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“Brexit” Sale

July 6, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

With the recent vote to leave the EU, the British pound is at a very favorable exchange for Americans.  The last time I went to the UK (in 2012 we did a big trip to Ireland/Scotland to see Navy play football) the dollar was 1.6 to the pound. YUCK!  Now because of the “Brexit” backlash, July’s rates are expected to be around 1.2!  That’s a lot more Buckingham Palace for your dollar!

London - a beautiful city

Y London – a beautiful city

There are so many great reasons to visit the UK.  Here are a few of my favorites:

1.  They speak the same language (well almost, lol 😳 especially if your in Geordie country).

2.  London and Edinburgh are teeming with great restaurants and numerous attractions.

3.  It’s an easy 8-hour flight from Washington DC to London (take a Tylenol pm or watch a couple of movies).

4.  There are so many beautiful areas and small towns to explore like Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland – one of my favorites, and Dumfries is a sister city of Annapolis.

5.  Who needs anymore reasons?  Get your tail on a plane!

Travel FREE like ME! 😎

🌎

 

Filed Under: Europe, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

Amtrak Sale

June 29, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Amtrak is having a sale on fares as low as $19 one-way for travel Aug 2-25, 2016.  The routes are northeast regional and include cities from Norfolk to Boston.  You must purchase your ticket by June 30, so act quickly.

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Filed Under: Travel Tips, Uncategorized

Save 25% on Coach Award Bookings to Europe

June 28, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Today is the last day to save 25% on booking coach seats with points on United Airlines to Europe.  A round trip ticket from mainland US would normally cost 60,000 points but until tonight midnight you can book it with 45,000 points round trip.

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Hurry and save some points!

Filed Under: Travel Tips, Uncategorized

MY Review of Element by Starwood

June 24, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Last year we stayed at the Aloft Arundel Mills and did not have a good experience.  Upon speaking with the management we were offered a free night to come back and try the other side Element.

We recently took them up on the offer and were quite pleased with the outcome.  We had a rather large room with a separate bedroom (Aloft had this glass between the bathroom and every time the light went on it woke me).  There was a nice living room area with a pull out sofa bed and a decent sized kitchen.  The bathroom was a good size and had a great shower (who doesn’t love a great shower?).  They had a nice free hot breakfast buffet with waffles, sausage etc. but also some healthy gluten-free options for me.   My daughter enjoyed swimming in the pool – we had it all to ourselves actually.  There’s also a neat courtyard between the two hotels and a nice bar inside the Elements which we could have enjoyed but preferred to relax in the room.

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We had a flawless and relaxing stay and I would definitely recommend Element by Starwood.  Don’t forget to use a Starwood AMEX card to pay for your stay – you get 5 points for every dollar to use for free future stays.

 

Filed Under: Travel Tips, Uncategorized

Rotary Friends Around the World

May 7, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

As a member of Rotary International, I am part of the worlds largest service organization with 1.22 million members.   We have clubs all over the world and as I have blogged in the past, I try to attend meetings wherever I travel.  I am actually a member of the E-Club (Internet) of the Rotary Club of Lake Elsinore, CA.  We don’t meet in person every week as traditional clubs do but we use technology tools to communicate.  I still participate in Rotary activities when I can in clubs locally and abroad.  I’ve met amazing people and I am always welcomed like an old friend.   Someone even gave me their beautiful place overlooking the water in St. Thomas for a week solely on the fact that I was a Rotarian.

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Yesterday I went to the Rotary Club of Antigua and someone offered to take me ‘home’ so I wouldn’t have to get a cab.  Today I went to the Sundown Club of Antigua.  The members were so kind and welcoming – one member offered to give me a ride home and rides to the next couple of meetings if I want.  They were working on a project, Walk for Autism, and my stepson happens to be autistic.  Great food AND GREAT PEOPLE DOING GREAT THINGS!

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Rotary Club of Antigua Sundown

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Delicious Dinner at Rotary

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Who Wants to Travel Across the World for FREE?

May 4, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

WOW Airlines is having an amazing contest!  They are giving 4 lucky winners the opportunity to travel on 4 trips, all-expenses paid, to any of their 28 destinations around the world.  The trips last 3-8 days and the winner’s “job” is to share their experiences with the world on Snapchat.  Apply here .

DID YOU SAY ‘FREE’?  YES FREE TRIPS!!!

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Co-pilot Laurie ready for take-off

I’m in – anyone else? You’ll never win unless you try!

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Cheapest Days to Travel

April 28, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

All of you are such avid travelers that you probably know (in general) the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday but do you know exactly which days are the cheapest this summer?  According to Travel & Leisure, you will get the best rates on June 1, July 26, Aug 31 and Sep 20.  September is always my favorite month to travel, you get the best rates on most everything because kids are back in school!   Not sure where we are going yet but wherever it is, it won’t be boring with us!

Check out Travel & Leisure for great articles on travel and check out our blog for tricks and tips to travel for FREE (or almost FREE).

flying with my co-pilot

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Would You Stand in Line for 90 Minutes at Airport Security?

April 27, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

The answer is yes if you were at JFK Airport Sunday.  We had to connect through JFK on a flight from Antigua to DC and I heard that people took 90 minutes to get through.  Thank GOODNESS we had TSA Security Pre-Check!  I can’t say enough about this, get Global Entry/Pre-Check.  We whizzed through immigration while a line snaked row after row and spent 2 minutes going back through security for our connecting flight.  PRICELESS – ok it really cost $100 for 2 years.  HOWEVER, if you get certain cards, which include the following, they will reimburse you the fee:

Citi Prestige

AMEX Platinum

Ritz-Carlton Rewards

Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard

I would say ‘definitely worth it’ even if you have to pay the fee yourself.

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Who wants to wait in line? Not me

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Antigua the Local Way

April 26, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

It was our first trip to Antigua.  I usually love anywhere that is warm and sunny and I did.  We spent 3 weeks living in a house, away from the tourist area, and really experienced Antiguan hospitality.

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‘Our Antiguan Home’

We stayed in Cedar Valley Springs – a lovely neighborhood close to St. John’s and 5 minutes from the beach.  I really got to know the neighbors because my hosts were so busy and I knew that before coming.  My hosts were so kind for letting us stay (so long).  That’s ok that they were busy and we made the best of it.  I ended up meeting neighbors who made me feel more welcome than in my own neighborhood where I’ve lived for 12 years.  That’s the Antiguan hospitality.

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Neighbor extraordinaire Johnny

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Best Personal Driver Johnny

Mr. Johnny, my next door neighbor in Antigua was amazing.  He very generously took time to show me around the island and treated me like an old friend.  We didn’t have a car and on several occasions he also gave us a ride.

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Mandy Showing me a GREAT Birthday

Mandy was also a great person.  I never met her before and after only knowing me a few days she took me out for my birthday, bought me brunch and surprised me with a bunch of gifts.

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Laurie & Patti on her boat

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A REALLY Fun Day on the Water

Patti (and Jason) – really made our trip great.  Not only did they help me with medical issues (he’s a doctor) – but we had one of the best days going out on their boat for the day.  Patti also gave me a lovely Antigua guide book for my birthday.   Ian, my kind neighbor, gave me rides to Rotary meetings.  There was also Sanjay – a lovely lady who generously gave a lift to strangers.

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Ellie at Antigua Athletic Club

My daughter joined the swim club for a month and people were great there too.  One kind person gave us their daughters old swimsuit when Ellie didn’t have a proper one for swim class. Another mom invited us to join them in a mom’s club and another invited us out for happy hour.

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Laurie with Nikita & Laxman

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Ellie Playing with Varuni

Across the street lived a lovely family from India – a wonderful woman Nikita, with a kind husband Laxman and a daughter Varuni with whom Ellie played.

I think I would have to say that I really have never been anywhere else in the world where I was treated so much like an old friend.  Thank you friends!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

SOUTHWEST is Having an International Sale

April 19, 2016 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Southwest Airlines is the best airline in the country – with its two free bags, no change fees and great customer service. They are having a 3-day sale on international flights to great destinations like Cancun, Aruba, Belize, Jamaica and Mexico.  Sample fares include $99 one way to the Bahamas, book by April 21 for travel August 23 through November 16, 2016.

Flying family style

Flying family style

Plan your perfect fall getaway and if you’re smart like me + you’ll rent your house while you’re away on a site like Airbnb  = FREE VACATION!

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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