Picture Perfect Vacations TraveBLOG

Let's talk travel!

As travel agents, we try to keep up with the latest travel information, like news on passports, destinations, and what's important to you - the traveler! Here you'll find all sorts of information.

You'll find stories and reviews of a lot of the different places we visit, with emphasis on the places we have  fallen in love with....

small ship cruising (800 passengers or less), Hawaii, Fiji, and the Caribbean. We'd love to share our knowledge and love of travel with you. Let's talk!

Good Eats - Reno, Nevada

"Part of the Secret of Success in Life is to eat what you like." .... Mark Twain, as quoted on the take out menu for Claim Jumper restaurant, in Reno. I couldn't agree more. We discovered this place, while driving down South Virigina street, looking for places to eat our first night here in Reno.

Lots to choose from on the menu.. from homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, to entrees like chicken pot pie, and whiskey apple glazed chicken. We settled on appetizers, (fire roasted artichokes, and a blue cheese wedge salad) so we could save room for dessert... a fabulous overly large slice of pumpkin cream cheese cake. Yummm! The glasses of wine we ordered were generous, and the wait staff was friendly and efficient. Great place. Check them out on-line.... www.claimjumper.com

Breakast lovers can't go wrong at Peg's Glorified Ham and Eggs. The local guidebook states that the lines outside their original location got so long, that the owner decided to open up 2 other locations in Reno. We had no problem walking in to get a table at their S. Meadows Parkway location this morning. We were warmly greeted by an alert staff (is this the norm here in Reno?- last night's wait staff at the Claim Jumper was extremely friendly as well)..... and were quickly escorted to a booth in this bright, airy, no frills, but clean and neat breakfast and brunch style eatery. Everything from pancakes, to omelets.... to eggs benedict. Way too much food - but totally good. The veggie omelet I had was literally stuffed with fresh veggies, but evenly cooked to make a scrumptious omelet. Hubby likewise enjoyed his vege eggs benedict.  Highly recommended, when you want to venture out for breakfast fixings instead of eating at your hotel.

 

 

How to Save Money on Car Rentals - A Reminder

I should have thought of this before. I let hubby make the car rental for our Reno/Lake Tahoe trip,forgetting that WHERE you rent the vehicle makes a difference in price. In many, if not all cases (?), it costs more to rent on-site at the airports, than at off-site locations. We were reminded by one of the local Avis reps in Reno, when you rent at the airport locations, extra charges are added on for "convenience" factors, like airport vendors. Somehow, these conveniences end up being paid for by us, the travelers, when we rent vehicles at airport locations. Amazingly disgusting! We could have saved about $200, by renting with Avis off-site. Another lesson learned!

Sandals Announces Holiday Toy Drive for Children in the Caribbean

I've been to Jamaica on several occasions. One of the most vivid memories I have is of river tubing. It was a lot of fun, but the memory that stands out the most is of the people I met on the excursion. The man who guided us down the river wore sneakers that were barren, and his toes were sticking out the sides. Something as simple as a pair of sneakers could make the man smile.

Likewise for the children we encountered at a rest stop on the river. They were excited to meet "the Americans", but they were also curious to know if I had something with me that they could keep. That visit prompted me to connect with a couple who were taking a cruise the next month. Together, we bought sneakers, and toys and pencils and pinwheels, and small items that could be distributed to the villagers in Jamaica. I know they appreciated the gesture.

Now Sandals has created the Holiday Toy Drive, and getting donations to people in Jamaica and other islands that Sandals/Beaches resorts are in is a lot easier.  I applaud them for the efforts, and encourage my friends and clients to contribute to this worthy cause.

Blogging on ..... with life!

For those of you into blogging, we are afraid that we have disappointed you. In the world of blogs, it is understood that to stay up to date and "fresh", we need to blog regularly. Please note that although we have failed to blog this year, we are still alive and exploring this great world that we all live in.

In our travels, we have discovered some places that are worth sharing with others. These are the destinations we tend to recommend to our clients. Places we have been to ourselves - places that we can honestly advise others based on personal experience. 

If you'd like to know more about where we have been, give us a call. Our goal is to help you have a "picture perfect" vacation. Check out our website to find out more about us. We tend to specialize in Hawaii, the Caribbean, and a few other places that have captured our fascination and love along the way.

Airline employees - is my theory correct?

When arriving at the airport for a recent flight  home, I discovered that all flights in and out of Atlanta were delayed due to a tornado watch/warning, and severe weather. My flight was to be delayed by an  hour and 45 minutes which meant I would most likely miss my connection in Atlanta to fly home!

 

 Unable to get help from the gate agent my flight was assigned to,  I quickly looked for a nearby gate showing the same destination city (Atlanta) . I got in line, and was able to get booked on another plane, which allowed me to make it to Atlanta in time for my connection.

 

I am not sure if this would work everytime, but I believe my actions helped me to get rebooked quickly in this case.  My experience makes me think that you shouldn’t automatically stand in the same line with everyone else, unless you are near the front! Assess your particular situation and  take action quickly!  Find another gate with the same destination, and/or, call the 1-800- reservations number on your cell phone….. I believe the quicker you can speak to an agent, the quicker you can get rebooked on another flight. I’d love to hear from an airline employee to know if my theory is correct.

 

Sandals Resorts heads to Exuma, Bahamas

This just in. A former Four Seasons resort on Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas will become a new Sandals property on January 22nd. The five hundred acre resort will be called Sandals Emerald Bay.

Sandals plans include adding a half-acre swimming pool with the largest Jacuzzi in the Bahamas, a swim up pool bar, and a fire-pit seating area on an island surrounded by the pool. Wi-Fi access will be available at nearby cabanas. A second pool bar, Irish pub, and two additional restaurants are also in the works.

This exclusive resort will offer butler service, six tennis courts, Red Lane spa, 18 hold golf course, and a deepwater marina.

Don't know about you, but I'm ready to check it out!

Name, Date of Birth, and Gender Please

Do you know exactly how your name is spelled on your driver’s license and/or passport? You might want to double check. The next time you book a flight, you just might be asked for this information. And that won’t be a temporary request. Not only will you be asked to give your full name as it is written on the government issued ID you plan to travel with, but you will also be asked your date of birth and gender. Why?

 

The Transportation Security Administration has implemented a newly formed program called Secure Flight, and ALL airlines are required to participate! If you are not asked for this additional info the next time you book an air ticket, it is because the particular airline  you are flying on is still integrating this new data collecting into their  system.

 

According to the TSA, passengers will not be delayed in travel if this info is not recorded, as the program is being phased in gradually with each airline based on their capacity to record this extra info.

This additional data collection is supposed to be able to clear more people from the government's No –Fly list, (terrorist watch program) and should be appreciated by people who have been misidentified on this list in the past. For more details about this new TSA program, and the privacy policies behind, log on to the TSA website.

 

Baggage Bungling for a song!

You need to check out and see the video entitled United Breaks Guitars, if you haven't viewed it on You Tube.

A musician who claims United Airlines busted his guitar, wrote a song about his experience. It would be nice if the airlines "paid up" when they break personal items, but I know their documentation states that they are not liable for items above a certain price. Travelers beware!!! The song is great, though - check it out!!!

Travel Tip On .....Flight Scheduling

When planning your vacation times, make sure you check out return flight schedules to coincide with when you need to be back home before making final trip selections. Flite schedules don't always match when YOU want to fly, and you will want to coordinate last hotel nights, and final day arrangements accordingly.

Flying U.S. Airways with Luggage? Better have Computer Access

And we thought it was bad enough to hear that the airlines would start charging for checked luggage. Now U.S. Airways has come up with a new scheme to make even more money off of wary travelers.

In small print, under News, listed on their website, U.S. Air describes their new policy. As of July 9th, 2009, they will start charging $5 more for travelers who check their bags at the airport, as opposed to claiming they have a bag to check when they check in online. In other words, those who do not have access to computers beforehand, or are returning home from a vacation and do not have time to go online before arriving at the airport, will be charged extra for not paying for those luggage fees during online check-in! Now instead of paying $15 for your first checked bag and $25 for your second, you will be penalized an extra $5 at the airport by not checking and paying for them online beforehand.

It is a shame the airlines have resorted to this sort of revenue-generating tactics. Cutting costs is essential to the airline industry today, as is the case in many industries. Eliminating paper menus in first class, and reducing the number of flights available, to name a few examples, makes economic sense, but charging customers for luggage in general, and penalizing them for lack of computer access is going too far. The airlines have stooped to new lows. Some statistics indicate that less people are flying, and are making other choices when it comes to where and how people get to their destinations. Could the distasteful practices the airlines are incorporating on their 'valued' customers be a result of this?