Saturday, October 31, 2009
Airplane seating
Where is the best place to sit on an airplane? That's up to you to decide. When I was little, I coveted the window seat because I was so excited about the views. But as I grew up, my window seat preference has given way to the aisle seat. An aisle seat allows more room to move my legs and the freedom to get up without disturbing anyone. This is especially important on long flights. And, I can still see out the window from the aisle seat. Of course, an aisle seat person will have to get up to let the middle or window seat person out. But there is a way to avoid that: book an aisle seat in exit row. This is my first choice. Exit rows have more room, so the window seat person in an exit row can go to the bathroom without disturbing anyone. If an exit row seat is not available, I'll go for an aisle seat in the back half of the plane away from the wings. Why near the back? Airlines (at least my preferred carriers American and Continental) board from back to front, meaning those seated in the back will board earlier. Boarding earlier means better chance at getting overhead bin space to store rollerboard luggage. This is important because overhead bins fill up quickly now that airlines are charging to check luggage, forcing more people to carry on.
Hotel booking strategies
I usually stay at hotels during my travels. What's the most important criteria when booking a hotel? Depends on who you ask. For me, I look for a hotel that is in a convenient location with comfortable beds, and of course at a low price.
What's the best way to book a hotel? Depends on your criteria. I don't care which hotel I stay in, so my favorite hotel booking site is priceline. In priceline, you enter your trip dates and city. Then, you pick an area of the city you want to stay in, enter a star level, and enter a price you want to pay. You enter your payment info and submit. If priceline finds a hotel that meets your criteria at your price, you got it and your card is charged. If not, you can try again but you need to change something about your criteria (dates, star level, add area). Check out this tutorial on how priceline hotel booking works. The catch about priceline: once booked, reservations cannot be changed or refunded so make sure your plans are final before bidding. And you don't get to pick your hotel - priceline assigns you a hotel based on your inputs. But the nice thing is being able to get a luxury hotel at a budget hotel price. By using priceline, I have stayed at some very nice hotels for a steal. I like to think of it this way: I pay a dirt cheap price and by booking on priceline, I'll get upgraded to a much nicer hotel at no additional cost. When I told my friend I stayed at the Westin hotel in Pasadena for $78 a night, he said "you can't even get a crappy hotel at that price". The regular rates for that Westin can easily be over $200.
Some priceline bidding tips:
1) I find downtown to be the best spot for hotels - I get a feel for how the city is laid out and it's a great starting point for exploring. This is especially true for relatively compact cities like Boston, New York, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco. Plus, downtown has easy access to public transportation so I can avoid renting a car.
2) Check out betterbidding.com, a forum where users share their priceline bookings. It also includes bidding tips, including the all important rebidding strategy.
3) Check hotel prices on hotwire, then make your first bid 80% of the lowest rate found on hotwire for the zone you want to stay in. Priceline usually beats hotwire in price.
4) Stick to 3 star level and higher. Priceline discounts at these levels are the greatest (percentage wise) and you're assured of a good quality hotel. You get the most bang for the buck. Bidding below 3 stars is risky because quality at those levels vary greatly and you could get stuck in a dump.
5) Perhaps it's because of the recession, but I've noticed that 4 star hotels are being won on priceline for almost the same price as 3 star hotels.
6) Deals are relative to the regular rates. For my recent Boston trip (see post below) I had to bid up to $130 to get a hotel in downtown Boston (I stayed with downtown because I didn't want to risk being far from a subway station). Although that is much more than I usually pay on priceline, it's a 68% discount - the lowest published rate is $404.
What's the best way to book a hotel? Depends on your criteria. I don't care which hotel I stay in, so my favorite hotel booking site is priceline. In priceline, you enter your trip dates and city. Then, you pick an area of the city you want to stay in, enter a star level, and enter a price you want to pay. You enter your payment info and submit. If priceline finds a hotel that meets your criteria at your price, you got it and your card is charged. If not, you can try again but you need to change something about your criteria (dates, star level, add area). Check out this tutorial on how priceline hotel booking works. The catch about priceline: once booked, reservations cannot be changed or refunded so make sure your plans are final before bidding. And you don't get to pick your hotel - priceline assigns you a hotel based on your inputs. But the nice thing is being able to get a luxury hotel at a budget hotel price. By using priceline, I have stayed at some very nice hotels for a steal. I like to think of it this way: I pay a dirt cheap price and by booking on priceline, I'll get upgraded to a much nicer hotel at no additional cost. When I told my friend I stayed at the Westin hotel in Pasadena for $78 a night, he said "you can't even get a crappy hotel at that price". The regular rates for that Westin can easily be over $200.
Some priceline bidding tips:
1) I find downtown to be the best spot for hotels - I get a feel for how the city is laid out and it's a great starting point for exploring. This is especially true for relatively compact cities like Boston, New York, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco. Plus, downtown has easy access to public transportation so I can avoid renting a car.
2) Check out betterbidding.com, a forum where users share their priceline bookings. It also includes bidding tips, including the all important rebidding strategy.
3) Check hotel prices on hotwire, then make your first bid 80% of the lowest rate found on hotwire for the zone you want to stay in. Priceline usually beats hotwire in price.
4) Stick to 3 star level and higher. Priceline discounts at these levels are the greatest (percentage wise) and you're assured of a good quality hotel. You get the most bang for the buck. Bidding below 3 stars is risky because quality at those levels vary greatly and you could get stuck in a dump.
5) Perhaps it's because of the recession, but I've noticed that 4 star hotels are being won on priceline for almost the same price as 3 star hotels.
6) Deals are relative to the regular rates. For my recent Boston trip (see post below) I had to bid up to $130 to get a hotel in downtown Boston (I stayed with downtown because I didn't want to risk being far from a subway station). Although that is much more than I usually pay on priceline, it's a 68% discount - the lowest published rate is $404.
Monday, October 26, 2009
New England
I made a trip to New England to visit some sites in Boston, visit my friend Dan who lives in Hartford, CT, and enjoy fall foliage in Connecticut and Massachusetts. New England produces some very pretty colors on the trees during October. There is something very special about seeing a combination of green, red, orange, yellow, and even purple colored leaves on trees. It's like looking at a rainbow. I was in New England Oct 22-26 (5 days). Activities for each day:
Day 1: Arrived Boston in the early evening and checked into the Intercontinental Boston Hotel. This hotel is located on the site where the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. The hotel was built a few years ago so it is very modern and luxurious with attention to details in the rooms. The bathrooms even have a shower stall, separate from the tub. The Intercontinental Boston is definitely one of the most luxurious hotels I've ever stayed in. And thanks to priceline, I was able to get a room at this hotel for 32% of the regular rate.
Day 2: I spent the entire day in Boston. Started out checking out the fall foliage colors in downtown Boston, including the Boston Common and the Public Gardens. I then toured the Church of Christ and visited the Mapparium in the Mary Baker Eddy library. The Mapparium is a three-story globe. In the middle of the globe is a glass-bottom bridge that visitors walk on. The globe is made of painted windows that light up. Interesting way to view the world and where we live. They don't allow pictures in the Mapparium so you have to go there to see it. The library also includes information on Mary Baker Eddy and her focus on Christian Science as a way to heal from illness. Next I went up to the skywalk observatory in the Prudential Center to enjoy nice views of Boston.
Day 3: Dan came up to Boston and we had lunch at Shangri-La in Cambridge (just west of Boston). Great food - people line up 15 minutes before the place opens. We drove to Hartford and because it rained on and off all day, we spent the rest of the day watching college football with some of Dan's friends. I'm happy to report both our schools - Penn State and Texas - won their games.
Day 4: Today was mostly sunny - perfect day for a hike. We made 2 hikes. The first was at a repository in Hartford - its endless line of trees surrounding a huge lake trumps the hike-and-bike trail along Lady Bird Lake in Austin, especially in the fall. Our second hike was at Race Brook Falls area in western Massachusetts. Our hike took us to the bottom of a waterfall and our mission was: reach the top of falls and enjoy the view. First step was cross the roaring streams - we did it by strategic planning and good jumps, knowing that if we miss we could get carried away by the rapids. OK, maybe not (people have walked in the streams in hot weather) but it sure looked like it could happen. And it gets tougher - we now had to climb a steep hill filled with wet rocks. It took a good amount of effort, but we made it to the top, and got our prize. Thank goodness we didn't slip while climbing or we could end up handicapped. I couldn't have asked for more - standing on top of a roaring waterfall looking down at fall colors in the sun. Amazing view. We ended the day with dinner at The Counter, which is a burger place. Like Fuddruckers, you build your own burger. And they serve sweet potato fries. More pictures from our 2 hikes.
Day 5: We drove to Boston. The highway was lined up with trees showing their fall colors. Like day 4, it was sunny and that made the colors even brighter. I took a tour of Harvard University. The tour was led by 2 students and they were very enthusiastic and took a lot of pride in their university. Many students pronounce the name Hahvahd (something about New England accents). One of the tour guides told a story about a student taking a final exam in religious studies. One question is "What is the meaning of life?" He answered only God knows. The professor wrote on his exam "So God passes. You fail"
Day 1: Arrived Boston in the early evening and checked into the Intercontinental Boston Hotel. This hotel is located on the site where the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. The hotel was built a few years ago so it is very modern and luxurious with attention to details in the rooms. The bathrooms even have a shower stall, separate from the tub. The Intercontinental Boston is definitely one of the most luxurious hotels I've ever stayed in. And thanks to priceline, I was able to get a room at this hotel for 32% of the regular rate.
Day 2: I spent the entire day in Boston. Started out checking out the fall foliage colors in downtown Boston, including the Boston Common and the Public Gardens. I then toured the Church of Christ and visited the Mapparium in the Mary Baker Eddy library. The Mapparium is a three-story globe. In the middle of the globe is a glass-bottom bridge that visitors walk on. The globe is made of painted windows that light up. Interesting way to view the world and where we live. They don't allow pictures in the Mapparium so you have to go there to see it. The library also includes information on Mary Baker Eddy and her focus on Christian Science as a way to heal from illness. Next I went up to the skywalk observatory in the Prudential Center to enjoy nice views of Boston.
Day 3: Dan came up to Boston and we had lunch at Shangri-La in Cambridge (just west of Boston). Great food - people line up 15 minutes before the place opens. We drove to Hartford and because it rained on and off all day, we spent the rest of the day watching college football with some of Dan's friends. I'm happy to report both our schools - Penn State and Texas - won their games.
Day 4: Today was mostly sunny - perfect day for a hike. We made 2 hikes. The first was at a repository in Hartford - its endless line of trees surrounding a huge lake trumps the hike-and-bike trail along Lady Bird Lake in Austin, especially in the fall. Our second hike was at Race Brook Falls area in western Massachusetts. Our hike took us to the bottom of a waterfall and our mission was: reach the top of falls and enjoy the view. First step was cross the roaring streams - we did it by strategic planning and good jumps, knowing that if we miss we could get carried away by the rapids. OK, maybe not (people have walked in the streams in hot weather) but it sure looked like it could happen. And it gets tougher - we now had to climb a steep hill filled with wet rocks. It took a good amount of effort, but we made it to the top, and got our prize. Thank goodness we didn't slip while climbing or we could end up handicapped. I couldn't have asked for more - standing on top of a roaring waterfall looking down at fall colors in the sun. Amazing view. We ended the day with dinner at The Counter, which is a burger place. Like Fuddruckers, you build your own burger. And they serve sweet potato fries. More pictures from our 2 hikes.
Day 5: We drove to Boston. The highway was lined up with trees showing their fall colors. Like day 4, it was sunny and that made the colors even brighter. I took a tour of Harvard University. The tour was led by 2 students and they were very enthusiastic and took a lot of pride in their university. Many students pronounce the name Hahvahd (something about New England accents). One of the tour guides told a story about a student taking a final exam in religious studies. One question is "What is the meaning of life?" He answered only God knows. The professor wrote on his exam "So God passes. You fail"
Friday, October 2, 2009
Washington DC - October 2009
The US capital city offers many free stuff to do. I was treated to a nice view of DC's main attractions during the landing at Reagan National airport. If you happen to fly into Reagan airport, book a window seat on the left side of the plane to get the view (of course, this assumes the plane lands from the north side of the city).
I stayed at the Renaissance DC hotel, located a few blocks from a metro station. This hotel is also centrally located between Chinatown, the Smithsonian, and Capital Hill. It has a great fitness center with extensive work out equipment - by far the best hotel gym I've ever used.
My activities in DC:
1) Capital Hill area, to visit the US Supreme Court
2) Joined a tour group to see the monuments at night, when they are lit up. We went around on bikes, which is much quicker and easier on the legs than walking.
3) Visited the Washington Monument, including a trip to the observation deck 500 feet above the ground to enjoy a bird's eye view of DC.
4) Visited Ford's Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was shot and Peterson House, where Lincoln died 9 hours after being shot.
5) Visited National Community Church - this church doesn't have a dedicated building but meets in various places throughout DC, including a theater in the Union Station and in Ebenezer's coffee house. I attended their Saturday night service in the coffee house. The sermon was about the Sabbath, which emphasized that the Sabbath is a time to celebrate God's creation, provision, freedom, and salvation. And celebrating the Sabbath should be fun. For me, celebrating the Sabbath includes traveling to experience God's creation in other places.
6) Museums I visited:
a) National Postal
b) Portrait Gallery which has a section with portraits of every US president from George Washington to George W Bush
c) National Archives, which has the original copy of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. These documents are enclosed in heavy glass and stored in a dark, cool room to preserve them. This museum also has immigration records and letters written to presidents. Some of these letters are on display. In one letter, this middle school boy's room was so messy his mom called it a disaster area, so he wrote a letter to Ronald Reagan (president at the time) asking for federal funds to hire a crew to clean his room.
More DC Pictures
I stayed at the Renaissance DC hotel, located a few blocks from a metro station. This hotel is also centrally located between Chinatown, the Smithsonian, and Capital Hill. It has a great fitness center with extensive work out equipment - by far the best hotel gym I've ever used.
My activities in DC:
1) Capital Hill area, to visit the US Supreme Court
2) Joined a tour group to see the monuments at night, when they are lit up. We went around on bikes, which is much quicker and easier on the legs than walking.
3) Visited the Washington Monument, including a trip to the observation deck 500 feet above the ground to enjoy a bird's eye view of DC.
4) Visited Ford's Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was shot and Peterson House, where Lincoln died 9 hours after being shot.
5) Visited National Community Church - this church doesn't have a dedicated building but meets in various places throughout DC, including a theater in the Union Station and in Ebenezer's coffee house. I attended their Saturday night service in the coffee house. The sermon was about the Sabbath, which emphasized that the Sabbath is a time to celebrate God's creation, provision, freedom, and salvation. And celebrating the Sabbath should be fun. For me, celebrating the Sabbath includes traveling to experience God's creation in other places.
6) Museums I visited:
a) National Postal
b) Portrait Gallery which has a section with portraits of every US president from George Washington to George W Bush
c) National Archives, which has the original copy of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. These documents are enclosed in heavy glass and stored in a dark, cool room to preserve them. This museum also has immigration records and letters written to presidents. Some of these letters are on display. In one letter, this middle school boy's room was so messy his mom called it a disaster area, so he wrote a letter to Ronald Reagan (president at the time) asking for federal funds to hire a crew to clean his room.
More DC Pictures
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