Our second full day in Portland saw my wife & my buddy pile into our rental early in the morning and head out of the city. Our ultimate destination for the day would be the Tillamook Cheese factory, in you guessed it, Tillamook, Oregon. But since we were driving all the way out there, why not stop by Cannon Beach too? So off we went in the early morning fog and light … [Read more...] about Tillamook Cheese and Cannon Beach
Hyatt Unbound Coco Palms Construction
Hyatt recently announced it's new brand, the Unbound Collection. During the announcement, it was mentioned that a hotel in Hawaii would be included. This hotel will actually be the redeveloped Coco Palms hotel on Kauai. And recently, the Hyatt Unbound Coco Palms construction project has begun, sort of. According to local news outlets, the project has been stalled for … [Read more...] about Hyatt Unbound Coco Palms Construction
Oregon Rail Heritage Center + Bridges
After brunch at Isabels Cantina, we headed out to visit, at my request, the Oregon Rail Heritage Center. But first we stopped at Cathedral Park under St. John's Bridge, a beautiful suspension bridge with gothic style towers and piers. We then drove over the bridge on our way to our next destination. Admittedly the Oregon Rail Heritage Center was a bit of a … [Read more...] about Oregon Rail Heritage Center + Bridges
Hawaiian Air Lei Day Giveaway
May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii Nei! While the rest of the world celebrates May Day on May 1, we in Hawaii celebrate Lei Day. Oahu is home to the largest Lei Day celebration, the Annual Lei Day Celebration, at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. The event includes lot's of entertainments, exhibits, and a lei contest. To join in the celebration, Hawaii's largest airline is having a … [Read more...] about Hawaiian Air Lei Day Giveaway
Review: Portland Marriott City Center
Our Uber dropped us off right in front of our hotel in Portland, the Portland Marriott City Center. Because it was already around 11:30pm, the door to the hotel was secured. It took us a little while to figure out that there was a doorbell, and once we rang it, a member of the staff rushed out to welcome us in. The small front desk is to the right of the … [Read more...] about Review: Portland Marriott City Center
Hawaiian Air Long Haul HNL-PDX
Lest you think I never leave the rock islands, last October the wife and I took a trip to the Pacific Northwest to visit my friend in Portland, make an AvGeek pilgrimage, eat a ton of good food, and just have an amazing adventure overall. Of course to get there, I decided to fly Hawaiian Air Long Haul HNL-PDX and SEA-HNL. My choice of Hawaiian Air was based on the low price … [Read more...] about Hawaiian Air Long Haul HNL-PDX
Easy 700 AAdvantage Miles
American Airline's frequent flier program, AAdvantage, the very first travel loyalty program, is turning 35 this year! And to celebrate, American is giving away a ton of miles with their Milestones Made With Miles contest. But they're also giving away an easy 700 AAdvantage miles, more on that later. It comes as no surprise that the number 35 plays a HUGE … [Read more...] about Easy 700 AAdvantage Miles
The Pig and The Lady
As regular readers of Jeffsetter may know, your's truly got his start at this distinguished career fun gig writing guest posts for Mr. & Mrs. J as they planned their trip to Hawaii. During those guests posts were a lot of dining recommendations, especially for Oahu, one of which, The Pig and The Lady, is where Mr. & Mrs. J met up with Mrs. Island Miler and myself for … [Read more...] about The Pig and The Lady
Maximize Marriott Rewards Earnings
Marriott Rewards has long been my hotel loyalty program of choice. While often ignored by hardcore points/miles collectors because of it's difficult to attain elite status with weak benefits, I grew to be a fan of the program because it's the best earn and burn option around. In my opinion, Marriott Rewards strikes a great balance compared to it's peers, allowing for … [Read more...] about Maximize Marriott Rewards Earnings
Sam Sato’s
Like I said before in, like in my review of Mitch's Sushi, some of the best food you'll find in Hawaii, are in unlikely and/or obscure places. Sam Sato's, like Mitch's is in a somewhat obscure location with terrible parking. But unlike Mitch's, Sam Sato's is an old school, local institution. Located above Kahului, in the county seat of Wailuku, Sam Sato's is buried in … [Read more...] about Sam Sato’s