Share WorldWanderlusting Travel Tips

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Brad Christensen

If you like what we’re up to here at WorldWanderlusting, we want you to tell your friends and family.  In fact, we even want you to tell your enemies.  If you’re lucky, they’ll travel somewhere far away and never come back.

We’re doing our best to convince the world that travel is 1) not as expensive as people believe (in fact, in many cases, it’s outright free), 2) the best education you can give your kids and yourself (Travel is death to bigotry… you know the quote), and 3) will some of the best memories in your life.

Whether it’s adventure, culture, history, or discovery you seek, there’s a world out there to find it in.  Don’t delay, do it today.

We put together this simple little Prezi presentation that lays it out there.  Now we’re asking for a favor – Would you show it to a friend? Share it with your friends on social media? Make it the homepage of all the computers in the lab? Please watch it and share it far and wide.

WorldWanderlusting on Prezi

We want an army of wanderlusters, and we want to hear what you’re doing.  Counter-inspire us.  Tempt us. Send us your pictures.

If you ever have any questions about you read on here – Questions like “Doesn’t it hurt my credit?,” “What’s in it for you?,” or “When should I start getting points?” – please comment on a post and get the lowdown from us.  This is not a static webpage, this is a forum and we want Q&A.  We’d like to hear your doubts and concerns. It doesn’t come as a surprise that people read this stuff and think “yeah right,” or “what’s the catch?”

You should be skeptical.  You should be careful.  You should be nervous. But you also should be traveling.  And once you feel good about these opportunities, as thousands of others do, you should be thrilled.

Running this blog now for almost two years has been a very exciting endeavor.  We’ve made so many friends and heard so many stories.  Keep on wanderlusting with us.

Posted in About us, How to Wanderlust | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

iPhone Credit Card Holder Case

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Brad Christensen

Merry Christmas!

Free to good home

We count ourselves lucky to have such an incredible army of WorldWanderlusters following our blog.  As much fun as it is to take these awesome next-to-free trips ourselves, it’s just as cool to hear about your adventures in frequent flyer mile travel.

We’d like to offer a token of our gratitude – something we’ve found to be extremely handy. If you’re like me, you seek to simplify, and one of the ways I’ve simplified my accounting (keeping track of all the frequent flyer mile cards and spending requirements), is to carry only one or two cards at a time.  For almost two years now, I’ve carried my iPhone 4 in a brilliant credit card holder case.  People ask about it all.the.time.

Now we want you to have one.  This isn’t a cheesy contest, where you have no chance of winning.  If you’re here and you’re reading this, and you are a wanderluster, you already won! Just post a comment below telling us where your next trip is and how you’re getting there, and we’ll mail you one for your iPhone 4 or iPhone 5.

New to WorldWanderlusting?

Nothing pains us more at WorldWanderlusting.com, than hearing “I’d love to travel, I just can’t afford it.”  We write about inexpensive ways for people to get to places they had only dreamed of.  Follow us on Facebook or check out these other great posts:

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Posted in Contests | Tagged , , , | 44 Comments

Travel to Puerto Rico

Posted on December 5, 2012 by wpengine

Puerto Rico – it’s a latin Hawaii – a wonderland of beaches, history, and culture.

Puerto Rico Vacations 2013

Today we’ll be taking you to a romantic and exotic honeymoon to the enchanting isle of Puerto Rico.  Barring that you visit during hurricane season, you’ll enjoy sunshine, some rain showers, delicious food, rich history, and beautiful beaches.  You drooling yet?

Taking your sweetie to a foreign land (ok it’s a territory) might feel a little daunting, but don’t worry.  We are here to help.  One of the advantages of going to Puerto Rico is that you get the taste of a foreign country as far as language, foods, etc, but you don’t need a passport to visit because Puerto Rico is a US Territory.  That will save you $240 if both of you don’t have passports already.  It serves as a great alternative to people who want to travel somewhere besides Hawaii.

When it comes to a honeymoon most people think about beaches, beautiful places, nice hotels, and relaxation.  You’ll find all of these when you visit Puerto Rico.  It is an island surrounded by beaches, so you could really visit a new beach everyday.  For that reason you should consider staying at the Four Points By Sheraton Caguas Real Hotel and Casino.

Reading the reviews of this hotel make me smile.  4.2 out of 5.0 is a dang good review.  The pictures of this place are to dream about.  Although it isn’t located on a beach, you can find one within an hour of almost any direction, and the pool will provide a wonderful place to lounge.

Staying at this place sounds rather expensive, but by signing up for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.   you’ll have 25,000 Starpoints.  This hotel requires 7000 points per night, so you’ve got four wonderful nights at this hotel that will cost you $0.  Now we’re talking about a cheap start to your honeymoon.

What I call Rainbow Row in San Juan

Now….to make it even cheaper…..Southwest is one of the nations lowest cost airliners.  Along with low cost flights you also get 2 free checked bags each, which can save you up to $200 on your trip if you both bring two bags.  Remember the lingerie 😉 At the moment, Southwest doesn’t fly to Puerto Rico, but their recent merger with Airtran means that they will be starting sometime in June of 2013.  So If your honeymoon is before then, you’ll have to use 35,000 AAdvantage miles each or pay for the flights with cash (ouch).

Unfortunately this next offer comes and goes. Right now we don’t have this link, but there was a link where you can get up to 50,000 Rapid Rewards when you spend $2000 on the Chase Southwest Premier card within three months.  Depending on when you can find the fares, that might cover all of your costs on the flight except a $5 booking fee per leg of the flight, or $20 total.  Keep in mind that the annual fee isn’t waived on this card either, so you’ve got to pay the $89 the first year as well, so both of your flights would cost you around $109.

Preserved drawing in a cave in the Fort

“Are you kidding me?” you might be asking yourself.  There is NO WAY that WorldWanderlusting just showed me how to get four nights in an incredible hotel, and my flights to Puerto Rico for $109.  Now that is a cheap honeymoon!

What is the catch?  Well, this Southwest credit card is an EXTREMELY limited time offer.  You might want to submit your application really quickly, or the offer will expire.  So pony up, click on the link, and get this party started!

Making your vacation exotic…

Bioluminescent Bay

A special algae in the water outside of Fajardo causes the water to have a glow effect, which amounts to a very romantic trip on the kayak that you two will rent.  This is a phenomenon that is found in three locations around Puerto Rico, and a few other very rare locations around the world.  It’s too bad they don’t let you swim in the water, but too many people in the water can hurt the algae, so it’s worth not swimming to allow future people to see it  too.

Spending time on glowing water will help your relationship to glow as well.  This will create a lasting memory for your sweetheart.  Unfortunately this isn’t a free event, but it’s worth the money (remember how much you saved on your flights and hotels, so splurge a bit!

El Yunque

La Mina Falls in El Yunque

Most people think they have to leave the USA to see a rainforest, but we’re here to prove you wrong.  This place is a paradise on the Isle of Enchantment as it is known.  Plan some time to spend in the park, because you’ll want to hike to some of of the 12 waterfalls that you can find in the National Park.  Bring along a swimming suit and a picnic, so when you hike to La Mina Falls, you can swim in the refreshing water after the long hike and enjoy your meal as a couple.   My wife was pregnant when we did the hike, which hopefully tells you that most people should be able to make it.

Spend the time to hike to the top of the Yokahu observation tower.  It not only offers splendid views of the ocean, and the rainforest, but gives you a moment to spend with your new bride (or groom).  It reminds me of those cheesy lines on the Bachelor when they’re flying in a helicopter over the Matterhorn in Switzerland, and they say “I think I could fall in love here.”

Old San Juan

If you love Spanish architecture, this is a great location for exploring.  The gold route came from Peru, and was shipped up to Panama, where they trekked it across the isthmus, and the loaded it up again in Portobelo, Panama.  It had one last stop in San Juan before it made its final voyage to the Motherland.

View from the Watchtower

San Juan was designed to protect the ships and the gold that the Spanish had looted from the Incas.  You’ll learn that Puerto Rico was wanted real estate because both the English and the Dutch tried very hard to take over the island.

Explore the two forts, and the romantic downtown with the love of your life.  Sit down and enjoy Puerto Rican cuisine for lunch, and soak up the culture.  Plan on visiting a nightclub while you’re in town if that is something you both love.  They are abundant in Old San Juan.

Visiting El Morro at night is a MUST do.  They light up the moat around the fort, which gives a very cool effect.  It just makes me think about how hundreds of years ago they probably did they same thing, which would intimidate the crap out of me if I was a ship trying to come into the harbor.  It’s hard to explain, but it is something that I definitely recommend.

The Beaches

Most people dream about spending their honeymoon on a beach.  Puerto Rico has beaches for every occasion.  An article from Frommers outlines many types of beaches and what they are all good for.  It depends on what you want, but the secluded beach sounds the best to me….

Well, there it is.  A planned, yet cheap and exotic, honeymoon for you two.  Go and enjoy the Isla del Encanto.  Don’t worry about the Spanish being a barrier.  Make that part of the adventure.  Many people speak English, and will be willing to help.  Make sure you bring along a GPS so you don’t get lost.   That is a MUST do.

Posted in American Express, Cheap Honeymoons, Island Vacations, Southwest, Starwood Preferred Guest | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Give Your Children the Gift of Discovery

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Brad Christensen

If you give your children nothing else, give them a thirst for knowledge and adventure.  Children who discover, dream, and dreaming, dare. 

Miles and Belle at Haystack Rock on the Oregon Coast

I have four adorable children.  And because I have four adorable children, I also have four enormous Christmas wishlists.  Like I did when I was their age, each of them flipped through the Toys R Us Sunday ad, circling every other toy.  Add it all up and I think if I bought them all, I’d probably contribute meaningfully to China’s GDP growth.

I’m not going to get them all those toys. It’s not because I don’t love them.  It’s because I do love them. As much as I want them to have “things,” I’d rather they have experiences.

I find old Christmas presents buried in the grass when I mow the lawn.  I regularly throw away pieces from the 100+ piece sets that have a habit of getting spread all around the house (don’t tell Nicole).  I never buy name-brand batteries for the cheesy little remote control cars my kids have because they always break before they run out of power.

The fact is – most children’s gifts don’t last.

I suppose you could make the same argument about the experiences I provide for my kids.  Maybe they won’t appreciate the view from atop the monolith of El Penol.  Maybe they’ll be more enthralled by a fuzzy caterpillar while standing on the hollowed grounds of the Battle of Lexington.  Maybe they won’t remember chasing hermit crabs through starfish alleys in the tidepools of Haystack Rock when they’re older.

But the fact is that it will change who they are now.  My kids will better appreciate their blessings, having been in the 350 sq foot home of our friends, a Colombian family of 6.  I hope their imagination is fueled by hikes in Zions, Arches, and Canyonlands.  I’ll bet they see things a little differently, now that they’ve stood in a grove of enormous redwood trees.

If you give your children nothing else, give them a thirst for knowledge and adventure.  Children who discover, dream, and dreaming, dare.  Consider this, the man who dreamt, designed, and directed the construction of the Suez Canal, Ferdinand de Lesseps, grew up on the stories of his uncle Barthelemy.  Barthelemy departed France at the age of 20 to sail around Cape Horn and on to California.  Alone, he made his way from California to Kamchatka, then crossed Siberia on a dogsled. With that kind of bedtime story, it’s no wonder de Lesseps never met a challenge he didn’t believe he could conquer. (I’m reading about this in David McCulloch’s The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914).

I guess what I’m saying is just don’t be content to give traditional gifts to your children.  We at www.WorldWanderlusting.com want to be a resource for you, so we’re doing a giveaway that will make a perfect discovery-inspiring gift.  We’d like to send you big hardcover book by Lonely Planet, “The Travel Book – Cool stuff to know about every country in the world.”


We’ve been trying to make it easy for our followers to keep up with us.  By far, the easiest way to stay piped into the travel tips we’re sharing is to subscribe to our blog.  So now, we’d like you to scroll back up and type your email in the little subscription box on the right hand side of our site. That’s how you’ll enter to win.

Once we’ve had 50 people subscribe, we’ll randomly choose 2 winners, so this is the kind of little contest you have a relatively high possibility of winning (1:25, but really when you consider just being a wanderluster itself is winning, it’s closer to 1:1).

Also, please comment below and tell us where you’d like to take your children.

Thanks so much for wanderlusting with us.  If you like what we do, please share your favorite posts with friends on social media.

Posted in About us, Children's Travel | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Eight Great Christmas Gifts for Travelers

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Brad Christensen

We go through this same exercise every year – What do I get for (insert name here) this Christmas? Only now we have Google to help with things like this – and hopefully it takes you to cool sites like ours.  So, even though our blog is about providing a formula for free frequent flyer mile travel, today you’re going to get some of those gift ideas.

With the better part of America and the civilized world rampantly spending their diligently-earned currencies on doorbuster deals for hokey items that will bring brief satisfaction, yet lasting clutter, I set out to find meaningful mementos for a more globally-minded subset of said civilized world – people who love to travel, i.e. people who read this blog, i.e. people who value experiences over ornaments.

Disclaimer:  So help me everything holy, I place my cursor over my internet bible bookmark and make a solemn pledge that you will not find a passport holder in this list.  There’s a special place in gift giver limbo (right next to fruitcake givers) for people who can summon no more thoughtfulness than to give things like passport holders to people they genuinely care about.

Christmas Gifts for Travelers

A Globe: You’re thinking, “Wait, weren’t we just bashing ornaments and clutter?”  Easy, grasshopper, you misunderstand the concept of a globe – especially a good one.  A globe is a window – an opening to memories of past experiences, and daydreams of future discoveries. You just can’t go wrong here.

“Of a Lifetime Books:” Even the most well-traveled globe-trotter will lick their lips turning the pages of one of these gems. Yes, this is essentially pornography for travelers – unlocking insatiable lust and  setting unreal expectations.

A Magazine Subscription: Like our “Of a Lifetime” books, the idea here is to get randy with wanderlust– only add periodicity.  And also like the books, once again National Geographic is the hallmark provider. This gift keeps on giving.

A Good Backpack: My backpack has been to all but one of the twenty seven countries I have visited. That’s more faithful than some peoples’ spouses – and more useful, too. A good, durable backpack is an absolute travel necessity, and you don’t want to date a lot of them, you want to find the best one and marry it. I say hinge your decision on the most important piece: the zipper.  If it’s going to work between the two of you, that thing will have to take some abuse.  Get a backpack with a big, healthy zipper.

Flipflops: Flipflops are talking shoes.  They say, “I don’t have a care in the world.” When you wear flipflops, the extra oxygen to the skin cells in your toes tells your endocrine system to triple the release special endorphins which trigger faster synapses in the area of the brain which processes positive emotions. No, actually, I just made that shit up, but it’s kinda how I feel at least…

A Shutterfly Book:  You’ve heard that Brad Paisley song about “Who needs pictures?” Well, I do.  We all do.  We forget stuff.  It sucks.  And if I’m bad, my wife is even worse.  I have to remind her where we’ve been and what we’ve done, and I won’t have to do that anymore once I immortalize all of our travel photos in Shutterfly photo books.

4-Wheeled Hard Case Luggage:  I know, luggage is as cliche as the passport holder, but I’m telling you, this stuff is like the “change your life” kind of cool.  You’ve walked through the airport and you see them, people effortlessly pushing a gorgeous, shiny, 4-spinner-wheeled piece of art while you roll your leaning bag on its 1990 two-wheel-technology.  Come on, man.  You don’t still have anything from 1990, and if 4 wheel drive is good for mud-diggin, it’s also good for travel gear.  You, and whoever is lucky enough to be on your list, are headed for easier luggage lugging.

Frugal Travel Guy’s Handbook: Everyone who travels feels like they take advantage of frequent flyer mile programs and opportunities to fly at reduced rates or even freely, yet very few travelers fully grasp these concepts – the same concepts we advocate for on WorldWanderlusting.com.  Rick Ingersoll is as savvy as they come when it comes to working the frequent flyer mile system for maximum effect, and he’s taught thousands of followers with this quick and easy handbook.

Nothing pains us more at WorldWanderlusting.com, than hearing “I’d love to travel, I just can’t afford it.”  We write about inexpensive ways for people to get to places they had only dreamed of.  Follow us on Facebook or check out these other great posts:

Wanderlust with us.

 

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Reifenstein Castle – A Moment to Reflect

Posted on November 25, 2012 by wpengine

As I ponder the sites that I saw in Alpine Europe this spring, my mind recalls the moments when we toured the Reifenstein Castle, which is found about one hour south of Innsbrook.  In the words of Rick Steves, “Reifenstein offers castle connoisseurs the best-preserved original medieval castle interior I’ve ever seen.”

Reifenstein Castle (Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com)

As I was preparing for my trip this phrase intrigued me.  If you don’t know who Rick Steves is, then it’s time to head to your local library to check out some of his books.  You can also turn your channel to PBS and see some of his shows there.  This guy has toured thousands of castles all across Europe, so I knew that his quote had to be accurate.

Location of the Reifenstein

My first feeling about this place helped me to realize why people “looked up” to their leaders.  This castle was built on a small hill right inside the valley.  Supposedly the peasants worked for their Lord, who in return offered them protection from any outsiders and food for their families.

The tours are only offered three times per day, and for some crazy reason I didn’t keep track of when the tours began.  I couldn’t ever find a website about this place, and pictures are not found anywhere because they don’t allow you to take pictures once you get inside of the castle walls. So it is somewhere that you’ve got to visit in person.  The GPS coordinates are 46° 52′ 41″ N, 11° 26′ 40,5″ O

Also understand that this castle was constructed over the last 2000 years.  The tallest tower was built first, and offers THICK walls at the base, and a dungeon down below.  As the valley became more prosperous they added more rooms and features.  The tour is given in English, Italian, or German so don’t worry about language barriers.

Why you need to visit this castle:

Just as Rick Steves mentioned above, this castle offers the closest thing that can be found when looking into the past.  From the front door, to the last minute of the tour you’ll be amazed at how well preserved this castle really is.

The guide will take you to the kitchen where the meals were prepared.  Upon entering you’ll already know that it is the kitchen because you’ll notice the smell of soot on the walls.  When you look around the room you’ll notice that black soot from the fire has covered the walls of the kitchen.  Both the smell and the pots and pans used can help your imagination to run wild of what this place must have been like during the Medieval Ages.

The dungeon gives you a real sense of what it would be like to live your last days trapped in that small room.  They drop a light down into the dungeon so you can see how large the room was.  Many of the prisoners probably were thrown into the dungeon, and broke bones on the way down to the 15 or 20 feet drop.  They also take you to the room where the criminals would have been tried for their crimes. The post upon which they were whipped and beaten before being tossed into the dungeon still shows the indentations of the feet of those being whipped.

Max and I knocking on the front door

Sitting at the top floor of the castle boasts a breathtaking view of the valley just before the Brenner Pass.  It gives you the chills to think that this valley has been commonly used as the passage between Germany and Italy for thousands of years.  Popes, knights, robbers, and missionaries have crossed the valley floor in their journeys to faraway lands.

This moment at the top floor of the castle sparked a moment of contemplation of my life, and how wonderful things are for me.  I feel so fortunate to live in a wonderful country where I am entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  I also enjoy a warm home in the frigidness of the Idaho winters.  A hospital that is close provides a level of comfort where I know that highly skilled doctors can save lives.  Even something as simple as life insurance, that ensures that my family will be fine financially even if something were to happen to me.

We enjoy a lot of things in this life, and it’s not until we get out of our box to see other places that we can really recognize these blessings.  This is one of the reasons that I love to travel.  It gives me a greater appreciation for the time in which I live, and for the blessings which I enjoy.  Come along and Worldwanderlust with us so you can have life changing experiences like this.  Make sure you like us on Facebook and subscribe to our blog by putting in your email address in the right hand corner of the blog so you never miss another post!

Hotel

Four Points by Sheraton Bolzano Hotel Room

I recommend you stay at the Four Points by Sheraton in Bolzano when touring the Reifenstein Castle.  The hotel is within walking distance of a grocery store, and within an hour of the castle.  When you get the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express you will have enough points to cover up to 7 FREE nights at this and other hotels in the area.

Make sure you allot enough time to enjoy the swimming pool on the top floor, and their steam rooms and saunas.  This is a great way to relax after a long day on the go. The beds are comfortable, and you’ll sleep well in this hotel.

 

Posted in Family Travel, Fun Travel Stories, How to Wanderlust, Living History, Starwood Preferred Guest | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Approved for the Chase Ink Bold

Posted on November 20, 2012 by wpengine

On Friday I submitted my application to Chase for the Ink Bold Business Charge Card.  When I clicked the final button to apply after entering all of my information I was a little bit disappointed when I got this response….

“Your application requires further review before making a decision….”  are you kidding me?  Rather than wait for them to contact me, I called them right away.  If you’ve gotten this page then you should call now.  1-800-453-9719 is the number to call.

The customer service at Chase is unmatched in the financial world.  A live person will answer your call every time you call, not a lame machine.  When the rep answered the phone I voiced my concern as he pulled up my account.  “One moment Mr. Christensen”, he said in plain English.

He then asked me a few questions…

  • What type of business is it that you have Mr. Christensen?
  • How long have you been in business?
  • Who generally pays you, the companies or the clients?
  • What is your business’ annual income for the last three years?
  • What is your personal annual income?
  • How much do you anticipate charging each month on your new card?
  • Do you understand that this is a charge card, and that the balance must be paid in full each month?

When he was done with the interrogation and he undid the handcuffs I felt like I had the right to ask him a few questions back.  (His answers are paraphrased in my own words)

Why are you asking me so many questions?  Is my credit terrible or something?

No, Mr. Christensen, with a business card any delinquencies won’t show up on your personal credit report, so we must do our due diligence to make sure that you have the ability to pay the amounts on the card.  We want to make sure that your business is profitable, or that you would have the means to pay the card off with another source of income.

What is the minimum business size needed to get approved for this card?

There isn’t a minimum size.  We really just want to make sure that the business is profitable.

Have you had a lot of interest in this card since you’ve changed the offer?

Most definitely.  This offer has brought in a lot of customers and we have been much busier than usual.

Why you want the Chase Ink Bold Card

As we’ve blogged about before, this offer was just sweetened when they lowered the spending requirement from $10,000 within 3 months down to only having to spend $5000 within three months of activation.  I didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity because I’m not sure when they were going to pull the offer.

The flexibility of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program makes this card worth the application.  Here are a couple of past posts showing how great the Ultimate Rewards are:

 

Posted in Chase, Chase Ultimate Reward Points, Credit Advice, Credit Cards, How to Wanderlust | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments