Tagged With "Required Spend"
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
That's good news, Mac! OK...the leaves start turning first in the north, moving south as the weather changes...but timing is always tricky because it depends on each year's combination of temperature and humidity. Here's a link to a site I've found useful in the past...it's from Yankee magazine, and includes a live map of the progress of the leaves as well as itineraries and more. http://www.yankeefoliage.com/ We haven't had a good leaf-peeping piece on Gumbo yet, so I'm looking forward to...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Regarding hotels, Mac, I think I'd spend a few days in Boston to begin with, presuming that's where you are flying into. This will let you get over your jet lag and also give you a chance to see the state of the colors and plot out where you want to go. I would NOT go without having at least a night's reservation booked ahead because you'll waste too much time looking for a place to stay and will end up paying rack rate. Things will be busy and pretty filled up in the small towns of New...
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Re: The Best Things To Do In Boston
From Logan Airport you can take the Metro into the City. When you've seen enough at the first stop - get back on the Underground system and come up to ground level at the next stop. Repeat as often as time will allow. Great way to spend 8 hours between flights. Only the Bostonian's would drink green beer on Paddy's Day.
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Re: South America, part 3 - Nesting Leatherback Sea Turtles
Fascinating! I was just visiting Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia today and discovered that leatherbacks like to spend their summers off the coast feasting on jellyfish. Amazing what long journeys they make to lay their eggs.
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Re: Money Savings Tips, for your Big Trip - Part 1
And don't forget: use a miles-earning card for everything you DO spend! Between bonuses for new cards and steady use, you can go a long way!
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Re: Money Savings Tips, for your Big Trip - Part 1
Yep, it definitely adds up. Thanks for the comment. Make sure to read part 2 coming this week.
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Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?
That's a great piece about a great destination most of us have not heard a lot about. Would you know if there are direct flights between Malta and Sicily, Islandman? How would you recommend connecting these two. I think a great way to spend two or three weeks would be to combine stops at Sicily and Malta.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 4, 2014: Frutta Fresca, Roma
I love walking through markets - the smells, the colours and the rare fruits that don't make it to the Supermarkets! And sometimes the samples of local cheese ! I could spend all day there.
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Re: Should Wi-Fi be free in all hotels?
Good discussion! WiFi has for me become an indispensable part of traveling. It allows me to stay in touch with family easily and cheaply (remember how hard it was even 25 years ago -- a phone call could run you $5 a minute? And there was no email). It lets me spend evening hours clearing out a hefty email que, and doing research on what I am going to see tomorrow and the next day. And with "Gumbo on the Go", it lets me share my travels as they happen with fellow Gumboites! I echo PHeymont's...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Again thanks, this is incredibly helpful!! So I think I'll look at trains for trips from bigger cities to other cities, and fill in the gaps with bus if the pricing works out. A little more planning is needed. Even though it's expensive, I do want to spend around a week in London. Being an architect, there's just so much to see and do there, like seeing the Houses of Parliament and Westminister Abbey. I plan on being on the go almost all day each day there -- can rest later, maybe in the...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Wow, this is turning into a real education!! I checked with my uncle and yes, I can fly Chicago to Manchester and return from either London or Paris to Chicago. The ticket is free to him and he said he would cover any fees as a "graduation gift to me" (he's a pretty cool dude!), but I don't want to burden him with a heavy departure fee, so maybe Paris would be the way to go. I'd like to leave about Friday, May 9th and return 4 weeks later, June 6th. A few days later and returning a few days...
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Re: Spring Honeymoon Help
Congratulations SueZee! We're delighted in your marriage, and you've picked a great country in which to honeymoon. May is not too early to go to Italy, although pack a light jacket just in case. The crowds won't be there yet and you'll save some money when compared to the peak summer season. Where to go is very much a matter of taste. Most definitely you need to go to Venice and I'd say spend at least 5 days here, maybe with a day trip or two (such as to the glass making island of Murano or...
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
What great news to hear that a publisher recognizes the need for practical budget travel information. I can spend ages on the Internet trying to work out a basic trip scheme. When a location is new to me, I need that overview in hand. It does me no good to read that the Paris' Luxembourg gardens are wonderful when I am trying to work out how long I can afford to be in Paris. It does me no good to know that there are marvelous chambre d'hotes in the Ile de Cite when what I need is a couple of...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Everyone's been very helpful! I can't tell you what a great welcoming and helpful group of people you are. My uncle is an employee of Delta, so he has some kind of free ticket that requires me to fly on Delta only (no partners). I will have him check into the dates. I like the idea of flying up to Manchester, slowly working my way to London then returning from Paris. I think going to Amsterdam is more than I can bite off now, plus I want to spend the time seeing stuff, not traveling all the...
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Re: Airport spending takes wing !
Skinflint that I am, I do not buy a lot in airports. It does seem that the offerings have improved in recent years. Where there used to be only a tiresome newsstand and a shop selling dry sandwiches, we now have thoughtfully stocked bookstores, much better food selections, and even bright hair salons. The prices are often not competitive. However, the possibilities of where to spend the money have improved.
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Re: Minneapolis in the winter
Hi Theodore! I am a Mall of America fan. You can easily spend an entire weekend (or many evenings) at the Mall of America. First of all, the mall is very easy to get to by train from downtown (CICAK did a wonderful job explaining that), and fares are quite cheap (fares go for about $1.75 to $2.25 one way depending on what time of day you ride). As CICAK also mentioned, there is something for everybody at the mall. If you just want to find a warm dry place to walk and people watch, I believe...
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Re: Airbus Survey: 41% Willing to Pay for More Space
Well, so far I've gotten by in what they give me, but I'm old enough to know the difference and might wanna change up someday. And I'd sure rather pay for real estate than baggage space or airline food. Give me one bag free, no soda or peanuts, no movie, no blanket and especially no airline magazine...and hey, I'll spend $50 or so to spread out a couple or three inches! Ever stop to think about those magazines? They're printed on heavy stock, a real weight-bomb, you only read them if you...
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Re: Finally some good news! Whistler or Banff
So just to give you a follow up. My bro decided to go to Whistler. Apparently they have better snow boarding there and his kids are into that. And they want to spend a few days in Vancouver, which is a great city. I think I would have picked Canmore, but glad he's found somewhere to go. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
SueZee, I'm sure there is but, as I mentioned, I just don't think you need to worry about it. As a last resort you can call the embassy if the first line of defense, hotels & pharmacies, can't help. Very unlikely. Tell your cousins only rank beginners and sick people spend time worrying that could be enjoyed planning their trip.
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Re: Up, Up and Away: Airline miles cards with big bonuses
I LOVE my airline credit card, but it's great to have all this information in one place to see if I could do better. Probably not without some whopping fees, but whopping bonuses, too. Thank you sir, for showing us all these choices!
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Re: Up, Up and Away: Airline miles cards with big bonuses
I have a Delta American Express Platinum card that has served us well. The fee is higher than the gold card, but we can check two bags free, priority boarding, and a free companion pass yearly. We fly two or three times a year and the value of the waived baggage fee and the companion pass far exceed the $150 annual fee. The card also accrues one mile for each dollar spent and lately has offered cash back incentives. For example: spend $15 at Panera's using the card and receive $5 credit on...
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Re: 20-year anniversary for 'Stolpersteine' memorials
I love this project and spend my time looking for Stolperstein when I travel in Europe.
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Re: Take a Walk on the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, Vancouver
Thanks for the comments guys. It is a beautiful and so glad someone suggested we visit. Hope to spend more time there on a future visit. One time wasn't enough, lol. Thanks again.
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Re: Wandering In and Around Split
Absolutely a beautiful city! I wonder how many days you'd recommend the first time visitor spend in Split?
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 7th, 2014: Bees
Sure PortMoresby, the two cameras I use are a Pentax K10D dSLR with a Pentax DA 55-300 mm f4-5.8 lens and the other is a Panasonic Lumix TS2. The Lumix takes macro pictures like nothing else I have used, I am learning to get better at taking macro with my K10D but am still not as good yet as I am with the Lumix. DrF, the honey bee (the one with no hair) was taken in the lovely flower gardens at Lake Louise, Alberta and the bumble bees were taken on a trip to the Bowden Corn and Sunflower...
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Re: Women are the Majority Decision Makers in Travel
As I spend time on Twitter, sharing TravelGumbo's blogs and photos , I see the majority of people interested in travel are women now . I really do believe Marybeth Bond's statistics that she posts.
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Re: Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, France
Another walk down memory lane. I visited Fontevraud after a long walk from chateau to chateau that ended in Chinon and stayed in the recently opened hotel within the abbey. I knew about it from a personal association but don't believe it's generally well-known and maybe, in part, what makes it as lovely a place to spend some time as it is. Thanks, DrF.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 25, 2014: Fall colors at Upper Kananaskis Lake, Alberta
Hi GarryRF, Yes, this part of the world includes vaste stretches of wilderness. Lots and lots of unspoiled mountains, valleys, forests, rivers and lakes. It is only an hour's drive from west Calgary, so lots of those of us who live here spend our weekends in the Rockies. Much like those in Denver. Camping is wonderful in the summertime, as the weather is mild and the days very long. It's also great to hike here at that time. Camping in the winter is only for the brave of heart. You need to...
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Re: Heads Up for Travelers: Iceland's Volcanoes May Disrupt Travel Again
There can be an up side to travel during an eruption. My plans proceeded during the 2010 eruption and the first result was a southern route to Rome and a spectacular view of the Pyrenees, flying parallel to them. I learned how big those mountains are, had had no idea. After arrival in Rome I immediately booked sleeper compartment tickets from Budapest to London (already had Rome-Budapest), to replace the flight I'd booked. As it transpired, the flight ban was over by the time I got on the...
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Re: HOW YOU CAN SAVE THE ASIAN ELEPHANT
Thanks for sharing this.It does sound like a great way to help the Elephants while getting to spend with them !
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 22, 2015: Machu Picchu
Beautiful photos, Grand Escapes! I'm especially fond of the one of the llama roaming the streets of Machu Picchu. They are the official "lawn mowers" of the park. Machu Picchu after the tourist train leaves and before it arrives is a totally different experience than during the peak of the day. If there's one travel spot you'll want to spend a night or two so that you can enjoy some tranquility before it gets overwhelmed with people, then I'd say this is the one.
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Re: Gallery: Signs of Toronto -- the City at Large
Enjoyable walk around Toronto DrF. Love your "Victorian" attitude to some stores as "smutty" Looks like a very enjoyable city and worth visiting. I fear that all my relatives would discover my plans if I went. I would spend most of the week drinking tea and hearing stories of Aunty Ethel's bad leg. Oh ...and the twins....let me get the photo album...
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Re: Gallery: Signs of Toronto -- the City at Large
Nice selection of pics and thanks for the post. Toronto is truly a great Canadian city. We are hoping to spend a long weekend there at the end of February or beginning of March. Your comment concerning the smutty being clean is a cogent observation.
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Re: Visiting Patagonia. 2) Laguna Nimez Nature Preserve, El Calafate
Thanks, Tom! I've incorporated these names into the blog. As you're a dedicated birder, I know you'd love to spend some time here.
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Re: London- multiple questions
Thank you for all of the information. I am finally ready to finalize some things since we leave at the end of this month! We have decided not to do Liverpool...seems like we should come back and do that someday. I am thinking the Megabus option may be the way to go to Salisbury and catch the shuttle to Stonehenge from there. That way we can see the cathedral while we are there. Do you know if it is a short walk to the cathedral or will we need to take a taxi from the Megabus stop? Do you...
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Re: 7 of many reasons to choose Bulgaria for your next trip
Thanks for telling us! I've been to Bulgaria a few times and was unaware of so much. I need to go back! Bulgarians really appreciate travelers. For budget travelers wanting to experience Europe, it really is a great country to spend some time and stay within budget.
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Re: Yellowstone National Park in Winter
Thanks so very much for making us a part of your fascinating road-trip by sharing your visit to this unique place at such a special time. It's so rare to actually talk to someone who visited Yellowstone in the winter, much less to read such a wonderfully written report and to share in your experience through your beautiful photos. I'm sorry you didn't get to see wolves in the wild, but in this you are not alone. As many times as I've been in the wilderness, I've yet to see them (though I was...
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Re: The Historic Fort and Town of Galle, Sri Lanka
DrFumblefinger, then you should absolutely spend some time in Galle next time you visit Sri Lanka! GarryRF, the plan was originally to go to Unawatuna (30 min away) staying there and doing a day trip to Galle. But after doing a little bit research online, we found out that Unawatuna would not fit us, and ended up doing the opposite. On our daytrip to Unawatuna we certainly got confirmed that staying in Galle was a much better option. See my thought about that on...
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Re: Airbnb's plans for business travelers
My point, more succinctly, is that while I have no problem with Airbnb expanding it's customer base, a surprising number of my guests are first-time users and I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to extract them from dead-ends they've gotten themselves into on the site. Until the booking process is a straight line, easily negotiated by new users, I believe their efforts would be better spent serving the customers they already have, before heading in new directions.
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Re: Iceland's newest museum: 23 full-size whales!
That's a lot of whales! Iceland also has a brilliant whale museum to the north, the small costal town of Husavik. An great place to spend a half day. Husavik also is home to the phallus museum (you read that correctly).
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Re: U.S. plans big increase in "pre-clearance" sites
That’s especially true for high-volume areas like Heathrow…I’d far rather use my waiting time there to be cleared than have to spend extra time waiting AFTER my flight at JFK!
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Re: France to Send 120 Extra Police to Secure Channel Tunnel
Prior to me leaving for Europe I had read about the stoppages. But I had purchased my ticket back in the winter when there wasn't any such talk, and I foolishly didn't spend the extra $2/ trip for refund insurance in the event of a halt to the service. But I made the crossing and next time that $2 will be well spent for worry-free travel.
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Re: British make visas easier & cheaper for Chinese tourists
Not hard to understand why. Have you seen how much these wealthy tourists are spending ? Just following Paris in making them feel welcome - and to spend more.
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Re: Do Airlines offer the Best Loyalty Rewards Programs?
Agreed, especially if you are clever enough to find a great back door to use your points the way you like. I think the point of the video was that your hotel gives you a lot more for the money you spend there than airlines do. I use a generic rewards card in Canada that builds up a dollar amount of bonus. I buy the hotel, flight, car rental I want and the money is returned to me. That way it's simple and easy.
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Re: Apr. 21, 2016. Keeping Cool in Corfu Town, Greece.
Your photos show why I love summer! Worth the heat to spend time in that beautiful and relaxing area!
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Re: Stokesley Funfair and Agricultural Show.
My head is still spinning from the rides, and the wonderful quality of the pictures only helped to create the impression of being there...I'd much rather spend my time with the also-beautiful cows...
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Re: France: Baking up a fight over bread and hours
PHeymont -- it's one thing for flights and traffic laws and such to be regulated where there is a greater common good. But the idea of a government regulating when bakers can make bread is absurd in concept and execution. It is this kind of nanny micromanagement that will ruin an economy. Surely the politicians can find better ways to spend their time.
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Re: Feb. 5, 2016: Fishing boats, Santiago de Cuba
You must have been tempted to spend a few hours fishing the blue waters !
