I've said it before, and I said it again, my points and miles strategies differ somewhat from many other bloggers. I don't travel for work, nor do I have much disposable income to throw around. Because of this, I primarily earn miles to redeem for free travel and don't focus much on earning elite status. … [Read more...] about What’s in My Wallet July 2016
Travel Blogging
Hilton Hawaiian Village
The Hilton Hawaiian Village is a mainstay of Waikiki hotels and is the largest resort on the island. It's size and popularity HHonors members means the place is, in my opinion, a bit of a circus. The number of people staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village at any one time is a bit staggering. The property does have nearly 3,400 rooms, after all, and is still growing! And … [Read more...] about Hilton Hawaiian Village
Wailea Beach Marriott
A couple of years ago spent a week on Maui for our anniversary. We split our time between the Courtyard Maui Kahului Airport and the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort. We chose to split our time between the two properties as a way to save money, while also saving points. As I've said before, the Courtyard Maui has a central location that's great for treks to Haleakala and Hana. … [Read more...] about Wailea Beach Marriott
Value of Disney Vacation Club Ownership
After my post on Aulani's accommodations, some of you had asked about the value of Disney Vacation Club Ownership. Originally I hadn't want to write about the value of a timeshare ownership, as its rather complex. But Disney Vacation Club is a bit different from traditional timeshare ownership programs. Plus, while the wife and I were Disney Vacation Club owners, we have … [Read more...] about Value of Disney Vacation Club Ownership
Aulani Activities
Today I'm continuing my mini series on Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. The previous posts discussed the resort's accommodations and dining, but today I'm going to go over Aulani activities. Pools Despite being a resort in Hawaii, the main draw at Aulani are its pools. The Waikolohe Valley is the resort's main attraction, home to its many pools, slides, and lazy … [Read more...] about Aulani Activities
Aulani Dining
In my last post I went over Aulani's Accommodations, mainly the Disney Vacation Club villas, so this time around I'll be covering Aulani Dining. Why? Well, despite the perception that there's few options, Aulani does have a TON of different dining options ranging from quick-service to upscale fare. 'Ama'Ama To me the best and only sit-down restaurant at Aulani is … [Read more...] about Aulani Dining
Goldfinch Tavern
Following our adventures and lunch at Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room, the wife and I decided to have dinner at Goldfinch Tavern. But before that, we headed over to downtown Seattle to visit Chihuly Garden and Glass. While the sculptures are stunning, it is basically a building full of glass. Instead of boring you with all the details, I'll just leave you … [Read more...] about Goldfinch Tavern
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
The second to the last day of our great PNW adventure was also our first full day in Seattle and the last day we had our rental car. So to kickoff the day, headed up to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room. While most may flock to the original Starbucks location at Pike Place Market, it really isn't much of a destination if you ask me. It's simply a tiny … [Read more...] about Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Tillamook Cheese and Cannon Beach
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