a little old but we were only there 3 days.  Walking around downtown it didn't happen, only in the Beale Street area.

Unusual Travel Tricks

I just stumbled upon this...I love it! Unusual Travel Tricks That Really Work

Booking flights too early can be as expensive as booking too late

I'm in the process of booking a mid-April trip to Las Vegas...my annual vacation.  I came across this article posted by a friend of mine on facebook, it's worth checking out:

Booking Flights Too Early/Too Late

Yes! Michigan

So I get three weeks of vacation every year and when I take time off work, I like to actually GO somewhere.  I went to Las Vegas in April and my original plan was to visit LA again this month but I couldn't financially do it.  I wanted to take my mom to the "land of sunshine & happiness" but we'll have to go some other time.  Instead, we went to Michigan.  For the first 19 years of my life I ONLY visited the midwest.  Technically I only visited Wisconsin & Michigan so I'm pretty used to going there.  If I'm going to visit a nearby state I'd chose Michigan just because in my opinion, it's probably the prettiest among states in this region.

I'm also referring to the side on Lake Michigan.  Up till last week I had only been as far as Muskegon.  We only had a few days to spend there so we decided to go about an hour and a half further north to Ludington (4 1/2-ish hours from Chicago).  

 We spent 3 days/2 nights in Ludington so this blog is based on that short time.  I will say that I have a "comfort zone" and that being Saugatuck, Michigan.  I will have to blog about that another time because that deserves it's own entry, and it will be long as I've been visiting there for the past 20 years.  

Tuesday 6/19: After an iced coffee stop in Illinois we headed out.  We stopped for breakfast in Chesterton, Indiana.  It's not half way but it's a nice place to stop for gas, to eat, etc. in Indiana just to stretch your legs.  Another interest of mine is WINE and southwest MI has LOTS of wineries to visit.  We stopped off in Berrien Springs at Lemon Creek Winery

I did a wine tasting and bought two bottles :)

Next we stopped in Saugatuck - there is a little store in town that I needed to buy a ceramic butterfly to add to my wall collection from.  It's called Grandpa's Circus.  Mission Accomplished.  We stopped for lunch in Grand Haven and made our way to Ludington.  We stayed at the Ramada which was on the main road and got there right after check in time.  As with everything in life, you get what you pay for...this was a trip on a budget, plus I'd never been there before so I was comfortable staying at a chain rather than some place I just stumbled upon.  This was fine...the staff were friendly, free continential breakfast though my only problem was the bathroom.  Check out my review at Yelp for more info. 

After checking in we decided to spend a little time at the beach so we went to Stearns Park/Beach right at Hwy 10 and the lake.  It's a park, and a beach and also a pier with the lighthouse showed above.  After the beach we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.  We had dinner at Jamesport Brewing Company This place was AMAZING!!! Great food & beer!  My favorite part of the trip!  I also wrote a small review about them on Yelp as well. After dinner we watched the SS Badger pull out and head across lake michigan - this is a car ferry that travels back and forth between Ludington, MI and Manitowoc, WI.  We took a walk down the pier to the lighthouse to watch the sun set.  There are beautiful sunsets on the east side of Lake Michigan...It's something I've enjoyed doing since my first trip out there.

Wednesday 6/20:  After our free hotel breakfast we killed an hour in good ol' Walmart while our room was cleaned.  We decided to spend the day at Ludington State Park.  Out of state cars pay an $8 entry fee.  There are many hiking trails, a river that you can tube down, and also a separate lake/beach within the park called Lake Hamlin.  We picked up KFC and had lunch at the beach there before heading to Lake Michigan.  This particular day was WINDY so our experience was not as pleasant having whipping sand blowing at you while you're trying to tan.  Lake Michigan was also pretty chilly so I stayed out of it.  Others at the beach didn't seem to think so though.  We spent a few hours there, then headed back to the hotel.  There isn't a whole lot to do in Ludington...there are a handful of restaurants, bars, etc.  We decided to visit the town just north of there called Manistee and hit up the casino.  We gambled and ate dinner at the buffet at Little River Casino & Resort Of course I liked this place, I won $50 (I'm not big on gambling) This was a decent casino to visit - very clean, etc.

Thursday 6/21: I had to work that night so we headed out before check out time.   It rained the ENTIRE way home.  We were glad we were heading home because we did everything that struck our interest in Ludington and had no idea what we'd do there if it did rain all day.  Indoor pool, perhaps?!

We stopped for gas about 20 miles south and again in Fennville to pick up a few things at Crane Orchards I will write more about that hidden gem on my upcoming Saugatuck blog.  We stopped in South Haven at Big Boy for lunch, again in Chesterton, IN for gas and back home.

Yes, there are lots of things to do in Ludington if you're an outdoors person - hiking, boating, fishing, etc.  There are even sunset  cruises on a pontoon boat on Lake Hamlin for $20 (we wanted to do this but opted for the casino instead.  We were limited on time so it was a short trip.  Personally, I'll travel back to my comfort zone of Saugatuck...I really don't think traveling further north for a small town on lake michigan is necessary, if I'm going to try a new area in the future in MI, I'd probably hit up the Upper Peninsula.  

If any readers have any suggested areas to visit, I'd love to hear about them so please do so in the comment area below.

$$$ Expensive Travels $$$

I came across an interesting read on the Huffington Post today regarding domestic & international travel.  Check out: Most Expensive Cities To Travel To Around The World

More Airline Booking Tips

How to save on 'Free' Airline Tickets

USVI - St. Thomas & St. John May 2006

Before starting this blog, I visited many places so I will post about my past travels as well.  Summer is almost here in Chicago so I thought I'd post about a warm yet pretty place in the Caribbean - US Virgin Islands, particularly St. Thomas & St. John.  I have yet to visit St. Croix.  The Virgin Islands was my honeymoon destination so keep in mind this was a trip of pleasure, but not a group trip.  My ex-husband and I narrowed our choices to USVI or Aruba...I came across one review online when trying to decide between the two - Aruba is more of a desert island, St. Thomas/St. John are not...they are beautiful and that was the deciding factor.

USUALLY I know SOMEONE whether it's a co-worker, friend, friend of a friend, etc. who has visited a place I have never visited so I can ask questions, get tips, etc.  As for this place...I was on my own so I went out and purchased a book "The Best of St. Thomas and St. John Virgin Islands" by Pamela Acheson & Richard B. Myers 2nd Edition.  This was extremely helpful and full of great tips!!!  The next decision we had to make was a hotel.  We booked our air and hotel separately through a travel agent (Liberty Travel).  I again was torn between booking the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and Marriott Frenchman's Cove

These two resorts are on opposite sides of the Island and both offered an all-inclusive plan.  First I'll explain why we did NOT go the all inclusive route on this trip.  The year before we went to Playa del Carmen Mexico and went the all inclusive route and it worked great.  As for this trip we didn't plan on spending most of our time at the resort because we had a day trip to St. John planned, we wanted to spend time shopping in town, we visited Paradise Point, etc. not to mention there were some restaurants we wanted to check out so rather than keep heading back to our hotel for meals or having to worry about that we did not go that route.  If you plan on spending the majority of your time at the hotel....definitely go that route, it IS worth it.

Because of the location of the Marriott and the water shuttle to downtown Charlotte Amalie where the shopping is, and consulting with our travel agent, we decided on the Frenchman's Cove.  Ironically at the time we were there, I was informed of someone working in a store I was in on St. John that the Wyndham was having all kinds of water problems that week so luck was on our side.

Since this trip was six years ago I'll do my best to highlight some of the most memorable spots...

Paradise Point 

On a good day you can see all the way to Puerto Rico.  Unfortunately it was rainy and cloudy the day we visited but still a good place to check out

Duffy's Love Shack

It's not what you think, it's actually a pretty good bar & grill with neat souvenir cups.  We visited the Red Hook location which is near the ferry that takes you over to St. John.  I still have my monkey glass from my "funky monkey" drink!!!  I also have a story I still tell to this day about the Bananas Foster we ordered for dessert...our waiter couldn't get the 151 to catch fire when he went to serve it to us so he kept throwing more and more and more rum into it.  Rum & Ice Cream...ick.

St. John

For sure check out this scenic island.  We booked a day trip with our hotel ... it was SO worth it!!! We had a great tour guide and lunch was included.  This is a small island - around 6 miles wide so it doesn't take long to cover everything.  This is also where the night life is so plan ahead and plan your partying here as downtown Charlotte Amalie closes early for a reason...the reason being it is unsafe at night so check out what St. John has to offer at night and there is a ferry that runs between Red Hook in St. Thomas till late.  This island also has great snorkeling.

Trunk Bay

I heard about this place on the travel channel many times.  Not only is it beautiful but there is a path you follow in the shape of a triangle that you snorkel along.  Snorkel gear was provided with the day trip we booked.  This place is a must see!  Again...BEAUTIFUL!!!

Cars drive on the left side of the road there and just being in a cab there is scary enough so my suggestion is to take cabs - however, it IS costly so it's something to plan for.  I think we spent more on transportation than food/drinks while we were there as cab fares are at a set rate from different locations and there is a  cost per/person.  For example - $15 from the Marriott to Red Hook per person (this is just an example)  I'm pretty sure the rates are available online.

Cruzan Rum is made in St. Croix but you can buy it in St. Thomas.  Back in 2006 we bought a bottle of rum from KMart of all places for $3 so that is the place to buy your booze!!!

You do NOT need a passport to visit here...if you want to go to the British Virgin Islands, definitely bring it otherwise it's not necessary for the USVI.

One of these years I'll make it back to the USVI...it truly is a wonderful gorgeous place to visit!!!

Laissez les bons temps rouler ... in NOLA

I have been to New Orleans three times, my most recent trip being April 2011.  My first trip was pre-hurricane Katrina in April 2005, then I went during Graduate School in April 2008 to work on my Independent Study project (A fundraising plan for The Rebuild Center at St. Joseph's Church).


The best time to go? Obviously April ... You'll find weather in the 70's and 80's as their "humid season" starts in May and runs through September-ish. If you are looking to avoid a crowd - avoid festival season (jazz fest, mardi gras, french quarter fest, etc.)  One of my favorite sites to check is http://www.neworleansonline.com/
You can order a travel guide through that site with great info and coupons.


If you're planning a trip of leisure down to New Orleans, you're fine booking with Travelocity, Expedia, etc.  Make sure though to book in the French Quarter and read up people's reviews through Yelp or Trip Advisor as some hotels near Bourbon Street might be noisy compared to others.  You can also book in the business district/Downtown which offers chain hotels and definitely away from the chaos of Bourbon Street.  I've stayed in both areas.  We stayed at the Hotel St Marie last year and I do recommend that place - it's close to Bourbon Street but far enough away to avoid the noise.


When arriving in NOLA, I suggest taking a cab to your hotel as cab rates to and from the hotel and the airport are already set in advance.  There is only one cab service there.  You may also rent a limo or take a shuttle but keep in mind that the shuttle service might take a bit longer as they drop off people at other locations.


During the day there are different excursions you can book such as haunted tours, voodoo tours, cemetery tours (it is not recommended that you tour them on your own), french quarter tours, and more.  You can also venture out to the Garden District for a different feel or do shopping on Magazine Street.  
Walking the quarter is just fun to do as well - there are vendors around Jackson Square, or grab a coffee and Beignet from Cafe du Monde.  There might be a line but it's sooooo worth it!!!! 


It is not necessary to rent a car as parking at the hotels is very $$$ - cabs are available as well as streetcars.


As for nightlife there is the ever-so-popular Bourbon Street where you can walk up and down all night, collect beats, drink Hurricanes, and Hand Grenade drinks.  There are many bars to check out live music (the bands play based on tips down there) or just bars to hang out, dance, or visit the Bourbon Cowboy to ride the mechanical bull.  Other tasty alcoholic beverages include Abita Beer (brewed in Louisiana) I recommend the Strawberry one when it's in season or Purple Haze, there are also a number of daiquiri bars along the way.  Some of my favorite spots are: Bourbon Heat, Cat's Meow, Fat Tuesday, Funky Pirate, Razoo, Howl at The Moon, or one of my most recent favorites - The Dungeon (you cannot bring in outside drinks down here...it might seems scary at first but it's a few levels down, it's dark, plays metal music and just a cool bar overall).

If this scene gets old, there is also Harrah's Casino or Frenchmen Street (a short cab ride away) where the scene is less crazy but full of great bars and restaurants and places like Snug Harbor for live music.  It is definitely worth the trip at least one night during your visit.  There are also two dinner riverboat cruises along the Mississippi.  I went on the Creole Queen, and I would recommend doing this at least once while down there.

Last but not least...THE FOOD!!!  For great gumbo try The Gumbo Shop, if you're looking for a good greasy hangover cheeseburger go to Yo Mamma's, the BEST Italian food is at Vincent's which is outside the French Quarter but definitely worth it.  The Alpine is great to grab a Po Boy, or The Praline Connection is good if you're in the Frenchmen Street area.  I'm from Chicago and this place is among the best Italian places I've ever eaten at.  There is dining at all prices - something high end which is worth checking out is Emeril's "NOLA Restaurant" but again, check out the websites and reviews on Yelp...there are few places that disappoint down there.


On a different note...A majority of my graduate work was done studying New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina.  It is now 2012, and almost 7 years later and there is still much to be done down there.  Many hotels offer significant discounts if you are down there for services work.  If you're looking to help out while visiting down there, check out Habitat for Humanity or St Bernard Project


I know I'm excluding many more great finds in this wonderful city so be sure to check out the website I included above - there is something for everyone down in the Big Easy!

Viva Las Vegas

April 20-23 2012

I just returned from my 6th trip to Las Vegas on April 23rd.  I'm often asked "Don't you run out of things to do there?" My answer is simple..."No".  I always find a new place to eat, or a new casino to visit or a new activity to partake in.  This time I stayed at Treasure Island.  I was against paying a resort fee as many of these hotels on the strip charge a silly resort fee upon check in for things you may or may not use during your visit.  The resort fee was minimal along with the great deal we got so I didn't mind doing it this one time.  I was also paying for location - staying mid strip is ideal unless it's your first or second time visiting.  I knew we had no reason to walk down to MGM Grand, or Luxor so it was all about location this time.   I did like staying at TI - and the resort fee included things like internet, access to print out my return flight boarding pass, and we also received a few coupons that we used.  

As for new restaurants...you can read more about my experiences on my Yelp page at: janinek77.yelp.com

Dinner on our first night we stopped at KGB Burger Bar at Harrah's - Delicious!  I highly recommend this place.

If you're looking for decent eats and fabulous desserts - visit Serendipity 3 outside Caesar's Palace or The Sugar Factory outside Paris.  We opted for appetizers and dessert at both.  Yum!

My favorite Mexican place is at the Hard Rock Hotel ... it's called "Pink Taco"  There is also one in LA however I much prefer this location and I've been there the last 3 visits to Las Vegas.  If you're off the strip in that vicinity there is the new KISS Monster Mini Golf across the street.  It's indoor and pretty cool if you're into the band or just looking for something different to do.

When I visited Las Vegas last year I saw Le Reve at Wynn and it was hands down...AMAZING!!! I would go see that again but I haven't been to too many shows there so I opted for "Beatles Love" at Mirage...it would be unfair to compare the two so I'm not, they are entirely different and Beatles/Love is a Cirque du Soleil show.  I recommend both.  I also recommend purchasing tickets in advance because you can find deals online at www.lasvegas.com or www.travelzoo.com (I've used both). If you really don't have and agenda and plan on winging it you can stop by any of the "Tickets The Same Day" booths scattered among the strip ... also called "Half Price Tickets" I believe.  Keep in mind they do not have tickets for ALL shows and they change daily so what might be available for tonight might not be for tomorrow.  When I visited back in 2006 I insisted on purchasing tickets to Mystere at TI and my friend insisted it would be ok to just walk up to the box office a few hours before the show and we were surely mistaken.  We were told a line forms an hour before the show at will call and tickets are not guaranteed.  Needless to say we didn't want to stand in line forever on vacation so to this day I never did see that show. I've also seen Divas in Imperial Palace, and Chippendales at Rio (hey...it was a girls trip!)

You can now zipline on Freemont Street...that was on our agenda but we got there too late but what we saw looked like a blast.  I always feel that I don't NEED to visit Old Las Vegas or Downtown Las Vegas every time but somehow a night off the main strip isn't so bad...and fun.

Some Vegas tips to keep in mind...

- Cabs are timed, not by mile...you can sit at a red light and get charged $1.25

- There are coupon books everywhere...grab them, it doesn't hurt to save a buck or two on vacation (more $$$ for drinks and gambling that way!)

- The monorail runs on one side of the strip - one way is $5 but you can buy a 24 hour pass for $12

- Definitely check out the places off the strip like Rio, Palms, or even Ellis Island - a brewery/casino.  They are a short walk or cab ride away.  Paris has a shuttle that runs frequently from the Paris/Ballys area to Rio

- Although I do not recommend cruising the strip at night or driving from casino to casino, but sometimes renting a car is ideal if you'd like to check out the outlet malls, Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, or eat at In N Out Burger. We rented a car last year...I don't regret doing it because we could visit the places off the beaten path on our own.

- The weekends are ALWAYS busy...people drive in from the LA area on the weekends, people just go there for the weekends...if you want less of a crowd, avoid weekends and avoid holiday weekends.

- YES it gets cold there in the winter.  I visited in early December of 2009 and it was in the 40s at night, 50s during the day.

- I'm not at all into clubbing but I did check out a few...plan on standing unless you opt for bottle service at the clubs.  Many of the clubs have a "free cover" or "skip the line" thing if you sign up in advance on their website.  Do NOT talk to the people on the strip handing out coupons and wristbands...they will give you a talk, tell you how much you're saving THEN ask you for a tip.  Hand those passes back, they are unnecessary.

- I've stayed at the Tropicana my first trip out there, years later at the Stratosphere (the trip was only $300 for air & hotel, I couldn't pass it up!), off the strip at a timeshare, New York New York, Ballys, & TI.  Keep in mind...you pretty much only sleep in your hotel room.  If you want to travel on a budget, there are reasonable places to stay.  

- There are plenty of "Free" things to explore, Sirens of TI, volcano at Mirage, Bellagio Fountains just to name a few...you can find more on www.lasvegas.com

- You will be doing a ton of walking here so wear good shoes!!!  The strip isn't one long walking strip, you'll be going up and down stairs, escalators, elevators, in and out of hotels, etc.

Booking Cheap Airfare!!!

I returned from Las Vegas on Monday.  I hope to give a full update sometime this weekend.

I came across an interesting read today...I need to reference this for my next trip:
http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/8-insider-secrets-to-booking-cheap-airfare.html