Rumors of Change: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Posted on March 22, 2012 by wpengine

The Chase Sapphire Preferredis one of the most lucrative bonuses offered by any credit card issuers right now.  They are currently offering 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $3000 with the first three months of card membership.

About a month ago Chase issued a change saying that this offer was a “Limited Time Offer.”  Many people have quoted saying that they think the bonus will be dropping to 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points in the near future.

Who really knows if they will be dropping the offer.  I would still recommend that you pick up this card as your very first Wanderlusting card ever.  This is why:

Positives:

  • 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points is worth $500 in airfare, or it could also be used as 40,000 United MileagePlus miles.
  • This card waives foreign transaction fees.  Most credit cards and debit cards for that matter charge you a 3% fee for all of your foreign purchases.  Let’s assume that you spend $1000 bucks overseas, this puppy is going to save you $30 in transaction fees.  That can really add up over time.
  • The card looks freaking sweet and everyone will look at you like you’re the coolest guy they’ve ever seen.
  • You earn 2 points per dollar on all dining, car rentals, hotels, and airfare.
  • This card pays a 7% dividend each year on the spending that you have done in the prior year.
  • You’ve just got to spend $1000 per month to meet the spending requirement.

When was the last time that someone told you that you could have $500 for simply spending what you already spend each month?  If you and your spouse both were to get one then you could always take that dream vacation to Hawaii, take the kids to Disneyworld, or explore castles and balconies in Europe.

I’m a very cheap individual.  There are many people who can vouch for this.  I also love to travel.  It just so happens that using credit cards with my 800+ credit score to get a few offers a year is totally doable and has saved me thousands in expenses.  Since I’ve started about getting offers I’ve taken a few trips.  Check them out:

Be careful to take good care of your credit.  I haven’t applied for any credit cards for the last 8 months because I might be needing a mortgage.  However, if you have a great credit score and won’t be needing any loans in the next year then GAME ON.  Don’t wish your life away thinking that travel is only for the rich. Make it happen today and make a plan.

One of my friends called me the other day and asked if he could get a credit card and have his next trip covered by the points. I told him yes until I realized that he was going in one month. That doesn’t leave enough time. You need to build an arsenal now so that when the opportunity arrives, you are well equipped. I never knew when I would be using my Gold Points from the AMAZING Club Carlson offer last year, but it is going to save me $220 when I stay in Zurich next month.

 

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
― Mark Twain,

 

Posted in Chase, Chase Ultimate Reward Points | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Norwegian Spirit Cruise Activity: Costa Maya Ruins

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Brad Christensen

By this time next week, we’ll be aboard the Norwegian Spirit – visiting a variety of exciting port locations.  Our itinerary has us on the following schedule:

Sun: New Orleans, LA Depart 5:00pm
Mon: At Sea
Tue: Cozumel, Mexico 8:00am to 5:00pm
Wed: Belize City, Belize 8:00am to 6:00pm
Thu: Roatan, Honduras 8:00am to 5:00pm
Fri: Costa Maya, Mexico 8:00am to 4:00pm
Sat: At Sea
Sun: New Orleans, LA Arrive 8:00am

We ponied up big on points to get a hotel right near the French Quarter and the Cruise Port. We’re staying at the Marriott Convention Center for 25k Marriott points – half of the 50k from the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card. It’s more than we wanted to spend, but if you figure that the hotel would have cost us $349 for a similar hotel on this Spring Break weekend, it means our 50k points are worth more than $800 to us (counting the extra free night).  You can’t complain when you get them for free just for signing up for the card.  Bourbon Street, here we come!

I already gave you a preview on what we’ll be doing in Belize, visiting the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave where we’ll hike, wade and swim into an a jungle cave system that played host to human sacrifice and other Mayan Rituals with www.pacztours.com.

Photo courtesy of LocoGringo.com

Now I’ll give you a taste of what’s on the platter for Costa Maya, Mexico.  Some of the people in our group have yet to visit any of the temple ruins in Central America, so we opted for a ruin-focused excursion.  There are three closely accessible ruins from the cruise stop, but we’re focusing on Dzibanche and Kohunlich.  I’ve never been disappointed in any of these kinds of historical sites, and I don’t expect these will be any different. I find that these places are a lot like reading books – what makes them really good is your imagination.  You can almost feel the kind of bustling civilization that it would have taken to create and maintain these ancient cities… you can’t help but marvel at the thought of the once-great Mayan empire.  It’s the closest we’ll get to time-travel.  Take, for example these “masks” or “stelae,” which recorded the history of kings and their rule. Pondering these wonders is exactly why I have such a desire for travel. I enjoy relaxation as much as the next guy, but you wouldn’t catch me trapped inside an all-inclusive with stuff like this nearby.

Photo from delange.org

Do you have any ideas for us on our other stops?  We’ve got a plan, but we’re always welcoming ideas from fellow wanderlusters who may have tread these paths before!

Posted in Central America, Fun Travel Stories, Marriott Rewards | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Eight Great things to do in/around San Francisco

Posted on March 18, 2012 by wpengine

Vineyard in Napa Valley

1. Visit the Napa Valley– Although I’m not a connoisseur of wine, I really enjoy watching how things are made.  Wine is fascinating because there are so many varieties that are all made in different ways. I’ve been to wineries all over, but I feel like the Napa Valley is a special place.

Many wineries offer free tours of their facilities.  Some charge for theirs but those usually involve additional services besides a basic tour.  On these tours they will explain to you how wine is made from the grapes.  They teach about the formation of the rows, how important roses are to the rows as well.  I didn’t realize this until I had a tour of a winery once, but they put roses at the end of each row. If the rose begins to die prematurely they know that a disease could be potentially affecting the rest of the grapes.  It is like your front lines crew in a war.  They have the greatest amount of casualties. There is much more to learn about wine, so make sure you take a trip to the Napa valley.

Most wineries offer a free wine tasting experience.  You probably won’t have to designate a driver unless you visit all of them.  Most samples are simple, but yet allow you to try their particular brand.

I also really enjoyed the amounts of cheeses that were found in the Napa valley as well.  Wine and cheese have been a great marriage for hundreds of years.  Many wineries will offer samples of their cheeses as well.

Overall visiting a wine production facility is a great experience.  Even if you don’t drink the wine it is good to learn about.  I’ve only been to the Napa Valley once, but it was over 10 years ago.  With my trip booked in August to San Francisco it will be exciting to see it again.

Pier 39 Seals

2. San Francisco Pier 39– This pier is great to enjoy as a couple, with a family, or even by yourself.  The seals that lay on the pier can entertain you for hours.  Sometimes they fight, but most of the time they just lay there.  The noises that they make will definitely bring laughter and memories to carry on forever.  At one point they probably used the pier for ships, but the seals have definitely taken over completely at this point.   Even watching the seals beach themselves on the docks can definitely entertain.

If it were just for the seals this location would be good, but don’t worry, there is much more.  Shopping, restaurants, and attractions abound in the nearby neighborhood.  You’re only a couple of blocks from the Ghiradelli Square which is a few blocks away.  Their chocolate is a great souvenir for any friends and family.

Welcome to the Rock

3. Alcatraz–  Welcome to the Rock.  This is a small island in the Bay that previously served as a federal penitentiary from 1934-1963.  During this time frame it had infamous prisoners such as Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud, and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.  During the years of operation there were 26 total attempted escapees in 14 total escape plans.  The majority of them were caught, but there are three people who were never found.

Rates for Ferry Ride to Alcatraz

The National Park Service still runs tours of the island and you can see the old penitentiary for yourself.  You take a ferry to the island from Pier 33.  It would be best to get your tickets in advance because the tours fill up quickly.  There isn’t any fee to see the island, but you must pay for the ferry ride to the island.  The seasons can change the rates, but they generally run about $26 per adult.

I’ve never done the tour myself, but might be doing it in July when I go to San Fran.  What has been your experience?  Is it worth it?

AT&T Park

4.  Professional Sports–  Golden State Warriors (Basketball), Oakland Athletics (Baseball), San Francisco Giants (Baseball), San Francisco 49ers (Football), San Jose Sharks (Hockey).

Get your tickets in advance as the games are all popular.  With two baseball teams, one basketball team, a hockey team, and the 49ers you will have a sport to see for all seasons.

 

Muir Woods

5. Muir Woods National Park–  This is an absolute MUST see close to San Francisco.  Drive north of SF over the Golden Gate bridge a measly 9 miles from town.  The redwood trees are some of the largest trees on the planet.  You can hike through the park and get a break from the business of the city.  It feels peaceful even though you aren’t very far from the city.  Your children will never forget these trees!

Thank goodness people have been able to preserve this location.  It is a beautiful place.

 

 

Lombard Street

6. Lombard Street–  This is known as the ‘crookedest’ street in the world.

Although the street isn’t very long, it is a novelty.  The flower gardens are beautiful and the hedges are perfect.  It is kind like a slide that doesn’t last long, but was fun while you did it.  We did a couple of runs when I was there.  Great thing to do!

 

 

 

7. Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge–

Oakland Bay Bridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as it is known as the “City by the Bay” it is rightfully said.  San Francisco is a peninsula that has two bridges that connect it to Oakland(Bay Bridge), and then the northern portion of California (Golden Gate).  Both of these bridges are engineering masterpieces.

The Bay Bridge is a double-decker and has inbound traffic on top and the outbound traffic on the under side.  The Golden Gate bridge has six total lanes, but they usually aren’t divided by three and three.  Normally the adjust the traffic flow to match the need.  In the morning when many cars are on their way into San Francisco they have four or five lanes into town and one or two out of town.  In contrast, at the end of the day they do the opposite and have more lanes going  out of town.  This helps with the flow of traffic over the bridge to keep cars moving faster.

Both of the bridges are breathtaking and a must-see for everyone.

Golden Gate

China Town San Fran Style

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. China Town–  Get ready for the largest and most expansive China town in the world (Except for China proper).  You can find over 300 restaurants with all of the Chinese favorites like roasted duck and fried rice.  They sell gadgets, trinkets, purses, and everything else that you could imagine here.  If you ever wanted any type of Chinese souvenir, but didn’t have the desires to visit the orient, this is your place.

The whole San Francisco Chinatown encompasses about 24 city blocks and had an estimated population of 100,000 in 2000.  I’ve been to Asia, and this place feels a lot like stepping into the Orient.  Although I’ve never been to China, it feels a lot like Vietnam to me.

Staying in San Francisco

Accommodations in downtown San Francisco are really expensive. Even if you are using points it will still require quite a few points from your war chest.  I recommend that you find something a little ways from the action to save your points for your next vacation.   Starwood has two wonderful properties that are Category 2 properties which use 3000-4000 points depending on the night.  Remember that the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express offers a bonus of 25,000 Starpoints after $5000 in spending.  This would get you up to 10 weekend nights at either of these properties.

Four Points by Sheraton South San Francisco–  This is south of town and close to the SFO airport.

Four Points by Sheraton San Rafael– This Four Points is located north of San Francisco, so you would have to make quite a commute, but is a great location if you are visiting the Napa Valley and Muir Woods.

Remember that the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card has no spending requirement and gives you 50,000 points and a free night at any hotel that is a category 1-4. These are two properties outside of the mainstream that might help those points stretch out a bit.

Courtyard Fairfield Napa Valley Area–  This is a Marriott Property only requires 10,000 points per night and is located between San Fran and Sacramento.  You could stay here after a day of enjoying the Napa Valley.

Fairfield Inn & Suites Oakland Hayward–  Located about 30 mins from downtown San Francisco and only requires 10,000 Marriott Rewards points as well.

Flying into San Francisco

SFO is the largest airport in the area and has flights from almost every US airliner and many other international airlines too.  It serves as a huge United Airlines’ hub for the west coast.

Recently Allegiant Airlines started offering service into Oakland International Airport.  They are a Low Cost Carrier based out of Las Vegas, NV.  Allegiant focuses on a couple flights per week to each of its destinations and charges for everything.  Most of their flights go to Vegas, LA, Phoenix, and San Francisco.  They focus on underserved markets and put flights in those areas.

Posted in Allegiant, Eight Great | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Visit Historic Deadwood, South Dakota

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Wild Bill Hickok. Calamity Jane. Black Hills Gold.

Legends.  We’ve all heard about them and we’ve found them interesting, but get yourself to Deadwood, South Dakota and you’ll be filled with intrigue.

Roughlock Falls - Spearfish Canyon

Roughlock Falls - Spearfish Canyon

I stumbled into Deadwood by accident while making the rounds through Wyoming on a work trip.  Having recently bought a motorcycle, Sturgis had suddenly become interesting to me.  Yet, I couldn’t be entertained for any more than an hour in the sleepy month of April (or any other month besides August, for that matter).  While I’ve been told that the road along Spearfish canyon is among the greatest scenic byways in the country, I arrived by way of Sturgis.

I’ve been to dozens of old mining towns, and, in fairness, I’ve loved them all.  There’s simply something scintillating about gold-boom-towns out West, and few have a better story than Deadwood.

Right about the time of General Custer’s last stand in the Battle of Little Bighorn, the gold, for which the dispute with the Lakota Indians arose in the first place, was being found in the creeks and gulches of the burned-out Black Hills.

Photo Courtesy www.legendsofamerica.com

As these things have a way of doing, the opportunity drew hundreds of prospectors and even more “prospectors of prospectors” – to include gamblers and prostitutes among other vice-vendors.  One of those drawn in was a Union soldier who had made a name for himself as an actor in a traveling Wild West show, among other notable activities. Wild Bill Hickok, they called him.

As much as Wild Bill was known for how he lived, he may be known even more so by how he died.  In the midst of a poker game at Saloon #10, Hickok was assasinated.  The cards in his hand became known, infamously, as “Dead Man’s Hand:” Two Pair, Aces over Eights.

The stories extend like the branches of an overzealous bush, and to recount them all would be tedious, but suffice it to say that Deadwood is a unique oasis of Wild West history – far richer with meaningful stories than many more-popular venues.

A self-guided tour of Deadwood will insert you directly into the stories, from sitting in Saloon #10 to standing near Hicock’s gravesite in the cemetery atop Mt. Moriah overlooking the small town.  You can partake in a poker game of your own (without the bitter demise), or pour over artifacts in the Adams Museum. I will offer a “no disappointment” guarantee, especially if you couple this visit in with a tour of nearby sites – to include Mt. Rushmore, Sturgis, and Devil’s Tower.

We don’t have any secret methods of free hotel stays in town, but the benefit of casino towns is that they tend to run on the cheaper end of things.  I guess I’d urge you to reserve your stay at www.Hotels.com where you’ll lock down a free night for every 10 you  book. (The secret there is that you get the benefit regardless of whether you actually stay.  Thus, if you’re booking for your non-wanderlusting friends, take advantage by using their stays to get you free ones.  Isn’t that what friends are for?

If you decide make Deadwood a destination, pop in on www.Deadwood.org  and see what else you might find there.

Keep up to date on your credit score by using Credit Sesame.

 

Posted in Fun Travel Stories | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Capital One 100,000 Double Miles ChallengeBonus Offer

Posted on March 7, 2012 by wpengine

Talk about a bittersweet deal that came out today from Capital One.

The Sweet of the Capital One 100,000 Double Miles Challenge

  • You can earn up to 100,000 Capital One “Miles.”  These miles can be redeemed for car rental, hotel, airfare, cruise, and a few other expenses.  The 100,000 points means that you can redeem up to $1000 in spending and they wipe it clean like it was never an expense.
  • The minimum spending requirement is only $1000 within the first 90 days of approval.  This is relatively low compared to most other offers on the market.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.  This is great if you are traveling overseas.  I can’t wait to put mine to use when I head to Europe shortly.
  • Once you get the points you can downgrade the card to a fee-free Capital One card and still keep all of the points accrued.  (This does change your earning from 2 miles per dollar to 1.25 miles per dollar, but either way avoids the $59 annual fee.)

The Bitterness of the Capital One 100,000 Double Miles Challenge

  • You can only qualify for the full 100,000 if you spent more than $50,000 on a single credit card last year.  Per the terms and conditions it also excludes a number of cards.

Spend on small business cards, debit cards, fleet cards, private label credit cards, corporate cards, prepaid cards and Capital One credit cards is not eligible.

  • Very few people will qualify to make the full 100,000 bonus.  I wouldn’t even consider this card unless I had spent at least $30,000 on one single card within the last year.
  • Capital One pulls your credit from all three credit Bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.  This is a total bummer because it puts more limitations on getting other credit cards in the future.  For more information see our Doesn’t it Hurt My Credit Page.
  • Per the terms and conditions:  This offer is open to new Venture account holders who meet the eligibility criteria and whose applications are received before the promotion ends. Existing Venture customers and 2011 Match My Miles Challenge participants are not eligible for this promotion. Limit one entry per person.
My Summary

This isn’t near as lucrative as last year’s offer of 100,000 Match My Miles Promotion.  Qualifications were much easier last year, but the registration went really fast.  They promised last year to allow either 1 billion points to give away or a two month window, whichever came first.  The offer only lasted about two weeks and they closed it because they had awarded all billion points.

I definitely won’t be applying for this offer from Capital One for the Double Miles Challenge.  The qualifications are REALLY difficult to meet, and the bonus isn’t even worth it unless you spent the $50,000 per year on a personal card.  You would be much better off getting the Chase SapphireSM Preferred Card and using the $620 in airfare because the hurdles are much lower.

Posted in Capital One | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Eight Great Travel Apps

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Maybe you’re killing time waiting for transportation.  Maybe you’re in a boring meeting.  Maybe the movie you’re watching is less than captivating.  If you’re like me (and you are because you’re here) it’s time to preoccupy yourself with daydreams about your next travel adventure.

In any of these cases, there’s no question that the smartphone is the ultimate preoccupation device. Of course your first objective must be to seek out the most recent WorldWanderlusting post.  But what do you do after that?

May I recommend that you install the following eight great travel apps?

1. Rick Steves Audio Europe: It’s like candy for your ears.  Imagine an audio tour of ancient Britain, a discussion on Dutch culture, the greatest hits of Barcelona… they’re all at the tips of your fingers with Rick Steves Audio Europe.  You can take it in in 10 minute blips, or occupy an entire 45 minute cardio workout… how is that for wanderlust fuel?

2. Awardwallet: It’s time to brag. Bragging about financial success is taboo, but bragging about all of the free frequent flyer miles you’ve accumulated is a neccesity.  Telling people  that I have more than 750,000 miles and points sounds like an outrageous claim until I’m able to back it up with a simple summary from  www.awardwallet.com.  It also comes in handy when you’ve got booking fever.

3. Google Earth:  Literally hold the earth in the palm of your hands.  Zoom in close enough and you’ll actually feel like you’re walking the streets of Bilbao – or any other city in the world for that matter.

4. TripAdvisor: TripAdvisor is the Library of Congress for travel tips, reviews, and ideas.  It becomes a little overwhelming, so sometimes it’s good to begin with something in mind.  Check out the Magic Water Circuit in Lima, Peru.

5. EarthCam: Check in on webcameras from around the world. Years ago, my wife and I visited Akumal Beach, south of Cancun.  A webcamera keeps a constant eye on the ocean lapping at the white sand, and a periodic visit keeps the memories fresh on my mind.  If that weren’t enough, Earthcam’s database will take you virtually anywhere you’d like to go.

6. Wikipedia Mobile: Sitting in an internet cafe in the shadow of Notre Dame is cool, but add in the phone-perusal of architectural specifications, historical accounts, and a plethora of details and it becomes even cooler.  Suddenly it becomes all the more interesting when it occurs to you that Napoleon I was coronated in that very location.  Even if you’re not on-site, the thorough nature of Wikipedia will transmit you there.

7. Skype: Yes, everyone knows about Skype, but its power is awesome.  Skype allows you to turn your phone into… get this… a phone… while overseas!  I just laugh when I hear about people paying for international phone coverage when wifi is as ubiquitous as it is.  On a trip to Costa Rica a few years ago, my friend had his wallet stolen and needed to make at least a dozen calls to cancel credit cards.  He spent more than an hour making calls with my Skype app from the comfort our jungle paradise and, despite my pleas, insisted that he repay me the $2.32 it cost to make them.

8. Chase Ultimate Rewards Bookmark: Ok, so this isn’t an app, but bookmarking www.ultimaterewards.com is an absolute necessity for booking fever.  If you don’t have at least 100k Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you obviously haven’t been WorldWanderlusting for long.  These puppies are powerful elements of free-travel-exploitation, in that you can transfer them to United, Amtrak, Marriott, Southwest, and more.

We hope you enjoyed these ideas.  If you’d like to see more in our series in “Eight Great” posts, please check out: Eight Great Foods to Feed the Wanderlust, Eight Great days in Costa Rica, Eight Great Youtube Travel Videos, and Eight Great Bridges Around the World.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of piling up 100k Chase Ultimate Reward Points, look into the Chase SapphireSM Preferred Card, and The New Ink BoldSM with Ultimate Rewards.

Posted in Eight Great | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Travel Location Quiz

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Where in the world will you find scenery like this?

 

 

Posted in Travel Quiz, Uncategorized | Leave a comment