Tag: #LasVegas

tracking your travel

Who doesn’t dream of South Beach when it’s the 1st week of January?

So, we’ve wrapped up another year – in fact, this one was a DECADE. I saw a meme yesterday that said: 2050 is just as far away as 1990. I don’t think this is possible because 1990 was just yesterday, and 2050 is clearly a year beyond “Blade Runner 2049” even. And, THEY were interacting with androids and using flying cars, so clearly – that’s impossible. (insert eye roll of denial). Nonetheless, I do rather wonder what I’ve been doing with my time. Do you ever look back and take inventory as it were? Having never been a diarist, I tend to look back through past itineraries. I use an app for it – an app that helps me organize future travel and fondly reflect on past travel.

The app I use is TripIt. There are others, but when you do a search around the interwebs, this one shows up at the top of most lists because it’s so easy to use. It’s also a SAP product, so if your travel agency uses SAP Concur for your travel reservations, there’s an auto-interface (I’m not techy, so this sounds right to me – don’t chastise me if I’m way off base). What I mean is, my travel agent makes a reservation for air, hotel, rental car (pfft) and then *poof*, it’s there in my TripIt. I then re-name it whatever catchy name I have for the trip – like instead of “Irvine, CA”, I might call it “Q1 TeamF2F”. Toldja it was catchy. Within the itinerary that my agent started for me, I can add all my other details (e.g. dinner reservations, excursions, tours). It’s very easy because you:

  1. Make a reservation
  2. Receive confirmation of said reservation
  3. Forward the confirmation from any e-mail account linked to your TripIt
  4. It pops up in an itinerary with corresponding dates, or starts a new one

You don’t have to put context, or codes, or anything around the forwarded e-mail, which you send to: [email protected] . It honestly could not be easier. Sure, they occasionally don’t plunk it down just as you’d hope. When that happens, it gets stored in a separate file that you can move manually – it’s not hard. It’s not the magic that it ordinarily is, but when you’re dealing with foreign languages, or less formal confirmations from private vendors, it’s a minimal hassle that you can easily navigate.

Another thing I adore about it is that you can share an itinerary with anyone. You just indicate right in your itinerary who you want to share it with. If they’re a TripIt user, too, it shows up in their app effortlessly. And, you assign rights to them. Just want to let them follow your travels? Don’t give them rights to edit your plans. If they’re a fellow traveler on that trip, they get to collaborate. It’s really effective for couples and small groups especially. My husband used to get frustrated when I didn’t tell him my plans, so now I share all of them. When we travel together, we can each contribute without inadvertently double-booking ourselves. And, I’ve mentioned before that I like having a way to track my flights outside of the carriers’ apps, so you can upgrade your TripIt and do that here, too. I haven’t gone that route, but when they’ve given me free trial periods, it does seem pretty snazzy.

The right travel app can ensure travel Zen almost as much as this Swarovski Buddha at the Kimpton EPIC in Miami. Almost.

Anyway – back to the reminiscing part. According to TripIt, I stayed pretty busy in 2019.

  • Sunny California in January? I’ll take it. I treated myself to a beach resort – makes it feel less like work.
  • Speaking engagement in Florida (both January and February)…someone had to go; at least one was walking distance to Downtown Disney with a HUGE variety of shopping, restaurants and bars/lounges.
  • Milestone birthday for a friend in New Orleans. Stayed at the exquisite Monteleone and ate some pretty incredible food. You do what you have to do to nurture friendships.
  • Oh, yeah – 91st Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood.
  • Vegas, baby – couple’s retreat. As I’ve said before – poolside at a posh or even semi-posh hotel, footsteps to fine dining and excellent shopping. Rarely do you even have to hail a cab in Las Vegas. That’s pretty relaxing.
  • Singapore and India – I think I’ve posted about those a fair amount already. The flights are long, but SO worth it.
    • I do think one has to see countries in Asia. I thought I was well-traveled until I went there and realized how little I’ve really experienced to date.
  • TCM Film Festival – it’s a hi-light for my year. Located at Hollywood and Vine I get to indulge my obsessive passion for film as an art form along with other people who revel in old movies (and, movies that came out for us in highschool are now considered ‘old movies’, too, FYI). There’s truly nothing like experiencing movies in a group setting (aka: a theater) among dedicated fans.
  • College visits – helping them move in and out of dorms/apartments is, as I’ve said before, grueling work but so worthwhile. The one-on-one time as they start to forge their own independence is so fun to share.
  • Orlando (again) to meet with my department this time – I really love the folks I work with and I value the time we get to spend in-person. There’s too little of it. Someone once told me, ‘It’s too easy to hang up the phone and start letting a person’s disembodied voice become a constant irritation….yet, spend a couple days across the table from them and you start to remember what you liked about them.’ It’s true.
    • Skype helps, but true face-to-face time, some wine, and a bizarre attraction to coordinating ponchos and interpretive dance does for a group what could never be accomplished via video conference….
  • Another milestone birthday for another friend and her desire to go somewhere she’d never been. We toured Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges. Old friends, new adventures – what could be better?
  • PARIS – have I mentioned I went to Paris last year? I stayed for 2 weeks. It was work and play. I won’t go on because I’ve bent your ear enough about it – but, I will take a moment to ask: Do you ever invite friends who aren’t your “bestie” to travel with you?
    • It’s actually a really good formula. Because you’re not too close, you don’t tend to make decisions FOR them, or encroach on their good nature, etc. Of course we don’t start out to take over for our best and closest humans, but with familiarity can come that tendency. I would highly encourage you to take at least one trip this year with someone whom you simply know and trust, but who isn’t your best friend or partner. You’ll get to know them (or re-know them) better, discover a shared interest, and maybe gain some new insights. You might even find a new travel buddy.
  • Finally, a return to see cherished family now living in Tennessee rounded out my year. Take time to go see your family and friends who live far away.
    • There’s something unique about a shared history – whether it’s your childhood, or your ancestry. There’s a unique bond there that you can choose to explore. When it comes to establishing these people in your life, that ship has sailed – the people you knew growing up are now set and finite. You can’t get new ones. The people who share your same ancestors – also set. There’s no one else who knew your grandparents, aunts and uncles when you were little. So, whether you love those folks already, which I do, or if you’re willing to GET to know them and share a laugh at the weird mis-steps and idiosyncrasies among yourselves and your extended family, there’s literally know one else who has as much skin in the game as you do. Cringe, cry and laugh about it together, but you don’t have to EXPLAIN it – that’s the beauty of it. They already get it.
Even a produce market in Asia can be breathtaking. Go see it – pictures don’t do it justice.

What will the new year, or new decade for that matter, hold for you? Now’s a great time to start mapping that out. I have 7 trips on my TripIt already. How about you?

squeezing in family travel: anniversaries

The Lake Austin Spa is less than an hour from the Austin airport, even closer to downtown, and a WORLD away.

When you travel a lot for work, the very last thing you want to do on the weekends and holidays is deal with airports. I honestly wouldn’t mind being teleported places – truly, I like discovering new places. It’s just the getting there (and back) that starts to wear on me. So, when it comes to anniversaries – that one time a year that belongs JUST to the 2 of you, your spouse can start to feel pretty second-rate when you say (again), let’s just have a quiet dinner at home. So, staycations start to look pretty good: first-class accomodations, pampering spa treatments, sitting in a hammock by the lake breathing in natural beauty…..ready to plan a romantic, low-stress getaway? Lemme show you around.

So, I can see some husbands’ eyes roll when they hear: Let’s plan a spa vacation. I mean, that’s where you go to have a girls’ weekend, right? RIGHT – if you can assure me of the following:

  • You don’t enjoy all-inclusive meals and snacks; made to order (with access to wine and champagne accompaniment)
  • You’re averse to water sports (e.g. kayaking, stand-up paddling, canoeing, ….sun-bathing)
  • You don’t like to swim – and, especially not in a variety of indoor and outdoor pools
  • You have no interest in working out, stretching, or long guided hikes in nature
  • Reading a book by the lake doesn’t appeal to you
  • Lying down on a heated-water massage table while skilled technicians massage out the stress of work sounds unappealing
  • Cooking demonstrations by chefs who only need you to lift a fork (taking in more food and wine) don’t interest you
  • Retiring to your private, well-appointed room with a video from the extensive free lending library just doesn’t compare to watching “Law and Order” on your own couch

Are we on the same page now? I mean, what’s not to love, right? We happen to be lucky enough to live within driving distance of Condé Nast’s #1 spa destination in America. Every time we go, though, we meet people from around the US, so it’s most certainly not just locals or people who find it convenient. I’ve been indulging in their luxury – on a day-pass basis – for years. And, taking even a day to strip off your normal daily routine to don a robe, sit in peace and just “be” while you get a facial, a massage and EXCELLENT food, can nourish your soul. Becoming an overnight guest is something that’s been a special treat my husband and I give each other once a year. I think you have to have these special getaways that belong only to you. They don’t have to be the same place over and over – maybe it’s the theme you enjoy and don’t invest in everyday – like maybe you want to take in a cruise once a year from a nearby port where you float around for a few nights only to arrive back at the same spot. Or, maybe you like a cabin in the woods when it’s snowy. When you combine work travel with visiting-the-kids travel, it all adds up to a lot of one of you gets left behind, or a lot of playing Mom & Dad. Regardless, it’s nice to unplug and remind yourself why this is the person you picked to share your life with.

For us, the spa theme works well because when done well, like at Lake Austin Spa Report, it’s the ultimate indulgence: As much aloneness as we want, as much involvement as we want (there are lots of group activities if you’re interested) and as much pampering as we want. If I’m completely honest, massages and facials as a matter of routine are a necessity. But, driving through traffic to get to my appointment, sitting for an hour or so, while “is there anything at home for dinner?” and “did I reply to that e-mail?” plays through my head leaves me feeling a little conflicted at times: Was this just another thing I had to squeeze into my day? It’s certainly not a tooth extraction or a trip to the DMV. Wow – I’m seriously complaining about how to find just the right amount of pampering to count….. But, my POINT is that waking up and thinking “all I have to do today is a hike and a facial” is a very different paradigm.

Obviously, spa destinations haven’t cornered the market on romantic getaways. America’s playground – Las Vegas isn’t a bad spot for a couples’ getaway. And, most people can manage to get there non-stop, which is at least helpful. It’s not all gambling, smoking and bad choices. It can also be fine dining, amazing shopping, extraordinary food and live entertainment – of quality. Here’s what I mean:

  • Pools – lovely pools open all day and right up until it’s time to go to dinner….just sit, read, people-watch. They’ll bring you food and beverages if you ask
  • Shopping – not the cheesy fashion malls (note: If it says ‘fashion’ on the outside, be dubious)
    • Bellagio – always the first place I head for window shopping and, let’s be honest – shopping shopping
    • Caesar’s Forum Shops – Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Ferragamo
  • Craft cocktails – Sweeping Las Vegas as they are the rest of the world right now. Nonetheless, a much quieter Vegas than what normally springs to mind, and a relaxing pre- or post-dinner pastime
  • Excellent meals – Can you find cheesy restaurants in Las Vegas, yes. Can you find buffets, yes. Do you have to, no. There’s a Le Cirque and a French Laundry there. Picasso has actual Picassos hanging on the wall. Sure, every chain has a presence there – you don’t have to eat at them. Look for the gems – they’re there.
  • Live entertainment – Yep – there’re talentless topless shows. I’m not trying to trick you. But, you can find amazing shows, too, because entertainers go where people go and people go to Vegas – Elton John, “Love” featuring Beatles’ music and extraordinary French-Canadian acrobats, most touring bands (e.g. checkout who’s playing at Brooklyn Bowl). If you want cheesy, you won’t have to look far. And, we’ve certainly squeezed in our fair share of stars from our youth: Donny & Marie, Olivia Newton John….but, we manage to strike a balance.
You don’t see pools like this around the REAL Eiffel Tower….

What does all this have to with business travel? Well, I’m glad you asked. Because we’ve had a million little get aways and staycations thanks to business travel – Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton….have you looked at what all they own these days? You’d be surprised – historic hotels are now in their ranks even. So, formerly privately owned places you’ve always wanted to stay…..are now only points away. (Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki, now part of Marriott….I’m heading your way again soon) So, download their apps, monitor your points and see what might be available to you for FREE. Here are some ideas:

  • Book a lazy-river kinda weekend: Hyatt Resorts – very generous with the points and gracious (in my experience) with their loyal members, have honored us on numerous weekends with free amenities for being loyal customers even when, and maybe especially when, paying with points.
  • How about a night on the town: Marriott – Downtown has a new feel when you’re empty nesters. Drive 10min to downtown, check into a lovely, urban resort, sit at a rooftop pool, take in a spa service or 2 and then hit the town. Which is to say, a fine dinner and an early evening. In MOST cases. But, maybe it’s New Year’s Eve or a live event and you won’t want to drive or head home early. Relax, treat yourself.
  • Rent a house and work remotely for a few days: Airbnb has many options for couples with dogs – I wouldn’t want to take the kids on a romantic excursion (no offense kids…you wouldn’t want to come anyway), but the dog is THRILLED to come with us. He’s been on 2 whole vacations, you know…he’s quite well-traveled.

And, while I really wanted to talk about the value of a staycation, which even in its briefest form, can be restorative, I end on a note of: stock up on your points and work your miles. I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve looked at each other on a Thursday night and said: Do you have any points we could use for the weekend? Those are some of the BEST weekends. Your credit cards really can work to your advantage if you use them wisely, too. You’re spending the money anyway – why not put it on a card that will reward you with free nights or free airfare (just don’t incur interest or fees). It takes discipline, but doesn’t everything? I’m not eating a Justin’s almond butter cup right now because of discipline – it can’t all be fun and games; I drank the extra glass of wine – I’m not a masochist.

You have no idea what options are right outside your backdoor until you explore

This is what I’ve learned: it’s important to just BE. Live in the moment – appreciate your surroundings. Enjoy the people you’ve chosen to spend your life with. Even the most staid and stoic partners need some variety – and, so does a relationship enjoy a change of scenery. Use your travel savvy and make a weekend special. It doesn’t have to be a huge endeavor and if you’re smart, you can even off-set the cost. But, the memories are yours to keep – at no additional cost.

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