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.

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!

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!!!

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

 

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

 

I just read today’s post on Million Mile Secrets (which I love). The topic is using AMEX Travel to book your next hotel stay.  AMEX offers a $75 hotel/resort credit toward dining, resort activities and spa services if you book through them and stay 2 consecutive nights.  AMEX is also offering a third night free.

I have an AMEX Premier Rewards Gold Card and I have tried on numerous occasions to use the AMEX Travel Department but have never gone through with them.  They say they will match any prepaid advertised rate online but I often find the best rate by calling or directly through the site.  Actually many hotel chains are trying to compete with the individual sites like AirBnb and they are offering extra discounts and perks to loyalty members.

I have found that even with the $75 credit and third night free that I got a better deal without using AMEX.  Last time I booked the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort I got an amazing rate of $99 a night (by calling hotel front desk) as opposed to the $250 a night AMEX Travel offered me, I got upgraded to a suite and they threw in free daycare ($60 value). Even with the third night free (we were only staying 2) my direct hotel rate was a better deal.

The morale of the story is to do your homework and check around several sources before booking.